Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 362

Responsibility (1)

Finally free from the iron cage, we moved to the officer’s quarters located in the center of the ship.

After all, the stories we were about to share were sensitive.

“You can speak comfortably here. It’s designed for confidential talks from the start.”

Oh, well then.

“First, I want to hear about the war situation. How did the surprise attack go?”

I decided to check the information that I was most curious about while locked in the cage, and which had been completely blocked off.

What happened to Orculius’s attack?

“Viscount Lamreon de So died in battle. He was attacked by the traitor, Ricardo Ruehenfraha, during the retreat.”

My heart sank at the news that a corps commander from our side had been assassinated, but upon closer inspection, the war situation itself wasn’t that urgent.

As soon as they started holding out by using dozens of ships floating on the lake like a fortress, the offensive stopped?

It was said that this state had been going on for two hours.

“The command believes that the goal of this surprise attack was to assassinate key figures by exploiting the chaos.”

Assassination of key figures, huh…….

“That certainly seems like a strong possibility.”

That’s because the Blood Knight also muttered these lines as soon as he saw us.

[The Golden Magician, Arua Raven.]

[One of the targets to be killed.]

Clearly, Raven was also one of the key figures on the kill list.

The strategy of this attack is roughly sketched out in my head.

‘The Corpse Collector spread the undead widely, and through that, they found and shared the locations of the assassination targets.’

Indeed, after fighting the Blood Knight, the number of undead around us increased dramatically, and soon a support force of three people arrived.

“Anyway, it’s not that urgent right now. So, let’s talk about that first. What are Mr. Yandel’s plans for the future?”

Well, plans…….

‘I have to think about that from now on…….’

I never expected that old man’s gift to work like this.

Thanks to that, my head is also complicated—

“Um, and…….”

At that moment, Raven trailed off and looked at me.

“I’m saying this in advance, but I only helped this time because I had no choice. I can’t keep doing this.”

…Huh?

We weren’t allies again……?

I looked at her with a sense of betrayal, and Raven avoided my gaze.

“It’s no use looking at me like that. I think I’ve taken enough risk just by not reporting this incident. I believe I’ve done my duty.”

It was bitter, but it wasn’t something I couldn’t understand.

She couldn’t just leave me to die, so she didn’t report it, but she wasn’t prepared to fall into the abyss with me.

In this world, helping an evil spirit is like that.

The moment you’re caught, destruction is certain.

That’s why…….

“Raven, I’m not blaming you, so don’t make that face. I’m more grateful that you helped me even once. I’ll try my best to make sure your name doesn’t come up if something goes wrong later.”

I smiled and patted Raven’s small shoulder.

But, what is this again?

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Normally, she would have yelled in pain and glared at me, but Raven didn’t do that.

She just bit her lip and looked down.

“Mr. Yandel… why, even in this situation…….”

Sigh, was that what was bothering her again?

She’s just unnecessarily emotional.

I understand everything, but she’s still like this.

“The fact that you tried to help me even knowing everything. That’s already enough for me.”

I even feel sorry.

She was living a good life with a bright future, but she had to risk losing everything because of me.

“…….”

“…….”

After that, there was an awkward silence for a while, and Raven, who had regained some reason, brought up the original topic with an embarrassed expression.

“Anyway… so what are you going to do from now on?”

“Well, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to hear that.”

“……?”

“If you get more involved with me here after hearing that, it’ll be difficult for you to get out later. You said this was the last time you’d help anyway, right?”

This time, I drew the line, and Raven flinched.

But maybe she had something to say too.

“…Mr. Yandel said he’d try to make sure my name doesn’t come up, but we don’t know how things will turn out.”

“That’s true, isn’t it?”

“The best thing is not to get caught right now. And for that…….”

“…For that?”

“I’m willing to help too. To some extent…….”

What, she was going to do this anyway.

I smirked, and Raven glanced at me as if she was annoyed.

“Okay, just tell me. What are you planning to do now? Mr. Yandel must have had some idea to come to the battlefield while hiding his identity. He must have known he’d stand out.”

Raven asked, and after some thought, I answered.

In a frank way.

“I don’t have one. Not right now.”

“…Huh?”

It’s no use making that face, I don’t have one.

I really couldn’t have imagined that Auriel Gavis’s gift would be like this.

I came because I needed money urgently, but I was planning not to do anything too noticeable.

But, I never expected this answer to come out?

“……You don’t have one, so… does that mean you don’t have any plans?”

Raven stuttered as she asked again, and this time, I agreed like a man.

“Yeah.”

“…Really? If it’s found out that I helped Mr. Yandel, I could not only be fired from the military but also expelled from the Magic Tower?”

Wow, she could even be expelled from the Magic Tower?

I didn’t expect it, but she took that much of a risk?

I felt grateful for Raven’s determination once again and changed the subject of the conversation.

“……By the way, I’m hungry after being locked up for so long. Can I take out some jerky to eat—”

“Don’t change the subject!”

“N-No, it’s not that, I’m really hungry—”

“What are you talking about! You’re not even a real barbarian!!”

Huh, now that I think about it, this won’t work on her anymore.

“…….”

Somehow… it feels bittersweet.

***

“Haa…….”

A sigh echoed in the quiet officer’s quarters.

In that uncomfortable atmosphere, I carefully chewed on the jerky I had secretly taken out.

“What… are you eating now?”

No, I was really hungry.

My body is a barbarian, after all?

I have to supply nutrients all the time.

“…Do you want some?”

“No, thank you.”

“…….”

“Ha, how can anyone know you’re an evil spirit when you act like this every time…….”

Raven sighed deeply again, but I decided to take it as a compliment that I was that meticulous.

Crunch, crunch.

Whew, I feel a bit stronger now that I’ve eaten something.

“Raven, but did you know something?”

“…About what?”

“Even if it wasn’t the announcement from the royal family, it seems like you had a reason to suspect me.”

“Ah, that…….”

Raven’s expression darkened in an instant.

But, perhaps she decided it wasn’t something to hide?

“It’s a magic tool containing a conversation between Hans Krisen and a dwarf from Noark.”

Ah, that went to her.

But why that recorder?

As I gestured with my eyes, Raven slowly continued her explanation.

“Because it used a cheap core, there was a limit to the maximum number of times the recording could be played.”

“…So?”

“It was possible up to 100 times, but there were two left, so I first wondered why Mr. Yandel listened to this repeatedly.”

“……I see.”

I never imagined this would be a hint.

I couldn’t have imagined—

“Actually… something else was much more decisive than this…….”

Huh?

“Misha came to the lab. About 50 days after Mr. Yandel died.”

“…What did she say?”

“She said that rumors would start spreading that Mr. Yandel was an evil spirit.”

Was it because Misha was the topic?

Suddenly, my heart felt cold.

“So?”

“The magic tool thing too, and because I felt uneasy, I asked. If that was actually more than just a rumor.”

At the time, Misha avoided answering.

But ironically, that action became a clearer answer than anything else.

“…Wait a minute, then does that mean that the one who spread the rumors was that Jims… no, that woman?”

Erwen, who had been listening quietly, interjected, and Raven glanced at her with a slightly uncomfortable look before nodding.

“That’s probably the case. I don’t know what Misha’s circumstances were, but.”

At Raven’s affirmation, Erwen gritted her teeth.

“What circumstances? Yeah, that woman… I knew she’d do something like that someday…….”

“Calm down, Erwen. No one knows what situation Misha is in yet.”

“But……! No matter what the situation is, I wouldn’t have done that! Aren’t you upset, sir? It’s like you’ve been betrayed!”

“That’s why I’m saying we don’t know that yet.”

To be honest, I’m more worried than angry.

I also have the information I heard at the Round Table.

Misha is with Baekho.

And…….

[Baekho has the stone of resurrection.]

Maybe she made some kind of deal with that guy to save me. Well, that’s just my guess, and even if that’s the case, the fact that her choice was harmful to me doesn’t change.

Sigh, what is she doing and where is she?

“Really! Sir… why are you so foolishly kind!”

What is she talking about?

“Okay, Raven… then you don’t know why the royal family acknowledged and announced the rumor?”

“No. But… I heard something from Commander Febrosk.”

“What did you hear?”

“As soon as the announcement was made, he came to me and said that I was already dead, and that no one could know the truth anymore. Of course, at the time, I thought he was just comforting me because he thought I would be shocked…….”

“…….”

“Looking back, it was a bit of a strange nuance. It was like the commander knew what the truth was? Maybe if we dig into that, something will come out.”

“…Can you look into it when we return to the city?”

“Yes, I can do that…….”

Unlike what I had worried, Raven nodded readily.

Fortunately.

It seemed that this much of a request was included in ‘to some extent’.

***

After that, we all talked and made plans for the future, and soon a conclusion was reached.

“Then, it’s better to hide your identity for the time being.”

Now that I know that verification through distorted trust is like this, I decided that I need to be even more careful about revealing my identity.

“But… why didn’t distorted trust work on Mr. Yandel?”

I just glossed over Auriel Gavis’s gift.

“Well, I don’t know either. Maybe it’s because of the fragments of the record.”

It’s still an act of deception, but it can’t be helped.

I’m the only one who doesn’t get affected by something like distorted trust.

It might seem pointless since it’s already been shared that I’m an evil spirit, but no one knows what will happen in the future.

That’s why I haven’t told Amelia yet either.

‘In the first place, if I talk about that, I’ll have to talk about Auriel Gavis.’

Auriel Gavis is an enemy of the royal family.

But what if it’s known that I’m an evil spirit who even received a ‘gift’ from that guy? It’s clear that I’ll be in a more difficult situation.

It means that there will be no room for negotiation as an evil spirit.

“Still… it’s a good thing. If it’s not a one-time phenomenon, and it won’t work in the future either, it means we’re a little safer.”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

“But… sir, do you really have to reveal your identity? I like you just the way you are…….”

Erwen also brought up that opinion, but there was no change in the ultimate goal of clearing my name and finding my original name.

“If I do that, I’ll never be able to receive the soul imprint.”

Why did I raise a barbarian in the first place?

To create more synergy with the essences I’ve eaten, the soul imprint is essential.

However, Erwen couldn’t sympathize with my feelings.

“That’s… you can just not receive it.”

Erwen asked with a voice that was tinged with sadness.

“Sir… why are you so obsessed with getting stronger……?”

At that question, everyone’s eyes gathered.

“Come to think of it, Mr. Yandel has always been like that…. He’s only interested in climbing the tower…….”

In Raven’s case, her eyes were somewhat uneasy, while.

“I’ve heard it before. There’s a rumor that you can return to your original world if you reach the end of the labyrinth, right?”

Amelia calmly understood my position.

But I wasn’t particularly grateful.

If she says it like that, it’s clear that there will be misunderstandings.

“Could it be, sir, that’s why……?”

“…Mr. Yandel must have a reason to return even if it means going that far. Well, it’s his hometown after all…….”

“Sir… can’t you just live here……? I, I’ll do better… I won’t cause any trouble…….”

Ah, what is she really saying?

“Erwen, calm down. It seems like there’s some misunderstanding.”

Return?

In the first place, returning wasn’t my top priority even before, and it’s the same now.

My number one goal has always been survival.

But now that I’ve met people, explored, and experienced many things, my number one goal has changed a little.

Not just me alone.

To survive together.

Yes, so…….

“Why am I so obsessed with getting stronger?”

I continued without hesitation.

“Because that’s how I can protect you.”

What I have to protect with this shield is no longer just this body.

Surviving the Game as a Barbarian [EN]

Surviving the Game as a Barbarian [EN]

Surviving as a Barbarian in the Game, 게임 속 바바리안으로 살아남기
Status: Ongoing Author: ,
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[English Translation] After nine grueling years, Hansu Lee finally conquers the infamously challenging game "Dungeon and Stone." But his victory is short-lived; upon defeating the final boss, he's thrust into a blinding light and awakens as Bjorn Yandel, a barbarian warrior within the game's universe. In this perilous world, survival hinges on his ability to embody the savage strength and cunning of his new identity. Armed with only his gaming knowledge and a barbarian's physique, Hansu must navigate treacherous dungeons, battle formidable monsters, and conceal his true origins to avoid deadly suspicion. Dive into "Surviving the Game as a Barbarian" and join Hansu on a relentless quest where the line between player and character blurs, and every decision is a fight for survival.

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