The Damn Family Is Back Again chapter 124

124. The Inner Elixir (1)

“…”

When she opened her eyes, the ceiling she saw was different from before.

An unfamiliar ceiling she had never seen before.

This place was probably not the duke’s mansion.

Her previous symptoms had disappeared, and her body had returned to normal. She could move around without any issues.

Her voice and vision were fine, and the dizziness, headaches, and extreme cold had all vanished.

It was a relief that all the symptoms had disappeared, but the most reassuring thing was that this wasn’t the duke’s mansion.

“Ah.”

I was really frustrated because of one setting, and I wanted to curse the creator, but what I hated more was the old memories that came flooding back.

The severe pain I experienced back then still lingered even after my family returned from their trip.

It was eerie how this pain was similar to that one.

From headaches to dizziness, it was basic, and my muscles ached so much I couldn’t even speak. My vision was blurry, and I could barely crawl out of bed.

To make matters worse, the chill that ran down my spine refused to stop, constantly making my blood run cold.

It was literally the same as the situation I’m in now.

So, after repeating the cycle of fainting and sleeping for a few days…

“-Kim Min-Hyuk, you crazy bastard! If you’re sick, say so, and don’t just sit there like an idiot!”

My family, who had returned from their trip, started nagging me. Especially my second sibling’s constant whining still haunts me.

Thinking about it now makes me shudder. After that, I couldn’t go out for a while, and my part-time job got naturally cut off, and my plans fell apart.

Even now, thinking about that time makes me hang my head in shame.

I let out a sigh and muttered to myself.

“At least, it’s good that my sibling isn’t nagging me like they did back then.”

My mood is terrible, but at least it didn’t get any worse, so I’ll take that as comfort.

As I got out of bed, I heard footsteps approaching from the other side.

“Who is it?”

It’s definitely not Haruni…

Is it Barakru from Rusmayier?

Or maybe a doctor from another territory who was brought in for a hefty fee?

Whatever, it didn’t matter to me.

But.

As soon as the door opened, I couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

“Now you’re awake? You stupid idiot.”

-tring!

▶An issue has occurred in the existing sub-episode!◀

▶Error occurred!◀

▶Alternative decision in progress…◀

…

…

▶The importance of this episode has increased in the main game’s progression!◀

▶It can no longer be treated as a sub-episode, and its rank will be elevated to a main episode!◀

▶The clear conditions for Main Episode IV have changed!◀

▶Results are being calculated…◀

-tring!

▶Episode IV: The Stupid Bear is in progress!◀

▶Successfully complete your conversation with Claire!◀

▶If your intimacy drops by even 1% at the current point, you will fail!◀

[ Success: Clear the episode and continue with the original storyline. ]

[ Failure: You can no longer stay in Rusmayier, and your deal with Polux will be canceled, and you’ll be dragged to the Duke’s castle. ]

Damn it. The producer is a damn bastard.

***

I thought it was fortunate that my family didn’t find out about this situation.

What? Suddenly, the sub-episode became the main episode?

It’s like getting dragged to the slave market and having the deal cancelled, which is basically a dead flag.

It means I’ll lose everything I have and end up in the worst situation, just like the bad ending in Chapter 2.

So, I must pass this episode no matter what…

“Do you know what’s going on?!”

My head is already spinning.

Let’s calm down first.

I need to gather information calmly.

[1. What’s with the nonsense? What’s with that kind of talk to someone who’s just woken up?] ☑

“What’s with the nonsense? What’s with that kind of talk to someone who’s just woken up?”

It might be a bit provocative, but it’s the best way to gather information.

I just woke up, so I’m still in bed.

Then, Claire’s eyebrows twitched.

“Huh. You’re saying that to me? You just woke up and you’re talking like that?!”

…Wait, what’s going on?

It’s like I did something wrong by waking up.

No, that doesn’t make sense.

Unless…?

“You’ve been sleeping for three days! And now you’re saying you just woke up, you bastard?!”

“…Three days?”

“Yeah, three days! Why, did you think it was just one day because you slept so well?”

That’s what happened.

It wasn’t one day, but three days, which is why I got angry.

But I slept for three days, and now I’m facing this second person.

…I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. It’s just like that unpleasant past, nothing’s different.

I tried to hide my irritation and asked.

“So, what do you want to say?”

Claire’s eyes flickered for a moment, but it was just for a moment.

She brushed her pink hair back and sat down, gazing at me with a fierce look.

“You. Did you secretly go to the Western Empire? Why are you afflicted with Dissociative Identity Disorder, which doesn’t show up here?”

It starts from there.

At least I confirmed that Claire knows about Dissociative Identity Disorder. And the one who checked my condition and solved the problem wasn’t the Lord of Rusmayeur, but…

“It’s definitely Claire. I’m sure.”

It seems that’s why she came to find me because of that sub-episode.

I’m out of luck, and it’s been a while.

There are several options to get out of this, but I think it’s better not to lie.

“It’s true that I went.”

“What’s wrong with you, man? Why did you go to that dangerous place?! You went to the West last time and got beaten up, didn’t you?”

Another clue emerged.

It’s about me having gone to the West before.

I didn’t particularly want to talk about why I went there.

But.

“Hey, Karsein. Are you hiding something from me?”

Claire glared at me with a fierce gaze, and I…

-Ding!

The choices appeared.

“Tell me straight out. What are you hiding?”

[ 1. What am I hiding? ]

[ 2. Why are you talking like that? Can’t you just rest and take it easy? Why are you suddenly spouting nonsense? ]

[ 3. Are you interrogating a patient like this? Can’t you just leave me alone? ]

…

…

This isn’t a main episode, so it’s natural that I’m seeing these choices for the first time.

But somehow, I feel like I know the answer.

[ 5. Yeah, I do. ]

“Ah, I do.”

“…!”

This was a question meant to test me.

Just like the second time I did it to him.

So, with another conviction, the words flowed out of my mouth.

“I deliberately became the lord of Rusemeyer. And I directly witnessed the birth of the Dipeshan syndrome, so I know. It’s precisely the Aiferos Marquis family. I met the people the Empire despises as Yarikins.”

“What, you…! You’re saying you’re the lord of Rusemeyer…?”

“Why? Are you saying it’s wrong that I met the Yarikins?”

“…That’s not what I meant. It’s just…”

“Yeah, it’s weird. It’s already weird that I became the lord of Rusemeyer, but I went to the West, which is a land infested with magic, and made a deal with the Aiferos Marquis family. You’d wonder why I’m doing this, right?”

Claire, who had been hesitating for a moment, continued to speak.

Even if I had been to the West before, there was no information about it, but fortunately, there was a suitable choice here.

[ 7. It’s all for the test to take over the territory at the Eastern Noble Conference. ] ☑

“It’s all for the test to take over the territory at the Eastern Noble Conference.”

A moment of silence.

In that silence, a massive earthquake was brewing in Claire’s eyes.

“You idiot, are you crazy?! What kind of nonsense are you talking about, taking over the territory again!!”

Claire, who had jumped up, raised her voice.

“You don’t have the ability to manage a territory. I saw it last year! You ruined that wealthy province of Shatren in one go, so how can you take responsibility for that?! It’s ridiculous!”

From noble mtl dot com

This time, Claire was furious, her face red with rage, as if she wanted to become a laughingstock in the imperial court and among the nobles.

But I remained calm and replied coolly.

“You must have thought that Rusmayeur was a vacant fief near the slums when you came here. Right?”

“What’s with that sudden topic…!”

I didn’t say a word.

I just glared at Claire.

But in that moment, the anger on Claire’s face disappeared.

She calmly turned her head and began to gaze out the window at the fief.

A long silence fell.

There must be many things visible within that scope. Claire, after all, was someone who ran a boutique and had experience governing a fief as a noble who had taken the imperial exam.

And in between…

An object near me was shining.

It was a Memorial.

I thought it would be hidden somewhere, being a new episode and all, but I never expected it to be that object.

“…Wait a minute.”

Just then, Claire seemed to have heard my words and was about to examine the fief’s situation more closely, but she went outside.

As it is, I could make my final choice based on my experience, but… the more information, the better.

“Let’s see. What kind of mess did you get yourself into this time.”

There must be a reason why this Memorial appeared at this point. It’s bound to be related to the current situation.

– Ding!

▶You have acquired the [Side Light Internal Medicine] Memorial!◀

***

-Flip, flip.

The pages of the book turned quickly in Karsein’s hands.

Despite being drenched in sweat, his hands didn’t stop, as if he had to do something urgently, even as he flipped through the thick plant encyclopedia.

“Clearly, clearly, it was here…! If I only had that, I could prove it in the Shatren fief…!”

Shatren fief.

This was the most fertile fief in Bagrand, currently managed by Karsein as the eastern noble conference, where an unusual disaster had occurred.

The harvest cycle was lengthening, and the quality and quantity of the harvested crops were also significantly decreasing.

Fortunately, Karsein had stuck to his book and discovered this fact. If one were to diagnose it as an illness, it was in its dormant period, and if measures were taken in advance, it could return to its original state.

So Karsein claimed, and he gave the fief’s people an order.

However, as soon as he gave the order, an even greater disaster struck.

Ironically, the disaster occurred as soon as Karsein intervened.

From then on, the people of Shatren didn’t trust Karsein.

No matter how much he pleaded, saying they shouldn’t be swayed by the disaster before their eyes, their answer was the same.

-We’re sorry, but we can’t listen to your orders anymore, Lord!

Karsein Bagrand.

The notoriety surrounding this name was deeply rooted.

Those who had lived in Shatren for decades believed the rumors that had spread not only among the nobles but also among the commoners, and they denied their own experiences.

Despite being the lord who governed that fief, Karsein’s opinions were ignored.

But he didn’t give up.

He tried to take some measures somehow.

So, I ended up searching through a botanical book.

I found what I desperately needed in Shatren.

‘If I can just find this and go back…! Shatren will be safe!’

Carsein, filled with hope, headed west.

The withered plants were struggling to survive in the poor environment where magic had taken its toll on the land, but if I had this, I would believe in my own words.

However.

“You filthy imperial dog! How dare you set foot in this place!”

“Get out of here right now!”

This was the border of the empire.

A tribe that lived on this land despised nobles, treating them like barbarians, just like the Yarik people.

Thanks to that, Carsein, a noble, couldn’t be a guest here.

“Ugh!”

“I told you to leave!”

“You imperial dogs!”

“Just… just trade with me! I don’t want anything else. Please, I’ll do anything. I’ll even pay with my life!”

Despite lowering his head and begging, their anger towards the nobles didn’t subside, and it was directed at Carsein.

Just then, a man appeared, intervening and stopping the violence.

“Didn’t you just say you wanted to trade?”

“…Yes.”

Carsein, who had been beaten, nodded his head.

That’s how much he needed this item.

The man, who had confirmed that Carsein’s eyes were still alive, asked immediately.

“What you need is the Rohea seed, right? I’m curious why you want to trade for it. What do you plan to use it for?”

“I’ll plant it in the soil of a certain territory.”

“Soil? Can it really be used for that?”

“I read it in a book. It said that if you plant the seed in the soil without cultivating it, it will release magic power around it. I thought that if I used it as fertilizer, I could change the properties of the soil.”

Everyone was puzzled by the unheard-of usage.

However, it seemed that the man had sensed that Carsein’s eyes were still alive.

“Alright, I’ll trade with you.”

“Really?”

“But the condition is that we’ll change it on our side. We don’t want money like the imperial people do.”

The man, who introduced himself as Count Lilpeton, promised to send the seed to the ducal house in exchange for changing the treatment of their people, who were not recognized as imperial citizens.

From Carsein’s perspective, it was a blessing.

If he could just prove the effect by planting the seed, Count Lilpeton’s position would greatly change. They would become the ones who revived the territory of Shatren, a part of the Bagrand region.

The trade was thus concluded.

Carsein returned, filled with expectations.

However, unlike his expectations, his appearance didn’t look like the trade had been successful. The marks from being beaten couldn’t be erased.

When he arrived at the ducal house, those marks became a problem.

“What’s going on, Karcein? Where have you been sneaking around to end up like this?”

“Uh, Claire…”

“No, it’s not like you just sneaked around. You clearly got involved with the nobles and got caught, right? Let’s just follow along.”

As it happened, I ran into Claire while trying to sneak in unnoticed.

Although my injured body was quickly treated by Shayden, Karcein’s actions couldn’t be hidden due to Claire’s persistence in uncovering the truth.

“Is it the western region? The place where the demon king’s influence is strong? You’re saying we need to go there and take this medicine?”

“Well, that’s true, but if we take it correctly, there won’t be a big problem…”

“Anyway, the answer is obvious. You’re the one who snuck into the Rilfeton Duchy.”

Claire’s eyes widened in shock.

“You’re doomed. I’ll report this to my mom in detail.”

“Wait, Claire…! I didn’t sneak in. I made a deal…”

“Just shut up and take responsibility. You idiot!”

From Karcein’s perspective, this was already a relief.

They would get scolded severely, but at least the deal wouldn’t fall through.

If they used the seeds in front of the Rilfeton Duchy’s people, they would see the effects soon. They could make a deal to buy the seeds again after completing the verification, and a justification would be born.

I waited for my body to recover, taking the blue internal medicine.

However, Karcein received a letter the next day.

The writing on the envelope, addressed to the Rilfeton Duchy, sent a sudden chill down their spine.

As they opened the letter, an item fell out.

It was the Rohéa seed that Karcein desperately needed.

“Is this…?”

Duke Rilfeton wrote.

If the rotten Rohéa seed was delivered, it meant that trust had been broken.

In other words, this letter meant that the deal with Karcein was off.

『You’re no different from them, after all. This rotten seed represents our relationship. -Duke Rilfeton』

From noble mtl dot com

The uneasy atmosphere conveyed through the letter revealed that the situation had reached its worst.

Claire, leaning against the wall, snorted and read the letter’s contents.

“Huh. Did Duke Rilfeton screw you over this time?”

Claire clicked their tongue.

“Don’t even think about making deals with those noble bastards from now on. It’s ridiculous to keep getting hurt like this. You need to get permission from your sister and make a deal.”

“What did you do, Claire? What’s going on?”

“What did I do? I warned those idiots who think they’re above the law! They’re the ones who got hurt, right?!”

From now on, all deals with the nobles would be thoroughly investigated.

Especially, they would never make a deal with the Rilfeton Duchy again, who had crossed the line this time.

Claire made a stern declaration.

“But, what about…?”

This Rohéa seed could only be cultivated by the Rilfeton Duchy. Moreover, if they couldn’t make a deal with them, what would happen to the Shatren territory?

Despair crept into young Karcein’s eyes.