Episode 62. Dude, I’ve Been Caught
The badge with the eagle’s face was etched into Ray Chainsilver’s retina. She and the soldiers froze as soon as they saw the badge, one by one.
It is a guarantee that every member of the Chainsilver family possesses. Those who receive it are those who have made a great contribution to the Chainsilver family or those who have been invited to the Chainsilver Dukedom.
By touching the badge and showing the blood oath, you can temporarily borrow the power of the Chainsilver family. Of course, the power varies depending on the person who gave the badge.
The head of the family, Gerard, has a gold one, and the eldest daughter, Jenny, has a silver one. The gold one is the head of the family’s own protection.
If you were attacked by a mercenary group or a group of bandits, you could survive by showing them your gold badge. That’s how great the influence of the Chain Silver family was.
Of course, the influence of silver is quite significant, but the difference in power between the head of the household and the princess is enormous.
Since the person that others fear is the head of the household, Gerard, it is not impossible that they will attack him even after seeing the silver badge.
So in the current situation, the chances of my family and I surviving are 50/50. Generally speaking, that is.
However, the troops currently facing us are all soldiers of the Chainsilver family. There is no way they would not recognize their princess’s badge.
“Am I seeing things wrong?”
Ray Chainsilver rubbed his eyes several times to confirm the facts. Even Lotas and Trancy, who had been confronting each other due to the sudden change in the situation, stopped for a moment. The defensive magic disappeared and the aura on the sword subsided.
“Do you really know my sister?”
“Can’t you tell by looking at this?”
“No way! My sister was at the Alighieri Academy until a week ago. Even though she’s back for the holidays now, there’s no way she’d come to a dirty place like this and hand this to you!”
“….”
“Besides, there’s no reason for you to have this. Honestly! This is an illegal copy, right?”
Ray hasn’t met her sister yet, who has returned to her hometown. There’s no way I know the causal relationship that I received this from Jenny.
If this is a replica, you will be severely punished for impersonating the Chainsilver family.
You’ve been suspicious of me for a long time, but I have evidence that will blow it all away.
“Even after seeing this?”
I touched the badge and a 3D window appeared.
There was a blood-splattered letter written in Jenny’s blood, and Ray’s face convulsed as soon as he saw it.
Tranche also opened his mouth wide in a similar reaction, because it was clear evidence that it was something he had received from Jenny.
“That’s ridiculous… My sister was in Alighieri so she probably wouldn’t have met anyone outside.”
“I’m also a student of Alighieri.”
Following the badge, I showed my academy student ID this time. I was able to put to rest the question of how I met Jenny.
“Can you believe me now?”
“….”
Ray froze, except to blink twice.
* * * * *
The army led by the princess was like a tidal wave. It was basically a family founded on the sword, so each knight was a seasoned warrior. However, their fighting spirit was instantly dampened.
Only two things convinced those fearsome knights. They were armed with swords, but they were able to end it without a single drop of bloodshed.
But it was true that the Crowler family had committed a felony. There were even some suspicious circumstances, so my father allowed a search of the house.
“How is it? Did something come out?”
Ray asked Transhi after he finished his search. But contrary to his expectations, Transhi simply shook his head.
“I searched every nook and cranny, but found nothing. I couldn’t smell any trace of black magic, inhumane experiments, or any other crime.”
“So… it was just a family?”
There were suspicious circumstances, but it was all just a guess. However, even if the assumption was correct, it was not something that fell into the ordinary category.
“I found out through them, and considering their backgrounds, they can’t be considered as one person. The husband was once the head of a count’s family and a magician who reached the 6th circle, and the wife was a skilled spiritist of her own.”
“I can’t understand why such brilliant people live in remote places where they are easily suspected of bad things.”
Ray felt the same way. Not only the husband and wife, but also the son was extraordinary.
Wasn’t his name Radon? Didn’t he easily block the technique that contained his own power by summoning a giant snake servant?
He even figured out that the technique was ‘hail’, which means he had already engraved the same technique with his own eyes.
As for where I saw it… I don’t think I need to dig too deep, just thinking about my student ID.
“So where are they?”
“I’ve locked you up there.”
The Crowler family sat in a crude Benz in front of the cabin, handcuffed, except for Radon, who was innocent.
* * * * *
Dalgrak Dalgrak-
The horse runs and vibrates the carriage. Our family is currently being dragged to Silvertown, where Chainsilver’s main house is located.
I showed her my badge and student ID and confirmed that I knew Jenny. However, there was a separate problem, which was the sleeping pills that I had lied about and sold to Princess Ray.
It was such an obvious crime that it was not something to be taken lightly. Who would have thought that it would be a princess who had come out on a military mission?
“I’m really sorry for making you worry during this rare vacation.”
My father, sitting next to me, sighed deeply and apologized. In addition to my father, Amy’s mother, sitting in front of me, also had a rather bitter expression on her face.
As expected of a carriage transporting prisoners, the soldiers sitting at the end of the seats were scanning the area with their eyes. I was the only one among them who was not handcuffed. Could this be considered a blessing in disguise?
“It’s okay. I didn’t expect this to happen.”
If you live with lies in your mouth, it is not surprising that you will be chased at any time. That is also the reason why they built huts in remote places.
Even if you want to confess why you are a fraud, you are silenced, so life is a thorny path.
“This isn’t something you should laugh about. In fact, I’m still quite anxious. The erosion rate is probably increasing without stopping, and I don’t know when it’ll all be full.”
That’s why I have no choice but to lie from time to time. They don’t have visible erosion rate figures like I do, so I’m sure they’re incredibly anxious.
“Radon, have you ever had your body turn to dust or anything like that while you were at the Academy?”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s nothing more than that. That’s what happens when the erosion rate reaches its peak.”
I have never actually experienced it. Because I have been reducing the erosion rate frequently by using newspaper club activities, it has never reached the final stage.
“At that time, Radon was young and may or may not remember, but before the family fell, this father and mother were trying to figure out a way to solve the problem. Of course, it’s still ongoing.”
It seemed like it had been quite a while since I had even remembered Radon before Bing.
“Because the position was a position, there were servants and small fiefdoms, but they disbanded them all in order to solve this problem. The cost was so enormous. Do you remember that time?”
“Well, it’s been so long….”
[Erosion rate decrease: -2%]
[+200 Credits]
I don’t remember anything because I’m not Radon. I was young at the time so all I can do is say I don’t remember.
“I thought you would remember well since you were 8 years old at the time. Is it really true?”
“yes….”
“hmm….”
My father was drooling, but soon he laughed as if he could understand and continued his story.
“At first, I thought it was a normal curse, so I went to the Holy Cross Church… but my voice was silenced, so I was humiliated and kicked out of the church. After that, bad rumors started to spread, and that was the signal for the downfall of my family.”
He didn’t give up after that, and he spent money to study and study the curse. Where it came from, and how to solve this damned silence.
Because of the silent treatment, even when asking for help from other high-ranking officials, they would only pronounce things strangely. As this continued, the reputation of the Crowlar family fell rapidly.
It was a good timing for groups or factions that were jealous of the Crowler family.
Eventually, many fabricated rumors began to spread, which became a catalyst for the family to become politically involved.
“But I didn’t care what anyone said. I had no regrets since I had gotten into the position by chance. That’s why I didn’t care at all about what happened to my family.”
The curse placed on the family took priority over the family’s standing.
It seems that his words were not an empty boast, and he is said to have poured all his wealth into lifting the curse. It is said that even his servants who had served him for many years left, and protests poured in from the residents of the estate.
In a word, this is…
“You’re crazy.”
“That’s how it was back then.”
As the days passed, the notoriety of the Crowler family spread. Even though they wanted to explain that it was because of a curse, the result was the same.
“You didn’t exploit me, did you?”
“Does this father look like such a wicked person?”
Of course, I didn’t do that. I took responsibility for ruining my family’s reputation.
He gave up all the positions he enjoyed as a count and chose to live a life of seclusion like he does now.
The empty family was taken over by the branch family. After that, an ironic situation unfolded where the branch family was elevated to the main family.
Whether it was because they had harbored a grudge from the beginning or because they were proud, they erased all traces of Crowler.
The family name was changed from ‘Crawler’ to ‘Layart’, which was the most powerful of the branches.
“You could call it a downfall, you could call it an excommunication.”
In fact, it was a result of my father’s own making. Rather, he was satisfied with that choice and was living the life he had now.
“Don’t you regret it now that you think about it? You lost your title as count and became a mere swindler.”
“That’s true… but what’s more inconvenient than that?”
“…?”
“It’s about maintaining your dignity as a noble. When we were cursed, it was hard to maintain our dignity. The more we lie, the more our karma increases. Amy, who was six years old at the time, had to lie all the time. Was that the only way she could maintain relationships with other nobles?”
As the karma piled up, the jeers from those around them grew louder. It might not be so obvious to adults, but for Amy and Radon, who were young at the time, it must have been hell.
In that case, it would be safer to leave the family. That was the instruction of my father, Lotas Crowler.
“Ah… I’m really sorry I brainwashed you when you entered school. It seemed like you wouldn’t be able to lie because of the pressure that environment created.”
Nevertheless, it is said that I entered the school voluntarily. The brainwashing was not only due to my father’s restlessness, but was also ‘Radon’s’ own choice.
“It’s okay. More importantly, I can adapt well now without brainwashing.”
“Thank you. By the way… did you have any clues about the ‘Eternal Flame’?”
“yes?”
I had no choice but to open my eyes wide.
If it’s the Eternal Flame, then it’s the main character’s goal in this game, and the only key to eradicating the curse’s silence. If my father knows about it…
“Ah…! Then you can receive it at graduation. Three years will pass quickly anyway.”
This gentleman didn’t enroll his son in Alighieri for nothing. After all, he’s been studying curses for years, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he found out about it.
“That’s fortunate. But be careful as you go. You never know when the offspring of the branch family that absorbed our family will show up.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
But then something strange suddenly occurred to me.
‘But aren’t the people from the branch family under a curse?’
* * * * *
“Ray is coming back soon?”
“They should have arrived by now.”
A girl was walking down the hallway of the mansion with several maids behind her.
Just by looking at her position, you can tell that she is the lady of the mansion. Jenny Chainsilver’s blue hair always looked young.
But her hair, which was usually tied in a side ponytail, spread out like a waterfall.
The white lace worn instead of the academy uniform matched well with her hair color.
Although it was difficult to find any flashy decorations other than a rose-shaped headband and a blue pendant, she had the appearance of a noble young lady.
The Chainsilver family’s mansion, located at the end of Silvertown. Jenny’s voice here is second only to the head of the household.
“I heard that while I was finishing up my first semester, Ray went out to train and got into some big trouble. Can you tell me more about it?”
“Miss Ray woke up and bought a magic booster from a street vendor, but it turned out that it had been swapped with a sleeping potion, so she fell asleep during the battle. Fortunately, there were knights stationed nearby, so there was no major damage.”
“That street vendor.”
“He’s been arrested now and is coming with Miss Ray. What do you want to do?”
After his mother passed away due to his own mistake, he grew distant from Ray. Taking care of his remaining younger sibling in place of his mother was also one of his responsibilities.
I couldn’t just sit by and watch my one and only brother be in danger.
“Then of course they should be punished accordingly. What kind of scammers are they…!”
I clenched my teeth and arrived at the main gate of the mansion with the maids. There, several carriages had arrived just in time.
The first thing that opened was the carriage carrying the criminals. Now that it’s come to this, I’ll have to see what kind of guys they are.
Suddenly-
Finally they got out of the carriage.
There were four people in the family: a man, a woman, and a girl.
and…
“Hi Jenny.”
It’s me.
“I didn’t come to play… I was caught.”
Jenny blinked absentmindedly.
Surviving as an Academy Fraudster
