I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 331

Chapter 331: Family (1)

-Tug. Tug.

"Are they all tied up?"

"Yeah, just one more left."

The soldiers at the checkpoint were all unconscious, bound with ropes.

It was a strange sight. Instead of the soldiers intimidating the villagers, they were the ones tied up and gagged. It was a clear reversal of roles.

-Tighten.

"Ow! That hurts! Be careful!"

"Wh-what?! This guy…!"

"Frikt, the gag! Hurry!"

"I know!"

One of the soldiers, either still conscious or having regained consciousness, cried out as they tightened the ropes.

Shouting in this situation would only make things worse. Dyke and Frikt quickly moved to gag him.

"Tsk. I understand you have to tie me up quickly, but could you be a little more gentle?"

"What?"

"Do you really think we would let you do this if we could resist? We're cooperating."

Everyone was taken aback by his calm demeanor, his request to be tied up more gently, when he could have easily shouted for help.

"What's he talking about?"

"Cooperating…?"

"He must have received different orders…"

The villagers and guards exchanged puzzled glances.

The soldier, indifferent to their confusion, calmly repeated his request.

"Just tie me up already. I'm not going to resist, so at least be gentle."

"..."

Dyke and Frikt looked at each other, bewildered. If they had known what was going on, they might have understood, but they didn't. They simply tied him up and gagged him.

But…

I saw something different.

‘That soldier… he’s not from the checkpoint.’

While his uniform looked similar at first glance, there were subtle differences.

He was a knight of the Bagrand Duchy.

And every single Bagrand knight was searching for me. With the added suspicion of my connection to the Wederos Kingdom, they would be even more determined to capture me.

But why?

Why was a Bagrand knight stationed at the checkpoint?

And why wasn't he trying to capture me?

The contradiction triggered a sense of déjà vu.

‘…This is the second time.’

Now that I thought about it, it didn’t make sense. I had passed through the checkpoint in Lusmire without any problems.

They should have thoroughly searched the carriage, but they had simply waved us through. And now, this soldier, a Bagrand knight, was facing a wanted man, and yet he wasn’t raising the alarm.

It was too much of a coincidence.

There had to be a plan.

I had to find out what was going on.

‘…And he said something strange…’

-Do you really think we would let you do this if we could resist? We're cooperating.

-I received orders…

Cooperating?

He had received orders?

Had the Duchy given different orders, instead of ordering them to capture me?

It didn’t make sense.

The entire Duchy, except for me, had been united.

I had been the outsider, the outcast.

How could there be any conflict, any dissent, within such a close-knit family?

-And don’t worry about the checkpoint. Lady Claire has lowered the security level.

There was no way there would be internal conflict regarding the pursuit.

There was no way they would turn against each other.

I had dismissed that possibility entirely.

Until I remembered Tasha’s words.

…Could it be true?

Was that why the security had been so lax?

That the reason for this unusually low level of scrutiny at the checkpoint was because of Claire?

I was confused.

I couldn't believe it.

But the unsettling truth was that I had no choice but to enter Shatrain.

-Ding!

▶ Entered Shatrain Field. ◀

▶ Danger Level of this area: Normal. ◀

▶ Kelbia Allergy effects reduced. ◀

[Kelbia Allergy: Level 2]

[Certain stats decreased, and action points and stamina slightly reduced. Normal activities possible, but combat abilities impaired.]

‘…Normal?’

The lowest danger level, a safe zone.

Shatrain shouldn’t be a safe zone.

And the Kelbia Allergy…

Level 5 zones, completely impassable due to the high concentration of Kelbia fruit, were everywhere, and yet, I had only been inflicted with a Level 2 debuff.

This was strange.

“…There’s a visitor waiting for you in Shatrain, Young Master.”

Just as I was about to leave,

One of the soldiers spoke.

“What?”

“The one who neutralized the Kelbia fruit. She wishes to speak with you.”

Another contradiction.

Another unexpected turn of events.

***

Flora knew.

That her past actions, her childish pranks, had consequences. That she had almost cost someone their life.

Flora knew.

That she had been naive, sheltered, ignorant of the world. That she had lived a life of privilege, taking everything for granted.

And because of that, Flora knew.

That even if she neutralized the Kelbia fruit, even if she created a safe path for him through Lusmire and Shatrain,

It wouldn’t be enough. It wouldn't erase her past sins.

He hadn’t accepted any of her gifts: the luxurious clothes, the comfortable room, the delicious food.

He hadn’t even used the Bagrand name, enduring the insults and ridicule, the labels of “commoner” and “parasite,” stripped of all his privileges.

And…

In the end, even his family had turned against him.

And it was all…

Because of her.

Carsein’s decision to leave the Duchy, it was a direct consequence of Flora’s childish actions.

So, this was it.

She wouldn’t try to stop him.

She had no right, and she knew it was impossible.

So, she prayed.

Because this was their final goodbye.

She wanted to call him “brother,” just once.

She wanted to tell him how sorry she was.

She wanted to convey her feelings, just this once, before he left.

-Click.

And as if in answer to her prayer,

The door opened.

The young girl, her heart heavy with the weight of their impending separation, spoke, her voice soft and gentle,

“…You came?”

Familiar black hair and eyes.

His silhouette, framed by the sunlight streaming through the doorway.

She had met him like this before, in a dark, dusty shack.

It was the beginning of their last moments together, as siblings.

***

The villagers of Shatrain weren’t surprised.

They hadn’t denied the soldier’s request to meet with Carsein.

“…As that soldier said, someone who wishes to meet with the Young Master has arrived in Shatrain.”

“We’ve scattered Kelbia fruit throughout Shatrain as well. A high concentration, to prevent his entry.”

“But now, it’s safe enough to enter, as long as you cover your nose and mouth. That was… the visitor’s request.”

They didn't hide the fact that they had known about the visitor and the neutralization of the Kelbia fruit. They told Carsein everything.

“…We’ve already escorted her to the designated location. She wishes to speak with you, my lord.”

Carsein immediately headed towards the meeting place.

The lingering unease,

The nagging sense of déjà vu,

It all led to this moment.

“…You came?”

Inside the dark, dimly lit shack,

The girl, who should have been shouting and throwing a tantrum, turned her head, her voice soft and hesitant.

It was the voice of a pampered child, accustomed to being showered with love and affection, clinging to her teddy bear, always wanting more.

But there was no golden, braided hair.

Her hair was down, loose and flowing, like Claire’s.

And while she wasn't acting cute or demanding attention, she wasn't shouting or throwing a tantrum either.

There was no teddy bear. Her hands were empty.

She was different.

“…I can’t believe it…”

But…

Flora Bagrand. The youngest daughter of the Bagrand Duchy.

“Right. You’ve taken an interest in medicine, following Shaiden’s example. I overlooked that. The one who scattered the neutralizer… it makes sense that it would be you.”

She had betrayed him countless times.

She had manipulated others, orchestrated elaborate schemes to frame him, and isolated him, stripping him of his rights and privileges.

From Carsein’s perspective, she was a suspect.

So, this situation was a contradiction.

“I don’t understand. Why would you, of all people, scatter the neutralizer, creating a path through Lusmire and Shatrain? It seems like your goal wasn’t to capture me, but to lead me here.”

“…”

“What are you trying to do?”

The act of scattering the neutralizer alone didn’t make sense.

But it had created a path, leading him here.

Carsein asked her directly, demanding an answer.

Flora’s voice trembled as she murmured,

“…Because it’s the last time.”

“What?”

“I wanted you to… trust me, just this once… for the last time…”

The blonde girl lifted her head,

Her eyes filled with tears.

“I’m sorry… for everything I did… for being so mean to you… I was… too foolish to realize… how much I hurt you… I… I kept hurting you, bullying you, not letting you eat… I was a terrible sister…”

“…”

“So I wanted to… make you something… I learned from Shaiden, I studied hard… I wanted to make something that would help you… so you wouldn’t be in pain anymore…”

Flora held out a small vial, her hands trembling.

“I made this for you. If you drink this, you won’t suffer from your Kelbia allergy anymore. So…”

-Ding!

▶ You can acquire an item. ◀

[Kelbia Allergy Cure]

“I’m sorry, brother. I’m so sorry for everything. So… can you… trust me, just this once…?”

-Drip. Drip.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

◆ Kelbia Allergy Cure

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

[Reduces all allergy levels by 3.]

“…”

Carsein stared at the item description, his eyes wide with disbelief.

But no matter how many times he blinked,

The words remained the same.

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