I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 332

Chapter 332: Family (2)

The one who knew the most about Kelbia fruit,

Was undoubtedly Flora.

She had been the first to discover Carsein’s severe allergic reaction to it.

And she had used it countless times, in various ways, to torment him.

The one who knew it best,

And the one who had used it most effectively,

Was Flora Bagrand.

So, it wasn't strange that she could create a neutralizer.

She could even have orchestrated its distribution throughout the Empire.

But what was her motive?

What was her purpose?

Creating a path, guiding him here, it contradicted her usual behavior, her tendency to torment him.

So, I couldn’t understand it.

The motive, the reason, the purpose, none of it made sense.

It was a contradiction.

But the scene before me, this unlikely sequence of events, offered a glimmer of hope.

The vial of medicine, held out in her trembling hands.

The item description, displayed in the status window.

Flora, her face streaked with tears, pleading with him to accept it.

It was hard to believe, but…

Everything pointed to a single conclusion.

That this little brat was genuinely trying to help him.

Flora’s words were a jumbled mess, hesitant, as if she was struggling to express herself.

Right. These weren’t prepared lines.

And that’s how I knew she was being sincere.

I had denied it, refused to believe it.

While it was possible that she had simply stumbled upon a way to help him, I hadn’t thought she would deliberately do so.

But…

Flora had called him “brother.”

Just as I had never directly addressed Isabella as “Mother,” Flora had never called me “brother.”

Because we weren’t family.

We had never been family.

She hadn’t even wanted to be family.

That’s why she had always used the more formal, distant title.

She had even declared that she would never call me “brother.”

She had said it was disgusting, that she didn’t want to address someone like me with such an affectionate term, just like my youngest sister.

And now, here, alone with me,

She had used the very title she had once so vehemently rejected.

…A change.

She must have changed. It was hard to believe, but…

‘…The last time.’

My mind was in turmoil.

This shouldn’t be happening.

She wasn't forcing the medicine on me, wasn't gloating, wasn't even demanding an apology.

She was apologizing, offering me help…

It was so unfamiliar, so unexpected.

But Flora had said it was the last time.

She knew I was leaving.

She knew I wouldn't be returning to the Duchy.

She wasn't denying reality any longer.

‘…Hah…’

Normally, I would have been suspicious.

I would have turned away, reminding myself that we weren't family.

I wouldn’t have accepted anything from her.

But…

This… sincerity…

It didn’t make my blood run cold.

-Reach.

“…!”

Flora, her head bowed, tears streaming down her face…

I gently took the vial from her trembling hand.

She looked up.

“…”

Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.

And she was still crying.

-Slide.

I knelt down, so our eyes met, and handed her a handkerchief, a worn, faded piece of cloth I had been carrying.

Flora took it, sniffling.

This… should be enough.

I didn’t say anything.

I simply turned and left the shack.

That was my final goodbye.

“Sniff… Thank you, brother…”

Flora’s voice, choked with tears, echoed from behind me as I opened the door.

“Thank you… for saving me… for helping me…”

“…”

So that was what she had meant by “the last time.”

She hadn’t created a path for me just to give me the medicine. She had wanted to say goodbye.

I didn’t turn around, but I asked,

“Did you study… to make this?”

A brief silence, then,

A quiet confirmation.

“…Yes. I… I had a lot of questions… and I even stayed up all night studying with Shaiden…”

…I see.

It must have taken a long time.

I finally understood.

When she had started to change.

That naive, sheltered little brat had disappeared a long time ago.

There had been a reason why she had started reading, studying, picking up a pen and a book she had once loathed.

A reason why she had sought out Shaiden, why she had asked me to teach her.

She had already changed, back then.

I closed my eyes.

It was a meaningless gesture, a sentimental indulgence.

But…

…I had to say this.

“Take care, Flora.”

Flora’s sob echoed in the small shack.

The door opened again.

Sunlight streamed into the shack, momentarily blinding me.

And as I left,

Flora’s voice, loud and clear, filled the air.

“Goodbye, brother Carsein…! Don’t get hurt anymore, eat lots of delicious food, and… be happy…!”

I didn’t understand why, but I felt a strange sense of lightness.

Perhaps it was because of her farewell, her final words.

…I wasn’t sure.

***

“It’s been a while, Marquis.”

“…”

Heron bowed his head respectfully.

Marquis Magnuel frowned.

While he was just a butler, he was the Bagrand butler.

There had to be a reason why he had come to see him.

And it was likely related to the stack of documents Heron had brought with him.

“Get to the point. What do you want, Heron?”

Heron, accepting his bluntness, replied,

“As you know, the Duchess has suffered a relapse, and the Duchy requires a regent.”

“I’m aware of that.”

There was no need for further explanation.

The Bagrand Duchy was facing a crisis.

Carsein Bagrand’s disappearance, the rumors about his true identity, surfacing at the same time…

It had shaken the foundations of the Duchy.

“My Lady is no longer able to lead the Bagrand Duchy. It’s time for the next generation to take over.”

“…”

“But if the Duchy, if the Bagrands, are about to stray from the righteous path… then it must be corrected.”

The old butler’s eyes, sharp and unwavering, held a quiet strength.

Marquis Magnuel was the most powerful of the Bagrand vassals.

While Count Mendel and the others also held considerable influence, the Marquis was a pillar of the Duchy.

Heron had come to him for that very reason.

Marquis Magnuel, understanding his intentions, sighed softly.

“…Give me some time. I need to… prepare.”

“Of course. Please take your time to review the documents.”

Heron, sensing the Marquis’s hesitation, bowed and left.

“…”

The Marquis, left alone, frowned.

With Isabella incapacitated, Arina had taken over as the acting head of the Duchy.

In a way, this situation could be beneficial to him.

His chosen candidate was now leading the Bagrand Duchy. By supporting her, he could solidify his own position.

And he could use this opportunity to eliminate his rivals and strengthen Arina’s position as the next head of the family.

But he also knew that things had gone wrong.

It had started with Carsein’s disappearance.

And Isabella’s relapse.

The arrest warrant had been excessive.

It should have been a search warrant, not an arrest warrant.

To brand a family member, even an adopted one, as a criminal?

And to justify it by claiming he was a threat to the Empire?

Even that seemed excessive. He had met Carsein, and he knew the boy had no ambition for power.

He couldn’t bring himself to be happy about this, to see a family member treated this way.

To issue an arrest warrant for such a trivial reason, to see him as a rival… it was a heartless decision.

And because of that arrest warrant, Carsein had become a target, branded a traitor to the Empire.

While Arina was his chosen candidate,

While he could gain more power by supporting her,

Was this truly the right path for the Bagrand Duchy?

“…”

Marquis Magnuel’s gaze fell upon the documents Heron had left behind.

Documents related to the Duchy’s affairs, each one bearing Arina’s seal, not Isabella’s.

He picked up a document and began to read.

“For now, it seems, she’s doing alright.”

Judging from the documents, Carsein hadn’t been captured yet.

There were reports of sightings, and Arina had authorized investigations, so it didn't seem like he had been assassinated outside the Duchy.

But was he truly “alright”?

Arina’s misjudgment hadn’t been rectified.

She had mobilized the knights, even requesting reinforcements from other territories, to capture Carsein.

Was that truly the action of a concerned family member?

…Or was it the action of someone hunting a criminal?

“To be blinded by short-term gains, to jeopardize the future…”

The Marquis murmured, lost in thought.

***

I left the shack, my mind in turmoil.

But I didn’t have time to dwell on my emotions.

-Ding!

▶ Pursuit event activated. ◀

▶ Traces of your activity in Lusmire discovered. ◀

▶ Pursuers are on your trail. ◀

“…Damn it.”

They had already found me?

My conversation with Flora had taken longer than I had anticipated.

“I let my guard down.”

While Lusmire had bought me some time, it was only a temporary reprieve.

I needed to progress the episode.

And to do that, I had to drink this.

▶ Item consumed. ◀

[Kelbia Allergy Cure]

◆ Kelbia Allergy Cure

[Upon consumption, your body will adapt to Kelbia, granting immunity.]

[Reduces all allergy levels by 3.]

I drank the cure Flora had given me, and its effects were immediate.

▶ Kelbia Allergy effects reduced by 3 levels. ◀

The red hues of the Kelbia fruit in Shatrain faded completely.

The low concentration wouldn’t affect me anymore.

Level 0. Permanent immunity.

Now, I could finally move on.

▶ Episode XLIV: The Five Treasures is in progress. ◀

▶ Collect the five treasures located throughout the Empire and create a dimensional portal. ◀

▶ Clearing this episode will return the player to the real world. ◀

To collect the treasures, I had to travel to different locations, and the Kelbia allergy had been a major obstacle.

Now, with the allergy cured, I could finally begin my search.

But the locations of the treasures… they were strange.

[1. Bagrand Duchy]

‘Why… why is one of the treasures in the Bagrand Duchy?’

That didn’t make sense.

I had searched every corner of the Duchy when I erased my presence.

I had been in every room, removing all traces of myself, all my portraits.

Arina’s room, Claire’s room, Flora’s room, even Isabella’s.

There hadn't been anything unusual…

A place I hadn’t searched?

Was there such a place?

I racked my brain, and then I remembered.

“…Ah, right. There was one place.”

A place I hadn’t been able to enter.

And a place I hadn’t been allowed to enter, even before I left.

The basement.

A restricted area, just like the training grounds, in the early stages of the game.

That must be where the treasure was hidden.

But it seemed the path wouldn’t be easy.

“Young Master!”

“The pursuers are here! You have to escape! Now!”

-Ding!

▶ Pursuit time limit reached. ◀

▶ Pursuers are about to enter Shatrain. ◀

▶ Warning! Multiple hostile units may attack! ◀

Damn it.

I should have realized when the timer wasn’t displayed!

“We’ve prepared the horses! We’ll hold them off! Hurry! Run!”

“What? You’ll hold them off? What are you…”

Just as I was about to question Dyke’s words,

“We’re going to protect you, Young Master!”

The villagers of Shatrain emerged, armed with farming tools.

…What was this?

All the villagers…

And their affinity levels were all at 100%.

[Loyalty, to our lord.]

“What’s going on…?”

“Go, Young Master.”

“Run!”

“Brother! There’s no time! Hurry!”

It wasn’t just Dyke, Frikt, and the other guards.

Not just those I had registered as Agents, but all the villagers,

Their affinity at 100%, were urging me to escape.

I had thought there were only a few who would help me.

That I had to survive alone, like an outsider, relying on luck.

Why?

Why were they helping me?

-Neigh!

“Carsein, hurry! They’re about to enter the territory!”

Right.

…I didn’t have time to think.

I had to take her hand, mount the horse, and run.

***

A short while later,

The villagers gathered at the entrance to Shatrain, ready to face the pursuers.

“Has the Young Master left?”

“…Yes.”

“Then it’s fine.”

All that remained was to stop them.

While they were just farmers, their resolve was unwavering.

These weren’t knights of the Bagrand Duchy.

They were outsiders.

Their only goal was to capture Carsein.

And they wouldn’t let them pass.

Even if they were defeated, they would buy him as much time as possible.

That was their duty, their loyalty, to the lord of Shatrain.

“They’re still resisting. They even attacked the soldiers at the checkpoint. They’ve completely lost their minds.”

The commander of the pursuers clicked his tongue in disbelief.

-Unsheathe.

“We’ll have to eliminate them.”

The villagers gulped, their gazes fixed on his bloodstained blade.

Just then,

Someone shouted from behind them.

“Stop!”

A clear, commanding voice echoed through the air.

They shouldn't listen. Not now. Not to anyone.

But the soldiers hesitated, their eyes darting around nervously.

It was someone they couldn't ignore.

Someone with authority.

“P-Princess Arsienne…!”

They saw her, her silver hair and golden eyes, the unmistakable features of the Imperial Family.

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