I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 324

Chapter 324. Alone (7)

Two white affinity boxes hovered above their heads.

Undeniably, affinity boxes.

And just as undeniably… a trap.

Affinity, which should be useless at this point.

Carsein was a wanted man, suspected of possessing the power of the Wederos Kingdom, making him a target for certain nobles.

Logically, they should all be hostile towards me. Anyone displaying a white affinity box at this point was likely to betray me.

And those affinity boxes above Camilla and Tasha’s heads were no different.

They weren’t immune to greed.

They weren’t above the desire for wealth and power.

They could betray me at any moment.

Perhaps they were dissatisfied with their current lives, or perhaps they wanted to restore their fallen family's former glory.

There were countless reasons, countless potential threats.

It was a trap, a blatant, obvious trap.

If I entered Lusmire with them, I would be captured. It was only a matter of time.

That's what I had thought,

Until I heard their words.

“Young Master, you’ll be spotted by the patrols if you continue down this path.”

“What?”

“We know the patrol schedule. They’ll be circling Mount Waglu and will reach this area in about five minutes.”

“And if you turn back, the pursuers will catch you. And if you try to enter Lusmire directly, you’ll be stopped at the checkpoint.”

So I was trapped.

“But there is a way. If you want to enter Lusmire, you can hide in our merchant carriage.”

“Yes. If you pretend to be a merchant making a delivery, you can pass through the checkpoint without any problems.”

That, too, didn't make sense.

Why would they help me, when they could easily betray me and claim the reward?

Why would they tell me how to enter Lusmire?

“You have to hurry! This is your only chance to enter Lusmire undetected!”

“If you’re captured, Lady Harnie will be in danger as well!”

My mind, which had been a jumbled mess, suddenly cleared.

Normally, I wouldn't have even considered their offer.

I would have dismissed it, found a place to hide, and waited for an opportunity to escape.

But hearing that Harnie was inside Lusmire… I had to take the risk.

Right. Harnie was in Lusmire.

If I was captured here, she might be implicated as well.

I had to at least ensure her safety.

And they were right. I didn't have much time.

-Ding!

▶ The pursuers are closing in! ◀

[Time Remaining: 28 seconds]

The pursuers were closing in from multiple directions. I couldn’t afford to hesitate.

I had to get into the carriage, regardless of the consequences.

***

-Rumble, rumble.

“Halt!”

-Neigh.

The merchant carriage stopped, and the soldiers, after a cursory inspection, spoke.

“Hmm. A Lusmire merchant carriage. Where are you headed?”

“I have a delivery to make. My destination is marked here.”

“Hmm. Important goods, I see.”

One of the soldiers nodded, seemingly satisfied with the route.

And the route…

“Is that all?”

“…What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. Did anyone pass through here?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t know, huh?”

The other soldiers, too, looked at Camilla suspiciously.

“Are you sure?”

“…Are you accusing me of something?”

“There are tracks indicating that someone rode a horse from the north. But there are no horse tracks near here. Which means they must have continued on foot.”

“And if that’s the case, they would have passed through here.”

“Camilla, you were once Young Master Carsein’s personal maid. You could be lying to protect him.”

Their suspicion was understandable.

This was Lusmire, one of the territories Carsein had managed. It was a likely hiding place.

“Are you suggesting that you want to search the carriage? To see if he’s hiding inside?”

“Yes, that’s—”

“Lusmire is currently under the jurisdiction of the Bagrand Duchy. If you conduct a search outside the designated checkpoint, I’ll report it as an act of aggression against the Bagrand family. Is that what you want?”

“Wh-what?!”

“What are you talking about?! This is a routine inspection!”

“You seem to have forgotten. This is Bagrand territory.”

As Camilla calmly retorted, Tasha emerged from the carriage.

“According to the Duchy’s regulations, inspections are only permitted at designated checkpoints. Any actions that disrupt the operations of the territory are strictly prohibited.”

“I haven’t heard of any such regulations!”

“Lady Arina has issued an Empire-wide arrest warrant!”

“Which includes the authority to conduct inspections!”

They argued that they had the authority to search for Carsein, the wanted man.

But Tasha easily refuted their claim.

“The arrest warrant was issued by Lady Arina, but the regulations within the Duchy were established by Lady Claire.”

“What?!”

“The arrest warrant and the Duchy’s internal regulations are separate matters. This is a rule Lady Claire implemented.”

They were speechless.

To deny this would be to defy Claire’s authority.

“If you interfere with the territory’s business operations, if you wish to antagonize the Bagrand Duchy, then be our guest. But be prepared to face the consequences.”

Tasha’s threat made the soldiers flinch.

‘To antagonize the Bagrand Duchy? That’s insane…!’

‘Who would dare to cross the Bagrands?!’

‘Even the Imperial Family treats them with respect…!’

They had no choice. While they had to apprehend Carsein, they couldn't afford to offend the Bagrand Duchy.

Tasha handed them a document listing the contents of the carriage, the prices, and the quantities.

“We’ve already proven our innocence. There’s no trace of him here. And if he had been here, we would have found his horse. If you’re so certain, then feel free to search. But if you don’t find what you’re looking for…”

Be prepared to face the consequences.

Her unspoken threat made the soldiers gulp.

“R-right. If you’re so confident, then he must not be here.”

“Tsk! Let’s search elsewhere!”

“Look for horse tracks!”

The soldiers retreated.

Silence returned.

Tasha cautiously turned and asked,

“Do you believe us now, Young Master?”

“…I don’t understand.”

Carsein, who had been silent inside the carriage, sheathed his sword and murmured,

“Why are you doing this? It would be more beneficial for you to report me.”

The two women frowned and replied,

“We would rather die than betray our benefactor. We have no desire to live with such a tarnished soul.”

“We owe you our lives, Young Master. If we betray you, then our lives are forfeit.”

They were genuinely trying to help him.

And Carsein couldn’t understand it.

“…We’ll escort you to Lusmire. And don’t worry about the checkpoint. Lady Claire has lowered the security level.”

“Claire gave that order?”

The two women nodded solemnly.

‘It’s best not to tell Mother about this.’

‘Right.’

The carriage started moving again.

They had escaped the immediate danger and were now free to move.

But Carsein remained silent, his gaze fixed on the status window.

-Ding!

▶ Due to Claire’s order to lower security, the carriage will not be searched. ◀

▶ Entering Lusmire with the assistance of Camilla Deol and Tasha Deol. ◀

▶ Danger level of this area decreased. ◀

“…Why?”

***

The soldiers, having delivered their report, were sweating nervously.

They were going to be punished for this.

-Tap. Tap. Tap.

The rhythmic tapping of fingers against the table stopped.

And he spoke, his voice cold and dangerous,

“You lost Carsein’s trail.”

“…Y-yes.”

His chilling tone made the soldiers tremble.

-Shatter!

“Aaah!”

A ceramic cup shattered against a soldier’s head, sending shards of pottery and a spray of blood flying.

He grabbed the injured soldier by the collar and asked,

“Let me ask you a few questions. Answer truthfully. Understood?”

“U-ugh… Y-yes…”

“There’s no way he could have escaped Illeor on foot. He would have needed transportation. And considering the terrain and the weather conditions in the north, he would have been limited in his options. The Kelbia fruit wouldn’t be effective there.”

“Ugh!”

-Crack!

The soldier’s face contorted in pain as his bones crunched.

“They’ve scattered Kelbia fruit throughout the entire region. A high concentration, too. Where could he possibly hide?”

“I-impossible…!”

“The escape route from the abandoned mine… Let’s assume he escaped on horseback. But there’s an Empire-wide arrest warrant, and they’ve blocked all the roads. Could he have possibly escaped?”

“N-no…!”

“Then where did he go?! Tell me!”

With each tightening of his grip, the soldier’s screams intensified.

It was impossible.

With the suspicion that Carsein possessed the power of the Wederos Kingdom, the nobles wouldn't let him escape.

“I bowed my head, played the fool, deceived them all! For years! And that idiot Marquis called me incompetent, said I was losing to her! Do you have any idea how infuriating that was?! And now, after all that, my plans are ruined! How do you think I feel?!”

“…”

-Thud.

“Ah, he’s dead.”

The soldier’s face, contorted in pain, finally went still as something ruptured inside him, and he collapsed, lifeless.

The other soldiers, terrified, watched, their bodies trembling, cold sweat dripping down their faces.

Who would be next?

It was a tense moment.

“You. Come here. Since he’s dead, I’ll have to ask you.”

“M-me?”

“Yes, you.”

His finger pointed accusingly, a death sentence.

The soldier, desperate to survive, blurted out,

“I-I heard something! From Lusmire!”

“Lusmire?”

“Y-yes! They tried to inspect a carriage, but Lady Claire had issued new instructions…”

“Tell me everything.”

The soldier, seeing a glimmer of hope, relayed everything he had heard.

“So… because of Claire, the Bagrand Duchy’s regulations have changed, and he might have escaped to Lusmire in that uninspected carriage?”

“Y-yes!”

“Interesting. And who would have helped him?”

“Perhaps… Lady Harnie?”

“Harnie?”

“Yes! There haven’t been any reports of her whereabouts recently.”

“Now that you mention it…”

Harnie, who should have been preoccupied with the Theresia Marquisate, had disappeared.

She had been constantly by Carsein’s side lately. It wasn't impossible that she had helped him.

‘And she was the one who discovered the Marquis's secret.’

If she was helping Carsein… no, even if she wasn’t directly involved, if she knew something, that alone would be troublesome.

Another obstacle for Project Yggdrasil.

‘Damn it. I didn't think she would interfere.’

He seemed satisfied with the information, and placed his hand on the soldier’s shoulder, as if to commend him.

It was a moment of relief, of hope, of having survived.

-Crack.

A seed appeared in his hand, and then, vines erupted, wrapping around the soldier’s body.

“Good. You deserve a reward.”

“N-no! Please! Not this…!”

“Don’t be shy. It’s a gift.”

“Master Belian…!”

-Crackle!

The soldier, who had been human just moments ago, was now a grotesque treant.

“Project Yggdrasil is postponed. Eliminate Harnie first.”

“Yes!”

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