Chapter 179
Chapter 179
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble House (179)
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In truth, bringing it up with him wasn't the best choice.
I had to handle this alone.
But Narke could read my thoughts with his ability—though I had no idea how he was taking the status window—and glossing over my plan with him wouldn't mean much anyway.
Better to take him along to the Primrose Path but have him do something else that wasn't dangerous for him.
"You're not going to interrogate the councilors and heading straight to the Primrose Path?"
Narke's eyes widened in surprise, then he clapped his hands as if he understood.
He called my name in all seriousness.
"Lucas."
"…What?"
"You really have an amazing ability. Makes me want to try it out myself."
Ability?
Did this guy have something like Leo…?
I tried to keep the same expression as before and said,
"What do you think my ability is?"
"Something like Insight, right? In a way, it seems even more precise than mine~"
"……."
I stared at Narke and smiled.
Was that really all there was to it?
I wished I had an Insight ability too, but his system never gave me what I wanted.
I wasn't about to trust him from the start, even if I tried not to think about it.
Even now, I had no way to judge if Narke's words were true or not.
"Hahaha! I get it. Still, you trust me, Lucas. Can't help but be grateful, no matter what."
There wasn't much else I could do besides trust him for now.
But….
"Luca?"
"I thought it looked cool how Elias calls you by a nickname~ Friends close like that use nicknames!"
Ah.
I remembered once again that he was basically going to school for the first time and laughed.
"You don't usually do that unless you've been close since childhood. Elias… whatever. Leo technically gets called by a nickname too, but his name's just too long."
"Oh, really…? That's a shame…."
"…No. Do whatever you want…."
"Haha, no. I know your name, so that's fine. More importantly, that's the phrase we saw at the Hike house, right?"
A puzzling remark flashed by, but I had no attention to spare for it.
I handed him the notebook he was pointing at. It was the page where I'd compiled all the strange sentences I'd read so far.
"Yeah. Just in case it might be a code."
I'd gathered all five sentences confirmed so far, read them connected forward and backward.
If a cipher was applied, figuring out what kind would take forever, so I had to start slow.
"Ah~ A code! Could be!"
"I'm decoding assuming it's a Caesar cipher first. Any hunches?"
"Hmm, in this state… no. Sorry I can't help."
Narke stroked his chin thoughtfully and said,
"It's good you're working on it, but don't overdo it, Lucas. Don't overthink it either."
"Yeah. I've only been pondering it briefly during breaks anyway."
I didn't have the mental bandwidth to make it my main focus.
The moment I thought that, Narke rummaged through his bag.
"Oh, if we're not leaving right now, take this."
But what he pulled out was Pie.
"Ugh?"
The sleeping Pie jerked its head up and looked around.
"Ah, so you were here."
"You didn't know either."
"Haha… I thought I left you in the room, but you've been lonely lately since I leave you alone. You snuck after me."
Narke put Pie back and pulled out a small box from his bag.
It bore the crest of the Grand Duchy of Baden.
"…Chelinggen?"
"Yeah, Yulia passed it on. She must've heard about you while going in and out of the faculty office yesterday."
Opening the lid revealed a pearl on black cloth. Naturally, it wasn't an ordinary pearl.
"It's an artifact."
"Yeah. She knew you use a necklace artifact. Add one more to the chain you're wearing!"
"…No thanks…. But isn't this something only your family uses?"
"Probably?"
Accepting something like this casually… to someone unaware of the context, it could easily turn into a huge political issue.
Like rumors of Ascanien and Chelinggen forming ties, or ambitions to rule the Grand Duchy of Baden.
Sure, without the case, just seeing the artifact wouldn't immediately scream Chelinggen-made, but who knows with people.
As I thought that, Narke shook his head.
"She said she'd give it to you directly if you didn't take it~ Yulia asked me to pass it on first since she thought you'd feel burdened. You gonna refuse?"
"Yeah."
"Yulia would want you to use it well~?"
"……."
With his persistent coaxing, I let out a short hollow laugh and opened the box again.
"What is it?"
"It's enchanted with magic resistance. Not specialized defense, but she said you could put it to good use~"
Sending it back without even looking at her face would be rude too.
And politically speaking, accepting and reciprocating with a gift of equal value was far better than flat-out refusing.
I'd have to greet her properly in person.
Later, after I get back.
"Alright. Time to go."
"Wait, mind telling me your plan? I get what more you found out about the Chairman. But using that as leverage to meet him seems a bit thin… What's your thinking?"
Narke sat on the chair and patted the bed.
"……."
He had a point.
In this situation with subtle tension between Pleroma and the Chairman, my only access to him was through Ludovica Schneider, a Pleroma affiliate.
Even if I tried to avoid her, with the distance to him under Pleroma control, there were no other options.
Meaning I couldn't approach him saying, "I'll help you ditch Pleroma and start a new religion."
I'd have to say that to Ludovica, and fat chance she'd relay it.
Of course, I had a plan.
The question now was whether to really drag Narke into this.
'No.'
Even if it was disappearing time, I didn't want to subject him to unnecessary experiences, even briefly.
Better to have him gather different info at the same time as me.
"Narke."
"Yeah?"
"That Eugen Schiller who sat next to you back then—you haven't run into him at the hotel again, right?"
"Nope."
"Then today, just mark him for me."
"……."
Narke stared at me blankly and tilted his head.
I deliberately emptied my mind and gazed at him steadily, and Narke smiled as he asked,
"Lucas, you're not thinking anything weird, right~?"
"Weird thoughts? What do you mean."
"Got it. Second meeting, so easier to get info."
"Thanks. Now…."
I started to ask Narke for a warp, then changed my mind.
"No, let's make a quick stop at Bayern first."
* * *
"You're early."
It was the voice I'd heard on the pre-dawn street.
Ludovica Schneider, right?
Narke, stepping into the tavern he'd visited last night again, smiled at the two figures.
Having downed a bottle of liquor beforehand like yesterday, Lucas approached their table with a thoroughly drunken grin.
"We meet again. Might I have the honor of sitting beside you?"
"Hmm…. Didn't I say we wouldn't sit together again?"
Eugen Schiller said with a laugh.
But having already heard from Ludovica about the pre-dawn encounter, it wasn't genuine doubt—just teasing.
"I'm ashamed."
Lucas plopped down without asking anyway.
Ludovica beckoned Narke too, so he bowed slightly and sat with them.
Lucas ordered fresh drinks and leaned close to Ludovica.
"That test you mentioned."
Straight to the point.
Lucas hadn't relayed this verbally, but I'd grasped it from his notebook notes. I'd even tested Insight during training.
"Couldn't sleep wondering what it was?"
"For someone like that, you were out at dawn."
"Ah…."
Lucas laughed sheepishly and rubbed his nape.
"You knew? That's a separate issue~ I went looking if the Empire had any other streets like this. Couldn't get over the regret."
"You're consistent. Didn't expect you'd leave Primrose Path so soon. Planning to start a business at the new place you like?"
"No. I have a promise with you, Ludovica."
Lucas gently lifted a lock of Ludovica's half-tied hair cascading over her shoulder and kissed it.
Then, gazing into her eyes, he whispered,
"Nowhere but here."
'Hahaha… haha…. Ugh~'
Watching his friend act sent shivers down Narke's spine. No helping it.
Narke suppressed a bursting laugh and tried to keep a straight face.
His vibe was completely different from last night. He'd put extra effort into his appearance before leaving—guess he'd decided to lean into this angle.
Though Lucas was inwardly picturing dashing out of the tavern in disgust and abandoning it all, no one watching could tell.
'He nails the playboy role~ Alright… time to read this guy's thoughts.'
Eugen Schiller, the one less gauged compared to Ludovica.
[Entertaining.]
Starting with that out of the blue~
Even as he thought it, Narke empathized with Eugen's sentiment.
No matter how creepy Lucas's lines, since it wasn't him saying them, spectating was fun.
[But he's no ordinary con man…. Her Excellency will handle herself, but she might fall for it if not careful.]
Lucas's acting had worked on him.
But wait.
'Her Excellency?'
Excellency.
'Might fall for it if not careful'—contextually, 'Her Excellency' referred to Ludovica Schneider.
'…You don't call just anyone Excellency~'
A chill ran down Narke's nape instantly.
Narke used his ability on Ludovica.
[…….]
Not easy to read.
Something registered, but this level of block meant poor compatibility with him.
Even so, he couldn't back off here.
'A bit more.'
Feeling his heart heat up, Narke pushed his ability.
Ludovica smiled and sipped her drink.
[Impatient.]
It came through.
Narke kept using his ability, staring into Ludovica's downcast eyes.
[How to bring it up. Might not be so hard unexpectedly, but just baptizing without words seems good too. Not many in the Empire looking for this guy anyway….]
Baptism?
Only now did Narke realize why Lucas had told him to stick to Eugen.
"……."
Narke slowly swirled the glass before him and gazed into it.
He didn't know exactly what Leo and Lucas had discussed at the end.
But one thing was clear: he could understand both their positions.
'…Tricky.'
He got Leo's concerns, and Lucas's judgment.
Neither was wrong. Leo wasn't overreacting out of care for his friend, and Lucas's resolve wasn't reckless considering the greater good.
He knew full well meeting the Chairman wouldn't be simple—perhaps more keenly than Lucas.
They'd use any means to dominate the Empire; no room for peace here.
'So I won't stop Lucas's decision… but he needs to steel himself.'
As long as he didn't become an obstacle, it'd be fine.
Thinking that, Narke reached into the bag he'd brought.
Meanwhile, Lucas turned to Ludovica, propping his chin.
"What're you thinking so hard about? Don't tell me you've changed your mind now?"
"No way~ I like talented people. If we're doing this together, it has to be someone like you."
Ludovica Schneider smiled warmly and pointed outside.
"You said you were curious about the test. Shall we go now?"
* * *
Narke had dragged me out claiming a bathroom break, so I knew what he'd uncovered with Insight.
'No ordinary guy.'
Right.
No way they'd place just anyone beside someone as dangerous as the Chairman.
But the info from the already-vanished time—Pleroma's relationship with the Chairman—wasn't ripe for use yet.
With no choice but to go through Ludovica Schneider, I had to play along more like I did at dawn.
Back at the hotel, we headed to the room I'd stayed in yesterday.
"Like the room? You barely slept and bolted."
"Of course~ But what's that in your hand?"
I pointed to the handbag Ludovica held.
Ludovica dodged with a laugh instead of answering.
"Come, sit first?"
"Sure. But now I'm curious why you're avoiding the question~?"
"Haha, later. To open a shop here, there's one more condition… Do you have a religion first?"
Here we go.
'Religion, huh.'
Ludovica Schneider could make me Pleroma. That's where his gain was biggest.
And now, he was testing the waters on that topic.
From here, I had to shape the situation.
If he'd accurately judged my talent, he wouldn't let me slip like the Freiburg bishops.
So I could be bold here.
But here's the problem.
No matter how much I needed the Chairman's mental magic, seeing him as a rival, Pleroma would work to reduce dependence on him.
Naturally, no new info to the Chairman, and even existing tasks delegated to him would slowly be pulled in-house.
No matter the method, the odds of Ludovica taking me to the Chairman were now extremely low.
'Good thing I didn't skip interrogating the councilors.'
I'd have spent all my effort charming Ludovica. Assuming absolute amity between Chairman and Pleroma.
In this situation where I couldn't meet the Chairman naturally, I had to make it so Ludovica had 'no choice but to drag me to him.'
So the method was this.
"I believe in Buddhism."
"Hmm~"
Ludovica nodded habitually, then slowly opened her mouth.
"…What did you say?"