Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 493

There’s a saying that before getting married, you should check out your partner’s room first. That’s because a room is a great place to see the owner’s traces. You can tell if they like flashy things or are frugal, whether they’re lazy or diligent, what colors they like, what their hobbies are, and what their job is. Even if you know nothing about the owner, just by looking at their room, you can get a rough idea of what they’re like. For example, like this reception room I’m sitting in right now. “…….” The interior is filled with a dignified and luxurious atmosphere. They didn’t go for an overtly extravagant design, but the furniture and decorations clearly show that they’ve spent a lot of money. Crunch. There’s a wide variety of snacks on the table, more than you’d expect for just one person. Sip, sip, sip- A dedicated attendant is always waiting by the entrance, and every time my glass is half empty, they come over and refill it to the perfect level. Ah, of course, the highlight was something else. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been in a reception room with a private musician before.’ A bald musician is sitting in a corner of the reception room, constantly playing a soothing melody on a stringed instrument. ‘Judging by his performance, it doesn’t seem like he was just called in for today.’ It really hits me what kind of person the owner of this reception room is. ‘He’s a merchant at heart.’ In this reception room, the purpose of hospitality is more evident than the purpose of showing off. So, just by sitting here, you can tell. Not just how rich the owner is, but how hard they’re trying to treat me well. ‘The appointment is in 5 minutes. Looks like they’re planning to arrive right on time.’ With that in mind, I crossed my legs and unfolded the newspaper with a flourish. It was a random newspaper I picked up, but my story was on the front page. Actually, it probably would have been the same no matter which newspaper I chose. [The Great Hero Recorded on the Stone of Honor, Baron Yandel the Giant, Draws His Sword Against the Traitors of the Underworld…!] The events that happened at the black market three days ago were finally made public in the news. Well, even if Mozlan tried to keep it quiet, they couldn’t hide 397 slaves without anyone noticing. ‘Still, the fact that most of the buyers were nobles wasn’t in the article.’ The article had holes here and there, but there was still some useful information. For example, that all the slaves who were declared dead had regained their identities. That they were staying in a temporary shelter provided by Mozlan, and that they were preparing a policy to exempt them from taxes for five years as part of their recovery. Oh, there was also an interview. […You should be the ones who regret it, not me, that’s what he said.] It was anonymous, but judging by the content, it seems like it was that kid in the iron cage… ‘Oh, it looks like the black market is completely closed? Well, it’s best to lie low in times like these.’ As I was diligently reading the newspaper, the attendant who was waiting by the entrance approached me. “Count Alminous has arrived.” “Oh, really?” I closed the newspaper I was reading and put it on the table. “Tell him to come in.” It was time to start the business. *** [Your character’s reputation has increased by +10.] [Your character’s reputation has increased by +10.] [Your character’s reputation has increased by +10…] [……] [……] *** “Hahahaha!” “Hehehe…” The vulgar laughter and the dignified old man’s laughter blended perfectly in the room. And a photographer standing next to the table was diligently taking pictures of us. It was for a very business-like reason. The price of the A-cut that photographer would take was 2,135,000,000 stones. “Baron Yandel, could you smile a little more… a little more savagely… no, I mean, more manly?” “Of course! Hahahaha!” “Count, please look at that spot over there while you smile.” “Of course. Hehe! Hehehe…!” Count Alminous offered to drop the lawsuit with 2.1 billion in compensation in exchange for taking friendly photos with him. He said that every single one of my photos would be preserved in history? Since he was an old man with not much time left to live, it seemed like he valued how he would be remembered after death more. Of course, at first, I thought, ‘What kind of nonsense is this?’ But after thinking about it, it made some sense. Like, if I had a personal photo of my grandfather with Einstein, I’d think it was really cool. “Hahahaha!” “Hehehe! Hehehe…!” Anyway, after laughing for a while for that reason, the photographer made various requests. He said that this wasn’t enough to show a friendship that transcended age and race. After that, the photographer gave me a cheap bottle of beer and the Count a wine glass, and then had us toast. And… “Great! That’s perfect!” That was today’s A-cut. The Count checked the photo himself and seemed very satisfied, giving a generous bonus, and with that, today’s business was over. “Hehe, you’ve worked hard, Baron. You must be tired, why don’t you have a meal before you go?” “It’s okay. I’m hungry.” “……?” Ah, mistake, mistake. “I have someone waiting for me at home. It seems like I’ll have to have a meal next time.” “Hehe, yes… it’s better to have meals with family.” Like the business-savvy old man he was, the Count laughed off my mistake. And he made me an offer. “By the way, I heard you did something amazing recently? You know, stirring up the black market and rescuing 397 slaves.” “Ah…” “Seeing your youthful vigor makes my blood boil after a long time. So, I was wondering if I could lend a hand to your good deed…” Hehe, I wondered what he was going to say. He’s asking if he can get involved in such a polite way. I was about to refuse right away, but I changed my mind after what he said next. “Those friends of yours. There are almost 400 of them, and I heard they haven’t found a proper place to live yet?” “…So?” “If you allow it, I think I can use my influence. Even if they’re exempt from taxes, they’ll need a house to start anew, wouldn’t they?” It was quite a surprising offer. To give a house to over 400 people. No wonder the Alminous family is considered the richest in the kingdom. “It’s good for the world when heroes increase. Go ahead. Why would I refuse?” I readily accepted the Count’s offer. Even if it wasn’t pure goodwill, it would be a huge support for those involved. “Don’t worry. You’ll be the main character in the end.” After that, I left the Count’s estate after saying those words. And the next morning, a huge article was on the front page of the newspaper. [Count Alminous Pledges 2 Billion Stones in Personal Donations. When Asked Why, He Simply Says He’s Helping an Old Friend, Nothing Special—.] It was accompanied by the photo taken that day. *** “Ugh, you’ve become a fossil, haven’t you?” No sooner had I put down the newspaper, feeling a strange sense of self-loathing, than Shavin, the head of the administrative corps, rushed into the tent. And… “It’s been ages since the dungeon closed, why are you only coming now!!” She yelled at me, sounding somewhat irritable. “Uh, uh…?” “First, take these documents. From now on, don’t even think about leaving until you’ve checked and approved all of them!” Shavin seemed to have become much rougher while I was gone. However, I decided to chalk it up to excessive work stress and laughed it off. “Okay, okay, I’ll look at them, so don’t get angry, okay?” “……” “But why are there so many documents? I delegated most of the authority to you, didn’t I?” “…That’s just the remaining parts that weren’t delegated. As the budget deficit is increasing rapidly, we have to set the total budget every month, but I can’t do that. Because you weren’t here, Yandel, I had to write temporary approval documents every time and record them temporarily in the ledger, so I had to do things two or three times that could have been done once!” “Oh, is that so…?” How can I escape? As I was thinking about that, Shavin’s eyes flashed. “Don’t even think about escaping.” “…Can’t you just do these too?” “Ha! Well, there’s nothing I can’t do! I’ll just set the budget deficit, write down how much to sell the next land for, and even set my own salary!” Shavin raised her voice as if she couldn’t believe it. Honestly, I didn’t understand. I knew she was using sarcasm, but… “Why can’t you?” “……What?” “Shavin, I trust you. More than anyone else.” “……?” “Even if there are mistakes, I won’t blame you, and I’ll take all the responsibility. It’s because I trust you that I put you in that position. That’s why I’m the chief.” “……” “So, trust yourself and do it. You’re the best in this field, aren’t you? Just like I’m an expert in the dungeon. The decisions you make after careful consideration will be better than mine.” Okay, looking at her face, it seems like I’ve almost convinced her. Now it’s time for the finishing blow. “Your salary is the same. Take as much as you want.” “…That’s going to be a real problem, you know?” “Well, if that’s the value you put on yourself, I will never deny that value.” After I finished speaking, Shavin looked at me for a long time without saying anything. And how much time had passed? “…I always thought. If I were in that position, I wouldn’t do that. I could do better. But when I was actually told to stand in that position, I was scared.” “Everyone is scared at first.” With my warm encouragement, Shavin clenched her fist as if she had made up her mind. “…I’ll try. If I don’t do it after hearing those words, there’s no excuse. It’ll just mean that I’m that kind of person.” “Okay, do your best.” Having successfully made my emergency escape, I left the tent without looking back. And I found Ainar, who was wandering near the holy site, and gave him a mission. “You want me to gather all the warriors in the holy site?” “Yes, I have something to say.” I felt sorry for the administrative corps, who were working day and night, but the real reason I came to the holy site today was because of this. I needed a bit of a performance this time. “I’ll try to call them all, but there will probably be quite a few.” “Quite a few?” “Didn’t you know? These days, there are so many warriors eating and sleeping at the holy site because they’re all building houses.” “I heard that the third sale was over, but still, the number shouldn’t be that high?” “You can’t build a house alone, can you? Everyone is calling their friends’ friends and building houses every day.” Oh, I see. “Anyway, call them all! Make sure to tell them that there will be something fun!” “Something fun…?” “You’ll see later.” “Hehehe! You’re planning something! I don’t know what it is, but let’s do it right away! I’ll join too!” With that, Ainar left, excited, to gather the warriors, and I waited at the meeting place. As time passed, the warriors who had heard the news began to gather one by one. Most of them looked a little unfamiliar. It seemed like they had really just come from building houses, as the warriors were holding hammers in their hands. Those fake hammers they use to drive nails. “It’s the chief!!” “Ohh!! The great warrior who was recorded on the Stone of Honor for the third time!!!” The warriors who arrived first were extremely excited to see me. I was worried that they might be angry that I had called them while they were busy. “You said there was something fun!” “What is it that made you call us all here!” “Let’s do it right away!!” It seemed like they were also mentally exhausted from building houses. “Wait! I’ll tell you when everyone is here!” After about an hour, the entire forest was filled with barbarians. As is typical of warriors who think it’s a festival when their own kind gather in such numbers, there was a lot of noise. Thump-! Thump-! Thump-! Thump-! The warriors had started hitting their chests as if they were drums, enjoying themselves. “Bjorn.” “In the holy site, it’s Chief.” “…Chief, it seems like everyone is here.” “Is that so?” Then it’s time to get going. There was no need for long speeches to the excited warriors. “Everyone! Follow meeeeeee!!” A shout with no destination or goal. However, as soon as I started walking after that shout, the warriors cleared a path, and after leaving the open path, they all started following me. “Woooooo!” “Bjorn, son of Yandel!!” “Let’s goooooooooo!!” A long procession made up of 100% pure barbarians. When we arrived at the city gate connected to the city, the warriors on guard duty opened the gate wide without asking any questions. Clunk, clunk. The gate opened with the sound of crude machinery. And like the first day I woke up in this body, the familiar gray city appeared beyond the gate. Well-maintained roads and stone buildings. And the towering spires that could be seen between them. “Let’s goooooooooo!!” Using this as a landmark, we started moving forward, and the pedestrians walking along the street moved to the edges as if avoiding a carriage. I felt like we were causing a nuisance, but… “Wow! Baron Yandel! Is that Baron Yandel, Mom?” “Y-yes, it is…!” “Woooooo!!” Surprisingly, the pedestrians’ reactions weren’t bad. No, they were actually calling more people from the neighborhood as if a good spectacle had appeared. Clunk-! The tightly closed windows opened, and countless citizens’ faces watched our procession from beyond. With only one question in mind. “But… where are they going?” “I don’t know…” “Shouldn’t we call the guards? Even if it’s them, there are so many people gathered…” In fact, before long, guards belonging to the Public Security Bureau urgently appeared in front of us. “Hey, we greet Baron Yandel.” “What business do you have to stop me?” “W-well, we received a report…” “Are you thinking of arresting us? We’re just walking.” “T-there’s no way we would do that! No, absolutely not!” “Then that’s good. Get out of the way.” As I started walking again after saying that, the captain of the guard stood aside with a dazed look on his face. And… “Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!!” When this noisy march continued further and reached the city center, knights appeared. “We greet Baron Yandel.” A group of knights from Mozlan, notorious for their authority. But that didn’t apply to me. “Excuse me, but could you tell us where Baron Yandel is heading?” “Why should I answer you?” “We heard that this event hasn’t been reported to any organization… we’re asking to confirm.” Of course, there was no reason for me to answer honestly. “We’re just taking a walk, so mind your own business.” “…A walk, you say.” The knight from Mozlan looked troubled. If I were an ordinary person, they would have used any excuse to disperse us, and even arrested a few ringleaders as an example, but… “I said I’m taking a walk, are you doubting me?” I’m a baron of this kingdom, after all. “There’s no way we would do that. We’re just worried. Since a group of over a thousand armed people has gathered, we also need to understand the situation. Please understand with a generous heart.” “We won’t leave Lavigion. Is that enough of an answer?” When I revealed that I had no intention of going to Commelby, the commercial district, or even the capital, the group of knights nodded with a slightly relieved look. “Could… could we follow you?” “There’s no reason for me to stop you from walking.” “Thank you…” In the end, the knights who had been dispatched from Mozlan couldn’t stop me and agreed to follow alongside us. And how much time had passed? “It’s the barbarians!” “The barbarians are here!!” We were just walking, but this news had already spread to the inner city and caused a commotion. The citizens waited along our possible route as if watching a parade, enjoying the unusual sight. “The Magic Tower…! The barbarians are going to the Magic Tower!!” As we steadily moved in one direction, the citizens gradually realized the end of this procession. And this further increased the barbarians’ excitement. “The Magic Tower? We were going to the Magic Tower!” “Bjorn, son of the great warrior Yandel!!!” “The chief is leading us to a sacred battle!” “It’s time to grind the flesh off the bones of the mages!!” “Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!” Like a word of mouth travels a thousand miles. These shouts of the warriors were conveyed to the citizens. “T-these crazy bastards…!” “Are they really going to fight the Magic Tower?” “What? But why?” “It’s because of their hearts! The mages are using their hearts as magical materials!” “…I don’t know what will happen, but today we’re going to see a truly rare sight.” No matter what people around me were saying, I silently continued to walk. And how much time had passed? Thud. I stopped walking. The black spire that soared high, the numerous onlookers gathered in the plaza in front of it. And… “……” Even the hundreds of mages who had rushed out after hearing that we were heading here. “……” “……” When the confrontation began, silence fell over the plaza where thousands of people had gathered. To exaggerate a bit, the plaza became so quiet that you could even hear someone swallowing. An old mage came forward as a representative. “I am Ubels Gullenio, the chief mage of the Lengman School.” The chief mage is like the head disciple in a martial arts novel. And since the master of the Lengman School is the head of the Magic Tower, this old man can be seen as the second-in-command of the Magic Tower… “Now, would you introduce yourself as well?” He’s asking even though he knows everything. It seems like mages really like formalities. “An introduction…” I chuckled and opened my mouth. A giant. The leader of the Anabada Clan. The chief of the barbarians. The baron of Lapdonia. I left out all the modifiers that I didn’t need to say first anymore. “I am Bjorn, son of Yandel.” After the short introduction, the old mage took a long breath and nodded. “I see. It’s a pleasure to meet the hero I’ve only heard rumors about. But what brings Baron Yandel to the Magic Tower?” “I’ve come to do something that should have been done a long time ago.” “Something that should have been done a long time ago… I’m old, so I can’t understand what you’re saying.” “Is that so? Then I’ll tell you directly.” I shouted loudly so that not only the old man who was half-deaf, but also all the citizens gathered in this plaza could hear. “I, Bjorn, son of Yandel, say this! The Magic Tower must stop using our hearts as magical materials!” “So… that was the reason…” The old man muttered, rubbing his forehead, and then sighed openly. And he tried to persuade me in a calm tone. “This is a legitimate study. Even if you are a baron of the kingdom and the chief of the barbarians, you cannot arbitrarily stop intellectual research for the sake of humanity. If you cannot accept this, then formally raise an objection to the royal family—” “Keep it short.” “……Huh?” “Keep it short, old man.” Did the word ‘old man’ bother him? “It seems that the baron doesn’t understand long words, so I will speak briefly as I wish.” He said, glaring at me, making the wrinkles on his already wrinkled face even deeper. With a firm voice that was far from kind. “If you can’t do that.” He looked up at me with a belligerent gaze that was not like his age, and boldly asked. “Then what will you do?” The old mage asked. “……!” “……!” After a moment of pause, I answered. “It’s war.” That was enough. That’s because. “…W-war!” “It’s waaaaaaaar!!” “Everyone, take up your weapons!!” “Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!” We’ve endured enough, haven’t we? *** [Your character’s support has increased by +10.] [Your character’s support has increased by +10.] [Your character’s support has increased by +10.] [Your character’s support has increased by +10.] [Your character’s support has increased by +10…] [……] [……]