Chapter 236
Chapter 236
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 236
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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“…….”
Have you ever seen any strange phrases or letters?
Of course I have.
But whether to tell him about it or not was something I needed to think about.
I blinked my unfocused eyes. His face gradually came into sharp focus. Frowning, I asked him.
“What took you so long to show up?”
“I told you.”
“You can’t even give me a proper answer? After two whole days apart, this is all you have to say?”
“…There were some circumstances. If I’d had the time, I would’ve come straight to you.”
“…….”
So, he hadn’t had time to come see me until now.
Let me test him one more time, just to be sure.
If he’d come rushing to find out something from me, that meant there was information I could extract from him too.
I took a deep breath and cleared my mind. I had to, if I didn’t want to hurl.
“You know I’ve been waiting for your notes the whole time?”
“…Pardon?”
“Every time I wake up, I check if there’s one in my room. When I’m out and about, I keep looking up at the sky to see if one drops from somewhere.”
“…….”
He blinked rapidly, clearly flustered.
I didn’t miss the signal and pressed on.
“I’ve been thinking about when you’d show up this whole time.”
“…No way, really….”
“And you have no idea what I’ve been up to these past two days.”
“…….”
He furrowed his brow slightly, his mouth opening and closing as if searching for an excuse, before he shut it and averted his eyes with a troubled expression. My cold stare only made his face darken further.
Good. Thanks for the intel.
He definitely hadn’t been able to keep tabs on my every move these past two days, just as I’d suspected. There must’ve been some infighting inside Pleroma, like I’d guessed.
I wanted to tell this lunatic that it’s normal not to know if I don’t say anything, but he was feeling guilty about not knowing my daily routine—about failing to stalk me.
He hadn’t approached me knowing I’d received the match.
I let out a sigh and replied.
“…Forget it. Sorry for snapping at you.”
“I’m sorry too. I really didn’t have any time….”
“…….”
Apologizing for not having time to stalk me? No matter what I said to him, that was astonishing. He should’ve been more shocked that I was calling him out for not stalking me….
The words nearly escaped my lips, but I held them back. Instead, I returned to his original question.
“Strange, you say. What makes you think something’s strange?”
Why had he summoned me in such a hurry to ask if I’d seen something?
Fundamentally, it had to be because it went against his interests.
It might be a loss for me too, but I wasn’t about to do him a favor for free. If it became a problem, I could always tell him the truth later or turn back time.
“Exactly what it sounds like—nonsensical sentences, random letters, symbols, or shapes. Have you seen any?”
“…Well. Nothing that stood out, at least.”
He stared at me silently.
A subtle smile played on his lips as he spoke.
“Really?”
“…….”
That’s how he plays it.
I nearly smirked but kept a straight face.
“Or should I say I saw something I didn’t see?”
Instead of answering, he glanced sideways and said.
“I got a lot of that drug you mentioned before.”
“…….”
“Want to do it now? I have to head out soon, which is inconvenient for me, but if it’s just you, I can help.”
“I have to leave in thirty minutes too.”
“Hmm, true. But I need to stay in an awakened state.”
He stood from his seat and extended a hand to me.
“Come on, up you go.”
* * *
I’d expected as much, but I had no choice.
I stared at the blue cord binding my left arm. My vision was blurry, but that much was clear.
‘Talking to this guy is pointless, as expected.’
[What are you?]
Someone had their hand around my throat.
It wasn’t an attempt to kill me, obviously. The pressure was on the carotid artery side, so they were probably infusing me with mana. My neck stung like it was on fire.
It was raw mana, not healing magic, so of course it burned. But they probably had no other choice.
The stalker spoke in a panicked voice.
[You do this every time with the drugs? Do you find comfort in feeling like you’re dying or something? That’s not good… You need to live a long, long time. So peculiar….]
You’re the peculiar one, you freak….
This guy needs to be locked up. Sure, I’d suggested doing drugs together first last time. But he wasn’t doing them himself?
I’d held out until he agreed to do them with me, but true to form, he bulldozed right through. While persuading me to chant Pleroma’s incantation, he jabbed a syringe into my arm without even checking the vein.
‘Screw it… Do it all by yourself then.’
I was genuinely impressed by such petty tactics. Classic opportunist. Finding openings like this really showed how low he’d stoop.
Still, though.
‘Worth watching.’
I’d already taken the ring—what more was there to lose?
It was similar to the Abraham situation. If this truly cost me, I’d turn back time or force my way out.
Even if he didn’t take the drug, this was still a win for me. He believed I’d only speak the truth now.
Click—
The small lantern from before appeared before my eyes. He examined my pupils, then extinguished the light and rummaged around nearby. Something plunged into my numbing arm. Mana flowed from my arm through my entire body.
[Better now? It’s a sedative.]
“…….”
[Sorry. I want to do it with you… I really want to share the same experience at the same time, but if I take it too, we’ll both die. There are too many people gunning for us right now….]
He’d barely survived countless close calls blocking attacks on me all week. Even now, if they knew he was here, they’d come swarming, so he had to stay sharp for defense.
My ears were ringing intermittently, so I couldn’t hear perfectly, but that was the gist.
No need to feel sorry. If he really was, he could babble on right now. It was fun piecing together the scattered clues.
[Let’s do it together after Pentaron ends.]
I closed my eyes and sank into thought.
As always, you’re most vulnerable when you think you have your opponent in your grasp.
You end up handing over tons of info without realizing it to the very person you underestimate. You can’t get meaningful body language from someone on guard, nor unguarded, uncalculated questions from someone defenseless.
So, the info I could glean here was limited to his expressions, tone, speech speed, what he was curious about, question order, implications of follow-ups that strayed far from my prior answers, and sifting truth from his responses… But this always pointed closest to the truth. It was more accurate than direct statements. You can craft words even when you feel superior, but not the interplay of subtle cues.
‘…Alright, let’s rethink this.’
The new drug he’d injected made breathing a bit easier.
We’d parted at dawn on Monday. He didn’t know what I’d done Monday through Wednesday.
Two “strange” things related to me so far: the phrase in the bouquet from the art festival play, and the alphabet on the phosphorus match.
He didn’t know about the match. He might suspect something strange came my way based on some clue, but he had no confirmation. If he did, he wouldn’t beat around the bush like this—he’d pinpoint “the strange item you received, what did the text say?” Wasting time otherwise was too risky.
Conclusion?
First, he at least knew I was lying about something. In that case, he already knew about the weird sentence in my bouquet. His stalking habits made it plausible.
Second, separate from his “love,” he couldn’t take my word at face value, so he wanted to verify directly. Honestly, most likely.
That’s how he’d reasoned to drug me.
So, choose carefully. This drug doesn’t work well on me with my divinity, so physically impaired but mentally fine.
My response here would tip him off whether the drug worked on me.
If he knew I knew A, and I denied it even drugged? He’d realize it didn’t work and I was deceiving him.
‘Plenty of points, so ready to rewind if needed.’
If his reaction seemed off at all, I’d turn back time immediately.
[…Just tell me the plain truth. That way I can protect you. Everyone’s after Pentaron, trying to grab too much. I told you before. I want to….]
Useless chatter continued.
[…While I went to see the albino rabbit born this time….]
“…….”
[…While I couldn’t see it, I thought about things I want to do with you ahead. But if someone dies, we can’t, right? Resurrection….]
Each time I blinked, his topic shifted, like I kept dozing off. Sleepiness kept crashing over me. Better than pre-injection, but still short of breath. I buried my face in the blanket.
[I said morphine, right? Seems you prefer relaxants over stimulants. But….]
An ice-cold hand touched my cheek. I grimaced up at him. My vision smeared the world like poor eyesight, but I had to show some reaction. He pressed my eyelids with his fingers.
[Don’t sleep yet. Answer my questions, and I’ll let you.]
“…….”
[You don’t smoke, right? They say it pairs well with drugs. Everyone thinks they’ll stay healthy forever….]
Coffin experience?
No need for smokes; oxygen was already scarce.
[Do you, or don’t you?]
“No….”
[Ah, good. You can answer now. Let’s get to the point.]
His soft voice drew closer. Platinum strands brushed my neck.
[Have you seen any strange phrases, letters, or symbols?]
“…….”
[I said no sleeping. I’ll let you sleep for the next twelve hours straight—just answer.]
“…Actually.”
“Actually~?”
“I got one a while back.”
My words dragged, but he didn’t mind.
His eyes changed. He whipped my head to face him, leaning in with a euphoric smile.
“It was in the bouquet. ‘Audienz dubioses schockiertes…’ or something. Still don’t know what it means.”
[…Hmm? When was that?]
“January….”
I exhaled and rubbed my face.
“Don’t know the date. You expect me to remember that in this state…?”
[January? Not that far back—last week or this week?]
“…….”
Huh?
I checked his face and scowled back.
I nearly slipped, so I had to play it up.
“This week?”
[Yes.]
“…Nothing. I said nothing….”
I felt his stare boring into my eyes.
[Really nothing?]
“That’s what I said. I didn’t see any. I’d tell you if I did.”
[Ah, okay, okay.]
The stalker finally exhaled in relief, smiling.
[If you find any, tell me right away. You know this is about Pentaron.]
His tone grew serious.
[Our diocese has half-pulled out of Pentaron, but others are still obsessed. Some even target strong wizards like you. I’m blocking them, but just in case—don’t decode anything. Even if you read something, don’t follow it. Always trust your instincts.]
“…….”
[It could kill you.]
I looked at him. He was still smiling contentedly.
His hand covered my eyes.
[…Anyway, glad to hear it. Now sleep.]
* * *
“Lucas!”
A sharp pain stabbed my core, jolting me awake.
Leo’s panicked face appeared the instant my eyes opened. Winter sunset had already fallen, revealing the night sky beyond.
Grass clutched in my hand. I’d passed out behind the museum in the bushes.
Leo silently pulled an elixir from his pocket and cast a quick healing spell. I’d already gotten the sedative and napped there, so I was fine health-wise, but to him, the core anomaly must’ve seemed moments ago.
“How’d you get here?”
“Terrorism countermeasures meeting. Mom’s here too.”
Leo gave a curt reply and finished the healing.
Probably the meeting I had to attend soon. Clock showed ten minutes to start.
I braced for an earful, but Leo’s face was surprisingly neutral.
“Heike told me. Said that guy sent a note.”
“Yeah. Asked if I’d gotten any weird writing lately.”
“And?”
“What do you think?”
Leo nodded, getting it.
That confirmed it.
Freiburg’s rival dioceses were sending codes to Heike and me.
He didn’t know I’d clocked his identity—didn’t know how much I’d pieced together—but the picture was clarifying.
Of course, my thoughts were just guesses. To verify, something had to actually go wrong.
‘He said he’d protect me.’
Different words, but that’s what it boiled down to.
Thanks, but promises from someone reason-proof aren’t trustworthy. I was decoding the cipher in my head whenever I had time. Answers soon.
Maybe because I was quiet, Leo handed me a sympathetic blocker.
“Why?”
“Just take it.”
He figured the archbishop dosed me with something similar again. Not unlikely, so I swallowed the blood pressure pill.
I entered the meeting room five minutes early. Plenty of people already inside.
Soon after I sat, the crown prince’s attendant opened the door at the hour.
Everyone stood.
“We see Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Long time no see.”
No smile on his face. Not taking it seriously, probably just acting.
Abraham—no, the crown prince—stared at me before tilting his head with a smile.
“Vice Captain Eschet doesn’t look well. Shouldn’t you go home…?”
“…….”
Throwing shade?
His wording suggested Leo’s pill wasn’t random.
I nearly cursed but composed myself.
“No need.”
“Hm… Very well. Seems everyone’s here.”
The crown prince scanned the room slowly.
“Seventy-two hours to opening. Let’s begin.”
He eyed the grim politicians, then beckoned the imperial security chief. The chief bowed briefly, cast an amplification spell, and spoke.
“Yes, situation reports were shared in prior meetings, and warp mail sent to absentees. Straight to countermeasures.”
He flipped a page.
“Sounds contradictory, but everyone knows we detected the terror too early. Thus, your public schedules to gather here secretly. Basement preserved, but escaped rats caused rampage—terrorists likely moved or scrapped plans. No guarantee Pleroma only stored tainted rats there.”
With grave eyes, he continued.
“In seventy-two hours, we must scour the nation for all tainted animals.”
His neighbors nodded.
“War on rats.”
“Insects like mosquitoes too. Unknown their tech level. Barriers at venues, lodgings, Berlin sites can’t block small animals or bugs below certain mana.”
“True. Designed for human defense.”
Novel from the security chief. Last year Elias begged him to invest in beasts, ignored—now declaring war on them solemnly.
Leo across the way looked subtly amused.
“Also, mechanical device found on basement shelf. Analysis: bomb imported from Russian Empire twenty-seven years ago.”
“Twenty-seven? Wonder if it works.”
“Outdated but possible. Why use old when they make new….”
To murmurs, the chief shook his head.
“Odd, I know. No-mana activation—true old-gen invention. Modern relics require mana input, but not then. Won’t trigger barriers, so meant for Pentaron smuggling.”
“Bit off. Rampage makes sense, but why kill us for real? Pleroma rampaged subjects to test Vitriol eligibility.”
Magic minister’s logic was rebutted quickly.
“Pleroma views unbelief in their doctrine negatively. Some think dying pure beats wrong faith.”
“Hm… Fair.”
“But bomb likely decoy. Even barrier-proof, inspections catch it. Not central to plan. So, my proposal.”
The chief stood, addressing the crown prince.
“For next seventy-two hours, full effort on tainted animals. Deploy half the imperial mage alliance to nationwide checkpoints.”
Half.
Currently, a quarter guarded Pentaron venues post-Grand Hotel terror. Massive security—doubling that nationwide for seventy-two hours was huge.
“Hm.”
Crown prince stroked his chin with an enigmatic smile.
Decision made in his head, but true to form, stirring trouble. No one else saw it that way.
Then, he turned to me.
“What does Vice Captain Eschet think?”