Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 339

Snowball (4)

The 7th level of the labyrinth, the Dark Continent.

In a deep mountainous area, shrouded in black fog that seemed to be a part of it, five explorers were setting up their camp.

“Old Man Destruction, how much longer until the barrier magic circle is complete?”

“About 10 more minutes.”

“Still? Sigh, this is why we need a priest.”

At the blonde man’s grumbling, a subtle change of expression flickered across the old man’s face as he drew the magic circle. It wasn’t very noticeable, but it was clear he was displeased.

“If you’re so dissatisfied, why don’t you fill the remaining spot with a priest?”

The blonde man chuckled at the old man’s words.

“Old man, would a priest even join our team?”

“There are also the priests of Karui.”

“We’re not interested in half-baked healers.”

The blonde man muttered, then turned his gaze from the old man and stared into the fog. Although the pitch-black fog blocked his view, he could make out the shape of a monster heading towards them through the gaps.

A 5th-grade beast-type, a Dire Wolf. Originally, they were creatures that lived in packs, but this one was alone, having been pushed out due to a hierarchy fight. Soon, the blonde man looked at a woman with his usual light tone.

“Meow, you take care of that one.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“So sensitive, so what’s your answer?”

At the man’s question, Misha Kalstein, a red-haired beast-kin woman, silently picked up her sword and stood up. And then…

“Woof woof… !”

The moment the monster appeared from the fog, she moved her sword. Two strikes were enough.

Thwack!

The moment the sword in her left hand pierced the monster’s hide, a cold air swept through, freezing the monster’s body. Clang-!

The sword in her right hand shattered the frozen monster into pieces.

“Oh, so now you can one-shot a 5th-grade?”

“……”

Misha didn’t reply and returned to her original spot to sit down. Then, the blonde man grumbled as if he was wronged.

“Hey, why are you so cold to me?”

“Do you not know why…?”

“Then do you know? I take you around, feed you essence, improve your skills, and even tell you how to save your husband. What are you so dissatisfied about—”

“Stop.”

“Just look at your tone. You were cute when you were meowing—”

“I said stop.”

When Misha glared at him with cold eyes, the blonde man shrugged and sat in front of the campfire.

“Ah, right, no talking about my husband. Sorry.”

The blonde man, who had apologized without any sincerity, started chatting with his other companions as if nothing had happened. Misha quietly suppressed her boiling emotions.

‘…Baekho Lee.’

That was the name of the blonde man sitting in front of her. The only ‘individual’ the royal family was wary of, and a skilled person who Noahark always had to yield to.

Crack, crack.

Watching the irregularly scattering sparks, Misha recalled her first meeting with him.

***

It was like a hand extended by the devil. Especially in that it was an offer she couldn’t refuse.

“What would you do if I told you there was a way to revive Bjorn Yandel?”

That day, Baekho Lee said that there was something called the ‘Stone of Resurrection’ on the 9th floor. That with it, you could bring back a lost person. Of course, it wasn’t a kindness that didn’t require a price.

“But you have to do something for me.”

The conditions Baekho Lee presented were two.

“First, testify that Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit.”

“…What?”

“You were practically lovers, right? If you say it, it won’t just sound like a rumor.”

The first condition was something she couldn’t understand the intention of.

“Don’t be ridiculous! If I do that, Bjorn won’t have a place to return to even if he comes back alive. I would never do such a thing—!”

“So, you’re not going to do it?”

Baekho Lee cut her off with a smirk. Misha was seized by the urge to leave this place immediately, but she pressed her lips and endured. It was for a simple reason. She had a gut feeling that if she said one more word here, he would withdraw his offer and leave.

“Good.”

Baekho Lee, who was pleased with Misha’s patience, continued in a more generous voice.

“Well, I know you must be flustered, but it’s not like I made the offer without thinking. If my plan goes well, I can completely destroy the royal family, you know?”

“…The royal family?”

“It seems like we need to deal with the royal family first to cross the gate of the abyss. Revealing that Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit is the beginning of that.”

‘That crazy bastard.’ Those words rose to the tip of her throat, but Misha held them back.

“Anyway, what I want to say is… once the royal family is gone, it won’t matter if he’s an evil spirit or not. He’ll be able to live.”

“…What if that plan fails?”

“Then I’ll take responsibility and help you escape outside the walls. From what I’ve heard, it seems like a pretty good place to live? Or, if you don’t like that, you can create a new identity and live secretly together on the outskirts of the city.”

“……”

“Isn’t it a pretty good story?”

Whether it was good or not didn’t matter. If those words were true, she had no choice. It was better to live than to die. And a world without Bjorn was like death to her. However, Misha wasn’t foolish enough to agree right away.

“…Tell me the second condition.”

“Ah, that? It’s simple. You have to help me a little.”

“……?”

“I needed a dual-wielding ice swordsman anyway.”

Misha flinched at the casual tone. He was clearly smiling, but his eyes seemed to treat her like an object, not a person.

“…Why me of all people?”

Misha felt an unknown sense of intimidation and struggled to speak. She was curious about this man’s hidden intentions. But…

“Just a whim.”

The answer she received was different from what she had expected.

“…A whim?”

“Yeah, actually, it doesn’t have to be you. It’s not like I can’t spread the rumor that Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit without you, and I have to get the Stone of Resurrection, so it’s just more trouble…”

His voice was as if he was dealing with a troublesome burden. Just as a sense of humiliation was boiling up from her toes.

“Ah, but there is one advantage.”

Baekho Lee smiled and stared at Misha.

“You have a reason not to betray me, right?”

That was the reason he came here.

***

I felt like I was going crazy at the question that seemed like I had to start from proving my identity again, but it wasn’t too difficult to resolve Erwen’s paranoia. Because I just had to tell the truth from beginning to end. The fragment stone of record activated on Parune Island. The city I arrived at 20 years ago. The 6 months of struggle I had there to return to my original timeline. For reference, the evil spirit story was completely excluded.

[No matter what anyone says, to me, you’re Bjorn Yandel, Uncle.]

It was never easy to lie to the person who said those words to me for the first time, but I had no choice. Because this was the best way for both of us.

[This ability will be a great help to you in hiding your identity in the future.]

I have a ‘gift’ from Auriel Gavis. If this works properly, it’s not impossible to prove that I’m not an ‘evil spirit’. But, what if the ‘verification’ is directed at Erwen? And what if my confession of being an evil spirit is exposed to the world? ‘Things will get very complicated.’ No one knows what will happen in the future. Therefore, it’s a hundred times better to be careful, considering even that situation. ‘But Auriel Gavis, did that old man perhaps give me that gift with this situation in mind…?’ Since this was the news I heard as soon as I returned to the future, such doubts arose, but even this cannot be determined at the moment.

“Um… so, you’re not an evil spirit?”

Whether the reality was one way or the other, Erwen didn’t care and didn’t ask deeply about the evil spirit issue. However, she was persistent in checking unexpected things.

“Um, so…”

“Yes?”

“You spent half a year with Amelia Rainwales, that woman…?”

“Y-yes?”

“And she fell for you, the uncle who saved her, and even said she would become your companion?”

“It wasn’t that she fell for me, it was just out of gratitude—”

“If it was out of gratitude, you can just throw her away now, right?”

“…Huh?”

‘Throw away? Amelia?’ Why did the conversation suddenly go that way? Unlike before, it was a bit difficult to keep up with the conversation with Erwen. So, just as I was carefully choosing my words, Erwen spoke first.

“No matter the circumstances, she’s still a plunderer from Noahark, right? Can you trust such a woman?”

“But Amelia is a very useful talent…”

I trailed off and closed my mouth. For some reason, Erwen was smiling with a meaningful look.

“Hehe, you’re cute, Uncle…”

A compliment that I probably heard for the first time since entering the body of a barbarian. When I stared at her, Erwen, as if she had finally noticed my gaze, covered her mouth with her hand as if embarrassed. But did she really want to say this?

“Uncle, don’t worry about that woman. I’m here. I’ve become incredibly strong. So much so that we don’t need a woman like her. I also make a lot of money, and I have subordinates I can command with just a word.”

“Oh, is that so…”

“Yes. Of course, I know what you’re thinking. You were in a sudden situation, so you needed someone to rely on.”

Her tone was as if she thought I couldn’t live without a woman. I was wondering if I was being too sensitive or not.

“Maybe she was quite reliable there. Like when I first met you…”

Erwen said something that clearly had a memory distortion, then held my hand tightly.

“But don’t worry. I’m here now.”

Even if she said that, I was honestly just bewildered. We were close, but were we this close? To say such things so casually after meeting again after 2 years and 6 months?

“I’ll protect you from now on. So, well…”

“So…?”

When I asked back with a bad feeling, Erwen smiled brightly.

“Let’s kill her next time we meet.”

“Who, are we killing…?”

“Rainwales, that woman!”

***

I think I understand a little now. Why Amelia said those words. [Yandel, that woman is not the elf you knew back then.] The pure 20-year-old elf was no more. There was only an elf with an extremist tendency, as if a screw was loose in her head. ‘If I get dragged around here, it’s over.’ I instinctively realized that if I just laughed and joked like this, there would be no solution. That’s why…

“Behel—laaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!”

I just yelled first. I feel like I can do anything if I do this. However, I don’t know what Erwen had been through, but she didn’t even bat an eye at the sudden shout. No, she even clapped her hands as if she was happy.

“Wow! It’s Uncle!”

…That’s, that’s discouraging. I tried to ignore Erwen’s reaction and opened my mouth in a strong tone.

“Erwen, I won’t kill Amelia.”

“Yes? Why?”

As expected, Erwen was not easy.

“The fewer people who know a secret, the better, right? It’s the same with the fragment stone of record and all that. For now, I think we need to hide that I’m alive, so there’s no reason to keep that woman alive—”

“Stop.”

When I cut her off, Erwen tilted her head. A look that really didn’t understand why I was doing this.

“I’ll take care of the Amelia issue, so don’t say that again. Understand?”

After saying it strongly once again, I stared at Erwen until she answered. Then, Erwen looked around with a somewhat flustered look, and then slumped her shoulders.

“…Okay. I will.”

Whew, seeing this, it seems like I can somehow control her. After settling the Amelia issue, I discussed a few things with Erwen and headed to the surface through a secret passage. And…

“Don’t worry. No one will see you, Uncle.”

After coming to the surface, I used the spirits of darkness to hide my appearance and moved to the inn. It was night, so there were no people on the streets, and even less skilled people who could sense the stealth.

“It’s small, but please stay here for today. By tomorrow, I’ll somehow find a better place…”

“A better place…?”

Even this place is the top floor with four rooms…? It’s hard to believe that these are the words of Erwen, who used to travel an hour to eat a 1000 stone meal because it was cheap and delicious, but this must be the flow of time. It’s better to adapt quickly—

“Okay, let’s go in quickly!”

“…You too?”

“Of course? It’s a room I booked with my money?”

Oh, that’s true. I had nothing to say, so while I was stuttering, Erwen pushed me into the room. And…

“Uncle, do you remember this?”

Erwen suddenly took out a bottle of alcohol from her subspace. It felt like I was in a new test. ‘Do I remember…’ Ah, I remember.

“The return liquor we drank for the first time.”

Fortunately, it was the correct answer, and Erwen smiled happily, saying, ‘I knew you would remember!’ However, in the process, I heard information I didn’t want to know.

“Isn’t it very romantic?”

“Romantic…?”

“This alcohol, I mean. I was keeping it to drink alone after killing all the bastards I have to kill later. Heh, but the day I drink this with you has come…”

What on earth happened to her? If she’s like this, I’m a little worried about the condition of the other companions…

“Okay, let’s have a drink.”

Since it was my specialty to keep my mind clear even when drunk, I accepted Erwen’s request to drink together. And how much time had passed? ‘She still can’t handle alcohol well.’ Erwen got drunk quickly and went to bed. Seeing her defenseless appearance, I was worried that she might be doing this in other places, but… ‘No, why am I worrying?’ I chuckled and sat on the chair by the window. It was a time when I felt like I understood why husbands crave alone time so much after getting married. ‘It’s peaceful…’ Sitting in front of the window where the moonlight was shining down. After enjoying the silence for a moment, I began to activate my thoughts in earnest. The amount of information I had heard through the drunken conversation with Erwen was considerable, so I needed to organize it a bit. Raven is in the 3rd Magic Corps. Bear Uncle joined a clan for a living. She didn’t know anything about Misha. And Ainar… ‘If things go well, he seems like the easiest to bring back.’ I sighed and shook my head. In fact, there was a much more important obstacle than gathering the scattered companions again. Even quests have an order, right? ‘I heard that the rumor that I was an evil spirit spread, and a few months later, the royal family acknowledged it…’ Let’s fix this first.