The Damn Family Is Back Again - Chapter 288



Chapter 288. The Seer of Wederos (7)

The episode unfolded much like what she had known from the game.

Soon enough, the family of the one who had been beaten emerged, demanding vengeance for their kin.

“The status window… is it not showing anything, just like in the game?”

▶ An enemy entity has appeared. ◀

▶ Defeat the opponent. ◀

From noble mtl dot com

▶ Lv. 82 ◀

▶ HP: ■■■■■■■■■■ ◀

The status window displayed nothing but a message urging to defeat the foe.

No warning, no hint of danger lurked within its confines.

That was the trap.

‘If I simply take that thing down, there’s a trick hidden beneath it.’

Though I had come to learn the ways of the Duke’s household, merely consuming my time would not suffice as a hindrance.

To navigate this game smoothly, such a system was indeed necessary.

Yet, for all that, the opponent felt far too weak.

– Do you even realize what you’ve done? You’ve robbed a man of his sight! You’ve rendered him blind!

– They say his ligaments are torn. Ha. Shouldn’t you have been a bit more careful? That poor soul can’t even eat properly now.

– They say he’s dislocated and can’t walk. How cruel!

These were the phrases that appeared after I vanquished what was deemed an enemy.

It seemed that once I thoroughly dismantled the foe, complications would arise.

The outcome? Well… I had endured all sorts of scorn from my family and even had money extorted from me.

As the damage I inflicted increased, so too did the medical expenses I had to pay the opponent. Thus, I had to take hits while seeking alternative methods.

But perhaps it was due to that memorial and the results of this episode.

It felt strikingly similar.

This situation now, and that moment then.

The man was older than me, larger in stature.

Though we might appear similar in height, he had the advantage in build.

Comparing someone who had eaten well with someone who could barely manage a meal due to family obligations was absurd.

But did that mean I was destined to be beaten and lose?

I can assert, without a doubt, that it was not so.

No. In fact, I could have won.

How could I win, being younger?

With his size and despite our similar heights, how could I possibly triumph?

—

Can you really think you can win after being beaten like that?

If those who were there had heard, they might have mocked and laughed.

Let me be clear: this is not a duel or a game.

In a street fight, it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you come out on top.

You could blind your opponent by jabbing their eyes.

You could sever tendons with shards of glass.

You could dislocate an arm with a brutal twist.

You could win by any means necessary. But… even so, to endure the blows while waiting for an opportunity was the worst decision I could make.

It must have been around middle school. Just like always, I had caught a troublemaker and made an example of him, breaking his nose.

…And then.

I witnessed a scene I could never forget.

– “Hmph, I’ve confirmed the deposit. The treatment and hospitalization fees… quite a sufficient amount.”

– “I hope there are no further demands.”

The image of that woman, paying the settlement on my behalf when I had no money, still lingers in my mind.

Yes. Victory is but a fleeting moment.

With one foolish decision, I had to rely on this family’s support.

The debt I owed them grew, and I found myself in their grasp.

It wouldn’t be any different now that I’m older than when I was in elementary school. No, the repercussions would likely be even greater.

That’s why I chose to lose to that b*stard.

I didn’t want to create more debt for this damned family.

Thus, I could accept this situation, which had seemed utterly incomprehensible in the game.

‘Because I have power, the more aggressively I act, the further I stray from escape.’

The memorial was indeed pointing me toward the answer.

I must not find myself in a situation where I need to rely on this family’s help due to one foolish decision.

– Crack. Crack.

“Are you ready? You filthy commoner?”

With a polished exterior, he approaches, bones creaking ominously.

‘I just need to control my strength appropriately.’

I must drain my opponent’s energy, and when the moment of choice arises, I’ll dodge and turn the situation to my advantage. That way, I won’t lose too much money.

*

– Whoosh!

A fist moves slowly, as if in slow motion, yet it rushes toward me.

My body instinctively flinches away.

“Ah, what’s this? You’re dodging, huh?”

– Whoosh! Hoo!

▶ Stamina has decreased. ◀

[ Current level: 80% ]

▶ Caution! Your movement and actions may be restricted or lose effectiveness based on your stamina level. ◀

▶ If it’s combat-related movement, efficiency will drop even more! ◀

‘…So, dodging really does drain stamina too quickly.’

Was it really a joke that I was once a knight? Because of that, my stamina dwindles rapidly.

If I neglect my stamina management, I’ll end up collapsing just like in the game. It seems I’ll have to pivot to a defensive stance.

Even after that, I swung my fists several times, but not once did I retaliate.

No. To be precise, I couldn’t.

‘Damn it.’

The movements were so pathetic that I almost found myself timing a counterattack without realizing it.

The fool who caught my clumsy motion smirked and struck my body.

“Ugh!”

“You little shit. You’ve been gritting your teeth and blocking, but finally landed a proper hit, huh? How’s that? Hurts, doesn’t it?”

“…”

▶ You have taken damage; HP decreased! ◀

[ Current level: 76% ]

A trickle of blood flowed from my mouth.

It was a clear blunder to allow an attack due to the opening created by my own actions.

Once I started taking damage, the openings only widened.

It’s not hard to keep blocking, but the damage from being hit repeatedly is unavoidable.

But.

[ Remaining time ]

[ 0:16 ]

‘You don’t have much time left either, you b*stard.’

The excited fool charges at me once more.

Feigning a decent defense, pretending to be weary, I had been caught in the moment.

– Ding!

▶ The timer has expired. ◀

At last, the timer has run out.

Only then did I loosen my arms, which had been awkwardly held up in defense.

‘Status ailments… they’re all over me.’

Bruises. Contusions. Oral lacerations. A bit of bleeding.

These are light afflictions that pose no threat to my life, mere trifles from a scuffle.

With a bit of rest, I should recover.

“Just as I thought, a commoner. Tough as nails, aren’t you? Though, it seems even that has its limits.”

Yet, I still have one last task to complete.

It’s absurd to think of losing funds just because I carelessly let my HP drop with the appearance of an enemy entity.

But that was a concern for when the timer was still ticking.

This timer didn’t appear for no reason.

In this episode, a dead trigger does not exist.

You might find it strange, but the intent is quite transparent.

The moment you strike your opponent, your funds diminish, primarily aimed at obstructing the Another Plan.

If that fails, the secondary goal would be to chip away at HP, stamina, and action points, imposing constraints.

Thus, the end grants me an opportunity in reverse.

“You’re nothing but a fool. This is the price for recklessly marring the face of someone else’s precious sibling, you commoner scum!”

It’s a complete reversal of the way I was first treated.

As the sluggish fist approaches, options flash before my eyes.

– Ding!

▶ Please choose an option.

[ 1. Counterattack to make it mutual and refuse the bounty request. ]

[ 2. Take the hit and collapse, then extort funds in exchange for the one-sided assault. ]

There’s no need for deliberation; the answer is clear.

If randomness is going to render merit useless, it’s better not to expect anything from the start.

Besides, just taking hits doesn’t sit well with my temperament.

“Wha…!”

Two fists collide, crossing in the air.

His fist strikes my face once more, just like before.

But.

“Guh, huff…! Kheh! Cough!”

The blow lands squarely in my solar plexus, leaving me gasping for breath, while he is pushed back. The damage he takes will be far worse—physically and mentally.

“Why? Did you think I was weak just because I stood still and took it?”

“What… did you say?”

“You know better than anyone, having felt it yourself. You can’t beat me.”

“You, b*stard!!”

As I mock him, he grits his teeth and charges at me again.

In this moment, with the timer stopped, the power of the episode does not reach us.

For what I’ve taken? No. I’ll return it several times over.

“Guh, cough!”

He tries to block my attack with sluggish movements, but even slow, he is far too slow.

After taking a few hits, he glares at me as if he intends to kill.

“Die, you filthy commoner!!”

Finally, he wraps his hands in mana.

With veins bulging in his eyes, he rushes at me, resembling that b*stard who lit a cigarette at the memorial.

‘Then this is even better. If there’s evidence of both of us using mana, that’s just icing on the cake.’

It’s hard to create more evidence in this skipped scene, but if he’s the one providing it, that’s truly a stroke of luck.

I brace myself, ready to meet his charge head-on without dodging.

But then.

The situation shifts slightly.

“Stop it right now—!”

-Ding!

▶A specific event occurs as conditions are met.◀

[Someone from your family randomly appears and witnesses your situation!]

“P-Princess Flora?”

▶Flora has appeared.◀

*

“…”

It was undeniable that a chance for reversal had come to me, who had been unilaterally beaten.

Once the timer ran out, someone from the Duke’s family would arrive, and I could be led into a situation of either one-sided assault or mutual confrontation, just as the options appeared.

In either case, witnesses would emerge, and the process of creating testimony would unfold, placing me in a remarkably advantageous position.

But…

‘Flora is the exception, isn’t she?’

In the game, I had often seen Isabella, Arina, and Claire, but Flora had never come to me.

Logically, it made sense.

Those three could ask for opinions from both sides and make a judgment, but what could this little girl possibly know?

Moreover, Flora’s arrival felt far too early compared to the game.

“What gives you the right! What gives you the right to hit our brother!”

“It seems there’s been some misunderstanding…! It’s absolutely, absolutely not like that!”

In the meantime, under Flora’s fierce demeanor, the knight began to falter.

“H-Hit? That’s a misunderstanding. The wrongdoer is over there.”

He gulped, pointing a finger at me.

“That guy beat my little brother. He’s done it before, just because I upset him. This time, my brother came back like this. Look, can you see?”

“…”

The explanation of the situation continued.

In the past, Carsein had struck his brother for absurd reasons, and because of that, his face had ended up like this, a story he could not overlook as an older brother.

“As family, as a brother, how could I let him end up like that? That’s why I got angry and came here!”

Wow. He tells lies without even changing his complexion.

‘Well, that doesn’t matter much.’

Normally, I would provoke him a bit more and leave a clearer mark, but since Flora had unexpectedly shown up, I had to proceed as it was.

After all, given the circumstances, if it turned out to be mutual, it wouldn’t matter much.

As luck would have it, the situation was turning that way.

“Let’s leave it at that. There’s nothing more to hear.”

“Lady Arina!”

– Ding!

▶ Arina has witnessed this conversation. ◀

—

Yes. It must be this way.

Though Flora unexpectedly interjected, this unfolding is inevitable.

“Carsein. Apologize to that knight and his sister, even now.”

Though the words were unadorned, I could almost hear the voice.

“This is an order.”

Cold blood surged within me.

A pleasant chill enveloped my entire being.

In the meantime, that wretch smirked and mouthed words at me.

– Foolish one. Seeing you can’t even leverage family, you’re truly lost.

“Pfft.”

“Are you laughing?”

Family, a leverage?

No, that’s wrong. The words are twisted.

Family is the worst hindrance of all.

I was about to pull out evidence to assert my claim on both sides.

Just then.

“No—!!”

Flora screamed with a voice that could shatter eardrums.

“Flora…?”

“Carsein has done nothing wrong!”