Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 94

I tear at the meat and gulp down the alcohol.

I roughly wipe my dirty hands on the tablecloth.

The reason I’m going this far is simple.

‘Whatever Baron Martoang wants, doing this will help me too.’

I’m currently in the Count’s banquet hall.

Since it’s a gathering of many people, it’s best to act like a barbarian.

The more savage rumors pile up,

they’ll become a shield if someone suspects me of being an evil spirit someday.

“Excuse me, could I touch your arm?”

“Go ahead.”

“Kyaa! You really let me!”

As I was enjoying the banquet while playing the part of a barbarian, curious nobles approached and spoke to me.

It felt like I was working a mascot job.

“Hey, can you shout like you did earlier just once more?”

“Behel—raaaaaaa!!”

“Hahaha, that’s truly exhilarating!”

As I was displaying my ‘professionalism’ as requested by the Baron, more and more people gathered.

Among them were knights.

There were three of them, and all three had displeased expressions.

It seemed they were jealous that I was getting all the attention and everyone was being so friendly.

“At this rate, he shouldn’t be called the Little Balkan, but the Little Clown.”

“Didn’t they say he got that name because that part was small in the first place?”

“To be sucking up like that, it seems the pride of a warrior is a thing of the past.”

I pretended not to hear them.

It was ridiculous that those ‘apprentice knight’ brats with only level 3 explorer-level strength were acting like that, and besides…

There was no point in creating unnecessary conflict.

“Hahaha, you were here?”

Soon, as I was filling my belly and entertaining the nobles, Baron Martoang returned.

He looked around and smiled as if he was genuinely happy.

“Sorry to interrupt the fun. I have someone to introduce, so I’ll take this one with me.”

“Ah… !”

The place I followed the Baron to was the inner banquet hall of the mansion.

The atmosphere was different from the outdoor area I was in just a moment ago.

There, an orchestra was playing cheerful music, and young men and women were dancing in the garden, but what about here?

‘Is this a gathering of real nobles?’

Inside, the music was quiet and calm.

Those sitting at the tables and conversing were also maintaining their dignity.

“Come this way.”

While following the Baron, I kept looking around. There were about two hundred people enjoying the banquet in the inner banquet hall.

Most of them were direct relatives like Baron Martoang’s young sons, or people with social standing like bank managers or guild branch managers.

“Among the people you’ll be greeting, there are many with higher titles than me, so please refrain from being rude as much as possible.”

After that, I followed the Baron around to meet the titled nobles.

“Baron Martoang! It’s been a while… Who is this friend?”

“You might have heard of him, Viscount. He’s called the Little Balkan, and he’s quite famous among explorers these days.”

“Oh, this one? I’ve heard of him. But how did you end up following him?”

At the Viscount’s question, the Baron looked at me and winked instead of answering.

It was a signal to say the prepared line.

“When I was in trouble, the Baron helped me. In return, I’ve decided to protect him for a while.”

“Hahaha! To hear such words from such a strong-looking barbarian, I’m envious!”

“It’s nothing. I told him several times that he didn’t need to because it was a burden…”

The Baron trailed off and looked at me again.

“…A warrior never forgets a favor.”

“Ha! That’s a truly sincere and honorable belief. You said your name was Bjorn, son of Yandel? I’ll remember your name.”

This kind of conversation continued thirteen times after that.

That’s because there were only thirteen titled nobles besides the Count who hosted the banquet.

Indeed, even in the game, titled nobles who held fiefs in this city were rare.

‘Somehow, I’ve managed to make an impression on the nobles.’

Normally, participating in such a banquet would have required raising my fame stat much higher.

However, I decided to be as careful as possible.

Being unqualified to participate in this event meant that if I were to displease a titled noble, I wouldn’t have the power to protect myself.

“Well, the greetings are mostly done, so stay by my side and rest until the Count arrives.”

After the round of greetings, I stood quietly by the Baron’s side, faithfully playing the role of a trophy.

But is it because the Baron is by my side?

Or did the warning from earlier work?

“…Tsk.”

I don’t know, but the butler would just click his tongue and turn his head when our eyes met, instead of picking on me and bothering me like before.

Is this the life of a barbarian?

‘I should have done this sooner.’

Anyway, it was quite comfortable after that.

Baron Martoang, a titled noble, never took the initiative to get up first.

Even if I just stood still, there were plenty of people who came to get acquainted, and I just had to show off my skills whenever the Baron wanted.

“Ooh!”

“Indeed, you live up to the name of the Little Balkan, Baron!”

Bending a prepared steel bar with my bare hands, or arm wrestling.

That’s how time passed.

Then, among the crowd that approached, I saw a familiar face.

“May the star that rises at twilight guide us. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Baron Martoang, and…”

“Bjorn, son of Yandel.”

“Haha, I’m sorry. Sir Yandel, I’m not good at remembering names.”

When I revealed my name, the holy knight in white armor smiled kindly.

He was the one I had met after finishing the sewer request the other day.

Late at night, I had briefly met him while guiding him to the body of Elisa Behenk.

His name was definitely…

“You, were you acquainted with Commander Krovitz?”

Paal Krovitz.

That was definitely his name.

But…

‘…Commander? Him?’

At the Baron’s words, I looked at him in surprise, and the man scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed.

“Though I am lacking, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to serve as the commander of the Third Holy Knight Order.”

“I see…”

I was very taken aback.

I never thought of it since he came to do odd jobs like receiving a body late at night.

A commander of the Holy Knight Order?

That meant he was a monster with strength beyond a level 8 explorer.

“If you ever need a place to rely on, please visit our order. As I said then, our order will never forget Sir Yandel’s contribution and will always remember it.”

Well, I thought it was just empty words back then.

But since a man holding the position of commander is saying this, I should visit them sometime later.

You never know.

It might be impossible now, but if I build more connections, they might send a priest to my team later.

“Hmm, contribution? Commander Krovitz, what does that mean?”

During the conversation, the Baron interjected with a subtle voice.

His eyes were full of curiosity.

Indeed, it would be hard to imagine a barbarian doing something that would contribute to the church.

“Ah, I haven’t told you about that.”

Krovitz looked not only at the Baron but also at the people around him and began to tell a story as if reading a children’s fairy tale.

In short, it was nothing special.

That I found a priest of Karui in the labyrinth.

And on top of that, I found and eliminated the evil woman who had hidden in the sewers.

That was the end of the story, but Krovitz was quite good at telling it.

“Ha! I’ve heard of it. They said an evil god’s minion appeared. But I never knew it was this one who defeated the minion.”

“Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel. They say he was born with the destiny of a hero, and indeed…”

When the story ended, the people around, led by the Baron, exclaimed in admiration.

“It’s a divine connection given by the stars. Our order also values Sir Yandel’s connection. Ah, well, I have somewhere to go, so I’ll be leaving now…”

Krovitz, who had been praising me until the end, left, saying he had business to attend to.

And…

“You, you were a much more amazing person than I thought?”

The Baron’s eyes, looking at me, softened a little more.

***

「Your character’s fame stat has increased by +10.」

「Your character’s fame stat has increased by +10…」

「…」

***

“Oh ho, so that’s what happened?”

“For Commander Krovitz, who is famous for seeing people well, to say that, he must be someone who will become great in the future.”

While the story Krovitz had told was spreading among the nobles, the Count appeared, and the banquet began in earnest.

“Count Perdehilt is entering!”

From the central staircase connected to the second floor.

A man descends with a dignified appearance under everyone’s gaze.

Next to him was his daughter in her late teens.

In a way, she was the main focus of this banquet.

“Thank you all for coming to celebrate my daughter Arabella’s birthday. We have prepared various entertainments, so please put aside your worries and enjoy yourselves today!”

At the Count’s words, the music changed dynamically, and the quiet inner banquet hall began to come alive.

The soft voices grew louder, and laughter, far from dignified, burst out here and there.

Well, they must be getting tipsy.

They had all been sipping alcohol from before.

“Lady, would you grant me the honor of kissing your hand?”

The young people each took the hand of their preferred partner and went outside to dance.

The older ones sat at their seats and had vulgar conversations while watching the clowns’ show.

It was then.

“Let’s go now.”

The Baron got up from his seat.

His expression seemed somewhat tense.

When I asked where we were going, the Baron replied.

“You haven’t met the Count yet, have you? When I met him earlier, I mentioned you, and he said he really wanted to meet you.”

The Baron’s expression was clearly different from when we were going around greeting the titled nobles earlier.

It was like he was facing his direct superior.

‘The Count…’ I also became nervous, but the Count I actually met was quite a cheerful man.

And he was very friendly to me.

“Haha! So it’s you? I wanted to meet you in person.”

When I went to greet him, the Count even got up and offered me a handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you!”

While responding to the handshake in a barbarian-like manner, I couldn’t help but feel that something was strange.

Bjorn, son of Yandel, the Little Balkan.

I’m aware that I’ve become quite famous recently.

But…

‘Is the Count really going this far?’

If you ask me that, well.

I don’t think so at all.

That’s because there are less than a hundred nobles with the title of Count in this vast city.

It’s not even comparable to the regional manager of the Explorer’s Guild I met before.

He’s a powerful figure with absolute power.

Even in the game, events involving figures above the Count level didn’t occur until the very late stages.

But…

“You’re taller than I thought? At this rate, we should call you the Big Balkan instead of the Little Balkan. Haha!”

The Count praises me while looking at me.

As if he wanted to gain my favor.

“But what is that weapon? I heard you originally used a mace.”

He keeps subtly mentioning things that he wouldn’t know unless he had been paying attention to me from before.

‘Why?’

I didn’t understand.

If he wanted, he could surely use top-tier explorers from levels 7 and 8, whose fame is incomparable to mine, as he pleased…

Why is he paying attention to me?

‘Damn it, this is making me uneasy…’

Some might be happy if a big shot like the Count paid attention to them, but at least I’m not.

Moreover, wasn’t I worried that something would definitely happen soon?

‘…If something happens, what could it be?’

My learned anxiety naturally began to assume the worst-case scenarios related to the Count, one by one.

“Seeing you suddenly gives me a fun idea.”

The Count clapped his hands and looked at me.

And he made an unexpected proposal.

“There will be a match between apprentice knights a little later. Why don’t you participate in it too?”

“…Wouldn’t the knights dislike that?”

“I’ll take care of that problem. What do you say?”

“I’ll think about it…”

I didn’t give a definite answer with my ambiguous tone.

That’s because it would be less problematic to express my intention through the Baron later than to refuse directly to his face.

“Hmm, if that’s the case. Do as you please.”

The Count stopped paying attention to me as if that was all he wanted to say. And he had casual conversations with the Baron.

Shallow conversations like praising each other’s spouses and children and blessing their family’s future.

“Haha, the conversation was so enjoyable that I kept you for too long. You should go and enjoy the banquet too.”

“Yes.”

After leaving the Count’s side and returning to the original table, the Baron immediately spoke to me.

“So… what are you going to do about that earlier?”

“What do you mean by that earlier…?”

“The match!”

So that’s what he was talking about.

I reserved my answer, saying I was still thinking about it.

Even if I was going to refuse anyway, I judged that it would seem more sincere to do so.

“Think about it carefully. How do you know if this event will be helpful to you?”

As expected, the Baron tried to persuade me by mentioning the advantages of participating in the tournament.

That they would give me 2 million stones just for participating, that it was a good opportunity to gain fame, or that the Count had offered a No. 7000s number item as the tournament prize.

“What? Garphas’s Necklace?”

“…Why are you so surprised? Do you know about it?”

The Baron, who was not an explorer, tilted his head at my reaction.

It was rather fortunate.

If he were an explorer, my reaction would have been even more suspicious.

“Hmm, Sir Elta told me it wasn’t a very attractive item.”

No.7777 Garphas’s Necklace.

It’s an item that only drops in the level 5 rift, and its drop rate is so close to zero that it’s extremely difficult to obtain.

In many ways, it was an item similar to the Frost Spirit Ring.

A low number item.

Item effects that are unique but not very valuable to explorers.

Because of that, it’s treated as a kind of dud despite its rarity.

And…

‘And that it has a hidden special event.’

I didn’t hesitate for long.

A bad feeling that something was about to happen?

A resolution to lay low for a while?

Pfft.

So what?

It didn’t mean that I should be cautious in everything, calculate the pros and cons, and then be a coward and not do what I had to do.

That would be putting the cart before the horse.

“I’ll do it.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I’ll participate in the match the Count mentioned.”