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Full-Blown Family Feud – Part 03

“You know all that, and you’re not taking any action?” Hikaru asked.

“If I could, I would have done it already.”

“Mr. Edward doesn’t involve himself in illegal activities.”

“Exactly. He’s exceptionally clever. Recruiting stupid subordinates to do stupid things, but it’s all legal. That’s why we can’t do anything. We just have to wait for the Ballast family to collapse on their own after repeated failures.”

“Meanwhile, people suffer from failed jobs and debt collection.”

“It’s the commissioners’ own fault for getting enticed by Ballast’s low prices. As for debts, you can blame the borrower. Ballast’s interests are legal.”

Hikaru couldn’t say anything back. House Taylor’s debt problem was not the fault of the Ballast family; it was due to the repeated borrowing by Vilma, the late baron’s second wife.

Just like Kelbeck, there was nothing Hikaru could do. He resisted the urge to cradle his head in his hands.

Kelbeck sighed, leaning on the couch with his head tilted back. “Things were going smoothly when the previous head was in charge. Blame it on some weird lung disease.”

“Lung disease?”

“They should’ve treated it sooner, but no, they insisted it was because of smoking. Then it got worse, and the business got a new head.”

“I see… A terrible loss.”

“Huh?” Kelbeck readjusted himself. “What are you talking about? Old man Doma is still alive.”

---

The satellite town of Pond, situated just half a day’s carriage ride away from the royal capital, G. Ponsonia, was modest in size, designed to serve primarily as a transient stop. Despite this intention, not everything within its confines was well-maintained, leaving ample room for the clandestine activities of the infamous Thieves Guild.

“It’s been a while since I came to this world.”

Upon reaching the town’s outskirts, Hikaru placed his palm against the trunk of a big tree.

It was a rainy night when he fled Count Morgstadt’s mansion, running through the darkness until he reached this graveyard. He had spent the night at the base of this large tree.

The graveyard was deserted, with the surroundings appearing far more squalid than the main streets. Dirty walls, abandoned buildings with torn roofs, lifeless houses. Children could be heard playing in the distance, and laundry fluttered on ropes strung between houses. Calling it the old town felt more fitting than slums.

A raspy cough disrupted the quiet.

At the end of a narrow alley, tucked away where the sunlight did not reach, stood a small, abandoned house—well, not exactly abandoned according to Hikaru’s Mana Detection, but it was so rundown that “abandoned” was the only way to describe it.

The cramped structure, reminiscent of a horse stable, awkwardly occupied a space that seemed more like an architectural oversight. Its roof was patched with thin boards.

A hacking cough, sounding like a dead engine being forced back to life, rolled out through the open, rotting door.

“Hello.”

Upon entering the house, Hikaru was greeted by a cramped space just enough for a single bed, and there lay an elderly individual.

Emaciated, the old man, with disheveled gray hair and deep wrinkles, turned his eyes towards the visitor. Hikaru flinched under his piercing stare, but after a moment, the man’s gaze softened.

“Who are you? You don’t look like anyone I know. Sorry for staring. I’ve had nothing but troublesome guests lately.”

“My name is Hikaru. I’m an adventurer.”

“Adventurer? Impressive for someone so young. Earning on your own and standing on your own two feet. Not an easy feat.”

Hikaru was aware of his neat appearance, far from the typical adventurer. As a matter of fact, people thought he was some rich kid playing around at the recent action. Doma Ballast, however, identified him as an “independent adventurer.”

Hikaru reflexively checked the man’s Soul Board.

【Soul Board】Doma Ballast
Age: 58 | Rank: 31 | 41

【Vitality】
【Natural Recovery】5
【Stamina】2
【Immunity】
【Disease Immunity】1
【Perception】
【Sight】3

【Strength】
【Muscle Strength】4
【Weapon Mastery】
【Projectile】3

【Agility】
【Power Burst】3
【Flexibility】2
【Balance】4

【Dexterity】
【Dexterity】3
【Tool Mastery】
【Axe】1

【Willpower】
【Mental Strength】3
【Charisma】1

【Instinct】
【Instinct】1
【Detection】
【Life Detection】1

It was a well-balanced Soul Board, with 41 points remaining. His Soul Rank was unusually high for someone his age and civilian status. Knight Commander Lawrence was almost at Rank 50, while members of the Four Eastern Stars, renowned Rank B adventurers, generally hovered around 40. Serika, an exception, boasted a rank exceeding 100.

After facing formidable foes, Hikaru’s Soul Rank had increased by 3, reaching 29, not much lower than Doma’s. Comparing them, however, was absurd, considering the formidable enemies Hikaru had faced. Doma lived in town as the president of his company, and while he might have had his fair share of fights, he likely had fewer life-and-death encounters with monsters that defined an adventurer’s existence.

He doesn’t look 58…

Doma, visibly fatigued and aged, appeared notably older, possibly due to illness.

“What does an adventurer want with me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” As Hikaru observed Doma, he recalled his purpose. “I actually have something to discuss about the Ballast Trading Company.”

“Are you having trouble with Edward? Can’t see why you’d be involved with him.”

“It’s not me. It’s my acquaintance.”

Cough, cough!

“Are you okay?”

Hikaru reached out to rub Doma’s back, but Doma raised his palm to stop him.

“Stay away. I don’t want you catching it.”

Despite evident discomfort, Doma showed concern for Hikaru.

I can understand why everyone liked him.

Undeterred, Hikaru rubbed Doma’s back.

“Weren’t you listening? I have a lung disease.”

“I heard it was due to years of smoking. If that’s the case, it’s not contagious.”

“Are you a doctor?”

“No, but I understand that much.”

Hikaru’s initial purpose was to glean information from Doma about Ballast Trading. Any details that could exploit Edward’s weaknesses would be beneficial. However, Hikaru’s focus shifted.

If I increase his Natural Recovery and Disease Immunity on the Soul Board, would it cure him? No, there’s a quicker way… I’ll bring Paula here.

With her healing magic, Paula could likely restore Doma to full health.

“Mr. Doma. If I can get you a cure, I would like you to grant me one request in return. How about it?”

Hikaru wanted the man to become president of the company again after he regained his health.

“I don’t need it.”

“…What?”

“I ruined my lungs on my own. I have to take responsibility for it.”

“…”

Hikaru once again found himself surprised. There was no one who didn’t want to be healthy. Especially not someone suffering from an illness every single day.

Doma coughed. “Every time I smoked, my wife used to give me a disapproving look. ‘Don’t smoke cheap tobacco. You’ll destroy your lungs’ she used to say. This cough is my punishment for continuously ignoring her.”

In the almost empty room, a water pitcher and a small dish suggested a recent meal. Next to it, blending into the slightly dirty wall, was a smoking pipe.

Rolled cigarettes and cigars were considered luxury items. Smoking pipes and chewing tobacco remained the predominant choices for the common folk’s pleasure.

Punishment…

The dusty smoking pipe, nestled in the corner, seemed to be a silent reprimand for Doma. A reminder of his lesson.

Speechless, Hikaru left Doma’s house. He turned to the neighbors next. They prepared meals for Doma every day, individuals who had once received aid from the Ballast family.

Doma had lost his beloved wife, and his eldest son, Samal, had relocated to the royal capital. Afflicted by a lung disease, he suddenly lost his spirit, leaving the Ballast Trading Company in Edward’s hands and settling into that dilapidated house.

The neighbors echoed the same narrative.

“We’ve urged him to see a doctor, but he never goes. We pooled money together, and there’s enough to cover medical expenses. We want him to live longer.”

Doma’s physical decline was evident, and unless something changed, his days were numbered.

I don’t want him to die.

Irrespective of Doma’s resolve, Hikaru was unwilling to watch a person cherished by so many pass away.