Chapter 215
Chapter 215
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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We drank just enough to get by, then headed back to the dorms around four in the morning, completely wiped out.
It was because of my future.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason I was so drunk I couldn't tell if the alcohol was going in through my mouth or my nose. There was another issue, less important than my future but still nagging at me.
I'd only managed to gather 2 points of Eschet's favorability.
'I might be able to snag 1 point from Ulrike. But Yulia... how do I approach her?'
This was the tricky part.
If they were total strangers, I could just go all out with a full-on strategy without a second thought. But these were friends—teammates I'd have to see until graduation.
If I pulled some stunt like that, it'd end up worse than a failed group project in the long run.
'...Does favorability reset if I gain it and then turn back time?'
I thought that far, then pinched my cheek.
Now I was starting to have unethical thoughts. No, I was realizing that even my initial ideas weren't all that proper.
It felt like my brain was rotting in the direction this system wanted.
Anyway, how was I supposed to win their friendship...
"Huh, your cheek is super... purple. What happened?!"
I looked up to see Narke turning back toward me, hand on the doorknob.
I'd pinched it quietly, but apparently too hard.
"Just pinched it a bit."
"Huh...?"
Ignoring his confusion, I shoved him into his room.
His new dorm room looked different from before.
"Nice dorm."
"Oh, you didn't check it out last time?"
"Nope."
The dorm was neat.
It felt more spacious and comfortable compared to the old one.
"So, you said there was something you wanted me to use my ability on?"
Narke said as he sat down.
After hearing Daniel's words earlier, I'd asked Narke to take a look whenever he had time since there was something I needed interpreted.
With Narke giving such an ominous prophecy, it made sense to get another opinion before something happened.
Of course, I couldn't expect deep insight here. I hadn't shown him Daniel's face or let him hear the conversation.
I figured I'd just treat it as getting one more opinion, so I couldn't tell him everything—only what was safe to share, starting from the Bible figure who killed his brother.
"Narke. In the Bible, Cain gets banished from Eden and goes to Nod."
"Yeah."
"But what if Cain stays in Eden and God has no intention of banishing him? What does that mean?"
"...Blasphemy...?"
I let out a hollow laugh at Narke's instinctive response.
Even Narke seemed embarrassed by the reflexive answer that popped out without much thought, so he waved it off.
"Ahh~ No, no. Of course, if it happened that way, it'd mean something from Him, but the Bible doesn't say that~ Leaving humanity's first murderer in Eden? Why? That's what I heard."
"Yeah."
"It's not an Old Testament story. The Abel and Cain tale must apply to this era. Does it mean this era's Cain stays in Eden? Or that He deliberately placed this era's Cain in Eden? One of the two."
"Hmm... That's the worst."
Circumstantially, Cain had to be Adrian Ascanien.
But that wouldn't happen.
If it did, I'd make sure it didn't.
"What does it mean to become Rosalind?"
"Rosalind? Become someone who knows how to love~ Something like that?"
"I already know how."
"More sincerely!"
I thought I was sincere.
Anyway, this guy wasn't getting it either.
I gave up expecting more and moved to the next question.
"Alright, thanks. Last one. 'Caesarea is right around the corner.' What does that mean?"
"......"
Narke hardened his expression for the first time.
"Where'd you hear that?"
"Same place as the other two questions."
"Hmm... Caesarea Philippi? It's not right around the corner, so maybe interpret it biblically."
In a Christian cultural sphere, biblical metaphors were common, so he'd know right away, but without context, it was tricky for him too.
"First off, Caesarea is where Jesus declared to Peter that He'd build His church on this rock."
"Yeah. So what does it mean that it's right around the corner?"
"Well. Does another church reform need to happen?"
"......"
How does he say that so casually...
Sometimes I wonder what this guy even does.
"Haha, a bit far-fetched? Then let's go a bit further. It's also where Jesus asked His disciples, 'Who do you say I am?' Famous for Peter's confession of faith."
I knew that much.
The issue was the interpretation.
If even Narke couldn't grasp it, better to shelve it for now.
"Hmm, too abstract~ Does it mean you need to recognize God? But you can use divine power without faith, so... I don't think you need to believe in God now."
"You can say that?"
"Huh? Of course not!"
"Right..."
Unfathomable.
But soon I understood why he'd said it that way. Narke said, eyes gleaming.
"Theoretically, an atheist could learn and use divine power, but there's no real precedent. An atheist with divine power? We need to preserve this unique case, don't you think?"
"You're quite the curious one."
"Yeah, anyway, I'm not thrilled with my own interpretation either. I'll dig deeper, so let's set that aside for when I have time, and now for predicting your future..."
"Narke."
"Yeah?"
Looking at his smile, I thought of something I needed to ask before getting to the main point.
He'd definitely said before that Haike hadn't used her ability much.
I'd asked Haike assuming she hadn't used it often, but she had?
Four possibilities: Narke's standards differed from normal people like Haike or us, so our opinions didn't match; his insight couldn't reach back 10 years; he'd lied to me; or the level 2 insight had glitched back then.
"Narke. You told me Haike hadn't used her ability much."
"Yeah."
He seemed to catch on and explained right away.
"Honestly, when I heard today that she'd used it often, I was flustered, but here's what I perceived at the time. 'I can't use my ability on people. What if they tell me to use it on someone? I'm not ready at all.' ...If that's how she thought and felt, I figured she hadn't used it much yet."
"......"
I stayed silent, then smiled.
"I see."
"...Ah, how do I get close to Lucas..."
I thought there might be other possibilities from his words, and he knew I thought that.
That's why he reacted that way.
But basically, I didn't distrust him. I was still relying on his insight and precognition, and he was a good ally.
Plus, I couldn't reveal everything to him and the friends either, so I had no intention of blaming Narke alone.
"We're past the point of discussing if we're close or not, right? I trust you, Narke."
"You know it."
He laughed and changed the subject.
"Alright, now onto something else?"
"Yeah. Why are you going all out on me?"
"Haha..."
As the moment to read the future arrived, Narke's face darkened.
"I can't even bring myself to tell you. I'm not sure if I even read a proper future."
"What did you see?"
"Ugh... My stomach's killing me."
Narke shuddered, flashing a faint smile like his soul had flown away.
"......"
No idea what he saw to act like that.
"You gotta tell me what you saw, Narke. How else can I prepare?"
"...All I can say for sure is this. The Pentaron gate checks won't go favorably for us. Honestly, I wonder if we can handle this until closing."
"We can't?"
"Maybe we'll have to step back for safety reasons?"
Since a month from now could change a lot, that's probably why he phrased it that way.
Anyway, I shook my head with a smile.
"Better to back out now then."
"You know..."
"It won't fly."
"Yeah. And it's not something we can avoid. Pentaron's a problem, but so are we."
It wasn't that trouble would happen because we were doing gate checks at Pentaron...
"We're targets too, and so is Pentaron?"
"Something like that."
So even if we left Pentaron, it'd get attacked, and we'd get hit wherever we moved.
That changes things.
"Knowing life's ahead is kinda fun."
I smiled at the air.
Why not hit two birds with one stone?
Some damage was inevitable no matter where I went, so if I had to take it anyway, let's grab both birds.
Narke, who'd chuckled softly, gradually lost his smile and tilted his head.
"Lucas. Honestly, I'm doubting if I read it right."
"Then why tell me..."
"Still gotta say it. Just in case it really happens and we need to stop it."
"Then tell me details so I can avoid it."
I sensed an infinite loop coming.
Narke shook his head.
"Can't avoid it, and the only advice I can give is this."
"What? Spit it out. I'll keep it in mind."
"Don't get involved with people."
* * *
Don't get involved?
I needed 10 points from Eschet's favorability.
Of course, avoiding other humans entirely was impossible.
What we had to do inevitably involved meeting people.
"Everyone coming here isn't old humanity, so they'll all have IDs. Only mages can enter now. Most are regulars who come daily, so relax."
The next day at 6 AM, we headed to the arena early.
ID checks weren't our main job—just a light way to gauge the atmosphere.
From afternoon, we'd sweep for hazards with mana detection.
'I took the exam to send victims to the hospital, not to do arena gate checks all the way to the third exam.'
Our team had aimed to handle victims so others couldn't interfere, but that was off the table while we stayed here.
Still, knowing someone was targeting Pentaron, I had no big complaints about being deployed.
The Pentaron dedicated staffer said to us.
"Things are chaotic with Pleroma lately, so be firm. Subdue and hand to police, use magic if needed, but don't get too aggressive or people get anxious, so gauge it well... You get it? Be friendly basically. Even fellow mages fear you guys."
Loud and clear on the balanced iced Americano.
The team tensed slightly at the "find the line" advice.
"If they ask for a handshake, just do it, answer personal questions kindly unless too invasive. Obviously, no food or drinks except water during checks—contact us for a break. We'll take over again at noon anyway, so hold till then."
"Yes."
Why handshakes? But national teams from other countries had arrived early, and other mage groups had handled it before. Experience, probably.
That was the end of the briefing.
I went to my assigned gate and waited.
Almost no one at 6, but by 7, people flooded in.
The dead-eyed staff—service entrance, after all—looked even more dead-eyed at me.
Not surprising anymore, so I ignored it.
The real surprise: some didn't react that way. Those with wide eyes staring gave favorability points even on short greetings.
Ding—!
Favorability +1
'Oh.'
Not bad even outside school.
I watched the random number, then handed the ID back to the mage eyeing me curiously.
"You can go in."
He nodded and entered.
Some actually asked for handshakes—various ages, from my peers to elders.
"Congrats on first place."
"Thanks."
I lightly shook the unfamiliar mage's hand with a smile.
Favorability window popped up again.
By 10 AM.
Today's haul alone seemed like 50 points.
'Good, but glad ID checks are just for today.'
Four hours in the same stance, legs killing me...
Observing favorability kept it from being boring.
Cataloging traits of passersby for potential incidents was decently fun.
One commonality: all lowest-grade general 9th class mages.
The kind we call near-normals—barely enough mana for warp, non-mage level.
Probably low nobles barely qualifying as such.
Then, a young mage in a hat pulled low and hood up approached.
"ID check, please."
"......"
He stared wide-eyed at my face, noticing the staff change.
As I was about to tell him to hurry with the ID, he spoke.
"You're Ascanien, right."
"Yes."
"Mind a handshake? Really impressive. First in Eschet."
'Dramatic.'
I inwardly questioned his big gestures but extended my hand.
He reached, then pulled back.
"Could you take off your gloves?"
"Pardon?"
Not grasping what I'd heard, I just stared.
Confirming he'd said gloves, all sorts of thoughts raced.
Take them off? Why?
Not asking to keep them? Not suicide-by-cop, so not outright theft.
I admitted my common sense couldn't parse this weirdness.
So only one answer.
"No."
"Why?"
"Mage registration first."
"Oh, of course. Got it ready."
He pulled crumpled paper from his pocket, grabbed my hand, and shoved it in. Shaking off his hand, I held my breath at the piercing scent.
Like he'd doused the paper in every perfume known.
Holding my breath max, I checked the name.
[Alex Mueller]
[Hanover Governorate Certification: General 9th Grade]
Mueller.
The surname caught my eye.
Common as dirt.
Name equally bland.
Even checking the paper, he stared holes into my face. Or seemed to.
"Nice eyes. Real mage vibe? How's it feel to have a one-of-a-kind color?"
"Where do you work?"
"A-wing basement cafeteria. New manager recently."
I nodded, alternating glances between ID and him.
No mana anomalies.
Nothing arrest-worthy on sight.
Interview the perfume-soaked psycho?
'Not bad.'
I immediately tapped the artifact to call security.
Security mages warped in quick, eyed him, and nodded to me.
Handed the ID; they grimaced slightly.
"Excuse us, but with security issues, mind a search?"
"Sure."
He raised arms calmly, watching them rummage his pockets. Then to me:
"But I thought he'd do it?"
Security hadn't seen the odd behavior, so casual.
"We'll handle it~ No issues. Tense times, so we check scents too. Cooperate fully, and you're through quick."
"Ah, yes. Got it."
He took the ID back from me, stared at it intently.
Then looked up without blinking.
"Gonna keep this forever."
"......"
You gonna toss it?
You should.
'The world's wide, and weirdos are plentiful.'
Varieties galore.
After this guy, the mage-fanatic at the opposite gate seemed tame—I felt warmer knowing I hadn't befriended a real nutcase.
Just immediate impression, though.
'Alex Mueller, was it.'
Suspicious enough to remember.
Last two hours smooth.
Near lunch end, I started getting up.
Then the break room door burst open.
"Oh, Lu~"
Elias poked into our team's lounge. Pairs today, so with Elias.
'Wanted to pair with Narke.'
Sadly, he needed divine power, so solo.
To Elias:
"Ate early?"
"Bread sucked, tossed it."
"Hm, yeah. Gonna hit the bathroom quick. Wait."
"Doing what?! Me too!"
Just washing hands, readjusting hat, but he asks.
He always pops around, but bored today, huh.
Thinking that, I led Elias tailing me back to post.
"...Huh."
"What?!"
Look at him. Extra questions, loud voice today.
More than that...
'Where're my gloves.'
Gone from the table.
Elias, watching me:
"No gloves? Spares?"
"......"
Have some.
But...
Elias pulled new ones from his belt clutch.
"Thanks. Hey, Elias."
"Yeah?"
"Someone earlier asked if we could shake without gloves."
"Huh?"
Silence fell.
Elias's baffled face at not processing was priceless.
"...Call Narke here? Lounge is best and worst for strategy talks."
"Artifact him for sure."
"Yeah. Or go to him?"
"No."
Tell him, but no need in person. Bigger issues, he'll contact.
No hard proof of theft, but gut says yes—time to nab and hand over.
"Let's watch more."
And crucially, shake him down, proof appears.