Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 387

Wild Horse (1)

Swishhhhh-!

I drenched my head in warm water and scrubbed my skin with soap, almost like I was scrubbing off the grime.

And after some time had passed.

When I came out of the bathroom and changed into comfortable clothes, it finally hit me.

I was back home.

As I roughly towel-dried my wet hair and went downstairs, I found Amelia and Erwin gathered in the living room waiting for me.

“You took your time.”

Amelia looked at my freshly scrubbed face and gave me a disgruntled look.

I sat down on the sofa across from her and asked,  “Since we’re not communicating through notes, I assume nothing significant came up?”

“Right. We didn’t find any bugs or listening devices, as you feared,”

That was a relief.

I was worried that the guys might have installed a bunch of stuff when they broke into our house.

“Except for the ones that were already here,” she added.

Huh? What do you mean, the ones that were already there?

“Judging by your expression, you didn’t know? There has been a recording crystal orb installed in the living room for quite some time.”

She said it like it was nothing, but this was news to me.

However, if I try to deduce from the fact that it has been there for some time…

“Erwin?”

When I looked at the prime suspect with eyes seeking an explanation, Erwin flinched and averted her gaze.

“W-well… you never know what might happen…”

“……”

“And, um, if it weren’t for that, we might not have been able to find out what happened to you so quickly…”

Well, I can’t argue with that.

Moreover, when I asked, she said the recording crystal orbs are installed only in the entrance and living room,  a reasonable security measure for a homeowner.

‘No wonder she found me at the marquis’ mansion so quickly.’

I brought up the question I couldn’t ask while returning in the carriage the Marquis had prepared.

“But Erwin, how did you know I was at marquis’ mansion?”

“Well, of course, I had to know! That man came here himself!”

“That man?”

“Oh, didn’t you know? The commander who tried to capture you is Eltora Tercerion, the son of the chancellor!”

“What? He’s the same guy who just became the 3rd Corps commander?”

Is the chancellor crazy?

He sent his own son on such a dangerous mission?

What if I had crushed his skull there?

No, if he treasured his son, he wouldn’t have sent him into battle in the first place.

The marquis’s parenting style seemed quite Spartan, but it wasn’t really my place to comment.

“More importantly, Schuiz, what exactly happened at the marquis’?”

“Yes, please tell us. I was so shocked when I came back and found you gone and the door broken.”

After that, I explained the misunderstanding the marquis had, as well as the deal he had proposed,  and I listened to their opinions.

Their reactions were sharply divided.

“Mister, they’re returning your title? Really? That’s great!” Erwin rejoiced

“While the chancellor is an ideal backer, I can’t shake off a sense of unease.”

“But what can I do? If I had refused, things would have gotten more complicated.”

“…I’ll investigate the Chancellor separately,” Amelia said.

“Alright, I’m counting on you.”

“Huh? What about me?” Erwin asked.

“Of course, you too, Erwin”

In the end, I can only trust my comrades.

It’s a harsh world to survive alone.

***

Tap, tap.

While lost in thought, tapping the table with his index finger at regular intervals.

The door opened, and a man entered.

“You called for me, Father?”

Eltora Tercerion.

The only son of the Marquis family, and a man expected to inherit everything the Chancellor has built one day.

However, the gaze of the Marquis looking at him was cold.

“You have eyes and ears, so you must have seen and heard. I won’t beat around the bush. What do you think about this matter?”

“Honestly… I’m very surprised. I never thought that Baron Bjorn Jandel is still alive”

“Is that all?”

At the Marquis’s question, the man swallowed hard and cautiously opened his mouth.

“His return is good news for our family. Many people still remember him, even after all these years. We could use him as a symbolic figure”.

“Enough.”

The man’s logical tone was cut off mid-sentence by the Marquis’ interruption.

“Is that all you can see?”

The Marquis’s gaze shifted from disappointment to outright disdain.

Eltora lowered his eyes, sighing internally.

‘What’s gotten into this old man lately?’

His father had never been particularly kind, but this level of hostility was new.

It had gotten worse over the past two years, and now it felt like the marquis had become an emotional punching bag.

Bringing in that unknown woman as well… Could he have noticed something about me?

It was suspicious.

Recently, his father only summoned him when absolutely necessary and shared little information.

Just like now.

“Father.”

“Speak.”

“I only learned today that Baron Jandel isn’t an evil spirit. Why did you keep that from me?”

He asked carefully, trying to gauge his father’s intentions, but the marquis replied coldly.

“Are you saying I should hold your hand every step of the way?”

 

“That’s not what I meant. I just thought if I had known in advance, I could have been more useful—”

“Your assumption that Jandel isn’t an evil spirit is already flawed.”

“Pardon? But you clearly said—”

“Enough. Talking to you is a waste of breath.”

It was a remark too cold to be directed at his own child.

In response, the man shut his mouth tightly,  and the marquis, not even fazed, finally explained why he had called him.

“Tomorrow, you go personally to inform Jandel of the date. Tell him we will continue the conversation we couldn’t finish today.”

“When should the date be?”

“The fifteenth of this month.”

The time was in the evening.

***

Afternoon of the 15th.

“Take care. Stay safe!” 

As I left the house with Erwin’s farewell, the door of the carriage waiting at the gate opened.

“Long time no see.” I said

“Have you decided to give up the honorifics now?”

“You’re the Marquis’s son, right? Then you should already know who I am.”

“Well, that’s true…”

Eltora’s face seemed slightly bitter, but it wasn’t my concern.

“Enough. Let’s just go.”

“Let’s.”

The carriage sped down the wide road.

Soon, a military platform appeared, and just like before, we boarded it for a smooth journey to the capital city, Carnon.

“Arriving at the capital in an hour, it’s convenient. How much does it cost per ride?” I asked.

“It would be about one million stones per person, assuming you don’t have a carriage,” 

“…At that rate, it’s better to just travel by carriage.”

“That’s what most people do. Nobles only use this service for urgent matters.”

As we chatted about this and that, the carriage soon arrived at its destination.

A huge mansion visible from afar.

How much would it cost to own this much land in the capital?

“Hurry. My father is waiting.”

“This time, it’s not a remote meeting?”

“I told you, he wishes to have dinner with you.”

Well, even if he says that…

I thought we were going to have a virtual dinner.

Creaaak—

Soon, guided by the Chancellor’s son, I arrived at the banquet hall located on the fourth floor.

One wall was a large window that offered a clear view of the garden and, beyond that, the beautiful royal palace.

Not that I had time to enjoy the view.

“You’ve arrived.”

The chancellor greeted me from his seat.

“It’s been a while, Marquis Tercerion.”

“You have traveled a long way. Take a seat, Baron Bjorn Jandel. Ah, Eltora, you may leave now.”

“…Enjoy your time.”

After Eltora left, the dining hall felt even more empty.

But it was the perfect setting for a private conversation.

Thud.

I took a seat across from the chancellor.

The table was already loaded with food, presumably to prevent servants from interrupting the meal.

By the way, the amount of food in front of me was five times that of the Marquis.

Apparently, my racial uniqueness was taken into consideration.

“Please, feel free to eat. I won’t burden you with any formal etiquette.”

“…If you insist.”

The marquis started cutting into his meat, and I, following his lead, grabbed a chicken leg and bit into it.

And…

“How’s the food? Does it suit your taste?”

“It’s excellent.”

“I’m glad.”

As we ate, we began our conversation.

While it was technically against Raphdonian etiquette to discuss business during a meal, I wasn’t bound by such formalities.

“Marquis, the food is good, but I’d like to hear about that matter soon.”

“You mean how I’ll return your title to you?”

“Yes. If I suddenly return alive, there will be many who won’t accept it.”

Despite my rudeness, the Marquis didn’t say much and continued the conversation.

“Before I speak, let me ask you this first. While you were in Noark, how many people knew you?”

“None. I hid my appearance even there.”

“Then things will be much easier.”

Then the Marquis proceeded to explain the plan he had in mind.

“We’ll claim that you were on a secret mission for the royal family, infiltrating Noark. After two and a half years, you completed the mission and returned. How does that sound?”

A short and simple story.

But there was no point in questioning whether it would work.

The marquis had the means to make it happen.

“Not bad.”

“It will take some time, though. We’ll need to prepare documents within the royal family.”

“And how do you plan to explain the public announcement that I was an evil spirit?”

“Don’t worry about that. We’ll say it was part of the undercover mission.”

The scenario was quite appealing.

If this worked, I could regain my old life.

However, there was one issue…

“And in return, what do you want from me?”

What must I give up to obtain this?

The marquis put down his knife and raised his hand.

“There are two things.”

“Go ahead.”

“First, I’ll form a special unit with you at the center. You’ll lead them into the war.”

“For how long?”

“Until the war is over.”

He really intended to work me hard.

“An open-ended commitment? That’s a bit hard to accept.”

“Then let’s cap it at three years. If the war ends before that, our deal will be over. And of course, any accomplishments you achieve will be properly rewarded.”

It wasn’t a deal-breaker.

Besides, these days, most explorers make money by going to war.

“Then what’s the second?”

“The second is…”

The Marquis trailed off and put down his fork.

“I’ll tell you the second one tomorrow morning. It will be much quicker to discuss it then. There are plenty of empty rooms, so stay here tonight.”

This is like waiting for a reveal after a 60-second commercial.

It felt like one of those cliffhangers, only instead of “60 seconds later” it was “tomorrow”.

***

After the dinner banquet ended, I was guided to a room by the servants.

Even though it would take more time, I was itching to go back home and rest…

His intentions are suspicious.

The date and time the Marquis invited me to his mansion, and his sudden request for me to stay overnight.

I could picture exactly what was going on.

That’s why I decided to comply with the marquis’s request and stay here for the night, but not before asking to contact Erwin, who was back at home.

Sometimes, a crisis can turn into an opportunity.

Sigh…

The room was far too spacious and luxurious for one person.

Click, click—

Lying on the bed with only the nightstand’s magic light on, I checked the time. After checking the time on my clock, I switched off the lamp and put the clock back on the table.

Tick, tick, tick.

In the silence, the second hand moved with a steady sound.

Tick, tick.

When that sound repeated ten more times.

「The soul of the character resonates and is drawn to a specific world.」

I immediately sat up in Lee Han-soo’s bed.

This time, I needed to move more quickly than usual.

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