Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 316

Lethe’s Blessing.

To be honest, from the first time I heard that name, it felt significant.

The fact that a drug with the same name as a goddess from Greek mythology [Lethe is the goddess of forgetfulness and the river of oblivion in the underworld] had the effect of ‘forgetting’ couldn’t be a mere coincidence.

Ah, of course, I didn’t think too deeply about it back then.

This is a city where evil spirits reveal themselves and operate, isn’t it?

Even if that name came from a player’s mouth, it wouldn’t be strange at all.

But…

‘To think that player was me…’

From the ‘rumor’ Felix Barker spread a little while ago to this series of events, I can’t even laugh.

So, I was just spacing out when…

“Wait a minute…”

Iphael stared at me as if I were suspicious.

“How do you know about that drug? We’ve given out test samples to less than twenty people so far.”

Ah, that.

“I heard that Felix Barker received the drug from the lord this time.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Even with a slightly suspicious gaze, I confidently puffed out my chest.

Well, I didn’t exactly lie.

Felix Barker actually has Lethe’s Blessing.

Well, he didn’t tell me the details, only mentioning that he received a potion made by an alchemist as a reward from the lord.

“Well, the lord seems to be watching him with interest lately, so that’s possible.”

Without needing a long explanation, Iphael soon agreed.

But he must have been curious about this one thing.

“But where did you hear the name Lethe’s Blessing?”

“Well, I think they said it like that. I might have misheard it.”

“Haha, it seems they’ve already created their own slang?”

Soon, the suspicion disappeared from his eyes.

Therefore, this matter is over.

I subtly asked what I was curious about.

“But is that drug okay? I heard it hasn’t been long since it was made, are there any other problems?”

“Don’t worry. Aside from the inconsistent range of memory loss, there are no side effects.”

Inconsistent, huh…

It seems they haven’t yet researched enough to mass-produce it with the same performance.

“But considering what you guys are going to use it for, side effects don’t really matter, do they?”

“That’s true, but what if it doesn’t work because it’s defective?”

“That’s unlikely. If anything, the effect is too strong. There hasn’t been a defective one even in the first test samples.”

“Too strong?”

Perhaps excited that the topic of conversation had shifted to his area of expertise, like a scholar, Iphael told me to wait a moment and brought out a box stored on one side of the workshop.

“Here, this is the first potion we made.”

The box he opened contained a pure white pill.

There were more than ten slots where it could be stored, but all except for one were empty.

“It looks twice as big as the one I saw.”

“Hehe, the size isn’t the only thing that’s big. If you take one of these, almost all of your life’s memories will be erased.”

“…What?”

All of your life’s memories disappear?

But then, wouldn’t it be a bit much to call it defective?

No, in the first place, why did they make a mass-produced product when they had a prototype with better performance?

When I asked out of pure curiosity, Iphael gave an answer like a researcher from a large corporation.

“Ah, it costs a lot to make one pill. The lord said it wasn’t cost-effective.”

As someone who used to be an office worker, I found that reason quite understandable.

‘Well, it was originally made to be used on witnesses, so erasing a few days of memories would have been enough.’

After that, I talked with Iphael for about five more minutes, and that was the end of the conversation for the day.

***

Time continued to flow, and it was one day before D-Day.

We checked the plan one last time.

Well, now that we’ve done everything, I’m left with the question of whether this can even be called a plan…

What can I do? Whether it turns out good or bad, we have to try it.

Anyway, to summarize the main points of the plan, it was like this:

1. Infiltrate the lord’s castle and steal the fragments of records.

For reference, this process is my sole mission.

They said that there wouldn’t be many soldiers left in the lord’s castle tomorrow anyway? Amelia seems to think that with my skills, I’ll be able to easily rob an empty house.

Anyway, while I’m in the lord’s castle, Amelia decided to stick right next to her younger sister from her baby days…

The problem with the plan starts from here.

2. After joining up with Amelia, escape with the sisters.

That’s what we said, but nothing is properly decided in this process.

Even if ‘that guy’ comes and breaks the [Unhealthy Contract] that Felix Barker placed on Laura, everything else has to be improvised.

And…

3. The Rainwales sisters get new identities on the ground and live happily ever after.

That’s the whole plan we made.

Frankly speaking, I don’t think it’s going to go well at all.

The problem isn’t that it’s not detailed enough.

The problem is that the most important part is missing.

[The time zone once observed does not change.]

No matter what you do in the past, the future is the same, and we’ve witnessed enough evidence of that so far.

Dwarki and Raven.

The Barbarian’s heart.

And even Lethe’s Blessing.

I alone have already experienced this much, and Amelia will have experienced even more.

She must have felt deja vu and recalled old memories countless times in her daily routine, like a hamster on a wheel.

Thud.

Then, something touched my arm.

When I turned my head, I saw Amelia offering me a bottle of alcohol.

“…You want me to drink this?”

“That’s right.”

“Suddenly?”

When I spoke in a dumbfounded tone, Amelia replied expressionlessly.

“The day of action is tomorrow night.”

“Even so…”

“I also have something to say to you.”

Ah, she should have said that earlier.

I took the bottle and opened the cap.

Even so, it was a little funny.

She can’t get drunk before talking, so she’s trying to get me drunk. Well, even if you’re sober, it might be easier to talk if the other person is drunk.

“Kuh…”

I gulped down half of the bottle straight and opened my mouth.

“So, what do you want to say? Is it important?”

“It’s not that important. But… I feel like I haven’t had a proper conversation with you lately.”

Amelia said that and avoided my gaze.

She’s embarrassed right now, isn’t she?

“Uh… yeah…”

I feel my face getting hot for no reason.

Ah, is it because of the alcohol?

Whoa, this alcohol is really strong. It’s also very bitter.

Just as I was about to ask where she got this kind of alcohol, Amelia called out to me.

“Yandel.”

“You told me to use a fake name even in the lodging?”

“It’s over today anyway. Even if someone hears, there won’t be a problem.”

“…So, why did you call me?”

“There’s one thing I need to tell you.”

After saying that, Amelia quickly corrected herself.

“No, to be exact, it’s an apology.”

“…An apology?”

As soon as I heard that, I felt an ominous feeling.

And as always, that premonition was never wrong.

Thud, clatter.

The bottle, which was more than half empty, fell from my hand and rolled on the floor.

Ha, no wonder the alcohol was so bitter…

“What did you put in it?”

I asked, bringing my arm, which barely moved, to my thigh, and Amelia replied with a still expressionless face.

“All the drugs I have that wouldn’t harm your life.”

She looks like a real psychopath when she says that with that expression.

Apart from the chill down my spine, I was able to understand one thing.

‘Right, she didn’t intend to kill me.’

I swung the small emergency hammer that I carried like a dagger on my thigh without mercy.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work.

Whoosh-!

Amelia leaned her upper body back, and the hammer cut through the air.

“I knew you would do that from the moment you lowered your hand.”

I’ve been ambushing her every time we fight, so now she can see what I’m going to do just by looking at my eyes.

“Damn it.”

My muscles lost their strength, and my body, which I had stood up, swayed. Amelia supported me just in time before I fell to the floor.

Okay, I knew it.

“Ugh…!”

In the position where I was being supported, I quickly moved my arm and pressed on Amelia’s neck.

In professional terms, it’s a triangle choke [a grappling move that restricts blood flow to the brain].

But this woman was not easy either.

Wham-!

A strong impact hit my temple, and my body was thrown back.

Two women appeared in front of my spinning eyes.

It seems she summoned a doppelganger in that short moment and delivered a high kick…

‘I’m done for.’

My body was soaked in drugs, and now that my head was injured, I couldn’t move at all.

“…You really never make it easy.”

Amelia let out a hollow laugh, then picked me up and laid me on the bed.

And she just said what she wanted to say.

“I’m sorry. It seems I can’t be your companion.”

I grabbed Amelia’s wrist as she turned her back with all my might and asked.

“What… the hell, are you, trying to do?”

Amelia didn’t answer.

She just took my hand off and started putting on her equipment with a solemn face, as if she were going to her death.

And…

“Open the drawer when you wake up.”

That was my last memory.

***

Amelia Rainwales looked in the mirror.

And she straightened her clothes and swept her hair back.

The scar on her ear, which had been cut off a long time ago, was revealed.

A flaw that would surely be a flaw if she wanted a woman’s life.

However, this could not even be called a price. She had to sacrifice more than this to stand here today.

“…”

But for some reason, her feet wouldn’t move easily.

What could be the reason?

Amelia stood in front of the mirror and observed her emotions.

First of all, it wasn’t fear.

Since that day, life had been nothing more than a means to an end for her.

Even if she couldn’t change anything today, and her life of decades, which had been moving only with a goal, ended in failure, it would be the same.

Failure is not scary for her.

Rather, it’s closer to salvation.

She had been desperately hoping for that day while running non-stop. At least with the shield of not giving up until the end.

Then, what is it?

What is it that’s holding her back?

“…”

Amelia turned her back.

The sleeping Barbarian was visible.

When was he making a face like a demon, asking what she was trying to do? Now he was sleeping soundly, snoring without a care in the world.

Thump, thump.

Amelia approached the bed and opened the bedside table drawer.

And she put the note she had written in advance inside and turned her back.

Then, a conversation she had a few months ago suddenly came to mind.

[If I succeed in saving your sister and solve all the various restrictions even after returning to the original timeline.]

[…If you solve them?]

[Then join my clan.]

Even thinking about it again, it was absurd.

Should I say it doesn’t make sense realistically?

However, even so, if I were to imagine it, it would be quite fun. Exploring the labyrinth with this foolish man would be full of all sorts of accidents.

Yes, definitely…

“Ah…”

Only then did Amelia realize why her feet wouldn’t move.

It was regret.

A lingering attachment to a future that would never come.

Thump.

But emotions are just emotions.

If her feet are heavy, she just needs to give them more strength.

She didn’t stop walking.

Creak.

Soon, she paused briefly in front of the door, then put strength into her hand and turned the doorknob. When she came out, she could already see the chaos beginning.

“F, fire!!”

Flames were rising from the eastern district.

Amelia moved quickly through the crowd of people filling the streets.

She had lied to that man, saying it was tomorrow night…

The day of action was today.