episode_0283

My head was still a mess and not organized.

After finishing the Demons’ Invasion event and finishing the aftermath episode, it wasn’t much different right after I brought Harnie back to him.

Maybe that’s why nothing entered my mind.

“Ka, Karcein. ──Huh? ───. ─Start applying…!”

The voice of Flora, who was grabbing my sleeve and muttering something in surprise.

“Hey! Where the hell have you been! ─────! ────?”

Claire’s voice, which seemed to be nagging at the top of her lungs, was also on fire.

“Carcein, are you okay? ── ───── ─────.”

Isabella’s voice, examining my body while making a fuss.

No voice was heard.

It just feels like a loud noise.

“Be noisy.”

“What, what is it?”

“Hey, you…”

“It’s noisy. Can’t you understand what I’m saying?”

I already have a headache.

I don’t even have enough time to think about what on earth is going on.

But if you guys keep whining in the meantime, I can’t make a decision.

So please shut up.

Just leave me alone.

-Thump, thump.

Where was my thoughts and where was my voice?

Until then, I couldn’t tell the difference either.

No matter what happened next, right now I just wanted to be alone.

Right then.

Someone yelled at me, perhaps because they were annoyed.

That voice was heard very clearly.

“Ha. You really are a worthless person. The whole family was worried because you were nowhere to be seen in the hall. What? You’re being noisy?”

“…”

Arina grabbed me by the collar.

“You’re going to come to your senses when you’re surrounded by demons and about to be eaten? While the other participants were cutting down the demons one by one, you were alone and receiving protection from others!”

Alone and isolated, only protected?

I?

“Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Yeah, I guess it wouldn’t be strange to think that way, because nothing is known yet.

You wouldn’t even know that I destroyed the source in my dark vision.

They probably didn’t take into account my situation at all, having to get through those demons.

You’ll just remember that I was rescued alone in a remote place, right? Right?

“Huh. Are you laughing? This kid, so cheeky…!”

“──!”

“───, ───!”

“Let go! That kid needs to get hit to come to his senses! While others were struggling to suppress the demons, this kid was the one who was taking care of himself…!”

As she clenched her fist and tried to hit me, other family members rushed in and pulled Arina and me apart.

Yeah, that inferiority complex really helps.

I am truly grateful to you, Arina.

I can’t help but be thankful that you remind me over and over again to come to my senses whenever I’m confused, right?

The cold blood enveloped my whole body and cleared my stuffy mind.

I was so stupid, you know.

Why couldn’t you come up with such a simple answer?

My job was always set. Get away from this family. Get out of this fucking house and become independent.

Even from a different perspective, there is no clear answer.

All you have to do is meet the conditions of Another Plan as soon as possible and escape from your family.

I just need to quickly get rid of the episodes that block my path, finish the chapter, and go my way.

If that happens, the path back to reality will be created naturally.

Yeah, I don’t need any of that.

Escape from this house. Escape from this game.

I just want to go back to where I was.

-thud!

***

Since that day, time has passed quickly.

The sudden appearance of demons at the after-party venue only caused confusion for a moment.

After the imperial family announced that there had been no casualties and took appropriate action, the empire returned to normal, with public announcements that the real culprit would be caught.

However, the duke’s daily life has not yet returned.

“…Carcein said he won’t be attending today?”

“Madam. That’s…”

“I hope you told the truth, Heron.”

Heron reluctantly opens his mouth at Arina’s sharp command.

“He left early in the morning, saying he would inspect the territory.”

“…Is that so.”

Isabella took a deep breath.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a family meal together.

There is always one seat left in the restaurant, an empty seat that is left unfilled.

“Another inspection of the territory. Mother. Do you know how many days this has been going on?”

“…”

“Are you planning to just leave Carcein’s wantonness alone?”

As Karsain never showed up for meals or family gatherings, Arina’s dissatisfaction grew with each passing day.

“This can’t go on like this. Karsin has been like this for more than a day or two. Mother. Tell him straight out. I’m telling him not to act like that.”

“Arina. Doesn’t that child have her own thoughts too?”

“Ha. I think so. Are you talking about that idiot who doesn’t even eat properly and ruins his health?”

As Arina frowned in displeasure, Flora moved her lips and spoke.

“Big sister. But your injured body may not have recovered yet. If you were injured while fighting the demons…”

“If that wound hasn’t healed yet, you’re weak. Flora.”

“Big sister…”

“To those who have experience in subduing demons, that is a real wound. If you keep watching over all that, what will happen to those on the battlefield? Besides, if you knew your place and stayed by your side, you would have done something wrong, but if you stayed somewhere else and got hurt alone, then you are just being a guest, so it is your own fault.”

When he clicked his tongue like that, Claire got up in a fit of rage.

“Sister. But she’s managing two territories. You have to understand that she’s busy, right?”

“No, it’s just two lands.”

“What?”

“How much work does the artist do, and do you really need to understand it to that extent? Think about the work you and I do. It doesn’t even compare.”

Claire licked her lips.

“All you do while locked in your room is related to the estate business. What on earth are you doing that you’re so busy that you can’t even sit down for a family meal? If you’ve experienced that much, if you don’t make any progress, shouldn’t you just give up and turn around?”

“…”

“I still don’t understand what Karsin is trying to do. Rather than doing business just to make some money, he should have inherited the family business and learned it.”

Arina scolded Karsine, who was not present, in a low voice.

“What does a punk like me know? When it comes to business, there are plenty of people to learn from. Just learning from the vassals of the Duke’s family is great teachers. You should know how to use your time wisely rather than trying to make a fortune by expanding a business you’ve never heard of.”

“Wait a minute! Sister. That’s too exaggerated─”

“I don’t know about anything else, but family meals are also a courtesy for the nobility. I can’t tolerate you ignoring even this simple schedule and acting however you want. What would happen if you showed the same behavior there when the Duke’s schedule was also set?”

“…”

“…”

The two sisters swallowed their sighs. It was not as if Arina’s words were entirely wrong.

The symposium and martial arts competition are also over.

Most of the time, as an individual, the schedule for action is over.

As both of them knew, from this point on, there were many events that would involve the entire family moving together, so Karsane couldn’t just stay away like that.

-widely.

Isabella tapped the table, drawing a line in the heated atmosphere.

“Just stop there. Arina.”

“…Mother.”

“To Karsain… Okay. I’ll explain it to you.”

Anyway, we had to meet at least once for this matter.

As a member of the Bagrand Dukes, Karsain also has obligations he must follow.

I wish I could take care of it a little more.

This time, it might be a chance for her to properly take care of him as a member of the family and show her true colors as a mother.

however…

Isabella suddenly remembered the conversation she had had with Karsane that day.

Since the visit to the hospital was already entangled in a bad past, the conversation at that time did not end in a very good way.

But something uneasy and indelible remained.

-Mom!

-mom.

-mother.

It was a familiar term from my daughters.

But to one person, I have never heard such words.

‘…How long has it been since that child called me mother?’

-Yes, Duchess.

All I remember are those stiff titles.

‘No. That can’t be. It must be my imagination.’

I shake my head, but…

Strangely enough, there was no time that was particularly memorable.

-Tiring!

[ Isabella Bagrand ]

[ The character feels anxious due to a strong sense of discomfort and unease. ]

***

As if the time he had poured into the land had not been in vain, the projects he had pushed forward were linked one after another.

The rules here defy conventional wisdom.

However, when we eventually decided to destroy and analyze the ecosystem of this world, we found a hole where we could use our knowledge of reality.

If crops grow unusually fast, this could be used to feed livestock farming.

Materials obtained through livestock farming were generally considered extremely rare in this complex ecosystem. A good example of this was honeybees, which were difficult to raise.

If there is a lot of demand, you can charge a higher price.

I worked hard to expand my business in that area.

Beekeeping. Textiles. Processing.

My estate, which started out as a simple farm, was spread out like a net based on various raw materials.

Thanks to that.

The following conditions could be met:

▶You have chosen as the method of obtaining funds for .◀

▶The holdings have exceeded 10 million petel, meeting the 4th stage condition.◀

“Finally stage 4.”

There is only one thing left now.

The long-awaited 5th stage. If I could just clear that, the conditions would be met.

But there is one problem.

-Tiring!

▶Isabella is coming.◀

“Yeah. I was wondering when you’d come.”

From the point when you clear stage 4, the number of intruders increases rapidly.

Even if you run a business and somehow find a way to raise money, you won’t leave Karcein alone.

As in the game, the biggest obstacle at this time was none other than the Bagrand Dukes, or in other words, their families.

And that’s not all.

▶Episode VI. The price of those who stand on the high peak is in progress.◀

It would be a shame if we missed any episodes.

As expected, since the plan chosen was money, episodes that consume that money are tailored to come out.

Perhaps, when you go back, there will be a part related to the Duke’s taxes.

Then Arina will say something like this.

-You said at the symposium that you are the lord of Rusmeyer, not Karsain Bagrand. So, you alone should bear the taxes for both territories.

As soon as the script ends, the amount of intimacy change is determined by how much of the money I have saved up I will give.

If this was a game, I would have cheated and paid less.

“I don’t want to take money from you guys.”

Even if I had to spend all the money I worked hard to earn, I didn’t want to receive help from those people.

-Tiring!

▶Isabella has arrived.◀

▶After meeting and talking with the Duchess, return to the Duke’s residence.◀

Okay. Let’s go.

Because there isn’t much time left anyway.

Just throw away all the episodes and that’s it.

“…”

I walked towards Isabella and glanced at the status screen.

▶Announcing the 5-stage conditions of ◀

▶Own 221.7 million pesels in reserve funds◀

▶The amount may change depending on the amount spent in the future.◀

221.7 million.

It was a really ambiguous number. 200 million is just 200 million, but I also wondered what 21.7 million was.

…but to me, it was a familiar number.

That was the total sum of money that had to be paid to the Duke. It seems that the reason it fluctuated depending on the amount consumed was also because of that.

If it was a game, of course I would have hated it.

But, I really liked it.