Surviving The Game As A Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 40

Magician and Barbarian (1)

“Ah, no! Just once! Please, just give me one chance!”

“What are you all doing? Why aren’t you dragging those two out and locking them in the dungeon?”

After quickly removing the begging investigator and the unconscious explorer from their seats, the compensation process proceeded swiftly.

Immediately after signing the agreement that they would not mention the incident, a total of 6 million stones, including a separate ‘handling fee,’ was given in cash.

Well, that wasn’t the end of it, though.

“Here are all the items registered under your name.”

“How is it? Mr. Yandel, please check carefully.”

The magician said with a strange look, watching the barbarian rummaging through his recovered backpack.

“There might be something missing, you know?”

“…Missing items?”

The barbarian flinched for a moment, then smiled knowingly.

“Now that I think about it, it seems like something is missing?”

“Oh my, oh my, is something missing?”

“It’s not an item… about 1 million stones in cash has disappeared.”

A conversation with an obviously acted tone.

The branch manager, who had been listening quietly, was on the verge of passing out due to his soaring blood pressure.

What kind of scoundrels are these!

“What are you talking about! There’s no way an explorer who just came out of the labyrinth would carry such a large sum of money—!”

“So, are you saying we’re lying?”

At the magician’s cold voice, the branch manager flinched reflexively.

“W-w-well, that’s a natural thing to say—”

“Where’s the proof?”

“There’s no way there would be such a thing—”

“Oh my, are you calling us scammers without any proof? Mr. Yandel, it seems like we should add this branch manager to the list of those to be punished?”

“That’s right. To accuse an innocent barbarian and magician of being liars, it’s clear they didn’t receive proper home education—”

“Enough.”

The regional manager, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward with a sigh.

“…We will also compensate for the missing money.”

“It’s a compensation that should be given, so I won’t say any special words of thanks.”

They didn’t have a knife, but they were no different from robbers.

It was so brazen that it was unbelievable, but there was nothing the branch manager could do.

He could only watch what was happening before his eyes.

“Here is 1 million stones.”

“Wow, it seems the Explorer’s Guild really has a lot of money, just like the rumors say? They just pull it out of their pockets as soon as you ask.”

“…I believe I have shown more than enough respect for the Magic Tower so far. Do not cross the line any further.”

“Sure, whatever.”

“Then, will you give me the crystal ball?”

“No. I think it’s better to give it to you after confirming that the punishment has been properly carried out. Of course, I promise not to show it to anyone in the meantime.”

“…That promise must be kept.”

“Of course. Don’t worry. Anyway, we’ll be going now, so please take care of the people gathered outside.”

With those words, the barbarian and the magician left.

And a heavy silence fell in the hall, as if a storm had just passed through.

“……”

As a result, the guild was robbed of another 1 million stones, and they still couldn’t get the crystal ball back right away.

In addition, there was the task of dealing with the crowd gathered in front of the guild, as well as those involved in this incident.

The regional manager, who had forced a smile in front of the two scoundrels, was now as cold as a glacier.

Feeling a suffocating chill, the branch manager opened his mouth with difficulty.

“R-regional manager…? Th-thank you for earlier…”

“Thank you?”

“Y-y-yes… You didn’t stoop to their unreasonable demands to protect me.”

“Well, you are my subordinate, after all.”

“Hic! I won’t forget today’s events and will work hard for the rest of my life—”

“Even if there is something to cut off, I should be the one to cut it off.”

The branch manager, who had been determined to pledge his loyalty with a moved face, now wore a dumbfounded expression.

“…Huh? W-what exactly do you mean by that…?”

“Now that I see it, you’re quite naive. Did you think you’d be okay after making such a mess of things?”

“B-but I really—”

“Enough, I’ll take care of everything from now on, so if you want to save your life, be careful even when you breathe until the situation calms down. Whether you take off your clothes or that guy dies suddenly somewhere, it must be an incident completely unrelated to this one.”

Without even a chance to say anything, the regional manager turned his back and stared at his daughter.

“Daughter, I’ll hear why you came here today later.”

“…Yes, Father.”

“Then, let’s go.”

The office was emptied in an instant.

The branch manager, left alone inside, thought.

“Ha, hahaha……”

That it must all be a dream.

***

A black spire soaring high into the sky.

It’s on the 31st floor of that building.

“How is it? What are your impressions of visiting the Magic Tower for the first time?”

“It feels stuffy because there are no windows.”

“Uh… well, yeah, but… still, if it weren’t for that condition, they wouldn’t have been able to build such a high-rise building in the city.”

The place I am currently in is the personal laboratory of Arua Raven, a magician belonging to the ‘Artemion’ school.

“Here, please sit down.”

After clearing away the pile of documents haphazardly placed on the chair, she brought out something to drink.

In a triangular flask.

“Ah, I don’t have a cup.”

I took some time to carefully observe the drink she had given me.

And I came to a conclusion.

“…It’s water.”

“Yes, so? Should I have added basilisk extract?”

“No, this is enough.”

Of course, I didn’t drink it.

I know the contents are really water, but I feel uneasy just drinking it.

Until recently, there would have been those colorful solutions or monster organ specimens in here.

I got to the point.

“So, what’s the reason you brought me here?”

“I have something important to tell you. You promised to grant me a favor later, right?”

So, it was because of that.

I was in a hurry back then, so I just said yes without thinking, but now that I’m here, I regret it.

She wouldn’t say she’s going to do some kind of biological experiment, would she?

“As I said back then, if it’s within my capabilities.”

“Okay. That’s enough.”

“So, what is the favor you want?”

“I want to do an exclusive study on the essence that Mr. Yandel absorbed. It will definitely be helpful to Mr. Yandel as well. Since there’s no precedent, there might be some unique findings, you know?”

As she continued to speak, her eyes changed.

From the calculating look she had when dealing with the regional manager, to the scholarly look I had seen in the rift the other day.

Well, it’s not something I can’t understand.

Except for the mutated rift we experienced this time, there were no rifts with vampires as guardians in the entire tower.

“But what does exclusive study mean?”

“Ah, that? Simply put, it means that you will only provide samples to me. I want to submit it to the academic world in a paper under my name.”

Are the magicians in this world like graduate students?

I don’t understand their motivation at all……

I heard that scholars are the most obsessed with fame.

Oh, wait a minute.

“Could it be that the reason you asked me to erase the vampire-related records earlier was all because of this?”

When we were writing the agreement at the guild, she had stepped forward first and requested that the fact that I had eaten the vampire’s essence not be recorded.

Of course, I didn’t expect that to be a perfect secret, but…

I agreed, thinking it was better than doing nothing.

‘There’s also a saying that you should hide 70% of your abilities.’

Honestly, I was even grateful to see her taking care of these detailed parts…

She scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“Uh, um, well… it’s not not that……”

A double negative, so it means it’s true.

Soon, Raven openly changed the subject of the conversation.

“Ahem! Anyway, I’m not asking for much, just come once a week and help me for about three hours.”

Three hours a week…

“What’s the total period?”

“Well, about half a year should be enough, but……”

“Let’s make it three months.”

“Okay. So, you’ll grant my request, right?”

“I will.”

With the first agenda settled, Raven immediately brought up the next agenda.

“Then, let’s get back to it… shall we finish the calculation?”

Calculation?

Is there still something left?

As I looked at her with a look that said, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’, she also rearranged the atmosphere.

Just like when she was having a battle of wits with the regional manager earlier.

“Thanks to me, you not only survived, but you also got a total of 6 million stones for free, right? I don’t think it’s strange for me to claim my share.”

Haha, I see.

I’m starting to understand the magician race a little bit.

If I’m a simple efficiency-seeker, these guys are extreme profit-seekers.

Therefore, I decided to renew my mindset as well.

“Asking for money, you’re telling quite an interesting story.”

Just like when I was smashing the heads of goblins.

***

The argument continues.

With a voice that is even more agitated than before.

“That would have been the case even if it was another magician, not you.”

“I don’t know. If it were someone else, they probably would have sold the crystal ball as soon as the regional manager suggested it, right?”

“But you would have already received compensation for that from the regional manager, right? A whopping 1 million stones.”

Rather, I was the one who earned that much thanks to me, so if anyone should claim a share, it should be me, I swear to Behela [a deity or figure of importance].

“…Then at least give me the 1 million stones you earned with the backpack at the end. That was purely thanks to my advice, you know.”

Did she say she wanted to get closer earlier?

I decided to cancel that.

Does she think the barbarian is a pushover?

“Denied.”

“Okay. Since you agreed to help with the research, I won’t ask for everything. Give me half, 500,000 stones.”

“Denied.”

“Fine, then at least 250,000 stones—”

“Denied without even listening.”

I didn’t compromise even a little.

That’s because all those who try to cause me financial loss are all bastards.

And I don’t negotiate with bastards.

Rather, I would have taken it from them.

“This conversation ends here.”

“What? Do you know how much loss I suffered in the rift because of you?”

Soon, I made a decision.

‘I need to break her spirit before she looks down on me any further.’

To be honest, I wasn’t ungrateful for what happened this time.

But regardless of that, in order to have a long-term and friendly relationship, I need to show what kind of guy I am.

A guy who laughs and smiles no matter what you do in front of him is not a good guy, but a pushover.

‘From the start, the reason she was so persistent was probably more to break my spirit than because she really needed the money.’

“Okay, let’s move on to the next calculation at this point.”

“Next calculation?”

She tilted her head as if she had no idea what I was talking about.

I spoke directly, like a barbarian.

“You owe me five million stones.”

“F-five million stones? Why on earth would I?”

“Because you fed me the essence of the corpse golem without my consent.”

“W-what?”

She shouted as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Ha, geez! I gave you an essence that everyone wants for free, and now you’re asking for money in return? Does that even make sense?”

It does.

It’s not just a simple argument.

I don’t know why everyone lacks imagination, but if you look at it carefully, it’s all a logical story.

“Why do you think it doesn’t make sense? You forcibly fed me that essence without my consent to save your own life.”

“D-didn’t you think I was trying to save you?”

“Well, I don’t know about that, but I didn’t want it. So, pay me ten million stones. I heard that’s how much it costs to erase the essence at the temple—”

“Why would you erase that precious thing! You crazy barbarian!”

“Because it wasn’t the essence I wanted. You caused me serious damage.”

Unlike earlier when we were playing a price negotiation game, her face turned red.

It sounds like a forced argument to anyone, but it also sounds logical in a way, so she’s pissed off.

After a while, she regained her composure, repeatedly letting out rough breaths, ‘Hoo, hoo’.

“…I heard that essences are something that explorers can’t get enough of. So, this doesn’t make sense. Rather, I should be the one getting paid!”

“Isn’t that just your prejudice as a magician? You can ask other explorers. What they would think when they are forced to eat an essence they don’t want by someone else.”

“Ha! You’re saying that because you think I don’t know any explorers? Wait a minute. I’ll check right now.”

Soon, she took out a crystal ball from the desk in a very excited state. And after manipulating it as if she was dialing a phone number, she was connected soon after.

“Ah, is that Mr. Partsran?”

[Who is this?]

“Hello. This is Arua Raven from the Artemion School. We met with your master last time, right?”

[Ah! Miss Raven! I remember. But what’s the matter all of a sudden…?]

“I have one question to ask you. If someone were to feed Mr. Partsran an unplanned essence without your consent, how would you feel?”

[Hahaha! I don’t know why you’re asking such a strange question, but to answer it… I think I’d be very angry.]

“…Huh? Angry? E-even if it was a 7th-grade essence. Even if it was a very rare essence that can only be obtained from a rift?”

[It would be the same. An unplanned essence means that it would only have a negative impact on me. Miss Raven, you may not know this, but if you just eat any essence, you will never be able to go to the upper floors.]

She had a triumphant expression as soon as the call was connected, but that was short-lived.

After hearing a kind answer from an explorer, she began to look at me with a pale face.

“T-t-then, yes. This is just a hypothetical situation… how should you be compensated?”

[If it were me, I would first demand compensation in cash.]

“How much would that be…?”

[About fifteen million stones would be appropriate.]

“T-t-that much?”

[The more times you erase an essence, the more expensive it becomes. Those who claim to serve the gods, how can they be so greedy…]

“Ah, a-ah, I see……”

Soon, as if her strength had given out, the communication device fell from her hand and rolled away.

I picked it up for her and handed it back to her.

“There’s still one more thing to ask, isn’t there?”