Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 442

The morning after falling asleep drunk.

I reached out from under the covers to the nightstand and grabbed my water bottle. As I gulped it down, it tasted strangely sweet, like someone had mixed honey into it.

‘…Ugh, still, I feel alive after drinking this.’

After rolling around in the covers for a bit, I slowly got out of bed. The first thing I saw was a neatly folded letter on the nightstand.

[I had to go to the holy site, so I left first. But don’t worry too much. It seems like the withdrawal issue will be resolved surprisingly well. Oh, and… if you have any trouble, please tell me! Okay?]

[PS. …I heard that you intentionally left the first unit position vacant. Thank you, really.]

[PS2. Oh, and was it today? Be careful on your way!]

[Your first companion, Erwen.]

So, Erwen went to the holy site again. If I had come back earlier yesterday, we would have had time to talk. Ha, why did I drink so much?

“…….”

I sat quietly, letting the smell of alcohol dissipate, and tried to recall the memories after parting with Bear Uncle. I remembered Erwen and Amelia welcoming me when I got home.

‘And I think they helped me up to the second floor…’

Was it because I drank while still tired? I definitely had a conversation while going up, but I can’t remember what it was about. Well, I probably didn’t make any mistakes. If I had, I would definitely remember it.

“You’re awake, I see.”

“Ah, just now.”

“Get up and wash quickly. Today is the day we go to the Imperial City.”

“……Okay.”

“Ah, I’m going out now, so take care of things today.”

“Okay.”

After hearing Amelia go down the stairs, I slowly went to the bathroom, washed up, and got ready to go out. Today’s quest required me to pay attention to my attire.

“…Tsk, I knew you’d be like this.”

As I finished washing and was putting on my suit, Amelia, who had approached silently, helped me get dressed. It was a bit strange.

“But why are you so skilled at this?”

“…Who do you think got the clothes you’re wearing?”

“Ah… you bought this.”

It seems she had learned how to put on the clothes while buying them. Amelia is surprisingly meticulous in her work.

“It’s all done, so go out quickly. It seems the carriage arrived a while ago.”

“I should go quickly. See you tonight.”

“…Be safe.”

After being seen off by Amelia, I got into the carriage waiting in front and headed to the military platform. Then, using the teleportation magic circle, I arrived directly in the Imperial City.

‘I feel this every time, but it’s so convenient. Except for the slight motion sickness.’

Anyway, there was a carriage waiting in front of the platform, and after getting in, I soon arrived at my destination.

‘It’s not that surprising anymore.’

The Palace of Glory, which I had visited countless times over the years. Today, a small ceremony was being held here, and my quest for today was related to that ceremony.

“I am Mia Arbelto, the first-class head butler. I sincerely welcome Baron Yandel’s arrival at the palace.”

Following the guide, I entered the building, and a huge hall appeared. The place where I had reported the return of the expedition team.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen it empty like this.”

“There’s still time before the ceremony. The heads of the families will arrive soon.”

How many would that be? Even if they all gathered, it would only fill the front rows.

“…This way, please.”

After passing through the Palace of Glory, I moved to a room and was briefed by the head butler on the procedures for today’s ceremony. And how much time had passed?

Knock knock.

The door opened with a knock. A stranger, an old man, appeared. Although he was a stranger, the guide who had been training me stopped what he was doing with a surprised look, as if they were acquaintances.

“…Greetings, Duke. But what brings you here…”

“I was thinking of having a little chat with today’s protagonist. If you’re not busy, could you leave us for a moment?”

“…I’ll be waiting outside.”

The guide bowed respectfully, as if addressing a superior, and left the room. Only then did the official meeting between me and the old man begin.

“It’s nice to meet you. I am Duke Kealurnus.”

So, he was the Duke. That’s who it was.

“I am Bjorn, son of Yandel.”

I also formally stated my name. But what is this?

“That’s wrong.”

What’s with this old man?

“……?”

As I frowned, the old man burst into a hearty laugh.

“I am Bjorn Yandel. Not the son of Yandel. Now you are officially a member of the inner circle.”

Did he come to pick a fight? But I didn’t sense any strong hostility in his voice. So, I’ll hold off on confronting him for now. I listened carefully to his next words to make an accurate judgment.

“Your frivolous way of speaking was officially tolerated by the late king, so I can’t say anything about it, but you should correct your identity now.”

“…….”

“Remember, you are not Bjorn, the son of someone. Nor are you just any barbarian. You are Baron Bjorn Yandel of Lafdonia.”

“…….”

“Ah, should I call you Baron now? By the way, this place is a mess.”

The Duke chuckled and patted my shoulder. I felt a little sad. Ha, because I’m shorter, even this old man is touching my shoulder.

“Thanks for the advice. But it doesn’t seem like you came just to say hello…”

I couldn’t just destroy the kingdom’s Duke because I was in a bad mood, so I quickly got to the point. But was this situation too unfamiliar?

“………What? Hahaha, hahahahaha!”

“…….”

“Ahem… Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I’m ignoring you, it’s just that this situation is strange.”

I understand. Nobles usually like preambles, right? They probably haven’t had many experiences of getting straight to the point right after introductions.

“Anyway… to answer your question, you’re right. If I were just here to say hello, it wouldn’t have to be now. The reason I came to see you is because I have a few questions for you.”

Ugh, there he goes again. He could have just said, ‘I have a question.’ Like me.

“What’s the question?”

“…….”

“………Are you having trouble hearing?”

I cautiously asked again, and the Duke, who seemed to be spacing out, came to his senses.

“I’m sorry. I was thinking about something else for a moment. No, actually, it’s not that I was thinking about something else… To be honest, I didn’t realize you were done talking.”

“Ah, I see. So, what’s the question?”

As I asked again, the Duke slowly began to bring up the reason he came to see me. It seems he had already learned how to talk to me.

“I’ll be brief. You’re not the type to yearn for the life of a noble, are you? But why did you choose ‘promotion’ as a reward for this expedition?”

It’s not exactly brief, but it is the main point of the question. [The royal family offered Bjorn Yandel a promotion as a reward for this expedition.] The deer antlers had spat out that information at the Round Table, but in fact, the reward offered to the royal family was not just ‘promotion.’ A huge sum of money that could build a mansion from scratch, two third-grade essences, and even Double Numbers [a type of magical artifact]. The options presented by the Veterans Affairs Office were four in total, and after much deliberation, I chose ‘promotion.’ It’s a simple reason. Because the previous three can be obtained with my own power… And even if that wasn’t the case, this one is much more helpful, in terms of surviving right now.

“I want to hear your true feelings. Why did you want the promotion?”

What a funny old man. How long has it been since we met, and he’s asking for my true feelings? At his urging question, I chuckled and answered, as if he were asking something obvious.

“Well, isn’t it better to have many wives!”

I shouted it out with energy on purpose, but the Duke just hardened his expression as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have.

“Wives… you say?”

Seriously, is his hearing bad?

“Yes, wives. From Baron, you can have three legal wives, right?”

As I said it again with a straight face, the Duke’s eyes changed meaningfully. ‘Is this guy serious?’ That’s exactly the look. However, the reason he can’t refute it is because he can’t easily make a conclusion.

Burp-

Isn’t the other party me?

***

“Ah, I’m sorry. I ate too much for breakfast.”

I quickly apologized for burping in front of him, as he was clearly a well-bred nobleman, but the Duke didn’t seem to care. He just muttered as if he understood.

“Indeed… they said you have many women.”

To be precise, they are female companions. Perhaps because we shared accommodations, there were an unusually large number of rumors and scandals spreading in the city. Anyway.

“So, are your questions answered?”

“At least half of them. I have one more question I’d like to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

Did he like the barbarian’s way of speaking after trying it? The Duke asked me directly.

“Are you a person of the Marquis?”

Short, too short of a question. That kind of boldness isn’t bad, but it seemed like an important question, so I started with a confirmation.

“By Marquis, are you referring to the Prime Minister?”

“That’s right. Considering the period you were missing and the amount of time you worked with the Marquis.”

“…Is that so?”

It was a slightly meaningful question. Bjorn Yandel, who was thought to be dead, had actually been handling various special missions under the command of the Marquis for two and a half years. The announcement of the evil spirits was also done because of that mission. At least, that’s how it’s known to the public. But…

‘I didn’t expect even the Duke to not know the truth…’

A strange sense of unease washed over me.

“I’ve read all the documents related to the mission. You did quite a lot. The data is also accurate. At first, I thought there was some kind of deal, but it seems the missions themselves were real…”

Even the documents were already prepared? With a level of completion that even the Duke would be surprised to be fooled by?

‘They just told me to wait for the improvement ceremony, saying it would take two more months…’

Is this something that a Prime Minister of a country can do? Such a question arose, but I focused on the conversation with the Duke for now. First, I needed to answer this clearly.

“I’m not someone under the Marquis.”

“…Then, can you tell me exactly what your relationship is?”

“We’re kind of like friends. We help each other out when we’re in trouble.”

Perhaps it was the answer he was hoping for, the Duke’s expression softened slightly.

“Friends… That’s an interesting word. You’re smarter than I thought. You have quite a sense.”

The Duke muttered and asked me again.

“Anyway, can I take your answer as meaning that… you can be friends with me too?”

His hand was already extended, as if he wasn’t even considering a refusal. I rubbed my hand on my thigh and then grasped his hand.

“Of course, the more friends, the better.”

Well, real friends don’t shake hands like this.

***

Duke Kealurnus. In fact, in the royal court’s power structure, he is the third most powerful person after the Prime Minister. He doesn’t hold a position with as much real power as the Prime Minister, but his family’s influence is so enormous. He sponsors dozens of clans, and some of them are large and medium-sized clans. One of his children is even a mage tower lord.

‘To be friends with such a Duke…’

It was an unexpected situation, but it wasn’t bad. In the first place, we didn’t become real friends. The Duke only proposed a friendship to keep me from becoming the Marquis’s person. I just need to maintain a relationship where I give and take until that kind of relationship is no longer needed.

“It’s almost time to go. Then, I’ll be going. See you later.”

“Okay.”

After that, the Duke chatted with me until just before the ceremony started and then left. Most of it was just small talk to build rapport, but there were also some meaningful topics mixed in. For example, the reason the expedition team was able to return was likely because the Rose Knights and the Noahark forces clashed due to ‘another mission’?

‘I don’t know if he was testing me or not…’

I don’t know what the Duke’s intentions are, but one thing is certain. At least the royal family’s intelligence department is interpreting the situation as I had hoped.

‘I wonder what the Marquis is up to…’

Actually, this is the most curious part. I haven’t encountered the Marquis even once since the improvement ceremony. Today will probably be the first reunion since that day.

“Baron Yandel.”

Yes, it’s starting now. I stood in front of the door as I had been instructed by the guide and waited for a moment. And as soon as the door opened, I slowly walked forward.

Thump, thump.

The Palace of Glory, which had been empty just two hours ago, was now filled with quite a few people. Well, about two rows in the front.

Thump, thump.

It’s different from the last improvement ceremony. Not all the seats in the palace were filled, there was no grand music, and there were no soldiers following behind. In terms of scale, it was incomparable to the previous one. But…

Thump, thump.

It would be wrong to call this event ‘small.’ All the people filling the seats were titled nobles.

“It seems like it’s been a long time since everyone gathered like this.”

“I was really surprised to see the attendance order. To think that Baron Bjorn Yandel would be promoted…”

“Haha, actually, this is the first time I’ve received an attendance order.”

“Well, it hasn’t been long since you inherited your title, has it?”

“It’s a bit much to say it hasn’t been long… Yes, the promotion ceremony itself is rare.”

The nobles whispered as I walked on the carpet. Some were enjoying the rare event of the ‘promotion ceremony,’ but there were also those who were not.

“…A barbarian like him.”

Those who despised me.

“He’s just someone who was born in the right era.”

Those who were jealous.

And….

“I hope it ends soon.”

Those who were obligated to attend due to Lafdonia’s tradition, but had no interest in me and just wanted to go back and rest.

Thump, thump.

Passing through them, I soon reached the empty throne. The Marquis was standing in front of it again. Tsk, I thought I would get to see the king’s face this time, but.

“It’s been a while.”

The Marquis, who greeted me quietly enough for only me to hear, raised his voice and continued a speech for a long time without giving me a chance to answer, then handed me an empty box.

“Seal the family’s symbol in the box.”

This was a ritual that only happened when a Baronet was promoted to a Baron. Because a Baronet and a Baron are worlds apart. A historical moment when one more was added to the thousand or so noble families that had supported the royal family.

Swish.

As soon as I neatly folded the prepared cloth and put it in the box, a solemn voice echoed through the hall.

“With this, the eternal oath has been made.”

The Marquis, who sealed the box himself, handed it to the royal guards who were waiting nearby, and the guards solemnly left the Palace of Glory. That box will probably be placed in the Palace of Immortality and kept under strict guard, until this kingdom is burned down and destroyed, or until I commit treason.

“Baron Bjorn Yandel, please rise.”

I stood up.

“I hope you all will celebrate the appearance of a new pillar supporting the royal family with joy!”

I received quiet applause that was neither cheers nor whistles. And….

“Now, with this, the promotion ceremony is over!”

The banquet began.

‘Okay, so I’ve taken a big step for now.’ It was time to move on to the next step.