Chapter 273
Chapter 273
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 273
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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We all headed down to the garden by the river together.
The black waters of the Mulde River rushed fiercely in the wind. The reeds in front swayed with the breeze, their rustling audible. It was a rather eerie scene for a casual outing with drinks.
‘Drinking here? This isn’t right.’
“Mm, this is bad.”
Cherlingen muttered softly as he walked beside me, matching my pace.
I had a rough idea of what he meant by “bad.” The scenery was one thing, but the real issue was elsewhere. I replied quietly.
“You didn’t expect it to come to this either, huh.”
“Yeah. Haha. Who’d have thought there was a spell linking the brewery straight to the beer mugs... I wonder who even invented something like this?”
His tone was utterly hollow.
There had to be a word somewhere that encompassed this emptiness, absurdity, and sheer patheticness, but disappointingly, even German didn’t have one.
“Probably adapted a combat supply teleportation spell for boozing? Hmm... I knew Heike liked his drinks since the second exam, but I didn’t expect him to become Elias’s accomplice like this.”
Cherlingen stared straight ahead, speaking mechanically as he walked, analyzing it like some major catastrophe had unfolded.
“Hey, kids~! Over here!”
Elias, who’d gone on ahead, called out while shaking an empty mug. Cherlingen gazed at him with a meaningless smile before turning to me.
“Lucas, you good with booze?”
“Just average.”
“Same here.”
Cherlingen smiled softly and held out his hand to me.
“Let’s tough it out together.”
“You’re still full of enthusiasm even now.”
I lightly slapped his hand as I said it. At first, I wondered why he kept wanting high-fives, but now they felt like Cherlingen himself, and Cherlingen felt like a high-five. If he suddenly stopped, I’d actually miss it. Before I could pull away, he grabbed my hand firmly.
“You’ve been wearing gloves a lot lately. Not uncomfortable?”
“Eh, it’s fine.”
“I see. Too bad.”
Cherlingen let go of my hand with a smile and changed the subject.
“Speaking of which, I’ve got to be in Bavaria tomorrow evening, so I should probably sober up a bit more.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
He was talking about meeting the king, but I had another reason. Tomorrow in Bavaria was Ash Wednesday mass. It’d be pretty embarrassing to be dying from a hangover during the ceremony.
Anyway, after stopping by Bavaria, it’d finally be back to normal life. Back to suppressing victims all day and shipping them off to hospitals. I’d been hoping for that, so I was actually looking forward to returning to the capital.
“You three, why aren’t you coming!”
Elias stood waiting by the garden table.
The last ones were just Cherlingen and me, so who else? I turned around—Heike. He was drinking the mug Elias had filled earlier. Sipping after every step was slowing him down.
“Heike, hurry up.”
“Tastes good.”
“I see.”
“Feels like I could drink it forever.”
“I see...”
We dragged Heike along, matching pace as we followed Elias. Strangely, Elias didn’t stop at the table and kept walking. Even when we reached the little conifer grove, he didn’t halt.
“Huh?”
Ulrike, a step ahead, spoke in a puzzled voice.
‘Huh.’
I felt the same. Right in front of us was a decent-sized boat floating on the river. Prussia’s flag fluttered, with a small Anhalt flag attached in front as a permit. Leo asked with a darkened expression.
“Why’s this here? I swear I saw it at Elias’s place a few months ago...”
“Kids, we’re taking the boat.”
“You said we’d drink in the garden.”
“This is the garden. The whole river up to here is Lucane garden. What’s the problem?”
“......”
Leo just gave up and waved him on.
Elias warped us onto the boat one by one, flicked his wand to raise the anchor, and slammed the mugs down on the table. The boat seemed to shift slightly. Looking closely, it really was moving. I glanced at the empty pilothouse, frowned, and asked.
“What’s this? You know how to drive it?”
“What’s with you? I got my license before I was ten. There are 113 formulas just in this pilothouse. Nearly died stacking them over ten years.”
“Why formulas...? It’s automated?!”
“Haha, it’s reliable enough.”
Cherlingen’s words were the only thing that reassured me.
Today confirmed once again that Elias’s abysmal school grades were fake. Automating a boat with 113 magic formulas—this guy was no ordinary nutcase. He didn’t own a car yet, but if he bought one, he’d probably turn it into a self-driving vehicle too.
Elias pulled out sausages and meats of unknown names from inside and set them on the table.
“Ah~ To celebrate Lucas’s political debut~”
Elias said that, raised his mug alone in a toast, and poured booze into his mouth. Ulrike asked with a baffled look.
“Hey, what? No cheers?”
Elias nodded while chugging, waving us off like he wanted us to just shut up and drink already. I had no idea how he’d held back this long.
We mimicked clinking glasses among ourselves and drank.
“Wow, not bad.”
“Really too good.”
Cherlingen’s admiration was followed by Heike’s dry mutter. Stick around Heike, and you’d hear that all day.
“Wow, what sorcery is this? I gotta come over to Lucas’s place often just to drink this.”
Elias said it, but his eyes were on our mugs.
He waved his wand casually, and a box flew in from somewhere. He caught it with a dramatic flair.
“Now, poker time. Everyone but the winner does a shot.”
An hour passed like that.
Fortunately, we broke Elias’s stubbornness and changed the rules so even the one picked by the winner didn’t drink.
Elias’s strategy of making us play games to ensure we drank was brilliant. We all had competitive streaks, so no one refused.
But what made him say it so confidently?
Elias was objectively decent at games, but buzzed like this, he couldn’t keep up and kept handing opportunities to me and Cherlingen.
“Hmm, everyone else drank a fair bit besides us.”
Cherlingen said, looking at Ulrike sprawled on the floor. She’d been trying to dunk her hand in the river repeatedly, with Elias fishing her out each time.
‘Sigh... If they bond like this, at least it’s something.’
That’s why none of us stopped Ulrike’s antics. It was just pitiful for Cherlingen and me, stuck around these booze-stinking folks...
Suddenly, Ulrike slapped her cheeks and sat up straight.
“Truth or dare, anyone?”
‘Drunks should just pass out instead of this crap.’
No crashing out, though. Elias had locked all the cabin doors, so the deck was our only bed. What a thorough bastard.
Leo replied to Ulrike with a rotten face.
“Bad memories with that one. Elias hates it for the same reason as me.”
Personally my least favorite game. I had nothing I was curious about people, so nothing to say.
Elias agreed it sucked back in the catacombs. He even got caught by the vigilante captain playing it. I carefully set my mug down so no auto-refill hit and said.
“Yeah. Not fun. No need for games—let’s just watch the boat go, kids.”
“No? Let’s play.”
Elias said seriously.
“What?”
This guy got hauled off for it, and now what?
Elias chugged, wiped his mouth, and said.
“I’ve got tons of questions for Lucas. You’ve only had one drink while we’ve done five each.”
“So?”
“Wahhh...”
“......”
While I stared blankly at Elias, Cherlingen chuckled.
“I haven’t drunk much either. No questions for me, Elias?”
“We’ve known each other too long.”
“Me too.”
“Something in the booze? Why do you guys love it so much? Do it yourselves.”
Heike and Leo said almost in unison.
Too many people here. Ears hurt whenever the audio didn’t clear. Elias said confidently.
“I’ll go first? Okay, Lucas.”
“Why you first?”
“You missed us when you got nabbed.”
He thought I couldn’t answer, huh?
Now I saw the others watching expectantly too. My image must be...
‘They think I can’t even say something like that?’
I shook my head.
“Wasting your shot. Of course I did.”
“Ooh.”
Heike blinked and said.
Elias jumped up a beat late, yelling.
“Ooooh?!”
“......”
Heike seized the opening.
“My turn next. Lucas. Wanna come over to my place next time?”
“This really truth or dare?”
“Oh, right. Not uncomfortable hanging with me? You’d come if I invited you again?”
“Yeah... Why would it be...”
As I answered vaguely, sprawled Ulrike slurred out.
“Wooow. Me too!”
“Sure. You come too.”
“Kids, let’s quit.”
“Why?”
“Why...?”
The gap felt huge. Like I was a middle-schooler crashing a retreat. Drinking with 19th-century folks was extreme difficulty.
Even swallowing it, they caught the comedown in my tone. Silence fell. Friends stared with wide eyes.
Unlike the others, Leo sobered fast from booze and wasn’t surprised. He just stroked his chin.
“Not fun, huh?”
Ulrike, half-asleep, tensed up and glanced between us. She always fretted over discord.
“...Could be misunderstood. Not fun exactly, but it’s you guys, so it’s good. Let’s keep going.”
Leo asked Narke slowly.
“Narke, insight’s easy on Lucas, right? Vs. foresight, how much stamina?”
“Barely any~ Haven’t used it yet. Why? Should I?”
“So if you wanted, you could tell truth from lie for sure.”
“Hahaha, yep.”
“......”
“Told you you don’t fit in, Lucas.”
Never said that? But close to my thoughts. Mind-reading this guy too? I realized Leo was buzzed too. He never sobered—just didn’t look it. Whether acting or not, he picked a fight with a straight face.
“Let’s do five rounds.”
“......”
Leo nailed the questions brilliantly.
I drank all five. And now, Elias clapped and laughed.
“Wow... Lucas is out.”
“Not out.”
Gotta wash my face in the river.
That thought hit, and I realized I was drunk.
Face-wash in this pitch-black river? Perfect for slipping and drowning. Thinking it snapped me sober.
‘Good.’
When drunk, just sleep—no face-washing. I spread mana on the floor as a mattress and crashed. Luckily, everyone was gone too—no one stopped me.
Mumbles from the next table’s Cherlingen and others.
“Leo’s insight is sharp. Knew it, but still.”
“Man~ Good at everything.”
“Now Lucas is out, let’s kill till one’s left. Who next?”
Heike, slurred from booze, said killer stuff deadpan. That’s the problem. Gotta boot him first.
That was my last thought.
I woke at dawn. Elias was warping us to rooms.
* * *
“Haha~ Saw Lucas drunk, so wish granted.”
In the carriage to Dessau station, Elias grinned.
Narke beside me still slept off her drowsiness, same as Leo opposite.
Me? Crystal clear. Couldn’t sleep much before, first real shut-eye hit fast.
“Why just me? Everyone was smashed. Looks worse than me now.”
“That happens. But they all pass out drunk. No fun. No booze next time.”
‘Yeah. Smart. Drink moderately, for once.’
For once, I welcomed Elias’s grumbling.
Then, the coachman called from outside.
[We’ve arrived.]
“Arrived, kids! Wake up! Outside~!”
Elias shook Leo and Narke awake and bolted out.
Stepping down, same scene as yesterday. Crowds of Anhalt citizens lined the barriers around the station.
One difference, though.
I approached the line with a guard. Someone leaning there handed me a bouquet of orange tulips. He said nothing, just stared tensely. Just awe of the ruling family. With favorability sight, I knew his silence wasn’t negative.
“Thanks.”
I offered a handshake. He took it gingerly. I smiled, nodded, and moved on. A few others held flowers similarly.
Short greetings later, back to the chamberlain. He smiled.
“Seeing this day... I’m delighted.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes. Though you look a bit tired. Had fun yesterday, I see?”
“Eh.”
Just resolved never to party with Elias again. If I did, confiscate his booze first.
The chamberlain beamed, handed me my bag, eyed the station.
“Sad you must go now. But with warp mastery, you’ll visit often?”
“I’ll try.”
“Hoho. Do come. And...”
He slid the leather carry-on my way.
“Here. A gift from the eldest young master.”
“......”
My head went ice-cold. Chilled, really. I eyed the large black box-like bag he held. No wonder the carry-on looked brand new. Red ribbon on the handle. I asked.
“What’s inside?”
“Ordered not to peek, so I don’t know either.”
“Just arrived?”
“Actually here two days ago. He asked to deliver right before you left.”
Right before leaving?
Keeping my smile, I asked.
“Why?”
“Probably wanted a surprise.”
“...I’ll write my brother. Glad to see you again. Until next time.”
Final bow to the chamberlain, then back on the train.
Next: Saxon Union Duchy, Brunswick Duchy. Then Baden Grand Duchy, finally Bavaria.
Friends waiting in my compartment eyed the box.
“Ooh, what’s that?”
“Gift from my brother.”
“......”
Elias shut up. Heike looked curious, but no time.
“Guys. I’ll head in first.”
“Uh, yeah. Me too. Dying...”
Ulrike, flopped on the first-class sofa, staggered to another car. Booze wasn’t that strong on her.
My focus wasn’t there.
I found the compartment, drew the curtain, sat. Elias followed naturally.
Unclipping the black carry-on revealed stuff: another black box, shoe case, first-class rail to Italy tickets, small clothing cases for ties or gloves... books, wine, letter. That was it.
Elias probed with mana, nodded at me, rummaged. Good—no artifact sensing my mana, since I hadn’t touched fearing that.
“Similar tastes.”
Elias opened the Italian shoes and gloves, set aside. Nothing odd visibly. After emptying, only the other black box from inside remained.
Elias glanced at me, nodded, picked it up.
“Opening it, Lucas.”
“Yeah.”
I fixed on the box, answered curtly.
Click—the clip grated my nerves unusually. But it didn’t last. What I saw hardened my face.