I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Legitimate Right (7)

Ferdi didn’t know his parents.

He didn’t know their names, their ages, or even the sound of their voices.

What could a child abandoned at birth possibly remember?

Nothing.

He was alone.

His world was small.

He had been a baby, crawling on all fours, his vision limited to the confines of a small house, filled with unfamiliar faces.

His life had begun in an orphanage in Shatrain. And Shatrain was his whole world.

But that small, limited world, was filled with warmth.

“Your name is Ferdi.”

“Ferdi?”

“Yes, Ferdi. That’s how you write it, and that’s how you say it.”

He had grown up under the care of strangers, his childhood relatively happy and carefree.

He received a name, stopped crying, and learned to walk. He discovered other children, other orphans, who shared his fate.

“Wow, Ferdi’s so good at kicking the ball!”

“Block him! Block him!”

“Ugh, he scored again.”

“We’re winning because of Ferdi! We always used to lose!”

He had never felt alone, never experienced the loneliness of a child abandoned, forgotten.

“Hello, Mister!”

“Haha, Ferdi. Skipping your homework again, are you?”

“Ugh, I’ll do it later! I have to play with my friends!”

“Are you sure you’ll actually do it?”

“Should I tell the matron?”

“Don’t! Please, don’t tell her!”

─Hahahaha!

Shatrain, his home, had embraced him, shielding him from the harsh realities of the world.

He had never gone hungry.

He had never felt lonely, surrounded by friends and caregivers who showered him with love and affection.

His world, despite its lack of parents, was rich and fulfilling. He had grown up happy and carefree, learning, playing, and exploring.

And even when he learned about his parents, about their abandonment, it hadn't shattered his world.

But…

There was a darkness, a shadow lurking beneath the surface of their idyllic lives.

“It’s time for Shatrain to evolve. You all know that our specialties, the strawberries and grapes, are highly sought-after by the nobles. If we focus on supplying them exclusively, we can achieve unprecedented levels of prosperity.”

“But, what will happen if we continue to harbor these orphans? Those filthy creatures don’t belong in our Noble Street! They’re a stain on our reputation!”

“It’s time to get rid of them. Those orphans are a burden, a drain on our resources! It’s time to let them go.”

Shatrain, a territory that attracted attention, was constantly targeted for development.

And the outsiders, the nobles who visited their village, were always the ones who voiced these concerns, these suggestions for improvement.

Ferdi, no longer a naive child, understood their words, their intentions.

“The Village Head is too sentimental. The most logical approach would be to get rid of those orphans and create a separate district for the nobles, wouldn't it?”

“He’s so slow! This is the perfect opportunity! The Imperial Family no longer controls us!”

“We could… exacerbate the situation, create an artificial crisis. That might force the Village Head to make a decision.”

“Ooh, interesting…”

“Let’s give him a little push. He needs a… motivation.”

There was a conspiracy, a group of individuals who sought to change Shatrain, to transform it into something different.

They were the ones who had benefited from Shatrain’s prosperity, who had lived comfortably for years, and they were now colluding with outsiders, eager to exploit the territory’s potential.

Ferdi, overhearing their conversation, had been unable to shake the feeling of unease.

There was a faction within their village, a group of people who wanted to get rid of the orphans, to change Shatrain.

And his fear had become reality.

“How did it go?”

“Hehehe, perfectly. They didn't suspect a thing.”

“Wow… So this is the kind of money we could be making? And that fool of a Village Head has been refusing these offers all these years? Because of those orphans? Tsk!”

They were already acting, their actions subtle, their intentions hidden.

The production of Shatrain strawberries and Shatrain grapes, the territory’s two specialties, began to decline.

As the supply dwindled, the price skyrocketed, making it impossible for commoners to afford them.

The fruits, once enjoyed by all, were now a luxury, reserved for the wealthy.

And Shatrain, as a result, generated more revenue, more profit.

“Look at this, this is just a small fraction of what we could be earning. We could have been charging them even more.”

“It’s not fair! They’re cheating us!”

The seeds of discord were sown, the villagers’ unity fracturing. They had initially supported the Village Head’s decision, but now, having tasted the sweetness of profit, they wanted more.

The path to prosperity, they believed, lay in exploiting their specialties, in raising the prices, in catering to the wealthy.

And so, the prices continued to rise, the fruits that had once been a symbol of Shatrain’s abundance, now a luxury, a symbol of their greed.

Embezzlement, a hidden cancer, began to spread, the money being laundered, funneled to other territories.

Ferdi, witnessing the corruption, the rot that was consuming his home, had to make a decision.

“…Shatrain… it’s broken. We’re… we’re going to be expelled. By those… those people!”

Shatrain was no longer the same.

The warmth, the kindness, the sense of community, was gone.

Their eyes, their ears, were focused on profit, on personal gain.

And so, he had decided to fight back.

“We can’t… we can’t let them win.”

He had to protect his home, his friends, his family.

He would disrupt their plans, sabotage their efforts, steal from them.

Anything to save Shatrain.

“That ungrateful wretch! ”

“He’s stealing from us, after everything we’ve done for him!”

“He’s a troublemaker, a disgrace to our village!”

Their words, their accusations, stung.

He felt a deep ache in his chest, a sharp, unbearable pain.

They were calling him ungrateful, a traitor.

These were his neighbors, the people he had grown up with, the people who had been a part of his world, his family.

It hurt.

But he had to endure it.

He had to continue his fight, to show them that their actions were wrong.

Even if it meant losing his home, even if it meant facing the matron’s disappointment, even if it meant being labeled a disgrace to Shatrain.

He had to stop them.

He had been causing trouble for years, disrupting their plans, stealing from them.

And then…

“This farming method is wrong! You can’t use it!”

One person had arrived, a beacon of hope, a savior.

His name, they said, was Carsein Bagrand.

***

This was the best he could do.

He had been caught stealing a contract, a document that outlined a deal between a noble family and a group of mercenaries. He had hoped to steal the entire ledger, the one with the names and the down payments, but this was enough.

He knew his punishment wouldn’t be lenient. They would use his past transgressions, his history of theft, against him. And they wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate him.

‘But I don’t regret it.’

They would understand.

They would see that there was an enemy within their village.

And then, Shatrain would be saved.

‘That’s all that matters.’

Carsein had said he wouldn’t be driven away.

He would prove them wrong.

He would fix this.

Ferdi closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

But then, a loud crash, a splintering of wood, interrupted his thoughts. Someone had been thrown against a stack of crates.

“He... He’s more of a thief than Ferdi?”

“That’s absurd! He would never!”

"Everyone knows that Ferdi has been openly stealing in this territory. You're well aware that he even robbed the Lusmire caravan!"

"On the other hand, that man is no thief! He has worked here for years, practically burying his bones in this territory!"

Accusations poured in against Carsein, who had kicked the villager in the stomach, sending him flying.

Ferdi opened his eyes, and he recognized the man, the one who had been thrown against the crates.

It was one of the conspirators, the ones who had been embezzling funds and manipulating the village.

‘He’s… He’s going to expose them…!’

He would prove it. He would reveal the truth.

Ferdi, his heart pounding, shouted,

“No! Young Master, don’t!”

He couldn’t explain.

But he knew what was about to happen.

They would use that contract, that stolen document, to accuse the man, but…

The man’s shop was losing money. There was no way to prove it was embezzlement. It wouldn’t work.

“Don’t worry, Ferdi.”

Carsein, his voice calm and steady, said,

“You’re not a criminal. You’re not guilty.”

And then, he turned towards the villagers.

“Tell me, why is his shop losing money? What are your thoughts?”

“It’s because of that thief! Ferdi’s always stealing from him!”

“That boy has stolen from him countless times! We’ve lost track!”

“And he disrupts our business! We can’t even fulfill our orders because of him!”

They protested, their voices a chorus of anger and accusation, and Carsein, with a smirk, asked,

“And how much did he steal? How much did you lose?”

“You’re the temporary lord! Shouldn’t you already know that?!”

“Ugh… I’ll tell you! He cost us… four thousand Pesel on average, every quarter! This is ridiculous! He’s not a thief! He’s a criminal!”

“Four thousand Pesel? Ahahaha!”

And then, Ferdi understood.

He understood why Carsein was laughing.

‘You… You can prove it, can’t you?’

He didn’t need to ask.

He knew the answer.

“I… I stole from the Lusmire caravan yesterday. It’s true.”

“You little…!”

“Why are you…!”

“Go on, Ferdi.”

“How much did… how much damage did I cause you, Young Master?!”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“He stole from my caravan yesterday. Now, how much did I lose from that? Sure, I can easily answer that.”

Carsein, ignoring the bewildered villagers, held up a single finger.

“You… You’re saying he stole one thousand Pesel?”

“No, one hundred Pesel. He only stole food.”

“Food…?”

“Yes, food. He didn’t touch anything else.”

“You’re telling us… he only cost you one hundred Pesel?”

-Flip.

“That’s what I calculated yesterday. Here’s the ledger. See for yourself.”

“….”

“Doesn't this seem strange? This man claims to have lost four thousand Pesel, but my caravan, carrying far more valuable goods, only suffered a loss of one hundred Pesel? Is it because he’s the one who organizes the festivals? Or is it because he’d rather steal from his own people than from an outsider, a stranger?”

The villagers, after examining the ledger, their eyes widening in shock, turned towards the man, their gaze filled with suspicion and anger.

“The ledger really does say one hundred Pesel…”

“Explain yourself. How did you incur such a loss?”

“W-What are you talking about?! Are you accusing me of something?!”

“You have to explain those losses, those missing funds. Four thousand Pesel… That’s a significant amount.”

Their gazes, once filled with confusion, now hardened, their suspicion growing.

And their anger, their accusations, were now directed at the man who had betrayed them, who had used his position to enrich himself while their village suffered.

“It was… It was that thief, Ferdi! He stole from me!”

“You’re claiming he stole four thousand Pesel worth of goods? From your shop?”

“That’s absurd!”

“Wait a minute, this doesn’t make sense. How could he possibly incur a loss of four thousand Pesel?”

“And we haven’t even had a festival this year…”

“That’s why I said he’s a thief. He’s been taking jobs from other villages, even when Shatrain was prosperous.”

Carsein pulled out another document, a folded piece of paper, and held it up for them to see.

“W-What?! How did you get that?!”

“He received a contract from another village, incurred a loss, used the village funds to cover it up, and then pocketed the remaining payment. Quite a scheme, isn’t it?”

“….”

The pieces fit together.

The evidence, irrefutable, transformed their suspicions into certainty.

“Y-You…!”

“You… you deceived us! You betrayed Shatrain!”

“Quick, someone tell the Village Head…!”

And then, Ferdi shouted, his voice clear and strong,

“No! We can settle this right here! Right now!”

“Ferdi?”

“What are you talking about?”

“He’s the lord of Shatrain! Don’t you see?”

“…!”

He was right.

They were fools.

Why were they delaying his punishment? Their lord was right there! He had the authority, the power, to dispense justice!

Carsein, as if waiting for this cue, grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck, his grip firm.

“Gah! What… What are you doing?! Help me! Someone, help!”

“I didn’t intend to issue any further orders, but… I can’t just ignore this.”

“H-Hey! I didn’t do anything! I swear, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

The villagers murmured among themselves, their eyes wide, their expressions a mixture of shock and confusion. But they weren’t challenging him, not anymore.

-Ding!

Carsein smiled, a genuine smile this time, as he glanced at the notification that appeared, confirming his victory.

▶ You have eliminated an internal enemy. ◀

▶ Ferdi has become a true ally. Three death flags have been removed. ◀

▶ Shatrain’s Reputation increased. ◀

[ Shatrain’s Reputation: -80 → -65 ]

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