Chapter 267
Chapter 267
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 267
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble House
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Yulia's family had booked half of the overnight train from Munich to Dessau, the capital of Anhalt.
And here's the problem. We'd gotten into the carriage at 7 p.m., but the train Yulia had reserved didn't depart until 10 p.m. and arrived at 6 a.m.
"Why the hell did we take the carriage so early?"
I let out a sigh, staring at the still-purple sky where the sun hadn't fully set. Elias and Narke were already inside with me now.
"Huh? We're gonna sightsee Munich first."
Leo only grinned and said that after I asked.
If that's the case, we didn't need to leave right away. Was it Elias's random idea or something?
I sucked in a breath in disbelief again and thunked my head back against the seat cushion.
"No, seriously, why didn't you tell me ahead of time today of all days? You could've mentioned this."
"Hahaha! Luca's sulking~"
"Does this look like sulking to you?"
"Yep."
"I'm gonna lose my mind...."
I just closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But that attempt didn't last long.
Either Narke tossed it or the rabbit hopped up on its own, but Pie landed right on my clothes.
I picked up Pie and peered outside. Probably thinking we'd stand out too much, the carriage we were in had no royal crest. So no one was paying us any particular mind. We were just cutting through downtown Munich like that.
'It's been a while since I've wandered around like this.'
New humanity taking a train? I'd thought it was ridiculous, but if you travel by snapping your fingers... it might feel convenient from an old humanity perspective, but for new humanity who've moved like that their whole lives, it probably doesn't even register as travel.
Even for me, riding around Munich in this carriage right now felt refreshingly new.
Elias kept trying to communicate with gestures toward the pie in my hand. I couldn't just ignore Pie's flattened ears, so I decided to redirect Elias's attention.
"Eli, by the way, what about that thing from the letter back then?"
"I took care of it all while you were sleeping~"
I nodded. Elias had mentioned before about returning the poor folks chased out to the capital outskirts back to where they used to live. Canceling fines for their shabby appearances was part of his goals too.
This time, since I got to meet friends before Pentaron, I didn't have to wait until after like last time—I pulled every bit of money from my account and handed it to Elias. That must've been enough for him to handle it all.
"The city hall doesn't have the authority to reduce fines anyway. So that part was luckily easy."
"Speaking of, how'd you persuade them?"
"I just said it was illegal and I'd sue if they didn't withdraw everything. Textbook stuff."
"That can't be all you said...."
Leo, who'd been listening to our conversation, frowned skeptically.
I thought the same. Elias shook his head and clapped his hands.
"Anyway, Pentaron's opening is done, and most tourists have left, so they figured they didn't need to drag it out anymore. They said they'd cancel the red lines!"
It sounded ridiculously easy from the words alone, like some hopeful fairy tale. But just looking at the issue, it clearly wasn't simple. Elias had this habit in the novel and here of talking about complicated, exhausting stuff like it was nothing. He didn't feel the fatigue much himself and hated showing it anyway. That's why, when he first saw me yesterday, he pranked me instead of asking if I was okay like the other friends.
"What about the poorhouse you're building? Negotiating with neighbors must've been tough."
"It was kinda rough~ Even offering double the money, the only landowner willing to deal with me was the cemetery owner. Kids, anyone wanna drink?"
Predictably, he didn't elaborate. Elias shook his hip flask of whiskey. Leo glared at him and cut in.
"Drink when we get off. Don't stink up the carriage and make me puke."
Luckily, Elias listened to Leo.
Before 8 p.m., we got out of the carriage and grabbed some Munich street food.
"Here, Luca's!"
Elias handed me a sausage skewer while loudly unscrewing his hip flask with one hand. He alternated bites of sausage and swigs of booze. I gave a dry laugh and asked.
"We come here just for this? We've got three hours left?"
"Yep."
"So what now?"
Narke asked.
Nothing particular to do, but it felt like we had to be productive even in a moment like this.
Anyway, since this was Bavaria, Leo had to keep his robe hood pulled low and his body slightly hunched. It seemed routine for him, so he didn't look bothered—in fact, he looked happy to be with us.
Elias, inhaling his third skewer of sausages in five minutes, patted Leo's back.
"What pointless effort. Even with your face covered, your height sticks out like a sore thumb. You don't think people are actually fooled, do you? Your people all know it's you but pretend not to."
"......"
"So damn nice of them. Makes sense, with His Highness the Crown Prince trying so hard...."
Leo's mouth tightened under the robe. Elias dodged his fist and bounced away. I took the chance to ask something I'd always wondered.
"How tall are you?"
At my question, Leo muttered curtly in a small voice.
"Not telling."
"You can't ask him about height~ He even takes stuff to stop growing."
Elias, who'd fled far off, whispered from behind me.
That extreme? But then I remembered he was a Wittelsbach and it made sense.
Even his 'old humanity' direct ancestors topped 190 cm.
From what I recalled, 21st-century German men averaged about 180 cm. That's tall globally, so 190 cm might not seem that unusual here. But considering the era, it's freakish.
That tall gene seemed fixed post-magic era. Hohenstaufen men over 30 were around 185-190 cm, but Wittelsbach were even taller.
The king was tall too—eye level with me was half a foot lower, so probably nearing 2 meters. Not sure if he'd suppressed growth, but as new humanity, the risk was real. If Leo didn't, he might actually top 2 meters someday. I wouldn't want that, and most people probably wouldn't.
'Especially not with Leo's personality....'
If he weren't so obsessed with averages and norms, it might be different. Still, hardly anyone wants to hit 2 meters.
"Hang in there."
"If you're gonna say that, take my height instead."
He really hates it.
Yeah, I get how exhausting unwanted attention is. I patted his back and followed Elias's lead.
Not the best choice. I spent the whole time chasing him, stopping his crazy antics.
'I wondered how we'd kill three hours.'
No need to worry.
He chugged two beers at Löwenbräu, then headed to Hofbräu. Drank more beer, tore into meat, then suddenly charged St. Peter's Church. I wasted 30 minutes grabbing him before he could bang on the doors. I tossed him to the plaza ground and flopped down beside him.
"You messing around?"
"Heh heh heh...."
"Time to laugh? How do you even think of climbing St. Peter's tower at this hour? You kidding? Mass is going on inside."
"Climbing buzzed is the best. Legs hurt, but Munich from up there tipsy is gorgeous. Once I downed a Löwenbräu pint and dragged Leo up—best ever."
What's your nationality?
More importantly, going to church drunk? My vision blurred. And isn't he Protestant?
"Have some manners.... This is a Catholic church."
"The head priest okayed it before! Promised no drinking inside and no acting wasted. And I've got common sense! I'm never actually drunk!"
What's okay about that? I get they're lenient, but that priest sounds no joke. Priest version of Elias, maybe.
I decided to disconnect my brain. Instead, I needed to ask the one human with some non-magic common sense.
"But Leo went along with that? What?"
"He got dragged. I'd force-fed him a whiskey bottle in an hour beforehand—he was out of it. Probably his first whiskey."
"Nice work...."
Must've been during the 3rd training academy days.
Only possible back then. Leo wouldn't go along after that one time.
I noticed passing Bavarians glancing at us and sat up next to Elias. Whether I did or not, he clasped hands over his heart, lay like a corpse, and mumbled.
"Löwenbräu is forever the best booze in my heart...."
"Weren't you just at Hofbräu praising Löwenbräu?"
"As long as the brewery prez doesn't hear."
Worried someone might see, I pulled his hood over his face. As I pondered how to get him up, a familiar voice came.
"Last time you said Bordeaux wine was best."
Leo's voice. I looked up—the carriage we'd come in and Leo were there. Elias peeked under the hood, confirmed, and closed his eyes again.
"That was past me's ranking."
"Why lie down again? Get up, you drunk."
"I'm not a drunk! I'm not wasted!"
He might actually not be drunk, despite acting like this. Elias lives like this sober every day.
No need for me to haul him up. Elias sprang to his feet on his own and clapped.
"Oh! Gotta do Gose in Anhalt! Any famous Gose-Schänkes?"
Gose is salty beer; Gose-Schänke sells only Gose.
Probably referencing some past Anhalt ruler who was a Gose maniac.
"Not sure. For famous spots, wouldn't you go to Leipzig instead of Anhalt?"
"What?!"
"But there's plenty of Gose. They even have a brewery at home, so drink your fill."
"Awesome, relief. Cheers~"
Elias grabbed my hand, slung an arm over my shoulder.
This ceremony confirms he's just tagging along for the booze.
Then Elias pouted toward the church street.
"Aw~ If we'd come at dawn, I could've shown Luca something nice.... Let's come together next time."
I smiled silently.
I already know from the 21st century. Munich from there is stunning.
But it'd feel different with these friends.
"Sure."
Right as I answered, Leo flatly refused.
"No, next is Neuschwanstein Castle."
"What? You didn't tell me! I wanna go too!"
Elias jumped fully up yelling.
He didn't tell you—he didn't tell me either. My schedule's packed with stuff I don't know about.
Already fed up before departure, I left them and boarded the carriage first. Narke was already there, slicing baguette for Pie. He glanced at me, then Leo and Elias chasing after, and laughed.
"Time to go, guys. Kids at the central station say they've arrived."
* * *
"Luca!"
At the central station, Ulrike dropped her luggage and ran at me from the platform.
"You okay?!"
"Fine. Woke up perfectly healthy. Did you see the interview in the Bavarian Kingdom News?"
"Yeah. Seeing your face eased my mind. But your medal... whoa, cool."
Luckily, the topic shifted to the medal. While Ulrike admired it, Heike approached hesitantly, blinking.
"Hey, Heike."
"Hi."
Did our closeness reset while apart...? It'd only been two weeks for me, three days for him.
Just in case, I checked his favorability window—values unchanged, good. Heike paused, then said.
"Glad you're healthy."
"Thanks. Must be 'cause you guys worried."
I smiled, trying to ease his tension. Heike smiled back, but Elias watching from behind whispered low.
"Luca says stuff like that too.... Never says it to me, weird? Ah... not this?"
"......"
What do you want me to do....
Right then, the train arrival chime sounded. The stationmaster raised a hand. With soundproofing magic up, the train barreled into the platform at terrifying speed.
Rrrrrumble—....
Even with soundproofing, vibrations hit the ground.
The train stopped soon, and the stationmaster signaled to one at the far end. Didn't take long to board.
We'd booked the dining and sleeping cars too, but after sausages, no one wanted more food. We split into first-class compartments.
I entered the one farthest from the door and said.
"Guys. Don't come looking for me from now on."
"Huh?! I brought the 7-player board game!"
"Do it in Anhalt. Sorry."
Slam—!
I shut the sliding glass door.
Ulrike's panicked voice came through the crack. Really sorry, but couldn't respond more....
Normal to tire out before starting? All Elias's fault.
I tossed my bag somewhere and sat. Elias's hip flask shoved in my pocket came in handy. I woke my mind a bit with whiskey and opened my book.
Thud—
[Argh!]
[Hey, wake up!]
"......"
Sounded like someone fell in the next compartment. Good thing I wasn't there—more chaos for sure.
Nearly reclined, reading leisurely, I felt the train start moving. By tomorrow dawn, we'd be in Dessau.
"......"
Back to Anhalt again.
Anhalt in this state. Feels weird.
How's it different from January? Could be the start of bigger political storms, or a step toward stability. Either way, whether I want it or not, time flows, opinions shift.
Knock knock—creak—
No time for more thoughts.
Leo opened my door, face drained.