Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 646

I had known for a while that Hyun-byul suspected my identity.

In the first place, she had openly asked Baek-ho about it when I wasn’t around.

[He keeps asking if the older brother is really Bjorn Yandel, you know?]

Later, when I pressed her, Hyun-byul’s reasons were mainly these three:

[…I know exactly when you came here, oppa.]

Timing.

[Among the explorers who came at that time, no one has grown as much as Bjorn Yandel.]

Growth rate.

[…Oppa, you used to talk to me a lot about games. Saying that the shield-baba is the best and stuff.]

Shield-baba [a character or item from a game they both know].

Many circumstances pointed to my identity as Bjorn Yandel.

But still, it didn’t make sense.

“Why aren’t you answering, oppa?”

To approach ‘Bjorn Yandel’ directly like that would be impossible without a strong conviction.

How could Hyun-byul be so sure?

“What, are you looking me up and down again, planning to run away?”

Or is she just testing me?

I had that thought, but considering Hyun-byul’s personality, that was unlikely.

‘Ugh, I can’t just attack her saying that evil spirits need their heads smashed…’

As I was stuck in this awkward situation, unable to do anything.

“You’ve been given enough clues, there’s no way you still don’t know who I am… Is it that hard to take off your mask in front of me?”

I made a decision.

Frankly, it’s not like there are only one or two people who know that Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit.

And it’s not like Hyun-byul is someone I can’t trust.

Thud.

I took a step closer to Hyun-byul, making sure not to make a sound, and then.

“How the hell did you figure it out?”

As I asked, taking off the invisible mask I had been wearing, Hyun-byul chuckled and shrugged.

“Actually, I wasn’t even sure until the very end.”

“…What?”

She did something that dangerous?

If she had investigated me, she would have known about the secret security officer who was taken away after trying to test me, right?

“Don’t look at me like I’m pathetic. I still wore a mask and prepared myself.”

“Ah, right, what was that mask anyway?”

“Didn’t you already figure it out?”

“Are you really Black?”

“Yes, I am.”

It was a truly shocking truth.

Leaving aside how she got into the Round Table, why didn’t I know about it until now?

“Anyway, I thought you would react in some way if I wore this mask. And you did.”

“…I reacted?”

“Yes. You were the same as always. When you’re surprised, you close your eyes for a moment.”

“Oh…”

Did I have that habit?

I don’t know, but I should be careful in the future.

“Anyway, that reaction gave me a little more courage. Otherwise, I might have just turned around and ran away.”

“…No, why would you go that far?”

“Then why did you do that, oppa?”

“What did I do?”

“You were so scary when you interrogated me back then. Asking who I was working under. You looked like you were going to kill someone.”

Oh….

That’s true.

But that was because I was worried that I might have made her go down the wrong path…

“Well, it’s not like I hated it…”

Hyun-byul looked up at me and said firmly.

“But you were the one who crossed the line first.”

“……”

With her saying that, I had nothing to say.

No matter the reason, it’s a bit funny to be angry that the other person tried to find out my identity when I was the one who forced her to reveal hers.

“Haa…”

So, instead of blaming Hyun-byul, I decided to do something more productive.

Yes, for example.

“So, how did you get into the Round Table? Did you get help from the GM?”

“Yes. I thought it would help me figure out your identity, so I found a way and asked them to let me join.”

“Then what about the information from the Round Table? Did you hear that from the GM too?”

“No. I found out all of that myself.”

I recalled the information that the Black Mask had revealed in the Round Table.

The two most impactful pieces were:

[Besides opening the gate of the abyss, another way to return to Earth is through dimensional magic.]

[The reason Auril Gavis was able to cross over to Earth was because he used this method.]

Ah, now that I think about it, there was also this…

[Bjorn Yandel and… Misha Kalstein… were they really dating as the rumors say?]

That wasn’t revealing information, but a question she asked me at the end, so let’s skip that for now.

‘…She was almost certain even back then.’

Anyway, how could Hyun-byul, who wasn’t even an explorer, get her hands on such high-level information?

“I told you before. Countess Peprock trusts me a lot. I’ve had many opportunities to get various information while helping her with all the general work.”

“…I see.”

It’s hard to believe that she could get such information just by gaining some trust, but Hyun-byul is so good at her job that she must have done well on her own.

So, I just nodded and accepted it.

“Oppa.”

Suddenly, Hyun-byul declared to me in a serious voice.

“I’m different from those thugs like Baek-ho.”

It was a bit out of the blue, but I immediately understood what she was trying to say from the explanation that followed.

“I have no intention of relying on you like he does. So, don’t cause any trouble and just stay put.”

Hyun-byul looked at me and said powerfully.

“I’ll find a way to take you back no matter what.”

It was a reassuring thing to hear.

But…

‘I don’t really want to go back…?’

How should I say this…?

***

To cut a long story short, I couldn’t say it.

That I didn’t want to go back to reality now, unlike in the beginning.

I was sure that if I said it, it would cause trouble.

‘…Let’s tell her later, later.’

Even if I postpone it a little, nothing will change anyway.

Whether I go back or not, Hyun-byul is in a position where she has to find a way to go back.

“But what about the marriage proposal? I was waiting to meet you, so I don’t know what happened inside.”

“Ah… about that…?”

How should I explain this?

My head started to hurt, so I just told her the result.

“I rejected the marriage proposal.”

“Oh… really?”

“Get the details from her later. It seems like she tells you everything.”

“True… these days, I’m more of a friend than a confidant, I guess?”

Hyun-byul said that if we talked here for too long, we would be noticed, so she sped up the conversation.

“First, take this.”

“…What is this?”

“If we’re seen meeting privately, it won’t be good for either of us, right?”

“…So what is this?”

“It’ll be faster if you just look.”

Hyun-byul tore a piece of paper in half, gave one half to me, and wrote something on the other half with a pen.

Then…

[Got it?]

The writing on her paper appeared on my paper as well.

“I think I saw something similar in an old fantasy movie…”

“People’s ideas are all the same. Anyway, this will only disappear after a day, so it’s inconvenient for long conversations.”

“Then we can use it to communicate the time and place to meet when we have something to say to each other.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I was curious about the name of this magical tool that I was seeing for the first time, so I asked, and Hyun-byul scratched her cheek.

“Love Paper.”

“…What?”

“No, that’s really its name, what can I do? I heard that a magician made it to use when he was dating.”

“…Is that so?”

Anyway, Love Paper…

If you translate it directly into 21st-century terms… would it be like a love letter?

“So, is that all you’re giving me?”

“Yes, that’s all. But I have one more thing to say.”

“Hurry up. I’m scared someone will come.”

I urged her, looking around, and Hyun-byul quickly continued without making me wait.

“Don’t get too close to Countess Peprock.”

“…Huh?”

“That woman has a very big secret hidden. Besides being the illegitimate child of the Marquis. It could lead to a very dangerous situation.”

A dangerous situation…

“…Okay, I understand. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Then that’s all for today. I’ll contact you again later.”

After that, Hyun-byul disappeared into the alley first, and I quickly left and headed to the Holy Land.

And a few days later.

“Chief! Something has arrived for the Chief!”

A package arrived in my name.

A suspicious package with no sender written on it.

However, I could easily tell who sent it from the contents of the box.

Black hair and black eyes.

A cheap doll with no particular features, but the legs were painted with black paint.

“Huh…”

I was so dumbfounded that I tried to say something, and I took out the paper I had received from Hyun-byul.

And at the same time.

Swishhhhh-!

On the blank paper, hieroglyphs that the people of Lapdonia could never decipher were written.

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

…I want to die.

***

Several days had passed since the royal conference, but surprisingly, no major repercussions had occurred.

Was it because of the location?

The story about Lagna and my marriage proposal.

And my shocking confession there.

None of it had spread to the city and leaked to the public.

Well, there are no eternal secrets, so the news will slowly spread, and most of the people who need to know will eventually find out.

‘Rather, this side is in chaos…’

Immediately after the royal conference, the policy of closing the labyrinths was implemented and announced throughout the city.

Needless to say, the explorers’ opinions were not good, and some of the more radical ones were arrested and taken away for protesting in the square.

Also, the fear of the Lavigion residents, who belong to the common class, had become incomparable to before, which was evident just by walking down the street.

‘Well, with the Noark invasion, the Vipron incident… and now the labyrinths are being closed, it’s understandable, I guess?’

Even if that wasn’t the case, closing the labyrinths would have a huge impact on the economy.

The value of goods would increase exponentially, and people’s consumption would also shrink significantly.

Well, if you look at the newspapers, the royal family is announcing policies to reduce taxes and new systems to reassure people, but.

I don’t know how effective that will be.

‘…I should just focus on my own work.’

In that sense, I came out of the Holy Land today to meet Melves’s Elder Grandfather. I met him alone and told him everything that happened at the royal conference.

There’s not much I can do with the information, but the other noble families of Melves are in a different situation.

“…Thank you. The information that the Baron has told me today will surely be of great help in overcoming the upcoming chaos. I will never forget this favor and will repay it without fail.”

Royal conference attendee.

I think this is why all the nobles are so desperate for this title.

Just by participating and listening, they can exert influence over ordinary nobles, and this becomes the power of the noble.

Just like this.

“Ah, and as I said earlier, I won’t be getting married.”

“Don’t worry about that. Frankly speaking, we are grateful that you rejected the Marquis’s proposal.”

“Then…?”

“It won’t be right away, but I will make sure that all of Melves can move.”

“Hmm…”

“Don’t worry. First of all, I will make sure that the Yandel Baron family gets this order.”

It’s a little surprising.

Just by attending the royal conference.

I was able to push out the Dwarf Count family, who had been in the construction business for over a thousand years, and take their place.

Anyway, it’ll be easier to bring up the topic now.

“By the way, Elder.”

“What is it?”

“Since you said you’d help our Yandel Baron family get the order… isn’t the current situation more than just chaotic?”

“That’s right, but?”

Seeing the Elder’s reaction as if to say, ‘Hurry up and say it,’ I said bluntly.

“Since we can’t go into the labyrinths anymore and have a lot of time left over anyway.”

It was a law of the world that I learned while studying stock charts when I was working at a company.

“Would you like to make a lot of money with me?”

A crisis can sometimes be an opportunity.