Surviving game as a barbarian Episode 653

Event 2

The long-awaited fourth day had arrived, the day when our efforts would be judged.

From the crack of dawn, the stands were already packed with townsfolk swarming in like bees.

The onlookers gazed at the center of the stage, where huge drapes hid the buildings built over the past three days, stimulating people’s curiosity and interest.

“Hmm, Baron Jandel’s structure looks rather large”

The representatives of each house being judged today were seated together. The man on my right struck up a conversation with me.

“I’m very much looking forward to it! I wonder what kind of amazing building those veteran warriors have built!”

There was no sarcasm or hostility in his words.

It’s not that he doesn’t consider me a competitor, but rather that he isn’t that deeply invested in this competition itself. He just seemed to want to build a connection with me.

“Since we’ve met like this, it must be fate. Please visit our family someday. I’ll properly entertain you then.”

“…When I get the time. But Viscount Kiembrota, I don’t think you’ve visited the buildings here since the first day.”

“Haha, well, I’ve been terribly busy with other matters. Hard to spare the time, you see…”

Busy, my ass.

It was simply that this contest wasn’t that important to them.

In fact, other than him, I’d only seen one family head show up in person at all.

Well, I can’t say I don’t understand.

“Still, I hear my manager has been working very hard, so I’m quietly hopeful. Ah, though of course, with such powerful families taking part, I’m not keeping my hopes too high.”

These nobles are used to delegating everything to their subordinates.

So if they lose, it’s not their fault; it’s their subordinates’ incompetence.

“You’re being modest, Viscount. At least you know you won’t come in last.” The noble on my left remarked, clearly irritated by our exchange.

Startled, the viscount asked, ‘Count Ranglestern? What do you mean by avoiding last place…?

Ah, right. Him.

He was the only one of the other family representatives who like me stayed on site to oversee the construction. Naturally, that meant he also saw my building.”

“What, you haven’t heard? Baron Jandel’s house looks nothing like the assigned construction theme.”

“……”

The viscount pressed his lips together, looking visibly uncomfortable.

And me? I just sighed inwardly. Why are there always so many people eager to pick fights when I’m minding my own business?

When I just ignored him, the Count seemed to lose interest and didn’t say anything more. The viscount on my right seemed annoyed by the interruption, turning his attention back to the event.

“Alright, then, let’s unveil the first building you’ve all been waiting for, right now!”

The explanation of how the judging would proceed in this competition had already ended, and the time had come to reveal the results.

“Waaaaah!”

Amid the crowd’s cheers, the cover of the first building was removed, and the engineer in charge of construction came out to chat with the host and explain the building further.

What are the characteristics of this building?

What was the intention behind it, and how much care was put into the details personally? They also discussed the practical cost of living in the building and even boasted about its internal stability

And then…

“Now, the judges will give their scores!”

The judging began right after and was divided into three main categories:

Construction expert evaluation: 25%.

Noble judges’ review: 25%

One hundred randomly chosen citizens’ review: 50%

Each category was weighted according to these ratios. If one scored full marks across the board, the maximum possible score was 100 points.

“Total score: 71 points!”

That was the result for the first building.

Although they had built a house so magnificent that it made one’s jaw drop just looking at it, and I had secretly considered them the biggest competitor, their score was lower than expected.

The reason was very simple.

They didn’t receive a high score in the citizen evaluation.

“I don’t understand! You there! What exactly didn’t you like about the building to give such a low score?”

As the technician who led the design and construction argued in an angry voice, a citizen voter in the front panicked and answered.

“Uh… well… it is a beautiful house, but… it just felt like something too far removed from my world… and too expensive…”

“…Hah! How ridiculous!”

The technician clicked his tongue as if it was absurd, but he didn’t argue further with the citizens. He knew well enough that making a scene under so many eyes could earn the scorn of the higher-ups.

 

Well, what he’d already done was embarrassing enough.

“Tsk. With the citizen evaluation ratio that high… it’ll be hard to have a fair competition.”

Perhaps shocked by the first score, the count, whose building was next, clicked his tongue and muttered,

“What do those low-born people know anyway? What was the chancellor thinking when he came up with this system?”

Personally, I thought it was a good system.

The reason the citizens’ votes weighed so much was likely to emphasize the entertainment factor in this contest.

After all, this was the first major event since the crisis. For the royal family, calming public sentiment was far more important than holding a strictly fair competition.

‘Anyway, I’ll have to tell the marquis later that this guy was badmouthing him behind his back.’

Despite each house’s complaints, the event continued, and scores came out one after another.

The count went second, presenting a building that was both beautiful and practical, earning 76 points. Next, a baron’s house scored 71 points. The fourth to present, the viscount..

“69 points!”

It was the lowest score so far, dropping him to last place, and the count used the moment to comfort him while taking a jab at me.

“Don’t worry too much. You’ll regain some face once the next building is revealed, won’t you?

As if it’s already decided I’ll be last.

As before, I didn’t bother to argue. I would prove myself through results.

Now, the final contender! The one you’ve all been waiting for—the Giant, the Jandel family’s creation!”

“WOOOOOOOOAAHHH!”

“This time, the baron himself has chosen to give the presentation rather than leaving it to his technicians. Please give him a round of applause!”

The announcement that I would take the stage myself drew even louder cheers and shouts, while the count beside me frowned at me as though I were some kind of clown.

“How far has the dignity of the nobility fallen…”

 

His expression clearly said, Why put so much effort into something like this? In my life, I’ve felt that these are the types you should keep far away from.

You cannot receive positive energy from these types.

“Hello, Baron! I heard that your opinions were strongly reflected in this building. Before the introduction, could you give a brief explanation?”

“We strove to create a house closest to happiness.”

“Oh, is that so? I’m really looking forward to it. Then, without further delay, let’s reveal it. Show us!”

With the host’s cry, the cord was pulled, and the cloth covering the building fell away.

And then—

“Wooooaaahhh… huh?”

As expected, the cheers fell silent. After all, it couldn’t compare to the grand buildings shown earlier.

“Haha…! From the outside, it looks simple yet sturdy! But surprisingly, there are two buildings here! Did you perhaps go for quantity over quality?”

“Ah, I see! Of course! Since the outcome of this contest determines who will oversee construction in one of Ravigion’s districts, speed is indeed an important factor in the judging…!”

What’s with this host? Why is he covering for me so well?

Is he my fan?

Or… did the marquis perhaps give him special instructions?

Regardless of my suspicions, the host tried to lift the mood on stage as he continued.

“Then what about the inside! Let’s all take a look together now! Oh! From the first floor, I already see several rooms! The living room seems to be designed relatively small—.”

“Sorry, that’s not a living room but a hallway.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Isn’t it ridiculous to call this a living room?”

“Ye, yes… Certainly, that is true… Ah, then let’s look at the first room now!”

As the interior was revealed in real time through a crystal ball, the thunderous cheers melted away.

“…Haha! It’s a very cozy room. The structure is also very unique. Usually, such small rooms don’t have attached bathrooms… Could we hear the reason for choosing this structure—.”

“I’ll explain everything later at once.”

“……”

 

It seemed the host had indeed received instructions from the Marquis, as every time I refused his helping hand, he sweated profusely.

However, perhaps he thought it was already out of his hands.

First floor, second floor, third floor, fourth floor…

Even as he checked every single room on every floor, the host no longer forced himself to maintain his enthusiasm. Still, I had to admire how he held on to hope until the end.

“Th-then let’s move on to the second house! Surely something amazing must be—”

“It’s exactly the same structure as the first one, so there’s no need to bother going inside.”

“R-Right…”

With even his last hope ruthlessly crushed, the host tightly shut his eyes. Yet, he still did his duty. “Then, may we hear the presentation you mentioned?”

Hearing the host’s question, I slowly looked around.

The audience, visibly shaken because their expectations had been so high.

The looks of the nobles as though they had expected nothing less.

The host, silently begging me not to ruin things further.

The atmosphere was just perfect for a twist.

Yeah, so…

“This house is small. Even living alone, you won’t be able to keep much here. Living with a partner, let alone raising a child, would be difficult. There’s no garden, no terrace to enjoy the air, and the kitchen is so cramped you’ll struggle to cook.”

I openly exposed its flaws, deliberately drawing their attention. Because when you present it like this, people naturally start to wonder.

What will come next?

“But!”

“Even without a voice amplifier, I shouted loudly enough for everyone to hear.”

“I declare that this house is the closest to happiness!”

“…Could we hear the reason why you say that?”

“A world where everyone is happy doesn’t exist.”

In reality, even with modern technology, we haven’t achieved a society where every member is happy.

But precisely because of that.

“This house is a home for moving toward a happy future!”

In the most passionate voice I could muster, I introduced the building we had constructed.

“A house where you can dream of happiness, even if you have nothing right now!”

“……”

“A house built with the hope that even if everyone can’t be happy, they at least have the ‘opportunity’ to be happy in the future.”

A four-story building with a whopping 24 units.

“Behold, the Happiness Housing!”

In simpler terms, it was a studio complex apartment.

***

After explaining the concept of Happiness Housing, I started promoting its benefits.

The realistic unit cost and estimated monthly rent.

And how the seemingly small studio space was actually designed to be highly practical for single-person households and so on.

“At that price, it’s cheaper than staying long-term at most inns, right?”

“Wait, the walls…they’re actually storage units?”

“Incredible! A dining table hidden in the cupboards!”

Maybe because the first impression had been so negative, the more strengths I revealed, the faster public opinion turned around.

But…

“Not enough. It still feels a bit weak.”

I also initiated the negative strategy I had prepared in advance.

Even though I’m last in the order and can’t directly lower the opponents’ scores, I could still influence perceptions to earn better points.

Therefore…

“How many people do you think would be happy living in the buildings shown earlier?”

“…I’d imagine most would be happy. As much as I’d like to live there myself.”

“Well, I can’t give the precise count, but more than ninety percent of the city’s people won’t be able to endure it. The rent will weigh them down, and they’ll have to keep earning, even while injured, just to meet their taxes.”

“Ah…!”

“Just look at the structure. Look at how much space is wasted. It’s a characteristic of houses that look good but are inconvenient to live in. Plus, there’s no storage space. These kinds of houses become messy as soon as you acquire more belongings.”

“……”

“And what about maintenance fees? To keep the building’s exterior and lighting clean, you’d have to pay additional costs. Would you really want to pay all that for a house that looks like it would collapse with a single push?”

By attacking the others on logical grounds, public opinion shifted even faster.

“Indeed… this kind of design would save a great deal in costs.”

“And it’s not as though we’ll be living in it ourselves.”

“For commoners, such houses might indeed bring happiness.”

It seemed even the noble judges’ opinions were starting to shift.

“I tested its durability, and it’s a surprisingly sturdy house.”

“I saw the blueprint earlier; it’s a building that thoroughly adheres to the basics.”

“It probably wouldn’t collapse even in an earthquake.”

“The more flashy the exterior, the weaker the structure. But this building has none of those flaws.”

“Properly maintained, it’ll last a hundred years.”

As opinions shifted, even the architectural experts began to nod in agreement.

But of course, someone couldn’t just sit by and let this continue.

“How much longer are you going to drag this out? Let’s proceed with the judging already!”

Spurred on by the count’s complaint, the host finally pulled himself together and began the final scoring.

And then—

Finally, the scores were tallied, and the total score for Baron Jandel’s family was revealed.

It hadn’t been announced yet.

Thump-thump!

My heart vibrated pleasantly.

The air was cool, and my mind was perfectly calm.

I felt no anxiety whatsoever, experiencing a state of near-perfect serenity.

“With a total of 72 points, you are in 2nd place!”

“……Huh?”

“The winner of this competition is the Langston Count’s family, with a total of 76 points! Sincere congratulations…!”

…Son of a bitch.

***

Second Place Has Its Own Value

I still believe that second place can be more valuable than first.

Because second place gives you the clearest chance to understand your shortcomings better than anyone else.

‘I’m sure I crushed the citizen vote. Must’ve been the other parts that dragged me down.’

The judges were nobles and technical experts.

They probably weren’t moved by my philosophical ideals.

People like that are stubborn by nature.

“Second place, huh… you did well. Just a one-point difference from the joint third place.”

“……”

“In any case, your speech was truly remarkable, Baron. Though if the world worked just because someone said the right words… well, it wouldn’t be the world, would it?”

Then, Count Ranglestern happily climbed the stage to receive the prize for first place, scratching away at my nerves like sandpaper.

My insides were boiling—but not to the point of tears.

I mean, I’d already achieved more than I set out to.

‘Second place… that’s more than enough.’

I’m sorry, Count, but despite your winner’s smile, the contract for District 7 is going to fall into my lap.

The Chancellor promised me.

As long as my performance wasn’t suspiciously poor, the Jandel family would win the bid.

So in the end… the real winner is me.

“Sigh…”

Then why… why does that guy annoy me so much?

And why call us all up here? Wasn’t only the winner supposed to stand on stage?

I grumbled inwardly and glared at Count Ranglestern, who was standing before the marquis.

And then.

‘…Light?’

A burst of blinding light flared from somewhere in the audience.

My body reacted faster than my brain could register the sensation of something being wrong.

Thump-!!

My heart pounded violently at the sense of danger.

‘…Magic.’

Only then did my mind catch up to the situation.

‘It’s dangerous.’

Not for me. For them.

I didn’t know exactly what was happening, but—

‘I have to stop it.’

There was no time to think.

My instincts as Shield-Barbarian kicked in.

「Character has cast [Scales of Greed].」

「Character’s anti-magic stats exceeds 500.」

「All incoming magic damage reduced by 50%.」

So, I activated all my skills and dashed forward.

Boom-!

An explosion erupted as I pulled the target into an embrace.

Sizzle-!

A searing, intense pain shot through my back.

And……

“…It’s, it’s an ambush!”

The shout snapped my sense of time back to normal.

The nearby knights finally rushed in and formed a wall, and I let out the groan I’d been holding back.

“Augh….”

The pain was sharper than I thought. When I relaxed my arms, the marquis finally came to his senses.

“You…”

It didn’t really sound like something someone who’d just had their life saved would say.

“…Why did you save me?”

I didn’t really have an answer either.

“Uh…”

Yeah.

Why did I block that?

 

Continue reading more chapters at henprogressive.com

Please join here, I need supporters to help me continue translating Surviving game as a barbarian and Lee Gwak
If it doesn’t work support me here buymeacoffee.com/hennoveltranslations. There are advanced chapters for supporters as well.