I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 162

Chapter 162: Legitimate Right (2)

“Pant… Pant…!”

“They’re… They’re not following us, are they?”

“I… I can’t see them anymore… Let’s… Let’s take a break.”

“Ugh, my chest… It feels like it’s going to explode…”

The children, finally convinced they had escaped, collapsed onto the ground, leaning against boulders and tree trunks, their bodies trembling with exhaustion.

They were out of breath, their hearts pounding.

Their plan had failed.

“I thought we were going to get caught…”

“Damn it… Did the flashbang malfunction?”

“No, it was working perfectly. It’s just… they must have figured out a way to counter it.”

“You’re right, they caught us so easily today.”

The memory sent shivers down their spines.

They had never been caught before, but today… they had been grabbed, tied up, their escape thwarted.

They had been lucky to escape. If they hadn’t, they would have been punished, beaten, their past transgressions added to their current crimes.

“But, who was that guy? The one in the carriage? He wasn't dressed like those merchants.”

“I don’t know. Maybe he was one of them?”

“What if he was a noble? We’re in so much trouble!”

One of the children, her voice laced with panic, exclaimed.

“Don’t be stupid, how could a noble be riding in a Lusmire caravan?”

“Then who was he? Tell us!”

“Why would a noble be in a carriage like that? It doesn’t make sense!”

“Well… yeah…”

“You know how some people pay to ride in carriages? Maybe he was one of them. That’s why he was hiding his face. If he was a noble, he’d be wearing his uniform!”

““Oh, right!””

“And I saw his face! He was much older than us! Maybe… three or four years older?”

“So we were lucky.”

They decided it was just a stroke of luck.

“Let’s be more careful next time. We don’t know what they might do if they catch us again.”

“Okay.”

“Now… Let’s eat!”

Their plan might have failed, but they had enough food to last them for a few days.

The sight of the stolen bread brought smiles to their faces.

But…

Ferdi stared at the ground, his brow furrowed in thought.

‘That face… It was him.’

He had been wearing a hood, his physique and appearance different, but he had recognized him.

Carsein Bagrand.

How could he forget?

The name of the boy who had brought ruin to their land.

He couldn’t forget. He would never forget the day Carsein had destroyed Shatrain, transforming their prosperous territory into a barren wasteland.

And…

He had seen him today.

In that Lusmire merchant caravan.

It had been two days since the symposium had begun, and the temporary lord announcement was still pending.

And Carsein had appeared, as if on cue.

It was clear that he would be appointed the temporary lord of Shatrain, since no other noble had expressed any interest in that cursed land, but…

‘Why did he let us go?’

A passenger had intervened?

They had simply been lucky?

“…No way!”

“Ferdi?”

He clenched his fist, shaking his head.

“What’s wrong, Ferdi? Aren’t you going to eat?”

“You worked hard for this. Eat something, before we share it with the others.”

“Yeah, we don’t know when we’ll get another chance. You deserve it.”

“…I’m not hungry. You guys eat.”

“Ferdi!”

“If you don’t eat, we’ll eat your share as well!”

He ignored them, his steps carrying him away from the group.

“It’s not about the food!”

He punched a nearby tree trunk, his anger erupting.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know. He usually eats his share.”

“Maybe he’s upset that he got caught?”

“Whatever, let’s just give the rest to Trisha.”

He should have been the first one caught.

He was the leader, the one who had planned the raid. And he had been caught red-handed, stealing from a merchant caravan, right in front of Lusmire’s lord.

He should have been punished, made an example of.

And…

He had seen it.

He had seen Carsein, deliberately, intentionally, untying the ropes that bound their hands.

Their escape hadn't been a stroke of luck.

Carsein had let them go!

‘But why? Why would he do that?!’

He was ruining everything!

If he showed them kindness, if he showed them mercy…

Shatrain would reject him again.

“And it’s… too early! Damn it!”

-Ding!

▶ Ferdi’s Affinity has increased. ◀

[ Current Affinity: 8% ]

***

The Lusmire merchants, despite their initial anger and frustration, had remained silent after Carsein ordered them not to punish the children.

It was exactly as Tasha had described.

They were repaying a debt, a kindness they had received from Shatrain. They were providing the children with food, ensuring they wouldn't starve.

And so, Carsein reassured them.

He wouldn’t punish them for their actions. He would, in fact, allow them to continue providing food to the children.

A notification, announcing an increase in Lusmire’s reputation, appeared, followed by a rise in their affinity, and then, the caravan continued its journey, heading towards Shatrain.

-Ding!

▶ This area is a Forbidden Zone! ◀

▶ Warning! Forbidden Zones are highly dangerous! ◀

▶ Entering this area may trigger choices and even minor actions can result in a death flag. Do you wish to proceed? ◀

The status window, alerting me to the change in environment, appeared.

It meant…

We had arrived.

▶ You have entered the Forbidden Zone: Shatrain. ◀

▶ The villagers harbor a deep resentment towards outsiders! ◀

▶ Warning! Entering this area may trigger a death flag, depending on your reputation and affinity levels! ◀

‘As expected.’

The Danger Zone level remained high, unchanged.

It wasn’t a physical threat, a combat zone, which meant my stats wouldn’t be enough to protect me.

The real challenge began here.

-Ding!

▶ Reputation and Affinity within Shatrain decreased! ◀

My reputation plummeted the moment we entered the territory.

I hadn't officially announced my arrival yet, so this was to be expected.

Perhaps I should order the driver to speed up, to minimize our exposure to this hostile environment…

But…

“Slow down.”

“Not speed up, Young Master?”

“Slow down.”

This wasn’t the time to be swayed by a simple notification.

-Ding!

▶ Sub-Episode: The Starving Children of Shatrain, activated! ◀

▶ Warning! This sub-episode is connected to the main episode! ◀

▶ This episode will be treated as a Main Episode! ◀

“No!”

“W-What?!”

A child, her arms outstretched, appeared in front of the carriage, blocking our path.

If I hadn't ordered the driver to slow down, the horses would have trampled her.

And that, reported to the villagers, would have been a disaster, an instant trigger for a bad ending.

‘Well, it’s still connected to the main episode, so I have to deal with this. I’ll handle it myself.’

I jumped out of the carriage, and then, I realized… something was different.

“You… You can’t… You can’t enter…!”

Her voice, high-pitched and desperate, was unmistakably a girl’s.

‘That’s not Ferdi… That’s Trisha!’

In the original episode, it was Ferdi, the boy who had stolen food from the caravan, who blocked my path.

But it was Trisha who stood before me now, her eyes wide with fear, her body trembling.

‘What… What’s going on?’

I had followed the script, hadn’t I?

There shouldn't have been any variables this time.

‘No, there’s something different. I have to figure it out.’

Had it started after the Eastern Nobles’ Conference?

Or during the opening ceremony?

The moment I chose Shatrain?

No, that wouldn’t have affected this event.

I had to find the root cause, the reason for this deviation, the change that had disrupted the game’s script.

Ferdi’s appearance in Shatrain was triggered by his recognition of me as the Lord of Lusmire.

And his first line…

-Why are you in Shatrain?!

He had been hostile from the start, his anger palpable.

The episode began with his accusation, his confrontation, and then, as the news of my arrival spread through the village, the real challenge began.

He was a catalyst, a trigger for the episode’s main conflict.

But he was missing.

Why was Trisha here, instead of him?

“You… You can’t… go in…”

Trisha, her arms outstretched, her body swaying, was about to collapse.

“Damn it, this isn’t the time for this!”

I rushed towards her, jumping out of the carriage.

-Thud.

I had sensed her weakness, her fragility, and…

She fainted, collapsing into my arms.

If I had been a moment later, she would have hit the ground.

But…

The danger wasn’t over.

▶ Trisha has collapsed! ◀

▶ Completion rate will be determined by her condition! ◀

▶ If Trisha dies, the episode will automatically fail, and Shatrain’s reputation will plummet! ◀

Of course, it wouldn't be that easy.

“Camilla!”

“Yes, Young Master!”

“Prepare a place for her to lie down. And the rest of you, follow me to Shatrain once I’m back in the carriage!”

“Y-Yes!”

-Click!

“Over here, Young Master!”

I climbed back into the carriage, and Camilla pointed towards a makeshift bed, created from cushions and blankets.

I gently laid Trisha down and examined her.

She was more than just dirty and malnourished.

“We need a doctor! How long until we reach Shatrain?”

“There aren't many physicians in Shatrain… It will take at least ten minutes!”

“Ten minutes…”

▶ You must heal Trisha before the time limit. Failure to do so will result in her death. ◀

[ Time Limit: 7 minutes, 28 seconds. ]

She would be dead before we reached a doctor.

And then, I would fail the episode!

▶ Trisha’s current condition: Choose a treatment method! ◀

“…Haa…”

“Y-Young Master?”

She was burning with fever.

Her breathing was shallow, her pulse weak and erratic.

And then, I saw it.

A wound, infected, pus oozing from a gash near her shoulder. It hadn’t been treated properly, and it was clearly the cause of her deteriorating condition.

I recognized the symptoms.

I had ignored a seemingly minor wound once, dismissing it as a scratch, and it had almost cost me my life.

“Stop the carriage!”

“Yes, Young Master!”

-Neigh!

“Camilla, boil some water.”

“What?”

“Boil water, and then prepare something easy to digest.”

I wasn’t a doctor.

But I knew how to treat someone who was suffering from malnutrition.

“Her body’s too weak, she won’t be able to absorb the medicine.”

[ 3. Feed her and then, carefully, drain the pus from the wound. ] ☑

***

-Ding!

▶ Trisha has recovered. ◀

▶ Sub-Episode: The Starving Children of Shatrain cleared. ◀

[ Time Remaining: 1 minute, 49 seconds. ]

The timer, which had been frozen, resumed. It had been over ten minutes.

Trisha, who had been moaning softly, her body trembling with fever, was now sleeping peacefully on Camilla’s lap. The carriage was well-stocked with medicine, including fever reducers, which had proved useful.

The choices had been straightforward, the solution obvious, but I was sure some of them would have triggered a death flag.

Like the one that involved using a sword to drain the pus from her wound.

My childhood, my experience with hunger and malnutrition, had come in handy in this unlikely situation. I had managed to stabilize her condition, but…

‘It’s not over yet.’

▶ You have entered Shatrain! ◀

▶ The villagers are hostile towards outsiders! ◀

“We understand you’re a merchant caravan, but we’d prefer to conduct business outside the village.”

“Sorry, but outsiders aren’t welcome here. Can you please leave after you’ve finished your business?”

“We don’t have any lodging for merchants. We’re sorry.”

The Shatrain episode had begun.

I had to announce my arrival as the temporary lord. If I failed to convince them, I would be expelled.

But…

There was another obstacle.

“Is that… Trisha?!”

“You… What did you do to her?!”

I had saved her, nursed her back to health, and now…

They were accusing me of harming her.

And then, the choices appeared, mocking me with their cruelty.

-Ding!

[ 1. (Indifferently) I am Carsein, your temporary lord. Pleased to meet you. ]

[ 2. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t want this territory. ]

[ 3. (Exploding) You wouldn’t even listen to me! You condemned me without even giving me a chance! ]

[ 4. (Drawing my sword) You dare speak to me, your lord, like that?! Say another word, and you’ll regret it! ]

…

…

They were all dead ends, paths leading to disaster. But my preparations, my meticulous planning, had created a new path, a solution.

-Rustle.

“Is… Is that…?!”

“Carsein… Young Master…?”

“Why…? Why are you here?!”

"After burdening us with such a debt...! How dare you set foot here again!"

"If you intend to repay that debt, leave this territory at once!"

[ 14. Shouldn’t you be the ones repaying the debt? ] ☑

“A debt? Don’t make me laugh. You’ve been receiving supplies from the Lusmire caravans, and now you want me to repay a debt? To you?”

That was my plan all along.

To enter Shatrain, not as a stranger, not as an enemy…

But as someone they owed a debt to.

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