I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 207

Chapter 207: Those Who Rage (7)

The scent confirmed it, just as I had expected.

Harnie hadn’t participated in the fight.

The only scent of mana and venom came from Carsein’s sword. There was no trace of any artifacts or other magic tools being used.

Talfon wasn't the only one who noticed. The Lilpet tribesmen, seasoned Scorpion King hunters, were also surprised. Even for them, this was a reckless feat.

Carsein dismounted and presented Talfon with an item.

“I thought this would be sufficient proof.”

“…I don’t need the stinger. I can smell it.”

“Is that so?”

“Regardless, this is more than enough.”

He had single-handedly slain the Scorpion King.

He had passed Lilpet's trial with flying colors, exceeding all expectations.

Talfon announced Carsein’s victory to the tribe, and a brief round of applause followed.

Slaying the Scorpion King alone was a remarkable feat in itself, but this particular Scorpion King, the one from the Urome region, was unusually large and powerful.

No one in Lilpet could doubt Carsein’s strength.

Talfon handed Carsein a map.

“These are your lodgings. Rest, and then decide on a time and date for the duel. I’m available whenever.”

Carsein took the map and headed towards the lodgings with Harnie.

Talfon watched them go, a faint sigh escaping his lips.

Two of his trials were now complete.

Only the final test, the duel, remained.

Was he truly a survivor of the Wederos Kingdom?

His strength had already provided some proof.

And the faint scent of his mana also resembled that of the Wederos Kingdom.

“Though he doesn’t seem to know anything about the Wederos Kingdom himself.”

A survivor of the Wederos Kingdom. That alone made him a worthy ally.

Perhaps even more than that.

But…

There was something that bothered him.

“What is this scent…?”

It was different. Noticeably different.

The scent of his mana.

This potent mana signature was likely the result of his awakening during the fight with the Scorpion King.

Mana awakenings were often accompanied by intense emotions. Whether it was self-blame, a desperate desire to save someone, or the will to survive, the trigger was always the same.

An awakening was brought about by intense emotion, a surge of power in a moment of crisis.

Carsein must have experienced something similar.

A whirlwind of emotions. And that emotional turmoil was now imprinted on his sword, its scent lingering in the air.

But the scent of Carsein’s own mana, his unique signature, was… suffocating.

“What kind of life has he lived… to have such a potent scent of loneliness and pain?”

Carsein's mana carried the weight of immeasurable loneliness and pain. It even felt cold, chilling him to the bone.

He knew Carsein was an abandoned child, but was that all?

No. There had to be more to it.

Talfon was certain that something else was hidden beneath the surface.

***

I could finally relax.

It had been a reckless gamble, but I had awakened my mana during the fight with the Scorpion King and single-handedly defeated it. And Talfon, along with the rest of the Lilpet Tribe, seemed impressed. My affinity and reputation had surely increased.

But it seemed like one final, formidable obstacle remained.

“…Harnie? Isn’t that your room over there?”

“Yes. It is.”

“Then could you give me back my key…?”

-Smile.

It was just a simple, pleasant smile, but Harnie’s expression clearly conveyed her refusal.

She had both keys, but she only unlocked her room. And then, she gestured for him to go inside.

-Gulp.

I swallowed nervously and entered the room. I heard the click of the lock, and a chill ran down my spine. I turned around, and Harnie was approaching, a smile on her face.

“Carsein. Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“…”

…This was bad.

That smile was beautiful, but unsettling. There was a chilling undercurrent beneath its pleasant facade.

I had been in this situation before, and I knew what it meant.

Harnie was furious.

“Um…”

“The artifact. I told you to use it if you were in danger, didn’t I?”

“Y-Yes…”

I had planned on deflecting the question, on trying to calm her down, but… I had instinctively responded politely, formally.

…This wasn’t good.

“Then why didn’t you use it? You were clearly injured!”

“Well… That’s…”

“You could have called for help! Why didn’t you?!”

“Harnie, I…”

“Car. Sein.”

Her eyes narrowed, and she slowly approached.

I gave up.

The pain would be brief.

-Slap!

“Ugh!”

A stinging slap landed on my cheek, followed by a barrage of words.

“You… You made me so worried! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!”

“Ow! That hurts! I’m injured!”

“Injured?! You’re shouting just fine! Why would you fight the Scorpion King alone?! What were you thinking—?!”

Her nagging continued relentlessly, until she finally sighed and turned away.

“Hmph. Why do you always do such reckless things? Getting yourself hurt like that…”

“…”

I wanted to offer an explanation, an excuse, but I couldn't.

I had collapsed the moment I defeated the Scorpion King.

Harnie sighed again and patted the chair beside her.

“Let’s take care of your injuries first. Show me your back.”

I could have done it myself, but…

It wasn't the time to argue.

“…”

It was an unfamiliar sensation.

Someone else’s hand, applying medicine to his wounds.

I was used to being bullied, beaten, but this gentle touch felt strange, awkward.

“So, when are you leaving?”

“What?”

“The Week 4 report meeting is coming up soon. You’ll have to ask Talfon to postpone the duel, won’t you?”

Ah. So that’s what she meant.

That was a problem.

I was here to recruit Talfon as my third Agent, but if I had to attend the Week 4 report meeting, I would have to leave the West and return to the East.

But I couldn't do that.

“No. I’ll be staying here for a while. I’m going to request a Rest Week.”

“What?!”

Ow! That’s where I’m injured!

“Are you serious? You only get one Rest Week during the entire symposium!”

I knew that.

Missing a report meeting at the Eastern Nobles’ Conference would result in immediate failure and disqualification.

That's why the Rest Week, a one-time opportunity to take a week off, was only to be used in emergencies, when the participant couldn’t attend the meeting for unavoidable reasons.

Illness, injury, quarantine due to an epidemic, a family member’s death or trial…

Those were the only valid reasons for requesting a Rest Week.

“I know.”

“And you’re still going to use it?”

“Yes.”

“Carsein…”

Harnie looked at him, her face filled with disbelief.

It was understandable.

Talfon had said he was available whenever, so I could have easily completed the duel after the Week 4 report meeting.

It seemed strange, illogical, to waste my only Rest Week like this.

But from my perspective, it made perfect sense.

[ 3. Achieve 80% or higher Completion Rate in a duel with Talfon. ]

The status window clearly stated that I had to achieve a high score in the duel with Talfon.

Talfon had also emphasized that he wanted me to fight him with all my strength… It wasn’t going to be a simple spar.

I didn't need to explain everything.

The existence of this condition alone was enough justification.

This extra condition, this unexpected challenge, wasn't in the original game. And such unforeseen variables, if left unchecked, could easily escalate and become a serious threat.

Furthermore, recruiting Talfon as my third Agent would allow me to uncover Shatrain’s secrets more quickly, increasing my chances of clearing the episode.

And finally, there was my own mana.

I had awakened my mana during the fight with the Scorpion King, and I needed to hone my control, to strengthen this newfound power. Attending the report meeting would be a waste of time. I needed to focus on training, on preparing for the duel with Talfon.

These reasons were more than enough to justify using my Rest Week now.

“I’ll send a letter to Camilla through Tasha. You don’t have to waste your Rest Week because of me. You can go back now, Harnie.”

“…”

Harnie, still applying medicine to his wounds, replied,

“If that’s the case, then I’ll use my Rest Week, too.”

“What? Uh…”

-Slap!

“Well, you got yourself injured and made me so worried! As your fiancée, I have to stay by your side! Hmph.”

It was clearly a disadvantage for her, but…

I was about to ask why she would do such a thing, but…

“Don’t tell me you’re going to tell me to go back now?”

…the atmosphere wasn’t right for that.

Soon, Tasha received the Rest Week request forms from both of us and forwarded them to Camilla and Mina, our respective proxies. And so, we remained in Lilpet together.

***

Meanwhile, at around the same time, the Lusmire villagers were having a secret meeting with the guards.

Following Kiyan’s suggestion, they had retrieved the contents of Shatrain’s garbage bins and were examining them.

“Hmm. We managed to get it, but this is…”

“It’s not easy to sort through.”

“Most people just ask the mages to handle this kind of thing. No one bothers separating the trash.”

The garbage bins were filled with a mixture of food waste (peels, seeds, etc.), packaging, broken farming tools, soot, and other miscellaneous items. It wasn’t easy to sort through.

Kiyan rolled up his sleeves.

“Don’t worry. We’re good at this kind of thing.”

“Huh? Why are you good at rummaging through trash?”

“Well… when you’re poor, you have to scavenge wherever you can. Even in other villages’ trash bins.”

“I see. Lusmire was…”

“Hey, don’t look at me like that! Anyway, everyone!”

““Yeah!””

Melic, Tony, Dienna, and the other children who had experienced poverty together, rolled up their sleeves and joined in.

And so, the trash was quickly sorted.

“The condition of these farming tools is alarming. They shouldn’t be this corroded.”

“There are so many of them, too. How could they break so many tools? They’re just farming…”

“And that’s not all. Why did they buy so much fertilizer?”

“Hmm… The fertilizer… sniff, sniff… It smells like there’s something else mixed in.”

Several suspicious items were discovered.

Finally, Kiyan held up an object that looked particularly out of place.

“…These other things are strange, too, but this is what I find most suspicious.”

“What is it? A piece of wood?”

“It doesn’t look like anything special.”

“Maybe they were using it as firewood.”

That's what they might have thought, but the Lusmire villagers immediately recognized the peculiarity.

This wasn’t firewood.

No, it couldn’t be used as firewood.

No, was it even wood?

It was too hard, too dense.

‘A monster.’

It looked more like a piece of a monster’s body.

-Ding!

▶ Information obtained from Agent. ◀

[ A strange piece of wood has been discovered in Shatrain’s garbage bins. ]

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