Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Novel - Chapter 753
Chapter 753: First Blood (3)
Living in the barbarian holy land, one hears a battle this thousands of times a day. When eating, it’s “Behella,” and when chopping wood, it’s “Behella.” They shouted their ancestral god’s name at every opportunity, and because of this, Rotmiller began to distinguish between them. Even though the battle cries seemed indistinguishable, they each had their own unique qualities…… This particular battle cry had three distinct features.
“Behel–laaaaaaaaaaa!!”
First, the pitch of ‘Be’ started low. Second, there was a habit of taking a deep breath between ‘hel’ and ‘la’…… Most importantly, it was a woman’s voice.
“Ainar……?”
In fact, this guess was correct. Rotmiller turned his head toward the direction of the sound and spotted Ainar standing on the railing of a four-story building.
Swoooosh-!
A pair of wings spread out behind her back. Even from a distance, it was clear she was a female warrior holding a rare and splendid green spear.
“It-it’s the Divine Spear……!”
“They said she was supposed to be in the square!”
Rotmiller didn’t know why Ainar was there, but the reason didn’t matter. What mattered was that their chances of overcoming this crisis had increased.
Boom-!
Ainar jumped down from the roof of the four-story building and landed beside the cart, which was speeding madly.
And……
“Neigh-!”
Running alongside a horse with an arrow stuck in its rump, she asked.
“Scout, tell me. What should I do?”
A straightforward question, typical of a barbarian.
“I’m not very smart, so tell me. How can I save Yandel?”
Despite the brevity of the question, it conveyed deep trust. For some reason, Rotmiller felt his chest swell with emotion, but he suppressed it and regained his composure. If you are trusted, you must repay that trust.
“If we can just get to the city walls, the royal army will likely come to help. So…”
“Make it simple.”
“Clear the way in front!”
“…Easy enough.”
As soon as Rotmiller’s order was given, Ainar shot forward.
And……
Thwack-!
She swung her green spear, piercing and driving back the enemies blocking the way. Her wings flapped behind her, and no enemy could withstand a single thrust of her spear. Watching her from behind, it seemed as if the female warrior had descended from the heavens to save Bjorn Yandel.
“Behel–laaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
Now the enemies didn’t even dare to block her, allowing the cart to speed forward. The closer they got to the city walls, the faster they moved. But it seemed that the final stretch wouldn’t be smooth sailing.
Swoosh.
A man appeared in their path, a man who didn’t seem afraid to block their way. Rotmiller didn’t know who he was.
But……
Ainar, who seemed capable of laughing boldly and swinging her spear no matter who blocked her path, suddenly tensed. Her voice lowered as well.
“From here on, you’ll have to go alone. Take care of Yandel, scout.”
Ainar spoke as she ran. And at that moment.
Whooooosh-!
The world darkened as if night had fallen, sending chills down everyone’s spines.
[Roland Banozant has cast Black Demon Eyes.]
Hundreds of eerie eyes gleamed in the thick darkness that descended upon the city. At the same time, everything stopped as if the world had frozen. Except for two people.
“I’m glad I came.”
A man approached leisurely, emanating a strange glow from his eyes.
And……
“Behel–laaaaaaaaaaa!!”
With a battle cry, the female warrior thrust her spear.
Whooooosh-!
Her spear shot forward, emitting wind pressure in all directions, but it pierced only empty air.
But……
Crackle-!
Somehow, the darkness shrouding the area shattered, and time began to move again.
“Ugh……”
The previously confident man staggered backward as if struck unexpectedly, and Ainar charged at him, shouting.
“Go……!”
Rotmiller drove the cart forward. In reality, he didn’t do much. The panicked horse had already bolted as soon as the darkness lifted, and all Rotmiller did was steer it.
Rattle, rattle-!
The cart moved forward. Sounds of superhuman combat echoed behind him, but Rotmiller didn’t look back. His sole focus was to get the cart to the city walls.
But……
“Catch him……!”
“Stop him!”
With Ainar gone, the soldiers who had been hiding began to pursue him again. The problem was……
‘Damn it.’
The cart was slowing down. It made sense. Despite having wheels, the cart had been carrying a heavy barbarian and an adult man for quite a distance. It was bound to lose speed eventually……
Thwack-! Whoosh-!
Rotmiller released the reins and moved to the cart, using a crossbow to fend off the pursuers. However, it wasn’t very effective. He wasn’t a strong warrior like Ainar.
“These are just regular arrows!”
“He’s nothing special!”
The soldiers who couldn’t stand against Ainar were still far superior to Rotmiller. Although some crossbow arrows occasionally found their mark……
“Catch him!”
The gap between the cart and the pursuers was closing fast. At this rate, they would inevitably catch up. A decision had to be made, but there was no time to think calmly.
“I’m out of arrows!”
He had run out of crossbow arrows.
And then……
Thwack-!
An enemy’s magic struck his right shoulder, rendering his right arm useless. In other words, staying on the cart only added weight and offered no help. His mind began to race with thoughts.
Is this really the end? When he appeared in the holy land, I thought my story had more to tell. Is this truly the end of my story?
No, it isn’t. There is one way. If I throw this heavy barbarian off the cart, I can survive. They’re chasing Yandel, not me. Then the cart will reach the city walls safely, and I will live.
But……
‘Now I understand.’
When he faced death in the holy land, Rotmiller didn’t fully grasp his wizard friend’s decision in that final moment. He could only speculate, never fully understanding. But now, he felt he understood a little.
‘No matter how afraid he was—’
Like the barbarians entering the labyrinth. Like the warriors who laugh when things get tough.
‘He didn’t run away.’
His mind cleared like a gentle breeze wiping away fog.
Dwalki wasn’t great. He was ordinary, just like me. He feared death and desperately clung to life. He probably reflected on his past, finding countless regrets and mistakes, wishing to flee and correct them. But he didn’t run away. He did his best, and as a result, he saved everyone.
‘Yeah……’
If it weren’t for him, this story would have ended long ago. Even considering these thoughts was laughable.
So……
“I’m sorry, but from here on, you’ll have to go alone.”
He uttered a final farewell to the unconscious man, knowing he wouldn’t hear it. Perhaps it was because he was, after all, an ordinary person? In his final moment of regret, he pulled out a pen from his [Treasure Vault].
And……
Scribble, scribble.
He wrote a few words on Yandel’s thick palm. The urgency of the situation didn’t allow for lengthy messages…… Even that brief note was enough to helped settle his numerous regrets. In a way, even these last words might be his own selfish desire……
‘I guess this much selfishness is okay.’
Rotmiller gripped a dagger with the same hand that had held the pen and jumped off the cart. He slashed and slashed at the enemies rushing towards him.
“What’s the hell’s with this guy?”
Hot blades sliced through his entire body.
Rattle, rattle.
The creaking sound of the cart’s wheels faded away. He didn’t need to look back to know.
Rattle, rattle.
The cart was heading in the right direction. Towards the high city walls.
***
It felt like waking up from a deep sleep. His body was stiff, but his mind was clear. It felt like he had a long dream while sleeping, but he couldn’t remember what it was about.
“Where……”
Where could this be? Looking up at the ceiling, it seemed like a tent.
Swoosh.
He raised his upper body from the bed to check his surroundings. There were no clues as to where he was. It seemed like a royal army tent……
Why was I lying here?
“…Rotmiller.”
As he pondered, the pieces of his memory before he lost consciousness began to fit together. Thunder struck and he blocked it.
And when he barely regained his senses, Rotmiller was by his side…
‘What… What the hell happened?’
He was confused. He needed information about his current situation. Just as he was about to get up from the bed, a knight entered the tent. It was a familiar face.
“……Astarota?”
Astarota Berun, the king’s knight. A temporary ally who went missing along with Raven when I was dragged into the ‘Underworld’ by the Corpse Collector.
“Finally awake, I see.”
“Why am I here? Where is Raven?”
“How about asking one question at a time?”
How cold, especially to someone who just woke up.
“Where is Raven?”
“She is safe, don’t worry. She’ll be here soon after hearing the news.”
Phew… I see.
“Now, tell me. Where is this place and why am I here?”
“This is the Royal Capital, Karnon. The reason a baron like you is in a soldier’s tent is for security.”
“Security?”
“As soon as your location is known, another attack from Thunder will be come.”
“…What?”
“The Prime Minister seems to be very agitated. He keeps launching Thunder as soon as your location is revealed.”
So, it was the Marquess who fired that. It’s important information, but it’s not what I’m curious about right now.
“Astarota, what I want to know is not why I’m in a soldier’s tent, but everything that happened while I was unconscious.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Astarota wore a nonchalant expression as he recounted everything that had happened. In summary, it was straightforward.
A second Thunder was launched and Baron Wilkins, the commander of the 5th Corps, had used an ancient magic installed in the city. This ancient magic was a summoning spell with a relatively long casting time, but due to the rush, a ‘side effect’ occurred. The side effect was that the summoning coordinates were assigned randomly……
“So, in the end, everyone there was randomly teleported across the city?”
“Better than dying, don’t you think?”
Well, that was true, but……
“Then I was just lucky and ended up here?”
“Not quite. You landed in the middle of the enemy lines, in District 4. And the one who brought you to the Capital while you were unconscious was another man.”
“Another man… Rotmiller! Are you talking about Brown Rotmiller?”
“Probably.”
“What happened to Rotmiller?”
I urgently inquired about his safety, and Astarota casually replied as if it was nothing serious.
“He’s dead.”
“……What?”
“According to the camp guard’s eyewitness account, when the cart slowed down, he jumped off and stood his ground against the enemies.”
Uh……
“By the way, it seems that Ainar Fenelin, who helped you escape, was captured and taken prisoner by the enemy.”
Rotmiller was dead, and Ainar was captured……? So much information flooded in that I couldn’t process it all. Astarota smirked at my stunned state.
“You’re more fragile than you look. Take a moment to gather yourself. Oh, and one last thing……”
“……?”
“Your palm.”
With those cryptic words, Astarota left the tent, and I sat helplessly on the bed. I then raised my arm and turned my palm upwards. There was a hastily scrawled message, and as soon as I read it, I understood the reality.
[Treat Miss Shavin well. She’s a good woman.]
…It wasn’t a dream.
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