Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 719

At first, I doubted my ears.

Did I really hear that correctly?

I was so stunned that I couldn’t even manage my expression, and then I started to think.

‘How does the Founding King know how to speak Korean?’

I tried hard to figure out the answer to that question, but I was too surprised, and my brain wasn’t working well.

Even if dozens of ninjas had popped out of the ceiling and walls, it wouldn’t have been this bad…

‘Let’s get a grip.’

I somehow managed to focus and concentrate on the current situation.

The first possibility that came to mind was this:

The Founding King is an evil spirit of Korean origin.

Of course, this was just the first thing that crossed my mind, and it was quickly disproven by the Founding King’s next words.

“Why are you so stiff?”

Listening again, his pronunciation was very awkward for a Korean.

It was like the pronunciation a foreigner would have when trying to speak Korean, like someone struggling to find paper towels in a bathroom.

Thanks to that, a second, more plausible hypothesis formed.

The Founding King is neither Korean nor an evil spirit.

He just learned to speak Korean and can use it.

From some ‘someone’ who was dragged into this world while playing a game.

The moment this hypothesis was completed, I also understood the ‘elevator’ to some extent.

No, to be precise…

“Hmm, I thought you’d expect this much.”

I understood how it came to be created in this world.

The Founding King abandoned his awkward Korean pronunciation and spoke in his native tongue.

“It seems you’re more naive than I thought. Come to think of it, it’s only natural. It’s like how you guys say that companies that have achieved rapid technological advancements must have tortured aliens.”

“……”

“We just did the same thing.”

Maybe I was naive, just like he said.

Just because it’s a barbaric world doesn’t mean that everyone in this world has low intelligence.

Just because they’re ‘evil spirits’ from another dimension doesn’t mean they would be executed without question, like burning witches.

That’s not rational at all.

‘There must have been… much more than what’s visible.’

The evil spirits’ community, ‘Ghost Busters.’

Evil spirits aren’t just those who belong to this group.

As you can see from the first sentence of the letter I received:

[This letter is randomly sent to explorers who are presumed to be players.]

These are the ‘minority’ who have survived well in this world and have distinguished themselves in some field, so they were invited to become members of the community.

Like the tip of an iceberg.

There must be far more modern people who have been dragged into this world than I know, and there must have been some with specialized knowledge.

Among them, there would have been those who could make mechanical devices using electricity or steam.

Of course, from their point of view, they couldn’t just make such things and put them out into the world because of the risk of their identities being exposed…

‘It’s different.’

How much knowledge could the royal family have acquired, having captured countless evil spirits over decades using the Secret Police, and how much could they have developed that technology?

I was able to see the result with my own eyes.

Click.

The Founding King, who was sitting on the throne, held something and pressed a button, and a familiar melody began to play.

Although the accompaniment was slightly different from what I knew, it wasn’t difficult to recognize what song it was.

A song by a famous British band that wished for everything to go smoothly.

“……!”

The moment I realized that the song was being played through a ‘speaker’ in the corner of the audience chamber, I froze.

And looking at me like that.

“Why do you have that expression?”

The Founding King asked quietly.

“Like you’ve seen some kind of magic.”

Son of a bitch.

***

My head is throbbing.

That expression was far from enough to describe my current state.

It was like watching video evidence of a loved one cheating.

The belief that it could never happen was betrayed.

‘……No, how can there be science in a fantasy?’

Especially in a world that is the setting of [Dungeon & Stone], which I’ve enjoyed for ten years.

“Judging by your expression, you know the music?”

“……”

“The one who sang and recorded this song was an American. So, the feeling is different from the original… but what can you do? Still, those who have heard it say that it captures the feeling of the original well, so I guess I have to accept it.”

After a moment of silence, I just asked bluntly, as the Founding King had said earlier.

“……What happened to that American?”

There was no point in pretending to be a barbarian in front of this guy anyway. After all, this guy had already figured out that I was an ‘evil spirit’ and even a ‘Korean.’

“Your words have become shorter.”

“Weren’t you the one who said to talk frankly?”

“Hahaha! So, it seems like even your brain has become barbarian?”

“Answer me……”

“Hmm… let’s see, what happened……”

When he trailed off, the guard knight in front of him gave an answer instead.

“The Department of Dimensional Technology reported that there was no remaining valid information on the subject, so it was disposed of immediately.”

“Ah, that’s what happened.”

Listening to his nonchalant mutter, I realized anew.

In other media, including novels and comics.

The modern person summoned to this world is the center, and the natives are nothing more than supporting characters who highlight the modern person.

However, in reality, it was completely different.

The protagonists of this world are those guys.

Compared to them, we are just a small part of a very small world, just one ‘event.’

I realize that painfully today.

“…Was that why you were eliminating evil spirits? To capture them and steal their technology?”

When I asked through gritted teeth, a small, mocking laugh came from behind the silk, along with an answer.

“Of course not. It’s an immutable truth that evil spirits should disappear from this world. We just took incidental gains in the process.”

“……”

“Ah, of course, it’s also because the fox with a tiger on its back was very angry. About the existence of ‘evil spirits.'”

……A fox with a tiger on its back?

I frowned without realizing it at the words that didn’t seem to refer to anyone in particular.

“Oh ho, it seems you don’t know about that story yet?”

“……”

“Then I can’t tell you here. Stories are most enjoyable when you hear them from the person themselves.”

Okay, that means he doesn’t intend to tell me.

Well, judging from the circumstances, it seems like the fox refers to the ‘Prime Minister.’

But that’s not important right now.

Instead of asking about the ‘fox,’ I brought up another topic.

“Is the ‘her’ you mentioned earlier referring to the ‘witch’?”

“Correct.”

“What does it mean to be chosen?”

“Wrong.”

“……?”

“There’s no reason to answer, so it’s wrong, barbarian.”

“Weren’t you the one who said to talk frankly?”

“Isn’t this talking frankly enough? I’m a king of a country, you know.”

“……”

The Founding King was very different from what I had imagined.

I never thought that a king would be so frivolous. Well, is it better than being serious and speaking in a high-handed manner?

‘No, maybe he’s just trying to make his opponent lower their guard, like Baek Ho [a famous Korean trickster].’

Anyway, whatever his tone, he is a ‘king’ in name.

A being with the power to turn everything I have into nothing with a single gesture.

But I know.

That a crisis can sometimes be an opportunity.

‘Maybe……’

Today, I might be able to take a big step closer to the secrets of this world that I’ve been harboring.

[You were chosen by her, right? If I kill you, she’ll be angry, so how could I do that?] If what he said earlier is true, then my safety is guaranteed.

Therefore, I decided to take a more active stance.

“Why have you been hiding under the guise of illness all this time?”

Let’s use this opportunity to keep asking questions.

Even if I don’t get an answer, I won’t lose anything, and if I get even one, it’s a gain.

“Huh? I wasn’t exactly hiding? I just couldn’t go out because I tend to sleep a lot.”

“Sleep……?”

“There’s such a thing.”

The Founding King answered as if it was more of a hassle to answer than a secret, and I didn’t delve into it.

But there was one thing that caught my attention.

Earlier, as soon as he saw me, he said this.

[My subject, Baron Bjorn Yandel.]

Not a baron, but a junior baron.

What if this wasn’t just a memory problem or a slip of the tongue?

What if he really only knew past information because he was ‘sleeping,’ would that be a leap?

‘……Maybe there are some restrictions while he’s awake.’

Even if it’s just a guess, it was valuable and precious information, considering who the subject was.

“Why did you call me here?”

“That’s a strange question. Does a thief who came in through the back door usually say that?”

“But you were the one who eventually called me to the audience chamber.”

“Ah? That’s true too? But honestly, I’m curious. How did you guys end up coming out of there?”

“Is there no other intention besides that?”

“There was one thing I wanted to confirm, but that’s already over.”

“……”

“Then does that mean there’s no more business left?”

“No, that’s not the case.”

“…Then tell me.”

“That’s a little later. It’s like how you eat the most delicious part last when you eat food, right?”

Well, I don’t agree with that, at least.

I always eat the delicious stuff first.

Because there’s no guarantee that the delicious stuff will still be there later.

Anyway, that’s that.

“Are you behind the war that’s happening now?”

“No, I’m just a victim. I wouldn’t say I didn’t know at all, but I definitely didn’t initiate it. Is that an answer?”

“Then who’s behind it?”

“This is also related to the delicious part, so later.”

The Founding King, who had been quickly answering my questions, suddenly cut me off and said firmly.

“Besides, aren’t you asking too many questions? I’ll only answer one more question, so keep that in mind. Ah, of course, I won’t answer questions that are too shameless.”

Okay, the last question……

Judging from what he said later, it seems like he won’t answer any really important information even if I ask.

Then, what would be the best last question?

Among the things that don’t cross the line, which question would be the most reasonable?

Tuk, tuk……

After a short period of thought, I slowly opened my mouth.

“What’s the reason for answering each of my questions?”

The witch, the war, and so on.

Perhaps that question, which might be much more valuable right now than those distant stories, is the one.

“Ah, that?”

The Founding King, who received the question, answered from behind the silk.

In a very nonchalant voice.

“It’s better to persuade than to threaten, right?”

I expected it, but this king was also a screwball.

“So, I’m going to try persuasion first.”

“……”

“Before I say that if you don’t follow my words, I’ll dispose of everyone you know.”

Just because he says it with a smile doesn’t mean it’s not a threat.