Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Chapter 390: Wild Horse (4)

Chapter 390: Wild Horse (4)

It's similar to the psychology of someone visiting a zoo.

They look at the wild beasts trapped in cages and say how cute they are, how pitiful it is that they're confined. But it's not difficult to make them realize their arrogance.

A cage with a diameter of about 3 centimeters.

All it takes is for that cage to disappear.

The moment the line between them and the beast is broken, humans get to see the true nature of the beast.

Just like the Marquis right now.

"..."

Ah, of course, the Marquis was different from ordinary people.

Even with my sincere, hostile words, he only flinched slightly before quickly regaining his composure.

I couldn't kill the Marquis.

And the Marquis knew that better than anyone.

So...

"So, is that a satisfactory answer?"

I casually ended the situation, as if it was just a simple answer to his question.

I wouldn't deny that I wanted to see the smug Marquis's expression crumble.

But I had to be satisfied with this for now.

"Don't worry."

The Marquis responded, as if echoing my thoughts.

"Your message has been received."

"I'm glad to hear that."

It was also a warning.

That I was willing to break the cage and attack if he crossed the line. It was a warning that I was ready to become a beast if our relationship became one-sided.

"Then let's move on to the second condition."

"Ah, about that. The second condition is this."

The Marquis glanced at the Dragonkin woman next to him and continued.

"Help Ms. Raviyen and eliminate the Dragonslayer, Regal Vagos."

"The Dragonslayer...?"

"That's an unexpected reaction. I heard from Ms. Raviyen that you have a history with him."

That's true, but... this request was so unexpected that...

'...He knows about my past with the Dragonslayer... it must be because of her.'

I suddenly became curious.

What was the relationship between the Marquis and this Dragonkin woman?

There must be a reason why eliminating the Dragonslayer became the second condition.

Was it a business relationship?

"So, what's your answer?"

I couldn't help but be curious, but it was time to answer.

Ah, let me just ask one more thing.

"But you waited until tomorrow just to tell me this?"

"Ms. Raviyen wasn't here at the time. I thought it would be better to have this conversation with her present."

Hmm, that makes sense.

"Alright, I was planning to kill that bastard myself anyway."

"Then that settles it."

"We haven't discussed the compensation yet."

I pointed at my wrist, which was already healed. The Marquis chuckled.

"Don't worry, we'll compensate you accordingly. It was our mistake."

"Then I'll look forward to it."

The conversation ended there, and the Marquis stood up from his chair. The Dragonkin woman skillfully put the chair away in her subspace pocket.

And...

"Viscount Yandel, don't get any ideas."

The guard looked at me and mumbled something.

Was she trying to get back at me for what I said earlier?

I thought that at first, but I soon realized it wasn't the case.

"My little sister would be sad if you died again."

"Little sister? Ah, then you're..."

"..."

The Dragonkin guard didn't answer.

She just turned away and followed the Marquis.

But that was enough of an answer.

I had thought her features looked familiar.

'Pennitasaurus.'

The daughter of the Ancient Dragon and the Dragon Priestess, Penny.

The Dragonkin girl.

She was her older sister.

She could have been my companion.

____________________________

Eltora Terserion, the Marquis's only son.

When he regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was his biological father.

"You're awake."

"...I apologize."

Eltora spoke first, without asking any questions.

But his father's response was cold.

"Do you think I stayed up all night just to hear that?"

"..."

"Tell me what happened. Everything, without leaving anything out."

At his father's command, Eltora slowly recalled the events of midnight and gave a brief explanation.

There wasn't much to say anyway.

He had infiltrated his father's room on his orders, was immediately grabbed by the neck, and then beaten unconscious before he could even explain himself.

That was all.

"You useless fool."

Eltora endured the humiliation in silence.

There wasn't even room for excuses this time.

He was just left with one question.

"But why did you choose this method? If you wanted to confirm whether he was an evil spirit or not, there were more reliable ways..."

At first, he thought his father didn't want to antagonize Viscount Yandel.

After all, he had acknowledged him as a valuable asset.

But something felt off.

Or rather, it felt like there was another reason.

"Can't you even think for yourself?"

"...Please enlighten me."

Eltora lowered his head, and the Marquis, only frowning slightly, answered his question.

"An enemy's weakness only holds true value when they're unaware of it."

"Because a hidden weakness remains hidden, but a revealed weakness will be addressed and fixed."

"I'm glad you understand."

"..."

"You can leave now. I have things to think about."

"Yes..."

Eltora left his father's office and headed towards his own room.

His mind was in turmoil.

'Viscount Yandel is the Marquis's enemy...'

What scheme was his father plotting?

As he pondered this question, he arrived at his destination.

But...

His hand trembled as he reached for the doorknob.

Even though this was his own room, the one he had lived in for years, he felt a strange sense of dread. It was as if a beast was lurking inside, waiting to pounce.

He even heard a voice in his head.

[Eltora Terserion.]

A deep voice that sent chills down his spine.

A gaze that looked down upon him.

And...

[...I hope you're ready to die.]

A feeling that he couldn't escape, no matter what he did.

An unpleasant sense of déjà vu.

He instinctively thought of a man.

Well, it couldn't be him.

[I joined this community... 22 years ago.]

Bjorn Yandel wasn't even born back then.

"If Goblin heard my delusion, he would laugh at me."

He chuckled and shook his head.

And then he unlocked the door.

Click.

A typical noble's room, decorated with armor, swords, and a mounted deer head.

It was far from his taste, as always.

_______________________________

The next morning, he was summoned to breakfast.

When he arrived at the dining room, only two people were present.

His father, seated at the head of the table, and the Dragonkin woman standing behind him.

"Where's Eltora?"

"He's resting."

He usually joined them for breakfast.

I wondered why he wasn't here today...

Well, I preferred it this way.

"Eat."

We started our meal and naturally segued into conversation.

There were things we had to discuss.

For example, the 'compensation' he mentioned yesterday.

"Tell me what you want as compensation for our mistake."

"Before that, there's something I need to confirm."

"Go ahead."

"How long will it take for me to reclaim my name?"

"About three months. This needs to be handled perfectly."

Three months...

It felt too long, but it was understandable from the Marquis's perspective.

He had to fabricate two years' worth of records to prove that Bjorn Yandel had infiltrated Noark on a secret mission for the royal family.

"Until then, your role is also important. If your name gets out before the preparations are complete, someone might investigate you."

"Can't you stop them?"

"If it happens, I'll try, but I can't guarantee anything. The royal palace is... well, you know."

It meant he couldn't completely control the royal family, even with his authority.

His words felt a bit ironic, considering his reputation as the one who had turned the King into a puppet.

But it wasn't unbelievable.

He might be the second most powerful person in the kingdom, but he wasn't without rivals.

The Duke of Keallunus was a prime example.

A powerful noble family with a member on the Mage Tower Council. They had a long history of involvement in labyrinth affairs and held significant influence over the large clans.

The Duke's family had more resources and influence than the Marquis's family, which only relied on his position as Prime Minister.

"If you understand the time frame, then I'd like to hear your request."

"I want to meet the tribe's shaman."

"Why?"

He asked a rather obvious question.

Ah, maybe he doesn't know because he's not a barbarian?

There's only one reason why a warrior would seek out a shaman.

"I need to receive the Spirit Engraving."

My Spirit Engraving was stuck at 6th grade.

I had even gathered the materials for the 7th grade, but I was dragged back in time before I could receive it.

Thankfully, Raven had inherited the 'Soul of the Deceased' and was keeping it safe. Once my identity issue was resolved, I could receive the engraving.

"As I said, it would be problematic if your name gets out before the preparations are complete—"

I cut him off.

"That's why I'm asking you to handle it. So I don't have to worry about it."

"So that's what you want as compensation."

"Yes. It's too long to wait three months when I don't even know what will happen in the next labyrinth expedition."

The Marquis closed his eyes in contemplation.

But he must have decided that it wouldn't be a bad thing to have my combat power increase.

"Alright, I'll arrange a meeting with the shaman within this month."

"That's good to hear."

I didn't bother asking how he would summon the shaman or convince him.

That was his job.

He would handle it cleanly, considering his work ethic.

Thud.

We finished our meal.

But we continued our conversation, leaving the empty plates on the table.

There were still things we needed to discuss.

"You mentioned forming a special forces unit led by me. Do you have any specific plans?"

"I'm planning to create a unit with 30 members."

"That's five teams. Have you decided who to recruit?"

"Not yet, but I have a few candidates in mind."

The Marquis then listed the names of the explorers he had his eye on.

I was surprised.

Even I, who wasn't up-to-date on the latest information, recognized many of the names.

Members of the Seven Strengths.

Aces of large clans.

Renowned paladins.

Elite soldiers of the military.

Was he trying to create a dream team?

"But will they actually join?"

"Most of them will. I'm planning to offer them generous rewards."

"...I see."

It felt unrealistic, but he wouldn't be saying this with such confidence if it wasn't possible.

So we moved on to the next topic.

"Viscount Yandel, you'll be in charge of one of the three teams. And Ms. Raviyen will be on your team."

"That means I can add four more members, excluding myself."

"You're planning to take those two with you, right?"

It was obvious who he was referring to.

Erwen and Amelia.

'He knows about Amelia too... Could he know that she's from Noark?'

I felt a pang of worry, but I nodded.

"That's the plan."

"Then you only have two slots left. If you don't have anyone in mind, tell me which of the candidates I mentioned you want. I'll offer them better terms to recruit them."

Additional members...

Raven came to mind first.

We needed a mage, and she was more than qualified in terms of both skill and trustworthiness.

But then what about the navigator?

I couldn't just give him the last spot.

Should I keep him locked up in the basement until the war ends?

'I'll have to discuss this with Amelia later... and I should ask Raven before mentioning her to the Marquis.'

"I'll think about it and let you know."

"Alright."

That concluded our discussion for today.

Or so I thought.

"Ah, there's one more thing I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I'm not the only one who planned this."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a joint effort. My influence only extends to giving you command of one of the five teams."

"So? What are you trying to say?"

"The position of commander is still vacant."

In other words, the leader position was still open.

"Why?"

The Marquis looked me straight in the eye and said,

"Do you think those who were named would just accept it? Even if they did, their backers wouldn't allow it."

Ah, so it's political.

If even the Marquis couldn't handle it, it meant that there were many powerful figures involved in the creation of this unit.

Well, it wasn't a bad thing for me.

I could already guess what he was going to say.

"So, 30 members will be gathered, and then the candidates will compete to decide who will lead the unit."

"..."

"If this unit achieves great feats in the war, the commander's backer will also benefit from it."

He paused and observed my expression, then continued without elaborating.

"What do you think? Is it possible?"

His question was clear.

I chuckled.

He shouldn't have asked if it was 'possible'.

"It's not impossible."

Honestly...

The candidates he mentioned were all impressive.

But...

"As long as the reward is worth it."

None of them could beat me.