The Damn Family Is Back Again - Chapter 313



313. CHAPTER 4 (1)

To prevent the pursuit team from catching up, I changed carriages and horses as much as possible, and erased witnesses with clothes that completely covered my face and body.

Thanks to that, I was able to arrive at a region in the far north, the furthest from the Duke’s family. I was able to reach Illeor.

▶Entered Illeor Field in the northern part of the empire.◀

“…Is this the end?”

Illeor is located in the exact opposite position of the Bagrande Duke’s family.

Therefore, they can no longer find me or hear any news about me.

It was a successful severance.

Yes. This time too.

The moment of resolution was approaching.

How long had I been waiting for this moment in reality?

I had been eagerly anticipating it.

I had prepared everything and created a turning point in my tedious life.

Escape. And liberation.

This time too, I was able to throw off the shackles of family.

…But.

For some reason, I didn’t feel the same as I did back then.

Why?

I should feel relieved.

The faces of those family members kept overlapping, and I should be more than satisfied since I came out of that space called Memorial that showed my reality.

Strangely, I didn’t feel refreshed.

No. To be precise… I felt empty.

Why? Is there something different between then and now?

The space where I will live alone can somehow be managed with the money I had.

There’s no point in discussing contact with family in a place without a phone.

If I need to earn living expenses just in case, there should be places where I can work briefly like a part-time job…

“Ah.”

I see.

I understood the reason as soon as I compared it to reality.

“…Back then, Ji-eun was there.”

After I declared my disconnection from that house, I took a taxi. Lost in miscellaneous thoughts, I arrived at my part-time job location.

Perhaps because I had tasted an endlessly sweet day, I didn’t realize it was time to leave until the boss told me it was time to go.

And then, holding a bag in my hand, I stepped outside.

– “Why are you talking about time? Are you really the same age as me?”

Ji-eun, who had been waiting for me, was standing there.

She worked the same part-time job and always slacked off while looking at me.

The only difference now was Ji-eun’s presence.

“…Foolish.”

I shook my head to clear away the unnecessary thoughts.

“She’s not even here, so why am I comparing?”

It seems like I have too many useless thoughts.

The most important thing right now is this side.

▶You have reached the next episode branching point.◀

▶Please wait until the timer passes.◀

[ Remaining time: 19 hours 33 minutes ]

I hid my identity well.

The eyes of the Duke’s family won’t reach here.

Most of the characters helped me, so there’s no worry of being caught.

But why does the timer appear?

This was the most unsettling part.

“I hope the game clear window pops up when that ends.”

For now, let’s wait for a day.

This place should be safe.

*

A day passed, and noon approached.

Precisely 19 hours and 33 minutes later, the status window displayed a message to me.

– Ding!

▶ Episode II. Proceeding with the Path of Independence. ◀

“…Ha.”

…As I feared.

It seemed this game wasn’t over yet.

The clear window was for one of the episodes in Chapter 4 that I had been progressing through.

In other words, it wasn’t the clear window for the entire game.

“Hoo. I had expected this might be the case.”

When I first left the Duke’s house, I had made two assumptions at once.

Carsein was bound by the biggest shackle, the Duke’s house.

Since Chapter 4, connected to Another Plan, was designated as the escape route, the story could have concluded with this.

So, it wouldn’t be strange to display the clear message here.

That was the first assumption.

And the second.

Although I had escaped from the Duke’s house, I had only cleared Chapter 3 and the episode at the beginning of Chapter 4.

If there were more chapters left, I would proceed to the next, and I would have to keep going until I cleared the entire game.

That was the second assumption.

The story of this game that I knew was up to Chapter 3. And that too, only up to the situation just before the escape.

So, I thought I would have to face it to know what would happen…

▶ From Chapter 4 onwards, you will be afflicted with a specific status ailment. ◀

▶ Status Ailment: Independence ◀

[ The rate of stamina depletion greatly increases! ]

[ The amount of action points and health required for actions greatly increases, and the maximum amount decreases! ]

[ The occurrence rate of most status ailments and diseases, including cold, frostbite, and hypothermia, increases, and their effects and duration increase! ]

…

…

Among the two, the system sided with the latter.

“A status ailment, huh.”

I hadn’t been injured anywhere, yet suddenly I was afflicted with such a status ailment. It was a rather abrupt message.

But looking at the title, it wasn’t that abrupt after all.

▶Status Abnormal: Standing Alone◀

Yeah. Since I left home.

If you read through it, you can vaguely understand that once you leave the duke’s house, there’s no place to return to.

It’s the same as back then.

The winter weather that’s coming is harsh.

The cold air that cuts through the flesh, and if the cold wind blows just once, it would literally chill the bones.

Even if I fell into a light sleep after coming back from a part-time job, the cold would make my eyes snap open.

Since then, my room has been a musty-smelling basement.

There was no warm heating or a soft bed.

I had to search and buy a blanket to cover my body, let alone a cozy one, and I had to lean my back against the hard floor instead of a bed sheet.

Old, with wind seeping in, rain leaking in. Occasionally, when the electricity went out and the fluorescent light went off, I had to fix it from outside.

Instead of a sturdy chair and desk, I had to use a creaky chair.

In short, this is exactly the same as my reality, which tells me to bear the weight of standing alone.

So I chuckled.

“What’s the big deal?”

It’s nothing special, right?

These are things I’ve been used to doing.

Of course, if you match it to this worldview, to the setting of this game, it would be harsher.

But whatever I do, it would be better than being in that house.

“Well, since I came to the north and am living well, I’ve already adapted to this.”

The problem is what more will come from there.

-Thump thump.

Along with the sound of knocking, a thick man’s voice was heard.

He was the one who rented this room to me for money.

“Hey, young man. Are you in there?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Hmm. Do you have any thoughts about working?”

Work?

Why suddenly…

-Ding!

▶A request has been made. Do you accept?◀

▶Upon acceptance, you can earn money proportional to the degree of completion.◀

“They urgently need some workers. Since Illeor is in the north, there aren’t many decent workers available, so you can make a good profit. It seems like they won’t stay for long, so why not go?”

This kind of thing.

I’m quite familiar with it.

Suddenly being given an opportunity to make money… It definitely means there’s something behind it.

▶Proceeding with Episode II: The Path of Independence.◀

▶Survive for the specified period in this abnormal state.◀

[A timer appears.]

The given information is sparse but quite clear.

The abnormal state of independence imposed on me.

The very simple directive to survive.

And finally, the timer indicating the remaining time.

Surviving for that duration is likely the clear condition for this episode.

But is simply surviving that easy?

No, it can’t be.

“Yes, I’ll do it.”

First, I need to prepare.

Because I don’t know what might happen.

*

At the same time.

Some of the imperial nobles gathered in one place.

Given the considerable number of nobles present, it seemed like there would be something to talk about.

“…”

“…”

However, they all just found their seats with stiff, hardened faces.

Why were they so silent and tense?

It was because of a mysterious letter.

The letter, sent at the same time, contained the following phrase:

[A survivor of the Kingdom of Wederos remains. And they are in this empire.]

The nobles who first opened the letter, naturally, did not believe it.

And for good reason, as the Kingdom of Wederos had long since disappeared from the map.

‘Good grief. Who’s playing such a prank?’

‘It’s been years since it disappeared. Why would a survivor of the Kingdom of Wederos appear now?’

‘It seems there’s someone trying to spread strange rumors again.’

‘It’s probably some young brat playing a prank. Who’s been so negligent in raising their child? Tsk tsk.’

They tried to dismiss the contents with harsh criticism. Until they saw the following phrase.

[ Karsein Bagland. He is a survivor of the Kingdom of Wederos. ]

‘Wha, what…!’

‘Karsein… the duke?’

[ It is said that those who possess the Eyes of Wederos change the world with their powerful abilities. Wasn’t that true in reality? ]

Below that, Karsein’s deeds were listed one by one.

As they read, a question naturally arose.

How could a person change so much in just one year?

Starting with that question, they read the last part of the letter, which only deepened their doubts.

[ This is not publicly known, but Karsein has left Bagland. If, at this very moment, all the Westerners suddenly disappeared from the Empire, what could be the reason? ]

‘No way…’

‘Wederos and… the Westerners?!’

‘Come to think of it, his affinity with the Westerners was unusual. It wouldn’t have been strange to suspect earlier…’

‘If, by any chance, it turns out that he is indeed a descendant of the Kingdom of Wederos…?’

Having reached this point, they couldn’t help but swallow dryly at the phrase ‘Eyes of Wederos’.

If he truly was a survivor of the Kingdom of Wederos, it was a plausible story.

The conditions fit perfectly, as he was an adopted child brought in from outside, and it made sense if he had awakened those eyes and changed while living with the duke’s family.

Thus, they gathered here.

To find out if the contents of this letter were true.

“You all… must have come after seeing the same letter?”

Nod.

“…What has happened? Speak as you know.”

In the hall, which had fallen silent for a moment, a man spoke in a trembling voice.

“It was all true.”

“What, what did you say…?”

“Karsein Bagrande was not in the Duke’s house. The Westerners were the same. It seemed they had disappeared somewhere.”

“There was also information that the Westerners were buying all kinds of weapons.”

“Well, then…!”

“It might be true. They could be plotting a rebellion.”

Rebellion.

A deeply fearful word.

“A, a rebellion?”

“If they have that much power and are contacting the Westerners to obtain an army, it makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“…I agree. There’s no other explanation.”

“If the survivor is the only royal family member, the possibility is not small.”

With their formidable power, it wouldn’t be strange if they swallowed the empire at any time.

Among the Westerners, the people of the Kingdom of Wederos, who possessed exceptionally outstanding power, were known to see through everything with just their eyes.

The eyes of Wederos.

Eyes that read and analyze mana.

It was a power that completely blocked the empire’s weapon, magic.

If even one of them was alive.

If that person was a royal of Wederos.

For the nobles of the empire, they were a person who must be eliminated.

“Spread this fact as a rumor. The royal family is friendly to Karsein, so they will try to thwart our intentions. Do not respond to them. Everyone understands what I mean, right?”

-Nod.

They must be quietly eliminated.

The cause of death doesn’t matter.

The royal family. The Western tribes. Bagrande.

Karsein must be dealt with secretly without them ever finding out.

-Ding!

▶The main episode overlaps.◀

▶Episode III. Those Who Fear Wederos begins.◀

▶An enemy entity appears! If your identity is revealed, a chase will be forced!◀

▶Use all means to survive from them.◀

[ Remaining Time: ??? ]

*

Already, quite a long time has passed since I last met Karsein.

I had to let him go.

That’s why I deliberately left a final farewell and distanced myself.

However.

“…What do you mean? Mina? Karsein is in danger?”

“I happened to overhear while cleaning there… I, I heard it clearly. They said they would eliminate Lord Karsein silently… Ah! Miss…!”

Harni had to go find him herself.