Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 75

The Royal Family of Rafdonia’s direct secret security force.

“What? He came back all beaten up?”

The man chuckled, having heard his subordinate’s report. He was so dumbfounded he didn’t even know where to begin to get angry.

“Tell me this first, why did you make contact with him? My order was to only tail him, wasn’t it?”

“…It seems it was a unilateral decision made in the field.”

“‘It seems’? Are you kidding me? Speak clearly.”

“He said he thought he could easily identify him since he was a three-month-old barbarian.”

The man then let out a deep sigh. It wasn’t something he couldn’t understand.

Most demons who are less than a year old are incredibly naive. Just approaching them and pretending to be on their side is enough to get more than half of them to reveal their identities. And most of the remaining half would reveal their identities through their expressions.

“So, did he not react that way?”

“No, he frowned as soon as he heard it, and then got angry, telling him not to speak in riddles and to speak clearly. It would be faster if you saw it yourself.”

The subordinate took out a button from his pocket—a specially made video recording device.

When he placed it on the crystal ball on the desk, the events that had taken place at the scene were replayed.

The man watched the barbarian’s facial expressions, eyes, and the movements of his facial muscles in detail, replaying the recording several times.

[America? Taiwan? Europe? Where are you from?]

That guy who made the mistake this time was too careless in his approach, but…

Even so, this reaction is definitely unusual.

[What are you talking about? Don’t speak in riddles and speak clearly.]

The answer came back without even a moment’s delay. Usually, a demon would be flustered and try to figure out the other person’s identity.

But what about this barbarian?

[Wow, I almost fell for it. You’re really good at acting. Weren’t you a three-month-old?]

[Acting? I told you not to speak in riddles, didn’t I?]

The vocabulary and tone.

[Then I’ll ask you plainly. Are you perhaps a demon?]

[What’s the point of hiding it now? Yes, I am. So…]

The thought and the question.

[Okay. You don’t have to say anymore.]

[Huh? What do you mean—]

[The chieftain said. Demons must be killed on sight.]

And the response.

All of that is clearly different from the existing demons. No, rather, it matches the unique reactions that only those who are not demons have shown.

“Even those who don’t want to reveal their identities usually choose to evade in that situation.”

But what about this barbarian? He made a decision and chose to face it head-on, without any hesitation, just like a barbarian would.

The man, after pondering for a moment, came to a final conclusion.

“He definitely doesn’t seem to be a demon.”

Bjorn Yandel. Just as his name caught our attention, the demons must have taken an interest in him as well.

But he only gained fame a few days ago.

‘Since the ‘gathering’ hasn’t even started yet, he wouldn’t have heard about our methods either…’

All the circumstances indicate that he is not a demon. Even if he was aware of the existence of the secret security force, it was questionable whether he could have reacted in that way.

Above all, the incident at the guild was impressive. He was framed and was about to die, so he escaped and caused a ruckus? No matter how you look at it, it’s not something demons who like to act high and mighty would do, unless it’s a barbarian who has nothing to lose.

Therefore—

“Bjorn Yandel is innocent.”

The man stamped the report with a blue seal. Then, he put the report in a file and placed it in the closet.

His subordinate, who had been watching, let out a sigh of relief.

“…That’s a relief.”

“Yes, it’s a relief. If he had come back beaten to a pulp by a demon, he would have died by my hand.”

“Then, how will you handle the disciplinary action?”

“He made contact with the target unilaterally during the tailing mission. Three months of suspension, followed by a 12-month pay cut, and his promotion review will be postponed until next year.”

“Then I will relay that.”

After the subordinate left the office, the man sat alone, lost in thought for a moment.

‘Even though he’s not a demon, he got a title in three months…’

Regardless of this incident, he seems worth keeping a close eye on in the future.

‘Is he really someone who is destined to be a hero? Perhaps the Count will like him.’ There is always a shortage of talent in this city.

***

「Your character’s reputation has increased by +1.」

「Your character’s reputation has increased by +1…」

「…」

***

‘Is it morning already…’

I spent the whole night awake because of the letter I found last night. Whether the contents of this letter are real or not, I sighed, having pondered until sunrise.

‘It seems real, but…’

It’s just a hunch; I can’t be sure. So, as soon as it was light, I roughly washed up and went outside. First, I was going to find out about this pill.

Of course, there’s a good chance that this is a tactic of the demon hunters, but…

‘No, rather, that’s why I need to show that I’m trying to find out.’ Think about it from a local’s perspective. Someone breaks into my room and leaves a letter with unreadable characters and a pill? It’s normal to be curious about their identity. From their perspective, it would be incredibly creepy.

“I thought you forgot our appointment since you haven’t come for a few days, but I guess not?”

For that reason, I visited the Magic Tower. I thought that a mage, who is an intellectual in this world, might know something. And she actually knew about it, much more than I expected.

“Oh, you got that pill, so you must have gained some fame this time?”

That was Raven’s reaction when I showed her the letter and the pill.

“Fame?”

“Yes. So, you don’t have to worry too much. I heard that everyone gets them when they become a little famous.”

Raven then smacked her lips while looking at the letter.

“It’s a little disappointing though. I wish you had come to me right away.”

For reference, the letter was blank. Whether it was something magical, the letters disappeared within 10 minutes after I finished reading it.

“Aren’t you curious, Yandel? What the demons wrote in the letter they sent?”

“Demons?”

“Oh, I didn’t tell you that. It’s a letter written by a demon.”

“I didn’t even know it was a letter. You’re amazing.”

I naturally added a compliment, and Raven made her unique nasal sound. And then she went into TMI [Too Much Information] mode as usual.

“Well, I guess so. It’s a story that most people don’t know. Can you give me that pill?”

“Here.”

“Do you know what this pill is?”

“No.”

“It was made by a very skilled mage, one who has immense knowledge of mental magic, dimensional magic, and alchemy.”

“So, what is that pill?”

After a long introduction about how many mages worked hard to interpret the formula, she finally got to the point after my short question.

“If you take this pill, you can enter a specific spiritual world.”

“Spiritual world?”

“Ah, was that a little difficult to understand? It’s easier to think of it as another dimension. Your body is asleep, but your mind is moved somewhere else.”

Raven’s explanation continued after that. To summarize:

1. If you take this pill, you will be summoned to a specific spiritual world at midnight on the 15th of every month.

2. The demons are probably exchanging information among themselves there.

3. So, many people took the pill and infiltrated, but they were found dead the next morning, vomiting blood.

At this point, I flinched for a moment.

“Found dead?”

“Yes. So, Mr. Yandel, don’t ever take it just because you’re curious.”

“Wait, isn’t it just like a poison?”

“Hey, what do you think of us mages? I swear there are no such ingredients or formulas in this pill.”

“Then what about those who died?”

“Well, there are many theories here… The most likely one is that they have a way to distinguish those who are not demons. As the soul and body separate, the body dies.”

“…That’s a dangerous pill.”

I meant it sincerely because the moment I take the pill, my life is in that guy’s hands. Of course, I now somewhat believe that the guy who sent the pill is a player, but… I have no information about what kind of guy that player is.

“Anyway, it’s definitely not a poison. It’s not an official record, but there’s a story that a captured demon testified about this gathering. It means that it’s not a poison that kills anyone who takes it.”

“I see.”

“Oh, and one more unique thing is that they are in the form of souls there, so you can’t tell who they are at all.”

That’s good news to hear. And with this, most of my questions were resolved. Is this why connections are important? If I didn’t have a connection with a mage, I wouldn’t have been able to hear this anywhere.

However, I asked one more question.

“Is there no way to identify someone who has taken this pill?”

“Absolutely not. If there was, we would have caught all the demons.”

I see. I understand why the sender was confident that anonymity was thoroughly guaranteed in the community.

“So, can I study this pill a little?”

“If you’re going to use that to cover today’s payment, then it’s fine.”

“How petty, after I answered all your questions. Fine. It doesn’t seem like anything more will come out even if I study it. Now, if we’re done with the small talk, sit here.”

As she instructed, I sat on the chair. I didn’t bother asking if this chair was a torture device designed to break people’s heads.

“Then, let’s begin.”

“…Please finish quickly.”

Because, now I know. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-!! That this chair is a magical tool made for blood collection.

***

Around four in the afternoon, the day’s research was over. It meant that I didn’t have to waste time coming to the Magic Tower until next week.

“Oh, is that the famous guy these days?”

“I heard that it was Hernecion who gave him the title ‘Little Vulcan’…”

“That picky person looked so favorably on a barbarian? That’s strange.”

When I left Raven’s personal research lab, I saw mages gathered in the lobby. They were all looking at me. Is this the power of fame?

‘Last time, they treated me like a random experiment material lying around…’

I was reminded that my reputation had risen—

“I heard he ate the essence of the Orc Hero?”

“Aru said he even has the essence of the Vampire Guardian?”

“Indeed… this is, precious.”

Not just a normal experiment material, but a gaze that seemed to see a very, very precious experiment material. Well, would the fame of an explorer even catch their eyes?

“Hey! Can you come here for a moment?”

“I’m busy.”

“No, it’ll only take a moment—”

“I’m hungry, so I can’t.”

I escaped the Magic Tower, running away through gazes that were several times more uncomfortable than usual.

‘It’s too late to go to the library, so I should just go back and rest.’ I returned to the inn in about an hour to organize my thoughts, and I collapsed onto the bed. Then, I took out the pill and carefully observed it. My thoughts deepened as my mind sank.

‘A community where anonymity is guaranteed…’

The biggest reason I tried not to contact other players was because of the risk. If even one person knows, it’s no longer a secret. But after hearing Raven’s words, it seems like a virtual web space.

Well, I used to think that there was no point in contacting players, but… Now, I’ve changed my mind a little.

‘Those people would definitely know more than I do.’ I’m not talking about hidden pieces or hidden information in the game. If someone else knows it, there’s no way I wouldn’t know it. But this place is not a game made of decimal numbers, but another world. Since the risk of revealing my identity has decreased, the advantages are more prominent than before.

‘I’ll have to see for myself to be sure, but being able to get information one step ahead isn’t bad.’ For example, what methods the demon hunters use, or if the Explorer’s Guild is creating new laws and testing them. If I join the community, I’ll be able to get the latest news more easily. In other words, it’s like having a secret source of information.

‘I’m not particularly looking forward to it, but maybe they know a way to go back.’ After a long time of pondering while looking at the pill, I made a decision.

‘Well, it’s better to take it.’ A conclusion I made after carefully weighing the risks I had to bear and the returns I could get. But I don’t plan to take it right now. I also need time to check if there are any other risks…

‘Even if anonymity is guaranteed, there must be someone who sent the invitation.’ Think about it. If there are three people who sent the invitation, and all three join the community, what would happen? The person who sent the invitation would be able to deduce the identities of those three.

‘If I take it, it would be safer to do so at least three to six months later.’ Of course, if the community is not operating in the way I think it is, all of these assumptions are meaningless. But…

‘I’m not in a hurry for information right now.’ Let’s wait patiently, like I always have. There’s also the saying, ‘Better safe than sorry.’

***

In a research lab on the upper floor of the Magic Tower.

[00:01]

The moment the minute hand of the clock passed midnight, a man lying on a chair opened his eyes. And he immediately got up and contacted someone through a crystal ball.

“Soul Queens, how did the new recruits go this time?” He tried to hide it, but his voice clearly showed anticipation and excitement. But soon, a deep disappointment appeared on the man’s face.

[There weren’t any.]

“Hah, then it seems that he really isn’t a player.”

[That’s highly likely. So, what are you going to do with the letters that weren’t sent this time?]

The man pondered for a moment. Originally, a total of seven letters should have been sent before this gathering. But this time, it was only sent to one person. There was one thing he wanted to confirm. But…

“I shouldn’t delay it any further because of my stubbornness. Can you send the letters that weren’t sent this time sequentially before the next gathering?”

[Yes, I’ll pass that on.]

The short conversation ended there. A research lab that was now filled with silence.

“I had high hopes since he chose a shield during his coming-of-age ceremony.”

The man sighed and muttered. “It wasn’t ‘that person’ again this time.”

At this point, he even began to think that the rumors circulating among the players might be true. He had consistently denied it out of fan loyalty, but…

‘Actually, it doesn’t make sense that he organized such a vast amount of data by himself…’

Does ‘that person’ really exist? As many people have speculated, was he simply someone from the game company?

It has been 20 years since he opened his eyes in this strange world. Cracks were slowly forming in the man’s belief.