Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 53

“So, does that mean they’re the same raiders from back then?” Rotmiller nodded at the dwarf’s question. And with that, the situation became clear. There was no way that the guys who were brazenly looting on the third floor would coincidentally be chased by monsters and happen to come our way. “Whoever they are, they’re targeting us specifically.” “We don’t know why, but they’re probably trying to blend in with us while pretending to be chased.” Rotmiller agreed with my words and added his opinion. I had the same thought. “Th-then, what should we do now!” What do you mean, what should we do? Thanks to Rotmiller, we were able to figure out their scheme early, weren’t we? “It would be better to use this opportunity.” “Use it?” Misha tilted her head. However, there wasn’t enough time to explain the reasons in detail. It seemed they had already arrived. “L-light! It’s light!” Along with a man’s shout, three men and women, covered in sweat and blood, stumbled into the radius of our torchlight. “If you’re not good at acting, just watch quietly.” I whispered as I made eye contact with Rotmiller. He nodded slightly. I knew I could always count on this guy. The dwarf, who I was secretly worried about, seemed to understand exactly what I meant. Then, shall we begin? “Don’t come any closer.” Seeing them running towards us, I immediately raised my shield and stepped forward to block their path. “H-hey! Our group was wiped out. Please help us! We’ll pay you back…” A desperate yet urgent expression. This guy is a good actor. Well, I guess that’s expected from a raider? “Put down your weapons.” “B-but there are monsters behind us!” The man in his early thirties pointed behind him. A group of orcs that had been chasing them were staring at us from beyond the torchlight’s radius. “Screech, screech!” They couldn’t easily approach because the number of people had increased, but there was no telling how long that would last. So, they wanted us to let them in quickly. That was clearly what the man was trying to say, but so what? “It’s your choice. Either put down your weapons or get out.” I said firmly once again, and the answer didn’t come easily. Well, they would be worried. “……” In the labyrinth, weapons were as good as life itself. They might even be suspecting that we had caught on to them. But it didn’t matter. No matter what choice they made, we had nothing to lose. “…We’ll put them down.” As if he had made a decision, the mustached man dropped his weapon to the ground, and the other two followed suit. ‘So, they’ve decided to be greedy.’ While I was satisfied with their choice, I was also slightly worried. To risk this much just to target us? I couldn’t even guess the reason. “Okay, then come slowly in that state. Try to keep your distance from each other.” “D-do you really have to go this far? We just need help…” “If you want help, do as you’re told.” “Understood.” After they arrived one by one as instructed, Rotmiller approached and checked for any hidden weapons. “…There doesn’t seem to be anything that could be a threat.” “Alright. Murad, keep an eye on them.” “A-alright!” The dwarf nodded stiffly and walked away, aligning his arms and legs like a North Korean soldier. A sigh escaped me for some reason… Fortunately, judging by their expressions, they didn’t seem to notice anything strange about his behavior. “Screech, screech…” “Screech, screech, screech-!” After leaving the trio of raiders to the dwarf and keeping an eye on the orcs, they soon turned their backs and left. The orcs also seemed to think that fighting such a large number would be too risky. ‘Those monster bastards are all so cunning.’ Well, they’re nothing compared to human bastards. Anyway, avoiding an unnecessary battle was good news for us. Having to worry about a fight with orcs while dealing with a new problem would be exhausting. “Ugh, I thought I was going to die…” As soon as the orc group disappeared, the only woman among the trio slumped to the ground with a deflated sigh. However, had she finally come to her senses? She quickly got up from the ground with a surprised expression and bowed politely to us. “Ah! I’m Elisa. Thank you for saving us!” But was it because of her torn top that revealed her cleavage? “C-cough, cough. I’m Hikurod Murad.” The dwarf coughed and turned his head. He didn’t seem to be acting innocent. His head was turned, but his gaze was still fixed in one place. “Murad, was it? Then, what’s this person’s name?” “I’m Bjorn, son of Yandel.” “Ah, I see!” The woman who introduced herself as Elisa approached me and grabbed my hand. And then she bowed again like before. Of course, her cleavage was emphasized this time as well. “Haa, I really survived thanks to you! I don’t know what would have happened if we hadn’t met you…” She breathed heavily and whispered in a voice that tickled my ears. Now that I think about it, it seems like she was the only one among the trio whose top was so torn, and it was probably for this purpose… “Bjorn! Your eyes are glazed over!” Misha misunderstood my true feelings and muttered. However, I didn’t bother to clear up the misunderstanding at this moment. There would be a chance to do so soon. “State your names one by one.” To dispel any suspicion from them, I started with a simple background check. The first to introduce himself was the mustached man, who seemed to be the leader. “Hans Argo.” What? “…Hans, you say?” “It’s a common name. Is there someone with the same name?” “Ah, well, yeah… something like that.” I nodded awkwardly. Hans A had his head smashed by my shield and died. Hans B, I haven’t seen him since I got advice from him at a drinking party. And Hans C, whom I met today, the mustached man here, seems like he’s going to follow in A’s footsteps. Anyway, that’s enough about him, next.

“I am Irita Tayson,” a fair-skinned, blonde lancer with a tall build introduced himself. Tayson appeared to be in his mid-twenties, and I couldn’t find any particular distinguishing features about him. If I had to pick one, it would be that he seemed polite. “We thought we were done for, but thanks to you, we managed to avoid it. Thank you once again.” As the lancer, Tayson, bowed 90 degrees, Elisa made a fuss with her characteristic innocent tone. “It’s true! If it weren’t for you all, I don’t know what situation we would be in right now… It must be that Leatlass is watching over us!” “Leatlass?” Rotmiller stiffened at the single word. Then, he cautiously spoke to Elisa. “Perhaps… I mean, Miss Elisa, are you—” “Ah, I haven’t told you my last name yet. I’m Elisa Behenk. As you can see…” Elisa trailed off, checking her attire, and then made a face as if she was about to cry. Her clothes, which were originally white, were torn here and there, stained with sweat and dirt. “…Well, maybe not as you can see? But I am serving Leatlass!” “Huh!” “So you really are a priestess.” The dwarf just let out a short exclamation, while Rotmiller closed his eyes and briefly made the sign of the cross in front of Elisa. Wow, this guy is a good actor. “May the star that rises at dusk guide us…” “Yes, may the star that rises at dusk guide us.” Did she think it was a done deal? Elisa also smiled brightly and made the sign of the cross back at him. And with that, the tense atmosphere instantly dissipated. Well, at least that’s how it would appear to them. ‘We all know that there’s no way she’s a real priestess—’ “Miss Elisa, if you don’t mind, could you take a look at my wound?” What? “I’m sorry! I should have helped you with that first…” Wait, is she a real priestess and not a fake? While I was flinching at the unexpected turn of events, Hans C pulled up his shirt to show a stab wound. Then, Elisa recited a prayer and placed her hand, which had begun to glow white, on the wound. But what the heck? Swishhh- The wound really did heal in an instant. Even though I watched everything with a suspicious eye, it was undeniable that it was real divine power. How can I be so sure when I’ve never seen it before? Well, for one, the sound of it healing was different from a potion, and just look at Hans C’s expression. He looks so peaceful, as if he’s not in any pain at all. “May the star that rises at dusk guide us…” Was it an unexpected development for them as well? Rotmiller, who had been briefly flustered, quickly regained his composure and repeatedly made the sign of the cross. It was a reaction like a believer who had witnessed a miracle before his very eyes. It seemed a bit excessive to me, but in fact, given the structure of this world, this would be a normal reaction. Just as the different races grow up in sacred places, most human children learn to read and gain knowledge through temples from a young age. The weight of the name ‘priest’ is different. “Ah! Then, can we get our weapons back now?” Elisa asked innocently. It was as if she had just realized that they didn’t have their weapons. Perhaps showing her divine power was a move for this. The reason she boldly chose to throw away her weapons earlier must have been because she believed in this. But what to do? “That’s not possible.” “Huh, huh?” I stared at her, who seemed flustered, and acted nonchalantly. There was no need to reveal that I already knew their identities. “I understand that you’re a real priestess. But so what?” I am a barbarian who believes in ancestral spirits. I haven’t received anything from priests, so it’s not strange for me to react like this. Elisa awkwardly smiled and looked at Rotmiller and Dwarki, who were human. It seemed like she was trying to ask for help somehow… I stubbornly cut off any chance of that. “I’ll return the weapons after I receive compensation from them and they leave.” “Co, compensation?” “Why are you so surprised? Whether you’re a priestess or not, you’re an explorer once you enter the labyrinth. You have to follow the customs.” “Ah, yes… I’ve heard that there are such customs. Then… how much should we give?” I pretended to think for a moment and then said, “About 2 million stones should be enough.” “…Wh, what?” Elisa asked back as if she had misheard. But I was confident. “It’s not an unreasonable request, is it?” Of course, this is a bargain. I’ve heard that some bad guys take all the equipment as payment for letting them live. “Don’t be stingy, and think of it as the price for your lives.” “But… we don’t have that much money.” I already knew that. Who would carry cash when entering a labyrinth? Since I got the expected answer, it’s time to make the next move. “I won’t ask you to lower the price. At least when we get outside—” “No. I don’t trust the words of anyone who isn’t of my kind. If you don’t have money, pay in kind.” “…In kind?” “Hmm, that man’s armor should be enough.” I pointed at Hans C with my finger, and Hans frowned. However, after exchanging glances with Elisa a few times, he let out a deep sigh. “Haa, well, if we consider that we saved our lives with this, it’s not a loss. But there’s a condition. We’ll be staying here tonight until we recover from our fatigue.” “Good.” I readily nodded. I could see their intentions, but what does it matter since I don’t intend to keep my promise anyway? “Irita, would you help me?” “As you wish.” With the help of the lancer next to him, Hans C took off his heavy armor and handed the equipment to Rotmiller. Good, I’ve stripped one of them of their armor. ‘It seems like he’s taking everything he can before starting…’ “Well, now that we’ve paid the price, will you please return our weapons?” I couldn’t hold back my bright smile any longer. Honestly, I didn’t expect things to go this smoothly… “…Why are you smiling?” Hans C asked, looking at me with a stiff face. I didn’t bother to answer. Just like I didn’t clear up Misha’s misunderstanding that my gaze at Elisa was lecherous. They’ll find out soon enough without me saying anything. “Hey, Yandel, if you ask for more, we’ll be in trouble—” “Ah, that won’t happen.” I replied and smashed Elisa’s head with my mace. Thwack-! “E, Elisa!!!” In any game, breaking the healer’s head first is the golden rule.