Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 338

Snowball (Part 2)

2 years and 6 months.

I was there for about half a year, so it’s safe to say that time passed at a ratio of about 5:1.

The problem is that this ratio doesn’t seem to be fixed.

“Amelia, did you arrive here before me?”

Even though I was almost sure, I still asked, and she answered right away.

“Yes, it was a long wait. The magical tool you’re holding is something I left behind. I set it to light up as soon as you returned, signaling me. Though, I didn’t expect it to take over two years for the signal to come.”

No wonder I heard a ‘beep’ when I woke up.

That must have been the sound of the magical tool turning on.

“Anyway, I’ll explain everything later. For now, just run.”

Amelia was clearly eager to finish the conversation and get away from this place, but I couldn’t just go along with her.

No matter how I thought about it, something didn’t make sense.

“Wait, if Erwin is chasing us, why do we need to run?”

“Even if you don’t understand, that woman would definitely try to kill me. In this city, where the oath is enforced,  I’m doomed to lose.”

I understand she’d lose, but—

“Why would she want to kill you?”

“Because she thinks I had something to do with your death.”

“Ah….”

The situation started to make sense in my head.

But even so, I still couldn’t make sense of Amelia’s actions.

“But if that’s the case, I could just meet her and explain—”

“That won’t be easy.”

“…What?”

When I responded, confused, Amelia stopped walking. She turned to face me and spoke in a serious tone.

“Jandel, that woman… she’s not the same fairy you used to know.”

Her expression looked as if she was recalling some kind of monster.

Amelia was certain that not even I could control Erwin.

“What happened to her in the meantime…?”

“A lot. But there’s no time for a long explanation.”

Amelia cut off my murmuring and continued speaking.

“Whether she still has any feelings left for you is uncertain, but there’s only one important thing right now.”

“What’s that…?”

“She can’t protect you anymore.”

It had been a long time since I felt this way.

No matter how much we talked, I couldn’t make sense of things.

“…Protect me? From whom?”

I asked absentmindedly, and Amelia gave a short answer once again.

“From the entire world.”

What the hell is she talking about?

Before I could ask further, Amelia called my name.

“Bjorn Jandel.”

Her voice was firm, but also carried a bitter tone, like a doctor delivering a terminal diagnosis.

“The royal family has declared you an evil spirit.”

…What?

***

A Lazy Afternoon.

Sunlight streamed into the office through barred windows.

But inside, it was far from peaceful.

“…That concludes my report.”

Alex Halo, the deputy commander of the 3rd Magic Battalion, stood rigidly at attention, observing his superior’s expression with his chin stiffly raised.

She was reading the documents with a furrowed brow.

“Hmm….”

After finishing the papers, she looked up and gazed at him.

It was the same tired, worn-out look she always had.

Seeing that look, Alex quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Based on his past experiences, he knew that, at the very least, he would survive this time.

“You did well. The report is good, especially the part about the movements of Noark. It’s speculative, but it shows creativity, unlike the garbage I’ve seen before.”

Was that a compliment or criticism?

He wasn’t sure, but his response was already set.

“Thank you—”

“You expected me to say that?”

Oh, shit.

Gulp.

Her voice suddenly changed, and Alex swallowed hard.

Her eyes were no longer tired.

Well, she still looked exhausted, but they weren’t sleepy.

They were the eyes of a predator about to devour its prey.

If he stayed silent, he’d be completely torn apart.

“Please, tell me what I need to fix, and I will correct it.”

“First of all, the format is a problem. Especially this part. Didn’t I tell you last time? Don’t you know that once I approve it, it goes to Commander Febrosk?”

“…I’ll correct it.”

“Actually, the content is a bigger issue. Noark might be living inside the labyrinth? Maybe you should be a novelist. Though, I doubt your stories would sell.”

“I’ll correct it.”

“Are you a parrot? How are you going to fix it? You need to explain that.”

Finally, it’s over.

“…I’ll rewrite it.”

“Good. Then.”

Her gaze shifted to another document, and Alex, clutching his battered soul, turned around and quietly left the room.

He carefully closed the door, trying not to disturb her as she focused on her next task.

Creak—

As the door slowly closed, Alex caught a glimpse of her through the narrowing gap. Even with her tired face, there was something captivating about her intense concentration.

Maybe that’s why the soldiers in the battalion feared her but never hated her.

‘If only she were a bit kinder, she’d be a lot more popular….’

The Golden Mage.

Within the battalion, she was better known by her nickname ‘Little Demon’.

‘She really is stunning, though…’

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you leaving?”

“S-Sorry! Nia Raphdonia!”

Startled, the man quickly saluted and hastily slammed the door shut.

And then…

“Haa, when will he ever be useful?”

The Golden Mage, Alluva Raven, sighed as she gazed at the closed door.

But her attention didn’t stay there for long.

She picked up her pen again, tackling the mountain of paperwork stacked on her desk.

How much time had passed?

“That’s enough for today.”

Raven stretched her stiff body and looked out the window.

The world outside had already turned dark as the sun had long set.

‘At least I’ve finished the most important tasks today. I’ll just need to wrap up the rest tomorrow morning…’

Raven began undoing her uniform’s buttons but stopped halfway and laughed bitterly.

What’s the point of changing clothes when she’ll just wear them again tomorrow?

After putting on her officer’s coat and tidying up her desk, she checked the calendar one last time.

Year 156, December 2.

The sight of the calendar still felt strange.

It should have gotten easier by now.

But even after all this time, her body would stiffen, and her heart would sink at times like this.

That feeling of loss only deepened her understanding.

She realized how much joy and brilliance had filled those short days she spent with him and his comrades.

But those times… would never return.

‘It’s already been over two years…’

In the span of two years and six months, countless events had transpired—too many to recount in just a few days.

To sum it up briefly:

It was a long, long time.

The bonds she had tried to salvage were torn apart.

At that time, Alluva Raven, a rank 6 mage of the Artemion School, had risen to become the deputy commander of the royal army’s battalion.

****

Clunk.

Raven walked to the window and opened it wide.

A cold winter breeze quietly flowed in.

Swish—

She began recalling the last moments of her former comrades.

Barbarian warrior Aynar Pheneline.

Abman, who was unreliable most of the time but dependable when it mattered.

And Misha, too.

‘It’s been over six months since I last saw any of them…’

The last person she’d met was Abman, half a year ago. Even then, the conversation had been awkward, unlike before. They’d bumped into each other on the sixth floor, exchanged small talk, and parted uncomfortably.

Well, she did see Erwin two months ago… but they’re not really comrades anymore.

They only made eye contact for a moment and didn’t even exchange greetings.

‘At least Abman and Aynar seem to be doing well…’

As Raven recalled her former comrades, she quietly closed her eyes.

A particular painful memory came to mind.

“Misha….”

What’s she doing right now?

Raven reached out her hand through the open window. As snowflakes began to fall, she caught one in her palm and thought of the last conversation she had with Misha.

[There’s something I have to tell you…]

It was about two years and four months ago, at the end of that summer.

***

Instinct.

Explorers often jokingly referred to it as the sixth sense.

Surprisingly, this sense was incredibly useful in life.

It’s a common story among those in this line of work—having no clear information or evidence, but feeling uneasy, ducking, and narrowly avoiding a claw swipe over their heads.

Thud.

However, this sense isn’t something people are born with.

The more experience and intelligence one has, the more accurate their instincts become. Instincts are the result of information, like grains of sand, accumulating in the subconscious and combining.

It’s just hard to explain why you arrived at that conclusion.

But the basis for that conclusion exists clearly in the unconscious mind.

***

“Something you need to tell me…?”

Ignoring the growing sense of unease, Raven asked again.

After all, nothing had been confirmed yet.

It’s common for instincts to be wrong.

In fact, they’re more likely to be wrong than right.

But…

“Yeah… something I need to tell you… No, something I have to tell you.”

“Uh, about your tone…”

“This? I’m trying to change it. I can’t always be like that, can I?”

“Oh… really? That’s good to hear. I-I’m rooting for you.”

On the surface, Misha’s change seemed positive.

Raven knew Misha’s circumstances to some extent.

In the past, Misha had injured her tongue. Although the wound healed over time, it left a psychological scar.

Yes, that must be it, but…

Thump.

Why is my heart beating faster?

Why is this making me feel more uneasy?

“…So, what did you want to say?”

“Well, actually….”

Misha trailed off, avoiding eye contact. But after some hesitation, she finally opened her mouth.

“I’m leaving the team.”

Her declaration to leave.

But Raven didn’t ask why.

It wasn’t all that surprising, after all.

“I see….”

To be honest, part of her had expected it would eventually come to this.

No one could fill the barbarian’s absence. The labyrinth exploration would be put on hold indefinitely, and eventually, the team would break apart.

But…

“Alright. If you’ve decided that’s what’s best, then I won’t argue with it.”

The team’s dissolution didn’t matter.

What mattered were the bonds between them.

Just because they wouldn’t be going into the labyrinth together anymore didn’t mean their bond had to end here.

“So, what do you plan to do next?”

“I’ll return to my family for now.”

“Oh, are you planning to take a break without any concrete plans? I support that too—”

“And then, I’ll head back into the labyrinth.”

“…What?”

Raven couldn’t comprehend it.

She’s leaving the team, yet she’s still going into the labyrinth?

Her head was spinning.

“The labyrinth? With whom? Don’t tell me you’ve already found a new team?”

Feeling an inexplicable sense of betrayal, Raven bombarded her with questions.

But Misha didn’t answer.

Instead, she changed the subject with a bitter tone.

“More importantly, that’s not the only thing I need to tell you….”

Raven’s unease, which had just started to settle, intensified once more.

Maybe that’s why her once-excited voice calmed down.

“…Go ahead.”

Her voice, now cold, spilled out.

Misha lowered her gaze, fixing it on the ground.

In a small voice, she spoke.

“Soon, there will be rumors spreading that Bjorn is an evil spirit….”

“…What?”

“Oh! I-It’s just a rumor! No matter what anyone says, don’t believe it! I-I just wanted to warn you….”

What in the world is she talking about?

Has she gone mad over Jandel’s death?

Is this conversation even making sense?

But then, a thought crossed her mind.

It was instinct.

The sixth sense that arrives at the truth before reason.

“So, you’re the one planning to spread these rumors about Jandel? I don’t know why, but that’s what you’re about to do.”

As if answering, Misha took a step back.

“You came here to warn me in advance, didn’t you? Because you don’t want us to remember Jandel as an evil spirit.”

Raven took a step forward.

“But let me tell you something.”

She had already realized the truth.

“When you say there will be rumors about Jandel being an evil spirit…”

What this ominous feeling had been about all along.

“…But that’s not just a rumor, is it?”

Raven grabbed Misha’s wrist and asked.

It was an uncharacteristic mistake for her.

After all, there was no way a mage like her could overpower a physically strong explorer.

“Ugh!”

Misha shook off her hand and ran away. The next day, the city was buzzing with rumors that Bjorn Jandel was an evil spirit.

And…

“Where did that woman disappear to…?”

That was the last Raven ever saw of Misha.