Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 341

Snowball (5)

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Bjorn Jandel is an evil spirit.

At first, it was merely a rumor, but as time passed, even the royal family acknowledged it.

Of course, refuting such claims wouldn’t be too difficult.

I could set up a trial and use Auril Gavis’ gift to prove it. That would restore my status as Baron Jandel and my reputation.

However…

‘Something feels off.’

The more I think about it, the more unsettling it becomes.

After all, there’s an unwritten rule that the dead are exempt from blame. It’s not that they are truly innocent, but it’s just customary. There’s no point in holding the dead accountable, so people don’t dwell on it much, and others don’t take a keen interest.

But in this case, the impossible had happened.

A rumor spread that a dead man was actually an evil spirit, and the royal family officially acknowledged it.

‘Looks like I should lay low for a while.’

It’s not natural. It doesn’t feel like the workings of fate or some divine will.

The rumor spread because someone wanted it to. The royal family acknowledged it because there must be a significant reason behind it.

The problem is…

‘I have no idea what that reason is.’

I’m lacking information. Thus, walking straight into the royal palace and declaring, ‘I’m alive and back,’ to undergo verification would be risky. Not everyone will be happy to hear of my survival.

Some may even regret my survival so much that they’ll want to erase me entirely. And if those individuals are connected to the royal family, then I’m already as good as dead.

‘The verification process comes later—after I’ve figured out what’s really going on.’

I quickly decided on my course of action: First, I’ll gather information without revealing my return. Clearing my name and reclaiming my title and reputation can come later.

“Phew…”

Having settled on a plan, I let out a long sigh and checked on Erwin, who was lying on the bed.

I’d have to rely on her for a while.

At the moment, I didn’t even have a place to stay, let alone money to buy new clothes. Besides, it was almost impossible to gather information while trying to disguise myself with this conspicuous body.

Today’s events had been awkward, but…

‘Still, considering she passed out after just that little amount of drinking, it seems like  she hasn’t completely changed.

As I watched the angelic sleeping face of Erwin, a voice interrupted my thoughts.

“How long do you plan to keep staring out the window?”

Erwin’s eyes snapped open.

“It’s almost like you’re waiting for someone.”

What…? Wasn’t she just asleep, drunk?

***

After a peaceful night under the serene moonlight, the next morning arrived. Erwin dressed herself and prepared to leave.

Before departing, she warned me again, repeatedly.

“Don’t go outside while I’m gone. Even one step, or I’ll know. Got it?”

I was curious about her method of knowing, but I just nodded and asked where she was going.

“Are you heading back to the sanctuary?”

“Yes, I need to stop by there.”

Well, she did say she became a pure-blood elf and signed a contract with the Spirit King.

She, too, had responsibilities and duties to her—

“Plus, we need money.”

“…What?”

“I’m going to sell some things and find a better place for us to stay. This place… isn’t great, you know?”

“…What’s wrong with it?”

“I don’t dislike it or anything… but wouldn’t it be better to start off somewhere nicer?”

I wasn’t sure what exactly was wrong with the lodging, but I decided to take it as her wanting a better hideout.

“Well then… I’ll be back?”

“Oh, wait. Could I ask you for one favor?”

“Huh? A favor? Do you want me to bring some meat?”

“No, not that… well, I wouldn’t mind if you did bring some. But the favor is something else.”

I asked Erwin to stop by the bank and check on my vault. I told her if there was anything inside, to bring it to me without asking questions.

“Got it. See you later, mister!”

Erwin left, cheerfully agreeing to the task.

Her retreating figure didn’t inspire much confidence.

‘I hope she brings it back properly…’

I felt uneasy, but there was no other option. If I went out, someone was bound to recognize me.

‘At least Amelia returned first.’

Last night, I suddenly realized that the vault’s storage period had exceeded the 22-year limit, which sent me into a panic. Fortunately, Amelia must have addressed it in time.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left that cryptic message.

[Gold, storage…]

Surely, she must have extended the storage period.

She really is a reliable woman.

‘And judging by her recent appearance, she seems to have grown even more.’

Amelia’s duplicates created via [Self-Replication] can be summoned within a 5-meter radius, and their operating range is 100 meters. But judging from last night, it didn’t seem like Amelia’s main body was anywhere nearby.

In other words, she must have acquired a new ability.

According to the database, only three synergy skills fit those conditions. Based on how attentively she had listened to my advice in the past, it’s likely she chose the one I recommended: 

[Dual Dominion].

She must have consumed the essence of the Twin Hydra, granting her duplicates more autonomy.

I had explained the drawbacks of the other synergy skills in detail.

‘Anyway, I need some sleep too…’

After nearly staying up all night, exhaustion weighed heavily on me. I headed to bed and closed my eyes.

I don’t know how much time passed when—

“Mister, wake up.”

“Ah… you’re back…”

When I opened my eyes, Erwin stood before me.

The sun outside was starting to set.

Checking the clock, I saw that about 8 hours had passed.

“Did anything happen while you were out?”

“Were you… worried about me?”

No, I was sleeping.

“Of course.”

“…Hehe, that’s nice to hear.”

“Ahem, so how did things go?”

“Oh, that? Luckily, I found a decent place since I had some money saved! There were a few things I didn’t like since I was in a hurry, but don’t worry! I made sure to fix those up.”

“Good, that’s great.”

I didn’t care much about the lodging, so I was ready to move on and ask the most important question.

“So… what about the bank? How did that go?”

“Oh… the bank…?”

Her response was strange, and it made me anxious.

Did she not manage to open the vault?

I had given her the correct password, hadn’t I?

No way… did Amelia fail to extend the storage period?

While I was drowning in worst-case scenarios—

“Here.”

Erwin handed me a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket.

“Uh…”

I took it absentmindedly, confused.

“What is this…?”

“It’s what was in the vault. You told me to bring whatever was inside, right?”

“Wasn’t there a hammer? One about this big—”

“There was no such thing. Just that letter.”

“A… letter?”

Finally realizing the identity of the crumpled paper, I carefully unfolded it.

Although the sender wasn’t marked, it wasn’t hard to figure out who wrote it.

Amelia Rainweilz.

“…Mind if I read it?”

“Go ahead.”

With Erwin’s permission, I quickly skimmed through the letter. It was full of creases, but it was still legible.

In summary, Amelia had taken several precautions but left the letter in case something went wrong and we couldn’t meet.

The vault’s time period had been extended. 

So, if I left my location, she would come to me.

Ah, and lastly—

[Demon Crusher of Kraul…]

Unfortunately, the letter cut off there.

It was crumpled and torn, leaving the final sentence incomplete.

‘The most important part is missing!’

I asked Erwin if she remembered what the rest said, but all I got was a shrug. She claimed she hadn’t paid attention to that part.

‘My hammer…!’

It tore me up inside to think that something might’ve gone wrong while I was away, but I decided to avoid jumping to conclusions. It could just be that Amelia was holding on to it.

Or, worst case scenario, I could simply write back and figure out what happened.

“Hey, Erwin…”

After burning the letter for security reasons, I called out to her. I was planning to ask if she could return to the bank and deliver a reply.

But…

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault that you received a love letter. It’s not like you asked for it. You’re just too charming, that’s all.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, and just in case, I destroyed the vault.”

“…What?”

“You’re not upset, right? That you can’t contact that woman anymore?”

I should’ve been furious at her for doing something so reckless. After all,I am the kind of person who knew how to express anger in situations that called for it.

Yes, I’m certain I am…

“No, of course not!”

For some reason, a ‘no’ slipped out of my mouth before I realized it.

It was a reflex.

Looking back, I suppose I could say I didn’t want to strain my relationship with Erwin.

“Hehe, I knew it.”

After that, we ate the food Erwin had brought back, and before I knew it, night had fallen.

It was the perfect time to activate the power of Erwin’s Dark Spirit. 

Just like the night before, we cloaked ourselves in darkness and headed to the house Erwin had secured.

“You got this… in one day?”

The house was a private estate, complete with high walls and a secluded yard.

“I told you, I have a lot of money.”

Still, finding a place like this in a single day meant she must’ve paid full price without negotiating…

‘With her wealth, I could probably just buy a new Demon Crusher of Kraul.’

With that thought in mind, I followed her into the house.

And…

Clang.

The heavy iron doors shut behind us, and as the house lit up, I noticed something.

“……”

There were no windows.

Or rather, every window was boarded up with thick wooden planks. From outside, I thought they were just covered by curtains, but…

“Erwin…?”

“Yes?”

“Why are the windows…?”

“Oh, that? Well, it’d be a problem if someone looked in from the outside…”

Erwin flashed a bright smile as she continued.

“Besides, we don’t need to go outside anymore, do we?”

Gulp.

***

“No matter how you look at it… boarding up the windows seems a bit much, doesn’t it? There are curtains, and the walls are already pretty high…”

I tried to come up with a reasonable excuse, feeling like something was wrong, but Erwin wasn’t having any of it.

“No, you don’t understand how good—no, how dangerous the situation is right now!”

“……”

“I’m not just talking about you. What do you think will happen if people find out I’ve been hiding you?”

“…That would be a big problem.”

Her reasoning was sound enough that I couldn’t argue.

It wouldn’t just be a problem; she’d lose everything she’d worked for.

But did my acceptance fuel her confidence?

“Right? So, this is a necessary precaution! You’re a troublemaker, after all. I have to take care of you, don’t I?”

Erwin’s voice grew louder for a moment before softening again.

“Oh no… look at your slumped shoulders…”

Seeing me hang my head in resignation, she nervously shuffled her feet, then cautiously offered a compromise.

“I know it’ll be hard, but hang in there… I’ll let you take walks in the garden at night, okay? Just once in a while.”

“Really…?”

“Yes! Of course, as long as I’m with you.”

“……”

And so began my life in seclusion.

Time passed, and then—

「Your character’s soul resonates with a specific world….

Midnight on the 15th arrived.