I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 230

Chapter 230: The Source of the Contamination (12)

The mysterious fertilizer had the power to transform mana-absorbing crops into monsters.

This was a serious matter, one that couldn't be ignored.

Arsienne narrowed her eyes.

She had grasped the overall situation.

The crucial point was whether or not there was sufficient evidence to support his claims. If he couldn't prove it, the consequences would be severe. A significant deduction in points was inevitable.

But without hesitation, she granted his request.

“Permission granted. You may submit your evidence.”

-Ding!

▶ Episode XI. The Source of the Contamination is in progress. ◀

▶ Conditions met. ◀

▶ You can now identify the true culprit behind Shatrain’s downfall during the Defense Time. ◀

As I declared my intention to present evidence, the previous Defense Time choices disappeared, replaced by a new window.

As expected, the Imperial Family wouldn't overlook such a serious accusation.

‘So far, so good.’

Shatrain, like Lusmire, would eventually come under Carsein’s control, providing him with much-needed resources and income. Given its importance, I couldn’t let the presentation end here. Even without specific choices, I could extend the presentation through my own actions.

‘But I didn’t expect them to interrupt from the audience. They must be desperate.’

The mention of fertilizer had clearly made them nervous. They were trying to divert attention, to change the subject.

Unfortunately for them, that was a tactical error. They would have been better off staying silent.

-Step, step.

“Hmm? A witness, not evidence?”

“No, Your Highness. I require a witness to present my evidence.”

The Waglu nobles flinched but quickly recovered their composure, their faces regaining their arrogant smirks.

I could see right through their act.

They thought it wouldn't work.

They had masked the scent of the fertilizer, so they assumed Talfon wouldn’t be able to track them.

“The fertilizer that was damaging Shatrain’s soil has been confiscated and is currently under my control, after I persuaded the villagers to stop using it. However, a few days later, more of the same fertilizer was discovered in my fields. This leads me to suspect external interference.”

▶ Using an item as evidence! ◀

◆ Crude Map of Shatrain Territory

I presented the map, and Florence grinned.

“And this is your evidence?”

“Yes. This flawed map proves the Waglu faction’s involvement.”

“Explain yourself.”

I walked forward and displayed the official map of Shatrain, the one used by the symposium.

And beside it, I placed the crude map, highlighting the discrepancies between the two. The Waglu nobles’ faces hardened.

“Can anyone tell me the difference between these two maps?”

All eyes, both from the audience and the participants, turned towards a specific area on the maps.

I marked the spot with a dart.

-Thwack.

“This area is clearly different. However, there is a location where this discrepancy would make sense. There’s a creature that inhabits this region, capable of creating illusions, mirages.”

“Mirages… I’ve heard of such creatures.”

“A certain species of bird, native to that region, emits a faint mana to create illusions, hiding its nests.”

“That’s correct. And given the terrain and the location of their nests, this particular path would be visible from Shatrain, but not from the other side. Therefore…”

I turned towards the Waglu faction.

“…if someone were approaching from the Waglu side of Mount Waglu, they could easily make this mistake.”

The nobles from the Waglu territories shifted uncomfortably, their gazes averted.

It was far more likely for someone approaching from the Waglu side to be affected by the mirage, not someone traveling from Shatrain.

“So you’re saying… this flawed map…”

“Belongs to someone from the Waglu territories?”

“And given the problems in Shatrain…”

All eyes were now fixed on the Waglu faction.

“N-Nonsense! We have nothing to do with this!”

“That’s a baseless accusation!”

“You’re trying to frame us! We’re innocent!”

One of the Waglu nobles, his face red with anger, pointed at me. And then, turning to Talfon, he shouted,

“That Westerner, that Lilpet tribesman! He’s supposed to have a keen sense of smell! Let him sniff that fertilizer and tell us if it has the scent of our territory on it!”

“That’s right! He’s accusing us of sending someone to sabotage Shatrain! Let him prove it! Where's the scent?!”

“Hmph! Prove it! Show us your evidence!”

Idiots.

They had taken the bait.

I knew they had masked the scent of the fertilizer.

But I had anticipated this.

“You’re right. The fertilizer itself has no scent. However, the people you sent… they have a scent.”

“Wh-What?!”

“I knew about that flawed map, so I set a trap along that path. I planted a flower from the West, a flower with a distinct scent. And Talfon… he recognized that scent on these people.”

The Waglu nobles’ faces paled.

Talfon, smirking, confirmed it.

“That scent… It crossed Mount Waglu, from the Shatrain side. And then, it led straight to your territories.”

There was only one conclusion they could draw.

And I, like a skilled surgeon, carefully twisted the knife.

“Shatrain, as you know, is currently under lockdown, by my order. And during that lockdown… several traitors were discovered. Isn't that interesting?”

There was a connection. And one of the traitors had been hired by a nearby territory.

“According to this report, Map and 35 other villagers smuggled fertilizer into Shatrain, even after the lockdown. They received payment for their services. Which territory do you think hired them?”

There was only one possibility.

Before the construction of the new road through Mount Waglu, Shatrain had been isolated, accessible only through the Waglu territories.

All the evidence pointed towards them.

▶ Using Inventory Items! ◀

“Lusmire is my territory. So that leaves… you.”

All eyes in the conference hall were now fixed on the Waglu faction.

Accusatory gazes, filled with suspicion and disgust, bore into them.

Copies of the documents, magically replicated, fluttered through the air, landing in the hands of the nobles and the observers.

Each document, stamped with the Waglu faction’s seal, outlined their plan to sabotage Shatrain.

“Th-This is…!”

“That’s the Waglu nobles’ seal!”

“Not just contracts, but requests for sabotage as well!”

“…And the contents of those documents… they’re appalling.”

“How could they do such a thing?!”

But the most damning evidence was the information about the fertilizer.

The fertilizer that contaminated Shatrain’s soil, causing the crops to mutate into monsters.

Its recipe, its formula, was now revealed for all to see.

The source of the contamination was the Waglu faction. There was no denying it.

‘Now, what are you going to do, Count Retelvik?’

He was the head of the Waglu faction.

All the evidence pointed towards him. There was no escape.

I stared at him, a smug smile playing on my lips, and Count Retelvik, his face contorted with rage, stood up.

“Your Highness! There’s one piece of evidence that hasn't been verified!”

***

‘…He’s not giving up.’

Count Retelvik, his voice trembling with barely suppressed fury, spoke.

“We’ve established that members of the Waglu faction were involved in distributing the fertilizer in Shatrain. However, there’s no proof that the fertilizer itself originated from the Waglu territories. If you intend to accuse us, you must first conduct a search and present the fertilizer as evidence.”

He acknowledged their involvement in the distribution of the fertilizer, but he drew a line. They hadn’t produced the fertilizer.

He would accept punishment for their actions, but not for a crime they hadn't committed.

So, he was demanding a search of the Waglu territories. He wanted them to find the fertilizer and prove it was theirs.

‘That’s not going to work.’

They might think they could destroy the evidence, hide the black market, but… they had underestimated Talfon’s abilities.

I had taken precautions, leaving a trail of scent. A flower from the West, planted near the entrance to their hideout.

‘Talfon will find it. This is just a delaying tactic.’

However, there was one thing I had to be wary of.

They could still try to turn the tables.

In the game, if an investigation of another territory was required, it could sometimes trigger a bad ending.

There were two specific conditions that would lead to this outcome: sending too few soldiers, or having Carsein personally participate in the search.

But neither of those conditions applied now.

The Imperial Family, recognizing the severity of the situation, had dispatched a large contingent of knights. And I had no intention of joining the search party.

In other words, I had already won.

They couldn’t delay the inevitable. They couldn’t escape their fate. The evidence would be found, and they would be punished.

I could finally relax.

The Defense Time ended, and the Imperial knights, accompanied by the Lilpet Tribe, departed to search the Waglu territories.

Count Retelvik and the other members of the Waglu faction were confined to a private room, awaiting their fate. The 21st Eastern Nobles' Conference was nearing its end.

“I trust you’ve all learned a valuable lesson from this symposium. Governing a territory without the guidance of your family heads is not an easy task. You, the future pillars of this Empire…”

Arsienne’s closing speech began.

And then, the status window displayed a message I had been waiting for.

-Ding!

▶ Episode XI. The Source of the Contamination cleared! ◀

▶ The 21st Eastern Nobles’ Conference has concluded. ◀

▶ Calculating results… ◀

…

…

▶ You have identified and addressed Shatrain’s problems, expelled the internal enemies, and restored the territory to its former glory. ◀

▶ Your final score is S Rank. ◀

▶ Your reputation within the Pesselus Empire has increased! ◀

‘I thought A rank was the highest possible score… I didn’t know there was an S rank.’

An S rank? I hadn't encountered that in the game.

But it didn’t matter.

I had survived. That was all that mattered.

The episode had ended, just as I had predicted, just as I had seen countless times in the game.

But there was something else I had to focus on.

‘They’re here.’

I heard approaching footsteps, and then, they were standing before me.

My family.

Isabella.

Flora, clinging to her mother’s hand, her eyes wide.

And behind them, Arina.

Claire was nowhere to be seen. But these three… they had come to find me.

They hesitated, searching for the right words, and I decided to put them out of their misery.

“I told you I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the Duchy.”

“Carsein.”

Isabella’s voice, gentle but firm, stopped me.

She shook her head, her expression telling me that wasn’t what she wanted to talk about.

But I wasn’t in the mood for a conversation.

“I’m tired. I’m going to my room.”

“…Is that so?”

Isabella seemed disappointed, but she nodded, accepting my decision. But the little brat beside her wasn't so easily dissuaded.

“But… can’t you stay a little longer? I have something to tell you.”

Whether you have something to say or not… I don't care.

And judging by the way they had come to find me, they were probably here to congratulate me, to praise my performance.

I didn't want to hear it.

I had to find an excuse to leave.

“I don’t want to cause any more trouble, to overstep my boundaries.”

“…!”

Arina flinched.

“What…?”

“I’ve caused enough problems already. Acting recklessly, skipping the midterm evaluation, refusing your generous offer… I need to be punished for my actions.”

“What are you…”

“If you don’t understand, ask your precious older sister.”

I turned and walked away without another word.

***

“He could have at least told me… Ugh. Now I’m worried.”

Claire grumbled under her breath.

But despite her words, her footsteps were light, her heart filled with a sense of relief.

She had been incredibly worried about his presentation.

There had been those unsettling rumors about Shatrain, and Carsein hadn’t seemed to have a plan.

But her worries had vanished the moment his presentation began.

His report had been thorough, detailed, and his evidence undeniable.

He had been prepared, after all.

“He completely turned Shatrain around… He’ll probably get the highest score this year. No, the highest score in the history of the symposium.”

Then she had to get him a gift.

Something special.

…And she had to apologize. She had so much to say to him.

Despite everything, she wanted to celebrate his victory. She wanted to tell him how proud she was, how happy she was that he had proven them wrong.

“I’ll just get his gift and leave. I shouldn’t stay too long.”

Claire walked briskly down the hallway.

And then…

“If we want to succeed… we have to eliminate Carsein.”

A voice, cold and calculating, echoed from a nearby room. The door was slightly ajar.

The words made Claire’s blood run cold.

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