Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 234
New Age (2)
Baron.
The title is just above ordinary knights.
“What the…?”
“Baron?!”
The chancellor’s bombshell declaration left the nobles speechless.
It was understandable.
“This is unprecedented! Bestowing a hereditary title to a barbarian!”
Barons can pass on their titles.
Not indefinitely, just to sons and grandsons.
In some ways, it’s even better than an honorary baron title, which only lasts for one generation.
‘I never aimed for the noble route, yet I ended up getting a title.’
Honestly, I’m a bit dumbfounded.
In the game, one could accumulate achievements by completing quests related to great nobles of Marquis rank or higher to become a noble.
The benefits were great, but so were the downsides.
Despite being a noble, you felt more like a vassal to a great noble, imposing several restrictions on your play.
But what happens to those restrictions now?
‘…But whether I’m a commoner or a noble, I can’t refuse the king’s orders, so in practice, there’s no difference, right?’
Well, I guess that’s true, but…
At that moment, the chancellor shouted.
“Everyone, be quiet!”
“But…”
“It is the king’s command.”
“…”
The chaos, which seemed unlikely to subside easily, quieted down at the mention of the king’s command.
That’s the weight the king’s name carries in this country.
“The date for the conferring of titles will be announced later.”
Anyway, that concluded my recognition and reward.
The Chancellor didn’t even ask if I would accept the title. I suppose he never considered that I might refuse.
Well, I had no intention of refusing in the first place.
This isn’t just a game world.
Becoming a noble means enjoying all kinds of conveniences and expanding what I can do in this world.
“Nartel Clan’s Portian Myriant, step forward!”
After my turn, the process of announcing rewards for others based on their merits continued for a while.
During this time, my companions also stepped forward one by one, each receiving decent rewards, though not as significant as mine.
In summary:
Misha, Aynar, and Mr. Bear each received ten million stone in prize money and the choice between Level 5 essences or equivalent equipment.
Additionally, Raven requested and received the right to learn royal magic instead of the usual rewards.
Erwin received the largest reward among us, with 4th-grade essences or equivalent items.
She was recognized as the second major contributor in the battle against the corpse collector and received additional compensation for the bereaved due to Daria’s death.
Although she wasn’t present at the ceremony, the rewards were to be distributed later, so there was no issue.
“Mr. Jandel, is Erwin still in the Sanctuary?”
“I heard the funeral was over a while ago, but she’s probably still dealing with her complicated feelings”.
“I see…”
Raven, who asked about Erwin’s wellbeing, trailed off. When I asked if she had something to say to her, she didn’t respond.
After some time had passed,
“What a splendid day. Let’s all enjoy this moment with the heroes of the new era!”
With the long awarding ceremony over, the banquet began.
***
Given the large number of attendees, the banquet was split into two areas.
The enormous indoor hall where the awards were given and an outdoor garden now filled with all sorts of delicacies.
Though not mandatory, most explorers enjoyed the banquet outdoors.
That was just the atmosphere.
Elegant music flowed, and the indoor space had a serene ambiance.
Since more than half of the nobles chose to enjoy the banquet indoors, the explorers would likely have felt uncomfortable staying inside.
“What about you, Jandel?”
“Of course, I’m heading outside.”
We chose the outdoors as well.
“You could expand your network if you stayed here.”
Since the Baron title was already secured, if networking was the goal, there was no need to do it today if the goal was networking.
“Jandel! Jandel is here!”
“What’s this? Aren’t you a noble now? Why are you here?”
“Hahaha! That’s not like Jandel at all!”
The explorers greeted me warmly as I joined them, perhaps feeling a bit distant after hearing about the noble title.
Phew, what if I hadn’t come?
No matter how I think about it, my connections with these guys feel more precious than with the nobles.
“Everyone is looking at you, how about saying something? We heard enough inside, but your words will be different.”
Kyle, who came along, suggested from beside me.
Sure, a short toast will do.
What should I say? I pondered briefly…
‘Let’s just keep it barbarian style.’
The thought didn’t linger.
No need to overthink it.
We’ve already heard enough flowery praises.
So…
“Everyone, great job!”
Today, this will suffice.
“Let’s eat, drink, and enjoy ourselves!”
A cheer that ended as quickly as it started.
The barbarians, who naturally dislike lengthy speeches, responded with a shout.
“Bethel—raaaa!!”
The explorers followed suit.
“Who would’ve thought we’d be drinking in the royal palace!”
“With Jandel becoming a Baron, what’s there to worry about? Let’s party!”
“Waaaa!!”
The explorers shed the discomfort of the palace and enjoyed the banquet to the fullest.
This applied to us as well.
“Wow, Bjorn! Try this! I don’t know what kind of meat this is, but the bones are crunchy and tasty!”
“Uh, that’s not meant to be eaten with the bones…”
“Huh? Why not?”
“Never mind. As long as it’s tasty…”
Greasy food different from Misha’s home-cooked meals.
Smooth, clear liquor.
Countless comrades to chat with about past hardships.
‘This feels like an after-party.’
The joyful atmosphere of the banquet continued.
Sometimes, the conversation would turn somber when we talked about fallen comrades, but we’d all take a moment of silence before returning to the festive mood.
As the enjoyable time continued and the day began to fade..
“This looks fun.”
Melter, who had been enjoying the banquet with the nobles indoors, came outside.
“Was it fun inside?”
“Not at all. Do you know how much I restrained myself from running out?”
“You really had a hard time.”
I understood Melter’s position, having to mingle with nobles indoors.
After all, he’s leading a clan.
He wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to network with nobles. Their help might be needed someday.
“Here, take a bottle.” I offered him a whole bottle of wine.
“A bottle…?”
“Why bother with glasses?”
“Haha, if I’d known, I would’ve come out sooner. But where are your companions?”
“Everyone except Abman found it boring and left.”
“Really? I thought that barbarian girl might be different.”
“Ah, she couldn’t handle her liquor.”
To be precise, it’s not that she’s weak; she kept chugging from the bottle, caught up in the atmosphere, and soon passed out.
“Jandel, the bottle is empty. Surely you’re not drunk already?”
“Of course not.”
With Melter joining, I continued to drink heavily with the surrounding warriors.
One of the advantages of Bjorn Yandel’s body is its incredible alcohol tolerance.
“Ugh, the smell of alcohol…”
As I was drinking myself to death for the first time in this body, Misha approached.
“Oh, Misha. Did you have fun?”
“Yes. There was a performance over there, it was quite entertaining. Wish you would have joined…”
“Next time, I guess. But what about Raven?”
“She’s drunk and discussing difficult topics with other mages.”
Drunk and talking about complex topics—mages really are a peculiar bunch.
“I’m going for a walk.”
I excused myself from Melter and paused my drinking to take a stroll through the garden with Misha.
Although it wasn’t as rowdy as the warriors’ drinking party, people were having a lively time everywhere.
I spotted some nobles here and there.
“Oh my, an army of thousands of corpses must have been unimaginable.”
“Indeed. It must have been terrifying. You’re amazing.”
Just like at the previous count’s banquet, nobles approached the explorers first, showing interest.
Well, not all nobles are stiff; Young branch nobles are practically middle-class commoners.
‘Hmm? But why hasn’t anyone approached us?’
It felt strange, but I soon understood why.
With dozens of rugged warriors yelling and drinking, who would dare approach?
“Bjorn, shall we sit down for a bit?”
“Sounds good…”
I wasn’t extremely drunk, but the effects of the recent battle hadn’t completely healed, making it difficult to walk for long.
“…Why are you sitting on the ground instead of the bench?”
“It looks like it might break.”
Misha sat on the bench while I plopped down on the lawn.
We spent some quiet time together.
Was it excessive drinking?
The raucous noise of the banquet felt like background music from afar, and various thoughts flitted through my mind.
“Jandel! Are you Bjorn Jandel, soon-to-be Baron?”
In that peaceful silence, some nobles recognized me and approached.
And they called me “Jandel”…
Are they already treating me like a noble?
Not wanting to be disturbed, I politely turned them away.
But I couldn’t do that to everyone.
“Haha, there you are.”
A titled noble, not a branch noble.
Someone whose relationship could impact future matters…
The half-brother of Dwalki.
“Baron Martoin…”
“I tried to see you earlier but noticed you were having a good time and didn’t approach.”
Yeah, right.
He probably couldn’t get through the warriors to reach me.
“Thank you for being considerate.”
“Haha, not at all. Aren’t you the main character of this banquet?”
After a brief exchange of formalities, I chatted with Baron Martoin for a bit.
The conversation turned out to be more beneficial than expected.
Usually, when a commoner becomes a noble, there’s some hazing, but he said I might be different?
“Why is that?”
“Because it’s a title granted by His Majesty the King. Who would dare mess with you when the king is watching? Everyone will want to befriend you.”
The king…
I always get an uneasy feeling whenever the king is mentioned.
Like what the chief said.
‘If this is true…’
I glanced at the steward standing next to Baron Martoin with a playful look and greeted him.
“Long time no see, steward.”
The steward’s face turned pale at my greeting.
Of course, he would be scared.
The barbarian who crushed his skull and crunched his bones now wields considerable fame and power.
“I-I apologize for my rudeness back then…”
As I grinned and looked at him, the steward stammered an apology.
It wasn’t particularly satisfying.
‘Tsk, it feels like I’m bullying a weakling.’
Punching a sandbag is only fun when there is some resistance. I stopped teasing the steward and continued my conversation with Baron Martoin.
Naturally, Dwalki came up in conversation.
“By the way, where is my brother?”
Baron Martoin, perhaps eager to get close to me, referred to Dwalki as “my brother” when he never used to.
Both Misha and I froze.
‘Damn, what is this?’
Is he joking?
“What do you mean, where?”
Barely managing to control my expression, I asked, and the steward’s face grew even paler.
From this, I gathered two pieces of information.
First, the steward knew the situation.
Second,
“Baron, as I mentioned before, Leor Wuerv Dwalki…”
The baron knew too.
He simply forgot after hearing it once.
“Ah, right. Age must be catching up with my memory. Haha.”
The baron let out an awkward laugh, as if embarrassed.
My stomach churned, despite having drunk several bottles of liquor without issue.
Perhaps that’s why…
Clench.
Before I knew it, Misha had grabbed my arm with a worried look. I patted her hand to reassure her and then pulled my arm away.
I’m not the same person I was before.
I have too many responsibilities now.
Therefore…
“Understandable. Don’t worry about it. Age can affect memory.”
“…Hmm? Ah, yes, I suppose so. Haha.”
I extended my hand for a handshake with the baron.
“I have somewhere to be. It was nice meeting you.”
“Is that so? What a pity. Let’s meet again soon.”
The baron seemed genuinely disappointed as he shook my hand.
As he departed, he asked me one last question.
“Where are you headed?”
I dusted off my hand, as if removing dirt, and replied.
“Oh, I suddenly felt the urge to wash my hands.”
Dirty things need to be cleaned.
***
Baron Martoin was rather slow on the uptake.
“…I see. Anyway, I’ll call for you later, so don’t refuse. You have much to learn as a new noble.”
The baron let me go without much fuss.
Perhaps the problem lay with me.
It’s difficult to imagine a Barbarian rebuking someone so subtly.
‘One of the few drawbacks of being a barbarian.’
“Well done.”
Misha patted my head like she was proud of me.
I stood up and headed indoors.
I could have asked a passing mage to help me clean my hands, but I also needed to use the toilet.
“Do you need me to go with you?”
“…Do you think I’m a child?”
Parting ways with Misha, I sought the restroom with the guide’s help. Afterward, as I was heading back to the banquet hall, someone recognized me.
“Oh, there you are.”
It was Count Ferdehilt, the host of the previous banquet I had attended. He had given me the ‘Garfas Necklace No. 7777’ and said something strange.
[I’ll call you when you’re more prepared.]
But until today, I hadn’t received any such call.
“You speak as if you’ve been looking for me.”
“Because I have.”
“Since we’ve met, why don’t we go over there for a drink? It won’t take long.”
“Very well.”
Count Ferdehilt wielded far greater power than Baron Martoin, so I followed him inside without hesitation.
“Take this.”
Once seated at the table, the Count poured me a drink, and I downed it in one go.
“My companions are waiting, so can we get to the point?” I feigned an urgency
“Haha, of course.”
Fortunately, the Count, understanding my urgency, got straight to the point without any hint of offense.
“This is my youngest daughter, Arabella. You’ve met her before, haven’t you?”
I had a bad feeling about this…
“What do you think? Isn’t she beautiful?”
Sure enough, the Count placed his arm around his daughter’s shoulder and gently nudged her forward.
“Ah, I’m Arabella…”
The Count’s daughter, who appeared to be in her early teens, trembled as she introduced herself.
Damn, I never thought I’d find myself in a situation like this.
“What do you think?”
I was so stunned by this unprecedented situation that I couldn’t respond.
Did he mistake my silence for contemplation?
“If you’re seeing someone, don’t worry too much. She can always be a concubine.”
“A concubine…?”
“Ah, didn’t you know?”
The Count chuckled at my murmur and explained.
“One of a noble’s duties is to have many descendants to support the country. As a noble, you can have up to three concubines besides your main wife.”
Duties, my foot.
For some reason, I felt the urge to go to the restroom again.