Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 722

Time Limit (2)

Someone I know…

Actually, that might be a bit of a stretch.

I only saw him once, when I was attacking the ‘Rift’ on the first basement floor.

And that was in a ‘copied’ form.

[Ah, since some of you are meeting me for the first time, I should introduce myself. I am Ravigion Commelby Lapdonia.]

The Founding King of Lapdonia, whom I met in the Rift.

A wise and tyrannical ruler, called the ‘Immortal King’ by his people, who reigned over this city for thousands of years.

We were very surprised when we saw him in the Rift back then.

Not only was it hard to believe that we had met such a historical figure…

‘In Lapdonia, the king always appears wearing a mask…’

In the royal palace, the heart of the nation, and in the pamphlets distributed for propaganda, the king always appears wearing a mask.

There were many reasons given, such as security and preventing assassinations, but the real reason is unknown.

The only certainty is that the kings of Lapdonia always covered their faces with a ‘mask’ when appearing in official settings, as if it were a tradition.

“Why? Am I younger than you expected?”

At the Founding King’s words, I quickly regained my senses and chose an answer.

“…Yes, I suppose so.”

It was a snap decision; there was no need to mention the ‘Immortal King’ I had seen in the Rift.

I felt like I would be stirring up trouble for no reason if I brought it up.

“Haha! Even so, my voice doesn’t sound like a wrinkled old man, does it?”

Fortunately, the Founding King didn’t press the issue when I agreed and moved on. He just laughed like a man in his forties who had been told he looked young.

And…

“Then… before we go there, let’s get some fresh air for a bit.”

“As you wish.”

Soon, a knight began to guide us after hearing the Founding King’s words, and I followed behind him with the Founding King.

Step, step…

As we walked slowly, a path leading to the garden appeared, and I saw the sky for the first time in a long time.

‘How long has it been?’

I’ve been trapped in my room for days, so I haven’t even seen the sky.

Ah, of course, the sky was cloudy as usual.

“How long do you think I have left to live?”

A random question at a random time.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“I’m just saying what I mean. Is it strange to talk about this? Even the Immortal King didn’t achieve eternity after all.”

Well, if you put it that way, there’s nothing to say.

He lived a life close to immortality, but in the end, he was a mortal who couldn’t achieve eternal life.

“…Well, you still seem to be in good health, unlike the rumors I’ve heard.”

“Rumors, huh…”

A reaction came back to my words, which I had thrown out without much expectation.

The Founding King then asked me a question in a subtle tone.

“Aren’t you curious? Why I’m cooped up in the palace without even going outside.”

Nodding here would be a rookie mistake.

“I am curious… but it’s not like I absolutely have to find out.”

“Why? I’m the king of a country, you know?”

“Well, it’s none of my business, is it?”

“…What?”

The Founding King laughed heartily as if he had heard something unexpected, and I just stood there awkwardly.

I felt sorry for him, who was genuinely amused, but of course, those weren’t my true feelings.

From the start, it wasn’t like I didn’t think it was my business.

‘There must be a reason why he’s doing this…’

I, too, was dying to know the hidden reason.

‘I’m curious.’

Just as I was thinking that.

Flash-!

For a moment, the whole world flickered.

And…

Kukukung-!

Only after a few seconds, when I heard the sound of thunder, did I realize exactly what was happening.

“…Huh?”

Lightning had struck.

And it struck right where we were standing.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?”

Of course, no one was hurt by the lightning strike.

Because a semi-transparent shield had been erected around the Founding King at some point.

“There’s no need to worry. Tsk, how long has it been since I came outside, and it’s already starting.”

But I couldn’t help but tilt my head at the Founding King’s grumbling.

There was something off about what he was saying.

‘Suddenly, lightning struck out of the blue, and he’s acting like it’s nothing…?’

Well, thanks to the shield, no one was hurt.

But still, even so?

“Is this… something that happens often?”

When I cautiously asked, the Founding King laughed heartily and said jokingly.

“Well, it seems even the sky is eager to kill me.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. It’ll be quiet for a while now.”

Hmm… now that he says that, I’m even more curious.

Could it be related to what he said last time about ‘sleeping a lot’?

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

After walking through the garden for a while, we arrived at an open space with a table and chairs.

Even if I looked closely, it was just a place that seemed perfect for a picnic, with no other special features.

“Is this the place you were talking about earlier?”

“What? Haha! Of course not. You were thinking that while following me here?”

“……”

“Anyway, so much time has passed, but this place is still the same. Maybe eternity is what they mean when they talk about this place.”

“It seems like a place with many memories?”

“…Well, yes. Many things happened here. Since we’re here, let’s rest for a bit.”

“Yes…”

I answered and sat down on the grass.

The first reason was that I was worried that the chair with the king’s memories might be damaged if I sat on it, and the second reason was that my eye level was the same when I sat like this.

“……”

“……”

Even though we had settled down, the Founding King was just staring into the distance as if lost in thought, and a silent time continued without any conversation.

For about five minutes.

“The one who started this war is the Chancellor.”

“…Yes?”

“Is it that surprising that he pretended to be hostile to the Noahrc people in front of us, but behind the scenes, he was plotting to take over this country by joining hands with them?”

No, how could I not be surprised?

He just suddenly dropped such a story without any build-up.

Please, at least give me a heads-up.

“Hmm, were you really not expecting it? The intelligence department thought you were secretly predicting it.”

“Well… to be honest, it’s not like I didn’t consider it at all… but it’s more like I didn’t rule out the possibility rather than predicting it.”

“It’s so strange to see you speak so logically with that body. What kind of person were you originally?”

“…I was just an ordinary office worker.”

“Oh, a guy like you was a slave? The rulers of your world must be blind?”

“Well… an office worker isn’t a slave…”

“Hmm? I was told that you were a slave?”

It seems that the modern person who explained the job of ‘office worker’ to the Founding King was a very pessimistic person.

Well, that’s not the important thing.

“Um… but do you happen to know why the Chancellor did such a thing?”

“There is nothing in this world that I do not know.”

…Should I add +7 to his self-love stat?

I suddenly had that thought, but thinking about it again, it was more likely that he was just unlucky rather than having self-love.

Because it really seemed like he didn’t know anything.

“So… why is that? It’s not like the Chancellor suddenly went crazy.”

“Do you have any guesses?”

“I really don’t know. From the start, even after the Noahrc guys popped out of the Chancellor’s house, I didn’t think the Chancellor was really behind it.”

“Why was that?”

“I couldn’t think of a motive. If I had to pick one, it would be that he was greedy for power… but even that was a bit ambiguous. The Chancellor I saw wasn’t someone who would be that greedy.”

“Haha! That’s right. Even I think the Chancellor is timid and easygoing. But…”

The Founding King, who had been speaking in a playful tone, continued in a serious tone.

“Sometimes, people have something they can’t give up no matter what. Even if they have to throw away the whole world.”

A word that somehow deeply resonated in my heart.

The first thing that came to mind was the mirror.

Beyond that mirror was me, and further away were my companions, who had become so precious to me.

That’s why I became even more curious.

What exactly was in the mirror of the Marquis?

“…What was it for the Marquis?”

I asked, swallowing hard because I felt nervous for some reason, but the answer I got was more than disappointing.

“Well… hehe, as I said before, it would be better to hear that story from him.”

Ugh.

I couldn’t help but curse inside…

But still, it’s not like I didn’t gain anything…

“Then… it seems that ‘a fox riding on a tiger’s back’ was indeed referring to the Chancellor?”

When I asked as if I was subtly confirming, a positive answer came back.

“Of course? Do you think there’s another fox in this country besides the Chancellor?”

“Well, I don’t know? To be honest, we’re a bit awkward with each other.”

“Awkward with each other… hahaha! This guy is really interesting, isn’t he?”

Even while saying that, the Founding King didn’t remove the smile from his face.

What’s so funny about this conversation?

Is it because it’s been too long since he’s had a conversation with someone?

‘Well… the atmosphere doesn’t seem bad, does it?’

I don’t know for sure, but it seems like it would be okay to continue the conversation like this.

That’s what I was thinking when.

“Then let’s talk about the main topic when we get there.”

“This time, will I be able to see ‘that’ you mentioned earlier?”

“Yes.”

After that, the Founding King gave a signal, and the knight walked ahead as if guiding us, and we followed behind him towards the Founding Palace.

‘If we were going to come back, why did we even go out?’

Moreover, we didn’t go to another part of the Founding Palace, but back to the audience chamber where he had been cooped up.

And we took the same elevator we used when we first came here and went straight down to the lower floor again.

Ding-!

When the elevator doors opened, I saw a super-giant test tube similar to the ones I had seen in the Pantellion Laboratory.

Well, I wondered what he was going to show me.

‘…So, this was it.’

I wondered why he had hidden it so much, but I didn’t say anything this time either. Judging from the fact that he brought me here, there was a high possibility that he would explain what it was without me having to ask.

“So… what is this?”

“A life support device.”

“…Yes?”

“Even if someone’s life is already over, if they go inside here, they can escape the eyes of the world and prolong their life.”

“…I see.”

“Ah, by the way, this is also the secret to how the Immortal King was able to live a life close to eternal life. In the past, it was possible to extend one’s lifespan using this device. But it was lost forever because he left without saying anything.”

“……”

“You know what? Actually, I never thought the day would come when I would use this device. The moment I sat on that throne, which seemed like it would never change its owner, I made this decision. I would be different from him. I would live as a human and die as a human.”

“…So, you don’t mean that now.”

“Didn’t you see it earlier? The lightning striking as if it was a judgment. My lifespan has already ended a long time ago, and this world is going crazy trying to eliminate me for going against the natural order.”

“So, you’ve been hiding inside there all this time and couldn’t come outside?”

“If I had to explain it, that’s how it is. Why? Does it look pathetic?”

“Well, not really. It’s just like a cliché, I guess?”

“Cliché?”

“Yes. There’s no one in this world who wants to die, is there? Even people who make extreme choices want to live deep down. It’s just that they make those choices because they can’t live as well as they imagined.”

“Interesting. Keep going.”

“Even if you say that, I don’t really have anything more to say. I just thought that someone who has everything would want to live even more.”

In reality, even those who had reached the end of power on Earth sought eternal life in the end, and I didn’t think it was pathetic.

As a creature born to live, why should I be criticized for struggling to live?

Well, the inhumane incidents that occurred in the process would deserve to be criticized a hundred times over.

“Rather, I think that desire itself is more human than anyone else’s.”

“…Fascinating. Especially the fact that you’re not saying that to flatter me.”

“Then, are you going to withdraw your decision to imprison me for a week?”

“Well, that will depend on your answer later.”

“Then, tell me clearly. We’re all people whose days are precious, aren’t we?”

The Founding King looked at me for a moment, amused and intrigued by how comfortable I was becoming with my words.

But fortunately, he didn’t seem to dislike my bold attitude, and soon his lips curled up again.

“It’s been a long time. Someone I want to meet and talk to again has appeared, and that person is none other than you.”

“Uh…”

It sounds like a compliment…

‘……Why does his gaze seem so lecherous?’

Whether I got goosebumps on my back or not, the Founding King continued without caring.

“From now on, you are free to leave the palace and act as you please. Whether you save those who should die or kill those who should live, you can do as you please.”

Of course, it couldn’t be free.

“Instead, what do I have to do?”

I asked about the conditions before signing the contract, and the Founding King answered in just one word.

“Kill the Chancellor.”

Perhaps because I had heard various stories earlier, the condition itself wasn’t surprising.

I just nodded as if saying, ‘Well, that’s what I expected.’

‘He’s making me do something he could do himself…’

I bet there’s some dirty scheme hidden behind it.