Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Novel - Chapter 559
Chapter 559: First Clear (4)
The sounds came to me in a jumbled cacophony of noise.
“…Ritman Powel is confirmed dead!”
“Mailden Betimore of Squad 3 is confirmed dead!”
“Garon Nilgrains of Squad 1 is confirmed dead!”
Desperate voices echoed around me.
“Mister! Are you awake? Hello?”
“Priest, why is he not waking up?”
“It’s just…I think he’ll wake up if we wait a little longer…”
“I see that his head is injured severely. Is it because of that?”
The worries of my allies could be heard from next to me.
Through all that, I could hear the mumblings of Missha.
“If something goes wrong…I’ll have to use that…”
What was she talking about?
My ears were ringing because I only just woke up. I couldn’t even focus properly.
“Well then…it seems the baron is all cured, so I will go and tend to the other—”
“What are you saying?! He hasn’t woken up yet! Where do you think you’re going?!”
“Tersia, stop.”
“What do you mean, stop? Are you not worried about Mister—”
“You don’t have to. He’s all woken up now.”
“…Pardon?”
I got caught. I wanted to settle my mind a little more before opening my eyes.
Well, I needed to check out the situation as well, anyway. No matter how long I dragged out the time with my eyes closed, nothing would change.
“Captain!”
“Oh! Bjorrrn! I was worried!”
“Hah…”
As I opened my eyes, the allies around me all let out sighs of relief.
Rather than reassuring them that I was fine, I jumped to the more important question. “Did anyone on our side…get hurt?” Skirting around the issue was uncharacteristic of me, but I was honestly just asking if we had anyone die.
Amelia instantly understood my question and answered, “Glow Isius died.”
Glow Isius was one of the wizard trio from the Armin Adventurer Group. He was a young wizard in his thirties. Whenever he saw me, he always joked about giving him more time and funding.
So, he had died.
“…And?”
“We didn’t have any other deaths. We had a few injured, but aside from one person, everyone else’s injuries were minor.”
“I see…” I closed my eyes for a moment and let out a deep sigh. Everyone remained quiet as I did, and I was able to have a moment of silence. Although many thoughts swirled about in my mind, I focused on one thing.
What I need to do… Let’s get to it.
“I remember getting my head crunched by that wolf, so what happened after that?” I asked. “Tell me everything that happened after I lost consciousness.”
For some reason, Amelia seemed hesitant. “…As soon as you were bitten, Tersia fired her arrow.”
This meant that Concentrated Fire hadn’t been fully charged.
“After getting hit by the arrow, Kashan let go of you, and Karlstein and I used that opening to run in and save you.”
That arrow had created an opening to quickly save me. However, the disaster only continued.
“…After that, everyone faced off against Kashan, and a lot of people died. That’s all. Oh, also, unfortunately, we weren’t able to get any essences—”
“Don’t skip the details.”
Everyone fought together, and a lot of people died—this wasn’t a story that could end with just that one sentence. I needed to know.
Sensing my desire, Amelia let out a sigh as she gave me the answer I wanted to hear. “Yandel, after you fell unconscious, a huge vacuum was created in the frontline. We needed someone to fill that void. Dozens of knights ran in.”
“What about Jerome Saintred? Was he still just looking on from the back?”
“Actually, he didn’t. He said he had been waiting for an accident to happen, and when you fell, he was the one who ran forward first. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have been able to save you.”
“…I see. Sorry for interrupting you. Continue.”
“The commander joined the battle, but the situation was still bad. And then, in the end, he gave a different order. He commanded the soldiers at the back to join the battle and fight.”
The soldiers who were stationed next to the ranged damage dealers—the wizards, priests, and special-ability users—to protect them. So those soldiers had also been mobilized.
It was a decision I could agree with. We were nearly at the end of the battle when I’d fallen.
Working to kill the wolf faster would have decreased our casualties.
“But there was a fatal flaw to that command.” The problem was that no one could manage the wolf’s aggro properly. “Kashan attacked the most threatening individuals first. Most of the attacks were aimed at the commander, but it was a very unstable situation.”
Every time it swung its paws as if swatting a fly, the necks of the knights flew off, and every time a wizard fired off a powerful blast, the wolf would turn to charge them.
“Glow Isius died then as well.”
And with that, the wizard trio became a duo.
I was wondering why they weren’t telling me who died…
Were they thinking that he wouldn’t have died if I had stayed up?
…Well, that was true.
“We faced the wolf for three minutes after you fell unconscious, and the commander’s sword finally pierced the wolf’s forehead and ended the battle. After that, the stone gate closed and then opened again, showering the area with light. It’s been about ten minutes since then.”
I paused to take it all in.
“How is that?” Amelia prompted finally. “Did that answer all of your questions?”
“For now.”
A knight I recognized approached us as the conversation trailed off. “Lord Baron, you’re awake!
The commander is calling for you!”
“…I’ll be there in a bit.”
“I’ll help the injured, so don’t worry about us.”
I eventually followed the knight to Jerome, who had lost one of his arms and was sporting an injury that looked to be a hole punctured clean through his body. He was currently being healed by a priest.
So this guy got hit pretty hard as well.
“It’s a relief to see you well, Your Lordship.”
“I think you’re in a worse situation than me.”
Jerome only let out an awkward laugh and didn’t answer me, instead turning to his deputy commander. “Alright, the baron is here as well… Ebost, start the report!”
With the other leaders here too, the battle report began.
“The First Expedition Group has accomplished an amazing feat by defeating the Wolf of Prophecy, Kashan, today. An achievement to be recorded in imperial history. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to locate an essence that could be offered to the palace…”
As the report continued, I was reminded of the danger that a rank one monster presented.
“We have a total of twenty-seven who have fully recovered from their injuries, four suffering serious injuries, and a total of twenty-eight killed in action.”
Twenty-eight dead soldiers, twenty-one of whom had died in the three minutes I was unconscious. Among those who died in battle, our Squad Four only had one casualty. No one refuted that this was a miraculous truth, but there was a definitive cause for this outcome.
“Count Saintred,” I called. “I heard that you were the one who commanded Squad Four to retreat to the back at the end.” When I fell unconscious and Kashan was unleashed, the commander sent Squad Four to the relatively safer back-ranks.
“Why did you give that order?”
I wasn’t dissatisfied with that order, not by any means. In fact, I was thankful for it. Even so, I couldn’t help but feel curious.
“That is because if you die, then one of the goals of our expedition would end in failure, Your Lordship. That is why I commanded the entirety of Squad Four to protect you.”
“…What?”
“Your Lordship, our expedition group didn’t just come here to hunt mere monsters. And I have never, save one time, ever failed a mission.”
What an unbelievable way of thinking. Was his mission that important?
“No matter how many people die, if we save you and return, the mission will be a success,” he concluded.
I didn’t even know what to make of this guy anymore. When I had talked to him before, I thought we could be friends if not for the situation we were in.
I said the only thing I could.“Understood. That answered my questions.”
“That’s good to hear. Then could we continue with the meeting?”
When I nodded and took a step back, the deputy commander paused for a moment before resuming the meeting.
“That is with our damage report, so I will move on to the next topic.”
The next topic was quite simple. We had successfully defeated Kashan, and since it didn’t drop an essence, we didn’t need to talk about who would take it.
“As soon as Kashan was defeated, the stone gate opened. The wizards also confirmed that that light is similar in nature to a portal… To put it simply, there is a very high chance that if we enter that light, we will be connected to a different space.”
What could be beyond that opened stone gate? When should we continue with our expedition again?
These were the topics we talked about during the meeting as many opinions were exchanged. I stood there not paying attention, engrossed in my own thoughts.
Because I already knew what was beyond the gate.
…I didn’t realize the door was supposed to be opened that way.
It was the area we had already visited with Hamsick. Well, there was a possibility that it could be some other place, but I concluded that the probability of that was low.
I guess the normal order of events is that you clear the library by defeating a rank one monster, and then the gate opens to let you obtain the treasures inside.
The many different types of summoning books would be the minor rewards, and the fountain pen that guaranteed the essence drop was probably the main reward. Hmm, perhaps the golden book as well.
Anyway…I guess I somehow ended up skipping this part?
If I hadn’t met Hamsick earlier and taken all the rewards first, the fountain pen would’ve gotten taken by the palace as well.
So the hidden secret here was a way to skip clearing the library to enter the main reward room.
From the perspective of a player, Hamsick’s existence was probably for that reason. That said, there seemed to be even more hidden secrets here.
Then was that the reason why it told me I didn’t have the qualifications? I didn’t clear the area properly, so I couldn’t enter the reward room.
It was only a guess, so I wasn’t completely sure of it. I would probably need to meet Hamsick again to gauge its reaction.
“Then we will end our meeting there. Until seven in the afternoon, only the patrol will be on duty, so each leader should return to their squad to take care of them. Ah, and we will be redistributing the members later, just know that for now.”
With the meeting ended, all of us had free time.
Seven in the afternoon…
These guys were intense. We’d had a battle of this scale, yet we didn’t even get a full day of rest, only a few hours before going into a new task.
A sigh threatened to escape me, but I first returned to relay the information to my allies.
“…Five hours isn’t long enough to sleep,” Ainar grumbled.
“Hmm? Not long enough? Can’t you just sleep?”
“For today, Ms. Fenelin is right. I think I’ll just sleep for a bit as well.”
“But I don’t know if I’ll even be able to sleep. I’m still in awe… My heart is still racing in my chest right now.”
Most people were glad that they were even given some time to rest.
“You can sleep or rest or do whatever you want, but we should do what needs to be done first,”
I stated.
“By what needs to be done…”
“An ally has died.”
“Ah…that’s right.”
I took the entirety of Squad Four to a corner of the library, where we had laid the corpse of our only squad member who was killed in action.
The only woman among the wizard trio, Sharlot Emblut, collapsed in front of the corpse, bewilderment painted across her face.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
“…No. I’m not alright at all.”
“I’m guessing this is your first time?”
A lot of things were condensed into that one question. Sharlot clenched her fist until it shook, but she didn’t say anything in response.
Her older brother, Brian Emblut, came to guide her away from the corpse, and we began our small funeral service. As always, the process ended very quickly.
“His remains and his belongings will be taken back to the city to be given to his family.” We sorted his belongings and cast distortion magic on his body to keep it secure.
After the funeral ended, Sharlot approached me as I was leaving.
“Lord Baron… Some day… On what day… If enough time passes, will I be alright? Just like the saying?”
It was what everyone asked when they first experienced something like this.
Hah, how should I respond to her?
I collected my thoughts before saying, “What ‘alright’ means is different for everyone.”
“Yes…that’s right. I said something pointless—”
“But you know,” I continued, as confidently for her as I could. “One day when you remember him, if you remember the happy memories before the sad ones, and if that is what you define as being alright…then you’ll be alright. Even if you perhaps don’t want to be.”
She stayed quiet.
“Go rest now,” I said, then turned around. As I did, someone approached me from the side. It was Missha, the only one among my allies here who was with me during my time in Team Half-Wit.
“Just then…you were talking about Dwalkie…right?”
I answered optimistically. “…Somewhat.”
Missha seemed to get lost in her thoughts for a moment before she mumbled, “Back then…things were really nice…” A deep nostalgia threaded through her voice.
I wasn’t much different, of course. “Yeah…it was.”
Now, I was a baron with countless people following my command. Some might even call me the hero who left his name on the Stone of Honor. However, I still recalled those days from time to time.
Worrying about surviving every day.
Being scared of plunderers.
Creating a huge commotion against a rank five monster.
Us looking up at the sky of the third floor.
“It’s a view that only adventurers who arrive here early enough can see. Isn’t it wonderful?”
I was now alright.
***
I had taken out a single blanket to rest and spend the time when an uninvited guest appeared.
“Yandel, the top wizard of the expedition group is here for you.”
“The top wizard…?”
“He says he wants to talk to you. What do you want to do?”
“…I can’t even sleep, so this is good. Bring him here.”
With that, I just got up and packed up my blanket as Amelia brought the old wizard over.
“Gahuin Versilus.”
“Lord Baron, my apologies for interrupting your rest. May I speak with you?” I glanced at Amelia, who was standing beside him, and she left without me having to say anything else. “I wish to use voice control magic, will that be alright with you?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“…Ah, thank you. It’s all done.”
“So, what is it?” As always, I skipped the pleasantries and got right to the point.
The old wizard in turn said something quite unexpected. “I came here to apologize to you, Lord Baron.”
“Hmm, apologize…?”
“That’s right. I was wrong, and you were right. However, I wasn’t able to accept it, and it nearly caused me to make a huge mistake.”
Ignoring the apology, I was more curious about his change of heart. “Why do you think that?”
“It’s only natural that I should after what I witnessed today. A rank one monster…it is monstrous, indeed. I was underestimating it. But Lord Baron, as an adventurer, you were seeing it for exactly what it was.”
“I see.”
“To be honest…even before you fell unconscious, I didn’t know to be afraid of it. No, I was confident that if we had summoned Leviathan as I suggested, we wouldn’t have any casualties at all. However…”
The old wizard trailed off, then spoke as if he was letting go of everything.
“That situation wasn’t created thanks to me. My knowledge and my talent for magic had no influence over the situation. Nor did the hundred elite soldiers chosen by the palace. I experienced that fact so clearly during the three minutes you were out of commission.”
“Well…I think you’re overpraising me.”
“As a scholar, I am only telling you the facts. If you weren’t here today, the casualties wouldn’t have ended with just this.”
Because he was saying that straight to my face, it made it more difficult for me to say anything.
So, I just stayed quiet. Just being present was half the battle, as they say.
“Ahem…it seems I droned on for long. In any case, there is only one thing I wish to say.”
“Then say it.”
“Our expedition group needs your strength, knowledge, and decision-making, Lord Baron. I will pay close attention to all the words you say in the future, so please tell us whatever you have in mind.”
In other words, he wasn’t going to challenge me, so we should go from here as colleagues. It was one of the better pieces of news I had heard today.
“Alright. I’ll be in your care, Gahuin.”
“…Gahuin?”
“Friends call each other by their names.”
“Ah, that’s right. Then…Bjor—”
“You can call me Lord Baron. I’m a noble.”
“…Ahaha. That’s also true. Thank you for giving me your time during your rest. I will go for now.”
After that, I gathered with my allies to share a meal, and once our rest was over, the members of the expedition group all gathered around the opened stone gate before crossing over.
[You have entered the First Records Archives.]
A small seed of hope that what we entered would be someplace new grew within me, but the place we entered after clearing the library was Hamsick’s home.
“How ominous-looking.”
“It looks as if a storm had gone through this place.”
Unlike the clean mini-library we saw when we first entered, this place looked to have fallen into ruin now. However, I couldn’t see Hamsick or the golden book here.
Well, I guess it was outside when I saw it, so it’s probably still outside.
Honestly, that was better. If the golden book was discovered here, it would’ve immediately gone over to the palace.
“It’s quite the odd space, isn’t it, Lord Baron?”
“It is. I really don’t know why this place is such a mess…” I said, tutting.
“Please tell us if you find anything.”
“Will do.”
As the expedition group looked around the secret room and confirmed that there was nothing dangerous there, they began to properly investigate the place.
“Everything is damaged here. Will there even be a need to investigate…?”
“What are you saying? We are the first to enter this place!”
“There is certainly something here, so investigate everything thoroughly!”
Ah, also, the so-called “thorough” search these palace soldiers did was a little different from the ones adventurers did. They didn’t break anything, but what they did do was use their absurd inventory space to take everything they could.
“These books are blank…”
“Everything found here is the property of the palace. Do not leave even a single thing behind!”
It didn’t take long for the ruins to turn into a vacant room.
“Investigation complete! There is nothing hidden here!”
…Sorry, Hamsick.
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