Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 730

Betrayer (5)

Ricardo Rügenfraha.

Our conversation ended regrettably short.

[Don’t even think about dying peacefully.]

With that taunt, I threw in one more jab, and after that, no matter what I said, he remained silent.

I wondered if he was using the ‘ignore the troll’ tactic, but the more I thought about it, the less likely it seemed.

‘It’s more likely he smashed the radio in anger.’

Yeah, the more I consider it, the more sense that makes.

That trembling voice from before was genuine; he couldn’t have faked it.

Ah, and there’s a basis for this guess too.

After all, what kind of guy is he?

He was once called a ‘Sword Master,’ and now he’s the leader of the infamous terrorist group, the Orculists.

Naturally, he’s that volatile…

‘These types of guys all have the same kind of mindset.’

It’s like the opposite of ‘soft on the outside, tough on the inside’?

Statistically, these big shots aren’t immune to this kind of thing.

Because they rarely encounter someone who talks trash like this.

Ah, of course, except for Baek Ho.

He’s definitely a powerhouse of this era, but he’s from Korea.

‘Is he probably trembling with rage and rushing here by now?’

Of course, that’s just wishful thinking, and I can’t be sure.

Well, that doesn’t mean what I just did was meaningless.

At least I managed to get him to talk to me, right?

That alone should be at least a little helpful in giving Amelia some breathing room—.

Chzzzz-!

Then, suddenly, static filled the radio, followed by a familiar voice.

‘Prime Minister…?’

However, it was in code, so I couldn’t understand it. I quickly gestured for her to translate, and Vivian began translating rapidly.

“…It’s the Prime Minister. He’s telling all the commanders to withdraw from their current positions.”

Well, I guess the radio eavesdropping is over?

I wasn’t particularly disappointed.

It was a predictable step since I started drawing attention.

However, the subsequent rapid radio communication was a bit strange.

[Brett Chi, Saela Sa.]

[Tiri Bi, Saela Sa.]

[Tiri A, Saela Sa.]

“What are they all saying?”

“It’s just a simple procedure. They’re stating their area name and then saying ‘communication end’ …”

“Should we leave too…? I don’t think anything useful will come up from now on… Looking at it, the number of people connected to the network is rapidly decreasing…”

“No, just stay here for now. Just in case.”

Vivian gave me a look that said, ‘Just in case?’, but she followed my request without complaint.

And how much time had passed?

“It’s quiet now.”

“Well, there are only two people connected to the network now.”

So, if we’re excluded, there’s only one person left.

“Give it to me.”

I took the radio back from Vivian.

“Huh? What are you going to do?”

“I think someone will start talking soon.”

“…Do you know who it is?”

Even if the crystal ball wasn’t broken, their network maintains security by automatically disconnecting from the line when an authorized person dies.

And in that situation, one person remained.

What does that mean?

‘It’s obvious who it is.’

Indeed, not long after there were two people, a voice came from the radio.

[Tsk.]

The start was a tongue-clicking sound that made me think a lot.

“Long time no see, Prime Minister. Ah, should I call you the leader of the rebel army now, not the Prime Minister?”

I greeted him before he could even introduce himself, but surprisingly, he responded naturally.

[You were quiet for a while, and as soon as you appear, you’re causing trouble. It’s very like you.]

A conversation as if we were close friends who had talked just a few days ago.

‘Ah, is that not wrong?’

Before I was imprisoned, I had various conversations with the Prime Minister.

Well, that was when he was the Prime Minister of Lafdonia.

“If you’re talking about causing trouble, you have no right to say that, do you?”

[Hmm, I guess that’s true. This time.]

Even though we’re enemies, I can’t help but chuckle.

However, this isn’t the time for trivial small talk.

“Why?”

[You always look for the answer first.]

“Because I don’t enjoy wasting time.”

[You can’t reach the answer that way. The answer is like a treasure hidden deep in a maze, only to be found after wandering for a long time.]

Oh, is it because he’s older than me?

It was a somewhat profound statement.

But…

“What are you talking about? You’ve never even been in a maze in your life.”

That kind of thing sounds cool when an experienced explorer says it.

Like Nara, for example.

[I’ll get straight to the point.]

“Are you trying to persuade me?”

To my question, he neither affirmed nor denied it.

He just immediately listed the conditions like an impatient businessman.

[I will guarantee the unconditional safety of your companions.]

“How can I trust the guy who’s trying to kill us?”

[In fact, I had ordered the entire army to ‘capture’ Bjorn Yandel’s companions as the top priority.]

I gave Vivian a look asking if that was true, and Vivian nodded.

[For some reason, you were always the problem. So, I thought if I captured your companions, I could use them someday.]

Hmm…

It’s not a good sign when the enemy overestimates me…

But thanks to that, I learned one thing.

None of my companions have been captured by the rebels yet.

If they had been captured, they would have threatened me, not tried to persuade me.

[So, what’s your answer?]

At the Marquis’s question, Astarotta’s eyes turned to me.

Not trying to interfere, just watching what choice I would make.

‘Sigh…’

The answer I could give was already decided.

“I refuse.”

[Why?]

The Marquis, like me earlier, immediately asked for the answer.

But I had no intention of rambling like the Marquis.

I’ve been holding back for a long time.

Until the day I could say these words to his face.

“Because I swore it in Ice Rock.”

[…]

“That I would take the head of the bastard who planned this.”

Even though I look like this, I’m actually a bit narrow-minded.

That’s why I’ve never erased a name from my kill list.

[I see… so that’s it.]

After a moment of silence, the Marquis continued in a somewhat relieved voice.

[We were wrong from the very first step.]

A word of resignation, neither an excuse nor self-justification.

I could even feel a small sense of regret in his voice, and for some reason, I felt annoyed.

If it was going to end up like this.

Clench.

I wish he hadn’t done it.

“As you know, you were the one who took the first step.”

I couldn’t help but speak in a somewhat aggressive tone, but the Marquis didn’t react much.

No, he even chuckled.

[Heh, it’s nothing new. My life has been like a tangled thread that gets more tangled the more I try to unravel it.]

Is he reflecting on his life now?

Well, if I were fighting against the royal family, I think I would too.

Anyway, there’s no point in talking any further, so I asked one last thing.

“What happened to Ragna Fefrock?”

It might be the most personal question.

But surprisingly, he answered honestly.

[That child is sleeping, unaware of anything. In the safest place in this world. When he wakes up, everything will be settled one way or another.]

“The safest place in this world… I don’t know where it is, but it’s completely different from how you treat your own son?”

[Don’t you know why?]

Well, yeah, I do.

The Marquis’s son is an evil spirit.

That’s why he brought Ragna, who was living in the library, in the first place.

Ah, come to think of it, I almost forgot to ask this.

“…Is the woman in the portrait in the hidden room in your office Ragna’s biological mother?”

[Yes, she was a very kind woman.]

Why is this guy answering so readily?

That’s what I thought, but unfortunately, that was the end.

[Anyway, the situation is clear now.]

“Wasn’t it before?”

[Haha, it’s still meaningful to me. That thought… that thought has made me a person who is neither here nor there.]

I could dismiss it as an old man’s nonsense, but it sounded like something someone would say right before an awakening, so I wasn’t particularly happy about it.

[When this conversation ends, I will revoke the capture order that was given to the entire army and order them to kill you.]

Is this what it feels like when things are really starting?

[In that process, one of your precious companions may die. No, they will definitely die. I will make sure of it.]

“If you’re trying to threaten me, I think you’ve got the order wrong.”

[Of course, isn’t it obvious?]

“…?”

[Because it’s not a threat.]

A tone that sounded like he was just stating facts, not threatening.

[I just wanted to let you know. That I was no different from you.]

Paradoxically, that’s why, for the first time, I felt overwhelmed while talking to the Marquis.

[Do you know how much of a struggle it was for me to laugh in front of you guys?]

“…”

[You guys should feel it too. The pain I felt.]

Heh, I didn’t know he had this kind of manly side.

***

With that last word, the radio communication with the Marquis ended.

“He’s gone…”

After confirming that the number of people connected to the network had changed to 1, I threw the now useless radio into the burning house.

“Don’t worry too much about it. It’s just the curse of a traitor.”

Astarotta said, comforting me as she looked at me.

“You made the right choice.”

The right choice…

Yes, it certainly would be.

If I had given in to the Marquis’s persuasion, no one might have died in this war, but after the war, there would have been a much bigger aftermath.

“Then, as a reward, can you tell me now? Why the Marquis started the war?”

“No. His Majesty told you to hear it directly.”

Ha… this is driving me crazy.

It’s not like this is a game where you have to find out everything through adventures.

‘…Ah, is it?’

I can say it for sure now.

[Dungeon & Stone] is a damn shitty game.

“There are already a lot of them gathered.”

As I was grumbling to myself, Astarotta muttered, looking around.

In other words, it meant that we should start moving soon.

So, I stopped thinking about the Prime Minister and briefly summarized the current situation.

A burning city.

The rebels are keeping a certain distance from me, having received a ‘no approach’ order, and as time passes, reinforcements are arriving, increasing their forces.

‘And I don’t know if Rügenfraha is coming for me or not.’

Not to mention Amelia in District 4, it’s also unknown if the clan members hiding in the sanctuary are safe.

To make matters worse, the Marquis even went through a sudden awakening event and declared that he would kill all my companions…

[The evil spirit from another world ‘————’ lost three companions and finally realized the path he must take.]

It’s unknown whether that event I saw in the records will occur during this war or not.

But that’s not all.

[Arua Raven! That mage who was your former companion is a traitor!]

Vivian also pointed out that Raven was the one who would betray me on the day the capital burned.

‘…No, why can’t I organize my thoughts?’

I was just trying to organize my thoughts briefly, but it’s not easy to do.

“…”

My head feels like it’s going to explode.

There’s too much to worry about.

I even want to go back to the days when I was just surviving in the maze without thinking.

Thump-!

Extreme stress is causing my heart to tighten.

But that’s why I cleared my head.

Like a barbarian.

‘…If I keep going, I’ll figure it out somehow.’

Besides, didn’t the Marquis say it earlier?

That if you wander for a long time, you’ll eventually find the answer.

So, let’s just think about this moment and move forward.

“Behel—raaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

Just like the old days when I had nothing but my body.