Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Chapter 391: Captain Barbarian (1)

Chapter 391: Captain Barbarian (1)

The living room on the 1st floor of Erwen's CCTV-equipped mansion.

Three women were sitting in a row on the sofa, sipping tea.

"A special forces unit with thirty members... I've never heard of it. It means they're working on it in secret, right?"

Amelia responded to Raven's mumble.

"The war has been going on for a long time, so the royal family must be looking for a way to turn things around."

"Yeah. Considering the names of the candidates the Marquis mentioned, I wonder if it's even possible to put them all on the same team."

"But that part is certain. The Marquis said so himself."

"Then it means they're planning something big."

The two women exchanged serious words, discussing the situation. Erwen, on the other hand, didn't seem interested at all.

"Mister, you don't like things that are too sweet, right? Here, have this. I bought something savory this time."

"Ah, thank you."

I took the peanut cookies from Erwen and started munching on them. Raven looked at me with a dissatisfied expression.

She didn't like me just sitting there after explaining the situation.

I quickly swallowed the cookies and spoke.

"Raven, so what are you going to do?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Didn't I tell you? There are two spots left. Me, Erwen, Emily, and the Dragonkin the Marquis added. That's four."

"Ah..."

"I want you to join us."

I asked directly, and Raven looked away, her expression troubled.

"I'd like to help, but it's difficult right now."

A disappointing answer.

"...Is that so?"

Raven seemed to sense my disappointment and quickly explained.

"Captain Febrosk has been busy lately. He's been summoned everywhere, both on the battlefield and in the city. If I leave, there's no one to manage the Magic Corps..."

Always the responsible one.

Well, that's what made her a trustworthy companion.

I quickly ended the conversation, not wanting to see her dejected expression.

"Don't make excuses. It's not your fault. And besides, it's not something you should apologize for."

"Thank you. I appreciate your understanding."

"It's not understanding, it's just the truth."

"..."

Raven's recruitment had failed.

Then who should I choose for the remaining two spots?

As I was contemplating, Amelia spoke softly.

"Schuitz, do you think we need a navigator?"

"Hmm, we'll be taking a large warship, so I don't think we need one."

"...I see."

Amelia nodded, but the atmosphere felt strange. Did she want to take Auyen, the basement navigator, with us?

Well, no matter how much she enjoyed sailing, there's a time and place for everything...

"Auyen is better off staying here for now. We might need him again after the war."

"Okay. I've been worried about him because he's been skipping meals lately, but I guess I should just increase his walk time."

"...Yeah, that should work."

That settled the navigator issue.

"Raven, do you know anything about that Dragonkin woman?"

"No. I've never heard of Raviyen. But I'll look into it when I get back. The Captain might know something."

"Okay, I'm counting on you."

Raven then left, sensing that the conversation was over.

We were alone again.

"So, who should we choose for the remaining two spots?"

"We need a mage."

"I agree. We'll be at a disadvantage without one."

We quickly agreed on the need for a mage to fill Raven's vacancy.

And...

"What about the last spot?"

"A priest would be nice."

"If we can't find a priest, then a support ability user."

We decided to add a priest or a support ability user to the team.

I was the only tank, Amelia was the melee damage dealer, Erwen was the ranged attacker, and we had a mage.

It would be better to strengthen the melee line and prepare for any unexpected situations with a support member.

It was a rational decision, so I agreed.

But then...

"Okay, then for the mage, we'll choose between these two, and for the priest, this one. And if we can't get a priest, then this ability user!"

Erwen pointed at the names on the candidate list with a cheerful expression.

And then I noticed something.

"Oh, they're all men."

"Well... there are too many women around you, aren't there?"

"...Huh?"

Was that a valid reason to choose only men?

I looked at Amelia for help, but she nodded in agreement.

"It's better to have more men on the team."

"...Why?"

"You can't think straight when women are involved."

What?

What's wrong with her?

I'm a man of steel.

I've always treated men and women equally, especially when it comes to smashing heads.

The first player I killed in the Glacier Cave was a woman.

"Emily, I think you have the wrong idea about me. Why would you think that?"

Amelia didn't even hesitate.

"Because that's how you were with me."

What?

What's my image to these women?

____________________

Ten days before the next labyrinth expedition.

Amelia, who had been going to the commercial district every day to sell the loot, finally returned with good news.

"The loot is all sold."

"That's good to hear. So, how much did we get?"

"350 million stones, after deducting expenses."

Wow, that's a lot of money.

Even if we reached the 7th floor, it would be difficult to earn this much with just magic stones.

'Well, it's not surprising. We robbed an entire 6th-floor clan.'

Still, it was an unbelievable amount.

And we hadn't even sold the largest ship yet. If we sold it, our total earnings would triple.

"So, what are we going to do with the money?"

Amelia asked, and I answered without hesitation.

"We split it evenly, of course."

"That's 110 million stones per person, after rounding."

Amelia smiled for the first time in a while, saying she could finally buy the weapon she had been saving up for.

But her smile didn't last long.

"I think it's better to pay off the debt first."

Erwen's cold voice.

Well, it was a reasonable request.

The situation was complicated, but Amelia was the one who had put my Demon Crusher up as collateral.

She had used the money to buy the Vol-Herchan essence, and we had to take out a loan using Erwen's house to cover the cost.

"The due date is still a long way off..."

"I don't think we'll be able to repay it on time if you keep spending like this."

"...How much do we owe?"

"Everything, of course. If I add my earnings to it, we should be able to repay most of it."

"..."

Amelia looked at me with a pleading expression.

But what could I do?

"...Let's buy the weapon next time."

"You promised you would help me buy it."

"The situation has changed. You agreed to keep the largest ship, didn't you?"

"That's because we might need another ship."

"Yeah, you said that. Just wait a few more months. I'll help you buy it then."

"..."

Amelia didn't answer.

She looked sulky, but she seemed to understand the situation.

What could I do to cheer her up?

She wasn't interested in food...

"Mister, someone's here!"

Huh? Someone?

Erwen's words made me look outside.

A man from the Marquis's family had arrived. He wasn't wearing a uniform, so I couldn't tell if he was a knight.

The conversation was short.

"The Marquis sent this letter."

"Ah, thank you for delivering it."

I quickly returned inside and checked the letter.

It was short and to the point, typical of the Marquis's style. Maybe it was because I was a barbarian.

[The shaman issue has been resolved. I'm sending someone tomorrow morning, so come with him.]

Finally, I could get the 7th-grade Spirit Engraving.

____________________

The next morning.

I left the house as soon as the sun rose and boarded the Marquis's carriage.

It would have taken at least six hours to reach the Imperial City by carriage, but we used the military transfer station again.

'This is really convenient...'

We arrived at the mansion in the morning, even though we had left in the morning.

But I couldn't meet the Marquis this time.

He had left for the royal palace early in the morning because of work.

Well, he wasn't a jobless bum, he was the Prime Minister of the country, so he must be busy.

Actually, it was unusual for him to meet me so often.

It was thanks to his consideration that I had been able to have private conversations with him.

'Well, I prefer not to see him anyway.'

I followed the Marquis's servant and arrived at his office on the 3rd floor.

"..."

The Marquis's son, Eltora, was working at his desk. He looked at me with an awkward expression, and then, as soon as the servant left, he greeted me.

"...Welcome, Viscount Yandel. It's been a while."

He was polite and respectful, but there was an underlying tension in his voice.

Ah, is it because he's avoiding eye contact?

"It's been a while. How are you feeling? I hope your face has healed properly..."

"...As you can see, I'm fine now."

"That's good to hear."

"Ah, and I apologize for my rudeness the other day."

Eltora's words made me want to laugh.

I knew it was just a formality...

But it was still funny to hear the one who got beaten up apologizing for being rude.

"It's fine. It's all in the past. The Marquis and I have already settled it, so don't worry about it."

"Thank you. I feel much better now."

"So, where's the shaman?"

"He's waiting in another room. Renia... the maid outside will guide you."

So I just had to go to another room and get the Spirit Engraving. There was no reason to rush, so I asked a few questions.

"How did you bring the shaman here?"

"My father personally asked the barbarian chieftain to send a shaman. He said someone needed a Spirit Engraving."

"Hmm, wouldn't that be suspicious?"

"Not really. Not all barbarians can freely enter the sanctuary."

"Ah, did you tell him it was for a barbarian who had been exiled from the tribe?"

That was the most likely scenario.

But Eltora shook his head.

"He said it was for a barbarian who was born and raised in the city."

"...I see."

I nodded in understanding.

That was also a possibility.

Barbarians were no different from humans.

If they lived in the city for a long time, they would adapt to the city's culture and become less attached to their traditions.

Some even raised their children in the city instead of sending them to the sanctuary.

"Well, then there shouldn't be any problems. Thank you for taking care of it."

"It's our pleasure to help the Viscount."

"Okay, then I'll see you later."

I left the room after my questions were answered. The maid, Renia, was waiting outside and guided me to the shaman's room.

"I'm not allowed to go any further."

She meant I had to enter alone.

I opened the door and entered.

The room was empty, all the furniture removed. The air was thick with smoke.

A figure was sitting in the center, shrouded in a cloth.

'It's been almost three years since I last saw a shaman...'

I felt a surge of nervousness as I approached.

Even if the Marquis had prepared everything, the shaman would probably recognize me.

Well, knowing his personality, he would probably keep it a secret from the chieftain...

"You've arrived."

A voice came from behind the cloth, stopping me in my tracks.

"Barbarian born and raised in the city."

What? That voice sounded so young...

Whoosh!

The cloth was pulled aside, revealing a young barbarian with an eyepatch.

I recognized him immediately.

He was the shaman's young apprentice, the one I had seen several times during my visits to the sanctuary.

'Kkeuk, kkeuk... Are you nervous to meet the shaman you've been waiting for? I can feel your heart pounding from here."

What's wrong with this kid?

'And what happened to the old shaman? Why is he here?'