Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 86

Baron Martoin (2)

Mozlan’s work was fast and efficient.

“Hehe, I am, the great wizard… huh? Who are you people…?”

“Looks like we’ve found our man, take him away.”

The Knights quickly grabbed Dwalki’s hair as he lay face down. They checked his face and swiftly bound his arms.

“What, what’s going on here…?”

The drunk Dwarf finally sobered up and tried to understand the situation, but it was in vain.

“You don’t need to know.”

“But, but…”

“Do you have a problem with our methods?”

Their demeanor suggested they would take him away too if he nodded.

I covered the Dwarf’s mouth and answered for him.

“No.”

“…Are you the little Balkan? Surprisingly wise for a Barbarian.”

His words and his look seemed less than complimentary.

As soon as they left the tavern with the drunken Dwalki, the Dwarf began to make a fuss.

“Bjorn! They must be mistaken about something. There’s no way that guy would do something like that!”

He wasn’t entirely wrong.

Insulting a noble?

It could be a case of impersonation, but honestly, I find it hard to believe it’s an insult charge.

However…

“We have to help him!”

What should we do to rescue a comrade taken away by the authorities?

I closed my eyes.

“Hikurod, calm down. If Bjorn is acting like this, he must have a plan!”

Sigh, I just wanted to rest today…

Why do these things always happen?

***

Before trying to do anything, it was necessary to fully understand the situation.

After all, I had no information yet.

I don’t even know if he insulted a noble, or if they just got it wrong, or if someone else framed him.

Therefore, I quickly left the tavern and headed towards Mozlan’s office.

But…

“Wait until the official investigation is concluded.”

The Mozlans, who were closed-minded and arrogant even in-game, refused to give me any information.

So, I went to see Shabin.

“He was taken by the Mozlans…? I’ll see what I can find out. I can’t promise anything, though…”

“That’s enough. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Considering Shabin was a public servant, I figured she would have easier access to information than a bare-ground explorer.

“…He’s alive, right?”

“Hikurod, I know you’re worried, but please, don’t be a dick about it!”

“Ah, okay.”

So, we waited for Shabin’s reply, spending the day in front of Mozlan’s office.

“Hey, isn’t that Dwalki?”

“It seems so.”

Dwalki came out through the main entrance, his shoulders drooping. Contrary to the dwarf’s worries, there were no signs of torture; he didn’t seem injured at all.

“You! Are you okay? How did the investigation go? Oh, coming out like this means they must have realized their mistake, right? I knew it!”

“Ah… It’s just that…”

For some reason, Dwalki, upon seeing us, didn’t show any joy and just hung his head low.

“…Let’s move to a different place. I’ll tell you everything there.”

We did as he asked and moved.

A room-like tavern we often visited for labyrinth-related meetings. After some snacks and beers had been ordered, Dwalki began to speak in a desolate tone.

“It seems… I have to leave the team.”

It was the third time I’d heard this kind of statement, following Erwen and Aynar.

The Dwarf was startled.

“What are you saying? Explain yourself!”

“Well…”

Dwalki trailed off, then took a deep breath.

“It would be foolish to hide it now. The truth is, I’ve been keeping something from you all this time.”

“What have you been hiding?”

“My elder brother… is Baron Martoin.”

“What?”

“So, you really are a noble?”

Everyone, including Misha, was shocked, but Dwalki, with his eyes tightly shut, continued.

“Sort of. I am a bastard child of the former Baron Martoin and a maid of the manor.”

A noble’s illegitimate child.

To me, who had been exposed to many modern melodramas, this was not a particularly novel story.

And the following developments were not much different.

“I was adopted by Lord Tirba, the third brother of the Baron’s wife, right after I was born. Officially, that is. In reality, it was my biological mother who raised me.”

Despite being a noble’s scandal, the family occasionally sent money, and thanks to that, he was able to learn magic and grow up comfortably.

The complicated family history continued.

The Dwarf seemed impatient, unable to afford the luxury of waiting.

“So what does this have to do with leaving the team?”

“A year ago, my biological father, Baron Martoin, passed away. And my second elder brother took his place.”

“Hmm, not the eldest?”

Rotmiller’s question interjected in the middle.

Dwalki continued in a candid tone.

“That’s right. The second son. That’s the problem.”

“I don’t get it, why is that a problem…?”

“After the former Baron passed away, many died. Starting with my eldest brother and many other collateral relatives too…”

That alone was enough.

The bloody power struggle of the Martoin family was sufficient to understand the cause of this incident.

“So it was the second brother who sent the Mozlan.”

“That’s right. Probably a warning, as it has been until now, to live quietly.”

“But now?”

“It seems he was bothered by me becoming an explorer. I’ve learned quite a bit of magic lately… and with famous people in the team, he must have been concerned.”

Ah, uh, hmm…

Am I being blamed here?

Honestly, this seems like a stretch, but…

I briefly summarized Dwalki’s words.

“So, you mean you’re too scared of your second brother to enter the labyrinth anymore?”

“You… don’t mince words, do you? Not wrong, but… my will would have been the same either way.”

“What do you mean?”

“They revoked my dungeon entry rights instead of punishing me for insulting the nobility.”
Simply put, even if he wanted to, there was no way he could join us.

“Bjorn, is there no way around this?”

Misha and the desperate eyes of the dwarf were fixed on me.

I closed my eyes quietly.

And instead of searching for an answer to an impossible question, I wondered what day it was.

‘Phew, this has become a headache.’

9 days left until the next dungeon opens.

Can we find a new companion before then?

Nothing ever goes easy for me.

***

“For now, let’s each think about this problem and meet again tomorrow to discuss.”

“Right, you wouldn’t come up with a solution right away either. Let’s do that.”

After scheduling a meeting for the next day, we disbanded.

The Dwarf and Dwalki seemed to have decided to have a quiet drink, and Rotmiller returned home.

As for me, I decided to head to the library.

“Eh? You’re going to the library?”

“I have some business with that librarian.”

“…At this late hour?”

“If I go early, I’ll get there before it closes.”

“I see… Uh, should I come with you?”

What’s this girl talking about?

“It’s okay, you go and rest.”

“But, I have nothing to do if I go back…”

“What do you mean nothing? If you have time, swing your sword again. Didn’t you play all day today?”

After sending away Misha, who was persistent about following, I quickly headed to the library.

Originally, I planned to rest today and go tomorrow…

But the situation changed a bit.

***

“Parsity…”

Upon arriving at the library, the dozing librarian mechanically started to cast a spell, then flinched.

“You are…”

“Now that I think about it, we never formally introduced ourselves. I’m Bjorn, son of Jandel.”

“…Of course, I knew that.”

Hmm, I suppose so.

Anyway, a brief silence followed that conversation.

Things are a bit awkward with this girl.

“…It’s almost closing time, are you going in?”

“No, I didn’t come to read today.”

“…Then why?”

How should I explain my current situation? After a brief moment of contemplation, I, true to my Barbarian nature, got straight to the point.

“Ragna Litaniel Phefroc.”

“You can just shorten it and call me comfortably.”

“Ragna, what level of mage are you?”

Despite my straightforward question, it took a while for an answer to come back.

A look that said, “What a rude bastard.

Well, Raven would have gotten angry first if asked such a question too.

“First, let me ask this. Why are you suddenly curious about that?”

Ragna, seemingly more mild-mannered than Raven, calmly asked for the reason.

So I answered without hiding anything.

“The mage in our team can’t enter the labyrinth due to some issues. So, what about taking a break from librarian work and joining the labyrinth with us—”

“I refuse.”

Ah, so it’s a refusal.

With her firm response, I cleanly let go of any lingering hope.

“That’s fine. If your level isn’t high enough to enter the labyrinth, there’s nothing we can do.”

“…When did I say that?”

“So, you’re saying you’re skilled enough.”

Ragna, who had realized that I was testing her, wore a look of disbelief.

“You… you were curious about that?”

“…What are you talking about? Anyway, this conversation is over. If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”

I changed the subject.

“So, what was it about? Shabin Emure, that woman said you had prepared something for me when I come here.”

“…Prepared something for you?”

Her eyebrows furrowed as if she’d never heard that before, then seemed to understand, hitting her forehead.

“Hah… she put it that way again, did she?”

“Speak clearly.”

“Don’t misunderstand me, please.”

After getting my assurance that I wouldn’t misunderstand, Ragna spilled the details.

“Shabin said her position in the department improved thanks to you. She wanted to repay you, so she asked my opinion, and I… said you like reading books.”

“So?”

“It was just that, but she suddenly mentioned a debt I owed her and told me to repay it by giving something to you. So, this is not from me to you, but from Shabin to you. Do you understand?”

“…I get it.”

In simple terms, there’s something prepared for me.

I don’t know why she’s going to such lengths to emphasize that it’s not from her.

If it were me, I would have taken credit for it.

“Do you really understand?”

“Yes. So, what is this ‘repayment’?”

“It’s a book.”

“…A book?”

As I looked puzzled, Ragna closed her eyes and began to chant a spell.

“Vierdo Parsityeb.”

A splendid golden light enveloped my body as the spell was completed.

It seemed different from the usual incantations.

“What’s this?”

Ragna gave an unusually detailed answer to my question.

Apparently, there are high-security books in this library that don’t respond to normal [Book Detection] magic, but there’s a magic that can find them.

“I had no idea that such things were hidden here.

“It’s a privilege usually allowed only to nobles or a few authorized individuals.”

A secret library for the privileged class.

I felt like I received an unexpected gift, but it was equally bewildering.

“Is it alright to do this for me?”

“As long as you don’t go around talking about it, there should be no problem. Besides… since I took the librarian position, I’ve rarely used this magic.”

Ragna continued in a slightly melancholic tone.

“Who would even care about this place?”

Sigh, this girl’s story is getting a bit interesting too.

***
Click, clack.

The sound of shoes echoed through the silent, empty library.

Inside, I was reading a book.

It was all thanks to Ragna’s consideration.

[“So why did you come at this late hour? Sigh, alright. I will make an exception and let you stay for today.”]

Even though it was closing time and all the other users had been ushered out, Ragna allowed me to stay while she organized the books.

It felt a bit magical.

Was it like sneaking into a restricted area not open to the public?

Click, clack.

I briefly set down the book I was reading and glanced at Ragna.

‘I thought she was just organizing, but she’s using magic for that too.’

Books automatically found their way into empty shelves whenever she slightly moved her wand.

At first, I wondered if she was placing them in their correct spots…

But then I remembered that this library’s books didn’t need specific places. If magic was applied, it would find the desired book for you.

Wait a minute.

“Ragna.”

“Speak.”

“When we first met, didn’t you say to put the books back in their original places?”

“I usually say that when I’m too lazy to explain in detail. Because of the magic, many people ask unnecessary questions.”

“…I see.”

It was a rather hurtful comment for a Barbarian, but I didn’t show it and went back to reading.

Was it because these books were of high security grade?

The content was certainly distinct.

[Raphdonia’s Organizational Chart]

This book, covering public institutions in the city, included information about the secret police, the spirit hunters in that organization…

[The World of Evil Spirits]

Another book deeply explored ‘Ghostbusters’.

This book even contained the last words of an agent who had entered their spiritual world and returned half-dead…

‘With this system, I shouldn’t be in danger.’

This gave me confidence that I could consume the stored pills when the time came.

As I continued to read attentively, I finished one book and was about to start another.

[Chronicles of the Rift II]

As I read the title, my hand stiffened.

The Chronicles of the Rift?

Wasn’t this the book Raven had mentioned earlier? As I quickly opened the first page to check the contents, I quickly understood her attitude.

‘…She had a reason to be so obsessed.’

Was it like a guidebook?

Everything I had painstakingly discovered through countless trials and experiments, every hidden piece, was detailed in this book.

Although the described rifts were only four due to the physical limitations of the book…

‘To the people here, this must be nothing short of a treasure.’

The content was so perfectly organized that I couldn’t find any gaps to fill.

And perhaps because it was well-preserved?

Contrary to Raven’s claim that the book was written by an unknown author, the author’s name was even listed on the last page.

“Auril Gavis…?”

Reading the name aloud, I froze like a statue.

‘Wtf, why is this guy’s name suddenly appearing here?’

Auril Gavis.

It was the name of the game developer of [Dungeon and Stone].

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