The Damn Family Is Back Again

158 – 158. CHAPTER 2 – EPISODE V (5)

The Eastern Noble Assembly.

Also known as the symposium, this conference hall was actually divided into sections.

On the surface, it seemed like a meeting, but in reality, it was a place where the imperial family tested the nobles, and the nobles who loved to distinguish themselves by rank and status had created a ranking system.

This ranking system was simple.

It was just the seating arrangement in the conference hall.

At the previous year’s meeting, the achievements of the year were announced and scored, and a scoreboard with various regulations, bonuses, and penalties was created under each noble family’s name.

Therefore, this score naturally symbolized the family’s ranking, and this ranking naturally became the standard for distinguishing between sections at the next symposium.

Just one seat.

For the nobles who loved to distinguish themselves by rank and status, it was a means to establish their family’s honor and ranking.

In that regard, Bagrand had never lost the top seat. Among the six tiers of scores, with the center as the reference point, Bagrand had never fallen from the highest tier, which could be called the pinnacle of nobility.

But.

Carsein was currently showing up at the bottom tier.

That was the section for those who had hardly achieved anything in the imperial family’s test.

This was not a place for the Bagrand Duchy to be.

“You’re late again, and now you’re even making a scene…! Can’t you even find your own seat?”

I felt like going down there, slapping him in the face, and bringing him back right away.

But, so what?

This was a place where all the nobles of the empire had gathered. I had to maintain my dignity.

Arina, who had barely managed to suppress her anger, scolded Carsein, who was sitting in the lower tier.

“Carsein! That’s not your seat. Come up here.”

Although someone had already taken the seat next to her, and it was impossible for everyone to gather, she couldn’t just leave him sitting there like that. She had to call Carsein up to this tier first.

Of course, he would have to pay the price for making his mother wait and not arriving on time. This was the bitter consequence he had to face.

It was up to him to understand and interpret the changed rules of the symposium to achieve the best results.

But…

Carsein didn’t even react to her voice and just sat there.

“What is he doing now? Why is he sitting there?”

“Hey, Karsein! That’s not your seat! Come over here!”

Flora and Claire’s urgent voices, shouting and scolding, must have reached him. However, Karsein remained unmoved.

With his legs crossed, he propped up his chin, determined to stay put even if the meeting started.

“What’s with this attitude? You’re going to ruin our family’s reputation like this!”

When would he stop causing trouble?

Ariana, unable to hold back, furrowed her brow and was about to storm out.

“Claire, stay here and keep an eye on this spot. I’ll go drag that kid back by the scruff of his neck if I have to…!”

“Sister, wait. Look, look over there!”

“What’s going on?”

Following Claire’s pointing finger, Ariana saw a servant from the Bagrand Duchy standing awkwardly in the distance.

Ariana had a sudden instinct.

What did it mean for that servant to rush into this meeting room, filled with nobles?

Karsein must have done something again.

“How much time is left until the meeting?”

“About 1 minute.”

“Fine, I’ll be right back.”

Although her vision was blurry, she had to go.

And there, she received the expected answer from the sweating servant.

“It’s about… Karsein-sama punching the nobles from the Warglu faction.”

Ariana’s eyes flipped over instantly.

With a low, menacing tone, she ordered the servant to return, her eyes already burning with a sharp blade.

“I’ll get that kid…! Right now, I’ll drag him out of this meeting room!”

“Sister, no! The meeting is about to start!”

“Big sister?”

What was going on in this place, where nobles from all over the empire had gathered?

Were they going to start a fight?

Nothing had changed since back then.

Karsein didn’t have the qualifications to take this symposium test from the start.

But…

“Her Majesty, Princess Arsiene, has arrived!”

At that moment, Ariana stumbled and stopped in her tracks at the sound of the imperial procession.

Just a little while ago, Claire had said there was 1 minute left until the meeting started.

It seemed they were already too late.

With Arsiene’s arrival, all the nobles’ attention focused on her.

But Ariana couldn’t just stand by and watch Karsein ruin the Bagrand Duchy’s reputation.

After Arsiene’s brief speech and introduction, there would be a break.

That’s when she would take action. She would use the fact that Karsein didn’t have the qualifications to take the symposium test as grounds to expel him from the Bagrand Duchy.

“I clearly recognized you and gave you a chance, Karsein. But you’ve ruined it yourself.”

Ariana glared at Karsein with a sharp, piercing gaze.

***

▶I’ve stepped on a trap somewhere! I’m being framed by the nobles!◀

▶Ariana’s intimacy has decreased!

[Current value: 39%]

▶Be cautious! There may be disruptions during the Eastern Noble Congress!◀

“It seems I’ve done it right this time.”

This message meant that Ariana’s butler had reached out to her.

Originally, it would have been just a simple decrease in intimacy…

▶I’ve stepped on another trap!◀

▶The frame-up against Karcein has worsened, and a choice has emerged!◀

▶Warning! Depending on the outcome of the choice, you may be expelled from the conference hall!◀

The consecutive messages that followed were not triggered by just one trap.

I had to step on another trap and activate another trigger.

That’s how I completed the conditions and triggered the message.

So, how did I know that?

It was because a memorial I found at the scene forced an episode on me.

▶Hidden Episode. I’m proceeding with the acquired authority.◀

▶This hidden episode will be treated as a sub-episode and will be connected to the main episode after clearing. Until then, you cannot proceed with other episodes.◀

▶You must complete the following conditions!◀

From the moment I touched the memorial, I couldn’t proceed with the episode.

It meant that some unknown trigger had occurred, and I had no idea what it was.

At first, I thought it was a dead flag and tried to use tricks or loopholes to avoid it…

But as I progressed, the memorial eerily overlapped with Karcein’s past.

[In the restricted field with a high risk, you must hurl insults at the noble sons, who are referred to as the “Waggle family,” and are from the “Spring Outing” episode, where I was previously attacked. ]☑

Karcein had fought against the nobles he had defeated in the past. Although it wasn’t a physical fight, it was similar. And now, he was fighting them again in the same place.

[After hurling insults and lowering their recognition in the field, throw a flower-filled glass bottle at a noblewoman who is sneering behind the noble sons and threaten her. ]☑

There was also a noblewoman who had instigated the incident and brought the noble sons, and Karcein had thrown the glass bottle, aware of who the mastermind was.

[It will take time for this news to reach Ariana. To lower her recognition to -30, exceed the time limit and enter the conference hall. ]☑

The 35-minute entry time that remained was not the actual start time of the symposium. Karcein had actually entered the conference hall about 2 minutes after the time limit.

And it took some time for Ariana to receive the news from her butler.

[Sit alone in the lowest seat on the left side of the conference hall, not in the position of the Bagrand Duke’s family. ]☑

I ignored the imperial noble’s seating order and took the lowest seat, unlike Ariana, who was shouting from the top seat, saying it wasn’t her place.

The entire situation overlapped with the memorial.

Was this really just a penalty situation?

Was the warning message triggered because I had touched the trigger?

Did Karcein really do something stupid to provoke anger?

Was the memorial just showing Karcein’s foolish past mistakes?

No. I didn’t think so.

I, too, had continued to prove my abilities in a similar way in my school life, just like in reality.

I had demonstrated my skills in a way that was not much different from Karcein’s, so I knew it.

Because I had experienced it myself.

That’s why I was confident that the guy had made the right judgment.

In this symposium, he wanted to prove himself in the most wise way possible.

Without being hindered by his peers, the nobles, and unaffected by his status as a duke and his surname, Bagrand.

He wanted to prove his abilities as Karcein, an individual, without any restrictions.

…to slowly break free from his family’s influence.

“Tsk.”

I recalled the memorial and clicked my tongue in dissatisfaction with the low success rate.

But now, there was only one condition left.

[ Just before the symposium begins, ───── ]

─Her Highness, Princess Arsien, has arrived!

The sound of her procession.

With that, I completed the final part.

“…Huh, you really…”

Arsien let out a deep sigh as she passed by.

At the same time.

[ Just before the symposium begins, Arsien is caught on camera as she enters the conference room. ]☑

I had realized the hidden episode’s condition, just like the past Karcein who had locked eyes with her.

– Ding!

From noble mtl dot com

▶Hidden Episode. You have cleared the self-granted authority.◀

▶You have severed ties with the Bagrand Duchy in the conference room.◀

That’s what happened.

Through the memorial, I had seen that the past Karcein had severed ties with the Bagrand Duchy.

Back then, Karcein had wanted to govern the territory on his own.

After hearing rumors that he had caused trouble from his servants, the three sisters were furious and tried to chase him away, but Arsien helped him by suggesting a capacity-based system reform, which gave him the qualifications to take the test.

“I was also helped by the student council president back then.”

It felt strange, but it was a familiar and convincing result.

▶The main episode is designated. The title of the episode is─◀

“Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the episode title.

Yes. This time, it’s going to be different.

I can’t repeat the same past.

▶Episode V. The unrepeated past begins.◀

▶The player cannot exercise the power of the Bagrand Duchy due to the influence of the hidden episode.◀

▶The player cannot use the Bagrand Duchy’s funds and personnel due to the influence of the hidden episode.◀

▶The use of the Bagrand Duchy’s blank checks and promissory notes is blocked.◀

▶With Aline’s power, the Bagrand Duchy loses its affiliation during the test period.◀

Just by looking at the letters, it seems like all sorts of penalties are being applied.

But that’s absolutely not a penalty.

▶You participate in the symposium as the lord of Rusemeyer.◀

▶Except for the Shatren territory, you can’t choose any other territory.◀

It’s proceeding in the way I wanted, so that’s fine.

I was going to take over the Shatren territory anyway, and as the lord of Rusemeyer, I have a way to claim it, thanks to the system.

If I can just revive this Shatren territory…

If I can just revive this territory, which everyone has given up on, differently from the past…

Then, I’ll have another source of income.

‘But, this is instead…’

■Reward

▶You receive information as a reward for clearing the hidden episode.◀

▶Be careful! There is a threat to the Shatren territory!◀

[Enemy Units: 2768]

***

‘Ha. Really. Did that strange entry mean that I would participate in the symposium as the lord of Rusemeyer?’

Arshien, who had belatedly understood Karcein’s intentions, let out a faint sigh in the middle of explaining the symposium.

But the sigh didn’t last long.

‘No. It’s probably better this way.’

At the time, I didn’t know, but Karcein, who had openly removed his nobility, could choose only a few territories.

No, it’s probably impossible to choose.

As the lord of Rusemeyer, if Karcein chooses a territory other than Bagrand, his ranking would be the lowest. He would be at the very bottom, in the lowest seat.

Then, naturally, the chosen one would be…

‘Shatren territory.’

Now that Rusemeyer is gone, the Shatren territory, which everyone avoids, is the top priority. It’s an environment where no noble can achieve anything, so to speak.

‘And then─’

Arshien continued to explain the symposium regulations, reminiscing about the distant past.

One prophet predicted that a great disaster would befall the Shatren territory to the royal family.

The royal family knew that the prophet had never made a wrong prediction, so they had to pay attention.

However, the prophecy didn’t come true even after several years.

The royal family investigated thoroughly, but all they saw in that territory was the cultivation of special products and an approaching abundance.

It was impossible to mention to the territory’s residents that this land was dangerous and shouldn’t be used.

The prophet must have been wrong, but the temple and the royal family both remembered the past history.

So, they sent a message to the only noble who knew about this prophecy, the Bagrand Duchy…

But there was no response.

Days, months, years went by, and the royal family just shook their heads.

That’s the story until Karcein laid hands on that territory.

Shatren was just a territory abundant with resources, without any signs of disaster. However, disaster began with his hands. He might have instinctively known that something was on that land.

‘I believe in you. If your power, which turned even the barren land of Rusemeyer into a transportation hub, is unleashed…’

Perhaps it was a day when the secret of Shatren, which not even the imperial family and Bagurand could solve, would be revealed to the whole world.