I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 100

Chapter 100: The Remnants of Malice (1)

▶ "Luxury is a Sin" Event in progress!◀
▶ Engage in conversation with Arina!◀
[ Designated Location: Arina's Office ]

I finished my conversation with Claire, following my talk with Isabella.
There shouldn't be anyone else to meet for this event.

Relieved, I headed towards the designated location, Arina's office.

Strangely, the door was slightly ajar, and voices leaked through the opening.

"Big Sister... Can't we do something about it?"

It was definitely Flora's voice.
However, her tone sounded unusually pleading.

It wasn't strange for Flora to seek out Arina.
Whatever the reason, she could always ask Arina for favors.

But unlike me, she'd receive entirely different treatment.
Even if she mindlessly begged to play, Arina would accept without a word.

Just like the youngest who tormented me in reality, Flora was the cherished youngest daughter of the Duchy, showered with affection.

'Let's put those thoughts aside for now.'

I needed to focus on why Flora was here.

Who knows? Maybe the key to solving this event lies in their conversation. I decided to eavesdrop.

Arina sighed.

"It's not that difficult... Flora, you haven't heard anything from Carsein, have you? You've always hated being around him."

Her suspicion was expected, so I wasn't bothered.
But hating to be around me? What was she talking about?

"I-It's not like what you think, Big Sister. I just... wanted to go with him..."
"If that's the case, can't you go with Claire?"
"Well..."

Flora hesitated, unable to articulate her thoughts.
Perhaps this was the key to clearing this event.

As I thought this, a status window popped up before my eyes.

-Ding!

▶ Flora's !@#%#@!◀
...
...

'What? Why is it like this? Why are the letters so garbled?'

Then, the message on the status window changed.

▶Error Occurred!◀
▶It is not yet the time to intervene in this branch.◀
▶Unable to load choices!◀
▶Determining alternative...◀

‘What?! Don’t tell me…’

This wasn't my first rodeo. I couldn't shake the feeling that time was stopping, transitioning to a different branch.

But unlike before, despite the status window appearing, there was no change in the surroundings. Time hadn't stopped.

-Ding!

▶ Confirmed that CHAPTER 2 - Episode III is not yet complete!◀
▶ Confirmed entering an area where the main event cannot be ignored!◀
▶ Calculating results.◀
▶ Proceeding with two main episodes simultaneously.◀
▶ Time delay to choose a more efficient route. Results will be announced shortly based on the current scene.◀

What? Proceed with two main episodes simultaneously?

That's impossible.
This game only allows you to progress through one main episode at a time.

While it branches off through predetermined routes and conditions, there's no way the main episodes themselves could be split.

‘If that’s true, then this situation, taking a different route, leads to another important main episode.’

Looking at previous cases, two episodes combined to create a new, unforeseen episode.

Of course, they were usually merged or transformed into sub-episodes or hidden episodes... but to have them run separately like this was unheard of.

And yet, it was unfolding right before my eyes.

The system was presenting me with two main episodes at once.

Meanwhile, the sisters' briefly interrupted conversation resumed.

"Carsein hasn't been out in a while either. I thought maybe if I went with him... He could come as my escort!"
"Hmm? You want to take Carsein there?"
"We... can't?"
"Well, it's not that he can't since he's technically a trainee knight in the squadron..."

Arina stumbled over her words, flustered.

Well, of course not.
Taking Carsein as an escort? That would only invite trouble in every possible way.

Adopted or not, he was still a son of the Bagrand Duchy. If they were taking Carsein as the Young Lord Bagrand, that would be one thing. But taking him as a mere knight was practically advertising his status as a lowborn.

Furthermore, he'd be escorting his own sister. The knights would likely intervene, arguing that for the sake of their dignity, Carsein should attend as Young Lord Bagrand rather than a mere escort.

As expected, she was just a naive child.

"Flora, can you tell me why you want to go with Carsein?"
"I... can't."
"You can't even tell me?"
"No. Absolutely not. Not even Mom."
"Hmm..."

Arina looked troubled once again.

She usually gave in to her youngest sister's requests without hesitation, but this time, she was holding back.

‘To sum up what I’ve heard so far, Flora simply wants to take me somewhere…’

What the hell?
The little brat who always tried to shake me off, who cringed at the thought of sharing a carriage with me, wanted to take me somewhere?

It made no sense. Not with Claire, not with Arina, and definitely not with Isabella.

‘This time, even Arina can’t accept this. She’ll turn her down.’

However, I overlooked one crucial thing.

-Ding!

‘…What?’

The appearance of another episode had been foreshadowed.

“I never knew Flora was so fond of Carsein?”
"Huh? U-Um..."
"I'll try my best, but if you don't tell me why, I can't just give you permission."
"We... can't?"
"No. Let's close the door and talk about it properly."
"Ah, okay!"

...I couldn't eavesdrop any further.
I had no choice but to back off. Getting caught now would only lead to the worst outcome.

But I couldn't just give up.

▶ Episode III. The Remnants of Malice is in progress!◀
▶ Finish your conversation with Arina and proceed with the request!◀

The episode had already begun.
I needed to gather as much information as possible.

-Ding!

‘...I wish I could hear their conversation.’

▶ Arina's Private Quarters ◀
▶ This area is a Danger Zone!◀
[ Staying here for too long may result in penalties. ]

Even if it meant risking a penalty, I had to eavesdrop.

***

▶ Leaving the Danger Zone!◀

‘…Was I wrong?’

I braved the penalty and entered the Danger Zone, but I couldn't hear anything.

I tried to find another place to listen in, but if I couldn't hear them from here, it would be the same everywhere else.

It seemed like the system was actively preventing me from hearing their conversation.

It couldn't be helped.
This was something I had to resolve head-on, choosing the right options.

First, I turned my attention to the status window.

-Ding!

▶ Episode III. The Remnants of Malice is in progress!◀
▶ Finish your conversation with Arina and proceed with the request!◀

‘Not much has changed.’

Both episodes couldn't proceed without me talking to Arina.

While waiting for the right timing was an option, I deliberately moved away and waited by the stairs.

"...!"

Soon, Flora appeared, descending the staircase.
I pretended to be casually walking up, and Flora unknowingly asked,

"W-Why are you here?"

Some things never change with this naive little brat.
It was a good thing I retreated after sensing the right time. If she had heard me, she would've screamed and made things difficult.

Might as well sell her off.

"Claire told me to check on you and Arina. What's wrong with that?"
"Sister Claire... ?"

Flora muttered to herself, hesitating.
She paused for a moment, but she didn't seem suspicious that I might have overheard their conversation.

"If it's because of Sister ... no, that doesn’t make sense"
"What are you mumbling about?"
"N-Nothing!"

Clutching her skirt, Flora hurried down the stairs.

It seemed she was worried I might have heard something. Thankfully, she didn't seem to suspect a thing. Still, it seemed like they talked about something important.

“Well, I wasn't expecting to get anything out of you anyway.”

I’d have to confront them directly to learn the truth.
I ascended the stairs as if nothing had happened and opened the door to Arina's office.

"Who is it—? Honestly, have you no manners? Don't you know how to knock?"

As expected, the moment I opened the door without knocking, I was met with a scolding.
But I had something to say too.

"Why bother with manners? You were talking about me anyway."
"...!"
"Talking behind my back? And then lecturing me about manners?"

Arina, who was annoyed about the lack of knocking, shut her mouth.

I didn't know exactly what was said, but it was clear that Arina and Flora had discussed something about me.

"Flora wants to take me as her escort? As if my opinion doesn't matter."

I brought up what I heard, pretending to know more than I did.

The bait was cast.
I didn't hear the entire conversation, only bits and pieces.
But knowing Arina's personality, if I acted like I knew everything…

"Don't twist my words. Are you trying to exaggerate a simple request to take you to a tea party as if it's something wrong?"

…It worked like a charm.

So it's a tea party.
The problem wasn't the tea party itself but Flora wanting me to attend as her escort.

Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed her buttons like that.

Arina sighed and rose from her desk.

"Haa... Sit down first. Let's talk about why I called you."
"Fine."

As she instructed, I sat on the sofa,
maintaining my usual slouched posture.

It seemed to bother Arina, judging by the glare she sent my way.

"I've confirmed your recent large expenditure. You used that money to buy Lusmire, didn't you?"
"So what."
"So what? Do you really think that attitude is appropriate?"

Arina pressed me, her blue eyes sharp.

I, too, was ready with my prepared response.

"If you're going to criticize me for acquiring Lusmire as if it's unbecoming of a noble, be my guest. You know better than anyone the state of that territory, don't you?"
"...You investigated that place before making your move?"
"That's right. I saw a servant who worked there at the party I attended with my fiancée. He held so much resentment towards nobles that he was even considering ruining the entire event."

Intrigued, Arina urged me to continue.

"And that's not all. Lusmire is so isolated that they couldn't even collect tolls. Ironically, the path they needed to use required them to pay a toll."
"...Don't tell me the other territories formed an alliance against them."
"You guessed it. On top of that, they're constantly threatened by monsters. No one to support them, no one to help them in times of need. The territory was on the verge of collapse."

When I revealed the harsh reality of them being forced to pay monster subjugation fees without receiving any actual help, Arina let out a groan and looked through her documents.

"...It's true. To think that Count Modric took all the subjugation fees and even the monster corpses…"

Arina, calling them despicable, organized the documents to be easily submitted to the Imperial Family.

The anger in her blue eyes subsided somewhat.
The dire situation in Lusmire had essentially been resolved by my intervention alone.

"I understand the intentions behind your desire to govern a territory. However, Carsein, remember that you were once the cause of another territory's downfall. You haven't forgotten about Shatrain, have you?"

Here it comes. If Lusmire was brought up, this topic was unavoidable.

When it came to territories, Carsein and the downfall of Shatrain were inseparable. It was a stain on his reputation.

"Managing a territory comes with great responsibility and duty. If you ever feel like you're in over your head, you must inform the Duchy immediately."

As expected, she had already figured that part out.
Now that she was in charge of financial management, it was only natural.

But I wouldn't tell her anything.
Even if I knew I should, I wouldn't.

"I'll say this again because it's important. Carsein, if you let your stubbornness get the better of you, we might see another Shatrain, bringing further disgrace to the Bagrand Duchy. If you can't handle it, you must immediately—"
"I heard you the first time, stop repeating yourself."

I cut her off, my voice laced with irritation.
Knowing that failure meant game over in reality, and knowing what those people had gone through, I couldn't bear to handle it lightly.

"Save your concerns for when something actually happens. I just resolved the issues in Lusmire and made sure they could collect tolls properly, and this is what I get?"

I thought it was a pretty good answer.

But perhaps my attitude rubbed Arina the wrong way.
She snapped.

"You have the audacity to be annoyed when you're receiving valuable advice? It's moments like this that make me question if you understand the meaning of nobility."

-Thud.

"But you truly are a lucky soul. Blessed with such a kindhearted younger sister. That's why I'm holding back my anger and giving you one more chance. Take it."

Arina placed an invitation in front of me.
This had to be what Flora brought with her.

"What's this?"
"It's an invitation to a tea party for nobles. Flora seems to have taken a liking to you lately. I don't know why, but she specifically requested that I allow you to attend."
"If it's a tea party, can't Flora go by herself?"

Arina uncrossed her legs and crossed them again the other way.
She looked at me as though I were still a clueless child, prone to causing trouble.

"I heard they're allowing plus-ones this time. As I said, Flora wants to attend this tea party with you."

She then presented me with a proposition.

"All the attendees are nobles, including many who will be participating in the Eastern Nobles' Conference. It's a good opportunity to make connections. So, I've decided to base my decision about reinstating your authority on this."

My head spun.
Reinstating my authority based on this?

-Ding!

[ 1. (Flipping her off) Shove it. Why would I go to a gathering of those bastards? ]
[ 2. (Resting my chin on my hand) I don't really care? I became the Lord of Lusmire on my own, why do I need your permission? ]
[ 3. (Slamming the table) Didn't you hear Mother? It's my authority. Give it back! ]
[ 4. (Smirking slyly) If that's all, I'll be on my way. I'll just ask Claire for help. ]
…
…

Finally, I understood what Flora came here to do.

The little brat wanted to take me to that tea party.
I didn’t know why, but I had a hunch that something was going to happen. The way the episode was pointing me in this direction was hard to ignore.

Maybe her true objective was whatever event would unfold at that tea party.

But why did Arina's words sound like the first option?

-Look after your little sister! She's worried about you, why are you being so difficult?

Arina’s words were no different.
She wanted me to look after Flora, my little sister.

A chill ran down my spine, but strangely, I felt no anger. It was just… absurd.

‘Wow. Two slaps in the face in one day.’

That thought crossed my mind, but even that didn’t stir any real anger. It was just… pathetic.
Suppressing the frustration welling up inside, I glanced at the choices laid out before me.

Look after my little sister?
Fine, I’ll give her exactly what she wants.

The other options were obviously wrong, considering how unhinged they were.

I wouldn’t reveal my hand just yet.
So, I made my choice.

[ 5. The tea party, you said? Alright, I’ll go. I’ll keep my promise. ]☑

“You said it was a tea party, right? Fine, I'll go.”

All Arina wanted was for me to listen to her, for the sake of her younger sister, Flora.

I didn't want to waste the time I had saved, but it seemed like I needed to let things play out a little longer. Instead of being cooped up in my office, stewing in my frustration, I might as well go out and gather information.

But that wasn’t my real objective.
I didn’t care about the Eastern Nobles’ Conference or the people attending.

Did she think I would obediently follow her instructions? Not a chance.

Sure, I might earn the right to attend the conference by doing as she said. But hadn't I already seen how this played out?

Both my reality and that Memorial showed me that Carsein would never be acknowledged, no matter what he did. And even if there was a chance, I wouldn’t lift a finger for them.

‘Your approval means nothing to me.’

I would earn my place in the Eastern Nobles' Conference through my own merits, as the Lord of Lusmire, not as Carsein of the Bagrand Duchy.

And so, I would attend this tea party with a different purpose in mind.

"Learn as much as you can. If you come back even slightly changed, I'll have no choice but to reinstate your authority."

As I was about to leave, Arina offered me a piece of advice.

Learn as much as I can?
Don't make me laugh. She would be shocked if she knew what I was planning to do at that tea party.

‘Feel free to get mad later. I have no intention of behaving myself.’

I only promised to attend, not to play nice.