How to Survive as the Second Son of a Mage Family

Chapter 333

Chapter 333

Mecklenburg stared straight ahead expressionlessly, feeling what had been wrapped around his heart breaking. The person next to him had just driven a Monsignor's core to the brink of shattering. The cold eyes visible between the unkempt ash-blonde hair gave him goosebumps. It felt as if the blood circulating in his hands and feet was draining out. Askanian took out a handkerchief, tidied the Monsignor's face, and stood him upright.

"Nothing happened to you. You thought you were attacked for a moment, but you just tripped and fell on your own. A person of a Monsignor's stature wouldn't feel pain from something like this, right?"

"......."

"Nothing happened."

Askanian muttered as if brainwashing the dazed Monsignor while looking into his eyes. It sounded like he wasn't speaking to the Monsignor right in front of him, but to other Monsignors beyond him. That might be correct. When the Monsignor's legs gave out and he staggered, Askanian caught him in an embrace and patted his back.

"It's hard, right? Let's turn off the telecommunication inside your head for a moment. There will be no problems. Put down your thoughts and be at ease."

"......."

"Now, let's split into one and two first. I have a place to stop by briefly for insurance, so Senior, please stay here. If anyone comes in, say there was no one here, and if they ask for your identity, say you are a Monsignor sent from the Hamburg Archdiocese for support at the request of the leadership, and give a fake commoner surname."

Mecklenburg felt his mind go blank for a moment. He felt like all the blood in his body was draining out through his heels.Alone. While the person threatening others by cracking their core was fearful, being left alone was also fearful. What are you going to do? Where are you going to stop by in this place full of enemies? It's too dangerous. Isn't this a situation where blood has flowed backwards just now? Feeling like he had to tell him not to go, Mecklenburg smacked his lips.

"......."

No matter how hard he tried to squeeze it out, no sound came out. In this situation, no, even if it weren't this situation, he couldn't be hoping for someone else's help. He shouldn't be seen like that either. Above all, Mecklenburg, who values probability, didn't think he could produce a better result than Nicolaus.

Mecklenburg nodded. Askanian, perhaps equally afraid, smiled with a face that wasn't very comfortable.

"Let's meet later."

***

Askanian continued to walk while holding Mecklenburg's arm. Sometimes he flowed Divine Power, but rather than that intention, it seemed he was just holding on while walking. Mecklenburg endured and endured before speaking bluntly.

"How old are you?"

Askanian remained silent as if he didn't know his own age, then answered roughly with empty eyes.

"However you calculate it, I've lived less than Senior."

He didn't know what he meant by calculating, but seeing him answer like that even while half out of it, it seemed he understood the point of the words. Anyway, it meant he had no intention of letting go of the arm. Mecklenburg glanced at the mysterious scrap metal carrier Askanian brought from the place he stopped by earlier and turned his head. Actually, he sarcastically asked how old he was, but rather than feeling such childish sentiments, it felt more like being taken into custody. Due to Askanian's grip strength, he even had the illusion that blood wasn't circulating in his arm, and since he was pressing down on the hostage Monsignor's back with his left hand, Mecklenburg also felt like he had become a Pleroma along with him.

At this point, it was necessary to recall what Askanian said to the Monsignor in the basement earlier.

[Now, you will answer what I said earlier like this. 'We are here under orders to catch those crossing over to this building, and we do not know the location of His Excellency the Bishop'. That is understandable. Since a matter of this magnitude wouldn't have been done solely by one diocese, the Bishop must have gone to a place we don't know.]

Before, he said let's find the Bishop. How does he intend to do that knowing it won't work? When he thought that, light flowed from Askanian's hand resting on the back, and the Monsignor was seen flinching his shoulders. Fear returned to his dazed face. Askanian stared at the Monsignor and continued speaking without blinking once.

[Let's go to the control room.]

Like that, we were heading to the control room now.

Control room. He had a feeling about what he was talking about, but he couldn't be sure. Mecklenburg narrowed his eyes looking at Askanian's blue eyes, which seemed to have lost focus. His condition is getting worse. Askanian stuck to the Monsignor's side and spoke to Mecklenburg with his hand on his back.

"Entering will have to be done with our own strength."

"......."

Mecklenburg's hand passed the wand holster at his waist and headed to the revolver holster next to it. The familiar metal fit perfectly in his hand. Shooting a gun at something made of Vitriol was something Mecklenburg was confident in. When they reached the huge door of the control room, two Pleroma were visible. Askanian opened his mouth to them as they took a step closer towards him, Mecklenburg, and the hostage Monsignor.

"This is Friedrich Schmidt from Görlitz."

"Are you an Auxiliary Bishop or a Monsignor? I heard news that support was coming from Görlitz..."

BOOM-!

"...!"

The faces of the Pleroma distorted. Light that burst out without warning stabbed into their eyes like blades. Askanian now cast Sleep Magic without even chanting a spell. Their eyes lost focus for a moment, then quickly tried to return to their original state filled with shock, and the sight of their hands holding pitch-black wands lifting towards Askanian slowly stretching out was reflected in Mecklenburg's vision.

BANG-! THUD-

But they were late.

The same noise was repeated five more times. Sounds of flesh and blood splattering were heard. Clear blood flowed, and soon Vitriol filled the floor. Mecklenburg pushed the cylinder with only empty shells into the clutch and inserted a new cylinder. Askanian removed the Sound Insulation Magic and stared at the control room door.

"How many revolver cartridges did you bring?"

"...36 rounds. Didn't you give them to me? Did you forget?"

After insisting on not using firearms, he suddenly asked for two months' worth in advance alone... Having brought an ignorantly large amount that couldn't be forgotten, what is this person saying now? The remaining 30 rounds would be with Askanian.

Askanian stayed still and then answered dryly.

"I did. How many rounds are left?"

"I don't know."

"How about returning half of the Defense Force officer's salary?"

"......."

Mecklenburg smiled faintly and clenched his fist, but didn't refute Askanian's sarcasm. Unlike Nicolaus, in this situation, he couldn't remember one by one how many times he changed the cylinder. All the time spent being dragged here wasn't training. Enemies are everywhere and this is enemy territory. The smell of raw blood vibrates from the fallen Monsignor. Even Askanian's Magic Power felt fluctuating greatly beside him. However, for some reason, he couldn't feel any sign of tension on his face, but rather only deep fatigue rose. It seemed like it was because he was doing something he didn't want to do, and also because he was in an unwanted situation. Askanian put the Monsignor he was holding to sleep, swallowed two or three times, and spoke quietly.

"It's the perfect timing to get your head blown off. How many minutes have passed?"

"12 minutes."

Askanian has been constantly asking for the time since earlier. The time from when they first fell here until now. Askanian muttered without a change in expression.

"We are putting up a good fight."

"How much did you expect for you to say we are putting up a good fight?"

"18 minutes."

Before the question even ended, an immediate answer with not a single speck of soul was heard. Such an answer was enough to embarrass the person asking. Hearing a needlessly specific number, he couldn't not know that he was just throwing it out there because answering was annoying.

At that moment, Askanian dragged Mecklenburg and carefully touched the door next to it. As if it were an empty room, Askanian smiled faintly and gestured to Mecklenburg. Seeing him tap the doorknob with three fingers spread like shooting a gun, it meant to shoot the gun here.

'Without going into the control room?'

Mecklenburg thought so and shook his head. The control room door would be blocked by Pleroma's magic right now. The thought that he shouldn't have dealt with those guard Monsignors belatedly crossed his mind, but seeing Askanian didn't stop him, didn't it mean using the guard Monsignors wasn't the answer?

Simultaneously with Askanian unfolding Sound Insulation Magic, Mecklenburg shot next to where the doorknob and keyhole were.

BANG-! CLACK-

KICK-!

Askanian kicked the door, completely tearing off the doorknob, entered, and carefully fitted the door back. Mecklenburg watched that scene dumbfounded and said.

"...Since earlier, it feels exactly like playing hide-and-seek with Pleroma. So, did we come in here to break this wall?"

Askanian smiled silently, stood Mecklenburg against the wall behind the door, and stood next to the door himself. Then he muttered.

"Senior doesn't look like it, but sometimes you have creative thoughts. Is it because you are nervous?"

CRAAASH-! RUMBLE-

At that moment, the door flying away was seen in Mecklenburg's vision. Askanian's Magic Power spread like a net over his head and threw someone standing in the corridor into the room as if snatching them. Askanian, who had taken out the revolver from the holster at some point, stood the Pleroma up, wrapped his arm around his neck, and put the gun to his temple. He gestured with his eyes to the open next room door, that is, the control room door, and said.

"How kind of you to open it."

"Th-This...!"

"...!"

Mecklenburg gritted his teeth at the pitch-black air looming before his eyes and aimed his wand. He had no choice. Right now, Askanian's Divine Power was defending against the Vitriol as much as possible, but that wasn't enough. The moment the Pleroma's foot tried to stomp the floor, the output of Magic Power escaping from Mecklenburg's wand increased. But the other side was faster.

BANG-! THUD-

Following the explosion sound, a sound of something bursting like mud was heard. It was a familiar sound.

"Aaaaaaaack!"

The Pleroma screamed and fell to the floor. Only then did Mecklenburg understand the situation. Askanian shot the gun at that Bishop's back without a shred of hesitation. Even if a Pleroma is shot, they don't die from just once. Even though he was shot right behind the heart, far from acting like he would lose consciousness, he was just writhing in pain. Because Vitriol replaces the destroyed spot. After the gunshot, Mecklenburg looked at Askanian, inwardly flustered. Yes, he knows. Askanian's opposition to firearm use is clearly against civilians. There was absolutely no reason not to use it against Pleroma, the enemy of the state who put us in this situation now, and no reason to be flustered. Didn't Mecklenburg himself use it excitedly just now? However, it was an unfamiliar sight to see from Askanian, who had minimized firearm use all along.

BANG-!

―Unless Yahweh keeps the city, the watchman's wakefulness is in vain!

"Aaaaaack! Ack!"

Even while his eyes were closing, the Pleroma screamed, beating everywhere with Vitriol trying to get up from his spot. Even though he dispersed his focus, perhaps due to wariness or whatever, it doesn't work immediately. Vitriol surged in all directions. If this is maintained, Askanian's Sound Insulation Magic will also be dismantled, and Pleroma's support will come. Even amid Askanian's purification taking place, the air turned so black that he couldn't distinguish ahead, so Mecklenburg aimed the gun at him.

"It's done."

As if reading Mecklenburg's plan, Askanian's words were heard. Strangely, his voice was heard from below. The sound the Pleroma was making also decreased.

THUD-

Askanian threw the syringe on the floor and stood up. The Vitriol slowly cleared away, and now the situation could be known. Askanian injected the drug torn from the very first priest into this Pleroma. Did he know what drug that was?

"I thought the drug would be better to save Divine Power. I had to buy time to transfer the drug."

Askanian spoke expressionlessly. He couldn't know what it was an explanation for, but he soon realized it was an answer for using the firearm. Whatever it was, Askanian was different from usual right now. His patience is disappearing and fatigue is replacing that spot. Mecklenburg realized Askanian's condition was worsening and bit his lip.

Askanian glanced at the control room Pleroma who had fallen on the floor, eyes unfocused, and fallen asleep, then nodded.

"If he is in the control room, he must be a Bishop. There might be a problem of whether he is an Auxiliary Bishop or a Coadjutor Bishop.... We can certainly achieve our goal."

Our goal. He almost said out loud that he wished he would explain clearly how they would achieve the goal with this after already making him lose consciousness, but since he had a guess, Mecklenburg nodded and entered the control room. After Askanian also entered, Mecklenburg locked the door while layering the locking magic he knew. He examined if there was Space Magic cast on the objects here, but fortunately, there was nothing like that. Seeing they don't make entrances carelessly, it was clearly an important place.

While Mecklenburg investigated the surroundings, Askanian was examining the unknown pipes, inputs, and buttons made of iron. Weird Magic Power was coming out from the entire wall surface, whether a magic formula was cast or artifacts were attached.

Mecklenburg, who was observing the room with a rotten expression, tapped his back and said.

"I'll take some more cartridges."

"Go ahead."

Askanian unfastened his clutch and threw it to Mecklenburg. Mecklenburg, rummaging through his clutch, took out a small box his hand caught.

'Mm?'

Was there something like this? When he pushed the lid with his thumb, there was a single earring embedded with a red gem. Mecklenburg glanced at Askanian and asked.

"What is this earring? If it's an artifact, use it now."

"......."

Askanian silently snatched it and put it inside his cassock. Then he went around examining the iron inputs again and said incomprehensible words.

"Pleroma is trying to secure influence over the Empire. This must be the second activity, and it might be the first activity aiming for a full-scale advance."

"Is there anyone who doesn't know?"

"Crisis is still opportunity."

Hearing it sound like he was talking to himself, Mecklenburg looked at him reflexively. Yet, there was no anxiety in Askanian's voice. He continued speaking calmly with a clear voice like before.

"The opportunity to inflict massive damage on the Brandenburg Archdiocese and other dioceses friendly to it. If they are preparing for war, it's just a matter of cutting off their limbs before they start in earnest. Isn't that right?"

"......."

Mecklenburg was silent for a moment at this out-of-the-blue conversation, then nodded.

"If you say so, then it must be so."

Whatever. Since you are Nicolaus Ernst. At that answer, Askanian smiled softly. He turned his head and opened his mouth.

"Among my friends, there is a person who can read others' thoughts. In the past, I once felt sorry about that friend building intimacy alone...."

Askanian looked only ahead with an uninspired expression and muttered continuously.

"Thinking about it, I don't seem to be in a position to do that. Now, so."

BANG-!

Askanian slammed the bag he had been floating around onto the desk loudly. Then he leaned on the desk and looked around swiftly.

"Now, Senior. Aren't there many things here? Honestly, I don't know what to touch here."

"Why are you so confident? Where is this place in the first place."

At Mecklenburg's question, Askanian smiled with a face asking why he asked when he knew and shrugged his shoulders.

"It is a place that touches the air of the Pleroma world. It interferes with the air of every space created by Pleroma belonging to the Brandenburg Archdiocese."

As expected. It is as guessed. Mecklenburg looked at Askanian with a serious face. He glanced at the huge iron tube and inputs behind him and said.

"Do you know that? The drug we received earlier. It turned out to be something I had been injected with before. It was developed by Pleroma to produce the same effect as Mind Manipulation Magic with drugs."

He has been injected before? Is he saying he was injected with a drug that has such an effect? Mecklenburg was flustered but tried to calm his mind and asked.

"...That vial didn't have a label attached, so how did you know it was the same as the one you were injected with before? You wouldn't have known before injecting it into that Pleroma."

"......."

Askanian stared at Mecklenburg, then said something else instead of answering that question.

"Pleroma's efforts are truly amazing. It's the same drug, but there is one for intravenous injection, one for oral administration, and guess what, they even made it into gas? Fortunately, I escaped before encountering that drug as gas, but the fact that such an existence itself exists was good information."

When Mecklenburg looked at him silently, Askanian smiled and explained.

"If the Bishop isn't here, we just have to summon him."

"......."

"Or we go to him."

He opened the bag. It was full of chunks of solid magic potion. The moment Askanian tore the packaging and put it into the input, it turned into gas and disappeared. No, not disappeared but....

WHOOSH-

Askanian struck down his staff to deploy purification magic and poured all of it into the numerous inputs. So, right now, into every place where Space Magic is installed in the Brandenburg Archdiocese.... Mecklenburg chuckled in absurdity but moved his hand to where the gun was without realizing it.

"It's the first time trying to cast Mind Manipulation Magic on the entire Pleroma diocese. It's new to be able to return exactly what I experienced."

A smile was on Askanian's face. It seemed like delight was visible too. It wasn't simply because of retaliating against Pleroma. Mecklenburg intuitively felt it. This is....

CRAAASH-!!

A roar tearing the ears was heard.

If the Bishop isn't here, we just have to summon him, or we go to him. Of the two, what was given to us was the latter.

Numerous clergymen wearing bishop robes unfolded before their eyes. Askanian wasn't flustered at all, as if he had seen this situation before. A satisfied smile spread on his face.

"Everyone is here."