Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 240

The knight escort assigned to me numbered twelve in total.

Eight of them stood guard outside the house, while three entered to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.

The remaining one followed me closely wherever I went inside the house, providing close protection.

“Was it Raymon Keplow, you said?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

The knight answered courteously, no matter what I said.

It was unfamiliar, but not something I couldn’t understand.

He was about to receive a peerage soon, so it was probably a way of treating him well in advance.

‘If it’s the Royal Knights Order, there must be quite a few knights with peerages, but to send all of them like this… it’s probably best to see it as a sign of consideration.’

For now, the Deer Antler seems to be a meticulous person.

Well, I’ll have to find out more about the specifics.

“You said it was an order from the higher-ups earlier, but who exactly issued that order?”

At my question, Keplow replied,

“That… I actually do not know.”

I carefully observed his expression as he answered.

It didn’t seem like he was trying to make up an excuse.

After pressing him a bit more, it turned out he was dispatched after only hearing from his direct superior that it was an order from the higher-ups.

‘Right, if they had any sense, they would have tried to hide their identity.’

It’s a bit of a shame.

If they had more connections to the royal family, I might have been able to trace the Deer Antler’s identity with this…

‘……No, wait a minute.’

A possibility suddenly flashed in my mind.

[They’re really hyping you up as a hero, aren’t they? It’d be hilarious if you died right after receiving your noble title. The royal family’s prestige would plummet!]

He said that with such a resentful voice that I thought it was just an emotional outburst at the time.

[To not even be able to control your emotions and kindly warn the enemy, you’re such a baby.]

In fact, the Deer Antler also perceived the Clown’s actions in this way.

But……

‘Could it be that bastard was aiming for this from the start?’

Perhaps what the Clown wanted from the beginning was to uncover the Deer Antler’s identity.

Of course, the jewel lit up green, so an ‘assassin’ definitely exists, but…

‘He must have judged that it wouldn’t be a loss if he could use this as bait to find clues about the Deer Antler.’

This makes more sense.

The Clown, who was just getting beaten up at the Round Table, is actually one of the big shots in this world.

Even a ‘mistake’ is likely to have an intention behind it.

‘The Deer Antler must have considered that possibility to some extent, so they sent people as secretly as possible.’

Ha, there are no easy bastards.

A sigh naturally escaped me, but it also motivated me to stay alert.

For example, just look at today.

If I had overslept because I was sleepy, the Deer Antler, upon receiving this report, might have sensed something was wrong.

“Knight, come here and have some of this.”

“I cannot receive private hospitality from a civilian—”

“Hey, what kind of hospitality is this? You’re going to be working hard to protect Bjorn.”

Misha served tea to the knights like a hostess.

Does she think close protection is one of the services of receiving a peerage?

Well, maybe she does.

She wouldn’t know about the assassin.

“Raymon Keplow, was it? I don’t know how long we’ll be together, but make yourself comfortable while you’re here.”

Misha insisted on making Keplow sit at the table and drink tea.

“……I will call you Lord Carlstein.”

“Huh? You can just call me Misha, but… well… if you want to call me that, I guess I can’t stop you…”

Soon, Misha naturally elicited honorifics from Keplow by leveraging my soon-to-be-conferred prestige.

Of course, I don’t think she intended it.

‘It probably just happened that way.’

Anyway, Misha briefly introduced Erwen and even Ainar, who wasn’t present today, to Keplow.

“Should I call you Lady Tersia?”

“Uh, uh… that’s…”

Erwen trailed off, feeling awkward at being addressed with honorifics by a knight.

Misha, noticing her discomfort, helped her out.

“Lady Tersia, my foot. Can’t you see she’s uncomfortable? Just call her Erwen.”

“Yes, yes! I think that would be better…”

“Then, I will inform my subordinates to use those titles.”

The title arrangement was quickly settled.

It was then.

Knock knock.

Another knock came from the front door early in the morning.

“A companion of Lord Bjorn Yandel has arrived.”

The knight announced the visitor as if he were a servant.

Is this why everyone is so obsessed with power?

“Who is it, if it’s a companion?”

“It is a mage named Arua Raven.”

Keplow then asked for my intention with his eyes, and I nodded.

That was enough.

Creak.

The door opened by Keplow, who had gone to greet them.

I sat on the sofa and raised one arm to greet them elegantly.

“Ah, you’ve come.”

It was the Noblesse Barbarian mode.

At that formal greeting, Raven let out a breath as if dumbfounded.

“Ah, you’ve come, my foot.”

“Would you like some tea?”

“Black tea, please.”

Raven glanced at Keplow, who was standing like a bodyguard behind me, and then sat on the sofa opposite me.

“So, what the heck is going on here?”

“It’s as you see it, isn’t it?”

“……Are you angry?”

What would I do if that little thing got angry?

I quickly replied,

“The royal family assigned knights as escorts because something shouldn’t happen before the peerage conferment.”

“Hmm, that makes sense. Mr. Yandel has more enemies than one might expect.”

Raven readily accepted it.

Well, it’s already a well-known fact in the city that the Corpse Collector wouldn’t just leave me alone.

And the large clans are also looking at me with displeasure.

But…

“Raven, my enemies are also your enemies.”

“……What are you talking about, so early in the morning?”

Raven, who was showing a low mood because it wasn’t her usual activity time, took a sip of the tea that Misha had poured for her and shifted her gaze to one place.

It was where Erwen was.

“Ah, hello. Ms. Raven…”

“Ah, yes… hello…”

The two exchanged awkward greetings as their eyes met.

I tilted my head without realizing it.

“Didn’t you used to call each other by name? I’m sure you did.”

“Mr. Yandel, just stay quiet.”

“……”

When I shut my mouth, Raven, as the elder, led the conversation.

“How have you been lately?”

“……I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“If that makes you feel better, I will. But, so, are you going to stay here from now on?”

“Yes… Luckily, my sister allowed me to…”

“Hmm, is that so? That’s interesting.”

The two continued their conversation for a few more words, and then Erwen went back to her room, saying she was a bit tired.

“……Is Mr. Keplow going to keep standing there?”

“I am used to this kind of mission, so please do not mind me and converse comfortably.”

“If you say so…”

Although she said that, Raven’s expression was full of discomfort.

She didn’t seem like she would open her mouth first.

Therefore, rather than continuing to be awkward like this, I decided to just ask what I was curious about.

“But what was that just now?”

“Please, use a subject, will you?”

“I’m talking about Erwen. You wouldn’t be acting shy with her now, would you?”

I clearly felt it in their conversation.

Raven was very wary of Erwen. And it didn’t seem to be just because Erwen had recently lost her family.

Then, what was the reason?

“Is there something I don’t know about?”

“Ah, you’re only quick-witted in strange places.”

“So, what’s the answer?”

Raven hesitated for a moment, then sighed and opened her mouth.

“It’s just… I feel like it’s my fault.”

“Your fault?”

“That magic that the Dwarki mage used. I can actually use it too.”

To summarize Raven’s words, it was simple.

When the Ruin Scholar appeared, Raven had a hunch.

The overwhelming difference in skill as a mage.

Unless she used ‘Awakening’ magic, she wouldn’t be able to overcome this crisis.

But…

“There was no problem with the incantation or the mana, but I couldn’t get the chant out.”

I understand.

It’s an easy-level magic that any mage can use, but that doesn’t mean anyone can use it.

“It was at that moment that I hesitated.”

The Ruin Scholar’s magic was fired, and the mana walls that Raven had erected were shattered too weakly.

And the result was…

“Sometimes I think alone in the empty lab. If I had used that magic right then, wouldn’t that sister have lived…”

I smiled bitterly.

I never dreamed that she would be thinking like this.

“It’s the same with Mr. Yandel and the other members of our team. We were all in a situation where we could have died. But knowing that, I…”

What is she talking about?

Before the common self-loathing pattern came out, I cut her off.

“That’s enough. Stop talking. Erwen is unfortunate, but in the end, none of us died, right?”

It might be a bit cold.

“That’s right.”

Raven nodded as if acknowledging it.

No matter what, since the time she spent with Erwen and Daria was short, they couldn’t be prioritized over her teammates.

“But the reason that result came out was because Mr. Yandel did what I couldn’t do.”

“Haha, well, I’m the leader, after all.”

I laughed lightly and said jokingly.

However, Raven only sighed again.

“Yes, that’s exactly why…”

“Huh?”

“……I just meant that being sentimental like this isn’t like the usual me.”

At those words, I nodded without realizing it.

Indeed, when I first met her, her image was completely different from now.

Anyway, as if she didn’t want to talk about this topic any longer, Raven brought up another topic.

“Mr. Yandel, what are you going to do about Erwen? The team is full, so there’s no room for her to join.”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“Then what about the labyrinth? Are you going to enter it?”

“I’m going to watch for now. If it continues to be like this, it will be difficult to enter.”

“……I guess so.”

“So, is that all you came for today?”

“No, I have another reason. I have something to tell Mr. Yandel.”

Since I believed that no news was good news, Raven’s words were enough to activate my anxiety sensors.

“I’ve decided to take lessons from Mr. Febrosk.”

“What? You’re not going to leave the team for a while to take lessons, are you?”

“Huh? Of course not. Why would you think that?”

Well, that’s happened a few times.

“But what are you going to learn if it’s a lesson? You have a school, don’t you?”

“I can’t learn royal magic at the Artemion School.”

Ah, she got the qualification to learn royal magic as a reward this time.

“I was hoping there would be someone to lay the foundation, and fortunately, Mr. Febrosk agreed.”

After that, Raven said that she would be staying near the royal palace instead of the magic tower for the time being, and if there was anything to contact her about, I should come there.

“That’s all I have to say. I’ll be going now. See you then.”

As if that was all she came for, Raven left as soon as she finished the tea that Misha had poured for her.

***

May 18th.

Team Apple Narac, except for Raven, visited the royal palace again.

There were still two days left until the peerage conferment, but they said to come and decide what to receive as a reward in advance?

‘Well, it would be much better to give it in a place where everyone can see.’

Since there was no banquet, there was no need to dress up as formally as last time.

Well, it was still the same that equipment was not allowed, so I wore neat casual clothes.

“Oh, Yandel! Are you here today too?”

As I entered the royal palace, explorers I knew greeted me first.

They were the ones who were scheduled to receive rewards today, just like me.

‘They said they’ve been calling people sequentially for the past few days.’

Monetary rewards had already been paid out in a lump sum, but those who had the opportunity to choose essence or equipment needed to draw a waiting ticket and wait.

“Bjorn! Then we’ll go first!”

After arriving at the royal palace, I parted ways with my companions.

Well, they receive different rewards than me.

“Um, it’s just the two of us left…”

Only the escort knight, the royal guide, and Erwen were left in the waiting room.

“Mister… should I really be receiving something like this?”

“If you don’t receive it, who will? Have confidence. This isn’t a place that’s so generous that they give rewards to people who haven’t contributed.”

“But…”

She’s still like this even after coming all the way here.

“We have to get stronger. Both you and I. That’s the only way we can avoid losing anything.”

“……Yes, that’s right.”

Erwen nodded as if to strengthen her resolve.

As we were having small talk, another guide arrived and took Erwen away.

The Silver Treasury, where 4th-grade essences or items of equivalent value were stored.

‘If the Gold Treasury had opened for her, I would have given her the graduation essence right away…’

It’s still a bit of a shame, even after thinking about it again.

It’s not that there isn’t a core essence of the bow spirit among the 4th-grade essences, but if the grade had been just one higher, I could have given her that essence.

‘I’ll get it someday, even if it’s not this time. It’s about time to go up to the 6th floor anyway.’

I tried to shake off my disappointment.

After receiving this reward, my power will increase significantly. Therefore, there was no need to go around in circles on the 5th floor to build up my strength.

The problem is those Noark bastards.

Looking at what the royal family is doing, it seems like they have some countermeasures.

“Lord Bjorn Yandel, please come this way.”

As I was sitting quietly and organizing my thoughts, my personal guide arrived and led me to the Gold Treasury.

It was an underground area with no windows.

However, there were bright lights everywhere, so there was no feeling of darkness at all.

No, it was so luxurious that it didn’t even feel like it was underground.

‘Looking at how far down we’ve come, it seems like it’s more than 5 floors underground… the architectural technology in this world is also strangely advanced.’

When we arrived at our destination, a knight with tremendous aura greeted me. By the way, there was also a mage next to him. He gave me a brief explanation.

The time limit was 3 hours.

You could choose one desired essence or item, and you should be careful because you could be severely punished if you tried to steal something or damage an item. That was the main content.

‘They’re quite fierce.’

After the explanation was over, the huge iron door opened smoothly as if it was moving in zero gravity.

And…

“Oh my…”

Thousands of essences, contained in test tubes and displayed in glass cases, greeted me.

Each one was an essence equivalent to an ‘Ogre’.

Although I could only take one, the corners of my mouth stretched wide without me realizing it.

‘It’s like I’m using a cheat code.’

Alright, it’s time to get stronger.