Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 16

17. Lapdonia (1)

I slowly open my eyes.

Then, I close them again and tell myself, “Get up and do what you need to do.”

As I think about the various tasks I need to tackle in the city, my half-awake body starts to feel energized.

Okay, let’s get to it.

First, I checked the time.

[21:18]

Since it was noon when I emerged from the dungeon, I’ve slept for about four hours, give or take.

But is it because I slept in a bed?

I feel incredibly refreshed compared to when I slept on the ground.

Grumble.

I do have some bread I got from the dungeon, but I decided to go out for a proper meal.

Even though money is as precious as life in this world…

I guess that much of a luxury is okay.

“…”

Even though I showered during the day, I felt like I still smelled, so I quickly washed up again and left the inn.

Thump, thump.

Walking through the quiet night streets, compared to the daytime, felt a bit stifling.

Not psychologically, but physically.

The beige shirt I’m currently wearing is medieval-style, with a low-cut chest and lace-like details on the sleeves and neck.

Instead of buttons, the V-neck is deeply cut with a string that crosses and tightens like a shoelace…

Even with the strings completely loosened, it’s still too small.

I understand why the barbarians went around shirtless. It was because they didn’t have clothes that fit. What a sad state of affairs.

‘…But where should I go?’

The first thing I need to do is go to the meeting place and meet Erwen.

But, I don’t know where the Black Whale Tavern is.

I’m sure it was in the southern area based on the dimensional plaza where the dungeon portal opens, but in the game, the city size was reduced by at least tens of thousands of times, so that’s not helpful in this regard.

So, I ended up asking for help from people passing by.

“The Black Whale Tavern? Was there such a place?”

“Never heard of it.”

Most people reacted as if they had never heard of it, but one middle-aged man with graying hair was different.

“The Black Whale Tavern, it’s been a while since I’ve heard that name. You look young, how do you know about that place? It should have disappeared over 10 years ago.”

I appreciate the comment about looking young, but the information isn’t so welcome.

“…Disappeared, you say?”

“Yes, it was a shop that had been passed down for generations, but the owner’s son got into gambling and the ownership changed. And with that, the name changed too.”

It was the moment when the hypothesis I had held since the dungeon gained more credibility.

Indeed, the world in the game I played must be a time in the past from this era?

That would explain things like the ‘evil spirits’ and the antagonistic relationship between barbarians and elves.

I should go to the library during the day.

“Thank you. You’ve been a great help.”

“Haha, it’s like I’m seeing a polite barbarian for the first time in my life.”

After that, I parted ways with the local man and walked through the night streets. It seemed that the place was still operating as a tavern, just with a different name, so I thought I’d just go and see.

Hoping that Erwen would have found her way there too.

‘Pheidonphus.’

I paused for a moment as I arrived at my destination.

I can pronounce it, but I don’t know what it means. Is it like an ancient language in this world too?

I think I need to research the language knowledge that naturally entered my head at some point.

“Hahahaha!”

“If you’re going to fight, take it outside, you bastards!”

The inside of the tavern was exactly as I had imagined.

Drunk people, adventurers, music, messiness, cigarette smoke, and even some different races.

I was scanning the entrance when I saw a familiar silver back of the head in a corner seat. Even the slightly protruding ears were pointy.

I was about to go over there, happy to see her.

Thud.

A drunk, no-good bastard bumps into my shoulder and goes through the passage first.

Well, that alone wouldn’t be a problem, but…

“Hey there, elf ladies, you look lonely, how about having a drink with me?”

He goes to where Erwen is and throws out that kind of cliché line.

Well, actually, if you think about it, even this wasn’t a big deal.

However…

“Is it because this is a dump of a tavern? Only pathetic rats are gathering around.”

E, Erwen…?

When did you become like that?

“…What? A, a rat?”

The no-good guy who was hitting on her makes a dumbfounded expression at the sharp sarcasm.

I probably don’t look much different.

“Get lost. If you don’t want a hole in your forehead.”

Judging by how much she seems to like the space between the eyebrows, I don’t think she mistook me for someone else…

What is going on?

I had to check it out.

Before that, I need to get rid of this guy first.

“What, what is it now!”

As I approached and grabbed his shoulder, the guy who was hitting on her turned his head…

“Oh, oh.”

He immediately lowered his eyes.

“Didn’t you hear me say get lost?”

“…I did.”

“Then why are you still standing here?”

Instead of answering, the guy carefully squeezed past me and went back to his seat without staggering.

That’s when it happened.

“Ah, mister!”

I heard that familiar tone of voice.

But I wasn’t surprised.

Because I never believed the rumor that Erwen was a split personality in the first place.

…Really.

After all, that guy just now called them ‘elf ladies,’ right?

“You’re the barbarian, aren’t you?”

Although it was a corner seat, hidden by a pillar, there were a total of two people sitting at the table.

“Yeah, I’m probably that barbarian. But who are you?”

“Her sister.”

So she really was her sister.

No wonder her profile looked exactly like hers.

“Is ‘her sister’ your name?”

“…How stupid. Call me Tersia.”

Erwen’s last name was Tersia.

It seems her sister has no intention of telling me her first name.

“Alright. Tersia, can I sit down now?”

“Suit yourself.”

I sat down without hesitation.

Then, I observed Tersia.

First of all, they don’t seem to be twins.

She looked three or four years older, and when I looked at her from the front, her features were quite different.

Maybe it’s because of her eyes, but she had a fierce aura.

Ah, is it not just because of her eyes?

“Barbarian.”

“I’m Bjorn, son of Yandel.”

“Whatever. Anyway, why did you call this kid to a place like this?”

“Um, sister…?”

“You stay quiet.”

Erwen sensed the tension and tried to mediate, but was blocked by her sister.

Hmm, the situation is getting quite interesting.

Putting aside why Erwen brought her sister, it seems that her sister’s dislike for me isn’t just because I’m a barbarian.

I have that feeling.

I need to figure this out first.

“Tersia, what is your purpose in seeing me?”

“Erwen stayed out last night, and when I questioned her, she said she was waiting for someone at the tavern all night. I was curious to see what kind of guy stood up my sister.”

Wait, I don’t understand?

“What are you talking about? Last night?”

“Are you pretending not to know?”

Looking at her expression, she doesn’t seem to be joking.

“…Erwen, how many hours have passed since we came out of the dungeon?”

“Ah, um… about thirty hours!”

Damn, I slept for more than a day. Not just 4 hours.

No wonder I felt so refreshed.

“I apologize. I didn’t even realize a day had passed because I was sleeping.”

When I apologized honestly, Tersia gave me a surprised look.

For some reason, I felt sad about that.

It seemed like she didn’t have any doubts about the fact that I had slept for more than a day.

“I didn’t even think a barbarian would keep track of time properly.”

I have nothing to say.

“So, why did you call Erwen out?”

Well, I could give a long list of reasons for that…

I drew a clear line.

“I have no obligation to tell you that. If you’re curious, ask Erwen later.”

In other words, it meant ‘mind your own business and get lost,’ but fortunately, Tersia seemed to understand it well, and the corners of her mouth twisted upwards.

“Interesting. Especially for a beginner who just entered the dungeon.”

“What does being a beginner have to do with it? Erwen is an explorer. If you’re not going to take care of her for the rest of her life, you should get rid of that attitude.”

“How barbaric.”

“Um, sister? Mister…?”

As the staring contest began, Erwen was fidgeting and stomping her feet alone.

Then, Tersia placed a pouch on the table.

“350,000 stones.”

“…Why are you giving this to me?”

“It’s the value of the essence that Erwen absorbed.”

Ah, so she’s telling me to take this and leave.

It’s a pattern I’ve often seen in melodramatic shows, so it feels a bit strange.

“Why aren’t you taking it? Did you have other intentions after all?”

That’s not it.

If it’s a matter of paying with money, I don’t intend to ask Erwen for a ‘promise’ in exchange for the essence either.

However, I haven’t heard Erwen’s opinion yet.

“Do you have the same opinion?”

“That’s…”

Erwen trails off.

Is her sister that scary?

I was originally going to do it when we were alone, but since it’s come to this, I decided to do it now.

“The promise I was going to ask for was that I wanted you to help me until I got the essence I wanted.”

“E, is that all?”

“Yes. If possible, I’d like to continue teaming up after that, but that’s separate. No promise is needed. From now on, we’ll split the ratio 5:5.”

In short, it means let’s form a two-person party.

I wonder what Erwen’s answer will be.

It didn’t take long.

“I’m sorry.”

The answer is no.

Instead of Erwen, who had her head down, her sister explained the reason.

“Erwen will be entering the dungeon with me from now on.”

“Only now?”

“According to tradition, she had to do her first experience alone, but I never intended to leave Erwen alone from the beginning.”

…I see.

She had a driver who would give her a ride as soon as she finished the tutorial.

Damn blood ties.

“If you understand, take this pouch.”

Erwen decided to give up cleanly.

She’s a pretty compatible companion, but there’s no reason to insist on her.

But I need to calculate properly.

“350,000 stones is probably half of the average market price for the essence, right?”

“Of course. Because it’s loot we got together.”

As a veteran, I can tell that 700,000 stones is a pretty good amount.

However, the ratio is wrong.

“Then 280,000 stones are missing. The agreed distribution ratio was 9:1.”

“Fine.”

Tersia readily took out another pouch.

I checked it suspiciously, and it contained exactly 280,000 stones.

Damn, was I about to get ripped off?

If I hadn’t brought it up, I would have ended up with only 350,000 stones.

These sneaky elf bastards…

I understand why barbarians hate elves so much.

“If you’re done, would you please leave? I have something to talk about with Erwen.”

“Is there really anything to talk about?”

Just as another staring contest was about to begin, Erwen intervened.

“Sister, I appreciate you worrying about me and coming all the way here, but I think you can go now.”

“Erwen?”

“I have to say goodbye to mister too… right?”

“…Well, I guess you’re not a child anymore.”

Tersia sighed, saying something she didn’t mean, and then looked at me.

“Barbarian, swear that you won’t sleep with Erwen. Then I’ll leave right away.”

Huh? Did I hear that right?

“S, sister?!”

Um, I think I heard it right.

Don’t sleep with her…

Does that mean all the skinship below that is allowed?

“I swear. On the honor of a warrior.”

“Ah, mister?”

“Then that’s fine.”

Finally, Tersia got up from her seat.

And…

“Ah, I almost forgot. Barbarian, thank you for saving Erwen.”

She left the tavern coolly, leaving one more word behind.

***

Clink, clink.

As she heard the sound of the bell on the door, Erwen slumped onto the table.

“Haa! What should I do! I’ve never talked back like that before… Do you think my sister is angry?”

“I don’t think so.”

“How do you know that, mister?”

Well, she looked at you once before leaving and smirked. You didn’t see it, though.

…Wait a minute, if that’s the case, why did she even ask?

Erwen scratched her head a few times and then came to her senses.

“Ah, right! I’m sorry. I appreciate the offer, but I’ve already talked with my sister about moving together since before…”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

Even if it were me, I wouldn’t stick with a low-level barbarian and suffer when a high-level elf is offering to carry me.

“Um, please take this first.”

Erwen took out a small pouch and placed it on the table.

“It’s exactly 63,000 stones.”

It must be the value of the crossbow and the magic stones the leader had.

I have no way of knowing what the actual amount was, but I didn’t doubt it.

Because it doesn’t matter anyway.

Anyway, if I divide this by 9:1, how much should I give?

“Ah, I’ve already taken care of mine, so you don’t have to give me any.”

Oh, I see.

She’s really sharp in these situations.

“I’ve left the backpacks that the two of them had at my inn for now. There’s a lot of stuff… I think it’s better to see it in person tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

Maybe it’s because we’ve been together for a few days, but she knows what I’m curious about very well.

Without saying a word, the issue of loot distribution was settled in an instant.

However, as we moved on to the next issue, Erwen opened her mouth with a more cautious attitude.

“Then… how should I repay you?”

“Repay?”

“I told you. I will definitely repay the favor.”

Ah, I did say that.

“A favor…”

As I trailed off, Erwen gulped.

…Could it be that this is why her sister made such a fuss about making me swear at the end?

Is she worried that I’ll ask for something weird in return?

“Don’t tease me, please tell me quickly.”

Her intuition has improved a lot.

She can tell right away when I’m teasing her.

“I can’t think of anything right now. I’m going to order something, do you want anything to eat?”

“I’m not hungry…”

“Then I’ll just order for myself.”

As I was looking at the menu on the wall, Erwen said as if she had remembered something.

“Ah, then alcohol! Please order alcohol!”

“Alcohol?”

“Yes. I deliberately didn’t drink a single sip yesterday. I wanted to have my first homecoming drink with you! Hehe.”

Erwen smiles brightly and looks at me with eyes that seem to be asking for praise.

A homecoming drink…

Come to think of it, there was such a culture.

Well, it’s a bit different from the feeling of having a can of beer after work.

For the different races who only grow up in the holy land until they become adults, the ‘first homecoming drink’ has a bigger meaning than you might think.

Um, but what should I say in this situation?

“…That’s a relief.”

“You should say thank you at times like this!”

“Thank you?”

“No need to thank me! We’re companions who went through thick and thin in the dungeon, so of course we should have the first homecoming drink together.”

What does she want?

As I was pondering, Erwen scratched her cheek.

“Of course, this isn’t your first homecoming drink, mister…”

“What are you talking about? This is my first homecoming drink too.”

“Huh?!”

Why is she so surprised?

“I told you I’m 20 years old, didn’t I?”

“…That wasn’t a joke?”

No wonder she kept calling me mister even when I told her.

“This is my first time entering a dungeon.”

“O, oh, I see…”

Then, Erwen started to look at me cautiously and went to the employee to order on her own.

The food came about 20 minutes later.

“Mister, you’ve worked hard.”

She’s just going to keep calling me mister.

Well, whatever. It’s not like we’ll be seeing each other for long anyway.

“…You’ve worked hard too.”

We drank and ate while talking about various things. In the dungeon, we mostly only said what was necessary, so this was the first time we had such a personal conversation.

But we can’t keep doing this forever.

“Mister, you’re wearing a shirt today?”

Yeah, you’re wearing a skirt.

We’ve talked enough about that, so that’s enough.

“Erwen, you said you’d repay the favor, right?”

“Yes? Yes, I did?”

“Then use the ability you used back then right here.”

Erwen tilts her head.

She seems to be thinking about whether this can be called a repayment…

But it’s an important issue for me.

What are the differences and similarities between the essence in the game and the real essence?

I need to check it in advance.

I might have to revise my training method.

“But why suddenly the ability?”

“There’s something I want to check.”

“But using abilities in the city is illegal? You’ll be arrested right away. By the guards.”

So that’s why I couldn’t use skills in the village when I was playing the game.

Then is there no way at all?

As I was pondering, Erwen made a suggestion.

“How about going somewhere where there are no people? Ah, our inn is not allowed. Other races are prohibited from entering.”

It seems that elves have their own exclusive inns.

Hmm, what should I do? Should I take her to a dark alley or something?

As I was pondering, Erwen found the answer first.

“So, how about going to your room, mister?”

Yeah, that would work.