I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 288

Chapter 288: The Prophet of Wederos (7)

The episode unfolded much like it had in the game.

The older brother of the guy I had beaten up had appeared,

Seeking revenge.

‘The status window… it’s not showing up, just like in the game.’

▶ Enemy unit detected. ◀

▶ Defeat the opponent. ◀

▶ Lv. 82 ◀

▶ HP: ■■■■■■■■■■ ◀

The status window only displayed the instruction to defeat the opponent.

There were no warnings.

And that was the trap.

‘There’s a trick to this. I can’t just defeat him.’

While I was supposed to be learning the Duchy's business, simply wasting my time wasn't enough to trigger the obstacles.

This game needed these kinds of mechanics to create challenges.

But the opponent seemed too weak.

-Do you even realize what you did? You took away his vision! You blinded him!

-His ligaments are torn. Hah. You should have held back. He can’t even eat properly.

-He can’t walk because of the dislocation you caused. You’re cruel!

Those were the messages that appeared after defeating the “enemy.”

There were consequences for winning.

And the result? I had been scolded by my family and forced to pay compensation.

The amount I had to pay for the opponent’s medical expenses increased in proportion to the damage I inflicted, so I had to find another way, enduring their attacks while looking for an opening.

But knowing the outcome of this episode and the Memorial,

This situation felt strangely familiar.

This, and that time.

He was older and bigger than me.

While our heights were similar, he was much more muscular.

It was an unfair comparison: someone who ate well every day, versus someone whose meals were constantly interrupted by his family, forced to eat in secret.

But was I destined to be beaten and defeated?

Absolutely not.

I could have won.

How could I win, despite being younger and smaller?

How could I win, despite being physically weaker?

How could I win, after being beaten up like this?

Those who had witnessed it would have mocked me, but…

This wasn’t a spar, or a tournament match.

In a street fight, all that mattered was winning, by any means necessary.

I could have gouged out his eyes, blinding him.

I could have severed his tendons with a shard of glass.

I could have broken his arm, dislocating it.

I could have won. But I had chosen to endure their attacks, waiting for an opportunity, because that would have been the worst possible outcome for me.

I must have been in middle school. I had gotten into a fight, as usual, and had given one of them a bloody nose, as an example.

…And then,

I had witnessed an unforgettable scene.

-Hmm. I’ve received the payment. Enough to cover the medical expenses and hospitalization.

-I hope there won’t be any further… incidents.

The image of her, paying the settlement money on my behalf, was still etched in my mind.

Yes, victory was fleeting.

A single foolish decision, and I would be indebted to this family.

My debt would increase, and I would be bound to them.

And it wouldn’t be any different now, even though I was older. No, the consequences would be even more severe.

That’s why I had chosen to lose.

I didn’t want to be indebted to this wretched family.

So, I could accept this seemingly unreasonable situation.

‘Because of my strength, the more aggressive I am, the further I get from escaping.’

The Memorial had shown me the answer.

I couldn’t afford to make a mistake and become reliant on this family.

-Crack. Crack.

“Ready to get your ass kicked, you little commoner?”

He approached, cracking his knuckles, his movements exaggerated.

‘I need to control my strength.’

I had to tire him out, wait for the choices to appear, then take a few hits to make it seem like a fair fight. That way, I wouldn't lose too much money.

***

-Whoosh!

His fist, moving in slow motion, came towards me.

My body instinctively dodged the attack.

“Oh? You’re dodging?”

-Whoosh! Whoosh!

▶ Stamina decreased. ◀

[Current Level: 80%]

▶ Caution! Low stamina may restrict your movements and reduce their effectiveness. ◀

▶ The effects are more pronounced during combat! ◀

‘…Dodging consumes too much stamina.’

He wasn’t just some random thug. He had some fighting experience, and my stamina was depleting rapidly.

If I wasn't careful, I would collapse from exhaustion, just like in the game. I had to switch to a more defensive strategy.

He continued to attack, but I didn't retaliate.

No, more accurately, I couldn’t.

‘Damn it.’

His movements were so clumsy, so predictable, that I almost instinctively counterattacked.

He noticed my hesitation and punched me.

“Ugh!”

“So you can be hit? How does it feel? Does it hurt?”

“…”

▶ HP decreased. ◀

[Current Level: 76%]

Blood trickled from my mouth.

I had been too focused on suppressing my instincts, creating an opening. It was a mistake.

And once I started taking damage, the openings became more frequent.

While blocking wasn't difficult, I couldn't avoid taking damage.

But…

[Time Remaining]

[0:16]

‘You’re almost out of time.’

He charged at me again, emboldened by his success.

I pretended to be tired, blocking his attacks half-heartedly, waiting.

-Ding!

▶ Timer has ended. ◀

Finally.

I relaxed my guard.

‘Status ailments… quite a few.’

Bruises, contusions, a laceration in my mouth, minor bleeding.

Nothing life-threatening.

I would recover with some rest.

“Tough for a commoner, aren’t you? Well, everyone has their limits.”

But I still had one more thing to do.

It was ridiculous that I would lose money just for defending myself against an attacker.

But that only applied while the timer was active.

And the timer wasn't there for no reason.

There were no death triggers in this episode.

It might seem strange, but the intention was clear.

The penalty for attacking someone was a decrease in funds, a direct hindrance to the Another Plan.

And if that wasn't enough, there were secondary penalties, like decreased HP, stamina, and movement speed.

But in the end, it gave me an opportunity.

“This is what you get for messing with my brother’s face, you little commoner!”

A chance to turn the tables.

His slow fist came towards me, and a set of choices appeared.

-Ding!

▶ Please make a choice. ◀

[ 1. Counterattack and refuse to pay compensation. ]

[ 2. Allow him to hit you and demand compensation. ]

There was only one correct answer.

There was no point in hoping for a random positive outcome.

And I wasn’t going to just stand there and take it.

“What…!”

Our fists collided.

His fist connected with my face, just like before.

But…

“Guh…! Gah…!”

My punch, landing squarely in his gut, sent him stumbling backwards, gasping for air. The damage to him, both physical and mental, was far greater.

“Did you really think I was weak just because I was holding back?”

“Wh-what?”

“You should know better than anyone. You can’t beat me.”

“You bastard!”

He gritted his teeth and charged at me again.

With the timer deactivated, the episode’s restrictions were gone.

I would return the favor. Several times over.

“Ugh… Gah!”

His clumsy attempts to block were too slow.

He coughed and wheezed, his body bruised and battered, his eyes filled with rage.

“I’m going to kill you, you commoner trash!”

He infused his fist with mana.

His bloodshot eyes, his enraged expression, reminded me of the bully who had flicked his lighter at me.

‘Perfect. If he uses mana, it will be considered mutual combat.’

It was difficult to create evidence during a skipped scene, but if he provided it himself, that was even better.

I braced myself, ready to meet his attack head-on.

But then,

The situation changed.

“Stop it right now!”

-Ding!

▶ Conditions met. Special event triggered. ◀

[A random family member will witness your actions!]

“L-Lady Flora?”

▶ Flora has appeared. ◀

***

“…”

It was an opportunity to turn the tables.

With the timer having ended, a family member would appear, and I could steer the situation towards either mutual combat or a one-sided assault, depending on the choices.

Either way, there would be a witness, a valuable asset in this situation.

But…

‘Flora is an exception.’

While Isabella, Arina, and Claire often appeared in these events, Flora never did.

It didn’t make sense.

While the other three could at least judge the situation and make a decision, what did this little brat know?

And Flora’s arrival seemed too early.

“How dare you! How dare you hit my brother?!”

“There must be some misunderstanding…! I-I would never…!”

Meanwhile, the knight stammered, intimidated by Flora’s fierce glare.

“H-hit him?! You’re mistaken! He was the one who started it!”

He pointed at me.

“He beat up my younger brother! He’s done this before, just because he was offended! And this time, my brother came home like this. See?”

“…”

He explained the situation.

He claimed that Carsein had assaulted his younger brother for a trivial reason in the past, and that as the older brother, he couldn’t overlook it.

“As his family, as his older brother, how could I just stand by and do nothing?! That’s why I’m here!”

He lied without a shred of guilt.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

Normally, I would provoke him further, to create more evidence, but with Flora’s unexpected arrival, I had to adapt.

As long as it was considered mutual combat, it didn’t matter.

And that’s how the situation was unfolding.

“That’s enough. I don’t need to hear any more.”

“Lady Arina!”

-Ding!

▶ Arina has witnessed this conversation. ◀

Right. This was inevitable.

Even with Flora’s unexpected appearance, this was how the story was supposed to unfold.

“Carsein, apologize to the knight and his brother.”

While she hadn’t explicitly said it, her tone made it clear.

“That’s an order.”

A cold chill ran down my spine.

It was a welcome sensation.

The knight smirked and mouthed the words,

-You fool. You can’t even use your family connections. You’re hopeless.

“Heh.”

Family connections?

He was wrong.

Family was the biggest obstacle.

I was about to present the evidence that proved it was mutual combat,

When…

“No!”

Flora screamed, her voice echoing through the hallway.

“Flora…?”

“Carsein… Carsein didn’t do anything wrong!”

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