I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 320

Chapter 320: Alone (3)

She was still young.

Naive, sheltered.

Lacking in experience, unaware of the harsh realities of the world.

She had never faced the scorching sun or the biting wind.

Her reality had been a beautiful, sunlit garden, untouched by shadows.

She had grown up like a delicate flower, nurtured in a greenhouse, shielded from the harsh elements.

She had taken everything for granted, accepting the nourishment provided by others without question.

And because of that, she knew nothing.

Just like a hothouse flower.

That’s how she had been.

Flora knew that now.

She had started reading books she had once avoided.

She had begun to fill the gaps in her knowledge, learning, absorbing, understanding.

She finally understood,

The difference between a search and an arrest warrant.

It wasn’t something a family would do.

And they shouldn’t have done it to Carsein, of all people.

Her older sister’s decision was strange.

But Flora hadn’t given up.

She wouldn’t just push the problem aside, like she had in the past.

She would try to find a solution, even if she didn’t know where to begin.

Even though there were no traces of him, nothing left behind but a collection of unopened ointments in his room.

There was someone.

Someone who might know something about Carsein’s whereabouts.

Flora went to see him.

“You saw Carsein, didn’t you, Shaiden? Before Claire and I arrived.”

“…Why do you think that?”

“The inventory in the infirmary is different. But there’s no record of any prescriptions.”

Flora picked up a specific medicine and continued,

“Only one person in our family suffers from that rare illness. And the medicine for that illness is gone.”

The missing medicine, the missing prescription, the altered inventory…

It was a clear contradiction. Shaiden, as the Duchy’s physician, always kept meticulous records of his prescriptions. There had never been a case where the inventory changed without a corresponding record.

It was a strict rule, designed to prevent misuse and to quickly identify and address any potential side effects.

And it was Shaiden himself who had implemented that rule.

He had taught it to Flora, emphasizing its importance.

‘…She’s learned well, hasn’t she, Lady Flora?’

Shaiden, who had never lied before, was a terrible liar.

His deception exposed, he couldn’t deny it any longer.

“I won’t make excuses. I gave that medicine to the Young Master.”

“…”

“Before he left the Duchy, I was concerned about his health. He suffers from several rare illnesses, and I wasn’t sure if he would be able to find treatment elsewhere. So I prepared a new batch of medicine for him.”

He bowed his head.

“I’ll accept any punishment you deem appropriate, My Lady.”

He had betrayed the Bagrand Duchy.

He, the family physician, had helped Carsein escape, defying their wishes.

Flora, having exposed his deception, could have punished him severely.

But she wasn’t a child anymore.

“…No. I… I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore.”

In the past, she would have lashed out, demanding punishment.

Fueled by a childish sense of betrayal, she would have demanded that he be severely punished for his deception.

She would have exaggerated the situation, urging her sisters to inflict even harsher penalties.

But she had changed.

She had opened her eyes to the world, learning, understanding.

Flora wiped away her tears and said, her voice trembling,

“I know… I know that I’m the one who hurt Carsein the most…”

“…”

“I… I was so cruel to him. I didn’t care about his feelings, I only thought about myself. And because of that… I didn’t even realize how much he was suffering…”

-Sniffle.

“But I understand now. I know how much I hurt him. I know that all those things I did, trying to drive him away from the Duchy, they… they almost killed him… So… please… help me, Shaiden.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Flora pulled a small vial from her pocket and pleaded,

“They’re saying… they’re saying they’ll use Kelbia fruit to track him down… to trigger his allergy… They’re buying up all the Kelbia fruit in the Empire, blocking all the roads…”

-Sniffle.

“I… I finally did it… I created a medicine… that can completely cure his Kelbia allergy… I want to give it to him… but…”

-Sniffle.

“Can you… tell me where he went…? I… I have to give this to him…”

She pleaded, her voice choked with tears.

Carsein’s Kelbia allergy was severe. While there were medicines to alleviate the symptoms, creating a cure was incredibly difficult.

To completely cure it meant creating a medicine that would prevent the allergic reaction altogether. It was a breakthrough.

Was it really true?

Or was she lying, trying to manipulate him to find Carsein?

He wasn't sure…

But perhaps Flora had truly created a cure, not just a palliative.

She had been studying diligently, spending countless hours poring over books, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. Shaiden had seen it with his own eyes. It wouldn't be surprising if she had achieved such a breakthrough.

But unfortunately, Shaiden didn’t know where Carsein was.

“…I’m sorry, but I don’t know where the Young Master has gone. I simply gave him the medicine and saw him off.”

“…”

Large tears rolled down Flora’s cheeks.

They were genuine tears, not the crocodile tears she had shed in the past to torment Carsein.

While she had been cruel to him, she had changed. She understood her mistakes.

She had finally accepted him as her brother, using the honorific title she had once refused to use.

Flora, who had once wanted him gone more than anyone,

Was now desperately trying to find him.

He was just the Duchy’s physician. He couldn’t help her find Carsein.

But he could offer her another way.

“As you said, a severe Kelbia allergy can affect one’s sense of smell. And everyone in the Empire knows about his allergy. They’ll use it to track him down. So… we can disrupt that.”

“…?”

“You can create a safe path for him, My Lady. A series of safe zones.”

“…Ah!”

Flora’s tears stopped.

***

When I entered the Illeor Abandoned Mine again,

The status window had said that the completion rate would increase based on the extent of my investigation.

▶ Object discovered. ◀

▶ Investigate? ◀

That message had appeared countless times.

The mine was filled with these objects, clearly meant to be investigated.

But whenever I examined them,

▶ Item discovered. ◀

While the message indicated that I had investigated them, the completion rate hadn’t increased.

It seemed like I had investigated them.

So why wasn't the value increasing?

No.

[Current Completion Rate: 28%]

It had been stuck at 28% from the beginning.

Right. That was the problem.

No matter how many objects I investigated, the value wouldn’t increase.

Randomly examining objects wasn’t the answer.

The mine was vast, filled with countless objects. I couldn't possibly find the "traces of the Wederos Kingdom" like this.

There had to be another condition.

I went back to the beginning.

I took my time, carefully examining everything.

Using all the information I had.

“…Come to think of it, this mine was off-limits, wasn’t it?”

-This area is off-limits! There’s a no-entry order for this abandoned mine! Have you forgotten?!

Monen had said that to Mac.

And he had shouted at them for risking their lives for money, entering an uncharted area.

The workers had all known that there was no information about the mine.

But my status window displayed…

▶ Illeor Abandoned Mine Field ◀

[Danger Level: None]

…something completely different.

“There were a few monsters, but they weren’t that difficult to deal with… Isn’t it strange that there’s no information about this place?”

Which meant…

I ignored the objects and headed towards a different path, a path that led deeper into the mine.

And as I did, a message appeared.

▶ Completion rate increased. ◀

[Current Completion Rate: 29%]

“So that’s what it was.”

The workers’ words hadn’t been meaningless.

It was strange that no one had ever entered this mine, that there was no information about it.

This episode wasn’t about finding objects, it was about mapping the mine.

“Now that I know the answer, let’s get moving.”

I wouldn't stop now.

I ignored the scattered objects and focused on exploring the uncharted areas, mapping the mine.

I quickly made progress. While the mine was a labyrinthine network of tunnels, it didn’t take long to complete the map.

-Ding!

▶ Current completion rate: 99%. ◀

▶ Guiding you to the final location. ◀

Just like when I had first entered the mine, the status window displayed the crest of the Wederos Kingdom.

“…Another Wederos Kingdom crest… here?”

This, too, didn’t make sense.

“No, this isn’t the time to question things.”

There was no turning back.

I had to open this door, no matter what awaited me on the other side.

-Creak.

“…I’ve been expecting you.”

A man, his back turned to me, turned around as I opened the door.

For a moment, I thought he might be a pursuer, but…

“There’s no need to be alarmed. I’m not here to chase you.”

He wasn't an enemy.

But I couldn't relax just yet.

“How did you know I was being pursued?”

“Because I’m the Prophet of Wederos. Veneris.”

“…What?”

My mind reeled.

Was he the Prophet Pollux and Talfon had spoken of, the one known throughout the Pesselus Empire?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Carsein Bagrand. Or rather…”

-Scribble.

“…should I call you Kim Min-hyeok?”

He wrote my name on a piece of paper and showed it to me.

-Ding!

▶ You have reached 100% completion! ◀

▶ As a reward, you will be granted a secret of this world! ◀

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