I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 330

Chapter 330: Alone (13)

Carsein, lifting Harnie into his arms, quickly left Lusmire.

"Mother."

"Yes, Camilla."

The two women, watching them leave, ran in the opposite direction.

Soldiers were already trying to force their way into Lusmire.

Seeing Tasha and Camilla, they shouted,

"Open this gate!"

"There they are. The interim lords."

"Interim lords or not, why are they obstructing us?"

"We have reason to believe Carsein is hiding here! Why are you preventing us from searching?!"

The soldiers had been pounding on the gate for a while now.

They hadn't broken it down yet, only because it was Bagrand territory. If it had been any other territory, they would have forced their way in.

The two women had to stall for time.

To prevent the pursuers from catching Carsein.

To prevent those motivated by the bounty from chasing after him.

To prevent any other hostile factions from reaching him.

They had to block the path to Lusmire, even though it was a path he himself had opened.

"Please calm down. We're searching the territory, as we told you."

"Lusmire is quite large. We've questioned the villagers and ordered a search, but it's taking time."

"How much longer?! We've been waiting for hours! We were told Carsein was here!"

"What if he escapes while we're waiting?!"

They could handle these impatient fools.

But the two of them alone weren't enough.

Because…

"These interim lords are suspicious. They're clearly trying to protect the one who defied the Bagrand Duchy and is now a wanted man."

"And you're just commoners. You were maids, weren't you? A fallen noble family with no influence.”

"And you dare to obstruct us?"

It was because of their social status.

If they were still nobles, they could command the villagers and control Lusmire. But now, they were just commoners, former maids of the Bagrand Duchy.

They had no authority.

"Are you defying Lady Claire's orders as well? She's conducting her own investigation."

"That's a separate matter."

"If you're harboring a fugitive, then her investigation is meaningless. We'll report this to Lady Claire."

A knight from one of the pursuing noble families drew his sword.

“We prioritize the Bagrand Duchy’s arrest warrant over your petty authority. We’re breaking down the gate. Prepare yourselves!”

The others, emboldened by his words, cleared a path, their weapons raised, aimed at Lusmire.

“We’ll accept the consequences for questioning Lady Claire’s investigation. But we’ll also report your obstruction to the Bagrand Duchy, your refusal to cooperate with the pursuit.”

They were all armed.

Lusmire’s defenses were about to crumble.

The pursuers were closing in.

But they wouldn't reach Carsein.

“Don’t make me laugh!”

-Clang! Clang!

“Whoa!”

“Captain! Behind you!”

“Who are you?!”

“Stop those bastards! They’re trying to invade our territory!”

“You… you’re from Lusmire?”

“That’s right!”

“And you dare to set foot on our land?”

Yes, the two of them alone couldn't defend Lusmire.

They had known that from the start.

But they had a plan.

“If you want to pass, you’ll have to go through us!”

“This is our home! Not just some territory of the Bagrand Duchy!”

The soldiers hesitated, taken aback by the villagers’ sudden appearance.

“You… you bastards…!”

“We have to apprehend the fugitive! Get out of our way!”

“You ignored our pleas for help, and now you dare to invade our land?!”

“What if you destroy our village?!”

“We’ve suffered enough! You’ve been trying to steal our land for years! We won’t let you take it!”

The villagers of Lusmire blocked their path.

The soldiers, their faces contorted in disbelief, protested.

“What are you talking about? That was years ago!”

“Are you accusing us of occupying your territory?”

“Well, you could be!”

“Perhaps you’re here to steal Lusmire’s secrets!”

“You… you’re making excuses…!”

It was true. They were just excuses.

Lusmire, under the protection of the Bagrand Duchy, couldn’t be touched.

The soldiers hadn't harmed the villagers because they were on Bagrand territory. And bringing up the past, when Lusmire had been isolated and vulnerable, was irrelevant.

They were facing nobles. If they attacked, the villagers wouldn’t stand a chance.

Whether it was through financial penalties, social pressure, or brute force, the nobles held all the cards.

They could even kill them, and get away with it.

And yet, the villagers of Lusmire stood their ground.

That’s why Tasha and Camilla had been so confident.

This was their way of repaying their debt.

-Lady Tasha, Young Master Carsein is hiding in Lusmire, isn’t he?

-…

-You don’t have to answer. We all know. And we won’t tell anyone.

The kindness of a single person.

-So… we have a request.

-A request?

An act of unwavering loyalty, of absolute trust.

-If anyone comes looking for Young Master Carsein, let us handle them.

It was their resolve, their gratitude, towards the man who had brought them hope.

“Let’s go!”

“What?! You… you bastards…!”

The villagers charged, pushing the soldiers back.

While they would undoubtedly be overpowered eventually, they fought with a ferocity that belied their fear, their bodies a shield for their village, for their lord.

The two women watched, their hearts filled with pride.

‘Do you see this, Young Master?’

‘This is the legacy you’ve built.’

He wasn’t alone.

Not anymore.

***

‘…What’s going on?’

Arkshus, Belian’s right-hand man, was starting to panic.

Things weren’t going according to plan.

‘How can an entire territory be helping him?’

Carsein, branded a traitor, suspected of having ties to the Wederos Kingdom, should have been completely isolated.

While Harnie was helping him, he had expected her efforts to be futile.

But he had underestimated the situation.

It wasn't just Harnie. It was the entire village.

The villagers were fighting back, their numbers growing, their determination unwavering.

They were being injured, beaten, bruised, and yet, they kept getting back up.

Was it madness? Or something else entirely?

He couldn't understand it.

‘This isn’t good.’

Carsein was undoubtedly hiding here.

He couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

-Thwack!

“Ugh…!”

“W-wait! You…!”

“We’re citizens of the Bagrand Duchy! If you harm us…”

“This is rebellion! You’re defying the Duchy!”

He had to use force.

He had to subdue them and move on.

The consequences of harming the people of the Bagrand Duchy?

That didn’t matter.

Carsein hadn’t escaped yet.

He had been here recently, and with their sudden arrival, he wouldn’t have had time to go far.

Arkshus addressed the villagers, his voice filled with righteous indignation.

“He’s a traitor to the Empire! And you’re harboring him, committing an act of treason against the Pesselus Empire! This is rebellion!”

“Right! This is rebellion!”

“We’re pursuing a threat to the Empire…!”

“How can you protect a criminal and call yourselves citizens of the Empire?!”

Most of those present were knights from noble families.

Or mercenaries hired by the nobles, and even a few bounty hunters.

They would agree with him. They had to apprehend Carsein quickly.

“Ugh!”

“Aaah!”

The villagers were being overpowered.

They fell, one by one, their bodies battered and bruised.

“Protect the gate! Don’t let them in!”

“Ugh! They’re too strong…!”

“Hold them back! We have to hold them back!”

But the gate was breached.

The human wall, Lusmire’s last line of defense, crumbled.

Tasha, the interim lord, and Camilla, her daughter, were pushed back, collapsing to the ground.

They were likely the masterminds behind this resistance. Arkshus pointed at them.

“Those two are the ones who incited the villagers.”

“Hmm.”

A knight, who seemed to be the commander, stepped forward.

“Harboring a criminal is a serious crime. The Duchy will not be lenient. If you wish to avoid execution, tell us where Carsein is.”

“…”

Arkshus had learned about the two women from Theo Ramstear and Emma Urnen.

Camilla, who had risked everything to save her mother, and Tasha, who had endured the bitter medicine to survive. They both valued their lives. They had even abandoned their noble status to protect their family.

He was certain they would confess.

“Then kill us.”

“Our lives were forfeit the moment we betrayed the young master.”

“…You…”

They hadn’t yielded.

Their faces, instead of fear, were filled with a quiet resolve, even a hint of a smile. They were facing death, and yet they were smiling? This…

“Damn it! Search the village! Leave no stone unturned!”

Arkshus finally realized.

He had been played.

They had bought Carsein enough time.

***

-Ding!

▶ Pursuit event in progress. ◀

▶ Capture will result in the end of the pursuit event and a bad ending. ◀

▶ Displaying pursuit information. ◀

[Pursuit Speed: 20%]

[Pursuit Range: 120%]

▶ Estimated time until the end of the pursuit event: ◀

[1 minute 25 seconds]

The pursuit speed was low, but the search radius was wide.

It would take them some time to find me.

…So Tasha and Camilla were buying me time.

‘Damn it. I escaped, but… what now?’

And I wasn’t ready to clear this strange episode.

▶ 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. ◀

While the status window clearly displayed the locations of the five treasures,

I couldn't reach them.

▶ Warning! Cannot enter this area due to Kelbia Allergy! ◀

[Level 5 Zone]

Even with the Eyes of Wederos activated, enhancing my vision, all I could see were fields of Kelbia fruit.

Just then,

Harnie took my hand.

“Carsein, wait.”

-Neigh.

“What is it?”

“What do you… see over there?”

“Over there?”

The area she was pointing at was a lighter shade of red.

A lower concentration of Kelbia fruit, a path I could take.

But…

‘That’s… Shatrain.’

It was too obvious.

Just like Lusmire, Shatrain, one of the territories I had managed, was a likely target.

It was a trap.

And there would be a checkpoint.

I had been lucky to slip through the checkpoint in Lusmire, hidden inside the carriage, but there was no way I could enter Shatrain undetected now.

Just as I was thinking that,

-Thwack!

A dull thud echoed from the distance.

“Young Master!”

“This way!”

What? What was going on?

The villagers had knocked out the guards at the checkpoint?

A guard emerged from the village, running towards us.

“My lord! It’s Dyke! We’ve taken care of the guards at the checkpoint! Shatrain is completely isolated, just like when the quarantine was in effect!”

“Carsein!”

Harnie urged me forward.

“Go! There were people who helped you in Lusmire, right?”

“…”

There was still hope.

…It seemed luck was on my side, after all.

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