Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 558

Sounds reached my ears.

Busy, noisy sounds at that.

“…Warrior Ritman Powell confirmed!”

“Warrior Milden Bettimore of the 3rd squad confirmed!”

“Warrior Garon Nilgrain of the 1st squad confirmed!”

Solemn voices echoed from all directions.

And then…

“Mister! Wake up! Are you okay?”

“Cleric, why isn’t he waking up?”

“Well, um… I think he’ll wake up soon if we just wait…”

“He took a nasty hit to the head, is that why?”

“…”

My companions’ worried voices were right in front of me.

Among them, I could hear Misha muttering.

“…If things go south… I might have to use that after all…”

What was she talking about?

My ears were ringing, probably from just waking up.

I couldn’t seem to focus either.

“Well… since the Baron seems to be doing better, I’ll go treat the others–”

“What are you talking about! He hasn’t woken up yet, where are you going!”

“Tersia, stop it.”

“Stop it? Aren’t you worried about Mister–”

“You don’t have to. He seems to be awake now.”

“…Huh?”

I’d been caught.

I was planning to gather my senses a bit more before opening my eyes.

Well, it was about time to figure out the situation anyway.

No matter how long I kept my eyes closed and stalled, the outcome wouldn’t change.

“Commander!”

“Oh! Bjornnnn!! I was so worried!!”

“Haa…”

As soon as I opened my eyes, my companions next to me let out relieved sighs, their expressions still agitated.

However, there was something I had to ask before saying I was okay.

“Is anyone… hurt badly?”

It wasn’t like me to beat around the bush, but what I really meant was whether anyone had died.

Amelia understood perfectly and answered.

“Glow Isias is dead.”

Glow Isias.

One of the three mages of the Armin Expedition.

A young mage in his thirties who always playfully complained about needing more time and budget whenever he saw me.

So, he was dead.

“…And?”

“There are no other deaths. There are several injured, but all except one suffered only minor injuries.”

“I see…”

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a long breath.

During that time, my companions didn’t say anything, and a short silence followed.

Numerous thoughts swirled in my mind, but I focused on one thing.

‘What needs to be done.’

…Let’s do what needs to be done.

“I remember being chewed on the head by that thing, but what happened after that? Tell me everything that happened after I lost consciousness.”

For some reason, Amelia started explaining with a reluctant look.

“…As soon as you were bitten, Tersia shot an arrow.”

For the record, [Concentrated Fire] wasn’t fully charged at the time.

But…

“Kashan, hit by the arrow, let go of you, and taking that opportunity, Kalstein and I ran to save you.”

That arrow created a brief opening, and I was able to survive by the skin of my teeth.

However, all the tragedies started there.

“…After that, we all fought against it together, and quite a few people died. That’s all. Oh, and unfortunately, no essence came out–”

“In more detail.”

We all fought together, and quite a few people died.

It’s not a story that can end with just one line.

I needed to know.

“Haa…”

Sensing my stubbornness, Amelia sighed and gave me the answer I was looking for.

“Yandel, with you gone, a huge gap was created in the front line. Someone had to fill that gap. Dozens of knights rushed out.”

“Jerome Saintred? Was he just watching from afar then too?”

“Surprisingly, he wasn’t. He said he was preparing for when something bad happened, and he really did rush out first as soon as you fell. We wouldn’t have been able to save you if it weren’t for him.”

“…Is that so. Sorry for interrupting. Continue.”

“The commander intervened, but the battle situation was not good. And eventually, an order was given soon. That all the troops deployed in the rear should also participate in attacking it.”

Troops deployed to protect the ranged glass cannons such as mages, clerics, and ability users.

Even those troops were mobilized in the all-out attack.

It was a decision I could fully understand.

Wasn’t the attack almost at its final stage? They must have thought that killing it as quickly as possible would reduce the damage.

“But that order had a fatal problem.”

The problem was that there was no one in the expeditionary force who could manage the aggro [aggression, the focus of an enemy’s attacks] of the beast.

“Kashan prioritized attacking threatening figures. Most of the attacks were directed at the commander, but it was a very unstable situation.”

Every time it flicked around as if chasing away flies, the knights’ necks were snapped, and when the mages fired a powerful shot, it turned its eyes and rushed towards them.

“Glow Isias was also hit by it at that time.”

Thus, the trio of mages became a duo.

‘No wonder they didn’t tell me the cause of death earlier…’

Did they think he wouldn’t have died if I hadn’t fainted?

…Well, that’s probably right, though.

“We fought it for about 3 minutes after you fainted, and finally, the commander’s sword pierced deeply into its forehead, and it was all over. Immediately after that, the stone gate there closed and then reopened, emitting light, and about 10 minutes have passed since then.”

“…”

“Well, are all your questions answered?”

“For now.”

When the conversation reached that point, a familiar knight approached us.

“Baron! You’re awake! The commander is calling for you!”

“…I’ll be back in a moment.”

“I’ll take good care of the injured, so don’t worry and go.”

After that, I followed the knight to where Jerome was sitting, receiving healing from a cleric, with one arm blown off and a hole in his stomach.

This bastard got hit pretty hard too.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Baron.”

“You look worse than I do, though.”

At my words, Jerome only gave an awkward smile and didn’t answer.

“Then, now that the Baron is here too… Evost, start the report!”

Thus, at a meeting of the top brass, including me, the vice-commander announced the results of this battle.

“The 1st Expeditionary Force has achieved a feat that will be recorded in the history of the royal family, defeating the Wolf of Prophecy, Kashan, today. Unfortunately, no essence to present to the royal family was found…”

In the following report, I was once again reminded of the danger of a Rank 1 monster.

“In this battle, there were 27 lightly injured who have recovered, 4 seriously injured who are recovering, and a total of 28 casualties.”

28 casualties.

Among them, 21 casualties occurred during the 3 minutes I was unconscious.

***

Out of the 28 casualties, only one came from our 4th squad.

There was no disagreement that it was a truly miraculous event, but in fact, there was a decisive reason for this result.

“Count Saintred, I heard that you were the one who placed the 4th squad in the rear at the end.”

When I fainted and Kashan became uncontrollable, the commander sent our 4th squad to the relatively safe rear.

“What was the reason for that order?”

It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with the order, I actually feel grateful. However, I couldn’t help but wonder why…

“Well, if the Baron dies, one of our expedition’s goals will fail. So, I ordered all members of the 4th squad to protect the Baron.”

“…What?”

“Baron, our expedition did not come here just to hunt monsters. And I have never failed a mission except for once.”

It was an incomprehensible mindset.

Was the mission that important?

“No matter how many die, if we finish the exploration here and take the Baron back alive, the mission is a success.”

I didn’t understand this guy, even though I knew him well.

When we talked before, I thought we might become friends if we weren’t in our current positions.

“I see. That answers my question.”

“I’m glad. Then, can we continue the meeting now?”

I nodded and took a step back, and the vice-commander, who had been watching, resumed the meeting.

“Now that the damage report is over, let’s move on to the next agenda.”

The next agenda was very simple.

They succeeded in catching Kashan, and since no essence came out, there was no need to discuss ownership.

Therefore…

“As soon as Kashan was defeated, the stone gate opened. Also, the mages have confirmed that the light is similar to a portal… In other words, it is highly likely that entering that light will lead to a new space.”

What lay beyond the wide-open stone gate.

And when was it best to start the exploration.

Various opinions were exchanged at the meeting that started with such topics, and I listened to the meeting content roughly while thinking about other things alone.

Because I already knew what was over there.

‘…I didn’t know the door would open like that.’

It was the place I’d already been to through Hamsik.

Well, maybe a completely different place would appear, but I judged that the possibility was low.

‘After catching a Rank 1 monster and finishing the library raid, you would get rewards from inside there.’

The various types of summoning books were decent rewards, and the fountain pen that allowed for a guaranteed essence drop would have been the main reward.

Well, or maybe the main one was that golden book.

‘Anyway… did I end up intercepting it in the middle?’

If I hadn’t met Hamsik first and received the rewards early, the royal family would have taken the fountain pen.

‘There is a hidden piece in the library that allows you to skip the raid and enter the main reward room.’

From a player’s point of view, Hamsik’s existence would be just that.

Of course, it seemed like there were more hidden secrets.

‘Then, was that why he said I wasn’t qualified? Because I didn’t officially clear it and enter the reward room.’

I was just guessing, it wasn’t certain.

Therefore, I’d have to meet Hamsik again and see his reaction…

“Then, we will end today’s meeting. There will be no missions other than the patrol until 7 o’clock, so the leaders of each squad should go back and take care of their members. Oh, and there will be a personnel reorganization later, so please be aware of that.”

After that, the meeting ended and free time was given.

‘Until 7 PM…’

I thought they were really tough bastards.

After such a battle, they could have given us a whole day off, but they were saying we’d rest for a few hours and then continue the mission.

A sigh came out naturally, but first, I went back and told my companions the news.

“…5 hours is not enough to sleep.”

“Huh? Not enough? Can’t you just sleep?”

“Today, Mr. Pnelin is right. I just need to sleep.”

“But I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep. I still can’t believe it… My heart is still pounding.”

Most of them were relieved that they had some time to rest, while thinking that it was a blessing in disguise.

“Whether you sleep or rest, that’s up to you. Let’s take care of what we need to do first.”

“What we need to do is…”

“A companion died, didn’t he?”

“Ah… That’s right…”

After that, I led all of the 4th squad to one place.

The place where the body of Glow Isias, the only casualty of our squad, was laid to rest.

Charlotte Amblet, the only woman among the three mages, was sitting blankly in front of the body.

“Are you okay?”

“…No. I’m not okay at all.”

“Is this your first time?”

A question that implied many things.

In response, Charlotte only clenched her fist and trembled, but did not answer.

And how much time passed?

Her brother, Brian Amblet, took the body away from his sister, and they started a simple funeral.

As always, the process ended very quickly.

“The remains and his belongings will be delivered to his family when we return to the city.”

The funeral was concluded by setting aside the belongings and putting the remains in a container and casting a distortion magic.

I was about to leave when Charlotte approached.

“Baron… someday. Someday… if a lot of time passes, will it get better? Like those things people often say?”

The very thought that everyone has when it’s their first experience.

Sigh, how should I answer this?

I opened my mouth after organizing my thoughts enough.

“The meaning of ‘okay’ is different for everyone.”

“Yes… I guess so. I’m talking nonsense–”

“But, if when you think of it, pleasant memories come to mind before sadness. And if that state is what you call ‘getting better’.”

I said to Charlotte with conviction.

“Someday, it will definitely get better. Even if you don’t want it to.”

“…”

“Rest now.”

As I turned my back after saying that, someone approached from the side. It was Misha, the only member among my current companions who had been with me since the Team Half-Pint days.

“That just now… was it about Dwarki…?”

“…To some extent.”

When I gave an answer that was close to affirmative, Misha seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, then muttered softly.

“Back then… it was really good…”

A voice with a hint of wistful longing.

Of course, I was no different.

“Yeah… it was good.”

Now I’m a Baron, and there are countless people who follow me, and I’m called a hero who has left my name on the Stone of Honor.

But even so, I sometimes think back.

To the days when we worried about survival every day.

To the sky on the 3rd floor that we all looked up at together in those days when we were bumbling around against a Rank 5 monster.

[It’s a sight that only the early arriving explorers can see. It’s quite a spectacle, isn’t it?]

I’ve gotten better.

***

While I was resting with just a blanket, an uninvited guest came.

“Yandel, the chief mage of the expedition has come to see you.”

“The chief mage…?”

“He wants to talk to you, what are you going to do?”

“…I can’t sleep anyway, so that’s good. Bring him in.”

As I got up and organized the blanket, Amelia returned with the old mage.

“Gahwin Besilus.”

“Baron, I’m sorry to bother you during your rest. Can I talk to you for a moment?”

When he glanced at Amelia next to him, Amelia took the hint and left.

“I’m going to use voice control magic, is that okay?”

“It’s okay, use it.”

“…Ah, thank you. It’s all done now.”

“So, what’s the matter?”

As always, I skipped the introduction and checked the business first, and the old mage said something very unexpected.

“I came to apologize to the Baron.”

“Hmm, an apology…?”

“That’s right. I was wrong, and the Baron was right. But because I couldn’t admit it, I almost made a big mistake.”

Putting aside the apology, I was curious about the change of heart.

“Why did you suddenly think that?”

“I had no choice but to think that after seeing that sight. A Rank 1 monster… it was too much of a monster. I was underestimating them. The Baron, who is an explorer, was seeing it more accurately than anyone else.”

“I see.”

“To be honest… until the Baron fainted, I didn’t know how scary they were. No, if I had summoned Leviathan as I said, I was arrogant enough to think that even those few people wouldn’t have died. But…”

The old mage continued, his voice as if he had given up on everything.

“All of that was not thanks to me. My knowledge, my magic skills, had no influence. Even the hundreds of elites of the royal family were the same. I felt that fact to the bone during the 3 minutes when the Baron was absent.”

“That… it’s like you’re flattering me too much.”

“As a scholar, I’m just stating the facts. If it weren’t for the Baron, it wouldn’t have ended with this much damage.”

“…”

It’s hard to know how to respond when someone says something like that to my face.

So I just stayed still.

Because this way, I could at least go halfway…

“Ahem… I’ve talked too much. Anyway, there’s only one thing I want to say.”

“Hurry up and say it.”

“Our expedition needs the Baron’s strength, knowledge, and judgment. From now on, I will listen carefully with my old ears, so please feel free to share any opinions.”

In short, it meant that he wouldn’t be checking me, so let’s get along.

It was welcome news to hear.

“Good. I look forward to working with you, Gahwin.”

“…Gahwin?”

“Friends call each other by their first names.”

“Ah, I see. Then… Bjorn–”

“I’m fine with Baron. I’m a noble, you know.”

“…Ahaha, that’s true. Thank you for taking the time out of your rest. I’ll be on my way.”

After that, I gathered with my companions for a meal, and the announced rest time ended, and all the members of the expedition gathered in front of the stone gate and entered the portal in order.

「The character has entered the First Record Archive.」

I had a slight hope, but in the end, the place we entered after clearing the library was indeed Hamsik’s house that I had visited before.

“It’s a spooky place.”

“It’s as if a typhoon has swept through it.”

It wasn’t the clean mini-library I had seen on my first visit, but a space that had become nothing more than ruins.

However, the owner, Hamsik, and the golden book were nowhere to be seen.

‘Well, he was outside back then, so he’s probably still hiding outside.’

Well, that was better.

If the golden book was found here, the ownership would have immediately passed to the royal family.

“It’s a strange space. Don’t you think so, Baron?”

“That’s right. I wonder what happened to make it such a mess… Tsk tsk.”

“Please tell me if you find anything.”

“I will.”

After that, the expedition, which had been looking around the secret room, began a full-scale search as soon as they confirmed that there was nothing that could be a threat.

“There’s nothing intact, I wonder if searching is really meaningful…”

“What are you talking about? This is the first place we’ve ever set foot in!”

“There’s no way there’s nothing, so search thoroughly!”

Ah, for the record, the ‘thoroughly’ that the royal family’s soldiers were talking about was a little different from that of an explorer.

They didn’t break anything.

They just took everything using their overwhelming inventory.

“This book is just blank…”

“Everything found here is the property of the royal family. Don’t leave out even a speck of dust, take it all!”

It didn’t take long for the ruins to turn into an empty lot.

“Search complete! There are no hidden items!”

…Sorry, Hamsik.