Event 5

Platinum white hair styled into a pompadour and a flawless skin that heightened the chill of his cold eyes.

Just looking at that, he gives the impression of a handsome nobleman, but…

“Whoa!”

His crude actions, words, and expressions never quite matched that impression.

“What? Why do you look like you’ve just seen a ghost?”

Through the open carriage window, Lee Baek-ho slipped inside and brazenly took the seat across from me.

“You seem unusually startled today?”

Though his lips twisted into a silly grin, his eyes did not.

“Like someone just caught doing something dirty in the back.”

He delivered those sharp words with a piercing glare.

Well, he wasn’t wrong. Seeing him made me feel like I’d been caught talking behind his back. Not that I planned to be caught off guard.

“Seems the coach driver can’t hear us.”

After confirming the coachman was still focused on the road, I replied in my usual tone.

“Well, who wouldn’t be surprised? You just came popping in through the window like that.”

“Hmm, but that didn’t seem to be the only reason…”

“Of course not. But seriously, how thin are you? Eat properly and train more. What kind of man squeezes through such a narrow window?”

“Hyung, It’s not that I’m thin; it’s that you’re abnormally big.”

“Listen to this brat, talking back.”

Instead of asking him directly, I led the conversation as if I were scolding him, which made him look embarrassed.

And…

“……”

“……”

A heavy silence settled in.

Honestly, we weren’t supposed to be sitting here talking at all.

Not after how things ended last time.

[ …So you were going to use the Resurrection Stone on me? ]

[ Yes. Because you couldn’t cut ties yourself. I thought I’d help. They’re useless connections anyway once we go home, right?]

On the day the Ghostbusters shut down and his schemes were exposed, Baekho didn’t apologize. He lashed out instead. At that moment, I made my decision.

If I ever saw this bastard again, I’d make sure to grant his wish.

“So, did you come find me because you want to leave? To escape this shitty world you hate so much?”

“Come on, hyung… Are you still sulking about that?”

That’s the biggest reason I don’t want to get involved with him.
Like some sociopath, he can treat all of that as if it’s nothing. I just can’t understand it.
But…

‘Not yet.’

It’s still too early to plant my fist in his face.

Not that I think I’d lose.

But I can’t be sure I’d win, either.

The moment things turned against him, this sly bastard would run away, and the people around me could be in danger.

“‘Just ’cause!’ he cried. ‘I came because I felt like it. I had this feeling you were scheming something shady behind my back!”

At his brazen words, I smirked.

“Don’t you think that’s funny?”

“Huh? What’s funny?”

“It’s not me. It’s you.”

“…?”

“You’re the one always doing shady things behind people’s backs.”

The carriage felt far too small for us to be sitting face-to-face. I let a trace of killing intent slip out as I fixed my gaze on him.

Maybe he found it amusing?

“…Interesting.”

With that short remark, Baek-ho closed his mouth and fixed his eyes on me.

The air was so sharp with tension that if anyone drew a weapon, a fight would break out instantly.

In that atmosphere, Baek-ho asked in a cold tone, “So why did you save the Marquis?”

That same question again.

With it, I nearly became certain—

‘So it really was this bastard who tried to assassinate him.’

However, he couldn’t possibly use magic, so the “Ruin Scholar” must have cast the spell.

The two had been together like partners for some time now.

‘No wonder I felt like I was going to die from the pain…’

Still, one thing was reassuring. There’s no way mages like that are common.

“What are you thinking about so hard? Is it that tough to talk about?”

“Tch, do I have to answer just because you asked?”

“Well, no… but I am curious. Once you asked me to kill the Marquis, and now you throw yourself in harm’s way to protect him?”

“That’s what I want to say. When I asked to kill him, you said you couldn’t, so why are you doing this now? It’s not like he’ll stay dead anyway, since he just revives in the palace?”

At my counter, Baek-ho fell silent.

Selfish bastard.

“…Let’s just say I had my reasons.”

“Then let’s just say I had mine too.”

I had no intention of showing my hand until he showed his.

Baek-ho stared at me for a moment, then let out a sigh.

“I thought maybe the Marquis lost that resurrection item. I wanted to confirm it. If he died, fine. If he revived, that would still work out.”

“What do you mean, ‘still work’? Didn’t you say it had no limits?”

“True. But it looks like resurrection takes time. I thought I could use that gap. With the proxy gone, there’s a chance the New World King might be forced to move.”

“The New World King…?”

“Yeah. The guy who’s always sick, who never shows up at public events.”

“And why make him move?”

“Because he’s hiding too much. But once he comes out, he might leave a trace—a single strand of hair, maybe.”

He probably didn’t tell me everything, but at least it didn’t feel like he was lying.

“Alright, since I told you, now you tell me. Why did you save the Marquis? Have you decided to side with that bastard now?”

Hmm, so what should I do now?

Should I just say I don’t want to talk about it? Given his nature, he likely wouldn’t take offense even if I withdrew from this exchange.

Better not to strain things between us. For now, the smart move is to use him while he’s useful.

After making my decision, I gave him the full explanation. Surprisingly, it only took one line:

“…A mistake?”

Yes. That day, saving the Marquis had been a mistake.

***

Of course, Baek-ho didn’t easily believe my words.

“You’re saying you jumped out instinctively and took the hit for him? And you expect me to believe that?”

Believe it or not is your choice. But I hadn’t anticipated the ambush. I couldn’t have stopped it even if I’d thought about it first.

In the end, he seemed convinced by my honest explanation—or perhaps because my words struck at what he had already found suspicious.

Either way, he frowned but nodded reluctantly.

“…Sure, I guess that makes sense.”

“It’s not that it makes sense—it’s the truth. I regretted it as soon as I did it.”

“Then what about today? You spent all that time talking at the Marquis’ house.”

“That was just him saying thanks. And he did mention giving me that construction contract as compensation—maybe.

It’s only half the truth, but it’s undeniably true.

Of course, the Marquis’s real reason was to make peace with me on the condition that I assassinate Baek-ho.”

But it’s not like Baek-ho was being completely honest with me either.

“……Is that really all?”

“You do realize that’s about the most useless question in the world, right?”

“True. My mistake.”

He stared at me as if he were deciding something.

“I don’t get it. Everyone else is easy, but you’re impossible. Why are you so hard to read, hyung?”

Honestly, I felt the same for him.

Even hearing it straight from his mouth, I couldn’t tell. Did he truly not know what I was thinking, or was it all an act?

“…Well, since we’re talking, what are you even up to these days?”

 

“Your tone suddenly got friendly? Earlier you looked like you were about to beat me to death.”

“Are you asking for me to really hit you?”

“That’s not it. It’s just that I think you and I are quite similar.”

“What kind of twisted bullshit is that?”

“Isn’t it true? Emotions are fleeting. In the end, we both act rationally for our own benefit.”

“……”

“Though I guess you sometimes let emotions rule you.”

His analysis was annoying as hell, but I couldn’t really disagree with it. Honestly, my urge to talk him down and get more information outweighed my desire to beat him up and throw him out.

“I get how you feel. Since I’ve wronged you a bit, I’ll answer a few questions, bro. It’s not like you asked because you really cared what I was up to—so what is it you actually want to know?”

At least his willingness to answer made things easier.

But now came the hard part

Questions, questions…

He said “a few,” so I have to choose carefully.

After a short time to think, I picked the first one.

“So. Did you meet Auril Gavis?”

The last update I knew about him was that he went outside the walls to meet ‘Auril Gavis’.

So, did he achieve that goal?

“Haha, that old man… How should I put it—”

“Answer only with yes or no.”

“Yes. I met him.”

So he did.

Despite my unease, I pressed on with another question.

“So, did you actually meet him in person, not just through the community?”

“I met him in person. Didn’t you meet him at the Round Table, Bro?”

“That’s what that old man told you?”

“Well, let’s just go with that. It’s not really important.”

The way he’s speaking, it seems like he didn’t hear it directly.

So…

‘If Black Mask was Hyeon-bol and Wolf was sent by Auril Gavis..’

Was Butterfly the agent planted by Baekho?

It’s still too early to say for sure, but since the community isn’t particularly important at this point, I’ll pass on that for now.

“What have you been doing all this time since leaving the walls?”

This time, I asked for a full answer rather than just a yes or no.

He said I wasn’t curious, but I was. I was really curious about his recent life.

“I just kept myself busy, doing this and that. I traveled the outside world, stayed for a while at the camp where the Noarkans live. I even went into the labyrinth through the portal that leads to the seventh floor…… Oh, and somehow, I ended up with a new ally too.”

Even though he answered vaguely, I could feel it.

Each line carried a weight of untold stories.

While I was exploring the underground first floor, he’d been on his own journey, living his own battles.

“…A new ally?”

“I can’t tell you about this one yet; it’s a secret. But if I leave it at that, I’ll seem like such a jerk. I’ll subtract this question from the count. Okay, since it’s the last question, make it a good one.”

“Didn’t you say I’d get to ask a few questions?”

“Yes. A few is correct, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t this a few?”

…Well. He wasn’t wrong.

Since it felt like a bonus question anyway, I let go of my hesitation and asked my final question.

“What exactly is the purpose of those Noark bastards?”

Every citizen of this city wanted an answer to this question. Even the Marquis, the kingdom’s second most powerful man, didn’t know the full truth.

So, does Lee Baek-ho actually know the answer to this question?

Soon enough, I had my answer.

“To survive.”

“…What?”

“Isn’t that the purpose of life for everyone? People work hard just to live well, and live long.”

He said it jokingly, but I could sense the truth behind his words.

“So, contrary to the rumors, people can’t live outside the walls.”

“Yes. To put it simply, that’s it.”

What kind of place is it outside the walls? I wanted to ask, but unfortunately, I had no more questions.

“Mmm… feels like my answer to your last one was too short. So, here’s a little bonus.”

…Bonus?

I tilted my head, and Baek-ho grinned.

“For the next year, the Noark won’t be making any moves. You can rest easy.”

It was ironic:the moment I was told to rest easy, I became intensely uneasy.

That’s because people like us always look for the meaning behind the words.

‘For the next year…’

It means that after that period, something big is coming.

 

 

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.