I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 220

Chapter 220: The Source of the Contamination (2)

I explained the situation to Talfon, asked him to track their location, and finished my preparations.

Now, only one thing remained.

To persuade someone.

“…”

-Gulp.

I stood before Harnie’s door, swallowing nervously.

Why was I so nervous?

It was just a simple request to leave the lodgings. I had a valid reason. And yet, my heart was pounding in my chest.

“Ugh. If only Carsein didn’t have that troublesome constitution…”

After collapsing from Depeshan Syndrome…

I had been subjected to another round of Harnie’s furious nagging, and she had made me agree to a… rather unusual condition.

-Swear it on the Oath Orb.

-B-But… do we really need to add that clause to the Orb…? It’s just… Ugh!

-I’ve seen you collapse twice now! Just agree!

Even now, the thought of it made me cringe. It was a restriction I had never encountered in the game.

Harnie had insisted on adding a clause to the Oath Orb.

A clause that granted her the right to punish me, using the Orb, if I ever left the lodgings without her permission, even for territory-related business.

…Which meant, I had to get her permission for this.

From my fiancée.

Sigh. Complaining wouldn't change anything. I had to go inside and persuade her.

Putting aside my anxieties, I raised my hand to knock.

“What are you doing there, Carsein?”

…Huh?

Harnie emerged from the room next door.

‘Wait, that’s not the room next door…’

That’s my room.

Why was she…?

‘Oh, right.’

I remembered.

After that incident, Harnie had refused to sleep in her room, saying she would be watching over me.

She narrowed her eyes and asked,

“It seems like you have a very important reason for visiting me so late at night.”

Wow.

…She was too perceptive.

Plan A was a bust.

I groaned and replied,

“No, it’s not that important. I just wanted to let you know what I’m doing, so you wouldn't misunderstand.”

“Your words don’t match your actions, Carsein.”

“Everyone has their worries. I’m not an exception.”

Plan A had failed. Time for Plan B.

I had to be careful with my words, to avoid raising her suspicions. If she thought I was doing something dangerous, it would be a disaster!

And I definitely couldn't let her come with me. It would be a nightmare if she followed me on this infiltration mission.

It wasn’t a dangerous mission. It was just a quick trip, a simple errand. I just had to phrase it carefully.

“I have to go back to the Bagrand Duchy for a bit. It’s nothing serious, just a quick visit. They said there’s something they need to discuss with me, as a family.”

Yes. That was a perfectly plausible excuse.

I had a meeting at the Bagrand Duchy.

A family meeting, so Harnie couldn't come with me.

Therefore, I needed her permission to leave!

It was a flawless plan, the result of an hour of intense brainstorming.

Except… there was no such meeting!

“…So you’re asking for my permission to leave? Because you have a prior engagement?”

“That’s right.”

She wasn't going to agree easily.

I needed a convincing argument, just in case she became suspicious.

If that happened, I would bring in Camilla, who I had prepped beforehand.

And I could also ask Tasha for help, just in case…

“Alright.”

“As expec…”

…Wait.

Did she just say… alright?

“Did you think I would refuse?”

I hadn’t misheard.

She had actually agreed.

“I didn’t add that clause to the Oath Orb to control your schedule. I was worried about you, because you’re always overworking yourself. That’s why I added it.”

“…”

“So you’re going to the Duchy for a day?”

“Uh… yes.”

“It’s a coincidence, but I also have some business to attend to tomorrow. I was actually looking for you.”

Ah, I see.

That’s why she had been in my room. She had been waiting for me.

That worked out perfectly.

“Then I’ll see you back in Shatrain in a day.”

“Sounds good. But you have something to do before you leave.”

“What?”

-Grab.

Harnie took my hand.

I wondered why she was suddenly holding my hand, and then I felt it. A warm mana flowing from her hand to mine.

The tension in my body eased.

‘She’s transferring mana to me, in case I have a relapse of Depeshan Syndrome.’

I was always overlooking these details.

“Be careful.”

“I will.”

Thanks to the fortunate coincidence of our schedules aligning, I had easily obtained her permission.

But… I felt like I was missing something.

Probably just my imagination.

…

…

…

My lie about visiting the Bagrand Duchy worked perfectly, and in the meantime, Talfon tracked the culprits' location by following the scent of the trap they had triggered. He returned with the information.

By then, night had fallen, and a thick fog had settled over the area.

Past midnight, the early hours of the morning.

The perfect time for a stealth mission.

I didn't need to bring much.

Just my sword.

That would be enough.

***

Late at night.

A guard with a pointy helmet yawned widely.

“Haaaa…”

“Hey!”

His colleague nudged him in the ribs.

“What? I’m sleepy. I need to rest.”

“Idiot. Do you want to get caught slacking off? Do you want to lose your head?”

The other guard gestured towards the entrance of the building with his eyes.

“They said this is important. Not even an ant is allowed to get through.”

They had been assigned a crucial task.

Guarding this building where masked guests were gathering. Any mistake could cost them their lives.

“Tsk. Relax. Nothing’s going to happen. The people who come here are always the same.”

“…Well, that’s true, but…”

“We can slack off a bit. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and nothing ever happens.”

“Are you sure?”

“Trust me. Just close your eyes and rest. Everyone else is doing it.”

The pointy-helmeted guard chuckled and yawned again, closing his eyes.

He leaned against the wall, seemingly confident that nothing would happen.

Soon, his colleague, watching him, also closed his eyes and dozed off.

-Rustle.

A figure emerged from the bushes, taking advantage of their lapse in vigilance.

Carsein, fully prepared, had arrived.

‘This is it.’

Talfon couldn’t have been wrong.

Following the scent of the trap, he had easily found their hideout.

‘It’s the Waglu faction, as expected.’

Identifying the culprit had seemed like an impossible task.

Shatrain was a popular destination for nobles, and before the lockdown, countless merchants and travelers had passed through the territory. Anyone could have been a suspect.

But there were ways to narrow down the possibilities.

Carsein had used the lockdown order to restrict access to the territory, and even though there were still many merchants, their trading locations were fixed.

And crucially, the culprits had left a trail of scent after triggering the trap on their way to Shatrain.

All the evidence pointed towards the Waglu faction.

“Haha. You made it.”

“Of course. Greetings, sir.”

“Welcome. Come in.”

The nobles exchanged greetings.

A large building, surrounded by patrolling guards. But their security was lax, easily bypassed.

However…

‘They didn’t even bring any servants.’

It would have been impossible for Talfon, a Westerner, to enter the building among the nobles.

So, Carsein decided to gather some information first.

He needed to familiarize himself with the layout, identify escape routes, and assess the organization’s structure, despite the seemingly lax security.

A typical noble mansion.

Guards stationed at wide intervals.

There was probably a banquet going on inside.

Carsein made his way towards the building.

But his progress was halted.

‘Damn it. This is a problem.’

While there were several paths leading towards the building, there was only one main entrance.

And that entrance… was heavily guarded. Talfon wouldn’t have been able to get through.

Not only that, but all of the guests entering the building were wearing masks.

There was no way to identify them, to know where they came from, or their purpose for being here.

The only information he could glean from their attire was their social standing: they were all nobles.

There was nothing else he could learn from observing the exterior.

He had to find a way inside.

He could use his connection to the Bagrand Duchy to gain entry, but… these were the very people who had contaminated Shatrain. They wouldn’t let him in so easily.

“Identification, please.”

And to make matters worse, they required identification.

He couldn’t enter without it. This complicated things.

He was thinking about forging an ID when something caught his eye.

“Here.”

A noble handed something to the guard.

That…

“Confirmed. You may enter.”

-Step, step.

Was that it?

It looked exactly like…

■ Inventory ■

◆ Sky Blue Button

[ A button with a sky blue background and two horses. ]

The button he had received after confronting Lady Helly, the one who had given Harnie the ill-fitting shoes. That button was being used as identification.

‘I remember hearing about this in the conference hall.’

-They’re late this time.

-I know. They should have been here by now.

-No letters, no messages. What are they playing at? The black market will be overflowing with fertilizer at this rate!

-Don’t worry, they’ll be here today. Oh, and don’t forget to bring that sky blue button.

-Of course.

The conversation he had overheard… it was about this black market.

So this wasn't just a banquet hall, it was a marketplace. A place where illicit deals were made.

And since Talfon had led him here, this must be where the corrupted fertilizer was being sold.

He had all the evidence he needed.

“They’re checking for identification, but they’re not actually verifying the identities of the guests… They’re not even checking their names or family crests…”

Which meant… these were counterfeit IDs, distributed secretly.

Realizing how easy it would be to get inside, Carsein smirked.

“All I need is the right outfit.”

He glanced at the nobles entering the building.

He could easily acquire a disguise.

All he had to do was knock someone unconscious and steal their clothes and mask.

***

“Identification, please.”

“Here.”

“Confirmed. You may enter.”

The guard, his expression impassive, repeated the same procedure he had just witnessed and allowed me inside.

‘There’s something strange about him.’

I glanced back at the guard, a sense of unease settling in my stomach.

But I had other things to worry about.

-Ding!

▶ This area is a Forbidden Zone! ◀

▶ You have entered an extremely dangerous area! ◀

▶ Danger Level reduced due to sufficient stats. ◀

[ Field Danger Level: Danger ]

‘Right. I shouldn’t be wasting time on minor details.’

I had to get the evidence and leave, quickly.

Someone here had ordered the fertilizer that was contaminating Shatrain. I had to find proof, something I could use against them.

I walked down the hallway, checking every room I passed.

Unidentified mushrooms, dangerous-looking herbs, suspicious vials… This wasn't a normal place.

And every now and then, I would see nobles passed out, their bodies covered in… something.

As I continued my search…

-Beep!

“…!”

The artifact Talfon had given me reacted, vibrating softly.

“This is it. Where they’re hiding the fertilizer.”

I just needed one sample.

One piece of evidence. That’s all it would take to clear this chapter.

-Creak.

-Ding!

▶ Warning! You have triggered a trap! ◀

Wheeeeeeee!

—Intruder alert!

—Capture him!

“Damn it!”

I had been careless. I should have anticipated traps in a place like this!

“Footsteps… thirty, no, forty?”

There were too many of them. And some of them had mana signatures. I couldn't fight them all here. I had to escape.

-Ding!

▶ Episode X, Turning Point Perfect Clear bonus activated! ◀

▶ Proceed to the location marked on the minimap! ◀

Right. I had this.

Relieved, I followed the minimap’s instructions, making my way to the designated location.

This was it. The purple dot on the map confirmed it.

I reached for the doorknob…

But the door opened before I could touch it, and I was pulled inside.

“…!”

“Shh!”

What?

Harnie? What are you doing here…?

Next Chapter

Index

Previous Chapter