I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 214

Chapter 214: Turning Point (1)

“…”

I was currently in a carriage, on my way to the Week 5 report meeting.

Normally, I would be reviewing the contents of my report, but my mind was preoccupied with something else.

“Hee hee.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“I was just thinking… my fiancé is a really good person.”

“…”

What a random thing to say.

…Was she referring to that?

“Even though you spoke harshly, you wouldn’t actually punish a good person, would you?”

“I’m not sure. It depends.”

“Is that so? Hee hee.”

I turned away, offering no further response.

I had been trying not to think about it, but… gazing out the carriage window, my thoughts drifted back to that encounter.

It had been Brem who had sought me out before I left.

An elderly man.

And yet, he had bowed deeply before me, a much younger man, pleading with me to listen to his request.

The sight had made me frown, a familiar unease settling in my stomach.

I had been trying to avoid it, but the memories surfaced once again.

When I had first started working, learning the ropes, I had been ostracized by the other employees.

They had doubted everything I did.

They had refused to believe a single word I said.

Even when I was right, they had ignored me, dismissed me.

Just like the Shatrain villagers.

Just like Carsein’s treatment in Shatrain, I had been treated like an outsider, despite being their superior.

And then, one day…

My theory about the relationship between solubility and textiles had been proven correct.

I had presented undeniable evidence, exposing their mistakes, their negligence. No one could blame me.

The ones who had mocked and ridiculed me were all fired.

Just like in Shatrain, the true culprits had been exposed.

And that evening…

An elderly man, avoiding the others, had come to see me.

He had been working at the company for a long time, a veteran with years of experience.

The other workers called him “Chief.”

But the moment he saw me, he bowed deeply and pleaded,

-I know we’ve made many mistakes. But please… punish only me.

He had blamed himself for failing to control the others, offering himself as a sacrifice.

-Please… have mercy on the rest of us. Punish only me.

Brem had reminded me of him.

“…Tsk.”

What an unpleasant memory.

Both Brem and that old man had been secretly helping me.

They had tried to persuade the others, to change their minds, and they had succeeded, to some extent.

They had even created opportunities for me to gather evidence.

I knew who the true culprits were.

I knew that punishing everyone equally would be an injustice.

‘How could I possibly punish you?’

The guilty should be punished, not the innocent.

Not Brem, not that old man, who had been kind to me.

That was my principle, a rule I had established after being falsely accused countless times.

-Ding!

▶ Hidden Episode: Shatrain’s Apology cleared. ◀

▶ You have accepted the apology of Brem and the other Shatrain villagers who were friendly towards Carsein. ◀

▶ Penalties incurred from pressuring the villagers have been offset. ◀

[ Offset Rate: 100% ]

[ Penalties fully offset. Tyranny penalty removed. ]

[ Internal Accusation document removed from the Week 5 report, preventing attacks during the Defense Time. ]

▶ Brem’s Affinity increased. ◀

[ Current Affinity: 75% ]

-Please… Allow this old man to assist you, Young Master. I beg you.

…Damn it.

***

The Week 5 report meeting began.

“Wh-What is that…!”

“That’s… at least D+ grade… no, C- grade?!”

“I never thought I’d see such vibrant colors again…”

I presented my evidence: Shatrain strawberries and Shatrain grapes of exceptional quality.

That alone was enough to shock the nobles.

High-grade fruits, practically unheard of in recent months, had appeared in my hands.

I explained the difference between the crops I had cultivated and those grown using Shatrain’s traditional methods, highlighting the improvements I had made.

And then…

The moment the nobles had been waiting for arrived.

“…Now, for the Defense Time.”

Arsienne’s voice was laced with weariness.

“I’ll go first.”

“…Tsk. Proceed.”

Arsienne clicked her tongue, her skepticism evident.

▶ Defense Time has begun. ◀

▶ Choose the correct options to avoid point deductions. ◀

“If I understand correctly, you’ve only been cultivating strawberries and grapes in Shatrain. Is that right?”

This was a familiar question.

[ 2. Yes. ] ☑

“Yes.”

“So you skipped the midterm evaluation and focused solely on producing these fruits?”

This, too, was a familiar question.

[ 2. Yes. ] ☑

“That’s correct.”

“Doesn’t that seem… misguided? Shatrain is an agricultural territory. Shouldn’t you have focused on solving the underlying problems with the land?”

“That makes sense. If all he did for two weeks was grow crops… it seems rather inadequate.”

“If he simply used better fertilizer to produce those strawberries and grapes, it’s hardly an achievement.”

▶ Doubts raised regarding your results. Choose an option.

[ 1. (Picking his ear) That’s a bit rich coming from someone who was drooling over my strawberries just now. ]

[ 2. It’s not that I haven't achieved anything. I discovered that there was a spy in Shatrain. ]

[ 3. (Calling for Talfon) I’ve also established diplomatic relations with Count Lilpet of the Western Empire. This will help strengthen our defenses against monsters. How is that not an achievement? ]

…

…

These might seem like pointed remarks, but the appearance of these choices meant I had already won.

“You’re all questioning my lack of progress, aren’t you?”

“…!”

“That’s… that’s right!”

Thanks for confirming it.

Now you can't back down. You fools.

“Your Highness, I request permission to call a witness.”

“Granted.”

Arsienne, a pleased expression on her face, readily agreed.

I called his name without hesitation.

“Talfon!”

“Talfon?”

“Who’s that?”

“Did he bring one of his villagers?”

Go ahead. Laugh all you want.

You won’t be laughing for long.

-Thump.

The doors opened, and a large, imposing figure entered the hall.

“No… That’s…!”

“A Westerner!”

“Isn’t that Count Lilpet… the one who hates nobles the most…?”

The nobles began to murmur amongst themselves.

They wanted to protest, to question the presence of a Westerner in this sacred hall, but no one dared to speak out in front of the Imperial Family.

Well, there were other reasons as well.

Talfon strode towards the stage.

“This is Count Lilpet of the West, Talfon. The head of the family that recently formed an alliance with Shatrain.”

“What… what?!”

“An alliance… with Lilpet?!”

The young nobles who had been criticizing me turned pale.

[ 3. (Calling for Talfon) I’ve also established diplomatic relations with Count Lilpet of the Western Empire. This will help strengthen our defenses against monsters. How is that not an achievement? ] ☑

“I’ve also established diplomatic relations with Count Lilpet of the Western Empire. This will strengthen our defenses against monsters. How is that not an achievement?”

The West played a crucial role in defending the Empire against monsters.

Therefore, assisting a Western territory earned bonus points in the symposium.

And yet, they were claiming I hadn't achieved anything? Such a contradiction wouldn't go unpunished.

Even Arsienne would have criticized them for such a blatant oversight.

“Your criticism is laughable. Do you have anything else to say?”

“Ugh…!”

“…”

“You’re all penalized. Even during the Defense Time, there are limits. You, who have been avoiding the Western territories, dare question the accomplishments of someone who has formed an alliance with them?”

The nobles, their faces burning with shame, fell silent.

Talfon smirked, clearly enjoying their humiliation.

“Are there any further questions?”

Normally, they would have continued to protest, to challenge my authority. But no one dared to speak.

This wasn’t a Defense Time.

It was a one-sided beatdown.

This was the perfect time to make my move.

“Your Highness, I have a proposal.”

“What is it?”

“As I mentioned before, one week isn’t enough time to analyze Shatrain’s data. I need more time.”

“I agree.”

Second Prince Florence nodded, expressing his agreement.

“So, I propose this. I’d like to skip all lectures and weekly reports, and present my findings on the final evaluation day.”

In the game, I would have had to engage in another round of dialogue to achieve this outcome.

Since there were no choices this time, I had to create the opportunity myself. But it wasn’t difficult.

“Hmm… That’s… an interesting proposal.”

“But it’s unfair. We can’t grant you special treatment.”

I knew the risks.

Whether it was in the game or in this reality, failure would result in a bad ending.

But I wasn’t worried.

“Then how about this? If I fail, I’ll accept double the penalty.”

“Huh.”

“Pfft. Hahaha.”

Arsienne gasped, a sound of disbelief escaping her lips, while Florence burst out laughing.

“Carsein. You’re willing to risk double the penalty and focus solely on the final presentation?”

“That’s right.”

“…You’re that confident?”

Arsienne asked, her tone laced with disbelief.

Confident?

Of course, I was.

“I’ll show you a completely transformed Shatrain on the final evaluation day.”

***

▶ Week 5 report concluded. ◀

▶ Your proposal has been accepted. All lectures and weekly reports will be skipped. Schedule cleared. ◀

▶ Warning! You must achieve 80% or higher development progress before the final evaluation! ◀

[ Failure: Lowest symposium score. ]

▶ Warning! Penalties incurred during the final evaluation will be doubled! ◀

A warning message appeared, but I didn’t care.

I couldn’t achieve that level of development without solving Shatrain’s problems. And I was prepared for the doubled penalty.

‘Now… I need to meet with Arina.’

I had to remove the restrictions on the Lohea seed information, which meant I had to find her.

Arina always stayed near the conference hall after the report meetings, so it wouldn't be difficult to find her. The map might be large, but there were plenty of open areas.

─────!

‘Hmm?’

As I was walking down the hallway on the second floor, I heard voices.

I wondered if it was Arina, so I channeled mana into my ears, enhancing my hearing.

“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!”

…!

Did he just say… fertilizer?

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

“Of course.”

I had heard the word “fertilizer,” but they hadn't mentioned Shatrain specifically. And while they hadn't received any letters or messages, I couldn't be certain they were talking about the traitors.

But…

“Sky blue button… black market…”

■ Inventory ■

◆ Sky Blue Button

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

This…

This might be related to a hidden episode.

I wanted to hear more, but I couldn't.

“What are you doing here, Carsein?”

Arina had appeared.

I quickly dispelled the mana I had been channeling, careful not to be discovered.

[ Arina Bagrand ]

[ Affinity: 33% ]

‘It’s dropped quite a bit.’

That was to be expected. She was probably still furious about my Rest Week request during the midterm evaluation, in front of their mother.

And I had just triggered a hidden event during the report meeting, so she was probably here to scold me about that as well.

“Let’s skip the pleasantries. You know what you did wrong.”

Wrong?

Her words sent a chill down my spine.

“I won’t tolerate any more damage to the Bagrand Duchy’s reputation. Sign this and send it to the Imperial Family.”

Arina handed me a document. It was a waiver form, used to relinquish my position as temporary lord.

Damn it.

Her intentions were crystal clear.

‘She’s trying to get me to resign before I completely fail and embarrass the Duchy.’

What a joke.

I couldn’t believe I had come here, to this woman, hoping she would lift the restrictions on the Lohea seed information.

Right. I didn’t need their help. Not anymore. And especially not from her.

I would earn my freedom. I would solve this on my own.

I didn’t need their help.

I would return everything they had given me and leave. With my head held high.

That was my principle.

-Slap!

“If you had just signed this quietly from the beginning…”

-Rip, rip.

I tore the waiver form to shreds, and Arina’s eyes widened.

“…What do you think you’re doing, Carsein?”

Her blue eyes blazed with fury.

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