Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 243
Turning Point (3)
As the future Marquis’s body leaned toward Bjorn Jandel, a man watching from afar smirked.
The rumors were true.
Bastard doesn’t even begin to describe him.
To pull such a stunt in front of the chancellor.
Or maybe he thinks that neither the chancellor nor the other nobles will accuse him.
Hmm, in retrospect it wasn’t incomprehensible.
A noble, soon to be a marquis, versus a barbarian explorer who had just earned the title of baron.
The difference was obvious…
Given the highly hierarchical nature of noble society, such blatant bullying was commonplace and tacitly tolerated.
It was a form of initiation.
However…
I must give him credit for his audacity.
The future Marquis was no knight.
He had merely taken a few potions to improve his physique.
Yet he dared to provoke an explorer known for defeating the corpse collector in close combat…
Oh, right, he’s supposed to be injured.
The man suddenly remembered that Bjorn Jandel was still suffering from the effects of the recent battle.
They said the poison had even reached his brain?
At the last banquet he was sweating just from walking.
That must be why the Marquis pulled this stunt.
‘It’s just going to ruin my mood.’
Thinking about the upcoming events, the man grimaced.
The malice of the nobles hidden behind their grandeur.
The hero facing humiliation in front of everyone.
This was not what he wanted to see on his rare outing.
“Huh?”
The man tilted his head.
An unexpected result unfolded.
Despite the Marquis’ attempt, the barbarian didn’t move.
“…Has he already recovered to some extent?
Good.
Just as he was thought that, the barbarian’s shoulder muscles, barely hidden by his clothes, twitched.
And at that moment,
“Argh!!”
The Marquis flew backwards as if he had been struck.
“……”
Even the music stopped, and silence fell over the room.
It made no sense.
“…He pushed the Marquis back?!
An action he wouldn’t have taken had he considered the consequences.
The man felt a strange sense of embarrassment, as if he were in Bjorn’s shoes.
He was glad that Bjorn had recovered enough to resist the petty bullying, but…
He should have just ignored it.
If it were him, he would have laughed it off, saying something like, ‘Ha ha, my legs gave out? I guess I need to exercise more,’ and then sought revenge later.
That would have been the safer option.
Well, it was a barbarian-like action.
That guy wouldn’t have done it like that.
So he must be a native barbarian after all.
The man looked at the situation with disappointment.
There was still a chance that this could be part of a larger plan…
Even though Bjorn wasn’t ‘that guy’, the man suspected Bjorn of being a player because of his extraordinary growth.
Let’s just watch for now.
With that thought, the man concentrated intently.
“Bjorn, son of Jandel.”
The chancellor called out the barbarian’s name with a troubled voice.
He already knew everything.
The marquis’s antics, as well as the barbarian’s response.
How are you going to handle this?
The man watched expectantly, waiting for the barbarian’s reaction.
It didn’t take long.
The barbarian shouted indignantly.
“I’ve done nothing wrong!”
It was a childish, illogical defense.
“It’s true! I was just standing there and he used me to do a forward roll!”
He even shamelessly shifted the blame onto the Marquis.
The man felt a strange sense of futility.
“Marquis! Tell them! You just felt like doing a forward roll!”
He recalled the veteran players in the community who insisted that Bjorn Jandel couldn’t be a player.
Now he understood their point.
This guy… a modern man…?
The man’s eyes turned cold as he watched the barbarian.
***
The title ceremony was over.
Honestly, I don’t remember much about how it went.
It was boring.
The chancellor attached all sorts of flowery phrases and gave a speech, then declared me a noble of this kingdom on behalf of the royal family.
And then the banquet began.
‘Damn it.’
This time, it was different from the previous banquet.
Back then, various nobles approached me either to form connections or out of mere curiosity, but now…
“……”
There was no one around me.
Even Baron Martoin, as well as the count who had tried to arrange a political marriage, were just watching from a distance.
The marquis and viscount surrounded by many nobles were receiving entirely different treatment.
Well, it wasn’t hard to understand.
I had seriously offended the marquis with this incident.
‘Hah, because of that weirdo.’
Now that it had come to this, I grabbed a piece of meat with my hand and started chewing as I recalled what had happened earlier.
[“Bjorn, son of Jandel.”]
How would I navigate this situation, especially with the chancellor’s reprimanding gaze?
My answer was to switch to the mindless barbarian mode that had always come to my rescue during difficult times.
[“…I did nothing wrong!”]
Anyone who knew anything already understood that the marquis was to blame.
So, I decided to be shameless.
Political dialogue never suited a barbarian anyway.
[“It’s true! I was just standing there, and he used me to do a forward roll!”]
As expected, the chancellor couldn’t say anything about my claim.
[“…A forward roll?”]
That’s how it is with those who’ve only ever held a pen at a desk.
No matter how smart and quick-witted they are, they aren’t equipped for this kind of dialogue.
[“Marquis! Tell them! You just felt like doing a forward roll!”]
The nobles who had seen my actions as a challenge began to change their attitudes as the mindless barbarian mode continued.
They realized it.
Barbarians were practically a different species.
[…Kariot Kudo, speak. Are his words true?]
Finally, the Chancellor turned a cold gaze on the Marquis, who stammered in response.
[Th-there’s no way! That barbarian dared to push me—]
[“Enough.”]
[“…?”]
The Chancellor cut him off and simply smiled at him without saying another word.
A silent pressure not to escalate the matter
[“Yes… It’s true…”]
In the end, the Marquis had no choice but to admit that he wanted to do a forward roll.
The Chancellor’s behavior indicated that he was on my side in this incident.
As a noble, the Marquis had enough sense to recognise what the Chancellor’s smile meant.
‘…The chancellor is quite tricky.’
Anyway, the title ceremony continued as if nothing had happened and ended with the presentation of a luxurious box containing the essence I had chosen two days earlier.
And now…
‘Should I just go back…?’
Sitting alone at a large round table, gorging on meat, I began to feel an urge to leave.
‘Hmm, okay, maybe just one more plate before I go.’
Having made my decision, I asked a nearby attendant to bring me another plate filled to the brim with meat.
After some time had passed,
‘Huh?’
I turned my eyes to the approaching figure and saw a man, not the plate of meat I had been waiting for.
“Haha, pleased to meet you. Baron Jandel.”
The first noble to approach me at this ostracizing banquet.
As soon as our eyes met, my barbarian instincts whispered that something was off.
No…
“I am Hans of the Ifreya baronial family.”
This man was dangerous.
***
Hans Ifreya.
Hans I, for short.
“…You’re quieter than I expected.”
Even though he was the youngest son of the baron with no title, I felt suffocated.
A noble ‘Hans’?
I had never encountered this type of Hans before!
“I am Bjorn, son of Jandel.”
I tried to introduce myself and leave, but then –
“Huff, huff, here you go, Baron Jandel.”
The plate of meat I had ordered arrived.
Considering my eating habits today, the servant brought three plates piled high with meat.
“…Thank you.”
I couldn’t help but thank him.
But what was this?
“It’s the first… time…”
The attendant looked at me with a somewhat emotional expression.
“It’s the first time I’ve heard such words while doing this job…”
Damn nobles.
The attendant stood behind me, ready to fulfill any further requests.
‘…I was planning to leave.’
Leaving now might unintentionally hurt him.
So, I picked up a piece of meat.
“You’re still eating, I see. If it’s not too much trouble, may I join you?”
A typical noble would either happily oblige or politely decline.
But I’m a barbarian in this city.
“That’s a bit uncomfortable.”
I bluntly said it was uncomfortable.
Hans I’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Hmm, you’re different from what I’ve heard.”
There was something significant in his words and gaze.
So, I had to ask.
“Different?”
“Oh, pardon my slip. I merely thought you wouldn’t be troubled by such a request.”
What’s with this guy?
A relaxed attitude for the youngest son of a baron with no title.
And his name being Hans is also suspect.
‘…Why is he approaching me?’
I needed to probe him a bit.
After a brief moment of thought, I spoke naturally.
“Why don’t you have a plate too? It’s a bit uncomfortable eating alone.”
“Ah, I see, that’s what you meant.”
Hans I ordered his preferred dish from the servant.
Thus began our time alone together.
“Nice to meet you. I was getting bored being alone.”
I extended my hand, still greasy from the meat, and after a moment’s hesitation, Hans I shook it with a grimace.
‘Huh, this makes him even more suspicious.’
Why would he need to stay here, shaking hands covered in meat juice?
To find out, I spoke.
Loud enough that the bits of meat I was chewing flew into his face.
“So, Hans Ifreya? I like you! Let’s be friends!”
“……”
“What, don’t you want to be friends?”
I asked, and he laughed awkwardly, using his hands to remove each piece of meat from his face.
“No, of course not…”
“Haha, I like you!”
Soon enough, his meal arrived, and we ate and chatted.
He congratulated me on my title, commented on the nice weather, and the conversation was mostly trivial small talk.
At some point, Hans I stopped touching his plate.
That’s because every piece of meat that fell from my mouth ended up on his plate.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
“…My stomach doesn’t feel well.”
“Hmmm, It’s awkward eating alone…….”
Meaning he should either get to the point or leave.
How would he react?
The answer was simple.
“Since you’re uncomfortable, I’ll take my leave.”
Hans I stood up without hesitation.
And…
“Enjoy your meal.”
He left immediately.
‘What was that about?’
Did he just come over to make friends?
“……”
Him just leaving like that made me feel even more uneasy.
***
Early evening, as the day began to wane.
After Hans I left, I quickly exited the palace and boarded a carriage heading home.
I had encountered Hans.
Who knows what kind of incident I might get embroiled in, surrounded by all those nobles.
‘Let’s just consume the essence first.’
As soon as I left the palace, I asked Keplo, who was once again following me closely, to open the test tube for a moment.
‘Now that I think about it, this might be the first time I’ve consumed essence without breaking it.’
Corpse golem, Orc Hero, Manticore.
Each time I consumed an essence, the situations were different, but in the end, I broke the test tube and absorbed the essence.
Either way, it’s not like it could be reused.
Whoosh.
I took a deep breath at the vial’s opening, and the essence inside was absorbed into my body like smoke.
「The essence of ‘Bion’ permeates the character’s soul.」
Level 3 monster, Bion.
The reason I ultimately chose this one was simple.
While consuming the essence of ‘Vol-Herchan’ would immediately benefit my aura and combat capabilities…
It’s significantly harder to acquire.
‘Now that I’ve consumed it this way, I can just farm experience and skip the ‘Land of the Immortals’ later.’
Vol-Herchan is a cluster entity and easily found in the field, whereas Bion is difficult to encounter and its field environment is quite challenging.
This choice was more about future planning.
‘The essence traits are different, but there’s no significant difference in specs.’
Plus, considering the effects of the next spirit engraving, this choice was more rational.
「Soul Power +100」
「Soul Regeneration +30」
「Strength +25」
「…….」
「…….」
A deep sense of fulfillment rising from within.
New vitality delivered by the minor physical stat enhancements.
I enjoyed that feeling for a moment and then opened my eyes to Keplow smiling and congratulating me.
‘It’s late today, so I’ll go to the training ground tomorrow.’
Regretting that I couldn’t immediately use my new strength, I closed my eyes again.
***
Who knows how much time had passed.
Screech.
The carriage suddenly stopped in the middle of the street.
Did a wheel fall off?
As I opened my eyes, thinking that—
“I sense magic below!”
Keplow, a knight with a talent for sensing magic, shouted.
And…
“You must get off—!”
A massive explosion enveloped the surroundings in flames.
Boom—!
The carriage shattered instantly.
Amid the ringing in my ears, I heard the knights’ shouts.
“Assassins! Assassins are here!!”
Damn it.