Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 268

Farune Island (2)

Tobera Church’s priestess, Lairyn Ersina.

Her account of the events goes like this.

“We were exploring the island’s center when an unidentified team suddenly attacked us.”

It was an ambush.

A team of five members.

Each of them was at least a rank 7 fighter, and Ersina’s team was on the brink of destruction before they could even put up a real fight.

Losing the mage at the start was the biggest factor.

Well, it seems they fought valiantly despite such harsh conditions…

“The situation kept worsening, and eventually, Sir Drowes made a decision.”

In the end, one of the team members made a decision.

To sacrifice themselves to save their comrades.

However, it felt distinctly different from the Dwalki incident.

“…So, you guys ran away while your comrade bought you time?”

When I asked incredulously, the priestess reddened and tried to explain.

“I was against it. I told them countless times that we couldn’t leave anyone behind—”

What is she talking about?

If she was so deeply against it, we wouldn’t be meeting here now.

“Enough. Explain the main points. What happened next?”

“I don’t know what happened to Sir Drowes, but soon we were pursued. I got separated from the other members.”

No wonder she was running frantically alone.

Now I roughly understand the situation.

Time to focus on the details.

Let’s start with this.

“By the way, who is this Drowes?”

“Guardweaver Drowes. He was the blonde-haired swordsman who gave you the potion that day and saved you.”

Oh, so his name was Drowes.

It took over a year to learn the name of the blonde, but there was no time to dwell on it.

“What about the enemies? Describe them in detail.”

I quickly questioned her about the unidentified five-person team, and the priestess told me everything she could remember.

The abilities they showed during the battle, their appearances.

Even the names they called each other.

Listening intently, thinking these details could save my life, I froze at one part.

“Wait a minute, a red-haired woman?”

One of the descriptions sounded like someone I knew.

“Yes. She seemed to be the leader of the group. But is there a problem…?”

Of course, there is a problem.

How many red-haired women using blades and aura exist in this city?

Moreover, asking in detail revealed that the location of her tattoo and her half-severed right ear matched.

It couldn’t just be a similar person.

‘Amelia Rainweilz, it’s her again?’

A feeling of suffocation rose from deep within my chest.

It’s no wonder since Amelia is from Noark.

The other four might also be from there.

In short…

‘It’s not just a simple plundering.’

This is going to be troublesome.

As I sighed unknowingly, the priestess cautiously asked, watching my reaction.

“Do you know that woman?”

“Maybe.”

I replied nonchalantly and asked a few more questions.

“Forget that for now. Ersina, did they have any peculiarities?”

“Peculiarities…?”

“Anything unusual. Do you have any clues as to why they ambushed you?”

“Well…”

The priestess hesitated before speaking after a long pause.

“At the time, I couldn’t think clearly, but now that I think about it, there was something odd.”

“Stop stalling and get to the point.”

“Sir Drowes said something while buying time. He said it was his responsibility, and that we had no reason to be involved and should leave. I thought it was just something a leader would say, but…”

“That is indeed strange.”

“Yes. Moreover, it seemed like he knew the assailants. They called him a traitor and demanded something incomprehensible from him…”

What?

“Why are you only mentioning this now?”

Isn’t this the clear cause of the attack?

I looked at her in disbelief, and the priestess’s voice turned into a whisper.

“Well, at that time, I was so out of it…”

Despite her frustrating response, I started to piece together the situation in my head.

[Before the blockade at Noark, they sent a few people above ground. The goal was to kill an explorer. Surprising, right?]

According to the clown’s words at the round table, Amelia and a few infiltrators were assigned assassination missions.

I didn’t know who their target was until now.

But…

‘Perhaps this guy was the target.’

Who exactly is this Drowes guy?

As I pondered, the priestess interrupted.

“But Sir Jandel…”

“ I am a Baron.”

“Oh, yes… Anyway, why were you alone in such a place?”

For the first time, the priestess, who had been answering questions all along, asked.

Apparently, she was curious about my situation as well.

“I was leaving the island, but the ship sank, and I got separated from my comrades.”

“Pardon?”

Why do you sound so surprised?

For a while, we need to work together.

***

“Let’s talk while moving.”

“Pardon? Are you saying we should go inside?”

“I promised to meet my comrades in the center if we got separated.”

“Oh, I see. But over there…”

The priestess looked at me with reluctance.

I can guess what she’s thinking.

It must feel like entering a tiger’s den.

But didn’t she also get separated from her comrades?

‘A priestess worried only about herself, huh.’

“If you don’t want to, stay. I’ll go alone.”

I spoke firmly instead of persuading her gently, and the priestess reluctantly agreed.

What could a lone priestess do anyway?

She didn’t have a boat, and even if she did, the sea was in that state.

“Do you know why the wind is blowing so hard? It’s as if a storm is coming.”

Well, that’s what I want to ask.

“I don’t know, but monsters are gathering from the coast.”

“…I see.”

This is as puzzling as the identity of Drowes.

I know there was an ambush.

But who triggered the island’s event, and why?

Anyone who knew the activation conditions would know how dangerous this is.

‘Well, I’ll find out eventually.’

Like it or not, I’m trapped on this island.

I’ll eventually meet Amelia and her comrades.

‘For now, let’s focus on reuniting with my comrades.’

Pushing aside negative thoughts, I moved deeper into the island with the priestess.

At first, I led with the priestess following behind, but…

“At this rate, it will take hours. Come here.”

Due to the slow pace, I ended up carrying the priestess on my back midway.

The monsters we encountered were not a problem.

Even if I were alone, I could pass through them unscathed.

Thanks to the priestess’s skill.

「Lairin Ersina casts [Sanctuary].」

A protective holy spell that prevents attacks from monsters below level 7.

It was a bit funny.

Tobera Sect, one of the three sects in Raphdonia, had a peculiar rule.

Specifically, that holy power should not be used on barbarians.

‘What a petty god.’

Apparently, a barbarian once drunkenly urinated on Tobera’s statue thousands of years ago.

That’s the historical event that led to this rule.

It probably explains why she didn’t heal me back when I was crawling in the cave.

“Even the sun god seems to understand breaking the rules in such situations, huh?”

“I understand your feelings, Sir Jandel, but please do not insult him.”

When I made a snide comment, the priestess responded sharply.

“…I broke the rule, so if you need to blame someone, blame me instead.”

Oh, she’s serious.

“You misunderstand. I wasn’t blaming you.”

Sure, you have to use it to survive.

No matter how much you like your god, you wouldn’t want to meet him this early, right?

“If that incident left a scar… I apologize. But I insisted on the rule because it was a situation where a potion could solve it, not because I wanted to ignore you.”

Hmm, that does sound somewhat reasonable.

“Alright, I understand your situation.”

I replied briefly, shaking off any lingering resentment.

What can an individual do about a rule set by a group?

“Anyway, let’s stop talking about this. It’s not the priority now.”

“Yes.”

We ceased our idle chatter and focused on moving.

How much time had passed?

“H-Here. This is where the plunderers…”

“…Be quiet.”

We reached the island’s center, our target.

There was nothing around.

Only traces of a battle that happened some time ago.

“…You can dispel your holy spell now.”

I had the priestess end her holy spell first.

Then, I began to search the area slowly.

It seemed I was the first to arrive; there were no comrades here.

“There’s really no one here…”

There was no sign of Drowes, the team leader who chose to sacrifice himself, nor the mage who was killed at the start of the ambush.

What exactly happened here?

“So, what will you do now?”

The priestess asked, and I answered without hesitation.

“We wait. Until someone comes, whether it’s an enemy or an ally.”

“Yes, understood.”

Contrary to my expectations, the priestess accepted my decision without complaint. When I asked why, she gave me this answer.

“I need to meet my comrades as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s impossible to leave the island in the current situation. If my escaped comrades met with yours at the coast, they might be heading here.”

So, you followed me with that thought in mind.

“Ersina, aren’t you afraid that all your comrades might be dead?”

I asked thoughtlessly, and the priestess replied.

“Of course I am. But all we can do is believe.”

Oh right, she’s a priestess.

For a moment, I regretted asking.

“All we are allowed to do is that much.”

The priestess actually wasn’t wrong.

‘Please, I hope everyone is safe…’

This was all I could do for now.

***

Splash!

The sound of rough waves pierced her ears.

“Ugh, bleh…!”

Misha Karlstein vomited up the seawater from her stomach as she opened her eyes.

She hurriedly looked around.

“A-Aynar!”

Her heart sank.

After all, Aynar had been by her side until the very end when the ship sank.

Determined to take responsibility for Aynar, who couldn’t swim, she had clung tightly to her in the turbulent waves.

“I lost her…”

Anxiety flooded her mind.

Was Aynar alright?

What would she tell Bjorn if she met him later?

Wait, what about Bjorn…

Smack!

Misha slapped both of her cheeks with her hands.

She came to her senses.

“Positive thoughts, positive thoughts…”

She herself had woken up on the shore despite losing consciousness.

Everyone would be okay.

So…

[If we get separated, head to the island’s center!!]

Misha remembered Bjorn’s last words and brushed the dirt off her hands and face.

She then started walking slowly towards the forest.

Then.

Tap.

She heard a noise beside her.

“…Aynar? Aynar?”

Misha called out weakly as she ran towards the sound, only to be confronted by an unfamiliar figure.

“You.”

“H-Huh?”

“You must be one of Bjorn Jandel’s companions.”

It was a red-haired woman with a scar where half of her right ear had been cut off.

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