Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 146

70 million stones.

A huge sum that made my heart pound the moment I heard it.

However, I tried my best to calm down and continued the conversation. It wouldn’t be too late to celebrate after the money was in my hands.

“Will this letter be enough as proof?”

Krovitz, who received the letter, read it slowly from the top, then completely changed his expression. And he was silent for a long time.

“…Is there something wrong?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. If this content is true… it’s a very serious matter for the main church. It’s not that I doubt Yandel-nim, but could you wait inside for a moment?”

“Sure.”

Paal Krovitz led us to a reception room-like place inside the temple, then hurriedly left. It seemed he needed to verify the handwriting before informing his superiors.

“Could it be… that something’s going wrong?”

“Haha, there’s no way. It’s just that they want to verify everything before talking to us.”

“Murad is right. You all read it too, but the content of the letter is quite something.”

The waiting time was longer than expected. And as we slowly started to make different guesses.

“I apologize. It was unavoidable that you had to wait so long.”

Paal Krovitz returned.

“Now, let’s go. Everyone is waiting.”

The place he led us to was a chapel on the second floor. A space that only those who had become priests could use, not ordinary believers.

“I heard that people who aren’t part of the church can’t enter here…”

“The Goddess has connected us, so how can we consider you strangers?”

I brushed away my anxiety as I watched Krovitz answer Rotmiler’s question. If they had judged the letter to be fake, they wouldn’t have acted like that.

Squeak.

Soon, Krovitz opened the door, revealing the inside of the chapel. It was a fairly large space, but there were only seven people inside. I stiffened when I saw their faces.

‘Crazy.’

After visiting the Count’s family, I had read several books about the church’s ranks, so I knew immediately. The two men and women who were the only ones wearing armor in this place. The patterns embedded in their armor were different, but the silver thread that decorated the edges meant they were the leaders of the Holy Knights.

Including Paal Krovitz, all three leaders of the church were gathered in one place. But it didn’t end there. Two high priests and one cardinal. And an elderly man standing at the center as if receiving their support.

“…A follower of the stars greets the Spiritual Archbishop.”

Rotmiler knelt and made the sign of the cross as soon as he saw him. It was understandable. To put it in Catholic terms, we were now standing before the Pope.

‘But who is that kid?’

I felt a strange pressure from the splendid lineup, but for a moment, I stared at the child in front of the Pope. A small boy who looked about ten years old. Now that I looked, it seemed like everyone was positioned to protect the child. Even the Pope, who was standing directly behind the child.

What on earth was that kid doing? It was at that moment, as I was pondering this.

“May the star that rises at twilight guide us.”

The Pope made the sign of the cross first, and then all the members bowed to us. It was a very unusual event. So much so that Rotmiler, who was also a believer, froze like a stone, not knowing what to do.

“…”

Was it because we were in a chapel? A strangely sacred and solemn atmosphere flowed in the air. After a moment of silence, the Pope opened his mouth.

“High Priest Ludwig was a very precious person to us. Thank you for delivering the letter. May I ask how you obtained this letter?”

To be honest, it was a bit unexpected. It was too polite and cautious for the highest authority of one of the three major religions to speak to a 4th-floor explorer.

‘He wouldn’t always be like this. He must have been that important.’

I slowly opened my mouth. And I briefly explained what happened in the Larcaz Maze.

But was this the way a clergyman thought?

“The star of twilight sent you to him as he was lost and wandering. Thank you for saving his soul. Even though he was captured by an evil god, his soul will continue to shine forever in the darkness.”

It was a bit uncomfortable to hear. It wasn’t a matter of right or wrong, but rather, I felt that they were fundamentally opposite to me. I had never gotten along well with religious people.

“…This is his keepsake.”

I took out the necklace that the high priest had been wearing and handed it to them. If it was a holy object, it would be worth much more than the reward money, but… I didn’t mind because I was doing what was right. I owed that high priest a debt.

“Thank you. It’s not the item we were looking for, but this will comfort his soul a little.”

So, it wasn’t a holy object. Well, if there had been one, that guy would have taken it all.

“Cardinal Greyond, how much is the reward money for them?”

“Although we did not recover the holy object, considering the importance of the content written in the handwritten letter, his keepsake, and the fact that they told us about his last moments, it would not be enough to pay the full 70 million stones designated by the Ministry of Finance.”

“Then, please do so.”

I swallowed hard without realizing it. I thought it would be cut in half because there was no holy object, but they were going to give it all. I reflected on myself for having felt uncomfortable with their words. They were truly great religious people. But that wasn’t the important thing.

“There’s one thing I want to ask.”

“Tell me.”

Since the first part was over, I immediately got to the point. Something that might be more important than the reward money.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“May I ask what exactly you mean?”

“You found the culprit who kidnapped High Priest Ludwig. I was wondering if you were going to take revenge. I got caught up in it too, you see.”

As I asked the question, I naturally implied that they were also responsible. But the answer I got was too ambiguous.

“That’s something I can’t confirm right now.”

“I see.”

Tsk, I thought that if they were going to take revenge, they wouldn’t have the energy to bother me for a while. Do I really have no choice but to figure it out on my own? I clicked my tongue and nodded. It was at that moment.

“Don’t worry too much, great warrior.”

The little boy I had been watching since earlier opened his mouth, and at the same time. Swoooosh-!

A brilliant silver light burst out. And when I came to my senses, a ring of intertwined vines was on my thick finger. I wondered what on earth was going on… And then I realized after hearing the Cardinal’s shout.

“A divine revelation…! A divine revelation has descended…!”

Something I had only heard about in NPC conversations in the game, but had never actually experienced. It was a divine revelation. ‘Damn it.’ And it was one that had been given after a very long time, from what I heard.

***

Finally, the question was answered. Why the Pope was treating such a young child like a sacred object. The answer was actually quite simple. ‘No way, is he a saint?’ No, since he’s a boy, should I call him a holy one? Anyway, the title isn’t important. A vessel that can hear the voice of God, and sometimes contain his power. The child with the qualities of that vessel speaks.

“The Goddess just told me. That ring will block a strong, intertwined evil fate up to three times.”

“If it’s an evil fate, are you talking about the Dragonslayer Regal Bagos?”

If it were a normal fortune teller, they would have said something like it could be or it might not be. But the divine revelation was different.

“Yes. She said it can only block the evil fate with him. So, you must prepare to overcome fate before all the vines of that ring are broken.”

It felt like I had become a hero who would defeat the Demon King. To be honest, I was dumbfounded. No matter how much I had messed with Elisa and had the incident with the high priest, why would the Goddess give me such a gift? Even to someone called an evil spirit. ‘What is this? Is it like a hidden camera?’ For a moment, I wondered if they were all scamming me using this kid, but… The ring on my hand erased that doubt. The expressions filled with shock also seemed too sincere to be acting.

“May the star that rises at twilight guide us.”

“May it flow according to the order.”

The highest religious figures in this world all made the sign of the cross towards me. I checked my companions’ expressions.

“Bjorn, what is your true identity!!”

“So, you were truly someone born with destiny!”

“No, that’s not the issue. How, how can a barbarian be chosen by a human god…”

No, even if you look at me like that, I don’t know either. Only then did I realize that this wasn’t something to be simply happy about, and I stared at the little boy. There were many things I wanted to ask. However… Thud. The child collapsed weakly, perhaps as a price for receiving the divine revelation. The Pope caught the child’s body, and that was the end of today’s meeting.

“Sir Krovitz, please guide these people out.”

“No, wait a minute! There are still things I want to ask…”

“I hope you will understand. We will meet again later and explain everything. Until then, please keep today’s events a secret. Otherwise, a great disaster may befall you.”

“What, a disaster?”

It felt like I had heard something absurd, but the conversation ended there. “Sir Krovitz will explain the details.”

Due to the Pope’s stubborn attitude, we had no choice but to be kicked out. And under the guidance of Paal Krovitz, we headed to the reception room where we had been waiting earlier.

“Krovitz, what on earth is going on?”

“I… I don’t know either. I don’t know what he meant by giving a divine revelation to a different race.”

“…Is it unusual to give a divine revelation to a different race?”

“Yes, as far as I know, this is the third time.”

“So, what happened to those people?”

“According to the records, they were branded as heretics within their race and expelled.”

Ha, this has become a headache. Should I say that I’ve gained another suicide button after the evil spirit?

“I see why they told us to keep it a secret.”

“Yes, it seems there would be more harm than good if it were to be known.”

The core of a barbarian’s growth is the spirit imprint. But to be expelled from the tribe? From that day on, I would be a ruined character. Because barbarian shamans only exist in sacred places.

“But please don’t worry about our side. We will not be the first to leak it.”

With those words, Krovitz looked at my companions. He didn’t say anything, but his intention was clear. So, I looked at my companions as well.

“Ah! I, I’ll keep my mouth shut! Really? You believe me? Bjorn?”

“Don’t worry. Today, I didn’t hear anything.”

Misha was a given, and I wasn’t too worried about Rotmiler either. It was partly because of his personality, but also because he was a follower of the Leatlass Church. However, the problem was…

“Hey, you! Why are you looking at me with those eyes?”

“Do you even need to ask?”

“…I’ll quit drinking from now on.”

I sighed as I watched the dwarf lower his head with a disappointed expression. Sigh, we shouldn’t have all come here together. Are all the gods here like this? It felt like they had taken away the biggest stone that was weighing on my chest, but had placed a new, smaller stone on it.

‘But he’s not that loose-lipped…’

However, I decided to focus on the positive aspects. If this ring really does prevent the event of encountering the Dragonslayer, then this level of risk can’t even be called a risk. If we were to discuss the pros and cons, it’s definitely a benefit. I had bought the time I had been most desperate for.

‘It’s also the first time I’ve gotten a holy object through a divine revelation.’

Items given by a god are called holy objects. Most of them have fraudulent effects. That’s why I didn’t doubt the ring’s performance. I didn’t know how long it would last, but I wouldn’t encounter him until all three strands were broken. However…

‘The problem is how long it will take to break.’

Two years? Three years? Since it’s a brand new holy object, it might be possible, but… It would be better to assume the shortest time possible and prepare. I decided to think of a minimum of half a year to a year and finished organizing my thoughts. And it was the moment I got up from the sofa.

Zzzzt.

One of the intertwined vines broke.

“Uh, Bjorn? It seems like one just broke.”

“…No. That can’t be.”

I rubbed the broken vine with my saliva-covered finger, twisting it like a rope. But as always, reality was cold.

“Look, see? It’s stuck on tight.”

The moment I held out my hand with the ring as if to show off. Swoooosh-!

The broken vine scattered, emitting a silver light. I stared blankly at the scene.

「The activation condition for the Star’s Protection has been met.」

I couldn’t even manage a hollow laugh.