Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 360

In some ways, it’s like a cliché in a detective novel. All circumstantial evidence points to the culprit, but the most crucial physical evidence is missing. That’s exactly my situation right now. ‘What kind of gift is this!’ If it weren’t for the preconceived notion of me being a wraith, maybe things would be different. To prove my innocence in this situation, I need solid evidence. Otherwise, I’ll only look more suspicious. Just like this. “Repeat after me. I am a woman.” This is what Raven has been asking me to do since the strange phenomenon occurred with Misplaced Trust. The goal is clear. She doesn’t know why Misplaced Trust stops working, but she’s trying to figure it out by experimenting with different conditions. Therefore, the best thing I can do right now is just one thing. “I am… Ugh, my voice…! It seems like I can’t speak because it’s a lie—” “Stop messing around!!” Uh… It wasn’t a joke, I was genuinely trying. Is it really that hard to get away with this? “Okay, then just say anything.” “…I’m really not a wraith. Please believe me, Raven.” As I repeated the same words, the hour hand stopped again. The only difference is that Raven didn’t miss that moment and quickly spoke. “I’m a man. What… it actually works?” So, when it’s frozen, it means that everyone else is unaffected, not just me. I learned another thing. Damn it. Tick, tock. On the other hand, if the hand on the dial moves after stopping, it returns to normal operation. “I’m a man… Hmm, now it’s not working again?” “……” “Mr. Yandel, you did something, didn’t you?” Why are you suspecting me as if it’s obvious? Well, it’s true that I’m the cause… But I have to deny this thoroughly. “Oh, it’s unfair! You brought a defective item, why are you blaming me for it!” “Defective? Is it normal for it to change like this when Mr. Yandel speaks?” That’s definitely a suspicious point. If I were Raven, I would have stuck to that position too. But, I can’t admit it, can I? I raised my voice. “I didn’t do anything!! Really! Believe me!!” The fact that lies cannot be distinguished through Misplaced Trust means that the loudest person is more likely to win the conversation— “…It’s noisy, please just shut up.” Why are you so serious… Scary. “……” When I unconsciously shut my mouth, Raven also stopped talking for a moment and fell into thought. And… “…Tell me.” “Huh?” “What were you trying to say earlier? Just say it.” “Ah……” In a way, it’s like the primordial era where there was no magic or science. A time when conversation was all that was needed to trust someone. How full of affection the world was back then. “What do you mean by ‘returned’? What were you doing before that?” “I’ll tell you everything.” After that, I explained in chronological order what happened after we were left alone on Parune Island. How we ended up defeating ‘Storm Gush’ together. And how the essence came out of it. “So, when you pulled the lighthouse keeper earlier…” “Yes, it was used in conjunction with Bayon’s [Transcendence].” “Okay, that much is probably true. Keep going.” Before talking about the next event, I also talked about the treasure ‘Fragment of Record’ that the lord of Noark had, and surprisingly, Raven easily understood. “I’ve heard of that item. I didn’t know that the treasure that Drows, that man, ran away with was that item. Anyway, there’s a legend that it can change the past, right?” “It wasn’t a legend, it was true. Well, it was impossible to change history.” “……?” “You’ll understand when you hear it.” The Fragment of Record was activated. And that’s how I woke up in the world of 20 years ago. “…I think it’s absurd, but if such a thing happened, it would explain why only the equipment was left on the island.” As the story progressed, she seemed to be getting suspicious, but she didn’t interrupt, probably because she intended to listen to the whole story before making a judgment. And… “Nibelz… Enche?” When I told her that I killed the raiders I met on the island and borrowed the identity of ‘Nibelz Enche’, Raven tilted her head. ‘Oh, is it possible that she remembers everything from that time?’ For a moment, I had such expectations, but reality is reality. “…That name sounds familiar.” Well, she was five years old back then. How could she remember the name? ‘Okay, then next is…’ It’s Dwarki’s turn to appear. After that, I told her the story of how I tried to change his fate, but realized that no matter what I did, history flowed in its original direction. “The things I did were already things that had happened in the original timeline.” “There has been research on time since ancient times. It’s the single-dimensional timeline theory.” “……?” “No, don’t mind it and please continue.” “I will.” After that, I went down to Noark, spent six months there, and took the time to explain in detail the efforts I made to save Amelia’s sister. Ah, of course, I left out all the stories related to the wraith. And… “When I returned, it was Noark. It was a month ago in terms of time. During that time, I met Amelia and Erwen, and Erwen believed me.” “And the reason you didn’t reveal your identity right away was because you were suspicious of the announcement made by the royal family… right?” “Yes. I don’t know if you’ll believe this.” Now, all the stories I had to tell were over. So, what kind of judgment will Raven make? As I watched with a mix of anticipation and worry, Raven said decisively. “It’s a far-fetched story that children would like.” It was a somewhat expected reaction. She’s not an ordinary person, but a mage. With so much knowledge, my story must have sounded even more absurd. But… “Is there any evidence that this is true?” I knew you’d ask that, so I prepared it. Why haven’t I talked about the time I met you yet? It’s always better to bring these things up in a more dramatic situation. “If you’re talking about evidence… of course, there is.” “……?” “You said the name Nibelz Enche sounded familiar, right?” “So?” “Of course, it would be familiar. You and I have already met once 20 years ago.” “……?” Looking at Raven, who was confused, I talked in detail about what happened back then. The first meeting in the library. The time I saved her from almost getting severely shocked after she was shocking everyone with electricity. And how we met every day at the same time and talked about various things. “That person… was Mr. Yandel……?” Soon, Raven’s eyes were filled with shock. “It seems like you finally remembered who Nibelz Enche was.” It was a relief. Even if she forgot the name, it’s good that she didn’t forget the memory itself. *** Raven was silent for a while. She just stared at me with eyes full of confusion. “That’s impossible… How could such a thing……” “I understand how you feel. But, it actually happened. You also remember the conversations we had, don’t you?” “Vaguely. Only to the extent that there was such a person… I’ve been really busy since I entered the Magic Tower. And soon, ‘that incident’ happened too…” “…What incident?” At my question, Raven paused, then snapped back in a cold voice. “That’s something Mr. Yandel doesn’t need to know.” Heh, I was so fond of her when she was young. How did she grow up like this? Ah, wasn’t she even more ill-mannered back then? At least she’s using honorifics now… “Anyway, so now do you think you can believe what I’m saying?” At my question, Raven didn’t answer and just shut her mouth. And… Tick, tock. As the silence grew longer, the sound of the needle on the dial turning became particularly loud. Looking at it, there’s less than 2 minutes left. Well, it’s true that it stopped every time I spoke, but it’s not like I was talking non-stop without a single second of rest. Tick, tock. It was at that moment when meaningless time was passing. “What I want to believe doesn’t matter.” “……?” “Amelia Leinweils, you answer. Is everything in this story true?” Having been listening to the story without thinking, Raven finally remembered to verify through another person and turned her gaze to Amelia. And… Tick, tock. Even though Misplaced Trust was working normally, there was no problem with Amelia’s answer. “Yandel’s story is all true.” Well, I did leave out a few truths, but the experiences themselves were facts. “The fact that Yandel and I went to the past 20 years ago, and that we experienced various things there, all actually happened.” It was the final blow. Even if it’s a hard story to believe, at this point, there’s no way not to believe it. ‘Okay, I think I’ve convinced her enough…’ I was a little careless while thinking that. “But…” Raven squeezed out her voice. “That… doesn’t prove that Mr. Yandel is not a wraith…” “…Huh?” I couldn’t understand at all. Why? Isn’t this a convincing story? Why is she still so stubbornly digging into this? ‘Could it be… that there’s another reason why she suspects me of being a wraith, besides the royal family’s announcement…?’ The moment such a possibility came to mind, my mouth went dry. “Amelia Leinweils.” “……” “I’ll ask you one last thing.” “…Speak.” Soon, Amelia nodded, and Raven spoke after a slight pause. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but her voice was clear. “If there’s anything that’s even slightly unclear, or if you don’t know for sure, please say you don’t know.” “……” “Is Bjorn Yandel a wraith?” Son of a bitch. *** Amelia didn’t answer Raven’s question. No, to be precise, she couldn’t answer. How could she? She can’t even lie in front of that damn Numbers item. The only thing possible is silence. “……” A heavy silence descends. And within it. Tick, tock, tick. The needle on the dial moves, creating a sound. However, the duration itself was not long. Tick. Soon, the needle that had completed a full circle stopped moving, and the light that had been emanating from the dial faded. The maintenance time of Misplaced Trust had ended. However… “……” “……” The suffocating atmosphere continues. Well, sometimes that happens. Sometimes, a moment of silence can be a clearer answer than ten thousand words. “…At this point, it doesn’t matter what I answer.” Amelia muttered belatedly, but Raven showed no sign of opening her mouth. Also, she didn’t reactivate Misplaced Trust to repeat the same question. I didn’t ask, but it’s not like she didn’t have any more chances. “Raven…” “Enough, please don’t say anything. At least… not now…” “……” Soon, Raven looked at me in front of the bars for a long time. It seemed like she was quietly organizing her thoughts. But, could it be that she still couldn’t organize them well? “…I am the Vice-Commander of the 3rd Magic Corps, and I have pride and responsibility in that role. I have no intention of abandoning my duties or anything like that.” Raven suddenly began to mutter to herself. “So, I have to report this. Beyond treason against the country, it’s an act of betraying and deceiving the people who trust and follow me…” The voice echoing in the dark ship was not hard to understand who it was directed at. Not me, not Amelia, not Erwen. “I, I…” To herself. “I can’t do that. No, I can’t…” Raven, who was muttering as if trying to organize her tangled mind, clenched her small fists tightly. And she turned her back and headed towards the stairs. Thud, thud. A back view that even looked precarious. “Yandel, if you let her go like that, there will be a big problem.” Amelia advised from the side, but I couldn’t hear it. Of course, I know it in my head. If she leaves like this, she’ll come back with troops next time. But… Crunch. What words can I use to stop her? To see a comrade who wanted to believe in me, eventually realize the truth and turn away. Thump. My heart tightens. At the same time, I also think. If I wasn’t a wraith, if I was just born in Bjorn Yandel’s body and met them and became comrades… Then what would have happened? ‘……That’s bullshit. If that were the case, we wouldn’t have become comrades in the first place.’ I tried to shake off the meaningless imagination. The same goes for the guilt towards Raven. That’s not what I need to think about right now. ‘In the end, I have no choice but to go with Plan B.’ Since the situation has reached the worst, I need to focus on surviving, regardless of my position. It’s not just my life at stake. Amelia and Erwen also have to take responsibility. Therefore… When the troops arrive and the bars open, I’ll use [Giantification] to block the way and buy time. And instead of going to the deck, I’ll break the floor and escape under the lake. At this time, I’ll use the water spirit to solve the breathing problem… ‘And then…’ I was organizing Plan B one last time. Thud. Raven, who was heading towards the stairs, stopped walking, and then slowly turned her back again. And… “Why… did you save me earlier…?” She asked, looking directly at me. As if this was the one thing she couldn’t understand. “…If you hadn’t used [Giantification], I wouldn’t have been exposed. Why… why did you save me anyway? Even while getting hurt like that.” ‘Yeah, that’s what she was curious about.’ I understand why she’s asking, but from my point of view, it only makes me feel more bitter. It’s a question that the old Raven wouldn’t have bothered to ask. But asking it again is still… ‘It’s because I’m a wraith, isn’t it.’ Because I’m a wraith. All my sincerity is doubted, and the time we spent together is denied. ‘I guess Baekho felt like this too.’ The feelings that guy once felt permeate my whole body, piercing me to the bone. The wall of my heart, which had been tightly closed as if nothing had happened. A suspicion arises that no matter what I say, it will be meaningless. But… “Yes, there is a reason.” Even so, I spoke. “…Yes, I knew there was something else—” Even if I look like a monster who steals people’s bodies in their eyes. Even if everything seems like a pretense. Even though I know that I shouldn’t be saying this. “Raven, it’s because you were in danger.” “……?” “That’s why I saved you.” If there’s a reason, that’s really the only one.