Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 47

After a moment of silence, the dwarf, who seemed hesitant, finally spoke after some deliberation.

“So, is that so…?” he said, his reaction a mix of bewilderment and surprise.

“Why are you so surprised? You should have at least one of these!” I replied.

“Well, that’s true… but has your personality always been like this?” he asked.

I wasn’t sure what he knew about me, but I figured I’d had enough of the show-off.

With his experience, he should get a sense of my equipment level from the information I’d casually dropped.

‘With this, he won’t think about messing with the distribution ratio, no matter how short my career is,’ I thought.

Of course, the notice clearly stated ‘equal distribution.’

However, I still clearly remembered the look on that dwarf’s face when I said I’d give up all the spoils in the Crimson Fortress in exchange for just the rift stones, his eyes bulging as if I was being greedy.

‘In the end, no matter how nice someone seems, an explorer is still an explorer,’ I mused.

If you’re looked down upon once in a situation like this, it’s endless.

Therefore, I skipped the question of whether I could sit and sat down in the seat opposite him.

And I blurted out, “Hikurod, you’re buying the drinks. Didn’t you get a Numbers item [a rare, powerful item] thanks to me?”

A comment that subtly showed off my abilities and reminded him of his debt.

“What? Hahahaha! Does it work like that?” The dwarf just laughed loudly and didn’t deny it.

That’s because I was the one who made the biggest contribution in the ‘Crimson Fortress.’

“Well, that’s not wrong either! It’s a bit early, but I’ll buy you as much alcohol as you want. Let’s catch up while we drink!” he offered.

“Good,” I replied.

It seemed like it would take a while for the food we ordered to come out, but we naturally started drinking the alcohol that came out first.

And we began to talk in earnest.

The dwarf was the one who started the conversation.

“I was incredibly surprised when I found out that you were the one who submitted the application. What on earth happened? Was there some treasure hidden in that rift? Surely that mage girl would have looked around thoroughly?” he asked, questions pouring out.

Well, looking at my current appearance, that would be a natural question.

Honestly, I didn’t feel like I owed him an explanation.

“Well, it’s something like that,” I said vaguely.

“What does that mean? Tell me more!” he pressed.

“There was treasure there, just like you said. That’s the end of it. Don’t ask any more,” I said, cutting him off.

The dwarf smacked his lips, seeming to judge that it would be difficult to get an answer even if he asked more.

“I don’t know what kind of treasure you got, but you’re really lucky,” he said.

Lucky?

In the first place, the one who benefited the most from the ‘Crimson Fortress’ was this guy.

I went through hell.

He only did his part and took the Numbers item.

‘I’m curious about what dropped… I can ask him about that later,’ I thought.

The meal we ordered was slowly coming out, so we continued the rest of the conversation while filling our stomachs.

First, let’s start with this.

“So, have you gathered any team members?” I asked.

“I haven’t found anyone I like, so you’re the first person I’m meeting,” he replied.

“I see,” I said, nodding and, like a barbarian, immediately got to the point.

The real purpose of this meeting.

“So, what are you going to do?” I asked.

Would Hikurod Murard really accept me as a team member?

“Well, that’s… to be honest, until just now, I came out mostly to confirm if it was really you. Putting aside recruiting team members, I wanted to talk to you. Ah, I did write down the 3rd floor, but if we gather good people, I’m thinking of going up to the 4th floor…” he said, talking too much.

It would have been enough to say that he didn’t intend to accept me as a team member at first.

“So, have your thoughts changed now?” I asked, staring at him.

The dwarf stroked his stern beard and replied, “Ahem, you could say that. After all, who would think you’re a beginner looking at you now? In the first place, if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s difficult to recruit the rest of the team members if a beginner joins, I wouldn’t have even hesitated!”

I wondered if it would have been better if he hadn’t said this at all, rather than making such a lame excuse.

But the lack of such cunning is one of the charms of this dwarf race.

“Then, is the story over?” I asked.

“Hahahaha! You could say that,” he replied.

When I raised my glass, the dwarf followed suit.

“I look forward to working with you again,” I said.

A team was formed.

It’s just the two of us for now…

Well, I can just pretend to discuss things with them and pick the members I want.

***

“Hikurod, how many people applied earlier?” I asked.

“They did, why?” he replied.

“Who were they?” I pressed.

“That? You don’t need to worry about it. They were just rookies who were Grade 8 and hadn’t even been around for a year,” he said.

What is it? Is he subtly dissing me?

As I was seriously pondering, the dwarf opened his mouth as if he had remembered something.

“Ah! Come to think of it, I didn’t ask you that! How were you able to rank up so quickly? It would be difficult to get Grade 7 with just one corpse golem essence?” he asked.

“Just one corpse golem essence?” I muttered, belatedly realizing my mistake.

That’s right, he doesn’t know because he was unconscious at the time, that I ate the vampire essence.

Um, but can I just tell him that story?

As my internal conflict deepened, the dwarf suddenly shouted, “Aha! I see!”

“Hahaha! My thinking was short-sighted! Well, with that kind of equipment, it’s enough to rank up to Grade 7!” he exclaimed.

Ah, uh, um…

It’s a plausible guess…

“…Well, it’s something like that,” I said, deciding to keep this fact to myself for now.

After all, the team hasn’t been officially formed yet, and I don’t know who will join the team in the future.

Better safe than sorry.

Someday, this might become my trump card.

‘As for my regeneration ability, I can just say it’s thanks to the Undying Mark,’ I thought.

Although the most important business was over, we continued to drink and have various conversations.

Among them was the reason why the dwarf had left his original team and was forming a new one.

“As you know, I took a temporary leave from the team this time, right?” he asked.

“That’s right,” I replied.

I heard that he had applied for a leave from the team without any plan, just in case he could enter the rift.

“But when I tried to go back, they said they liked the temporary warrior they had hired to fill my spot better!” he said, venting his anger at his former colleagues in a voice that seemed to be bursting with frustration, but I couldn’t sympathize at all.

‘Isn’t it a problem in the first place that he left the team for personal reasons?’ I thought.

The biggest victim is the former team leader.

They have to go into the labyrinth right now, but because the dwarf suddenly said he was taking a break, they must have been busy.

But unless there was a problem with that warrior, they actually like him better?

‘If I were the team leader, I wouldn’t accept such a selfish guy again. Who knows when he’ll do this again,’ I thought, keeping these thoughts to myself.

“Seriously, aren’t they really disloyal?” he asked.

“That’s right. From what I hear, they really don’t know what loyalty is!” I replied, learning that in times like this, you just have to unconditionally agree.

Let’s just go along with it and ask what I’m curious about.

“I don’t know how great they are, but if they knew what you got this time, they would definitely regret it!” I said.

“What I got this time?” he asked.

“I’m talking about the Numbers item!” I clarified.

“Ah! Come to think of it, that’s true! When I meet them later, I’ll be sure to tell them about this and let them know how foolish they were!” he said, already picturing that situation in his head.

The dwarf, who took a big gulp of alcohol, burst into a gleeful laugh.

Okay, this should be natural enough, right?

“So, speaking of which…” I carefully brought up the topic.

“What did you get this time?” I asked.

“Um, haven’t I told you yet?” he replied.

“You haven’t!” I said, it was something I had been curious about since we met.

I know all the Numbers items that can drop, but this time, we cleared an unprecedented variant rift.

Maybe a unique item dropped.

Like that mysterious box that Raven opened in the boss room and left behind.

‘Come to think of it, I didn’t ask what was inside there,’ I thought, deciding to ask about that next week when we meet, and as I was waiting for an answer, the dwarf smiled and placed his plump arm on the table.

“This wrist guard is what I got there,” he said.

Um, I can’t tell just by looking at it.

“What’s the name?” I asked.

“The appraiser at the guild said it’s called ‘Guardian’s Wrist Guard’—” he began.

“Bullshit?” I blurted out.

“…Huh? Do you know about it?” he asked.

“Ah, no. I was just surprised because the name was cool,” I said.

“Hahahaha! You and I really have something in common! I thought so too!” he exclaimed.

No.3112 Guardian’s Wrist Guard.

A Numbers item belonging to the 3000s, which could only be obtained from rifts above the 4th floor.

Putting aside the effects, how much is this worth?

“When I checked the market price through the central exchange, it seemed to be around 50 million stones [currency],” he said.

Damn it.

Is this a game?

What did this dwarf do to deserve that?

“Hahahaha! That’s the old price, and there are hardly any on the market, so it could be even more expensive! Of course, I have no intention of selling it!” he said.

“……” I was speechless.

“Hey, why have you been so quiet since earlier?” he asked.

“It’s nothing. I was just… a little… surprised, that’s why,” I replied.

To be honest, I was so surprised that my stomach, which I had filled with alcohol and meat, was unbearably sore.

“I understand. 50 million stones? I thought I was going to faint when I first heard it, so you must be the same,” he said.

Is this a case of giving a peck and receiving a bushel [getting a small return for a large investment]?

Now that I see it, the show-off I did earlier was nothing compared to this dwarf.

“Don’t be too envious. If you keep exploring, you’ll get a Numbers item someday, won’t you? Of course, it won’t be as good as what I got! Hahahaha,” he said.

Avoiding the gaze of the laughing dwarf, I quietly lowered my hand under the table.

Swoosh-

It was the hand wearing the No.9425 Frost Spirit Ring.

***

Guardian’s Wrist Guard? 50 million stones?

I decided to think as positively as possible.

Putting aside the minor problem that my stomach was so twisted that I felt like throwing up, it’s good if my companion is strong, right?

‘…Let’s focus on forming the team,’ I thought.

The first thing I did after calming myself was to raise the dwarf’s explorer rank by one level.

If you want to recruit good team members, you need to look like an attractive team first.

There is a huge gap between a team leader being Grade 7 and Grade 6 that cannot be filled with any words.

“Hikurod, go to the guild today and raise your explorer rank,” I said.

“…Suddenly?” he asked.

“You have equipment worth 50 million stones. If you apply for an evaluation, the guild will definitely consider it seriously!” I said.

“But, isn’t it too sudden—” he began.

“So, you don’t want to?” I interrupted.

“No, it’s not that…” he replied.

“Then let’s go now!” I said.

I accompanied him to make sure he didn’t go astray and watched him submit the application to the guild.

For reference, it took 6 days for the evaluation results to come out, which was a bit later than expected, but fortunately, he succeeded in ranking up.

It was from this point that the applicants’ documented specs noticeably increased.

More than ten applicants poured in every day.

And as I was carefully reviewing the specs of the dwarf and the applicants, I was having a happy dilemma.

“A, a mage?” I exclaimed, suddenly, a mage’s application arrived.

Of course, it wasn’t a mage from the Magic Tower, but a mage from Grade 8 who used to do administrative work at the guild or public institutions…

Still, a mage is a mage.

“Hey, Bjorn, isn’t something wrong? Why would a mage apply to a team like this?” Hikurod asked.

“It’s definitely a bit strange. If they wanted to, there would be many teams with better conditions than us,” I replied.

“T, then what should we do?” he asked.

There were a few suspicious points, but we decided to meet him first and contacted the guild.

And this morning, the meeting place and time were finally set.

“He wouldn’t ask for half of his share, would he? I heard that mages are all snobbish…” Hikurod worried.

I don’t know why he’s so anxious.

He didn’t back down at all when he was arguing with Raven, who was from the Magic Tower, about his share.

“Why are you so worried? If he makes such a request, we can just say no and leave,” I said.

“I, I guess so?” he replied.

Is it because he’s meeting a mage for the first time as a team leader?

As I was roughly comforting the dwarf, who was making a fuss by constantly shaking his plump legs, a man in a robe entered the pub.

And he waved at us.

“Oh, Barbarian! Dwarf!” he called out.

Shit, is he a landmine [a person who is likely to cause trouble]?

How can someone piss you off with just that short greeting?

I already foresee a disaster, but I decided to watch a little longer, just in case.

“Hahahaha! Nice to meet you, are you the mage we were supposed to meet today?” Hikurod asked.

“What do you think is the probability of randomly meeting a mage at a specific time and place?” the mage replied.

The dwarf looked at me in bewilderment at the mage’s question.

Ha, why do I sigh so much?

“…That means he’s the one,” I said.

“Y, you’re right! Hahahaha! Anyway, nice to meet you, I’m Hikurod Murard!” he said.

“That’s an unusual name. I am Riol Worb Dwarki, an 8th-grade mage certified by the Royal Family of Rapdonia,” the mage introduced himself.

“…R, Rapdonia Royal Family certified?” Hikurod exclaimed, surprised again.

No, why are you surprised again?

“It means I’m a mage who does administrative work in a public institution, not the guild,” Dwarki clarified.

“Ah, I, I see?” Hikurod replied.

The mage, who keeps saying confusing things, is a problem, but the dwarf, who is taking it all in, is starting to annoy me.

“Haha! You’re a barbarian, but you have a wide range of knowledge, what’s your name?” Dwarki asked.

“I’m Bjorn, son of Yandel. Just sit down,” I said, I was going to just watch if possible, but I was frustrated, so I decided to lead the conversation from now on.

That would be the way to save time for both of us.

“Dwarki, I’ve read the application you sent. But I have a few questions I’d like to ask. Is that okay?” I asked.

“Of course,” he replied.

“Do you have a labyrinth pass?” I asked.

“Would I have come here if I didn’t have one?” he retorted.

Just say you have it.

“One more thing, you can make enough money just by staying in the city, so why do you want to become an explorer?” I asked.

It’s rare for an 8th-grade mage to go on expeditions.

It’s a simple reason.

They lack the skills to operate above the middle floors. But even if they explore the lower floors, they don’t make much money.

The income they get from working in public institutions is much higher.

Considering the difficulty of getting a pass and the risk, it’s not worth it in many ways.

“Hmm, that’s an unexpected question?” Dwarki said, tilting his head for a moment and continued.

“It’s simple. I want to become a great explorer and raise the honor of our Martoang baronial family,” he said, a confident ambition that he revealed with a face full of pride.

The dwarf, who had been listening quietly, was shocked.

“B, baronial family? Are you, are you a noble? No, were you a noble…?” he stammered.

A noble.

In fact, they are the highest authorities in Rapdonia, whom ordinary people will never meet in their lifetime.

Dwarki seemed quite satisfied with the dwarf’s reaction and opened his mouth proudly with a laugh.

“Hahaha, my mother’s sister, Aunt Enka’s husband, is the third younger brother of the Baroness of Martoang,” he said.

“…!!!” Hikurod took a deep breath as if he was about to faint, and Dwarki patted him on the shoulder as if he understood.

He had a benevolent smile on his face.

Looking at that smile, I thought.

“Don’t be too nervous. I have no intention of treating anyone carelessly because of my status,” Dwarki said.

Is this guy really crazy?