The Damn Family Is Back Again

331. Family (1)

-Ssuk. Ssuk.

“Hey, are they all tied up?”

“Yeah. Once we deal with this person, it’s over.”

The soldiers at the checkpoint were all tied up with ropes and unconscious.

It was truly an unusual sight. Instead of the soldiers at the checkpoint oppressing the territory’s residents, the soldiers were tied up and unconscious by the residents.

Seeing them even gagged, it seemed they were determined.

-Kwaak.

“Ugh, it hurts! Tie it a bit more gently!”

“What, what the…! This person…!”

“Frikt. The gag! Quickly!”

“I know!”

Whether the man hadn’t fainted completely or had woken up after fainting, he made a sound as the rope was tightly tied.

If he made a sound in this situation, it would be a disaster. Daik and Frikt hurried to gag him.

“Tsk. I understand you need to tie it quickly, but could you do it a bit more gently?”

“What?”

“We didn’t resist because we couldn’t. We know what’s going on.”

In a situation where it wouldn’t be strange to shout and draw attention, he calmly asked to be tied more gently. Everyone present was bewildered.

“What is he talking about?”

“He knows what’s going on…”

“The orders were to do this, sigh.”

The residents and the guards were puzzled by the soldier’s words.

Regardless, the soldier indifferently requested to be bound.

“Ah, just tie me up quickly. I don’t intend to resist, so just make it less painful.”

“…”

Daik and Frikt exchanged silent questions with bewildered expressions. Not knowing anything, they shook their heads and continued tying the ropes and gagging him.

But…

It looked different to me.

‘That soldier wasn’t originally assigned to this checkpoint.’

At first glance, the uniform looked similar, but upon closer inspection, differences could be seen.

That person wasn’t originally in charge of checkpoint duties but was a knight of the Bagrande Duchy.

If you are a knight of the Duke’s family, you would be chasing me without exception. Given that the connection with the Kingdom of Wederos has been established, they would be even more eager to chase me.

But why?

Why is a knight of the Duke of Bagland in charge of the inspection?

And why isn’t the knight of Bagland trying to capture me?

As I delve into that contradiction, a past event suddenly brings a sense of déjà vu.

‘…This, this is the second time.’

If you think about it carefully, it doesn’t make sense. Starting from the fact that I passed through Rusmire by carriage without any issues.

From the moment the inspection was conducted, it would have been strange if they had thoroughly searched the carriage, but they just let it pass deeply into the territory, and now, even though the wanted person is right in front of them, they quietly let it go without calling anyone.

Once could be a coincidence, but twice is not.

Unless something is being thoroughly planned.

I need to find out.

What exactly is happening.

‘…Come to think of it. This person said something strange.’

– We didn’t resist because we couldn’t? We did it knowingly.

– The order itself was such an order, tsk.

Did they do it knowingly?

The order itself was such an order?

Instead of an order to capture me, was another order issued from the Duke’s family?

It’s a contradiction.

If the Duke’s family was determined to capture me, there wouldn’t be another order.

Everyone except me maintained a close relationship.

I was the only one who was an isolated existence there.

In a place where I was the only impurity among the mother and daughters, how could there be friction…

– Oh, and thanks to Miss Claire lowering the intensity of the inspection, this side should be fine too.

There couldn’t be internal conflict over the opinion to capture me.

There was no way the family relationship would break among them.

I considered that possibility to be zero.

Until I recalled Tasha’s voice once more.

…Could such a thing be possible?

That’s why the intensity of the inspection is so lax.

Even though they were caught by the residents, they didn’t scream?

This strangely low-intensity inspection itself, was it ordered by Claire?

Confusing.

I couldn’t believe it.

But annoyingly, all I could do was quietly enter the Shatren estate.

-Ding!

▶You have entered the Shatren Field.◀

▶The danger level of this field is ＜Normal＞.◀

▶The effects of Kelvia Allergy are alleviated.◀

[ Kelvia Allergy: Stage 2 ]

[ Some stats are reduced, and action power and stamina are slightly decreased. General activities are possible, but the full strength of the stats cannot be exerted in combat. ]

‘…Normal, huh.’

If classified by danger level, it’s the lowest stage, a field with no threats.

It was definitely not a field that the Shatren estate would have.

Even the influence of Kelvia Allergy was like that.

In a situation where there were plenty of places covered with Stage 5 paths that couldn’t even be accessed, there was this alien debuff of Stage 2.

Strange.

Really.

“…There will be a guest in Shatren, young master.”

Just as I was reluctantly about to step forward.

A soldier behind me spoke softly.

“What?”

“Since they are the one who neutralized the Kelvia fruit, please meet them.”

Another contradiction.

Was about to happen to me.

*

Flora knows.

That the actions of the greenhouse flower, which had ignored reality until now, were life-threatening to someone.

Flora knows.

That while living only as she wanted, knowing nothing, she had lived as she pleased.

Therefore, Flora knows.

Even if she neutralizes the Kelvia fruit and opens a path through Rusmire and Shatren to move.

She knows very well that forgiveness is impossible.

She couldn’t receive any of the luxurious clothes, the cozy and comfortable house, or the delicious food that could fill her stomach.

She couldn’t even properly use the title of the Duke’s family, and she was stripped of all rights, being called a commoner or a parasite instead of a young master.

And.

In the end, even her family turned their backs on her.

All of that…

It was all caused by her own hands.

The reason Carsein truly tried to leave the Duke’s family was none other than Flora Bagrand’s immature actions.

So, this is the end.

She will not stop him from leaving.

She knows very well that she has no right to hold him back, and she can’t hold him back.

Therefore, she prays.

Because it’s the last time.

Because she knows they will part.

She wanted to call him just once.

She wanted to speak to him just once.

Just before the farewell. She wanted to convey it just once.

-Click.

In the prayer filled with earnestness.

The silence is broken and the door opens.

The girl, who was prepared for the farewell, spoke in a very gentle voice.

“…You’re here?”

Familiar black hair and eyes.

A silhouette cast down by the sun.

Even then, she faced him in this dark hut.

The last time with her brother, whom she would never meet again, began.

*

The residents of Chatren did not waver.

The soldier at the checkpoint mentioned that there was someone to meet, but this was not denied.

“…As the soldier said earlier, someone who wishes to meet the young master has come to our Chatren.”

“Kelvia fruits have also been scattered all over Chatren. Naturally, the concentration was higher where the young master’s footsteps could reach.”

“But now, it should be pleasant enough to enter if you just block your respiratory tract a bit. This… was actually an order given to us by the guest who arrived first.”

From the fact that there was someone to meet to the neutralization of the Kelvia fruits. They did not hide the fact that they knew this in advance and honestly confessed it to Carsein.

“…The guest has already been seated. They also wish to have a conversation with the lord.”

With this, Carsein immediately moved.

An unshakable sense of incongruity.

A sense of déjà vu that was unpleasantly overlooked.

Thus, the two met.

“…You’re here?”

In the dark cabin where no light entered.

A person who wouldn’t be strange to shout and make a fuss there cautiously turned their head and asked.

A voice that seemed to belong to someone with golden twin braids.

A voice that seemed like it would be full of charm and receive lots of love from sisters and mother.

A voice of a naive little kid who, even while holding a teddy bear in one hand, would still want to have more.

But there were no golden twin braids.

Her sister. Especially like Claire, her hair was completely let down.

The voice that would act charming or receive love naturally wouldn’t come out, but at least the voice that would shout and whine arbitrarily didn’t come out either.

There was no teddy bear. Her hands were empty.

It was a distinctly different appearance from the past.

“…Ha. I can’t believe it.”

But.

Flora Bagland. She is the youngest daughter of the Bagland duchy.

“Yes. You started to take an interest in pharmacology following Shaden at some point. I overlooked that. The person who scattered the neutralizer here and there… it would be possible if it were you.”

Striking the back of the head several times.

Rolling people and placing an unbearably heavy false charge on them.

A person who thoroughly isolated others without holding any rights.

From Carsein’s standpoint, she was bound to be a suspicious person.

In other words, this situation is a paradox.

“I just can’t understand it. Of all people, you used a neutralizer to create a path all the way to Lusmire and Shatren. It seems like your goal wasn’t to capture me, but to meet me here.”

“…”

“What exactly were you trying to do?”

Just the fact that you scattered the neutralizer here and there doesn’t justify it.

But in the end, the neutralizer created a path to this place.

As if guiding Carsein to come here easily.

Carsein asked directly about this purpose.

Flora murmured in a trembling voice.

“…Because it’s the last time.”

“What?”

“I did it because I wanted you to trust me just once, for the last time.”

The blonde girl lifted her head.

Her eyes were filled with tears.

“I’m sorry for tormenting you all this time. I’m sorry for doing bad things. I… I was too stupid to realize it too late. I made you suffer every day, tormented you, and even stopped you from eating… I’m really a bad person…”

“…”

“So I tried to make medicine. I learned from Shayden, studied hard, and tried to make medicine. Because I don’t want you to be in pain anymore…”

Flora handed over the medicine she was holding tightly with both hands.

“I made this medicine myself. If you drink this, you won’t suffer from Kelvia allergy anymore. So…”

-Ding!

▶You can obtain the item.◀

[ Kelvia Allergy Cure ]

“I’m sorry, brother. I’m sorry for tormenting you all this time, brother. So… can’t you trust me just this once…?”

-Drip, drip.

The tears that had welled up fell in drops.

◆Kelvia Allergy Cure

[ When taken, the body adapts to Kelvia allergy. ]

[ All allergy levels decrease by 3 stages. ]

“…”

Carsein doubted his own eyes.

But no matter how many times I looked, again and again.

The phrase did not change.