Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 267

The high priestess of the Tovera Order, Lyline Ershina, revealed the full story of the incident.

“While exploring the center of the island, an unidentified team suddenly attacked us.”

It was an ambush.

A team of five.

Each one was a powerful figure, at least at the 7th-floor level of strength, and they were nearly annihilated before they could even properly fight back.

The biggest problem was that they didn’t have a mage with them.

Well, from what I heard, it seems they fought hard even in such a disadvantageous situation…

“The situation continued to worsen, and eventually, Drowes-nim, seeing that, made a decision.”

In the end, one of the team members made a decision.

To sacrifice himself to save his comrades.

However, it felt different from what happened with Dwarki.

“…So, while your comrade bought you time, you ran away?”

I asked, as if in disbelief, and the priestess blushed and made excuses.

“I was against it. I said several times that I couldn’t leave him alone—”

What is this woman saying?

If she was truly against it from the bottom of her heart, she wouldn’t be here meeting me.

“Enough. The explanation is done, so just tell me the key points. What happened next?”

“…I don’t know what happened to Drowes-nim, but soon, pursuers caught up. And then I got separated from my other comrades.”

No wonder her comrades were nowhere to be seen, and the priestess was running around in a panic.

I understand the general situation now.

So, now it’s time to focus on the details.

Yes, let’s start with this.

“But who are you talking about when you say Drowes?”

“Guard Weaver Drowes. The blonde swordsman who saved you that day and gave you a potion.”

Ah, so his name was Drowes.

It was a blonde name I learned more than a year later, but there was no time to dwell on it.

“What were those guys who attacked you? Tell me in detail.”

I immediately began to question her about the unidentified five-person team, and the priestess told me everything she remembered.

The abilities they showed during the battle and their appearances.

And even the names they called each other.

Thinking that this information could save my life, I listened carefully without missing a single detail, and then I froze at one part.

“Wait a minute, a red-haired woman?”

One of the descriptions reminded me of someone I knew.

“Yes. That woman seemed to be the leader of their group. But is there something wrong…?”

Damn it, of course, there’s a problem.

How many red-haired human women in this city use daggers and aura?

Even when I asked in detail, the location of the tattoo and the fact that her right ear was half-cut matched perfectly.

It meant there was no possibility that it was just a similar person.

‘…Amelia Rainwales, is it this woman again?’

A sense of unease surged from deep within my chest.

That’s because Amelia is from Noark.

It’s highly likely that the other four people she’s with are also from there.

In other words…

‘So, it’s not just a simple robbery.’

Ugh, it feels like I’ve gotten caught up in something really troublesome.

As I unknowingly sighed, the priestess cautiously asked, looking at my expression.

“…Do you perhaps know about that woman?”

“Maybe.”

I vaguely brushed it off with a half-hearted answer and asked a few more questions.

“That’s enough for this part, let’s continue with what you were saying. Ershina, were there any peculiarities about them?”

“Peculiarities, you mean…”

“Something that was a bit strange. Like, do you have any idea why those guys ambushed you?”

“That’s…”

The priestess trailed off, then after a moment of thought, she continued.

“I was too flustered at the time to think deeply, but now that I think about it, there was something strange.”

“Don’t drag it out, just get to the point.”

“It’s what Drowes-nim said when he stepped up to buy time. He said it was his responsibility, that we had no reason to get involved, and told us to go quickly. At the time, I just thought it was something a leader would say, but…”

“That’s definitely strange.”

“Yes. And it seemed like he knew the people who ambushed us. When they first attacked, they said things to Drowes-nim like he was a traitor, and they said something incomprehensible about handing something over…”

What?

“Why are you telling me this now?”

Isn’t this obviously the reason for the attack?

As I stared at her in disbelief, the priestess’s voice became as quiet as an ant crawling.

“W, well, I was too out of it at the time…”

Regardless of the priestess’s frustrating behavior.

The situation is slowly becoming clear in my head.

[Just before the blockade, a few people were sent to the surface from Noark. Their goal is to kill one explorer! Amazing, right?]

According to what the clown said at the Round Table the other day, Amelia and a few other infiltrators were given an assassination mission.

Of course, until now, I didn’t know who the target was.

But…

‘Maybe that target was this guy.’

Then what the hell is that guy Drowes?

I was pondering this when…

“But Yandel-nim…”

“I’m a Baron.”

“Ah, yes… Anyway, why were you alone in a place like this, Baron Yandel-nim?”

The priestess, who had been only answering, asked for the first time.

It seems she was belatedly becoming suspicious of my situation.

“I was trying to leave the island, but the ship sank, and I got separated from my comrades.”

“Huh?”

What do you mean, ‘huh’?

It means that we have to work together for a while.

***

“Let’s talk while we move.”

“Huh? What do you mean… You’re not going inside, are you?”

“Before we got separated, we agreed to meet in the center if we got scattered.”

“O, oh, I see. But over there…”

The priestess’s eyes showed resistance at my words.

I knew what she was thinking.

It must feel like entering a tiger’s den.

But isn’t she in the same situation, having been separated from her comrades?

‘Seriously, this priestess is only worried about herself.’

“Don’t come if you don’t want to. I’ll go alone.”

Instead of polite persuasion, I spoke firmly, and the priestess had no choice but to follow my lead.

After all, what could the priestess do alone?

She didn’t have a ship, and even if she did, the sea was in that state.

“…But do you know why the wind is blowing like this? It’s like a storm suddenly started.”

Well, that’s what I want to ask.

“I don’t know, but monsters are gathering from the coast.”

“…I see.”

That’s as much of a question for me as what kind of guy Drowes was.

I understand that there was an ambush.

But who triggered the island event, and why?

If it was someone who knew the activation conditions, they would have known how dangerous this was.

‘Well, I’ll find out eventually.’

Whether I like it or not, I’m trapped on this island.

I’ll end up meeting Amelia or her comrades anyway.

‘For now, let’s just focus on joining up with my comrades.’

I shook off the bad thoughts as much as possible and moved into the island with the priestess.

At first, I was leading, and the priestess was following behind, but…

“At this rate, it’ll take hours. Come here.”

Because her movement speed was too slow, I ended up carrying the priestess on my back and running through the forest.

The monsters we encountered along the way were not a problem.

After all, if I were alone, I could pass by unharmed, and…

The priestess has this skill.

「Lyline Ershina has cast [Inviolability].」

A buff-type divine spell that prevents attacks from monsters below level 7.

It was a bit funny.

There was a strange rule in the Tovera Order, one of the three orders in Lapdonia.

That is, the ridiculous rule that they should not use divine power on barbarians.

‘Seriously, that god is so petty.’

Was it because one of the barbarians got drunk and peed on a Tovera statue thousands of years ago?

As far as I know, that rule was created after that incident.

Maybe that’s why this woman refused to heal me when I was crawling around in a cave on all fours.

“It seems the Sun God understands that it’s okay to break the rules at times like this?”

“I understand your feelings, Yandel-nim, but please don’t insult him.”

The priestess retorted with a slightly sharp tone as I mocked her.

“…It’s my fault for breaking the rules. If you need to blame someone, blame me instead.”

Seriously, she’s getting serious.

“There’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t intend to blame you.”

Of course, you have to use it to survive.

No matter how much you like the god, you wouldn’t want to go meet him this early, right?

“If that day was a wound… I apologize. But the reason I insisted on the rules that day was because it was a situation that could be resolved with a potion, not because I was really going to ignore you.”

Well, now that she says that, it feels a bit better.

“Okay, I understand your situation.”

I answered briefly and shook off the remaining resentment.

What can an individual do about something decided by a group?

“Anyway, let’s stop talking about this. That’s not what’s important right now.”

“Yes.”

We stopped the small talk and focused on moving.

And how much time had passed?

“H, here it is. This is where those raiders attacked us…”

“…Be quiet.”

We finally arrived at the center of the island, our destination.

There was nothing around.

Only the traces of a battle that had taken place some time ago.

“…For now, you can withdraw your divine power.”

I first ended the priestess’s divine spell.

And then slowly searched the surroundings.

I was the first to arrive, and there were no comrades who had arrived before me.

“There’s really no one here…”

Not only was there no sign of Drowes, the leader of the team who chose to sacrifice himself, but there was also no sign of the mage’s corpse, who was said to have been attacked at the start of the ambush.

What exactly happened here?

“So, what are you going to do now?”

At the priestess’s question, I answered without hesitation.

“I’ll wait. Until someone comes here, whether it’s an enemy or a comrade.”

“Yes, I see. Understood.”

Contrary to expectations, the priestess accepted my decision without any complaints. So, when I asked why, she gave me this answer.

“Because I need to meet my comrades too.”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t it impossible to leave the island anyway? If my comrades who escaped encountered your comrades on the coast, there’s a high chance they’re heading here by now.”

Right, so you were thinking that far ahead and followed me.

“Ershina, aren’t you afraid that all your comrades might be dead?”

I asked casually, and the priestess answered.

“Of course, I’m afraid. But the more I am, the more I have to believe.”

Ah, right, she’s a priestess.

For a moment, I thought I had asked something unnecessary, but…

“That’s all we’re allowed to do.”

The priestess’s words weren’t exactly wrong.

‘Please, I hope everyone is safe…’

That was all I could do right now.

***

Swoosh-!

The rough sound of waves crashing into my ears.

“Ugh, ueeek…!”

Misha Kalstein opened her eyes, spitting out the seawater that had filled her stomach.

And she quickly checked her surroundings.

“Ah, Ainar!”

Her heart sank.

That’s because Ainar was the last person next to her after the ship crashed.

With the determination to take responsibility for Ainar, who couldn’t swim, she had somehow held on tightly in the rough waves.

“I lost him.”

All sorts of anxious thoughts began to flood her mind.

Is Ainar okay?

What will I say when I meet Bjorn later?

No, in the first place, Bjorn…

Slap-!

Misha slapped both of her cheeks with her hands.

She snapped back to her senses.

“Good thinking, good thinking…”

Even though she had lost consciousness, she had woken up fine on the shore.

Everyone will be fine.

Yes, so…

[If we get separated, come to the center of the island!!]

Misha recalled the last shout Bjorn had left and shook off the dirt on her hands and face.

And she slowly walked towards the forest.

That’s when it happened.

Thump.

She heard a sound from the side.

“…Ainar? Ainar-nyang?”

Misha shouted as hard as she could with her barely audible voice and ran towards the direction of the sound, and soon she encountered a stranger.

“You.”

“U, uh?”

“You’re a comrade of Bjorn Yandel.”

It was a red-haired human woman with a scar where half of her right ear was cut off.