Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 362

Interrogation (3)

Alluva Raven turned her back again.

Until the very moment she averted her gaze, the man was still looking at her.

With eyes so lonely and pitiful.

“……”

It felt as if something sharp was digging into her heart.

“Why is he making that expression… I’m the one who was betrayed…”

Evil spirits are beings that deceive the entire world.

She had learned that since she was young and had seen countless examples as she grew up.

He said he saved her because she was in danger?

“…That can’t be true…”

She forced herself to shake her head.

She ignored the cries within her heart, as if engraving it into her mind that this was the answer.

Telling herself that the man had just said what he wanted to believe.

That he must have had another ulterior motive.

That she must not be deceived by this.

Thinking so, she took heavy steps forward.

Step.

With each step away from the iron bars, memories of their adventures flashed before her like a lantern.

The beginning was when she first met him at the blood-tinted castle.

[Who on earth is that guy?! Why is there a vampire in this place…?]

[Stop whining and run, dwarf.]

A vampire appeared as a guardian at the rift on the first floor.

“The holy water he used at the end… he must have known about it because he’s an evil spirit.”

In the end, it’s like this.

When she looked back on each precious memory, behind them lay her being deceived and tricked.

To him, how stupid and easy must she have seemed.

Step.

Of course, ultimately she did owe him her life from the blood-tinted castle.

But Raven judged coldly.

“…But that doesn’t mean he sacrificed himself to save us.”

Otherwise, he would have died too.

So, the man risked his life and fought.

Step.

The next scene that came to mind was when they were trapped in the crystal cave on the first floor.

When the knights and major clans used them as expendable pawns and escaped through the dimensional gate, leaving them in a hopeless situation.

The day when that man became the city’s hero.

[“Then what do you want us to do!”]

[“I say it again—! Everyone, stop—!!”]

The man stubbornly conveyed his voice, and in response, the explorers who had been pointing their swords at each other joined forces.

And the breakthrough began.

“Damn it, this is driving me crazy.”

[I, I can’t go any further. I’m sorry]

Even as warriors who had crossed the line of death countless times collapsed and lost the will to move on, the man kept advancing.

[“Bethel—raaaaaa!!”]

He volunteered for the most dangerous tasks in the most perilous places, fighting more desperately than anyone.

But Raven judged.

“That too… he did it because he needed to survive… That’s all it was…”

She took another step.

Step.

With every step she took away from the iron bars, the memories of her time with him, the big and small acts of kindness he’d shown her, resurfaced.

Each time, Raven thought to herself,

‘This wasn’t that difficult.’

‘He didn’t risk his life for it.’

‘…I’ve helped him just as much.’

She could dismiss most of them that way.

But…

[Did you… come all this way because of me? Through those flames?]

[I was just taking a walk.]

The day the royal capital burned.

[Wh-what are you doing? Are you seriously going to lift this entire ship…?]

[Aaaaaargh!!!]

The time he stayed behind on Farune Island to fight off the enemy while sending his companions away.

And just a little while ago…

[Your… y-your back…!]

He blocked the magic aimed at her with his entire body.

‘But… was that really just for himself?’

Raven soon realized.

No matter how much she tried to deny it, it was becoming harder and harder to lie to herself.

‘That can’t be true…’

Despite the urgency of the situation, she remembered it vividly.

Even as he writhed in pain with veins bulging on his neck, the man had carefully held her underneath him to keep her from getting hurt.

There was no longer any meaning in deceiving herself.

No matter how many times she tried to deny it.

[Raven, you were in danger. That’s why I saved you.]

Those words were undeniably true.

****

Screeech.

Beyond the iron bars, the door at the end of the corridor closed.

“She’s gone.”

“Yes….”

In the end, Raven left.

It means I have to give up on the hope that she might come back to open the cell door—

“Erwin.”

Hmm?

I look to my side and see Erwin, her head bowed low but her eyes fixed on me.

“…You were an evil spirit?”

Ah, so that’s why she was so quiet.

She must’ve been in shock because of this.

It’s understandable. From her point of view, it’s only natural to be angry.

After all, it must seem like I didn’t trust her enough to tell her.

“Erwin, calm down. I’ll explain—”

“But she knew, and I was the only one who didn’t?”

“That’s, um, because—”

“I told you I could handle everything. I did! So why was I the only one you lied to? Was it because you didn’t trust me? What do I have to do for you to trust me?”

Whoa, I think this is the first time I’ve seen her this furious…

I glanced at Amelia, silently asking for help, but she just shrugged her shoulders and avoided eye contact.

It’s my mess, so I have to deal with it myself, huh?

‘Still, the silver lining is… at least she doesn’t seem to care that I’m an evil spirit…’

Maybe it’s because she just saw Raven leave, unable to accept that I was an evil spirit.

Seeing Erwin now, radiating fury, I felt a mix of dread, relief, and even gratitude.

Well, one thing at a time.

‘How am I supposed to calm her down…?’

The answer came quickly enough.

“Who is that Raven woman, anyway? You kept her a secret from me so thoroughly! Yet you’re risking everything, even exposing your identity, just to protect her—!”

Swoosh.

“…?”

Before Erwin could get more hysterical, I grabbed her wrist.

And then…

“Erwin, if you were in her place, I would have acted the same way.”

I spoke sincerely.

Because if it had been Erwin instead of Raven, I would’ve done exactly the same thing.

Was that so hard to believe?

L-Liar… You didn’t even tell me beforehand… You must think she’s more trustworthy than me.”

“What…? Why would you think that?”

“Because… b-because of the way I am. Because I consume those essences… and everyone treats me like I’m insane….”

Wait, she was thinking that all along?

It looks like Erwin has been struggling with a lot of self-doubt and inner turmoil.

“Erwin, that’s simply not true.”

“Then… why did you keep it from me alone….”

Ugh, I told you I’d explain, didn’t I?

I sighed inwardly and spoke up.

“Because I wanted to protect you.”

For some reason, the answer came from Amelia instead.

“Recycling, huh? Makes sense.”

What the heck is she talking about?

Ignoring her nonsense, I looked back at Erwin. After a moment, she reacted.

“Huh? Wh-What?”

A slight tremor ran through her body.

“You… you mean you were protecting me?”

Okay, her voice has calmed down a bit…

Worried she might misunderstand or jump to conclusions again, I quickly continued.

“You saw Raven asking Amelia questions, didn’t you?”

Even with Auril Gavis’s gift, I can’t prevent such applications.

That’s why I wanted to limit the number of people who knew about it.

Sure, it was partly to protect myself, but it wasn’t just about me.

“If my identity as an evil spirit ever put me in a difficult situation, I wanted to make sure you’d have a way out. If you didn’t know, you’d be a victim. But if you knew and still helped, you’d be treated as an accomplice.”

 

“….”

“S-So, what you’re saying is you cared about me more than that Rainweilz woman…? You kept it from me… to protect me?”

“Uh….”

I unconsciously glanced at Amelia.

She gave a soft chuckle and nodded as if to say, ‘What’s there to hesitate about?’

She’s always so dependable.

“Yes, that’s why I kept it from you.”

“I-I knew it!”

At my confirmation, Erwin lit up with joy and clenched her fists tightly.

She then straightened her shoulders proudly and glanced somewhere, lifting the corners of her mouth.

She was looking straight at Amelia.

“…That’s a bit irritating.”

Amelia frowned, but Erwin didn’t care and turned her attention back to me.

“Mister, I appreciate the thought… but please don’t do that again. You think I’d just escape alone and leave you behind? There’s no way I’d want that.”

Erwin said that, glancing briefly beyond the bars where Raven had left.

“Unlike that woman who doesn’t even know gratitude despite being saved multiple times, I’m different.”

Oh, is that so…

“So just trust me! Okay?”

“Alright…”

As things settled down, Amelia, who had been watching, joined the conversation and changed the subject.

“By the way, what are you going to do now?”

Ah, that…

It’s time to get ready.

“First, let’s pack our things.”

“Things?”

“We can’t leave our equipment behind.”

I walked over to where I had stashed the items I’d looted from the Lighthouse Keeper. Crouching down, I gathered the equipment onto a spread-out robe. Then I tied it up like a bundle, wrapped it around my neck, and fastened it securely.

I call it the Barbarian Peddler Mode.

I’d carry it like this for now and stash it in a subspace if I got the chance.

“If you’re done packing, tell me what you’re going to do now. You must have a plan.”

Amelia asked again, and I shared Plan B, which I’d organized in my mind.

I stayed on high alert, waiting for the right moment.

Who knows how much time passed like that.

Click.

The door at the end of the corridor swung open with a creak.

And then…

Thud.

Raven appeared once again.

This time, all alone.

“No one’s with her.”

“What’s she planning? By now, she should have reported to her superiors.”

Amelia and Erwin readied their weapons, staring intently at the other side of the bars.

Raven halted in her tracks, seemingly taken aback by their hostility.

“Why is she alone?”

I asked, and Raven answered in a small voice.

“I came to check.”

We were about seven meters apart, and her voice echoed through the corridor, making the distance seem even more pronounced.

But…

“Check what?”

I asked, but Raven remained silent.

Instead, she resumed walking, gradually closing the gap between us.

Tap, tap.

As Raven got closer to the bars, her expression, which had been hidden in the shadows, became clearer.

It was a complex blend of emotions that defied simple description.

But one thing was clear.

“…Did you not report it?”

I asked to confirm, but again, Raven said nothing.

Tap, tap.

Her steps didn’t stop.

There wasn’t much distance left between us now, just the iron bars standing in the way.

“……”

“……”

Raven gazed at me through the bars with her clear, blue eyes, and I returned the look without saying a word.

How much time passed like this?

Click.

Raven silently pulled a key from her coat.

What could have caused such a change in her?

Just a while ago, she had a wall up and wouldn’t listen to a word.

‘Could it be… a trap?’

It’s plausible.

She’s aware of our strength, so she might be pretending to help us now and capture us in the city later.

So…

“Why the sudden change?”

I asked directly.

“The thing you’re about to do would mean betraying everyone who follows you.”

Even as I asked, I focused on Raven’s eyes.

If she was lying, she’d give it away.

But Raven merely gave a wry smile.

“Why are you smiling…?”

It wasn’t a mocking smile.

More like a bitter, self-deprecating one.

Then, what was the reason?

“It’s just that this situation feels the same as before.”

Huh?

“If I didn’t know you were an evil spirit, I wouldn’t have asked that question either.”

“Oh….”

I was momentarily speechless.

But perhaps Raven had already sorted out her thoughts and come back, as her actions showed no hesitation.

Srrrk.

The key slid into the lock.

The bars stood between us, reflecting the flickering torchlight, mirroring both our faces.

I felt a sense of embarrassment.

To be honest, I had already given up and was just focusing on Plan B.

“My answer is the same.”

“If you stay here, you’ll be in danger.”

“So, for now, I’ve decided to help. I’ll worry about the consequences later.”

And then…

Click.

The key turned, and…

“Come out quickly. I need to hear what you plan to do next.”

The door that had been firmly closed opened.