Chapter 53 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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'Then, is there a way to call someone….'
Even after looking around, there wasn't a proper calling tool in sight.
There had been a cord for summoning a servant in one corner, but it didn't make a sound when pulled now—maybe it wasn't in use anymore.
Looks like I'd have to go out and check myself, but the problem was I still didn't have the strength for that.
'Guess I'll just have to wait until someone comes….'
That was my last thought before a subtle weight pulled me back to wakefulness.
I must have drifted off naturally after locking eyes with an unexpected person and processing too much information at once.
'But when did they turn off the lights?'
Unlike before, the room was completely dark now, making it impossible to make out anything.
"You're awake!"
"...."
Something was crawling around on top of me. I couldn't see it, but I knew exactly what it was.
I grabbed the palm-sized lump on the blanket.
"Peep!"
Ignoring its cry, I stroked Pie's fur.
It was small enough to fit in one hand, but annoying how it wandered around while I slept. Still, it was nice to see it like this.
"We're invisible to you, huh? Only looking for the bunny~"
"What, you're up?"
Footsteps approached, followed by Elias and Leo's voices from the doorway.
I reached for the lamp on the nightstand and turned it on.
They must have heard I was awake, because even Narke had come into the room. I eyed the overwhelming scene awkwardly.
"What's this? When did you guys get here?"
"Just now. We turned off the lights since you were sleeping, and boom—you're up."
Narke answered with a smile.
Elias hobbled over quickly, crutches clacking, and plopped into a chair.
"Hey, feels like I haven't seen you in a week~. Good to see you. You feeling okay?"
"Perfectly fine."
No strain moving my limbs, vision and hearing normal as ever.
Even though it was the truth, Elias raised one eyebrow skeptically and pointed at my face.
"What's perfect about that? Your neck? Didn't you hit your head? They said mild concussion."
I knew exactly which moment he meant. Bringing that up first, it must've stuck with him the most.
Hearing someone dying isn't exactly commonplace, so it made sense. I hoped I hadn't traumatized him by making him listen.
As I stayed quiet, Elias continued dramatically.
"You have no idea how freaked out I was listening to that. Man, they were dead set on killing you. Shouldn't have sent you alone~ I kept saying."
"It's fine. You can tell I handled it since I made it back in one piece."
"Hmm, true. Next time, send me. Got it? Remember that."
"Elias!"
Leo cut in, frowning.
Far from 'send me,' Elias would bolt off the second he thought he could turn it into a mess and come out ahead. Whatever I said wouldn't matter much.
I just smiled without answering, and Elias clapped loudly.
"Anyway, enough of that. How's it feel to make a triumphant return? You're a full-on national hero now."
I hadn't seen anything yet, so I had no grasp of the mood.
Right on cue, Elias handed me a stack of newspapers.
He must've marked them—crude circles were scrawled all over.
I started with the articles highlighted in red pen.
The front-page headlines were big enough to spot even without marks.
[Imperial Central Government Magic Department: 'Medal of Merit Planned for Nikolaus; Rank Under Discussion']
[Nikolaus Ernst Volunteers as Hostage to Expose Pleroma Truth… Sacrifice for 100 Million Citizens]
[17 Nations Within Empire Grant Nikolaus Ernst Honorary Mage Status]
[Nikolaus Ernst Kidnapped to Clock Tower in Square… 130,000 Crowd Gathers]
They'd collected every edition, so the dates were jumbled.
The latest Imperial News front page featured a photo of the massive crowd in the square.
"So, how is it? Pretty thrilling reaction, right?"
"Yeah. It's solid."
This… was a success.
Bigger than last time—way bigger.
Nikolaus's approval rating had been at 6.5 earlier.
After blowing 4.2 billion, it hadn't budged even 0.01. But now, it jumped 1.5 in one go.
'Definitely no more +3 spikes like before.'
Scale-wise similar, but in terms of risk and symbolism, this topped the council stunt… I could feel the costs piling up.
Still, after wasting 4.2 billion for a measly +0.002, I could be satisfied with this gain.
'Can't solve it with money.'
It was easy, but the returns didn't match.
From now on, I needed to keep feeding the public memorable spectacles.
I nodded slowly and flipped through the papers.
There were plenty of articles on Strauch too.
[Werner Strauch Mecklenburg-Schwerin Federal Assemblyman Revealed as Pleroma]
[Who Can We Trust? Calls Surge for Stricter Pleroma Vetting in Politics]
[Werner Strauch Mecklenburg-Schwerin Federal Assemblyman Was 'Pleroma' Auxiliary Bishop of Osnabrück Diocese]
[Rep. Strauch Sent Five Anonymous Letters to 60+ Federal Assemblymen During Early Barrier Debates… Pushed for Barrier Installation]
Satisfactory.
I set the papers down on the nightstand and greeted my friends.
"Thanks. Couldn't have pulled it off without you guys."
"...."
At that, Leo's brows furrowed slightly.
His face said he was wondering if he'd missed something.
I didn't recall being stingy with words, but his reaction was surprising.
"Straight shooter, huh~ But for some reason, feels like we should check you again, or am I imagining it?"
"Haha, Lucas has always been like that. No hesitation."
"When have I ever held back on saying what needed saying?"
"No, it's more like… nothing fazes you, no matter what blows up."
I'd reacted plenty, but apparently it came off that way.
Elias furrowed his brow thoughtfully, then clapped.
"Nah. Saying 'thanks' so casually like that is peak Lucas~"
"I meant it sincerely. That's how it sounded?"
"No, wasn't criticizing. It's just your personality. Were you like this freshman year too? Leo, what do you think?"
"…Probably. Never really talked much."
Leo looked away as he answered.
He seemed reluctant to revisit freshman year, given how he'd acted toward Lucas back then.
He'd taken a big hit from the Pleroma reveal too—didn't look full of energy.
Better let the exhausted guy rest. Time to ask about what I needed to know.
"One thing. As you know, I came down without the mask."
"No worries. No one knows."
Leo muttered.
"Yeah, for real. I asked around his shoulders."
Narke grinned playfully and patted his own shoulder.
That wouldn't cut it alone.
Reading my expression, Elias gave the proper answer.
"Warped here before his feet even touched ground. Something like 30 meters up in the air?"
"Haha, felt just like our world. Lucky break."
As expected….
If Narke had said it, I might've doubted since he could read my hypotheses. But Elias confirming made it click fast.
They could've tracked it if they tried hard enough, so lying would've been dicey anyway.
"Thanks."
I thanked Narke and checked the clock.
It had looked around 5 p.m. at the clock tower, but the one by the bed showed nearly midnight.
One more thing to ask.
"By the way, Narke, got a question for you."
I softened my expression and looked at him.
"Yeah? What?"
"You a bishop?"
Narke's eyes widened, then he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, knew you'd ask."
"Figured we'd tell him once Lucas woke up."
Leo crossed his arms, leaned back, and spoke.
"Let's recap from the start. We contacted the Papal Court, and they said they'd send a mage right away. Then you show up."
Narke just nodded with a smile.
"We can't figure out how you're a Papal Court mage, how you had their staff, or how you appeared there in bishop's robes… Explain."
Elias watched Narke with a hint of intrigue. From what I knew, that look from Elias wasn't friendly—it meant he saw Narke as someone to watch warily.
'Haven't even fully bonded yet, and he's already on guard.'
Fair enough.
Even I'd had questions amid the chaos.
"First off, you mistaking me for a bishop… yeah, makes sense. The phasia was pink."
Narke nodded and spoke calmly.
"I kept quiet at school, but I am a Papal Court mage. That's true."
He snapped his fingers, and his eye and hair color shifted.
He drew his wand from his belt and waved it lightly. Now its true form showed—definitely a Papal Court mage's wand.
"Standard colors set by the Papal Court, right? Wand too. Especially the wand—can't be faked."
"Whoa, total different person with the color change. Hard to get used to."
Elias studied Narke's face.
Papal Court members had strict dress codes, and for sinforce-using mages, even hair and iris colors counted as part of it.
Honestly, it bordered on obsessive, but they wanted to define holiness and mold humans to fit.
Mages themselves had few complaints.
They believed they were qualified to stand by God's side.
They'd desperately chased that manufactured sanctity, and even without magic, they'd diverged far from ordinary humans.
In my eyes, they'd already crossed an irreversible river in many ways. A color change was nothing.
"But I'm not a bishop."
Narke swapped the wand back and tucked it away.
"Papal Court mages can't easily reveal identities publicly. Assassination attempts on mages are common, as you know. More than that, we don't want individuals getting too famous."
"Doesn't mean everyone wears masks, though."
"Right, haha! Saw you doing it, Lucas, and thought it looked fun. Also needed to hide my identity. My situation's not that free either."
"Not free?"
"Not as much as you, but yeah."
Leo nodded slowly, then frowned.
"No matter how hard identities are to reveal, you can't wear unauthorized rank attire, right? The Papal Court's too strict for that."
"Hmm, in principle, no. But you can't always stick to rules in practice. Special circumstances, you know."
"...."
No one bought it easily.
The Papal Court handing out bishop robes to anyone? Everyone would dress like one.
Even Elias laughed in disbelief at Narke.
"Not a bishop? Fine, I'll buy that. But…"
Leo stared into Narke's round eyes.
"You're not just a priest, are you?"
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