Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 633

There’s a superior, A.

It’s a superior who assigned an overwhelming amount of work and then didn’t show their face for over half a year. That superior has returned after a long time, bringing back 8,712 tasks.

What would a subordinate’s heart be like at this moment?

The answer to the above question can be seen through the expression of Shabin Emuer, who is standing in front of me right now.

A trembling hand.

A gaze fixed in place by anger.

And……

‘Murderous intent……?’

How can an ordinary person express such murderous intent?

It’s so incomprehensible that I can’t make heads or tails of it, but……

“I’m… I’m going to quit—.”

Before that word could be completed, I quickly interrupted Shabin.

“Shabin! Calm down for a moment! Our tribe will collapse without you!”

“Wouldn’t it be better for a place to collapse if it’s going to fall apart just because one person is missing?”

Uh……

That’s certainly not wrong, but……

“W-Why are you being like this between us? I’ve been good to you—.”

“So, are you saying I haven’t been good to you?”

“No, that’s not what I mean……”

Originally, a family-like culture is a characteristic of small and medium-sized enterprises.

However, I immediately discarded the method of persuasion through loyalty.

I knew better than anyone what a small and medium-sized enterprise suffering from a labor shortage needed to do to solve it.

What’s needed to hold onto those who are trying to leave, tired of the family-like culture, isn’t moralistic talk.

“Double.”

“Double?”

“Yes, I’ll give you double the salary you’ve been receiving!”

At the news of the drastic salary increase, a slight crack appears in Shabin Emuer’s cold, hardened expression.

“…I, I don’t think my mind will change with just that—!”

It was time to throw in a combo.

“I’m not just talking about the future!”

“……?”

“I’ll also pay you double for the time you suffered alone in the Holy Land while I was gone!”

“……!!!”

A drastic bonus promise that even made a subordinate who had already left perk up.

“……”

She doesn’t answer right away, perhaps feeling awkward, but looking at her expression, she’s completely disarmed.

Therefore, I also didn’t push her any further and waited quietly, giving her time, and Shabin slowly opened her mouth.

“…I’ll do it.”

A small voice like an ant crawling.

“What did you say?”

“…I said I’ll take it! That Chief Administrative Officer position!”

Shabin shouted loudly as if she had made up her mind, then blushed as if embarrassed.

And she added a follow-up as if making an excuse.

“W-Well… I’m also… at the age where I need to prepare for marriage.”

It was a completely unexpected reason.

“Uh……”

……Not at the age to prepare, but isn’t it way past that age?

I know she’s going to be forty in a few years……

It might be different in modern society where first marriages are delayed. But in this social era, it’s still late—.

“I guess so.”

At that moment, Amelia nodded as if agreeing.

“At that age, it’s about time they start thinking about it.”

…I’m glad I didn’t say anything.

***

Chief Administrative Officer, Shabin Emuer.

Her skills, having taken the position of the highest authority in the administrative and office fields today, were real.

“There’s land that I’ve organized to sell next year. It should be able to accommodate this many people. It’ll be a bit cramped, though.”

Shabin, as if the moment she decided to quit was a lie, accommodated 8,712 refugees as if she had prepared for it in advance.

“The roof is a problem, but… we have materials prepared in advance, so it should be quick to install temporarily.”

“Quick? Even so, with that many people. Is it really possible?”

“Of course. You don’t know because you’ve been away for a long time, Bjorn, but… the Barbarians, they’re truly born workers. I’m starting to think they might be more suited for this work than being warriors.”

“……What?”

As the chieftain of the Barbarians, it was a statement that pushed some button, but I had no choice but to accept the results that followed.

As if proving they were warriors worth a hundred men.

“Behel—raaaaaaaaaaa!!”

The warriors lifted huge logs with a single shout and carried them alone.

“There, in the middle! The center pillar needs to be firmly planted for the house to be sturdy! Like our muscles!!”

Moreover, since building their own houses in the Holy Land is a trend, they also possess construction skills.

Well, it’s not comparable to the Dwarves, but.

“There! It’s crooked!”

“It’s annoying, just put it up!”

“Alright!”

Is this the limit of their nature?

The details of the Dwarves, who are recognized by everyone for their smithing and construction skills with their unique craftsmanship, could not be followed.

But……

“It’s fast, right?”

“Indeed……”

When all the Barbarians in the Holy Land rushed in, the speed of the work was beyond insane.

At this rate, it seemed like all the temporary huts to accommodate the refugees would be completed in just a few days.

‘Well, they’re built haphazardly, so they’ll probably collapse in a year……’

Still, thanks to this, I realized one thing.

‘Barbarians are cost-effective……!’

No, it’s not just good, it’s just insane at this level.

Very, very cheap labor.

Yet, physical specs that can handle several people’s work alone.

And most of all……

‘They don’t complain.’

Even if they’re used for cheap labor, they just accept it with a positive mindset.

There was no reason to feel offended by Shabin’s words about them being born workers.

Rather, those words were not enough to describe them.

I can confidently say that the Barbarian warriors were the strongest workers of this era—.

“Yandel.”

Just as I was getting goosebumps from the newly discovered potential, someone called out from behind.

It was a familiar voice.

“…Rotmiler?”

“It’s been a while. I was going to come earlier, but you seemed busy.”

“Why are you in the Holy Land?”

I asked because I was genuinely curious, but Rotmiler just looked at me with a strange expression, as if he had heard something odd, and asked back.

“Yandel, wasn’t it you who asked me to teach the young warriors of the Holy Land exploration skills?”

“Ah……”

That’s right.

I’m such a……

“I’m sorry. I’ve been so busy lately that I forgot for a moment.”

“I understand well enough, so you don’t have to apologize. You’ve been through a lot of big things this time, haven’t you?”

“I’m grateful that you say that, but… anyway, does that mean you’ve been living in the Holy Land since then?”

“Unless I have special business in the city. Teaching my skills to the young warriors is also rewarding, and it suits my aptitude.”

“Oh, really?”

“I’m not just saying it. It’s true. When they come back alive from the labyrinth thanks to the skills I taught them, and when they give me rock bread as a reward, saying that what I taught them was helpful, my heart swells with……”

At that moment, Rotmiler suddenly trailed off, then coughed awkwardly with a slightly embarrassed face.

“Ahem! Anyway, I’m having a good life, so you don’t have to worry.”

“O-Okay……?”

“Ah, and these days, after finishing my work, I have some extra time, so I’m helping with the administrative work.”

“Administrative work……?”

“Miss Emuer is having a hard time. It’s hard to just watch a young friend suffer……”

“Huh? Shabin Emuer is… young……?”

“Didn’t you know? She’s two years younger than me. Ah, of course, age isn’t important, but even though she’s two years younger, she’s a woman who has achieved much more than me……”

Rotmiler said that and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

At that sight, a thunderbolt struck my head.

‘……Could it be that Shabin’s talk about preparing for marriage is related to this?’

That thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t do anything tactless like asking what their relationship was.

They’ll figure it out themselves. They’re not kids.

“Ah, Yandel… do you happen to know what happened to the Vipron region? Everyone is worried, even though they don’t show it.”

“I’ll tell you later when I find out. Right now, I don’t know anything either.”

“I see……”

After that, I chatted with Rotmiler for about 30 minutes, and then Shabin Emuer came looking for me.

“Bjorn-nim……! Oh? Mr. Rotmiler is here too?”

“It’s a pleasure to see you, Miss Emuer. I finished the surveying work you asked for yesterday and was just passing by when I met Yandel and was having a conversation.”

“Oh, really? The surveying is already done?”

“There’s no reason to delay it. I know you’re busy, Miss Emuer.”

“Yes…… Thank you always, Mr. Rotmiler……”

Shabin Emuer covered her mouth and smiled like a young lady at Rotmiler’s words.

‘Tsk, there’s definitely something going on here.’

My instincts as a warrior are telling me, but it’s not something I should get involved in, so I just changed the subject.

“Shabin, so why did you come looking for me?”

“Ah, look at my mind. I received letters this morning. Three of them.”

“Three?”

I took the letters Shabin handed me and checked them, and the senders were all different.

“One is from the royal family, one is from Melbes, and one is……”

I don’t know what it is.

What is this?

While I was pondering, the erudite Shabin Emuer added an explanation.

“That seal signifies a tribal official document. Judging by the timing, the content is likely an invitation to participate in the tribal council.”

“Tribal council……”

Come to think of it, there was such an event.

A gathering where representatives of the six tribes meet for a council.

Actually, I should have gone once a long time ago, but I unintentionally ended up being trapped on the first basement floor for a long time, so I couldn’t attend.

“Was the council held while I was gone?”

“No. I don’t think it was held. I heard that it’s a tradition that the meeting is only formed when everyone attends.”

“…I see.”

With that question resolved, I opened and read the remaining letters one by one.

Coincidentally, all the letters contained official content, and to summarize them briefly, they were like this:

1. An announcement granting the right to attend the royal council.

2. A request to participate in the Melbes regular meeting.

3. A consent form for the tribal council.

Is it because I’m both a tribal chief and a Baron?

Receiving these letters makes me feel like I’ve become a high-ranking politician.

…Strictly speaking, that’s not wrong, but.

“Woooow……”

Shabin, who had checked the senders and the contents of the letters, exclaimed in admiration, then muttered to me in a strange tone.

“Looking at this, you’re definitely a great person, but……”

It sounds like a compliment, but it also has a mocking nuance.

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing. It’s just that it’s amazing to see someone who receives these kinds of letters standing in front of me.”

“…It’s nothing new.”

Feeling somewhat awkward, I focused on the contents of the letters again.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean, what am I going to do?”

“You received letters that feel like invitations from three places. Are you going to go to all of them?”

“I guess I have to. They’re all official matters.”

“Then, where are you going to go first?”

Ah, that.

Unfortunately, that’s not a problem I can decide.

“Hmm, let’s see, the fastest one is……”

I picked up one of the letters.

“This one is the fastest.”

It was an invitation to the regular meeting of the Inter-tribal Noble Alliance, Melbes.

***

Since I’ve returned to the city after a long time, there are so many things to do in the future.

But if I had to pick the one that needs to be resolved first, it would be this.

It wasn’t originally a planned quest, but……

[Earn money by using the refugees living in the Barbarian Holy Land.]

The refugees have all become my vassals.

And under the royal law, it’s impossible for vassals of noble families to earn money by working two jobs.

Well, it might be possible to do it secretly, but……

I have to be careful not to give the royal family any reason to pick a fight, and I can’t have all 8,712 of them working two jobs.

‘I have to generate profits somehow to pay next year’s taxes……’

This is the biggest problem.

If I were a great noble with a business, I could have given them jobs by putting them there, but I’m not like that.

‘What should I do?’

The clue to that problem was surprisingly found at the Melbes regular meeting, which I attended to report my survival.

“Ah, the next agenda item is about the bidding for the reconstruction work in districts 7 and 13. As you all know, the royal family has announced that it will select a total of three noble businesses to take on the reconstruction work.”

“……”

“As there is a huge profit at stake, it is clear that many noble families will participate in the bidding, and we in Melbes also intend to select one family to assist from behind.”

“……”

“Therefore, we intend to participate in the bidding with the Goldbeard Count family, which owns several construction-related businesses, as the main force. If there are no families with objections, we will proceed with a vote of approval—.”

I unfolded my arms, which I had been crossing while dozing off, and stood up from my seat.

“I object!”

Our family must win this.