Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 562

Monstrous beings with blue skin and large eyes, averaging 3 meters in height.

They were an unknown race calling themselves ‘humans.’

These beings and the true humans faced off, with the thicket as a boundary.

‘So, those are the ones the Baron was talking about…’

‘But why aren’t they coming closer? Why are they just staying there?’

Perhaps it was because their numbers were comparable to our exploration force, but the expressions of those gripping their weapons tightly were filled with tension.

And in the midst of that standoff.

‘It’s been a while, Bjorn, son of Yandel.’

The village chief appeared from among the monsters.

The others, seeing the chief for the first time, were surprised that he could actually speak human language. I walked past them to the front.

‘Yeah, it’s been a while.’

‘You’ve gained some companions in the meantime?’

‘Ah, it just happened.’

Since he seemed to want to talk, I gave a casual answer and scanned the surroundings.

The exploration force’s troops, who had been spread out to encircle the village entrance, were gathering here in real-time.

But even though he couldn’t possibly be unaware of that.

‘Why is he so relaxed?’

Seeing him greet me without any sense of urgency made me feel uneasy.

However, I tried my best not to show those feelings and spoke.

‘But where did you guys come from? You clearly told me there was only one village entrance.’

‘Don’t be too disappointed. We can’t tell outsiders everything about the village, can we?’

‘Like the corpses in that basement?’

The chief didn’t respond to my probing question.

He just scanned me up and down with a chilling gaze and asked.

‘Do you know? Truly perceptive people pretend not to be perceptive.’

‘……’

‘Which kind of person do you think you are?’

Well, I’m not sure, but he’s making a scary face while saying that, with his eyes wide open.

I almost swung my hammer without realizing it.

‘Baron! Step back.’

Soon, Commander Jerome Saintred, who was in the rear, arrived, and the chief’s gaze shifted to him.

‘Hmm… who are you?’

‘I am Count Jerome Saintred, the commander of the First Royal Knights. I have been granted the position of commander of this exploration force.’

‘Royal… yes, I knew you guys would come soon—’

‘Now, it’s your turn. I heard that Baron Yandel was introduced to you as a dragon knight, Cornelius Bruengrid. Is that true?’

Jerome interrupted and asked in an overbearing tone, and the chief stared at him and replied.

‘Is that important?’

‘It is important. Depending on that, it will be decided whether to view you as an unidentified entity capable of communication or as an ancient traitor to be executed immediately.’

Ancient traitor?

What’s that all about?

As I tilted my head, the chief’s eyes, which usually didn’t show much emotion, gleamed fiercely.

As if I had touched a nerve.

‘Execution… that’s a funny thing to say.’

‘Is it? That’s strange. My acquaintances always say I’m a boring person.’

‘Even after all this time, you people haven’t changed. So arrogant. As if you’re standing above this world…’

The chief continued in a cold voice.

‘Go ahead and try it. That execution you speak of.’

‘Well. Even if you want it, the execution won’t be carried out here.’

‘Why, are you scared now—’

‘Because there are many stories I need to hear from you. After obtaining all the information through interrogation, I will personally finish the execution that I couldn’t complete back then.’

‘……’

The situation was resolved in an instant.

It was so fast that even I, who was watching, was taken aback.

‘Still, it’s good that they’re not on friendly terms…’

When I was running simulations, there was a possibility that the two of them would team up and try to take me down, so this situation itself wasn’t too bad.

But……

‘Annihilate them! You can kill all except the leader!’

‘Nia Lapdonia!’

What is this now?

[Everyone, scatter and go down to the village!]

As soon as the all-out attack order was given, the monsters began to scatter and flee.

***

‘Commander! The monsters are escaping!’

‘Pursue and annihilate them! Be sure to capture the leader. If necessary, you may kill him!’

No, is it right to chase after them?

I suddenly had that question, but it wasn’t something I could stop with my power.

And there was no reason to stop them either.

‘Everyone, don’t stray from my side!’

Forming a moving formation with the 4th squad members, I hurriedly joined the pursuit.

Of course, I was only pretending to chase, not following with all my might.

Because this is suspicious no matter who looks at it, right?

‘…Yandel, there’s a possibility it’s a trap.’

‘I know. They’re definitely trying to lure us.’

And Jerome wouldn’t be unaware of that either.

However, he must have judged that he couldn’t let them go like this.

He must have had the confidence that he could overcome it with force, even if there was a trap.

So, then…

‘What are you going to do?’

To Amelia’s question, I answered without hesitation.

‘We’ll break away from the main force as naturally as possible.’

A very clear course of action.

Perhaps because she didn’t understand it well, an answer came back after a few seconds.

‘……What are you talking about? Break away?’

‘It’s as I said. We’ll naturally break away and fall behind while pursuing.’

‘And then?’

‘We’ll leave this island. While pursuing the enemy, very coincidentally and unintentionally.’

‘Do you… really think that’s possible?’

The subject was omitted, but I knew immediately that she wasn’t asking about the success of the plan.

She was asking if I could handle the aftermath of desertion.

But what can I do about that?

‘……It’s too unsettling to follow them like this.’

Before I could even get rid of Jerome, Erwen’s hair was already cut short.

Moreover, the chief even appeared, and there were signs that something big was about to happen.

But they want me to calmly watch the situation here?

‘Yeah, this is right.’

I shook off my last bit of anxiety and made up my mind.

Because it’s an action that the original me would never have taken. Just by doing this, the cause and effect might be greatly twisted, and I might be able to avoid the scene that Parav saw that day.

Therefore…

‘It’s the chief! The chief! The chief went that way!! 4th squad, follow me!’

At the right timing, I led the 4th squad and broke away from the pursuit.

‘Huh? I clearly saw him going that way—’

‘Don’t you trust me! Follow me!!’

The 4th squad members, who had no idea about my plan, looked like they were wondering if this was okay, but thankfully, they followed my stubbornness.

Tadadadat-

The distance from the main force was rapidly increasing.

‘Huh? The Baron is going that way…’

‘But wasn’t there nothing over there?’

‘But he said he saw something…’

The 3rd squad nearby just looked at us with expressions that seemed to say, ‘What should we do about this?’ but didn’t come to stop us.

Well, who would imagine that I would lead my squad to desert at this timing—.

‘That guy went that way? Turn the entire army around!’

…Huh?

‘The entire army will follow Baron Yandel!’

What is this?

Why are they following me?

The moment I thought I had successfully broken away from the main force, the main force changed direction and headed towards me.

Thanks to that, I ended up being at the very front.

‘Yandel, what are you going to do?’

‘Just act natural for now.’

‘……Okay.’

Even if I changed direction again here, the main force would still follow me.

As I was seriously pondering why this had happened, Jerome, who was moving with the 1st squad, caught up to my side in an instant.

‘Baron! I followed your judgment for now, but did you really see it correctly?’

It was a dead end.

‘Uh……’

What should I say here?

As I was worrying about that and running forward pretending not to hear, it happened.

‘Chief, he was clearly heading in that direction—’

‘Commander! It’s him! The one we missed is over there!’

For some reason, the chief was at the end of the direction I was going.

‘Could it be… that what we were following was a decoy?’

‘……’

‘Ha…! If it weren’t for Baron Yandel, we might have missed him! I will never forget this merit.’

‘……Yeah. Thanks.’

I don’t know if I should be glad that I don’t have to make excuses.

Or if I should say that I’ve completely messed up.

I don’t know, but soon the chief stopped in front of a tree and went into a gap under it.

‘There’s a path leading down!’

It seems that’s another entrance to the village…

‘Count Saintred, what are you going to do? There’s a high possibility that they’ve set a trap beyond there.’

‘I know, but we can’t let him go here.’

Sigh, yeah… so you’re really going down.

Well, it’s fine. If I send them down here, I might see another chance to escape—.

‘So, Baron Yandel.’

‘……?’

‘Could you perhaps take the lead?’

‘……You don’t know what’s down there?’

‘That’s why we need the Baron’s strength even more. The Baron can hold out alone even against a 1st-class monster, right? If you hold out for a bit, our army will quickly enter and help the Baron.’

Certainly, Jerome’s words made sense.

I was the most durable person among the entire exploration force.

It’s natural for a commander leading an army to send me to the most dangerous place first.

But……

Thump-!

For some reason, my heart pounded low as soon as I heard that proposal.

At the same time, my vision, which had narrowed due to the chaotic situation, cleared, and I could finally see Jerome’s face clearly.

An expression of a soldier, no different from usual.

Thump-!

But why?

Suddenly, a few scenes I had seen today were combined in my mind.

If you look at them one by one, they’re all trivial things, but…

‘I should check it out.’

I looked Jerome straight in the eye and spoke.

‘Okay. I’ll take the lead.’

‘Oh, that’s great! If the Baron had refused, I would have been worried about who to send—’

‘But before that, let me confirm one thing.’

When I interrupted and added a condition, Jerome closed his mouth for a moment and stared at me.

He seemed to be saying, ‘I don’t know what it is, but go ahead and say it.’

So, I just stated my request without hesitation.

‘I heard that among the supplies you brought, there’s also a ‘Distorted Trust’ [a magical item that forces truth]. Is that right?’

‘…Is that so?’

‘If you let me use that to confirm a few things, I’ll go ahead and enter right away.’

‘I don’t know what you want to confirm, but does it have to be now? The guy who escaped down there might be plotting something—’

‘Then that’s the end. I won’t take the lead.’

‘Even if I order you with my authority as commander?’

I answered by shrugging my shoulders once, and didn’t say anything else.

‘……’

‘……’

That’s how a moment of silence continued.

‘……The atmosphere between those two seems a bit strange, it’s not just me, right?’

‘Pnellin, Carlstein, Tersia. Prepare yourselves.’

‘P-Prepare ourselves for what?’

‘Just do it if they tell you to.’

A heavy silence that everyone watching us felt at once.

In that silence, he finally made a choice.

‘Okay. Sir Evost! Bring the Distorted Trust! It seems the Baron wants to confirm something, whatever it is!’

As soon as the approval was given, the vice-commander quickly brought the item, and I quickly took it and activated it immediately.

Click-

Okay, with this, all preparations are complete.

Now, no one within a 10-meter radius can lie.

So, then…

‘Is your name Jerome Saintred?’

‘It is.’

After throwing a light test question first, I got to the main point.

‘I’m going to ask you a question now, and from now on, you just have to answer ‘no’ to what I ask.’

‘That’s easy. Go ahead.’

Looking at his eyes, which showed no sign of wavering, I slowly spoke.

‘Not today.’

‘……’

‘No, to be exact, except for when we met a little while ago.’

‘……’

‘Have you ever met that monster who claimed to be Cornelius Bruengrid?’

The answer I had asked for was ‘no.’

But no matter how much time passed, the answer I had desperately waited for did not come back.

Swoosh.

Just as I was gently raising my shield and hammer while facing him, the long silence was broken, and his deep voice echoed.

Very quietly.

‘How did you know?’

……Damn it.

It’s not the first time he’s met the chief today.