Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 193

Bifron (3)

The third floor of the tavern where Team Apple Narak always met.

Raven let out a heavy sigh.

This was due to the absence of one member.

“We managed to gather as promised, but with this, we can’t settle our accounts properly.”

It was their third day back in the city.

In the absence of their leader, Raven alone had gone to Commelby and sold all the loot.

The total came to a whopping 152.4 million stones.

“What, a million?! I’ve never heard of such a number before!”

“Nyang, did we really get that much even without the equipment we took?”

“After all, it’s the sum of the equipment from seven mid-level explorers. And the ‘Foxfire Knot’, a numbered item, hasn’t even sold yet—it just got listed.”

“…I kind of expected it, but it’s really unbelievable.”

As soon as the amount was announced, a gasp escaped everyone’s lips.

Exactly the reaction Raven expected.

But why does it feel somewhat lacking?

Raven glanced at the empty seat.

“I didn’t notice it when he was here, but it’s kind of boring without him.

Bjorn, son of Jandel.

Barbarian warrior and the team leader who acted as the guardian of Team Apple Narak. Had he been here, he probably would have been arguing about the distribution ratio by now.

[You want 40% of the essence value of the manticore as your share? What a strange calculation. If you had won the dice roll that day, maybe, but this came from the dwarf, so it should be divided equally.]

[And what about the 20 million stones you received as a labor fee?]

[I’ll naturally give you the cost of the test tubes you used. But asking for 40% of the labor fee? There was no such term in our loot distribution agreement.]

The conversation would have gone something like that, and he would have smirked and come up with a new compromise, as usual.

Back then, she thought it was all for profit.

Maybe it wasn’t just that…

“Aruru, what are you thinking so hard about?”

“Nothing.”

Raven shook off her reverie and wrapped up the gathering.

“If no one urgently needs the money, I’ll keep it until Mr. Jandel returns.”

“Yep, that works. I can lend Aynar the money if she needs it, Nyang.”

“Again?! Do I need to borrow more?!”

“Nyang, You don’t have much money to pay back anyway. If I ask for it early, it will only complicate the calculations and make it harder for Aruru. So, just hold on until then. Okay?”

“Okay!”

“Hmm, did he say 20 days? Just over fifteen days left now.”

Raven felt strangely.

It was her idea in the first place.

But is it normal to nod so easily to someone keeping over a million in assets by themselves?

If she were to ask herself, the answer would definitely be no.

Raven, true to her nature as a mage, could not hold back and voiced her doubt.

“Aren’t you guys worried at all about me keeping it?”

“Hmm?”

“Worried? Why would we be!”

As if it was strange to even ask.

The feeling became even stranger.

Not a bad feeling, but it was hard to define clearly.

‘I wonder if that’s why he used the awakening magic…….’,,,,

In the past, hearing that story from Bjorn made her think how naïve he was.

After all, no mage from the magic tower would ever do such a thing.

But now, she might understand that action a bit.

Just about 1%.

“Anyway, that wraps up our agenda for today.”

After concluding the purpose of their gathering, they had a meal together and chatted about this and that.

Naturally, most of the conversation was about the absent team leader.

“Aruru, what kind of place is Bifron?”

“…A nasty place. Even a noble person would turn ugly there.”

“Poverty and hunger do that.”

“Did you have such times too, Urichfried?”

“…I lost all my gear in my third year. I spent a whole year eating only rock bread and saving up money to make a comeback. I remember just barely managing to pay my taxes too.”

The mood grew a bit heavier.

Misha cautiously voiced her concern.

“Bjorn is doing well, isn’t he, Nyang?”

“Why worry so much about Miss Karlstein? He has plenty of money and strength. What could be tough for him there? He’s probably relaxing as if he’s on vacation right now.”

“Hmm, I hope so…”

Raven chuckled and shook her head.

No matter what she said to a woman in love, it wouldn’t be heard, but her demeanor appeared quite lovely.

‘She’s just one year older than me…’

For some reason, Raven felt a tinge of envy.

Will there ever come a day when I can look that serene?

It’s hard to imagine right now.

As she stared openly, Misha, embarrassed, turned her head away and pinched the waist of the stern Aynar.

“Aynar, stop eating meat for a moment and say something too. Aren’t you worried about Bjorn?”

“…Eh? Bjorn? Why worry about Bjorn? Bjorn is a great warrior! He’d live even better without laws!”

A typical barbarian answer.

Normally, this would be the moment to shake heads disapprovingly and scold, but surprisingly, everyone just kept their mouths shut as if by agreement.

The reason was simple.

“……”

It really seemed like something he would do.

He was the kind of guy who could get away with anything he wanted, even when there was a law against it.

***

I scream.

Louder than ever before.

“Bethel—raaaaaaaaaa!!!”

Currently, I am standing on the 4th-floor terrace of the Old Administration Building in District 14. By the way, there are 514 subordinates lined up on the ground below.

And their job right now is one thing.

To respond to my call.

“Bethel—ra!”

This is the accomplishment of my third day here.

I became the boss of the ‘Western Alliance’ that occupied Bifron’s Western District.

It wasn’t difficult.

In a place without laws, power becomes law, and that’s just natural.

Ah, I just stormed in and smashed everything up.

“Your voices are too soft!”

“Bethel—raaaaaaaaa!”

“Louder!!!”

“Be, Bethel—raaaaaaaaa!”

I taught my subordinates the barbarian battle cry, but it’s not quite satisfying. Maybe it’s because none of these people are barbarians?

It’ll be a while before I’m satisfied.

Why am I teaching this, one might ask? If someone were to throw such a fundamental question, there is only one answer I would give.

I am a K-Barbarian, inheritor of the spirit of benefiting all mankind.

Of course, I have to share the good stuff.

“Bethel—raaaaaaaaa!!!”

Somehow unsatisfied, I gripped my mace tightly and their voices grew louder.

Okay, that’s good enough for a pass.

“That’s it for today! Go back and enjoy yourselves! Ah, but don’t cause trouble for others!”

“Yes!!”

I dismissed my subordinates after concluding the regular morning assembly that started today. Quite a few of them were on crutches due to shattered legs, but they all made it out of the hall with the help of their colleagues.

Then, it was time for me to start my morning.

“Your tea is prepared.”

Inside, a man with a shaved head and a jellyfish cut bent down to serve me my breakfast.

Until yesterday, he was the boss of the Western Alliance.

Incidentally, he has severe circular baldness, so he usually wears a wig, but I told him to go without it from now on.

How could a subordinate hide anything from his boss?

“Tea and bread…”

Looking at the breakfast laid out on the table, I couldn’t help but sigh.

“Are you joking? Bring me alcohol and meat.”

“Excuse me? Ah, yes! Sorry, I just prepared what I usually eat—.”

“That’s why you’re losing hair despite being young.”

“It’s because of a witch’s poison!”

What nonsense.

If that were true, everyone here would be bald.

“Don’t make such ugly excuses.”

“……”

After waiting a moment, the table was set with crispy roasted meat.

I tore into it with my bare hands as usual.

The skin on my hands was thick and my resistance to fire was high, so heat was not an issue.

“You, what was your name again? I can’t remember.”

“You never asked…”

Is that defiance?

Just as I thought that, he quickly realized his mistake and corrected himself.

“Jinkasar Peljain.”

“That’s a unique name. Where’s it from?”

“It’s a South-Central name.”

Ah, his ancestors were from the desert.

No wonder his skin was so tanned.

“Hmm.”

I pondered for a moment looking at him.

Jinkasar Peljain. Such a cumbersome name to pronounce.

For practicality, it needs to be shortened.

Well, since his last name starts with ‘Jin’…

“Jingjin. Yes, that’ll work better. I’ll call you Jingjin.”

“…Yes?”

“From now on, you’ll be Jingjin.”

The response came after a long pause.

“………………Yes.”

“And add ‘boss’ at the end.”

“Yes, boss…”

Jingjin seemed not to like his new name at all, but what could he do about it?

If he disliked it, he should win over it.

Or, he could manage his subordinates well enough to keep them from messing with me.

“Water.”

“What?”

“Water.”

“Ah, yes!”

After I finished eating, I swallowed the antidote the knight had given me with water. Its annoying that I don’t know the ingredients, but Raven assured me it’s safe, so I should be fine.

‘Not taking it would be more disturbing anyway.’

Bifron is a region where the ‘Guardian Magic Circle’ is broken.

The ‘Witch’s Poison,’ which once brought the world to the brink of apocalypse, is seeping in even now, and all the residents here are exposed to it.

One could think of Witch’s Poison like radiation for simplicity, although with a fantasy twist.

‘It doesn’t manifest until one is 15, and after that, the longer the exposure, the higher the chance of manifestation.’

To put it more game-like, Bifron is covered in a probability-based instant death zone.

For adults, the expected lifespan after exile is 8-9 years.

That’s somewhat manageable because the ‘Guardian Magic Circle’ is still half-functioning. Outside the walls, one would die within a day.

‘Well, no one has actually gone outside.’

The world outside the city is unknown even to me.

It was blocked off in the game system as well.

So, in that sense…

“I’m full, let’s take a walk.”

“……I will accompany you by your side.”

I took Jingjing for a walk.

We walked aimlessly in one direction while I asked about various things I was curious about.

Having been the leader of a group, he knew much more than the little kid who guided me on the first day, and he earnestly answered even the slightly strange questions.

He’s completely playing along with the boss game.

“Ask me anything more you want to know, I, Jinkasar Peljain, will answer all your questions.”

Well, his eagerness to please was quite obvious.

He probably thought it was enough to play along for the 20 days until he left. If he backstabbed me and failed, he knew it would mean his demise.

‘Should I at least thank that kid?’

While I had no plan to take over the Western Alliance upon being exiled to Bifron, I hadn’t acted without thought.

Like it or not, I had to stay here for 20 days.

It seemed less troublesome to establish some sort of control.

There was also something personal I wanted to investigate.

Though, not being bored was also a reason.

“But boss, how far are we going? We’ve already entered the eastern territory.”

“Just follow me.”

As our morning walk stretched beyond two hours, Jingjin expressed his concern.

“But if we go further, there’s just the wall…”

“That’s our destination.”

What could possibly interest me about a barren wall?

His eyes briefly flickered with this question, but Jingjin did not voice it further.

He had learned how to converse with me in just a day.

Thud.

Thus, we reached the street near the wall.

I climbed to the rooftop of a relatively tall building and looked out over the wall.

‘It’s the same here.’

As in other districts, soldiers stood guard on the wall.

I had always wondered.

Why were the soldiers watching this side, not the outside?

“Maybe they’re worried someone might try to go outside?”

That was Jingjin’s reply when I asked him.

I had assumed the same.

Everyone thought that way.

But…

‘Is there really a need for such measures in Bifron?’

To the royal family, these were people better off gone. In fact, dying from ‘Witch’s Poison’ while trying to climb over the wall would only legitimize the royal family’s actions.

‘It’s strange, isn’t it?’

That was the contradiction I felt as soon as I arrived here.

Bifron’s ‘Guardian Magic Circle’ was broken.

So why feed the soldiers antidotes just to have them stand guard on the wall?

‘There’s something more.’

That was my intuition.

The same intuition that had helped me uncover countless hidden pieces before.

But as I looked up at the wall, trying to piece my thoughts together, no clear answer came to mind.

I had a plausible hypothesis…

But there was not enough evidence yet to support it.

“Let’s go back. I’m hungry.”

“Yes.”

I turned away from the wall and started to leave when suddenly, I froze in place.

Among the group from the east that appeared in the path below, I recognized a face.

‘…Amelia Rainweilz?’

Why was she here?