The Damn Family Is Back Again - Chapter 300
300. Before He Leaves (1)
After the episode of eliminating the assassin and protecting the designated target.
Now, there’s nothing left.
Until Chapter 3 is concluded, the main episodes are mostly just obstacles to another plan.
They didn’t feel particularly threatening, and it was just a matter of steadily accumulating the necessary funds for the escape.
—
—
However, there is still something left to do before that.
Although I managed to clear the episode somehow, I couldn’t avoid being hospitalized, so I had to face the aftermath head-on.
But then.
▶Your overall evaluation rank for the Founding Festival is B.◀
Surprisingly, the overall evaluation rank wasn’t low.
I had been absent for quite a while.
I suddenly got seriously injured and hospitalized without even giving a hint to the knights.
There must have been more than a few things I neglected, yet the rank wasn’t particularly low.
There were even things I should have been criticized for.
Even if nothing else, this was definitely something to be nitpicked.
The vassals, who were dissatisfied because I unnecessarily told them to bring self-defense items, should have protested through the Bagrande Ducal House.
Moreover, it wouldn’t have been strange if multiple penalties were imposed, and all of these should have been included in the costs.
But.
“While you were unconscious, it seems that real monsters appeared during the Founding Festival.”
According to Camilla, real monsters indeed appeared during the Founding Festival.
Not just one or two, but as if they had been waiting for this moment.
What a coincidence.
My deployment map had soldiers stationed at every key point, which was useful in blocking the simultaneous attacks of the monsters.
Thanks to that, the damage was minimal, and the influence of the vassals also played a part.
“The vassals of the Bagrande Ducal House were also targeted quite a bit, but they were rather cheering, saying that your foresight saved their lives.”
…Originally, it wasn’t meant to be used that way. I just told them to bring it because I didn’t know who might be the target of an assassination.
This isn’t even a matter of calculation, it’s just a matter of luck.
But unfortunately, such luck came with a price.
A price in a form I never expected.
▶A hidden route has been triggered.◀
▶Successfully eliminating the assassins and responding to the monsters has restarted the main episode.◀
▶Episode IX. The Founding Festival begins again.◀
▶Start date: 3 days later◀
“…Restarting the episode.”
I didn’t see it wrong.
—
—
It is not that the conditions for clearing the episode have changed, nor that the episode has deteriorated. Moreover, it is not connected to another episode.
Precisely, ‘restart’.
A window appeared stating that only the number of this episode would be changed and restarted.
“At least this can’t be good news. I’ve never seen, heard, or experienced such a form of consequence.”
I need to think.
The prediction that the episode will start anyway does not disappear.
Even though an absurd situation of restarting the episode has unfolded…
There is definitely a clue.
▶Start date: 3 days later◀
“So it’s not starting now but 3 days later?”
This is the awkward part.
Today was already three days after the founding festival.
There is no reason to give time like this when they could press me by proceeding with the episode immediately.
But what if we match the dates?
Now, three days have passed. And the episode starts 3 days later.
If you add the period, it comes out to exactly one week later, even if you combine all the hours, minutes, and seconds.
To put it bluntly, this was not a restart.
The episode was postponed.
Then why was this episode postponed?
I need to find the answer to this question.
I organize the accumulated knowledge by writing it down on paper.
[1. In the process of progressing through the episode, if it becomes possible to enter another route.]
“This is probably the most common case.”
The most plausible reason for the main episode being pushed back.
That is if it becomes possible to enter another route.
Episodes that do not proceed on time and provide other routes did not distinguish between sub and main, and even events and emergency missions were often postponed.
However, this is definitely not the case.
“In cases where it becomes possible to enter another route, there are usually choices involved. All changes occur due to my choices.”
In this case, it was just faithfully progressing through the main episode, and telling the retainers to bring self-defense items was part of the skip scene’s individual actions.
In other words, it does not apply to any side, so it is not related to the reason for the time being postponed.
—
—
Then we should move on to the next one.
[ 2. When the clear conditions of the main episode change. ]
“…This is the most annoying case.”
There have been cases where the content of the main episode changed. Hidden episodes overlapping were not uncommon, and there were times when I had to search for new clear conditions.
Examples can be summarized as Flora or Claire.
If the clear conditions change without any further ado, it was enough reason for the episode to be postponed.
However, there is one contradiction in this case.
“I already knew the clear conditions. I found all the signs that Isabella would be assassinated. The system even acknowledged it without stopping it, right?”
The explicit goal of the episode was to protect Isabella until the end, and I confirmed it with a memorial.
Since the system openly acknowledged this, it is also unsuitable as a reason for the episode to be postponed.
“…Then the remaining one is this.”
[ 3. When a part that must be progressed in the episode is missing. ]
This is the rarest case, but it did happen occasionally.
There was no problem clearing the main episode, but if a necessary scene was missing, it had to be included, following the same process.
A typical example is the birthday gift for the three sisters.
Whether it was dialogue, actions, or choices, if it was mentioned in any way and was missing, an error message would appear, and the episode would be postponed in various ways.
This means that there is a part that must be included in this founding episode.
“…Is there such a thing?”
The assassin was certainly dealt with.
The phrase that monsters appeared was also handled, albeit with some luck.
Is there a part that must be included when the comprehensive evaluation is already out?
– Thud.
“Ha. What’s the use of worrying about this?”
Whatever. It’s enough that this episode is not being replayed.
Unlike linked episodes, previously performed ones do not appear in episode carryovers. This means there is no need to struggle to find and protect the assassination target.
Isn’t that enough?
“If something is missing, I’ll find out as I progress through the episode.”
For now, I just need to wait for the right time and save money steadily.
▶ You have chosen <Territory> as the method to acquire funds in <Another Plan>. ◀
▶ This is a level 5 condition. The amount of funds you need to hold has increased! ◀
—
—
▶Possess a fund of 2.766 billion Pesels.◀
[ About 70% filled! ]
Anyway, there’s not much left.
*
Three days later.
The Founding Festival resumed.
The royal family recognized that the Duke of Bagrande had taken on too much burden and withdrew the task of preparing for the Founding Festival to reduce the load.
Thanks to that, I didn’t have much to do.
No assassins came like before, and the work was divided among other families, giving me a really leisurely time.
“Mom, mom! Does this mean we can play?”
“Yes.”
“Hehe! I’m excited!”
Of course, it wasn’t just me whose workload was reduced, but also Isabella and the two sisters. Because of that, the Duke of Bagrande gathered in one place.
“I finished everything early, but what about you, sister?”
“I handled it quickly because Flora wanted to play.”
“Hmm. Then we’ll all play together this time. Right? Carsein.”
“…”
The situation was somehow flowing towards moving with the family.
To be honest, there was no such thing when I was progressing through the episodes.
I was busy looking for assassination targets, so where was the time to spend with family? Naturally, the time spent together was extremely little or nonexistent.
Because of that, my mouth felt bitter.
‘…Is this the reason why the episode was delayed?’
No matter how much I think about it, it seems like an excessive leap.
The part that must be progressed in the episode and should not be skipped is just spending time with the family.
There are no events and not even an urgent mission, so this can’t really be an essential scene.
…I repeated this several times.
Even though the Founding Festival was in full swing, no options appeared for me. As if this was the correct answer.
‘Hah… It’s absurd, but fine. If it’s like this, there’s no danger.’
What’s wrong with spending some boring and tedious time? It always happened in reality too.
Before I left that house on my own, I used to waste unnecessary time, so I thought I could just pass it over this time as well.
—
—
Quietly, wearing a mask. While matching their pace.
It’s enough to listen to everything they want and hide my intentions.
After a few hours passed quickly, we arrived at the end of the Founding Festival.
After finishing the main ceremony and coming down from the podium as an awardee, Harnié was standing in front of me with a bright smile.
“It’s been a while since the last festival. Shouldn’t you spend some time with your fiancée instead of just sticking with your family?”
At those words, Flora immediately reacted with a “Tsk!” and a pout.
Claire gently soothed Flora, saying she shouldn’t do that, and Arina nodded and said nothing more.
Time with the fiancée.
Whether this is a coincidence or a stroke of luck, I don’t know.
“May I go?”
“Yes. Have fun with the young lady.”
The sure thing is that I have gained the right to escape from them.
*
Since that day, Harnié has been in long-term agony.
After realizing that Karsein had to leave, she thought she shouldn’t be with him.
He is not a person of this world.
He is not someone who has lived here.
He is someone who has to return to the place where he originally lived.
Because she had feelings for such a man, she couldn’t help but be in pain. Karsein was someone she would have to let go of someday.
But she couldn’t continue to hold onto this pain.
Therefore, she came to this conclusion.
“…Harnié?”
“Yes?”
“Isn’t this… a bit, no, very close?”
“What’s the big deal? Besides, shouldn’t you have such experiences too?”
Before he leaves.
She plans to spend as much time as possible and keep it as a memory.
-Ding!
▶This message is not displayed to the player.◀
▶Harnié Theresia’s synchronization rate has reached 95%.◀
—
—