Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Episode 94

Episode 94 Barbarian Trophy (1)

My vision goes black, and then slowly the light returns.

“This is my room.”

Not Lee Han-soo’s, but Bjorn Jandel’s room in the inn.

Looking at the clock, exactly 12 seconds had passed since I was summoned there.

“An hour there is a second here, maybe.”

The disparity in time wasn’t surprising.

It was the same with the labyrinth.

No matter how many days were spent there, upon returning to the city, it was always the next day at noon.

“I don’t understand the principle, but it’s a convenient phenomenon.”

Still, I have to be careful.

I’ll be defenseless for up to 12 seconds. Of course, in an emergency, I could just log out immediately… but what if it’s not an emergency?

What if something happens during those 12 seconds?

‘It would be hard to respond properly.’

Well, I don’t plan to stop using the community for such a reason. It’s just making a mental note of this potential danger.

That way, if something happens, I can make decisions a bit faster.

“Huff…”

I stretch and exhale deeply.

I felt a slight fatigue.

Not physical, but mental.

“After all, I’ve been awake for 12 hours.

I close my eyes and think that if anyone oversleeps on this particular day, it will be the players.

I closed my eyes, not to sleep, but to organize my thoughts.

“It was good to go in early.”

Ghostbusters.

It was more well-made and operated than I expected. It was more than sufficient as a source of information that I was seeking.

Thanks to that, I could gather information about the dimensional collapse.

“Rumors…”

That’s definitely a good thing. I’m certain of it.

But I can’t shake off a sense of emptiness and anxiety that seems to grow simultaneously.

When I first heard it, I thought it was the answer.

But if it’s not, what exactly is about to happen?

“I need to be more cautious.”

With that thought, I fell asleep.

And as time passed, the next morning arrived.

The day to keep my appointment with Baron Martoin dawned.

***

“Take care and be sure to tell me everything when you get back!”

Misha waved me off and I headed out into the streets.

After several changes at the carriage stations…

I arrived at Baron Martoin’s estate.

“Come here. We have no time.”

As soon as I entered the vast mansion, I was hurried into a splendid room to change.

Was I not savage enough to attend the Count’s banquet tonight?

“Damn it.”

Being a barbarian means dealing with such situations.

Normally, they would have dressed me up for the opposite reason.

“Wow, look at those muscles…”

With the help of the maids, I took off my breastplate and shirt.

And then, I put on shoulder guards over my bare chest.

One shoulder guard was designed with spikes, and the other with the shape of two animal skulls.

With that on…

“Excuse me, would you mind bending down a little bit?”

“Sure.”

The maids, standing on a platform, struggled to get something around my waist.

A champion belt, over a hand’s breadth in size by my standards.

Why the fuck do I have to wear this shit?

I can protect my entire torso with a single breastplate.

“Could you lift your arms, please?”

After that, various fashion accessories were added to my body against my will.

The equipment seemed more focused on intimidation than defense.

The weight balance was all over the place, making even the smallest movements uncomfortable, and the hair the maids had loosened from my head was constantly falling down, obstructing my vision.

But still…

“I get what they’re aiming for.”

When I finally looked in the mirror.

There stood a Barbarian warrior, thirsty for dragon’s blood and ready to tear into ogre flesh with pleasure.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

What if I lacked defense or practicality?

Fuck, if I walked up to them like this, they’d be busy pissing themselves and running away.

The level of intimidation was indeed impressive.

But was this still not enough in that guy’s eyes?

“Tsk.”

A thin man with a goat’s beard looked at me disapprovingly.

So, this bastard’s name was…

I haven’t heard it yet.

“What’s your name?”

To my question, the butler frowned as if he didn’t want to converse and replied curtly.

“Just call me your aide-”

“Right, butler.”

“…Tsk, typical ignorant barbarian.”

I really didn’t like this butler for several reasons.

Isn’t it said that those who have less, act superior?

He treated me like an inferior all the time, though Baron Martoin himself never did such a thing.

Does he think he’s something?

‘After all, he’s just a commoner too.’

Grumbling to myself, I follow the butler’s instructions and slip the insoles into my shoes.

The plate armor boots, heavy at over 7kg due to excessive design ambition, were uncomfortable, especially with foreign objects inside, but…

“Now you look somewhat presentable. Before, it was too small.”

What the fuck, you bastard.

‘Let’s just endure this for a day.’

No wonder he offered a million stones as a daily wage.

It wasn’t just talk; it was really a hard-earned fee.

Anyway, I was instructed by the obnoxious butler about things like How to move, where to stand when the Baron is conversing with others, and other detailed aspects until it was time to leave.

“Time’s up. Let’s go.”

I left what looked like a palace room and headed for the main gate.

A luxurious carriage was already waiting.

The Baron, whom I hadn’t seen all day, must be inside.

“What are you standing there for? Your place is over there.”

I stood at the very front of the carriage procession.

Was I supposed to lead the procession on foot?

“This is an important mission, so be sure to keep your gaze straight ahead and your posture as majestic as the Baron’s…….”

The butler kept nagging until the very moment we departed.

“Depart!”

Soon, a knight on horseback behind me raised a flag and shouted, and I led the procession at a moderate pace.

Thud, thud.

As we exited through the main gate, the wide, paved streets of the First District of the Imperial Capital, Carnon came into view – a place I wouldn’t have been able to enter in my original status.

The shop buildings were magnificent, and the attire of the people was uniformly refined.

In addition, the Imperial Palace, which I couldn’t even see from where I lived, made its presence felt in the distance.

“Damn, I need to get through here quickly to use the Sky Auction.”

The butler had instructed me to just look forward and walk, but I couldn’t miss this chance to look around.

Maybe that’s why?

“Halt!”

The procession halted abruptly when I accidentally took a wrong turn.

The butler, pale-faced, ran up to me, shouting something.

But I boldly turned a deaf ear.

That’s what you get for entrusting this to a barbarian.

***

The distance from the Baron’s mansion to the Count’s estate where the banquet was being held was about 6 km.

I had crawled on all fours for longer distances before, but…

“Damn it.”

I had forgotten that I was wearing a full set of equipment that was the epitome of impracticality.

Sweat was streaming down my face.

If it weren’t for those last-minute insoles, it wouldn’t have been this hard.

“Baron Martoin is coming!”

Grumbling about the butler, I finally reached our destination.

As soon as the gates of the Count’s estate opened, curious gazes flew from all directions.

Nobles, usually unimpressed by any spectacle, seemed intrigued by the sight of a barbarian leading a carriage procession.

“Leading with a barbarian, surely they were inspired by that tale!”

“Such an intimidating presence. I felt as if a giant was entering.”

“Wow, Dad, can we enter like that next time?”

The nobles who had gathered in the open-air banquet hall expressed their admiration and heated up the atmosphere.

Was he pleased with the response?

The Baron, stepping from the carriage, beamed a smile I had never seen before.

“This is the first time receiving so much attention just by entering. I’ll make sure to reward you handsomely when we return.”

The Baron, in high spirits, even promised a bonus.

“I’ll greet the Count and return shortly. In the meantime, enjoy the banquet.”

Soon, the Baron entered the mansion with a few attendants. The knights then naturally dispersed and mingled with the banquet.

That’s when I realized.

“……”

I was left alone in the vast banquet hall.

“Oh my, look at the horns on his helmet. How scary.”

“He looks like he’s modeled after the ancient demon Parseira!”

Suits, tuxedos, backless dresses.

A dazzling array of precious metals and shining armors of knights.

And there I was, the sole barbarian among them.

I’m not a monkey in a zoo.

“Look, he moved. Where is he going?”

Just taking a step caused a burst of curious comments from all around.

It felt like my long-overcome PTSD was about to resurface.

Then, a man approached me.

“You’ve worked hard.”

He was the knight who had been riding right behind me.

“You’re a fucking monster, too. I can’t believe you walked this far in that thing.”

The knight, who had closely witnessed my struggle, chuckled and patted my shoulder.

“Why not go over there and rest with us until the Baron returns?”

This man, was he a beacon of light?

“Sounds good.”

I followed the knight and sat down in an empty spot.

Despite the abundance of delicacies, I had no appetite. The knight seemed to feel the same as he sat quietly sipping his drink.

Curious, I asked.

“Aren’t you bothered about not mingling with them?”

“I wouldn’t be welcome anyway. I’m an explorer like you.”

That explains his down-to-earth demeanor.

“This is Bjorn, son of Jandel. What’s your name?”

“Karl Erimore.”

After a brief introduction, we chatted.

Karl was a decent guy, easy to talk to, and unlike other knights, he lacked the typical arrogance.

That butler bastard could learn a thing or two from..

“What are you doing? Who told you to sit down?”

The butler, who had entered the mansion with the Baron, spotted me and rushed over.

He didn’t seem pleased that I was resting.

“Look here, aide. Leave it. I told him to rest for a while.”

“…Is that so?”

Karl spoke up in my defense, causing the butler to soften his tone.

“When you’ve finished resting, get up. What would people think of a barbarian sitting around resting?”

“……I’m not going to rest?”

“No, they’ll think you’re just as weak. So get up. No matter what your nature is, you’re supposed to be an iron-blooded warrior today.”

The butler’s urging finally got me to my feet.

‘Alright, endure it for just one day.’

Wasn’t I promised to be a proud trophy for the Baron’s house?

Time to thoroughly act the part he wanted.

But resignation was far from my mind.

A warrior of iron blood.

A barbarian in a world where fists often speak louder than laws.

Barbarian.

If that’s what they label me…

“Bethel—raaaaaaaaa!!!”

As soon as I finished my mental pep talk, a war cry naturally burst from me.

“What the heck are you doing!”

The butler frowned, likely thinking about the cost of the custom-made equipment I was wearing, or how foolish I looked when I got lost earlier.

The look on his face made me wonder why I had held back until now.

Aren’t I a barbarian?

“I just felt like doing it!”

In true barbarian fashion, I grabbed a piece of meat lying nearby.

A tomahawk, perhaps?

There’s a bone attached to the meat like a handle.

“Yes, this is what I wanted—”

As I tore into the meat with my bare hands, the butler nodded in approval, as if this was exactly what he expected from a barbarian.

However…

“…?!”

His expression froze as he watched me crunching even the bones.

I spoke to him, maintaining the dignity of a barbarian warrior.

“Butler, I feel like smashing your head.”

“…What?”

He looked at me in disbelief, as if he had never heard such words in his life. I kindly clarified for
him.

“I just feel like doing it!”

Crunch, crunch.

Even as I spoke, the bones of some nameless beast crunched in my mouth.

***

“No, that’s a bad joke.”

“A joke?”

The butler’s face went pale, as if he didn’t understand what I was saying.

It finally dawns on him.

I am a Barbarian, after all.

“Did my words sound like a joke?”

Barbarians are simple and impulsive.

Of course, the butler might not have any knowledge about the psyche of barbarians.

But…

‘If he had investigated my background, he would know about what happened at the guild.’

There were excuses, of course.

I had no other choice at that time.

In a world where most things could be settled with a fine, except for plundering, tax evasion, and a few laws related to nobility.

I thought I could manage as long as I proved I was not a plunderer.

But that’s something only I knew.

To others, I might have looked like a madman.

“…I have things to do, I must go. You, stay here and rest.”

The butler, perhaps on the basis of his research into my past, left the place awkwardly.
Karl, who had been watching, laughed heartily.

“Ha ha ha! Never thought I’d see him make such a face!”

It seemed like he rather enjoyed my earlier behavior.

“But is your jaw okay?”

“It’s fine. It’s quite strong.”

It was more of an aftereffect of increased bone density stats than an innate ability.

Feeling my appetite return, I began heartily eating the food in front of me.

“Look at that!”

“My goodness, how barbaric!”

The noble ladies looked at me as if I were a new species, but now, it didn’t bother me.

What’s wrong with looking like a barbarian?

If one can put aside shame, there’s no more comfortable position than this.

“Bethel—raaaaaaa!”

“Why are you shouting again all of a sudden?”

“It’s delicious!”

The refined atmosphere of the banquet briefly faltered.

But soon enough, I started to enjoy the banquet in earnest.

Translating the second chapter check back later