I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 219

Chapter 219: The Source of the Contamination (1)

Map, once Shatrain's enforcer, was a mess.

Immediately after his scream, the man who had stepped on his foot smirked and crouched down before the kneeling Map.

"Why are you screaming so loud? Come on, look up. Smile."

Smile? While his hand was being crushed, every nerve screaming in agony? It was a ludicrous demand.

But Map forced a smile, lifting his head.

He had no choice. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he didn't comply.

Anyone who knew even a fraction of what this man had done in the Empire would be terrified.

“I had so many opportunities to ruin Shatrain.”

-Shove.

“With the Shatrain strawberries and grapes becoming luxury items, the villagers were obsessed with that fertilizer. And since Carsein was blamed for everything, I thought I could easily prevent him from restoring the territory, no matter what he tried.”

-Grind.

The man’s shoe ground into Map’s face, a humiliating display of dominance.

“Even without the fertilizer, there were countless ways to ruin Shatrain. But how… how did he manage to turn things around? Hmm? Hmm?”

The pressure on his face intensified with each question.

He had to say something, but he couldn’t. He had no answer.

-Knock, knock.

“Excuse me, sir, but there’s an urgent report.”

“A report? Sigh. How annoying.”

The man stood up, his annoyance evident, and went to receive the report.

Map, finally able to breathe, let out a shaky sigh of relief.

“Haa… Haa… Gasp…”

He caught his breath, his fists clenching in frustration.

‘Damn it…!’

How had this happened?

It had been a perfect plan.

Shatrain was called a land of abundance, but he disagreed. They weren’t poor, but they weren’t truly wealthy either.

Despite having the potential to become one of the most prosperous territories, Shatrain’s growth had stagnated.

And he knew why.

It was because of that old fool, Brem, who refused to raise the prices of Shatrain strawberries and Shatrain grapes, despite their high demand.

So, he had been waiting for an opportunity, seeking allies in other territories. He had to remove Brem from power first.

And then, he had met him. A man who had made him a very tempting offer.

-We don’t want Carsein ruling Shatrain either. It seems like we have a common goal. How about this? We’ll pay you to help us achieve our objectives. And you can use that money to achieve yours.

It was a win-win situation. No, a win-win-win.

He was already annoyed with that troublemaker Carsein, the boy who had been appointed their lord. And with this plan, he could easily get rid of him.

By creating an artificial crisis, he could discredit Brem and seize control of the village. He could finally steer Shatrain in the right direction.

They had offered him not only money, but also the opportunity to turn Shatrain’s strawberries and grapes into premium products. He would earn the respect of the nobles, and with their support, he would become the true leader of Shatrain. He would be the only one who knew the truth.

He had readily accepted their offer.

He would ruin Shatrain.

He would transform it into a territory for the nobles, a territory that served their interests.

He had promised his backers that he would become Shatrain’s new leader. He had orchestrated everything.

He had secretly spread the corrupted fertilizer, causing the crops to fail, ultimately leading to Carsein’s removal.

He had undermined Brem’s authority, gained the support of his own faction, and steadily increased his influence within the village.

He had introduced the fertilizer, received his payment, and even convinced the villagers to participate in the scheme, earning a tidy profit.

He was one step away from taking complete control.

And then…

‘…That damn brat…!’

That boy, Carsein, had reappeared.

A commoner! A lucky orphan who had been picked up off the streets!

“Carsein Bagrand. He ruined everything…”

The secret of the fertilizer had been exposed.

Carsein had uncovered his scheme, revealed his deception.

The price of their premium products had plummeted.

“It’s all his fault! Everything! Because of him!”

Carsein Bagrand.

That damn commoner ruined my plan!

As Map seethed, cursing Carsein under his breath…

A man emerged from the shadows, whistling cheerfully.

“Ha. You can’t do anything right, can you, Map?”

“Ugh?!”

“You had so much potential, so much drive… Why couldn’t you just… succeed?”

He was humiliated once again, the man’s shoe grinding into his face.

“You created that scandal, the one about Shatrain’s fruit being monsters?”

“…Y-Yes…”

“You idiot! Why would you reveal that? If you had kept it a secret, it wouldn't have become such a big deal! Didn't you realize that if he managed to clear his name, Shatrain would recover?”

“…!”

He… he cleared his name?

‘That’s impossible!’

How could anyone believe such a thing?

How could they accept the fact that the fruit they were eating was actually from monsters?!

“Ha. This damn brat… he’s useless. But his obsession with controlling Shatrain… that might be useful.”

“Guh?!”

Something was shoved into his mouth.

“Chew and swallow. It’s good for you.”

“W-Wait! Wh-What is this…!”

“You wanted to destroy Carsein, didn't you? Go ahead, try it. This power… it suits you. Hahahaha!”

What… What is this…?

His body felt strange… Ugh?!

He couldn’t speak.

His vision turned green, the world around him shifting, distorting.

‘I… I didn’t want this…!’

And the last thing Map saw, before losing consciousness…

Was a vine, piercing through his body.

“Tsk. That Wederos Kingdom brat… he’s become a nuisance.”

-Clap, clap.

The man dusted off his hands.

“This one’s taken care of. Now, Count.”

“…Yes?”

“You’re in no position to complain, are you? Hmm?”

Count Retelvik’s lips tightened.

“You’re just as incompetent as that… half-breed. You couldn’t even ruin a worthless little territory like Shatrain.”

“…”

“You know the Wederos Kingdom and those Western tribes are obstacles, don’t you?”

“…I’ll take care of it. This time, I won’t fail.”

“Good. I’m giving you another chance.”

-Thud.

He plunged his sword deep into the earth.

A surge of dark mana, potent and menacing, washed over Count Retelvik, sending shivers down his spine.

“If you fail… you’ll share his fate. Be warned.”

“…Yes.”

As the man smirked, his eyes glinting with a chilling malice, Count Retelvik could only bow his head.

He had just witnessed a man transform into a grotesque monster.

That fate wasn’t far off. If he failed, he would become the same.

‘I have no choice… I’ll have to use every means necessary.’

This incident forced him to abandon his original plan to take control of Shatrain.

***

Time passed.

The Shatrain villagers, having realized their mistake, worked diligently to restore their soil’s pH balance.

Two harvests had passed, and now, the third.

It was time to analyze the data and assess the results.

It had been.

Until recently.

“Who… Who used that fertilizer again?!”

“Did someone else get hired by another territory?”

“They’re trying to destroy us all!”

“Why?! Why would they do this?!”

The other villagers protested.

“We didn’t use it! We brought all of it out and gave it to you, right in front of the lord!”

“Maybe you’re the ones who were hired!”

The villagers were divided.

A new problem had arisen in Shatrain.

Their progress, their steady climb towards recovery, had reversed.

‘No… it’s more accurate to say they’re back where they started.’

The strawberry and grape harvests had plummeted, the crops withering and dying.

And the reason, as the villagers’ arguments revealed, was the reappearance of that corrupted fertilizer.

‘But this… This is a deliberate attempt to sow discord.’

This couldn't be ignored.

“Stop this! Do you really think it’s appropriate to be arguing and blaming each other in front of me?”

“…!”

“N-No! We…”

“This is no different from when Map deceived you and almost ruined the territory. If this is how you’re going to act, I won’t bother helping you.”

“We apologize, Young Master. We panicked. We weren’t thinking clearly.”

“We were driven by suspicion, and we acted rashly. We’re sorry.”

That seemed to have calmed them down.

If they started suspecting each other, accusing each other of being hired by another territory, it would never end.

And there was probably someone orchestrating this, someone who wanted to see Shatrain fall.

“If anyone is caught spreading rumors or causing further division, I will personally deal with them. Be warned.”

I issued a stern warning and then signaled to Talfon.

Talfon, sensing my intentions, excused himself.

We moved to a private area and began our discussion.

“About this incident… we can’t help you.”

“What?”

“There’s no scent. The fertilizer… it doesn’t smell like anything.”

No scent?

“So it’s not the same fertilizer?”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I’ve been observing the changes in Shatrain, and I’m certain it’s the same fertilizer you identified. But…”

Talfon frowned.

“Someone must have done something to it, to mask the scent.”

Masking the scent…

Why would they go through all that trouble?

It would have been much easier to bribe the villagers, just like Map and the 35 traitors, offering them more money to use the fertilizer.

But instead of doing that, they had masked the scent?

‘They’re targeting me. They’re trying to neutralize Talfon and the Lilpet Tribe.’

And they were also sowing discord among the villagers.

This… this was different from Map’s petty scheme. This was a deliberate attempt to destroy Shatrain.

-Ding!

▶ Branching point reached. ◀

▶ Main Episode initiated. ◀

▶ Episode XI. The Source of the Contamination has begun. ◀

▶ Identify the culprit and expose their crimes at the symposium. ◀

If they were resorting to such underhanded tactics, they must be formidable opponents.

Dealing with external interference was never easy.

‘But they won’t get away with this.’

I had anticipated this, to some extent.

***

As I walked towards the location indicated on the map, Talfon frowned and said,

“…Carsein, you were right. I can smell it.”

As expected, the flawed map was a clue.

They hadn't taken the newly constructed path through Mount Waglu. They had taken the old, treacherous route, the one marked incorrectly on the map.

Which meant… they must have triggered one of the traps along the way.

“Here. It seems they triggered it.”

And the scent of the trap would be clinging to them.

“What’s your plan?”

“They’re directly responsible for contaminating Shatrain. We have to find proof and expose them.”

“You’re planning on raiding their base? I’ll gather my tribesmen. We’ll go together.”

“No. I’ll go alone, this time.”

“What? That’s too dangerous, Carsein!”

Talfon’s eyes widened.

“Judging by the number of tracks, there are quite a few of them. Going there alone is suicide! I acknowledge your strength, but this is reckless!”

“I’m not raiding their base, I’m infiltrating it.”

“Infiltrating…?”

“There’s no need for a direct confrontation. In fact, it would be counterproductive.”

If he attacked them directly, they might destroy the evidence.

“I’ll just gather the evidence and return. Don’t worry.”

“…Hmm. Is that so?”

“Just track their location. I’ll move tonight.”

Moving at night would definitely earn me an earful from Harnie.

I would have to ask for her permission.

Next Chapter

Index

Previous Chapter