I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Broken Wings (3)

Thud.

Something landed on the grass. And the one who had dropped it…

“M-Mark…”

…was none other than Mark Redelstein, the Vice-Captain, his face pale with shock.

“What did I just hear? The Young Master… what? That it’s your fault?”

“Mark…”

“Explain yourself! Radiel! What did you just say?! Tell me!”

Mark, forgetting his initial purpose, turned on Radiel, his voice rising with each word. He had overheard their conversation.

“What do you mean, 'your fault,' Radiel?! This… this has something to do with that day, with you and the Young Master!”

“…”

“And what about Head Maid Emma? The Duchy's Head Maid! What does she have to do with this? What’s her connection to all of this?”

But he hadn’t heard everything. Only a snippet of their conversation, Radiel’s confession of guilt.

‘No. He must have heard more than that.’

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be this agitated.

“So you’re not going to tell me?”

“…Mark? What are you doing? Why are you…”

“Get out of my way, Radiel! If you won’t tell me, I’ll ask him myself!”

“Mark!”

“Don’t stop me! I need answers! There’s something going on, something you’re not telling me! I can’t take it anymore!”

“That’s not true! The Young Master has nothing to do with…”

“Then why were you crying in front of him?!”

Radiel remained silent, her lips pressed together in a stubborn line. Mark, frustrated, pushed past her, his gaze fixed on Carsein.

He was like a bull seeing red. Radiel, her injured arm hindering her movements, couldn't stop him.

Mark was now within arm’s reach.

“…”

“Tell me, Young Master! You promised me! You promised you wouldn’t run away!”

His eyes were pleading, desperate for answers.

He took another step forward, the word “promise” echoing in the air.

And… I kept my eyes fixed on the object Mark had dropped, the one that was now glowing brightly on the status window.

▶Countdown ending in 5 seconds!◀
▶Memorial will be automatically acquired upon completion!◀
▶Use the Memorial’s memory to calm Mark down!◀

A sword. A Memorial.

The very sword that had injured Radiel’s arm. The one Carsein had wielded.

3

2

1

Ding!

▶Memorial activated!◀

Whoosh!

***

Confined to my room. Again.

It had become a routine, an unwelcome tradition.

And ironically… Carsein had grown accustomed to it. Days, weeks… it didn’t matter anymore.

Even when the confinement ended, when he was allowed to leave his room… the manor itself had become a prison.

So, he would wander. Aimlessly. Avoiding his family, the servants… everyone.

It was a beautiful day, but the sky was darkening.

*The wind picked up, the sunlight vanishing behind a veil of thick, gray clouds. And then… the rain came.

‘Rain…’

Even in the slums, you learned to seek shelter from the rain. It would chill you to the bone, make you sick.

He could turn back, head towards the manor… but…

He glanced at the imposing building, then turned and ran.

There was no going back.

“Huff… huff…”

He needed shelter. He ran, desperately searching for cover, following a narrow path until… he found it.

A secluded alcove, hidden from view.

No one would find him here. He could wait for the rain to stop.

But his body trembled, the cold seeping into his bones. He had been exposed for too long.

“C-cold…”

He was burning up, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He coughed, the sound harsh, painful.

“Why is a child all alone out here…?”

A woman approached him. He was too weak to resist, his vision blurring.

“Wait… Young Master? You’re burning up! Are you alright?!”

She recognized him. The son of Duke Bagrand. She placed her hand on his forehead, her eyes widening in alarm.

And then… everything went black.

His last thought, before losing consciousness, was that he was going to be punished for this.

The rain had stopped.

He woke up in a soft bed, sunlight streaming through the window.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

The woman who had found him was smiling down at him.

“Goodness… you’ve been asleep for a whole day. You must have been exhausted.”

A whole day?

He had assumed he had only been asleep for a few hours, but the sunlight streaming through the window confirmed her words.

The sun’s position had shifted. An entire day had passed.

Carsein cautiously asked, “Where am I?”

“This is the First Knight Squadron’s rest area. I’m Radiel.”

“Radiel… you brought me here?”

“Yes. You were burning up! I contacted the manor, and the physician came to check on you.”

The physician? His eyes widened in alarm.

If Shaiden knew… then everyone at the manor would know.

He would be punished.

“What… what were you doing out here, Young Master?” Radiel asked gently.

He couldn’t tell her the truth. That he had been wandering aimlessly, trying to escape the stifling confines of the manor.

She was a knight, she had said.

A knight. The word sparked an idea.

“I… I want to be a knight.”

“What? You want to be a knight?”

“…Is that… not allowed?”

Radiel hesitated for a moment, then smiled.

“Of course it’s allowed! You would make a wonderful knight, Young Master.”

“Really?”

“Yes! All you need is dedication. And of course…”

Clink.

She placed a bowl of soup in front of him.

“…a good meal!”

He ate, expecting to be summoned back to the manor soon.

But the summons never came. Instead, Radiel had reappeared, accompanied by another knight.

“What are you waiting for, Young Master? Come on!”

“Huh…?”

“You said you wanted to be a knight! Well, that means you need to know how to wield a sword!  I’m a knight, but…

“We figured I’d be better suited to teach you the basics. Captain Radiel said…”

“Mark!”

“What? I’m just stating the obvious.”

“To the Young Master… ugh, never mind. Just… teach him properly, or I’ll make you regret it.”

“Fine, fine, I get it!”

Carsein watched their bickering, bewildered. He had simply wanted to prolong his escape, but this wasn't what he had expected.

And yet…

-Whoosh! Clang!

Wielding a sword, following Mark and Radiel’s instructions… it was exhilarating.

The other knights might have looked down on him, but Mark and Radiel… they were genuine, their enthusiasm contagious.

For the first time… he felt… happy.

Time passed. The summons finally arrived, calling him back to the manor. He endured the scolding, the reprimands… but it didn't matter.

He had found a sanctuary, a place where he could learn, where he could escape the suffocating reality of the manor.

But then, the unexpected happened.

One day, Carsein, as usual, headed towards the training grounds.

“That’s unusual.”

He usually met Radiel near the entrance, but this time… he had received a letter.

A letter from Radiel, instructing him to meet her at a specific location.

Deep within the forest, away from the training grounds.

He didn’t question it. They often trained in different locations, seeking out new challenges. He simply assumed she had a reason.

The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the forest floor. Carsein, following her instructions, walked cautiously, a torch illuminating his path.

“Radiel? Where are you?”

She was nowhere to be found. And Mark, her constant companion, was absent as well.

Perhaps they weren’t at the designated spot yet?

He continued walking, assuming they were preparing a new training exercise.

And then… he heard it. Footsteps. Someone was following him.

“Radiel? Is that…”

He stopped mid-sentence, his instincts screaming a warning.

This wasn’t Radiel. Or Mark.

‘These footsteps…’

They were different. Even during stealth training, neither Radiel nor Mark would be this careless.

Whoever was following him wasn’t as skilled at concealing their presence.

He slowed down, pretending not to notice, following Radiel’s teachings. He would circle around, catch them off guard.

He turned a corner, his movements swift, silent, creating a distraction. And then… he struck.

He pulled back the hood, revealing a knight.

“Ugh…! You little…!”

“You…?”

An apprentice knight. One of his tormentors.

Theo Ramstear.

The one who had relentlessly harassed him during training, the one who had orchestrated those incidents, those acts of petty cruelty.

Where was Radiel? And why was Theo following him?

He was about to demand answers, but…

Thwack!

“Ugh…!”

Something struck him from behind, sending him crashing to the ground. Theo, freed from his grasp, scrambled to his feet, two more hooded figures appearing from the shadows.

“Hey, you alright?”

“Damn it, that little…! He actually tried to use a restraining technique on me?! Get off me, I’ll…”

“Calm down, Theo.”

The one who had kicked him ran a hand through his hair, his voice laced with annoyance.

“We told you to take care of him, didn’t we? Why did you hesitate?”

“How was I supposed to know he’d do that?! It was supposed to be an easy job! I just wanted to have a little fun.”

“You shouldn’t have let him catch you in the first place! We handed you this opportunity on a silver platter! Ugh.”

“Come on, now’s not the time to fight amongst ourselves.”

Carsein, struggling to his feet, interrupted their bickering.

“Why are you following me? What are you doing here?”

“You’re about to be kicked out, peasant. You don’t need to know.”

“What…?”

He stared at them, his confusion evident. And they laughed, their voices mocking.

“You actually believed that letter was from the Captain? You really thought she cared about you?”

“It’s the opposite, actually. You’re holding her back. She can’t advance with dead weight like you on her team.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Oh right. You wouldn’t understand. Hahaha!”

“She’s ruthless. I doubt she told you about the funding cuts, about how your presence is costing her.”

“She’s impressive, in a way. I guess that’s how she managed to secure that position in the Duchy.”

“What are you talking about?! Tell me!”

Carsein’s outburst was met with more laughter.

“Heh. You’re so naive. You really thought she would send you a letter?”

“We have a job. From the Duchy. To get rid of you. And the pay is quite generous.”

“That letter was fake. The Captain never contacted you.”

“The seal… well, you wouldn’t know the difference, would you? I’m sure that woman took care of the details.”

“Just come with us quietly. Go back to your slums. Where you belong.”

“Thinking you could actually become a knight. Tch. It’s about time we got rid of the trash.”

They were going to discard him.

A job from the Duchy.

No one would know. No one would care.

It didn’t matter who had hired them. He had to fight back.

“Aaaagh!”

He drew his sword, breaking Radiel’s most important rule.

“Well, well. Look at you.”

“Stay back. He’s mine.”

“Sure, sure. Have your fun.”

Only one of them stepped forward, his face twisted with rage.

Theo. The one he had humiliated earlier.

But…

Clang!

Their swords clashed, and Theo stumbled backward.

Carsein, after months of training, was no longer the weak, helpless boy he had been.

And there was something else.

Crackle.

“What?! You…!”

“No way…”

“Damn it! How…!”

Mana.

It flowed through his sword, a power the apprentice knights had yet to achieve.