The Damn Family Is Back Again - Chapter 340



340. Family (10)

The light source that brightened the blue sky is fading away.

White clouds are covering it all at once.

When the dark, murky clouds make their grand appearance, the whole area gradually darkens.

Before long, raindrops will start to fall from that sky.

They will knock on the windows, hit the ground, and paint the whole world with raindrops.

That’s why I hate it. My body shrinks.

How can the same water feel so different?

At school, it was common to be drenched by the bullying of malicious classmates.

The sensation of wet clothes sticking to my body became familiar at some point.

At some moment, even my hair being soaked in water became indifferent.

Even when I looked like a wet rat, I just accepted it.

After all, if you hide the towel, that’s it. I secretly hid a hair dryer in the nurse’s office, and when I came in soaking wet, the nurse would allow it with a sympathetic look.

In the end, drying off is all that matters.

Water eventually disappears.

But the raindrops falling from the sky felt different, even though they were the same water.

Rain, undoubtedly, falls impartially on all surfaces.

It falls evenly in all places, soaking the ground.

But why is it? While being rained on, it never felt that way.

Only, as if it was falling solely on oneself.

As if it was falling only in the places I walked.

…That’s why I hate it.

Rainy days.

The umbrella I brought in advance would have been stolen by someone, and a raincoat is out of the question.

Even if it was found later, it would have been deliberately damaged, or the next day, someone would bring it back and taunt me, saying they borrowed it. It’s a predictable pattern.

In the end, I have to walk step by step in the rain on my way to school. There’s no choice but to walk in the unpleasant rain.

Alone.

Lonely.

Shrinking my body in silence.

Regardless of the season, I always have to move forward, feeling the raindrops that seem cold enough to chill my bones.

But that day was different.

-Flap.

An umbrella that shouldn’t have existed covered my head.

At that moment, raindrops did not fall on my head. Something large shielded my body properly.

The dampness did not cling to my clothes.

My hair did not get wet and tangled.

The body that had shrunk from the incessant rain now stretches out.

The cold air, for this moment, is covered by something warm.

The perception of a rainy day, which had come for the first time, was changing.

*

▶The hidden memorial has ended.◀

“…”

My vision returns. The place that had been bathed in bright light changes to a dimly lit basement. Just as it always did when the memorial ended.

But…

Something felt off.

“The memorial appeared just as it always had.”

Even when I recall the memory of entering the basement, it was marked as a memorial.

Even now, when I look at the status window again, it says memorial.

And throughout my experience.

A collection of information provided by this game, containing someone’s memories.

It was indeed a memorial, and I had seen a memorial.

But I couldn’t understand.

“For a memorial, it’s vastly different from what I’ve seen so far…”

It was so different from the memorials I had seen until now.

Unlike the living, breathing, and moving people I had seen, this appeared not as a memory, but as a brief image.

No human voices were heard. No thoughts or feelings were conveyed, and the only sounds were the raindrops falling and the sound of an umbrella opening.

The view wasn’t blocked. But the subject couldn’t be seen. Even the shadows blurred into a hazy mosaic, making it impossible to discern.

All other information seemed to be cut off and disconnected, relying solely on my eyes to be conveyed.

…So, I can’t know.

What on earth is this situation?

“…One thing’s for sure, it’s not Carsein’s memory.”

The only confirmed thing is that it’s a modern setting, not a medieval one. The cityscape with a school in clear view could never belong to Carsein’s memory.

In that case, it’s likely part of my memory, often appearing recently under the name Hidden Memorial.

But even that didn’t feel certain.

“Bira…”

I revisited those scenes.

The scene where the blue sky changes.

The scene where the sun is gradually obscured, the light diminishing, and the sooty clouds bestowing darkness.

And then, the scene where it starts to rain.

That’s all I saw.

But did I have any thoughts while watching that rain?

Or was there an event I missed on that day?

“…I don’t know.”

Was there such a day?

Was there such a scene?

Was there such a memory?

I couldn’t understand anything.

At that moment.

The status window rang an alarm as if to wake me up.

-Ding!

▶You have obtained ＜Duke Bagland’s Relic＞.◀

▶Open the box to check the message he left.◀

“…”

Right. Instead of trying to remember something like that clumsily, I should use the information given now.

-Click.

I immediately opened the box.

I expected something since it was Duke Bagland’s relic, but there seemed to be no special device.

Inside was a small document.

If there was a characteristic… it was the hastily scribbled writing style. And the fact that there was blood smeared all over the document.

“Duke Bagland, in the background… was he supposed to have died before Karsein came?”

I can’t know the exact information. If you tried to find it recklessly within the Duke’s family, a dead trigger would occur.

However, if there’s one thing I remember.

It was that Karn Bagland also died with the Duke.

『The world is vast. There are countless people, and there are talents that have not been nurtured. But, I saw an unbelievable existence there.』

『That is, a demon. What I saw was a demon. It can only be described as a demon.』

『Oh my. How could such a thing be done in this world. The Yggdrasil Project… such an absurd thing…!』

“…What is this?”

A demon? The Yggdrasil Project?

It seems to be hastily scribbled… Information that is hard to grasp came flooding in.

『Wederos was right. It must be stopped. That demon. By any means necessary.』

『Karn, who had been intelligent since childhood, understood this immediately and was horrified. The opinions quickly aligned.』

『Please, let that child. The child whom Karn saved by risking his own life, arrive safely.』

“Karn…?”

If it’s Karn, he’s the real son of the Duke’s family.

Who did he save by sacrificing his own life?

Who could be worth such a sacrifice?

My head throbs.

Uncollected information wanders around, causing confusion.

This won’t do.

“With just this… I can’t possibly know. Isn’t there something, something else?”

While rummaging through the Duke’s belongings in the chest.

The status window sounded its alert once again.

-Ding!

▶Episode XLIV. The Five Treasures is in progress.◀

▶You have obtained the first treasure.◀

▶To obtain the next treasure, you must complete the mission at the given location to gather information.◀

[ 1. The Study Field in the Bagrande Ducal House ]

[ 2. The Bookshelf Next to the Lighting Stand on the 3rd Floor ]

[ 3. ─────── ]

▶Move to the location and obtain the information.◀

“…”

The next task I had to do was clearly defined.

With a clearer purpose, I should leave here and carry out these missions immediately.

But this is…

-Knock, knock.

“Carsein. I think it’s time to get out.”

Harnie, who was keeping watch, said to me as she knocked.

…Let’s get out for now.

I need to think outside.

*

After leaving the basement, I quickly hid in another room.

“Phew. That was close.”

Not long after, two people passed by outside the room. Harnie finally let out a sigh of relief, clutching her chest in surprise.

“Did you find the necessary item?”

I nodded silently.

“That’s a relief. I was worried we wouldn’t find it in time.”

Harni confessed that he was so nervous that cold sweat was running down his forehead. He suggested taking a short break.

Watching him, I didn’t know what to say.

‘Asking for more help here…’

He’s not someone who would get involved in this kind of mess.

Because of me, he’s unnecessarily entangled and suffering.

He’s not someone who should become a fugitive. Of course, I haven’t committed any crime, but this woman, who is the epitome of integrity, shouldn’t be tainted.

He should have left the duke’s house and returned to the marquis’ mansion to clear any suspicion.

He has to wander around dangerous places as it is. The thought of making him suffer more here made me feel truly awful.

“Why are you staring at me like that? It’s a bit embarrassing…”

So, I wanted to give him at least a minimal answer.

Holding Harni’s hand, who averted his gaze slightly out of embarrassment, I said,

“Harni. You said it before. That I see something different in my eyes.”

“Oh… yes. I did, didn’t I…?”

“That’s right. I see something completely different. Something unknown that you can’t see.”

“You already heard that from Pollux. The eyes of Wederos are anyway─”

“No. That’s not what I mean.”

Harni laughed as if wondering why I was saying such things, but immediately denied it.

“I’m seeing a completely different world, and I’m seeing something completely different. The basement told me that something is hidden there.”

“…”

“And this time, it’s instructing me to search specific places in the duke’s house. The duke’s study, the third-floor lighting stand. Lastly, the duchess’s room.”

Harnié’s pupils slowly widened, as if she had never expected to hear such words.

There is no way to explain this.

Games, status windows, such things cannot be directly explained.

From noble mtl dot com

But.

As much as possible.

I wanted to let her know that I was seeing something different.

“Thank you for being honest with me. But, even if you say it like that, I still don’t quite understand.”

“…”

As expected, it turns out like this.

“But, there’s one thing I do understand.”

She then smiled contentedly and clasped her hands together.

“Since there’s more to go in the Duke’s house. You’re asking me to help you, right?”

A request.

…That’s right.

“Yes. I would like your help.”

Hearing those words, Harnié smiled brightly.

Harnié unclasped her hands and stood up.

Then she extended her hand to me.

“Let’s go. I’ll help you as much as I can.”

I never thought anyone would extend a hand to me in my entire life.

Moreover, I thought there would be no need to ask for favors. I had always solved everything on my own.

I never thought those words would come out of my mouth.

But… now.

They became words I really wanted to say.

“Thank you, Harnie.”

Having someone who believes in me and helps me until the end… was truly. Something to be grateful for.

…But.

“Thank you? It’s only natural.”

-Thank you. It’s only natural.

For some reason.

I heard Ji-eun’s voice.

*

-Clank. Clank.

I moved from place to place.

Every time I heard the sound, I felt a sense of doubt.

“…This, it’s definitely the sound of the knights’ greaves. Could it be that those people are soldiers of the family?”

“Yes. I actually told you to leave the basement quickly because of them.”

Strange.

The servants and maids working in the duke’s house usually roamed around the duke’s house, so it was likely to run into them. In fact, I often did.

But, why are the armed ones patrolling here?

At the moment of such doubt.

A familiar voice was heard from outside the room.

“Hey, do you really need to patrol this much? It’s annoying, so just go down, will you?”

…A familiar voice.

“I’m so annoyed in my own house! I told you to stay outside?!”

Full of irritation.

It was the second child’s voice.

The knights were sweating nervously.

“Miss Claire. But this is our duty, so we have no choice…”

“That’s right. To some extent, please understand…”

“Understand, my foot. How is this protection? It’s surveillance! Why do you need to watch someone who’s under house arrest?!”

After getting so angry, she sent her family’s knights away and went down herself.

This… somehow the situation has improved, hasn’t it?

Just a moment ago, the area that seemed impossible to pass through was completely empty of people.

It was the perfect opportunity to enter the study.

Moreover, I obtained valuable information. It seems that Arina has placed Claire under house arrest. Thanks to that, I also understood the deployment of the soldiers that Arina usually assigns when issuing a house arrest order.

“Harnie.”

“Yes.”

But suddenly, in this situation… I felt a slight sense of discomfort.

It’s just… my imagination, right?