I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 319

Chapter 319: Alone (2)

▶Status ailments recovering.◀

▶Status Ailment: Chill Level 3 recovering.◀

▶Status Ailment: Frostbite Level 3 recovering.◀

▶Status Ailment: Hypothermia completely gone.◀

…

…

A day had passed, and my status ailments had recovered.

My stats had returned to normal, and the cold-related ailments, along with the fatigue, had mostly disappeared.

My action points and HP had also recovered. I was back to full strength.

“…”

Harnie was sleeping soundly beside me,

Her body pressed against mine, sharing her warmth.

“I’ve been relying on her too much.”

Thanks to her, I didn’t have to worry about the status ailments, the decrease in stats, or the increasing number of enemies, including the pursuers and assassins.

Escaping Illeor after being forced into homelessness would have been incredibly difficult. I hadn't had a plan.

And yet, she had appeared at the most dangerous, most vulnerable moment, and saved me.

I was truly grateful.

But I was no longer her fiancé.

…She had no reason to help me.

And yet, she had come looking for me, rushing to my side. She hadn't used the Oath Orb to punish me, or even suggested breaking off our engagement.

Gratitude and guilt warred within me.

I had to repay her somehow.

But I didn’t know what she liked.

I didn’t know what would make her happy.

While she felt familiar, I barely knew her.

So, I kept glancing at her, worried that her affinity might decrease.

But…

Unlike the others, there was nothing above her head.

‘Why doesn’t Harnie have an affinity box?’

Affinity was one of the most important elements in this game. Every character had one.

Even outright enemies like Theo Ramstear and Emma Urnen had affinity boxes. And I had seen them above the heads of the maids, the knights, and the villagers of Shatrain.

Radiel and Mark, who were friendly towards Carsein, Tasha and Camilla, who were completely loyal, even those whose allegiances shifted during the story… their affinity levels fluctuated, reflected in their affinity boxes.

And even the nobles and vassals I rarely encountered, their dialogue and reactions changed depending on their affinity.

Even Shaiden and Heron, whose affinity had been hidden, eventually revealed their affinity boxes, proving that every character had one.

But Harnie didn’t.

Why?

“Hmm…”

She simply slept peacefully in my arms.

***

While I had been awake for a while, I hadn't fully grasped the gravity of the situation until now.

“Cold Week?”

“…Yes.”

Before the danger level in Illeor had increased, before the pursuit triggered by the main episode began, I had heard the locals talking about it.

That this year’s Cold Week would be particularly harsh.

“Winters in the north are always cold. But they say that there’s one week, every year, that is exceptionally brutal.”

Cold Week. The coldest week of the year, in the coldest region of the Empire.

The current cold was nothing compared to what was coming. They had to prepare, stockpiling food and insulation, to survive.

And it would begin in two days.

I asked Harnie if she had enough money to prepare for Cold Week, but…

“I don’t think so. I don’t have enough…”

“Even if we combine our funds, it won’t be enough.”

We were desperately short.

‘Damn it, I was careless. I should have saved more…’

I had changed my plans after Harnie had helped me find shelter.

Originally, I had intended to leave Illeor, but with her help, I had decided to stay and wait out the timer.

There was a main episode with a clear objective.

But…

▶ Episode II: The Path of Independence is in progress. ◀

▶ Survive for the designated period with this status ailment. ◀

[Time Remaining]

[0:00]

The timer had reached zero, but the episode clear message hadn’t appeared.

It had been at zero for a while now, and nothing had changed.

Which meant the timer wasn’t the problem.

I hadn’t fulfilled the episode’s clear conditions.

‘…There’s no indication of where to go, no clues about the objective. I have to figure it out myself.’

And now, Cold Week was approaching?

It couldn't be a coincidence.

There had to be another time limit.

If I stayed here, I would die.

I had to act, even if it was dangerous.

But what was I supposed to do?

I hadn’t been given any instructions, any objectives.

‘What… what am I missing?’

I scanned my status window, searching for any clues I might have overlooked.

I tried to remember everything that had happened in Illeor, looking for a connection.

There had to be a reason for this survival objective, for this time limit.

If I could just find it…

‘…Wait.’

One of the episodes in the status window caught my eye.

▶ EX Episode: Traces of the Wederos Kingdom is in progress. ◀

▶ Discover traces of the Wederos Kingdom. ◀

▶ You will receive a reward each time you reach maximum completion. ◀

While my status window was filled with overlapping main episodes, this one stood out.

This…

“Carsein?”

It was just a hunch, but I thought it might be a clue.

They were still searching for me.

All the other episodes were about pursuit, about survival.

But this one was different.

The objective wasn’t just to survive, but to find “traces of the Wederos Kingdom.”

…And there was something I hadn't examined properly in the abandoned mine.

I had only just realized it, but there had been something else there, besides the Memorial.

The crest of the Wederos Kingdom.

It couldn't be a coincidence.

It aligned perfectly with the EX Episode.

“We can’t freeze to death here. Let’s go.”

***

It wasn't a search, but a manhunt.

A cold, unforgiving arrest warrant had been issued for Carsein.

It wasn’t something a family would do.

Not to Carsein, of all people.

Considering the potential consequences…

Claire’s heart sank.

But she couldn’t give up.

Even though she had no leads,

Even though all she had was that torn picture frame from his room,

She had to find someone who knew something, anything, about Carsein’s whereabouts.

But it wasn’t easy.

Finding a maid who had resigned without notice, without leaving a forwarding address, was nearly impossible.

And yet, Claire had found her.

Camilla, Carsein’s maid.

“I didn’t expect you to come all this way, Lady Claire.”

“…Camilla.”

It was a contradiction. Even though she knew her master had disappeared, Camilla hadn't shown any signs of distress. She had calmly and quietly resigned from her position and left the Duchy, together with Tasha, the Head Maid.

To resign so calmly, knowing her master was missing…

Camilla had been a loyal maid. And according to the rumors among the servants, Tasha had also been helped by Carsein.

So, they were the most likely to know something.

She could have demanded answers.

She could have used the authority of the Bagrand Duchy to pressure them.

She could have shouted, pleaded, told them that he was in danger, that he could be seriously injured if he was caught.

But she didn’t.

She suppressed her usual impulsiveness, her temper,

And spoke calmly.

“…I know I’m not… a good sister. I’ve been rash, and my actions have only made things worse for Carsein. I know.”

“…”

“My impulsiveness has escalated situations, caused unnecessary conflict, and made him suffer. I was too foolish to realize it before.”

Even now, the memory of her past actions made her heart ache.

But she wouldn't repeat those mistakes.

“But this time, I’m serious. I don’t want to hurt him anymore. This time, I want to be a proper older sister, to protect him. I was too foolish to realize it before, but I understand now. How much people dislike him. I know they might try to harm him. That's why I'm trying to resolve this quickly, to protect him.”

Finally, after a long and winding path, Claire reached the point.

“Can you… tell me anything, Camilla?”

It was surprising. Given Claire’s usual temper, she could have easily resorted to threats.

Camilla had been threatened by Claire before, and had been terrified.

And yet, Claire was surprisingly calm and composed.

‘For Lady Claire to have changed so much…’

Perhaps, this time, she could truly help the young master.

Her temper had always been a hindrance, but she genuinely cared for her family.

But unfortunately, Camilla didn’t know anything.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything. I simply escorted the Young Master to the gate. That’s all.”

“…Is that so?”

“I’m truly sorry, Lady Claire.”

“…”

Claire had come here hoping for a clue, a lead, anything. To return empty-handed, to start over from scratch… it was a bitter pill to swallow.

So, she offered a small piece of advice.

“While I don’t know how to find him, there is a way to stop this. A way to protect him from the arrest warrant.”

“…What? What is it?”

“You already have the key, My Lady.”

The wiser vassals might have already realized it.

She, too, was a Bagrand.

All that remained was for her to understand.

***

Having successfully escaped Illeor, I entrusted Harnie with all my money and asked her to make preparations for my departure.

And…

My assumption had been correct.

“…As expected.”

▶ EX Episode: Traces of the Wederos Kingdom is in progress. ◀

▶ Traces of the Wederos Kingdom discovered. ◀

▶ Completion rate will increase based on the extent of the investigation. ◀

[Completion Rate: 28%]

“This is the only episode in progress. Which means…”

This was the key to clearing the episode.

I swallowed hard and continued my investigation of the abandoned mine.

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