Surviving The Game As A Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 655

Pomade-styled, platinum blonde hair neatly swept back.

Flawless skin and cold eyes.

Just looking at him, you’d get the impression of a handsome nobleman, but…

“Oof!”

Those frivolous gestures, way of speaking, and expressions give off a somewhat quirky and nonchalant vibe.

“Why? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Lee Baek-ho, who had entered the carriage through the now-open window, sat across from me and spoke shamelessly.

“You seem quite surprised today?”

The guy’s mouth was grinning, but his eyes weren’t.

“Like someone caught doing something shady behind the scenes.”

Lee Baek-ho, with a sharp gaze, spoke words that cut to the bone.

Well, he wasn’t exactly wrong.

Honestly, the moment I saw him, I felt like I’d been caught gossiping.

But I wasn’t about to panic and freeze up.

‘…The coachman doesn’t seem to hear anything.’

After quickly checking the coachman, who was still focused on driving, I asked back in a casual tone.

“Then, shouldn’t you be surprised? Suddenly appearing and coming in through the window.”

“Hmm, it doesn’t seem to be just that….”

“It’s not just that. How skinny are you? Eat well and exercise. How does a guy get through such a narrow window?”

“……It’s not that I’m skinny, it’s that you’re abnormally big.”

“Hey, don’t talk back.”

Instead of asking how he got here or what he came for, I led the conversation as if I were scolding him, and Lee Baek-ho made an embarrassed face.

And…

“…….”

An awkward silence followed for a moment.

We’re not supposed to meet and have this kind of conversation.

Because our last encounter was the worst.

[…So you were going to use my stone on me?]

[Yes. Because you couldn’t cut it off first. I was just trying to help a little. After all, when we go back home, all those relationships will be unnecessary, right?]

The day Ghost Busters shut down.

Lee Baek-ho, whose behind-the-scenes scheming was exposed, didn’t even apologize. Instead, he spat out harsh words at me, and I made a vow.

That the day we meet again, I would make sure to grant this bastard’s wish.

“So, did you come looking for me because you wanted to leave? From this shitty world you talked about.”

“Hey, hyung… are you still sulking about that?”

That’s the biggest reason I don’t want to get involved with this guy.

Is he like a sociopath or something?

It’s hard for me to understand how he can talk like that as if nothing happened.

But…

‘Not yet.’

It’s not yet time to punch him in the face.

Of course, I’m not confident I can win even in my current state.

Or rather, I’m not confident I can win?

This cunning guy will always back out if the situation becomes unfavorable, and then there’s a high chance that my surroundings will be in danger—.

“Just because! I just came to see. It seemed like you were doing something shady behind the scenes!”

I chuckled, looking at the guy who was speaking so nonchalantly.

“Doesn’t that sound a bit funny?”

“Huh? What is?”

“It’s not me, it’s you, isn’t it?”

“……?”

“The one who was always doing shady things behind the scenes.”

Inside the narrow carriage, facing each other.

I stared at him, revealing a subtle murderous intent.

But, was this attitude refreshing for him?

“…Interesting.”

With those short words, Lee Baek-ho also shut his mouth and stared at me.

A tense atmosphere, as if a fight would break out the moment someone drew a sword.

“So, why did you save the marquis?”

In that atmosphere, Lee Baek-ho asked in a cold voice.

Like before, this question confirmed something for me.

‘This bastard was the one who tried to assassinate the marquis.’

However, there’s no way this bastard can use magic, so the one who used that magic must have been the ‘Doom Scholar’.

They’ve always been like a pair since some time ago.

‘No wonder I felt like I was going to die…….’

Still, one thing is a relief.

Yeah, there’s no way a mage of that caliber is common.

“What are you thinking so hard about? Why, is there a reason why it’s hard to say?”

“Hey, don’t rush me. Do I have to answer just because you ask?”

“That’s not it, but I’m curious. You used to tell me to kill the marquis, but now you’re throwing yourself to protect him?”

“That’s what I want to say. You said you couldn’t do it when I asked you to kill him, but why are you doing it now? To a guy who’ll just come back to life in the royal palace anyway?”

When I asked back, Lee Baek-ho fell silent.

He really was a selfish bastard.

“…Just know that there was a good reason.”

“Then just know that I also had a good reason.”

A reply that showed his determination not to reveal his hand before I revealed mine.

Lee Baek-ho stared at me for a moment, then sighed and said.

“There’s a possibility that the marquis doesn’t have that revival item anymore. I was just trying to check it out. If he dies, it’s good, and if he comes back to life, there’s something good about that too.”

“Something good about him coming back to life? Didn’t you say there was no limit to the number of times?”

“That’s true. But it seems like it takes some time for him to come back to life. I was trying to use that time well. It’s like his proxy suddenly disappeared, so if things go well, the Calamity King might move.”

“Calamity King……?”

“Yes. The guy who never shows his face at official events, always using the excuse of being sick.”

“Why are you trying to make the Calamity King move?”

“Because he’s hiding too much. But if I can get him to come out and move, wouldn’t he leave even a strand of hair behind?”

He didn’t tell me everything, but it didn’t feel like he was lying.

“Okay, so I told you, now you tell me. Why did you save the marquis? Are you going to side with him now?”

Hmm, so what should I do now?

Should I just say I don’t want to talk?

If it were him, I don’t think I’d feel any guilt even if I ran away with the information…

‘Still, it wouldn’t be good to make him misunderstand… If I think about it calmly, it’s better to use what I can from him.’

Having made my decision, I told him 100% of what happened that day.

Surprisingly, it could be explained in just one line.

“It was… a mistake?”

Saving the marquis that day was a mistake.

***

Of course, Lee Baek-ho didn’t easily believe my words.

“You’re saying you jumped out and took the hit because of a habit? You want me to believe that?”

“Believe it or not, that’s your choice. But… it’s not like I knew about the ambush beforehand. It was a situation I could never have stopped if I had thought about it.”

But, was he convinced by my sincere words?

Or was it because I pointed out something he also thought was strange?

I don’t know, but Lee Baek-ho nodded with a troubled expression.

“Certainly… what you’re saying makes sense….”

“It’s not that it makes sense, it’s what really happened. I regretted it so much after saving him.”

“But… then what about today? You went to the marquis’s house and talked for a long time.”

“Well, it’s because I had to hear his thanks. Oh, and I also got a confirmation that he’d give me the construction project, though I don’t know if it’s a reward.”

It’s only half the truth, but it’s still the truth.

Of course, the marquis’s main point was a proposal to win me over, and the condition was none other than ‘assassinating Lee Baek-ho’.

He didn’t open up 100% honestly either, did he?

“……Is that really all?”

“Isn’t that the most meaningless question?”

“That’s right. I misspoke.”

Lee Baek-ho then looked at me for a while, as if he was going to make his own judgment.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know. Everyone else is easy, but why are you so difficult?”

Actually, I feel the same way.

Even though he’s saying that in front of me, I don’t really know.

I don’t even know if what he’s saying now is an act or not.

“……So, since we’ve met, tell me. What the hell are you up to these days?”

“Your tone suddenly became friendly? You were about to beat me to death earlier.”

“Do you really want me to beat you to death?”

“That’s not it… I just think you and I are very similar.”

“What kind of new bullshit is that?”

“Isn’t it true? Emotions are just momentary, but in the end, you think rationally and act for your own benefit.”

“…….”

“Ah, it seems like you’re sometimes controlled by your emotions, though.”

His words, which sounded like he was analyzing me, were very annoying, but I didn’t have anything to say in response.

In fact, I was much more eager to talk to him and get information than to beat him up and kick him out right now.

“I know your intentions, but since I’ve done something wrong to you, I’ll answer a few questions. It’s not like you’re really curious about my recent activities anyway. What are you most curious about?”

Still, it became much easier since Lee Baek-ho was cooperating.

However, there was another concern.

Questions, questions, questions…

Since he said a few, I should only ask the really important things, but what should I ask?

After a brief moment of contemplation, I chose my first question.

“So, did you meet Auriel Gavis?”

The last thing I knew about him was that he went outside the city walls to meet ‘Auriel Gavis’.

So, did he achieve his goal?

“Haha, that old man… how should I put this—”

“Answer with a yes or no.”

“Yes. I met him.”

So, he achieved his goal.

I felt a strange sense of unease, but I added another question.

“In real life, not in the community?”

“I met him in real life. You met him at the Round Table, didn’t you?”

“Did that old man say that?”

“Well… let’s just say that…? It’s not important.”

Hmm, judging by how vaguely he’s talking, it doesn’t seem like he heard it directly.

Then…

‘The Black Mask was Hyun-byul, and the wolf was almost certainly sent by Auriel Gavis…’

Was the butterfly mask a spy planted by Lee Baek-ho?

It’s too early to say for sure, but the community isn’t that important now, so I’ll pass on that for now.

“What have you been doing since you went outside the city walls?”

This time, I asked a comprehensive question instead of one that could be answered with a yes or no.

He said it wasn’t like he was really curious about my recent activities, but I am curious.

About his recent activities.

“I’ve just been busy with this and that. I’ve traveled around the outside world, lived in the Noark kids’ camp, and even went to the labyrinth through the portal that goes up to the 7th floor… Oh, I’ve also made a new companion. By chance.”

Even though he answered vaguely, I could feel it.

The long stories hidden in those words of being busy.

While I was exploring the first basement level, he was also diligently continuing his own journey.

“…A new companion?”

“This one’s still a secret, so I can’t tell you. But… if I only say this, I’ll seem like too much of a jerk… I’ll take this question off the list. Okay, so this is the last question, so do your best.”

“You said a few earlier?”

“Yes. It is a few, isn’t it?”

Hmm… that’s not wrong either.

Since it was a bonus question anyway, I let go of my attachment and asked my last question.

“What is the goal of the Noark guys?”

It’s a question that everyone in this city is curious about, and even the second-in-command of the kingdom, the marquis, didn’t know the answer properly.

So, does Lee Baek-ho know the answer to this question?

The answer was soon to be heard directly.

“To survive.”

“……What?”

“Isn’t everyone’s purpose in life the same? Everyone’s working hard to live well and long.”

It was an answer given in a playful tone, but I could sense the truth hidden within it.

“Unlike the rumors, people can’t live outside the city walls.”

“Yes. To put it simply, that’s it.”

What kind of place is outside the city walls?

I wanted to ask more about it, but unfortunately, I had no more questions left.

“Hmm… it seems like I only gave you a brief answer for the last question, so I’ll give you a little service.”

…Service?