Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 305

Rainweilz (3)

Amelia is a strong woman.

It’s not just because she can use aura and possesses several rare essences.  I’ve never seen her afraid of anything.

But now.

“…….”

Amelia’s body is trembling.

Whoever that person is in the kitchen, she shouldn’t have any reason to be scared anymore.

‘Is it trauma?’

It’s understandable.

I’ve had similar experiences myself.

Even though I knew I was safe, I couldn’t ride in a car for years, and if I smelled something burning while asleep, I would wake up and search the whole building for the source.

It’s something engraved in the unconscious, regardless of will.

Thwack-!

It is something to be feared.

“……Are you okay?”

Amelia didn’t answer my question.

So I grabbed her trembling wrist.

“Emily.”

She seemed to come to her senses and responded.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear you… What did you say?”

“I asked if you were okay.”

“…….”

Yeah, she’s not okay.

Amelia didn’t speak again until the sounds from the kitchen had died down.

“…I showed an unpleasant sight.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

I saw nothing.

Even if I had, I wouldn’t have considered it unpleasant.

“Ugh, those girls always make me so angry.”

Just then, a man appeared from the kitchen.

He had a sturdy, somewhat trained body, but his height was around 170 cm.

Contrary to what I had imagined, his appearance was quite ordinary.

“Owner, don’t you think you were too harsh today?”

“Harsh? They’re ungrateful bitches. Enough of the boring talk, let’s drink.”

The man sat at a regular customer’s table and started drinking and chatting. while Amelia watched him from a corner for a long time before speaking.

“That man was my adoptive father.”

“Adoptive father?”

“It’s a common story here. Orphaned children need a place to stay, and there are plenty of people in the city willing to take them in.”

“Plenty, huh…”

I think I know why already.

It’s unlikely to be out of some noble cause like providing a nest for abandoned children.

Amelia said it was a ‘common story’.

Such stories are usually hyper-realistic.

“It’s a kind of symbiotic relationship. The children are protected until they’re old enough to work, and the adoptive parents get cheap labor in return.”

In this city, all rights over the adopted children belong to the adoptive parents, and those rights are absolute.

At least until the kids grow up and become adults.

Killing or running away from the adoptive parents is impossible. It sets a precedent, they would be labeled as ungrateful wretch and would face retaliation from others.

“…I see.”

“Still, my sister and I were a bit better off. We had all our limbs intact and were generally healthy, so we didn’t get sick often.”

“How old were you then?”

“Five. My sister was three years older than me.”

Initially, it wasn’t too bad, she said.

Unlike with their biological father, who was weakened and injured from exploring the labyrinth, they had proper meals and weren’t cold.

Of course, even at that young age, they worked hard, handling all sorts of chores…

“It wasn’t too hard. Everyone lived like that anyway. I even considered myself lucky to have a sister to rely on.”

In those days, Amelia vaguely thought.

They would grow up, and once they became adults, their real lives would begin.

“But that didn’t happen, did it?”

“…It was all because of me.”

It happened when Amelia was about nine years old.

While helping at the pub, a drunkard tried to strangle Amelia to death.

The reason was that she had spilled food.

“My sister intervened then.”

Seeing this, Amelia’s sister ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and slowly walked up behind the drunkard, slashing his carotid artery precisely.

“I learned later that none of the explorers in the pub had noticed my sister approaching with the knife until she attacked.”

However, the drunkard didn’t die that day.

He received timely treatment with a potion and survived. But the incident revealed a young girl’s talent to the world.

“The next day, a representative from the lord came. They offered to cover up the incident if we handed over my sister.”

Surprisingly, their foster father refused the offer.

He used all his money to pay for the potion and compensation to the customer, handling the situation on his own.

The reason was simple.

It was more rational.

“My sister became a ‘bait’ from that day on.”

Their adoptive father had judged that a child with talent could earn much more money than working at the pub.

“My sister did have talent. Within just a year of joining a plundering team, she was recognized and received a small share of the loot.”

Seeing this, their adoptive father thought.

Since they were of the same bloodline, Amelia might have talent too.

“Not long after, I also became a ‘baiter’ and was sold off to a plundering team. I was soon recognized for my talent as well.”

Amelia briefly summarized the story of what happened next, and I didn’t pry further.

There was no need to ask about the kind of life the Rainweilz sisters led as ‘baiters’.

They must have endured and endured.

Relying on each other, the only family they had left in the world.

“Anyway, that’s how my sister and I ended up with a plunderer gang, working at the pub whenever we were in the city.”

Amelia briefly summarized the rest of the story, and I didn’t delve deeper.

“So, are your curiosities about me satisfied now?”

“Yes, more than enough.”

I had already heard the next part when we were making plans.

The sisters’ hope of gaining freedom as adults would be crushed.

About five months from now.

By a common tragedy.

***

It was past noon, and more people started coming into the pub.

“…Excuse me.”

A young girl approached our table.

A red-haired, curly-haired girl in her early teens.

She had a slight bruise on her face, which she tried to hide with her messy hair.

“Would you like to order more drinks…?”

It was a common phrase from staff when customers stayed too long.

Either order more or leave.

“…….”

Amelia couldn’t even make eye contact with the girl, looking away.

I could understand her feelings.

“What’s your name?”

“…Amelia Rainweilz.”

Of course, facing her younger self would be uncomfortable.

She knows what will happen in the future, so she must feel guilty too.

“Let’s leave.”

Amelia tried to get up, but I stopped her.

“Wait a moment.”

Finally meeting the young Amelia, how could I miss this chance?

“Kid, how old are you?”

“Fourteen….”

Oh, if she’s fourteen twenty years ago…

“You’re thirty-four.”

When I mumbled, Amelia glared at me. She seemed annoyed that her personal information was revealed.

“Thirty-four…?”

Young Amelia didn’t seem to understand what I meant, but kept a bright smile, thinking of customer service.

“You had this expression when you smiled.”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, I meant it’s nice to see you smile, so do it more often.”

“Oh, okay….”

While adult Amelia had a sour expression, young Amelia seemed flustered and didn’t know what to do.

So I stopped teasing.

“That’s enough, let’s leave. Can you bring the bill?”

“Yes!”

I quickly paid and left the pub, feeling it wouldn’t be wise to push further. As we returned to the lodging, Amelia, who had been walking with a gloomy face, spoke bitterly.

“…Maybe you’re right.”

“What do you mean?”

“I remembered. We had this conversation once.”

Ah, so that’s why she had that expression.

I thought she was mad at me.

“Amelia.”

“Emily.”

“Ahem, Emily. Would you like another drink?”

I pulled out a bottle of alcohol from the subspace.

It was all taken from the plunderers.

“I’ll pass. Drinking is meaningless to me.”

“Because of your essence?”

“Yes.”

In simple terms, her high resistance to poison and mental effects meant she couldn’t get drunk.

“Then why did you drink at the pub?”

“That’s… Because it would look suspicious not to drink in a pub.”

“Not a single word wasted.”

“What?”

“Don’t take it the wrong way. I’m just saying it’s no big deal to have a drink, isn’t it? It’s lonely drinking alone.”

As I poured a drink, Amelia asked.

“…Why do you want to drink?”

“We still have more to talk about, don’t we?”

I wouldn’t ask just to drink.

Though she shared a lot about her childhood, what I really wanted to know was something else.

After all, she’s already revealed her true self.

“What else to talk about?”

“Why pretend you don’t know? We have no secrets between us now.”

“…Don’t act so friendly. It’s unpleasant.”

“Really? Then I won’t. So tell me. You didn’t say anything about ‘Nibels Entze‘ when we were planning. I only learned yesterday that Auril Gavis was in the ghostbusters.”

Back then, Amelia refused to communicate with me.

We cooperated but didn’t confide in or rely on each other.

But now that she’s shared her past, it seems I’ve gained some trust.

“What would change if I told you? You still think nothing can change.”

Uh, that’s true.

I still think that way.

But…

“Yesterday, you cried and said it was too late to give up.”

“I didn’t cry.”

Tsk, she could just let it go.

“Didn’t you? Anyway, you said you wouldn’t give up, so I’m seriously thinking of helping you.”

“To make me help you?”

“Well, partly.”

“Does that mean there’s another reason?”

I answered honestly.

“I want you to owe me.”

Amelia looked confused.

“…Why?”

There are many reasons.

First, Amelia knows my weaknesses.

I need to make her owe me to keep her silent.

Also, Amelia is strong.

She seems to have a good heart, and her experience makes her reliable in some ways.

In short…

“Honestly, our first meeting wasn’t great, but I like you.”

“…What?”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean I like you romantically.”

“I didn’t… misunderstand.”

“Good, then.”

Ahem, I cleared my throat and said.

“Anyway, now I know what kind of person you are. If I make you owe me, you’ll repay it. So if I can save your sister, I want you to help me. You’ll do anything for me then.”

“Do… anything? What do you plan to ask me to do…?”

Amelia looked at me with wary eyes, stepping back.

Tsk, does she think I’ll do something bad?

I might be misunderstood.

“Amelia Rainweilz.”

I took a step forward as she moved back.

I didn’t plan to reveal my greed so soon…

Well, marking my territory early isn’t bad.

“If I save your sister and resolve all issues when we return to our original time.”

“…Resolve them?”

“Then join my clan.”

Of course, quests need rewards.