Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

We decided to open the Rose Knights’ secret subspace pockets one by one, as we didn’t know what we might find.

And the first one to go was Liris Marone, the mage from the military.

“It’s a box…?”

What emerged from her subspace pocket was a wooden box.

It was small, barely big enough to hold a couple of books.

“There are no magical traps. You can just open it.”

We opened the box as soon as Bersil gave us permission.

And…

“Uh…”

The explorers let out gasps of surprise.

The contents of the box were far from what we had expected.

“Just some cash, a few fake ID cards, and a portrait…”

“…Whose portrait is that? A family member?”

“It seems so. It’s worn out, as if it’s been handled often.”

What the…

“N-next! Let’s open the next one!”

We were disappointed, but we didn’t give up hope. We continued opening the subspace pockets.

“More cash and ID cards… And this one has some strange pills?”

The pills that emerged from the second box were something both Amelia and I were familiar with.

“It’s a potion called ‘Lete’s Blessing’.”

“…You know what this is, Raines?”

“Yes, it erases the target’s memories. It was created by Noark’s alchemists. It seems like the royal family has also figured out the recipe.”

“This… might be useful someday. How many memories can it erase?”

“Well, it looks a bit different from the ones I know. Maybe they improved it.”

“I see… The pills are all different sizes. I have a feeling the bigger ones erase more memories… I’ll test them out in the lab.”

The third, the fourth, the fifth…

The subspace pockets were opened one after another.

“…More of those Lete’s Blessing pills.”

“There’s some kind of poison here.”

“…It’s a highly acidic solution. They probably used it to dispose of something. Like a corpse…”

The subspace pockets, which we had thought were treasure chests, were mostly empty.

Well, there were a few useful items besides the Lete’s Blessing pills.

“Sir Kaislan, can you take a look at this notebook?”

It was from the sixth subspace pocket.

“This… seems to be a list of the royal family’s spies.”

A list of names, the royal family’s informants who were operating undercover in various organizations.

It was a testament to the royal family’s power.

“It seems like this is just a small fraction of their informants.”

“This is just a fraction…?”

“Look closely. Most of the informants are focused on a specific noble family. Maybe the owner of this subspace pocket was on a personal mission related to that family.” ꞦаＮǒ𐌱ÊS̩

“And this list… is just for that one mission?”

“That’s just my speculation.”

Kaislan concluded, but I couldn’t think of any other possibilities.

“They say the royal family has eyes and ears everywhere… I never imagined it would be this extensive…”

A heavy silence followed.

We had all realized…

The true power of the royal family, the enemy we were about to face.

“Anyway, it’s a good thing.”

I tried to sound nonchalant, breaking the silence.

“Bersil, I’ll take this list. It might be useful someday.”

I took the list, and that concluded the matter.

“Now, for the last one.”

The explorers’ eyes sparkled.

Their initial excitement had faded, but they were still hoping for something good.

“…This was hers, right?”

Six, the Rose Knight.

I didn’t know if she was the leader, the vice-captain, or just an ordinary member, but one thing was certain.

She was the one in charge that day.

But…

“…Another wooden box.”

We opened the box, our expectations low.

Cash.

ID cards.

Lete’s Blessing.

And…

A single document in an unsealed envelope.

“This is…”

It was an order from the royal family.

An order to eliminate the expedition force in Ice Rock if they somehow managed to survive.

“This will be useful.”

It was a good find.

______________________

After the subspace pocket opening ceremony,

I collected all the equipment we had brought back from the labyrinth.

“What are we going to do with this equipment?”

“We’ll sell the stuff we got from Noark slowly and carefully. And we’ll use the money as our operating funds.”

“I see…”

They didn’t seem to have any objections, even though I was practically taking all the loot and claiming ownership.@@novelbin@@

I was happy that they trusted me, but also a bit worried.

‘They’re so naive.’

What if I wasn’t a kind and responsible barbarian?

“Yandel, what about the Rose Knights’ equipment? If we sell it as is, the royal family will find out.”

“Ah, I’m going to find a blacksmith and have them reforge it. It’s too valuable to just sell, and it’s also too dangerous.”

I planned to melt down the Mithril, which was as valuable as Orichalcum, and cut up the Ogre leather, a 5th-grade material, to make new equipment.

Of course, it wouldn’t be much.

Even if we melted down all the daggers, it wouldn’t be enough to make a full set of Mithril armor. And there would be a lot of loss during the leatherworking process.

“We’ll decide what to make later, so if anyone’s interested in a specific material, come up with a good reason.”

I wanted to make a Mithril shield for myself, but a leader shouldn’t prioritize his personal gain.

The funds would be used for the benefit of the clan.

Well, they didn’t seem to care anyway.

“I’m more interested in discussing the clan. You said you created one a few days ago… When can we join?”

“Ah, Bersil has already created a schedule.”

“Really? When’s my turn?”

“About three months from now, Miss Marone. It’ll be cleanest if you resign from the military due to a conflict with your superiors. But if you have a better excuse, let me know.”

“Hmm, what about me?”

“Sir Kaislan… you’ll be the last one. You have a high rank, so it’ll take some time. It’ll be more natural if you join after the attention dies down… at least a year.”

“I see…”

“Kala, you said you were kicked out of your clan? Take a break for a couple of months and then apply to other clans. They won’t accept you, of course.”

“…….”

“I tried to find a new nest, but I couldn’t find a suitable one, so I decided to join Yandel’s clan. It’s much more natural, isn’t it?”

“What if they accept me?”

“Then demand a high position, citing your experience as a Vice-Captain. They’ll tell you to get lost. Trust me, I’ve been in charge of recruitment before.”

James Kala was speechless.

“And as for Paladin Parab…”

Bersil’s efficient briefing continued.

It was impressive.

She was a mage, a former clan Vice-Captain, and a modern person…

She was a perfect combination.

‘I wonder what she did in her previous life.’

Anyway, the briefing ended, and then they started asking me questions.

“Ainar Frenelin, the Storm Sword… how much does she know about us?”

“She doesn’t know anything. So be careful what you say when you meet her.”

“I see…”

“But we already have two members from the Seven Strengths. If we add ourselves to the mix… we’ll attract a lot of attention, even if we don’t want to. Hehehe.”

“Hmm, Parab, you think you’re on that level?”

“…Uh, am I not? Well, I might not be as famous, but… uh…”

“I’m curious about this Auyen Lokrob member. I’ve never heard of him. Is he trustworthy?”

Amelia answered that question for me.

“He’s trustworthy. I guarantee it.”

After a series of similar questions, the topic changed again.

We talked about the promotion ceremony, and when I told them about joining Melbeth, our next plan naturally came up.

But I couldn’t explain everything here, so I just gave them a brief overview.

“We have a lot of enemies. But so do they.”

“…….”

“And the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

My plan was simple.

To build a clan, establish a family, and gather allies.

To protect ourselves from those who had abandoned us.

______________________

After the serious discussion, the atmosphere became more relaxed.

“Sir Kaislan, how are you doing? Did they interrogate you?”

“They did, but it was more like an interview. They didn’t even use verification magic.”

We caught up on each other’s lives.

“Gowland, do you have any sleeping pills?”

“Yes, I can give you some if you need them.”

“You’re not even asking why.”

“I can’t sleep either. Not since that day.”

Some asked for help.

“Miss Marone… what’s that on your nails?”

“Ah, this? Pretty, right? It’s the latest trend among mages. Do you want to try it, Tersia?”

And some just chatted idly.

It was strange.

We were complete strangers a month ago…

“…….”

I sat alone on the sofa in the corner, looking around.

Unlike the banquet at the Palace of Glory, there was no fancy food or expensive wine. We were just sitting here in an empty building, talking.

But I still preferred it this way.

“Well, I should be going now.”

As always, time flew by.

As evening approached, the members started to leave, and our reunion came to an end.

I returned home with Erwen and Amelia.

And two days later…

“You’re going to the library? At this hour?”

I left the house early in the morning, ignoring Amelia and Erwen’s puzzled looks.

It was only later that I realized…

[I’ll be waiting for you in three days, at the place where we first met.]

…the note didn’t mention a time.

Ragna was surprisingly careless for someone who seemed so meticulous.

“Haa…”

I walked through the familiar streets of the 7th District, and soon I reached my destination.

[Ravigion National Library]

The place I had practically lived in when I first woke up in this barbarian body.

But I froze as soon as I arrived.

There was a sign on the door.

‘Closed Today.’

‘…I didn’t expect this.’

What should I do? Should I just wait here? Right, then at least we won’t miss each other.

As I was contemplating…

Click, click.

I heard the sound of high heels approaching.

I turned around and saw a woman walking towards me.

I flinched the moment our eyes met.

“Greetings, Baron Yandel.”

Black hair, black eyes, and a black skirt.

Everything about her was black, except for her white shirt.

“This way, please. The Viscountess is waiting—”

“That’s wrong.”

“…Yes?”

I looked at the woman, who seemed confused, and said firmly.

“I’m not a Baron today. I’m a Clan Master.”

“…..”

“The ‘Anabada’ Clan, which was recently founded.”

She didn’t react to my sudden declaration.

She just smiled politely and said,

“I see. I’ll be careful with my address from now on, Clan Master Yandel.”

“Thank you. I’m feeling a bit sensitive today.”

“Sensitive…? What do you mean?”

“Ah, doesn’t ‘Clan Master’ sound stronger than ‘Baron’?”

“…I see.”

She agreed, even though she didn’t understand the difference.

I couldn’t resist asking,

“Do you know what ‘Anabada’ means?”

She answered immediately.

“It means ‘pack of beasts’ in ancient language.”

“Uh, uh… right, that’s right… You’re knowledgeable.”

I pretended to be disappointed that I couldn’t show off my knowledge. She pretended not to notice and opened the door to the library.

“This way, please. The Viscountess is waiting for you.”

She walked ahead of me, and I followed, clicking my tongue.

Click, click.

Damn it, she’s definitely Hyunbyul.