Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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Narke called out to me with a smile.
“Father.”
“Yes.”
“That might be right. It doesn’t have to be a beverage.”
Of course, he’s reading my mind again...
If you’re reading it now, just stop.
The moment I thought that, Narke suppressed a laugh and nodded.
I opened my mouth.
“You’re right. Their movement routes are mostly similar. It looks like they were mainly involved in hot spring repair work. But Martin Dürer, who was sacrificed yesterday, and Karin Koll, who was sacrificed a week ago—why did they enter an unopened hot spring building?”
“Martin Dürer is the steward of my estate. The repairs were almost finished and it was set to open soon, so I sent him to check for any issues before the Archduchy government’s inspection. As for Miss Koll...”
He didn’t seem to know her personally, as the nobleman said something to his servant.
The servant disappeared for a short while, then another came running back.
“Ah, hello. You have questions about those involved in the hot spring repairs?”
“Yes. What was Karin Koll doing in the hot spring building?”
“She was hired to check the thermometers for any issues. But it’s not a system where people stick strictly to their assigned tasks... If you need more precise information, I can go ask.”
“That’s fine. Did they wear gloves while working?”
“We provided them, but... there wasn’t anything dangerous. Unless it was the tile workers, most people worked barehanded.”
I nodded and turned the page.
If the demon possession only occurred in those who entered the hot springs, they wouldn’t be unaware of the cause.
In fact, there were five more people who had been possessed without even entering the hot springs.
“There are records of five people all drinking water from Petkele at the same time. Where is that?”
“Ah, it’s the public drinking fountain in Baden-Baden. The hot spring water here is safe to drink.”
“......”
In an instant, I saw Narke’s smiling face freeze.
We couldn’t continue speaking and simply nodded.
“Understood.”
“Shall we go take a look? It’s a bit hot, but good for the current weather. Since you Fathers are from out of town, you should try drinking some...”
“Hahaha, no.”
Narke quickly cut him off.
Then he softly asked the nobleman.
“Could you close that place for about a week? We need to check it, and opening it to the public would hinder the investigation.”
“Close it? I think we’d need to check with the government first.”
“I see. Please do so quickly. And any other drinking fountains as well.”
He didn’t seem to know exactly why it needed closing, but the nobleman promised to inquire as soon as possible.
We left the cathedral and toured the village.
“Inspired by Strauch, perhaps.”
“Putting drugs in water—definitely similar to how he intended to use it~”
Narke stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Lucas, this wasn’t in the documents we obtained, right? Trying to use Insight without seeing anything feels blocked somehow.”
“Unfortunately, no.”
Previously, we learned there was competition for achievements between Phleroma branches.
From the Ainsidel case, we gained one more piece of new information.
The dioceses compete among themselves too.
There might be plans shared across the entire Order, but it’s unlikely there aren’t others like Ainsidel trying to monopolize the gains everywhere.
Like how we ransacked Osnabrück, we’d need to raid the Phleroma diocese here to grasp their related plans.
‘Even without digging that deep, we’re already onto them.’
To pull off something this bold.
At that moment, Narke stopped abruptly.
Soon, screams from several people rang out.
Hearing screams—not just one or two—in the middle of the night sent chills down my skin instinctively.
From Narke’s reaction, it was clearly another demon possession incident. Narke and I exchanged glances and ran toward the sound.
“Wow.”
When we arrived at the source, Narke looked up at the sky and let out a low exclamation.
And for good reason—the indigo sky appeared pitch black only over this spot.
Below it, someone clutched their body, screaming like the person we’d seen yesterday, and leaped out of a building.
With something like black mana flowing around them, that person was surely the latest victim.
“It’s only Tuesday—surely it’s fine to start from the weekend?”
“Haha... We’ll have no choice but to report that we’re starting a bit earlier than planned.”
Narke drew a circle on the ground with his staff.
The circle he drew spread instantly across the entire plaza, making the ground glow white.
“Whether a demon or a Phleroma product is inside that person, we’ll have to do something about it first. If you’re not keen... stacking up achievements raises your salary. You get peace maintenance fees~”
“I never said I wasn’t keen.”
I replied while swinging my wand.
This all benefits my future standing—there’s no reason not to do it. It’s my job anyway.
[Graaaah!]
Surprisingly, a beastly roar came from the human.
It matched the symptoms I’d read about in the exorcism rite book.
“Name?”
“Melanie Ritter.”
“Good, thanks.”
Narke switched his staff back to a wand and smiled at me.
“Let’s begin.”
* * *
The confrontation didn’t last long.
Unlike last time, it took less than an hour to subdue the possessed and restore them to normal.
However, divine power didn’t work on him.
It was another different case from the one we’d seen the day before yesterday.
‘I’ll go classify them later.’
What we’d uncovered so far was likely just the tip of the iceberg, but I had a feeling.
This was no ordinary matter.
And since we weren’t cherry-picking these incidents, it was more reasonable to assume similar problems were occurring elsewhere, rather than this region alone being the target of Phleroma’s bold plan.
At that moment, the professor entered the classroom with a rigid expression.
Some students noticed his unusually dark face and exchanged puzzled looks.
It didn’t take long to figure out who was responsible for the professor’s expression.
A familiar name was called.
“Student Lucas.”
Why me?
I composed my expression and responded.
“Yes, Professor.”
“Pack your things and go down to the main gate now.”
“Pardon?”
At the incomprehensible words, all the students’ eyes turned to me.
I was just as clueless.
Why pack my things?
Had I been expelled without knowing?
“Professor, what do you mean?”
“This isn’t something to discuss here. Excellency Ascanien’s steward is waiting at the main gate, so go to your dorm now and pack everything you’ll need for a week at home.”
‘...Steward?’
And what did “everything you’ll need for a week at home” even mean?
Why was I going home now?
Elias turned around with obvious panic on his face.
Even Leo, who was usually so guarded, couldn’t hide his expression this time—his brows were furrowed.
An inexplicable sense of foreboding washed over me.
I couldn’t understand why the steward was here either. Today wasn’t a day I took medicine.
“...Home?”
“You’ll find out when you go down.”
The professor’s voice was somber.
Why?
Dozens of possibilities were already racing through my mind.
None of them were good. My heart pounded faster.
“No. I don’t know why I have to go, Professor. Today isn’t a day I meet the steward, is it?”
I didn’t particularly want to mention in front of my classmates that I met the steward on family orders.
But everyone knew I missed class once or twice a week due to family matters. This wasn’t the time to quibble over my preferences.
As the professor hesitated awkwardly, someone knocked on the front door and opened it naturally.
“Pardon the intrusion. We can’t delay any longer, so I came up. May I speak with the young master briefly?”
“Ah, yes. Student, go out now.”
The professor said to me.
Such direct involvement of status within the school wasn’t exactly against the rules, but I could see he wanted to get me out of the classroom quickly.
“If you can’t explain why I have to go home now that the semester has started, I can’t go.”
The steward and the professor both looked troubled and didn’t speak easily.
Finally, the steward said resolutely.
“You must arrive at the main castle in Dessau by tonight, young master. I cannot tell you the reason, but Duke Georg Ascanien His Excellency ordered me—not you, the younger young master—himself.”
The atmosphere chilled instantly. My classmates glanced between them and me nervously.
‘...In other words, this isn’t for you to decide after hearing the reason.’
I could easily understand the humiliation Elias had felt.
Damn this class system—it doesn’t even guarantee surface-level freedom.
Surprisingly, in this situation, my mind cleared.
First, I couldn’t be sure why Georg Ascanien had summoned me.
He’d generously given me two weeks’ vacation, yet now he was sending someone to drag me there during homeroom—what could it be?
But I couldn’t refuse and stay here.
Disobeying an order could lead to unknown repercussions.
And if my guess was right...
No way, but if it really was, then it was something I’d have to face someday.
I slowly stood from my seat.
* * *
Under the pretext of packing, I went alone to my dorm room, downed three bottles of the medicine my brother had sent, and boarded the train with the steward. My core throbbed wildly.
I considered leaving the artifacts in my room, but since who knows what might happen, I put them in a mana-blocking box for now.
On the train to Dessau, the capital of Anhalt, we didn’t speak at all. No matter what I asked, the steward said he couldn’t answer.
“We’ve arrived in Dessau, young master.”
As I was pondering dozens of contingency plans, the steward spoke.
We got off at the station and boarded the Ascanien carriage waiting in front. Even in that short time, people saw me and began to make way.
‘Still the same outside school.’
Of course, it looked better than when I’d taken the carriage at the start of the semester.
At least I appeared normally human now.
It probably helped that I’d gone through the entire magic potion competition without causing issues.
When Phleroma went out and did whatever, curiosity spiked demand, so Anhalt’s daily papers shared coverage from the Bavarian Kingdom News.
I tried filling my head with such carefree thoughts, but beneath the surface, worries about home kept churning.
As I stared out the carriage window for a while, it suddenly stopped.
“We’ve arrived.”
As soon as the steward finished speaking, the coachman opened the door and stood beside it.
“......”
The sight before me was quite the spectacle.
Countless people in black uniforms lined both sides of the path.
It seemed every servant and maid in the main castle was out here.
Someone beside me took the bag the steward was carrying.
“Welcome back, Your Highness.”
It was incomparable to my initial treatment.
Of course, the place where I first opened my eyes was just one of many castles and manors in the territory, but even if I’d awoken here in the main castle instead, I wouldn’t have received such a welcome.
It was as if an honored guest had arrived.
They probably needed to save face for the young Phleroma lord too. Because of that guest.
I silently scanned their faces once and walked down the path.
There was no need for greetings now. Everyone here was a confidant of Adrian Ascanien anyway.
I stopped in front of the castle gates. As the two servants guarding it turned to open them, I spoke.
“No.”
The servants about to open the doors exchanged confused glances, then turned to me with evident panic.
They hadn’t expected me to speak. Until last year, Luca hadn’t been that kind of person, so their reaction didn’t anger me.
I looked at the doors and calmly asked the steward.
“Where is Father?”
“He is in the main castle. You’ll see him at dinner, young master.”
I nodded.
“Let’s go straight to my room.”
“Please spare a moment first. There’s something I need to show you right away.”
“Is that more urgent than resting after three hours of travel?”
Even to my cold question, the steward replied with a dark expression.
“Yes, young master. I beg you.”
There was no need to show my intentions in the heart of enemy territory.
I nodded silently.
One person opened the door, and another followed to take my school uniform hat and coat.
The manor remained quiet even then.
I walked as the steward led. We moved to the left wing of the castle and climbed one staircase.
Once on the second floor, a hall like the first floor’s would appear. Luca’s memories unfolded naturally in my mind.
The moment we reached the familiar yet unfamiliar hall, I saw someone in pristine white clothes leaning on a couch by the window, gazing outside.
“......”
It was a sensation I hadn’t felt in a long time.
I felt my head cool sharply and twisted my lips.
Adrian Ascanien, who had turned his head expressionlessly, spotted me and widened his eyes.
Then, the soft smile I’d seen when I first opened my eyes in this world spread across his face.
“You’re here, Luca.”