The Damn Family Is Back Again - Chapter 324



324. Loner (7)

A box of intimacy floated above the two people.

It was a box of intimacy, clearly visible in white.

Of course… this is obviously a trap.

By now, the intimacy must have become useless.

Not only is Carsein wanted, but certain nobles are also highly wary of me because I possess the power of the Kingdom of Wedros.

Considering the background, it is natural that all of them should be wary of me. Therefore, anyone showing a white intimacy box at this point is likely to turn into an enemy later, even if they openly hit me.

The intimacy boxes above Camilla and Tasha’s heads are the same.

Do they not have greed?

Do they not have any material desires?

They might want to have everything.

They might be dissatisfied with their current life, or, being originally nobles, they might want to revive their fallen family at this opportunity.

There are a truckload of conditions that could be a threat.

Could there be a more obvious trap than this?

I resigned myself to the fact that it was only a matter of time before I would be caught the moment I followed the mother and daughter into the carriage and entered Rusmire.

Until I heard the words of the two people that followed.

“Young master. If we stay like this, we will be caught by the knights’ patrol.”

“What?”

“We know the patrol times of the soldiers. They patrol around Mount Wagle and will be here in about 5 minutes.”

“If you go back, the pursuit team will chase you, and if you try to enter the Rusmire territory, there will be people checking, which will be troublesome for you, young master.”

That means we will be caught if we stand here.

“But there is a loophole. If you want to enter Rusmire, you can ride behind this logistics merchant’s carriage.”

“Yes. If you pretend to stop by for a transaction, you can easily pass the checkpoint!”

This statement is also the same.

Even though it wouldn’t be strange if they reported me for profit, they are telling me how to enter Rusmire?

Why are they telling me this?

“You must hurry. You can only enter Rusmire without being caught if you get on now!”

“If you get caught, Miss Harni will also be in danger!”

My complicated mind was instantly cleared.

Originally, I wouldn’t have heard those words.

No matter what temptation, I would have rejected and pushed it away.

Rather, I would have deceived and quickly hidden myself.

But upon hearing that Harnie had gone inside… I had a reason to take the risk.

Yes. Right now, Harnie is hiding in Rusmire.

If I get caught here, it might affect her.

At the very least, I should ensure her safe return.

Also, as they said, there isn’t much time.

-Ding!

▶The pursuit team is almost upon us!◀

[ Time remaining: 28 seconds ]

The pursuit team is divided and chasing me, so I don’t have time to think right now.

No matter what happens behind me, I must get on this carriage.

*

-Clatter. Clatter.

“Stop right there!”

-Neigh.

The merchant carriage in transit stopped, and the soldiers glanced around the carriage before speaking.

“Hmm. A merchant carriage from Rusmire. Where are you headed?”

“I have some goods to trade briefly. The destination is here.”

“Hmm. Well, it is important goods.”

One soldier stroked his chin, convinced by the carriage’s route.

On the carriage’s route.

“But, is that all?”

“…What do you mean?”

“You know well, don’t you? I’m asking if anyone passed through here.”

“Well, I don’t know.”

“You don’t know, you say.”

Other soldiers also cast suspicious glances at Camilla.

“Are you sure you don’t know?”

“…Are you suspecting me now?”

“There are traces of a horse running from the north to here. But there are no traces of a horse around here. That means they escaped on foot, right?”

“If that’s the case, it’s only natural to encounter them in a place like this.”

“Camilla. You were once the personal maid of Carsein Bagran. So, there’s a good chance you’re lying to us.”

It’s only natural that suspicion is being shown.

This is Ruthsmeyer. There’s a good chance Carsein fled to the territory he once ruled.

“So, what are you trying to say? Are you asking if there’s someone coming out of the carriage?”

“Yes. Yes. That’s─”

“Ruthsmeyer is currently under the jurisdiction of the Bagran Duchy. Any checks outside the checkpoint can be interpreted as doubting the Bagran Duchy, and I can report it as such, right?”

“What, what…?!”

“What do you mean by that! This is for the inspection…!”

“You seem to have forgotten, but this is the Bagran Duchy.”

As Camilla responded calmly, Tasha came out of the carriage, pulling back the curtain.

“According to the policy set by the Duchy, only inspections at the checkpoint are allowed. Any actions affecting the territory beyond that are politely declined.”

“I haven’t heard of such a policy!”

“Lady Arina has already issued a warrant throughout the empire!”

“Isn’t that also permitted for inspections?”

To find the wanted Carsein, even this was allowed.

That was their argument.

But Tasha easily dismissed this claim.

“Lady Arina issued the warrant, but it was Lady Claire who applied this policy within the Duchy.”

“What, what did you say?!”

“A warrant is a warrant, and the policy within the Duchy is a separate matter. This is a clause applied by Lady Claire within the Duchy.”

There was nothing to say to that.

Denying this would mean breaking Claire’s policy.

“Interfering with transactions within the territory, if you want to go against the Bagran Duchy, go ahead. But you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”

Tasha’s threat made the soldiers flinch.

‘Going against the Bagran Duchy and dealing with the consequences. That’s absurd…!’

‘Who can go against the Bagran Duchy?!’

‘Even the royal family can’t treat them lightly…!’

There was nothing to say. It was true that they had to catch Carsein somehow, but they couldn’t touch that carriage.

In the meantime, Tasha handed over a list of the transaction items, prices, and quantities.

“We have already proven our innocence. There are no traces here, and if we had fled, you would have at least found a horse standing, but you didn’t find even that. If you are confident, search as much as you want. However, if you ransack the carriage and don’t find what you’re looking for…”

You know what will happen.

With that unspoken pressure, the soldiers gulped.

“Th-that’s right. If you’re that confident, it must really not be here.”

“Tch! Search elsewhere!”

“Find traces where the horse passed!”

The soldiers retreated.

Around the peddler’s carriage, it became quiet again.

Tasha cautiously looked back and asked.

“Now, will you believe us, young master?”

“…I can’t understand.”

Karsein, who had been silent inside the carriage, sheathed his sword and muttered.

“Why are you doing this? It would be better for you to confess that I’m here.”

The two frowned and spoke.

“I would rather die than stab a benefactor in the back. There is no reason to live with such a corrupt soul.”

“We owe our lives to you, young master. So, from the moment we betray you, our lives are as good as gone.”

The two sincerely wanted to help Karsein.

So Karsein couldn’t understand at all.

“…We will now escort you to Rusmire. Oh, and thanks to Lady Claire’s order to lower the inspection intensity, this side should be fine too.”

“Claire gave such an order?”

The mother and daughter of the Deol family nodded solemnly.

‘It’s better not to mention this, mother.’

‘Yes.’

The peddler’s carriage started moving again.

Having escaped the dangerous situation, they could now move freely.

But Karsein remained silent, just watching the status window.

-Ding!

▶ Due to Claire’s order to weaken the inspection, the interior of the carriage is not searched. ◀

▶ With the help of Camilla Deol and Tasha Deol, you enter Rusmire. ◀

From noble mtl dot com

▶The danger level of the field has decreased.◀

“…Why on earth?”

*

The soldiers who had finished their report were sweating profusely.

Anyone could see that this was a situation where they were going to get severely reprimanded.

-Tok. Tok. Tok.

The fingers tapping on the table stopped.

He asked the soldiers who came to report in a cold tone.

“You lost track of Karsein.”

“…Y-Yes.”

The soldiers shuddered at his voice, which seemed to freeze them.

-Clang!

“Argh!”

The pottery shattered and struck the soldier’s head.

Grabbing the soldier by the collar, with blood streaming down his head, he asked.

“Alright. I’ll ask you a few questions. Answer them. Got it?”

“Ugh… Y-Yes…”

“It’s impossible to escape from Eleor with just your body. So, you have to use another way. Up to this point, you can consider it an error range caused by the characteristics of the northern region and the area called Eleor. Because the effect of the Kelvia fruit doesn’t reach well there.”

“Ugh!”

-Crack!

With a chilling sound, the soldier’s face began to crumple like a tin can.

“I spread Kelvia fruit over that wide area. The concentration is incredibly thick, so is it possible for Karsein to hide anywhere?”

“Im-Impossible…!”

“The path to escape from the back of the abandoned mine. Let’s assume he escaped on horseback from there. But the entire empire issued a wanted order and completely locked down the area. Is there a possibility he escaped?”

“N-No… Argh!”

“Then where the hell did he go, you b*stard? Huh? Huh? Huh??”

Every time he applied force to his hand, the soldier screamed.

It was an impossible task.

Once the assumption arose that Karsein might possess the power of the Kingdom of Wederos, the nobility would never let him go.

“I bowed my head so much, played the fool, and deceived those b*stards. I’ve been doing that for years. Damn it. Do you know how furious I was when I heard that I was being pushed aside by that woman from that stupid marquis? But if things go wrong like this at the end, won’t I feel even worse?”

“…”

-Thud.

“Ah. He’s dead.”

Finally, something touched the distorted face, blood gushing out as it was pressed, and the soldier, whose something had burst, lost his breath on the spot.

Seeing the eerie monster’s hand, the other soldiers, drenched in cold sweat, were terrified.

Who would be next?

It was a tense moment.

“Hey, you. Come here. This guy is dead, so I have to ask you.”

“M-me?”

“Yes, you. I’m talking to you.”

Death approached with a firm pointing finger.

The soldier, facing death, started to spill everything he knew, desperate to live.

“I-I heard something in Rusmire!”

“Rusmire?”

“Yes, yes. When they tried to inspect the carriage, Lady Claire issued a new directive…”

“Speak.”

The pointed soldier, seeing a glimmer of hope, began to recount everything he knew.

“Aha. So, because of Claire, the policy of Bagrand changed. There’s a possibility that they entered Rusmire in that uninspected carriage?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

“Oh. Makes sense. So, who should help?”

“Miss Harnie, perhaps?”

“Harnie?”

“Yes! Recently, haven’t you received no reports of her whereabouts?”

“Come to think of it…”

Harnie, who should be concerned with the Marquis of Theresia, had subtly disappeared.

Since when had she been sticking with Carsein, and even in this situation, it couldn’t be ruled out that she was with him.

‘Besides, she directly discovered the Marquis’s basement.’

If she was helping Carsein… No. Even if not, if she knew something from the Marquis of Theresia, that alone would be troublesome.

Thus, another obstacle to the Yggdrasil plan emerged.

‘Ha, damn. I didn’t expect that woman to be a hindrance to me.’

He listened carefully and, understanding the story, placed his hand on the soldier’s shoulder, praising him.

“You survived, you didn’t die.” It was the moment when true hope began to bloom with such conviction.

-Crack.

A seed emerged from his hand, and that seed wrapped around the soldier’s body like a vine.

“Well done. A useful person deserves a reward, right?”

“Ugh, ugh! No, no. This, this is…!”

“Oh, don’t refuse. It’s a gift from me.”

“Master Belian…!”

-Crack!

The soldier, who had recently been in human form, had turned into a tree monster.

“The Yggdrasil Project will be postponed. First, eliminate that woman, Harni.”

“Yes!”