Surviving the Game as a Barbarian-Chapter 449: Expansion (2)
When I returned home after meeting Ragna, I found two unexpected guests waiting for me.
“Oh! Mister, you’re back! Your friends are here waiting for you.”
“Friends…?”
I tilted my head and entered the living room. Two men, who had been enjoying refreshments on the sofa, stood up and greeted me.
“Is that… is that really Bjorn Yandel?! It really is Bjorn Yandel…!”
Hikurod Murad.
The dwarf.
And…
“…It’s been a while. I heard you were alive, but it’s still hard to believe.”
Brown Lotmiller.
It was a reunion with familiar faces.
Well, I had seen the dwarf before, when I secretly visited his forge.
It was a rather shocking experience.
[Tsk, tsk… I explained everything so nicely because you looked rich, but to think you were just window shopping.]
I didn’t expect to be scolded for just browsing.
“It’s good to see you both. I was planning to visit you soon. Sorry for the delay.”
“Haha! Don’t apologize, my friend. I heard you’ve been busy lately.”
“How did you know?”
“Well, news travels fast when you’re a celebrity! I hear everything even when I’m stuck in the forge.”
“…I see.”
I felt a bit uneasy.
He knew about everything, from my visits to the families of the fallen explorers to the promotion ceremony, and even my recent meeting with the other survivors in Commelby.
He had even read about our reunion in the newspaper.
“That’s why we waited to visit you. I wanted to come sooner, but Lotmiller stopped me. He said we should wait until things calmed down.”
“I see…”
I nodded at Lotmiller in gratitude and sat down on the sofa. Erwen, who had been watching our reunion, approached me.
“What can I get for you, Mister?”
“Just water, please. Cold.”
“Okay!”
As Erwen went to the kitchen, the dwarf leaned closer and whispered,
“Did you know how surprised I was? I came here, and not only was the Blood Spirit Marquis here to greet us, she even served us tea with a smile!”
“…Ah, so this is your first time meeting Erwen?”
Lotmiller nodded, and the dwarf shook his head.
“I’ve met her once before. She came to see me after our team disbanded and asked about you, worried.”
Ah, I think I heard about that.
“Back then, I never imagined that little fairy would become such a famous explorer… You never know what the future holds, do you?”
“That’s true…”
Even I, who had seen her potential, hadn’t expected her to grow so quickly. And I certainly hadn’t expected her to earn the title of ‘Blood Spirit Marquis’. ṝÅ𐌽ôβÈs̈
“By the way, Yandel.”
Lotmiller spoke up.
“Have you met Miss Carlstain?”
Right, I was wondering when he would bring that up.
“Not yet.”
“I see…”
“Have you seen her?”
“Once, after you were declared dead. I went to see her because I was worried, but she refused to meet me after that. And then she disappeared.”
“Hikurod, what about you?”
“Same here. I thought she might have come to see you, considering how widespread the news is… I hope nothing bad happened…”
He was trying to be tactful, but I knew what he was worried about.
But Misha was safe.
Well, I didn’t know if she was safe, but she was alive.
“I’m looking for her too. I’ll bring her back, so don’t worry.”
“Well, if you say so… But… could it be because of the Blood Spirit Marquis?”
“…Why are you bringing up Erwen all of a sudden?”
“Well, there are rumors, you know… that you two are…”
He’s still obsessed with gossip.
“It’s not true.”
I said firmly, and he sighed in relief.
“Really? That’s good to hear…”
His words were strangely unsettling.
“…Good to hear?”
“Well, it’s your choice, of course. But you’ve spent more time with Miss Carlstain, haven’t you? And it’s what Dwarkey wanted… I also thought you two were a good match—”
Clang!
The dwarf’s teacup shattered.
And…
Thud.
Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.
Erwen emerged from the kitchen.
“Oh my, the teacup is broken.”
With a smile on her face, she brought the cold water I had requested.
______________________
“Here’s your water, Mister.”
As soon as Erwen placed the glass on the table…
Whoosh!
…the shattered fragments floated into the air, defying gravity.
And so did the spilled tea.
“There, all clean now.”
Erwen cleaned up the mess with her spirit magic and then left the room.
“…….”
The dwarf, his teacup the only one missing from the table, didn’t say a word as he watched Erwen leave.
He might have a loose tongue, but he wasn’t oblivious.
“You should have been more careful. We’re just guests here.”
“…Haha, you’re right. I-I made a big mistake…”
He chuckled awkwardly, as if he had just dodged a bullet.
Geez, he’s so nosy.
The atmosphere was awkward, so I changed the subject.
“Anyway, how have you two been? Hikurod, you don’t seem to be working at the forge these days.”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“I visited your forge before. You didn’t recognize me because I was smaller back then.”
“What?! You came to my forge? And I didn’t recognize you? Just because you were a bit shorter?”
He sounded incredulous, but it was the truth.
So I just said it bluntly.
“I was surprised.”
“Ah, well, business has been good lately—”
“Not that. I was surprised that you kicked me out, saying I was scaring away your customers.”
“…….”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that business is good.”
He blushed, as if I had just revealed his darkest secret, and then he chuckled awkwardly.
“Haha, it’s embarrassing that you saw that…”
“I’m not blaming you. It’s not a bad thing to earn money. I just thought you had changed.”
“Well, I guess I have. It’s a bit pathetic, isn’t it? A former explorer who gave up on his dreams and became a merchant.”
Uh, I didn’t mean to be that harsh…
But I was curious, so I listened.
“But you see, Bjorn, I have a new dream. A bigger dream than wielding a hammer and forging metal.”
“A dream of earning a lot of money?”
He chuckled.
“Something like that. It costs a lot of money to sponsor an orphanage.”
“What?”
Wait a minute…
“…You’re not saying…?”
“I can’t do much yet, but I recently started sponsoring two orphanages.”
Damn, now I feel bad.
I sighed inwardly, but…
“Bjorn, I’m going to earn a lot of money. No matter how ugly it gets. I don’t have many options left, but those kids do.”
“…….”
“I want them to achieve the dreams I couldn’t.”
“…….”
“That’s my new dream.”
He seemed… bigger today.
“…….”
“…….”
He chuckled awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed by his sudden outburst of passion, and I was speechless. I just drank my water.
Then Lotmiller spoke up.
“I’m just… taking a break.”
It was an even more unexpected answer than the dwarf’s.
This responsible man was unemployed?
“What about your academy? You were teaching explorers tracking skills, weren’t you?”
“Unfortunately, I’m not cut out for business.”
So it went bankrupt…
I was about to offer my condolences when the dwarf stood up abruptly.
“Hey, Lotmiller! It’s your fault that the academy—”
“Stop.”
“……?”
“Stop it, Murad. That’s not why we’re here.”
“B-but…! He’s a Baron! If we just ask him—”
“I said stop.”
Lotmiller’s voice was low and firm.
It was so cold and authoritative that even the dwarf gulped.
I felt a chill run down my spine.
‘…What’s with that voice?’
I had only seen Lotmiller angry once before.
During Team Misfits’ last expedition.
He had been furious at himself for reaching his limit as an explorer.
And now he was using that tone on someone else?
This is why they say it’s scary when kind people get angry.
‘There must be a story behind this…’
I decided to ask the dwarf later, when we were alone.
“…….”
“…….”
The awkward silence returned.
I decided to get to the point.
“Hikurod.”
“Huh? Ah, uh… What is it?”
“I have a business proposition for you.”
“A business proposition…?”
“Yes.”
It was an important matter, one that I would have brought up myself if they hadn’t come to see me.
“You’re making me nervous… Tell me about it.”
“I’m going to expand my clan.”
“And?”
“I want your forge to be our exclusive supplier.”
“Oh! You’re talking about the offer that only large guilds receive!”
As expected, he was delighted.
Okay, then it’s time for the next step.
“Alright, let’s sign the contract.”
“Huh? A contract? But we’re friends… do we really need that?”
“It’s better to be formal when it comes to business.”
“Hmm… that’s true… But aren’t you being a bit hasty? I need to review the contract…”
“Don’t be so sensitive. What’s there to think about? Just sign it. It’s just a formality.”
“Hmm… Alright…”
I quickly drafted the contract and had him sign it with his thumbprint.
In other words…
“It’s done.”
I had secured a reliable fence.
I wonder what his expression will be like when I bring him the Rose Knights’ equipment.
______________________
The day after the dwarf and Lotmiller visited,
I put on my old equipment, the one I had received back from Bear and Ainar.
‘It feels strange calling it my ‘old’ equipment…’
Anyway, it was my first time wearing a full set of armor since returning to this time period.
「Character has equipped Adamantium Large Battle Shield.」
「Total item level increased by +1,750.」
A 5th-grade metal shield.
And…
「Character has equipped Laithium Breastplate.」
「Total item level increased by +270.」
My trusty breastplate, the one I had repaired countless times and repurchased whenever it was beyond repair.
「Character has equipped Idium Greaves.」
「Total item level increased by +400.」
The greaves I had obtained in the Doppelganger Forest.
「Character has equipped No. 8,667 Outlaw of the Wasteland.」
「Total item level increased by +315.」
A belt.
「Character has equipped No. 8,820 Iron Wall.」
「Total item level increased by +310.」
Boots that doubled Physical Resistance and Magic Resistance for 3 seconds when activated.
And…
‘Why did Bear have this? It’s making me feel strange…’
My special magic underwear, enchanted with ‘Auto-Repair’, ‘Shape Shifting’, ‘Acid Immunity’, and later ‘Cleanliness’.
Also known as the ‘Egg Guard’.
‘Well, I don’t really need it anymore with [Unification]…’
But it was a sentimental item, so I had always kept it.
‘I got the ‘Soul of the Deceased’ and the ‘Orb of Fire’ back from Raven, so I just need to get the necklace from Misha…’
It felt like I was collecting Dragon Balls.
Swoosh.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror and was glad I had refused their offer to repay me for the equipment.
They were in perfect condition.
I was already grateful that they had kept them safe, but they had even repaired the damage from the Stormgush incident.
The repair costs must have been significant.
‘Misha only took the necklace…’
Damn it, that was the most valuable item I had.
‘Alright, everything’s in order…’
I left the house after checking my equipment.
It was my first time going out in full armor since returning to this time period.
There wasn’t much combat in the city.
I usually just wore the breastplate.
But today was different.
Thud, thud.
I walked for a while and reached the outskirts of the 7th District.
The gate that connected to the other districts was closed, and a guard on the wall looked down at me, as if demanding a password.
Damn it, can’t he tell just by looking at me?
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”
I roared like a true barbarian, and the gate opened without any further identification.
And…
Thud, thud.
I walked through the forest path I had taken with my fellow barbarians after the coming-of-age ceremony.
“Bjorn, son of Yandel! Bjorn, son of Yandel!”
“The strongest warrior, inheritor of the Giant’s name!”
The barbarians I encountered along the way stopped what they were doing and followed me. Their instincts told them…
That something interesting was about to happen.
“Waaaaaaaaaah!!”
“Bjorn, son of Yandel, has returned!!”
By the time I reached the barbarian residential area… a collection of haphazardly built huts… there were hundreds of warriors following me.
And…
“…So the rumors were true.”
The barbarians who had been staying in the residential area had also heard the news and were waiting for me.
Thud, thud.
I walked forward, and they parted like the Red Sea, pounding their chests.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
If humans saw this, they would think it was some kind of festival.
Thump! Thump!
I reached the chieftain’s hut.
Ainar was standing in front of it.
So she really was staying here, receiving training to become the next chieftain.
“…Is the chieftain inside?”
I greeted Ainar and asked, and she stepped aside, allowing me to enter.
He’s letting me go in directly?
Alright.
Thud, thud.
I reached the entrance of the hut, and the curtain was pulled aside, revealing a giant barbarian.
The chieftain.
The one who had ruthlessly beheaded ‘Olm, son of Kiduah’ on the day I first woke up in this world.
“You’re late, Bjorn, son of Yandel.”
The chieftain himself.
He looked down at me, a massive axe resting on his shoulder.
“I thought you had forgotten about us after becoming a noble.”
He’s really big.
I had returned to my original size, and yet I still had to look up at him.
“Forget about you? Never.”
He laughed heartily, seemingly satisfied with my answer.
And then…
“Welcome back, warrior of the tribe!”
He spread his arms and embraced me.
“Bjorn, son of Yandel!”
And then he asked me a question.
But it wasn’t the usual kind of question you would ask someone you hadn’t seen in a long time.
He didn’t ask where I had been for the past two years and six months.
He didn’t ask if the royal family’s announcement was true.
He didn’t ask if I was in any trouble.
Instead…
“So—”
He got straight to the point.
“Why are you here?”
And I answered.
It wasn’t exactly appropriate, considering the circumstances…
But I was a barbarian too.
“I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
I looked at him and said,
“Let’s fight.”
“…..”
“For the position of chieftain.”
He didn’t hesitate.
“Alright.”
He accepted my challenge.
And at that moment…
“B-Behel—ladaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
“Behel—layaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!”
All the barbarians roared in unison.
_________________________
「Bjorn Yandel」
Level: 7
Physical: 1,390.55 / Mental: 521.3 / Ability: 2,197.65
Item Level: 7980 (New +1,695)
Total Combat Power: 6,104.5 (New +423.75)
Absorbed Essences: Orc Hero - Rank 5 / Ogre - Rank 3 / Bion - Rank 3 / Stormgush - Rank 3 / Vol-Herchan - Rank 3 / Deep Sea Giant - Rank 3
