I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 229

Chapter 229: The Source of the Contamination (11)

Carsein's words roused the defeated nobles from their apathy.

‘Rumors…?’

‘Yes! Those rumors!’

‘No matter how good his presentation was, there’s no way he’s flawless!’

Their scores had plummeted.

Arsienne and Florence had eviscerated their reports, deducting points left and right.

And Carsein, who should have been at the bottom of the rankings, was now at the top. It was a galling sight, fueling their jealousy and resentment.

Someone who belonged at the bottom should stay at the bottom.

Like a pack of hyenas sensing a wounded animal, they bared their teeth, ready to pounce.

“Your Highnesses! We request a Defense Time!”

Arsienne had warned them, reminding them that only those with sufficient scores could participate in the Defense Time.

But they couldn't let this go. They had to drag Carsein down, no matter the cost.

This issue, the rumors of dissent among the villagers, was directly related to the lord’s ability to manage the territory, to maintain order and harmony. It was a valid point, one that even those with low scores could raise.

Arsienne and Florence exchanged glances.

“…Granted.”

The Defense Time was approved.

‘Yes!’

Finally, a chance to tear him down.

‘We’ll exploit this weakness and drag him down with us!’

‘How dare a commoner outscore us?! This is unacceptable!’

The nobles, who had been wallowing in their defeat just moments ago, now clamored for a chance to attack Carsein, their desperation palpable.

“Lord Carsein, the relationship between a lord and his people is of utmost importance.”

“The villagers are fighting amongst themselves, and you’re doing nothing to stop it? You’re unfit to be a lord.”

“It doesn’t matter if you understand Shatrain’s problems. If you can’t even control your own villagers, you’re clearly incompetent.”

They ignored his accomplishments, focusing on the rumors, emphasizing his supposed failures.

“Surely you haven’t forgotten that your relationship with the villagers is also a factor in your evaluation.”

“And you’ll be receiving double the penalty for postponing your report until the final evaluation.”

They reminded him of his agreement, his gamble, hoping to double his penalty points.

This would surely send his score plummeting.

The nobles, anticipating his downfall, exchanged smug smiles.

And then, Carsein, as if waiting for this moment, smirked.

‘As expected.’

‘He has something up his sleeve.’

Arsienne and Florence, noticing the subtle change in his expression, felt a flicker of anticipation. Their initial apprehension eased.

“You’re right. It’s a problem. Rumors of infighting among the villagers… such rumors shouldn’t be spreading.”

“So you admit you were wrong?”

One of the participants, his eyes narrowed, pounced on his words, hoping to corner him.

If Carsein acknowledged the validity of the rumors, he would be trapped. He would have no choice but to resort to excuses, to lies, to desperate attempts to defend himself.

This was what they had been waiting for.

“Not quite.”

“What?! So you’re still going to deny it?”

“Are you saying you’re not responsible for the villagers’ dissent? That you’ve been diligently managing your territory?”

“Even a lord can’t control his people without their consent! You must have implemented some unpopular policy!”

“If you forced your will upon them without their approval, that’s tyranny!”

The nobles, sensing an opportunity, rose and launched a barrage of accusations.

“Of course. But when did I ever say those rumors were true?”

“…What?”

“I’m simply saying that the rumors you've heard might be exaggerated. Or even completely false.”

Carsein continued, his voice calm and steady.

“Speaking of rumors, there were also rumors about Shatrain’s strawberries and grapes being monsters. Poisonous fruit. You all remember those rumors, don’t you?”

“W-Well…”

The nobles shifted uncomfortably.

They remembered the rumors. They had even considered using them to discredit Carsein.

But that incident had backfired spectacularly. It was a sensitive topic, one they would rather not revisit.

“Wait a minute! That’s completely irrelevant…!”

“It’s entirely relevant. Continue, Carsein.”

Arsienne cut them off before they could deflect the argument.

“It’s true that Shatrain’s crops absorb mana. But that doesn’t mean they’re dangerous. With the right preparation methods, the mana can be neutralized. In fact, Shatrain strawberries and grapes are perfectly safe to eat, even without any special preparation. And yet, there were rumors that they were poisonous.”

The nobles fell silent, realizing they were on shaky ground.

Carsein seized the opportunity.

“People drink snake wine, a beverage made with actual poison, and they survive. And yet, you claim that the minuscule amount of mana in Shatrain’s fruit is dangerous? Those rumors were clearly exaggerated. And the rumors you’re referring to now, about the villagers’ infighting, are equally false. Because they’re simply not true.”

The mystery of Shatrain’s dissent had been solved.

“How can you claim they're false?”

“Just because you say they're false doesn't make them so.”

But the hyenas, their teeth sunk into their prey, wouldn’t let go.

“We heard them. We heard the Shatrain villagers arguing.”

“They were fighting over which fertilizer to use, accusing each other of betraying the territory.”

“They even called each other traitors! They were practically at each other's throats.”

“You might have stopped them temporarily, but they clearly continued fighting when you weren't around. Did you know that?”

And then, they delivered their final blow.

“If it was just a rumor, how could we possibly know the reason behind their arguments? We know exactly what they were fighting about.”

Indeed. They knew the reason.

They had heard the villagers’ arguments with their own ears. It wasn’t just a rumor.

It seemed like Carsein was cornered.

But then, he calmly replied,

“Oh, that. I told them to do that. To pretend to be fighting.”

“Wh-What?!”

“You mentioned the fertilizer, didn’t you? I needed to divert attention while I investigated the source of the contamination. That’s why I instructed them to stage a fight.”

This wasn't a Defense Time.

It was an Offense Time.

***

“Your Highnesses, I have a question. If a participant deliberately sabotages another territory during the symposium to lower their score, what is the punishment?”

He clearly wasn’t asking because he didn’t know.

Arsienne and Florence exchanged glances.

They were on the same page.

“Such actions will be severely punished by the Imperial Family.”

“The purpose of the symposium is for nobles to work together to improve the lives of their citizens. While there is a competitive element, deliberately harming another territory is unacceptable.”

“It’s a blatant violation of the principles of the symposium. And those who commit such acts will face the harshest possible punishment.”

After their declarations, Carsein spoke, his voice calm and steady.

“There were those who deliberately sabotaged Shatrain.”

“…What?”

“To be precise, there were those who embezzled the support funds provided by the Bagrand Duchy, and those who sold Shatrain's crops to other territories without reporting it. Those are just a few examples.”

Carsein paused, his chin resting on his hand.

And then, he continued,

“Shatrain, after its decline, became an extremely closed-off territory. They were wary of outsiders, unless it was for official business. But there was one thing they were strangely fixated on.”

“And that was…?”

“This fertilizer.”

Carsein held up a bag of fertilizer.

“I found it… odd. Why would a territory that shunned outsiders be so reliant on an imported product? And they insisted on using this specific fertilizer. So I investigated.”

“And?”

“As I mentioned earlier, soil pH has a significant impact on crop growth. This fertilizer drastically lowers the pH level.”

“So it deliberately increases the acidity of the soil.”

“That’s correct. And the villagers were convinced they had to use this fertilizer. As if someone had deliberately spread that rumor. But that’s not all.”

“…Not all?”

Carsein sprinkled some of the fertilizer onto the soil in a flowerpot he had brought with him.

And then, he added a drop of Pistella’s Rapid Growth Elixir.

-Crackle.

“…!”

“Wh-What is…!”

A strange sound, and then the stem began to grow at an alarming rate, twisting and contorting into a grotesque shape.

Petals unfurled, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

Everyone in the hall recognized it instantly.

Carsein drew his sword and swiftly impaled the newly formed creature.

-Screech!

A grotesque shriek, and then it withered and died.

The evidence was undeniable. There was something wrong with that fertilizer.

“Creating a fertilizer like this… is a serious crime, wouldn't you agree?”

Suddenly, a noble stood up in the audience and shouted,

“That’s nonsense!”

Carsein smirked.

***

Count Retelvik gripped his wand tightly.

Carsein had not only revitalized Shatrain, he had also uncovered the secret of the fertilizer.

He had to have discovered something.

‘If we don’t cut our losses now… we’re finished.’

Count Retelvik turned to the noble sitting beside him.

“You.”

“Yes?”

“You’re going to stop him.”

The noble shook his head, his face pale.

“That’s suicide! And we’re in the audience! Questioning his abilities in this symposium…”

“Do it. Unless you want the incident at Mount Waglu three years ago to be brought to light.”

“…!”

-Gulp.

The thinly veiled threat made him swallow nervously.

“Th-That’s preposterous!”

The noble stood up abruptly and shouted,

“What’s this about fertilizer?! He’s just trying to deflect attention from the fact that his villagers are fighting amongst themselves!”

Other nobles, sensing the danger, joined in, their voices rising in protest.

They accused Carsein of making excuses, of trying to shift the blame, of lying to cover up his incompetence.

They tried to discredit him, to dismiss his claims.

But Carsein, unfazed, calmly asked,

“Hmm. It seems all of you are from the Waglu faction.”

“…!”

“Wh-What does that have to do with anything?!”

“The Waglu territories are close to Shatrain. In other words, you’re in the perfect position to sabotage Shatrain. Mount Waglu makes it difficult for others to access the territory, providing you with an advantage. Wouldn’t you agree that makes you prime suspects?”

The nobles from the Waglu faction erupted in anger.

“That’s nonsense!”

“How dare you accuse us without any proof!”

“That’s preposterous! We would never sabotage Shatrain!”

“Are you trying to shift the blame for your own incompetence? Prove it! Show us your evidence!”

They demanded proof, certain that he didn’t have any.

How could that boy possibly know about the Waglu faction's secret black market, the source of the contaminated fertilizer?

Their plan to use Map to sabotage Shatrain had failed, thanks to the Lilpet Tribe, but this… this was beyond Carsein’s reach. He couldn't possibly have any evidence.

This Defense Time would be their victory.

But…

“If that’s what you want, I’ll gladly provide proof. Your Highness, I wish to submit evidence.”

Count Retelvik’s assumption was dead wrong.

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