I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 336

Chapter 336: Family (6)

Having issued the arrest warrant and opened the gates of Shatrain, Arina immediately began searching the territory.

According to the information gathered by the pursuers, Carsein had already passed through Lusmire, though they didn’t know how he had bypassed the checkpoint. And if he had continued along that path, it was highly likely he would have left traces in Shatrain.

But… despite their extensive search, they hadn’t found anything.

“What do you mean, you haven’t found anything?”

Arina’s voice was sharp, laced with disbelief.

“There’s nothing here. Perhaps he didn’t come this way?”

“W-well… we haven’t found anything either…”

“We’ve searched the town as well, but there are no traces.”

Nothing? They had searched every corner of Shatrain, and yet they hadn't found a single clue?

They didn’t even know which path he had taken.

‘That’s impossible.’

Arina had just searched the central area herself. If there was nothing there, then there had to be traces of him somewhere else.

And yet, they hadn’t found anything?

He must have stayed here, at least for a short while. No, it was more likely that he had stayed here for several days.

His horse, which he had ridden from Lusmire, had been found abandoned in the mountains. And judging from the route he had taken from the north, he must have been exhausted and hungry.

So, if they looked for signs of a campfire, or discarded food…

A sudden realization made Arina’s blood run cold.

“Don’t tell me…”

She had been so focused on the search that she had overlooked one crucial detail.

Shatrain had been closed, its gates barricaded by the villagers, who had been actively obstructing the pursuers. It was possible that Carsein had been inside the village all along.

And two people had been there as well.

The two who had prevented her from opening the gates.

The two who had bought Carsein time to escape.

If they had deliberately erased his tracks, then it was possible that the search teams wouldn't find anything.

‘If that’s the case…’

She needed to change her approach.

Arina gritted her teeth and headed towards a specific location.

“Did you search that shack?”

“Um… well…”

“That’s where Princess Arsienne and Lady Flora were…”

Ignoring the soldier’s hesitant reply, Arina walked towards the shack.

The place where Flora and Arsienne had been.

The place where they could have hidden Carsein, erased his tracks.

That’s where the evidence would be.

Just as she reached for the doorknob,

A voice, a whispered plea, made her pause.

-I hate you, Sister! I hate you so much! I’ll never forgive you! If you open that gate, I’m not your sister anymore! I won’t even call you Sister!

“…”

Flora’s anguished cries, her desperate plea from earlier, echoed in her mind, but Arina’s hand didn’t waver.

‘Carsein is the one who’s wrong, Flora.’

He was the one who had betrayed the Bagrand family, despite all the kindness they had shown him.

They had accepted him, an outsider, a child with no blood ties to the family.

They had given him a life of comfort and privilege, a life far better than what he could have ever hoped for.

He had received the Bagrand name, been legally adopted into the family.

He had been given everything.

And yet, what had he done?

He had become arrogant, blinded by his own success.

And his arrogance had led to these rumors, this potential threat to the Empire.

He should have returned to the Duchy.

He shouldn’t have abandoned their mother.

They were the victims.

The shame brought upon the Bagrand family,

The rumors and suspicions,

The discontent among the nobles…

‘It’s all his fault, Flora.’

Carsein… no, that commoner,

‘He deceived Mother, Claire, me… and even you.’

He wasn’t family.

Arina, her heart filled with rage, threw open the door.

And there it was. The undeniable proof.

“So he disguised himself in northern attire. He must have procured supplies in Lusmire. Dispatch troops to the south and search the area.”

“Yes, My Lady!”

She would find him, that traitor, and he would pay for his betrayal.

-Ding!

[Arina Bagrand: 85%]

[A sister who would ■■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ her own family.]

***

““You summoned us, Lady Claire?””

The two knights, summoned by Claire, saluted.

Claire, who had been staring out the window, turned around.

She looked at them, then dismissed the maids, creating a private space for their conversation.

Once the maids had left, and the room was silent, Claire sat down and picked up her teacup.

-Clink.

She took a sip of tea, then addressed the two knights directly.

“You’re the captain and vice-captain of the First Knight Squadron, right? Radiel Gruppein, and Mark Redelstein.”

““Yes, My Lady.””

“Then let me ask you this. Are you knights of the Bagrand Duchy? Or knights of Carsein?”

A heavy silence descended upon the room.

“…I don’t understand your question, My Lady.”

“I’m not sure what you mean, Lady Claire.”

“You don’t understand. I see.”

Claire, observing their reactions, their carefully neutral expressions, had a sudden realization.

She didn’t need to ask questions. She needed proof.

But how could she prove it?

How could she expose their strange behavior?

And how could she reveal her true intentions?

It would be a complicated matter.

She wasn’t even sure where to begin.

But… if she didn't prove it, she would be failing her brother again, just like she had in the past.

Claire took a deep breath and began to explain, carefully laying out the facts.

“Most of the Bagrand knights have gone with Sister. They’re searching for Carsein, following the arrest warrant. She mobilized every available soldier, scouring the entire Empire. She wants to find him as quickly as possible. Right?”

“…”

“But not all the knights are with her. There are exceptions. The guards protecting Mother, the ones stationed at the checkpoints… And those who relay messages to and from Sister. So, there’s a small contingent left behind. Just the guards and messengers. Sister usually handles these kinds of deployments, but… there’s something strange about this.”

-Slide.

Claire picked up a document listing the knights’ assignments and continued,

“Two knights, originally assigned to a different detail, suddenly had their assignments changed. And their new assignment? My personal escort. And the timing… it coincides perfectly with Carsein’s disappearance, doesn't it?”

-Thud.

She placed another document on the table.

“Normally, if the person you were assigned to protect suddenly disappeared, you would return to your original post. You would return to the First Knight Squadron, resume your duties, and then join the search once the news of Carsein’s disappearance spread. But that’s not what you did.”

The two documents presented a single hypothesis.

“You changed your assignments before the order was given. And after Carsein disappeared, just as the pursuit began, you two took over as my escorts. You volunteered to protect me, the least likely target, the one with the lowest priority. And I… I interpreted that differently.”

“…”

“It’s as if… you knew something. As if you changed your assignments to avoid participating in the pursuit. And your intention…”

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.

Claire reached her conclusion.

“…was to help Carsein. That’s what I thought.”

She looked at them, her gaze sharp and unwavering.

“So, let me ask you again. Are you knights of the Bagrand Duchy? Or knights of Carsein?”

Knights without a master were lost.

They were simply soldiers, following orders.

But these two had abandoned their posts, their loyalty to the Duchy, and had aligned themselves with someone else.

They had become Claire’s escorts, clinging to this faint hope.

Radiel Gruppein.

Mark Redelstein.

Their loyalty wasn’t to the Bagrand Duchy, but to Carsein.

It was a flimsy theory, based on circumstantial evidence.

A change in assignment, a suspicious coincidence in timing.

A baseless accusation, a wild speculation about two knights whose motives were unclear.

But…

-Click.

“As expected, you’ve changed, Lady Claire.”

“It seems our gamble… has paid off.”

“You… you really…!”

This subtle clue, this slight deviation from the expected path,

Was a crack they themselves had created.

““Our oath, as knights, is to Young Master Carsein, and to him alone.””

Not loyalty to the Bagrands, but loyalty to a single person.

Their oath, as knights, was to Carsein, their master.

Claire’s heart lifted.

“Lady Claire.”

“Please, command us.”

They were on Carsein’s side.

-Ding!

▶ Claire Bagrand has become an ally. ◀

▶ <Knight’s Oath> trigger activated. ◀

▶ Radiel Gruppein and Mark Redelstein will assist the player. ◀

***

After that, I passed through two more villages.

I had managed to avoid detection, thanks to the artifacts and Harnie’s presence, which, ironically, made us seem less suspicious.

And then, good news arrived.

The main force of the pursuit, having spent a considerable amount of time searching Shatrain, seemed to have given up. The timer had increased significantly, and the pursuit event had been deactivated.

This was my chance.

I could head towards the Duchy and complete the episode.

It was time to collect the five treasures and return to my world.

But…

There was a problem.

‘…This is the tricky part.’

To enter the Bagrand Duchy, I had to cross the border into their territory.

Knowing that, I had chosen a less populated area, avoiding fortified locations and heavily guarded checkpoints.

I had taken a long detour, choosing the smallest, most remote village I could find, but…

‘It’s the same here.’

While it might have been easier to blend into the crowds in larger territories or cities, the current situation made it impossible to avoid conflict.

Forcing my way through would be difficult, and even if I succeeded, the news would reach Arina, triggering the pursuit event again.

‘It can’t be helped. I’ll have to use force.’

Just as I was preparing myself,

Two horses approached from behind.

They weren’t just passing by.

They were heading straight towards me.

This wasn’t a main road. It was a secluded area, hidden among the trees, a place most people would avoid.

And yet, they had found me?

‘Did they… discover me?’

I felt a surge of anxiety and reached for my sword, preparing to mount my horse and escape, when Harnie grabbed my arm.

“It’s alright, Carsein.”

“What?”

“They’re not here to capture you.”

Harnie smiled reassuringly.

“How do you know?”

“Remember the checkpoint in Lusmire? How they just let us through? Those soldiers… they had something in common.”

“Something in common?”

“Yes. They all wore the insignia of Claire’s boutique.”

“…!”

There had been a lingering unease.

The unusually lax security at the checkpoint… they had said it was because of Claire’s orders.

If that was the case… it was a gamble worth taking.

The two knights dismounted their horses.

And she was right. Both of them wore the insignia of Claire’s boutique, clearly displayed on their armor.

And… they were…

Familiar faces.

“…”

“See? I told you they weren’t here to capture you.”

Claire? She had sent them?

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