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Reborn as the Doomed Heir of a Mage Dynasty (Web Novel) - Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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At that moment, the surrounding images vanished.The unfamiliar voices, which sounded like they were speaking in Korean, also disappeared.
Richthofen clicked his tongue and spoke.
Such a shame. I wanted to find out where that was.
How can you describe a place you dont know?
......
Elias and Leo stared at me with confused expressions.
Still, they didnt seem to believe that place actually existed in reality.
It was better that way.
I wasnt sure if my friends would accept the truth or if theyd treat me the same after knowing it.
Especially Leo. Our relationship was rooted in Lucas magic.
If Leo were to find out that Luca wasnt truly Luca...
No.
There was no need to imagine such things.
Even if it meant biting my tongue and leaving this world, I wouldnt reveal it myself. Id come too far to let everything collapse now.
Well, thats fine. As long as theres a conclusion, it doesnt matter how we get there. Theyll answer eventually, wont they? Champagne without the fizz isnt champagne, after all.
A roundabout way of saying that its pretty strong. Admittedly, its starting to hit me.
Unlike my original self, Luca wasnt accustomed to drinking.
Lets get this over with.
This is a solo act. Confident, arent you?
When did I say I wasnt?
Whatever it is, I need to move this along so itll be his turn next. As I snapped back, he smiled and tapped the table.
The strong lighting stung my eyes, making me squint reflexively.
It didnt take long to adjust to the light.
Cameras and various sound equipment were scattered around the area.
...Hah.
It was obvious whose memory this was.
With a 25% chance, Id expected this to come up again eventually, but no matter how many times I faced it, I couldnt get used to it.
Unintentional, but how coincidental. So, anyone have a question?
Elias and Leo turned to me. To be honest, I didnt even have the energy to interpret their expressions anymore.
Doesnt seem like it. Mr. Askanian, how does this connect to maintaining safety from Pleroma?
Not exactly a subtle indirect question, is it?
Elias and Richthofens voices merged into a muffled hum around my ears.
Then, someone nudged my shoe.
Leo glanced at me, faintly smiled, and turned back to Richthofen.
...Right.
I needed to pull myself together.
Id underestimated this trivial game, never expecting it to target my psyche. To win, I had to regain my composure.
While the criteria might be vague, at least its not something like What did you feel when you caught Strauch? So, it should be fine.
Honestly, I could just say, Theres no connection, and be done with it.
In reality, there was no link between Nicolaus Ernst and me as far as I knew.
But this was no different from poker.
If I were to answer honestly every time...
Then, the moment I drink, Id be admitting to the question.
On the other hand, lying could lead to unforeseeable consequences.
Both sides had something to gain from each other, so leaving it up to mutual trust wasnt likely.
So, my method was simple: Keep drinking until my luck turns around.
I downed the alcohol in my glass and said, Pass.
He nodded without hesitation and slammed his wand on the table.
The scene shifted to an unfamiliar placea small bridge covered in dirty mud.
Thin children, who seemed no older than elementary schoolers, were sitting nearby.
The air reeked of decay.
...Eliass memory?
But Elias was merely watching Richthofen.
Oh, its my turn now. Any questions?
Elias hesitated for a moment before looking at me.
Where are you from? Its a curious question, sure.
But its importance is trivial.
I nodded subtly at Elias and spoke to Richthofen.
Why are you stalling?
Isnt this more fun? Better than just admitting defeat.
He downed his drink in one go. The scene vanished again.
I chuckled lightly.
Shameless liar.
......
Clearly, theyd set up a system where speaking what they believed to be a lie resulted in a penalty.
If it were true, he wouldnt have needed to drink just now.
For the first time, Richthofen seemed unsettled. His eyes flitted briefly before returning to us.
Sir Nicolaus, is it Narce Farnese? Mr. Askanian never gives straight answers.
He snapped his fingers lightly.
...!
Eliass eyes widened, and he clutched his neck as strength drained from his body.
Elias collapsed sideways.
Crash!
His chair hit the floor first.
I caught him with magic before he hit the ground, but his figure quickly vanished from my magics grasp.
What the!
Clatter!
Leo threw his glass and grabbed Richthofen by the collar.
Narces face in the illusion twisted into a grimace.
It was the most impulsive act Id seen from Leo so far.
You...!
Honestly, he seems more like Nicolaus. Protecting your partner so fiercely...
Richthofen shook his head with a smirk.
I told you, attacks wont work. This kind of dual-space magic doesnt exist outside the Catacombs, does it?
What are you playing at?
Blue magic sparked from Leos hands.
Richthofen shrugged.
Frankly, Elias Hohenzollerns identity is clear. Theres no need to keep him around.
He glanced between Leo and me.
You two dont seem desperate enough. Time to change the situation. Got any last words?
Should I ask if Robert Muller is above you?
No, thats too obvious.
I need to think of something more significant.
State your orders clearly. No vague nonsense like find out who Nicolaus Ernst is.
......
He smirked at me, then spoke after a long pause.
Capture Nicolaus alive. Kill the other two. Does that answer your question?
......
So Nicolaus is the target.
Now, hes using Eliass life as leverage to force me to reveal Nicolauss identity.
[...Im starting to see it now.]
The plan, the gaps, and Richthofens strategyeverything is falling into place.
I even understand why he proposed this game to buy time.
[His plan is surprisingly solid.]
Its almost hard to believe things are going so smoothly.
Leo could tell what Richthofen was thinking.
It was obvious.
Offering two choices without providing any real information was essentially telling them not to pick the other option.
Who would willingly choose a game with no information, especially when past experiences suggested that doing so might lead to even greater danger?
But on the flip side, it meant that Richthofen had a clear advantage in this game.
So, even with the risk involved...
...Lets switch, Lucas. oure not in the right state for this.
Lucas rolled his eyes up to look at Leo, then glanced toward the empty air where Richthofens voice had been coming from and murmured softly.
Lets just continue this one.
What the! Are you serious?
Lucas lifted the hand that had been holding his forehead and slowly curled his lips into a smirk.
No need to take on new risks. And as far as I can tell, Im speaking perfectly fine right now.
......
Leo furrowed his brow silently.
It was true.
Even drunk, some people could still speak coherently, even if their thoughts werent straight.
Lucas might not be fully capable of making clear judgments.
But...
Every time Lucas had made decisions like this before, hed had a reason.
Because of that, Leo couldnt bring himself to argue further.
Lucas continued speaking.
At least let me choose my drink. After all, if Im keeping up with this game, the least you can do is let me drink something I like.
[Go ahead.]
Whiskey sour, if you can make that. Brandy sour works too.
[Everythings prepared for you. Order whatever you want.]
Not a fan of lime, though, so leave it out. And dont skip the garnishmake sure its presented properly.
Lucas added some unnecessary requests.
Definitely drunk...
Leo stifled a laugh.
Asking for a sour cocktail without lime just meant he wanted it with lemon instead. He couldve just asked for lemon in the first place.
Surely, there wasnt some deeper meaning behind this.
Before long, two whiskey sours were placed on the table, each garnished with a lemon slice.
Richthofen didnt bother saying anything. The process was self-explanatory, and there was no need for him to add further commentary.
Lucas.
Sorry, but no.
Leo hadnt even finished speaking.
He bit his lip in frustration.
...I really cant back down on this.
I get it. No matter what tricks they pulled, my memory is what will come up in the drug you took, right?
Yeah, exactly. Thats why
I wont be hurt by it. Dont you trust me?
...No.
Lucas waited silently for Leo to continue.
Even Leo knew how terrible that response was in this situation.
...To be exact, its not that I dont trust you. Its people in general.
Go on.
People dont know how theyll react until they experience something firsthand. Even if you try to treat me the same, seeing my past might change your feelings. Leaving the past in the past and reliving it in the present are two completely different things.
......
Im sorry. I dont want to grow apart from you.
Lucas stared at Leo for a moment before shrugging.
I wont let that happen. I already knew everything about you before we became friends. Dont you realize that?
Lucas smiled exaggeratedly, furrowing his brow in mock exasperation.
You do think were friends, dont you? Its not just me imagining things, right?
...Of course...! What are you even saying now?
Then trust me.
......
Trust me, and Ill show you that trusting someone isnt always a bad thing.
Leo looked at Lucas, who was grinning confidently.
Where was that confidence coming from?
Judging by his words, Lucas clearly knew which memory would surfaceprobably one from the previous year.
Still, it might just be the alcohol talking. Maybe he needed a jolt to snap out of it, the kind Elias would deliver with a firm slap.
But for some reason, Leo couldnt bring himself to act.
Thanks.
Lucas, noticing Leos expression, smiled faintly and picked up his glass.
He removed the lemon garnish, studied it briefly, then popped it into his mouth in one swift motion.
Then, he pushed his glass away, letting it fall to the floor.
Crash
...!
Sorry. Ill explain everything later in person, not like this.
Leo was speechless, his jaw dropping in shock.
Hey, what did you just eat
Its just a lemon. Perfectly edible.
Yeah, I know that, but!
Seeing Lucas casually eat a raw lemon made Leo question his sanity even more.
Lucas silently removed another lemon slice from his glass and inspected it.
Ever eaten a lemon before?
Of course I have.
Suddenly, it felt as if a refreshing breeze had swept through, clearing the air in an instant.
The sensation was so fleeting that Leo couldnt tell if it was real or just his imagination.
Lucas abruptly held the lemon slice up to Leos face.
Try it. Its good.
...Didnt you just touch that?
Oh, come on. Its clean.
No, logically, thered be germs on it.
......
Lucas shot Leo a bewildered look, as if he couldnt believe what he was hearing, and Leo instinctively averted his gaze.
Fine, Ill eat it... but why?
To soften the blow. Eat it, then take a sip. Ill drink mine right after, too.
What the hell is he thinking?
For a moment, Leo considered knocking some sense into Lucas to sober him up.
But what was the point of reasoning with someone drunk?
Soon, Lucas would read Leos memory, and the alcohol would wear off. Afterward, he wouldnt be in a position to tease Leo so easily.
Though it didnt make much sense, there wasnt any compelling reason to refuse.
For the first time in his life, Leo bit into the lemon garnish and swallowed a sip of the cocktail.
***
Drip
The sound of raindrops echoed faintly.
At the far end of the public training grounds, water from the previous days rain was dripping through an unrepaired section of the roof.
I want to go back to the dorms.
This damned school never gives us a break.
The voices of his friends reached him.
Just like a year ago, he sat in the middle of the tiered seating, listening to their pointless chatter.
Lucas...!
He wanted to turn his head, but his body wouldnt obey.
It was as if his body wasnt his own anymore.
A small commotion started behind him.
Did you really eat a rat?
No way... but if he did, holy shit...
Finally, his head turned, following the others.
A short, automatic question slipped from his lips.
What is it?
