Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Raven climbed the stairs and entered the ship’s officer's cabin.

Her assistant, whom she had sent ahead, and the squad leaders were all gathered there.

“Vice-Captain Raven! You’re safe! That’s a relief! We were just about to form a support team—”

“I have to make a report, so please leave.”

“…Yes? Ah, yes!”

The officers obeyed her order without question, sensing her urgency.

The cabin was empty in a matter of seconds.

“…….”

Raven placed her hand on the military message stone, her expression complex.

“Nia Lafdonia. Arrua Raven, Vice-Captain of the 3rd Magic Corps. My return was delayed due to securing an escape route for the unit members. Please share the current situation.”

[Nia Lafdonia. Eltora Terserion, Chief of Staff of the 3rd Corps. I was worried after hearing that you went to stop the Blood Knight, but it’s good to hear that you’re safe.]

“…Excuse me, but why is the Chief of Staff contacting me instead of the Corps Commander…?”

[Because I’m the second-in-command who takes over when the commander is absent during wartime.]

“Absent… sir?”

[Viscount Lamreond has perished. He was ambushed by a group of criminals led by Ricardo Liuhen Praha, the Traitor, while giving the order for all units to assemble and relocate.]

“That’s impossible…”

[The attacks stopped after all troops retreated to the lake, but we can’t be sure what will happen next, so you should take command of your unit and defend the perimeter until further notice.]

The Chief of Staff then briefly shared information about the estimated casualties and the enemy forces.

And…

[I think that’s all you need to know. Now, tell me. Was it really the Blood Knight?]

Raven briefly summarized the events, omitting unnecessary details, and reported to her superior.

How she stayed behind to stop the Blood Knight.

How the enemy reinforcements arrived.

And how they retreated after killing the ‘Lighthouse Keeper’.

She only reported the results, omitting the process.

It wasn’t just to save time.

She wouldn’t have hesitated if that was the case.

[You killed the Lighthouse Keeper… That’s good news. Well done. Tell the Blood Spirit Marquis that she’ll be rewarded for her achievements.]

Her superior thought that the Blood Spirit Marquis was responsible for the victory, but the truth was completely different.

Lihen Schuitz.

It was thanks to that man that no one had been injured by the infamous Blood Knight, and he was the one who killed the Lighthouse Keeper.

But…

[I’ll end the call now.]

…Raven couldn’t bring herself to say it.

And that wasn’t all.

‘Amelia Rainwales.’

She didn’t mention the woman who had performed as well as the Blood Spirit Marquis during the battle. Even though she was certain that the woman was the same Noark explorer she had met on Parune Island. řÄＮôᛒƐś

She had intentionally omitted the information.

Although she hadn’t lied, she had undoubtedly neglected her duty as a soldier.

“Ha…”

She felt a deep sense of guilt.

But what could she do?

She needed time to organize her thoughts.

‘Lihen Schuitz…’

The man who had introduced himself with that name.

Until now, she had thought that he was just someone who resembled the man Erwen had lost.

But after seeing [Gigantification], she had a hunch.

What if he wasn’t just a look-alike?

What if Erwen was calling him ‘mister’ for that reason?

What if he was really alive?

“…I don’t know.”

She was confused.

Nothing was certain.

She wanted to believe it was him, but there were also many differences.

‘His height and his face.’

And…

[Your… your b-back…!]

The blood she felt when she unconsciously reached out to touch his wound was warm and sticky.

It should have stung if it was his blood.

And there was another difference.

‘…He’s too strong.’

His body that blocked the Blood Knight’s Aura.

The strange ability that reflected magic.

And even the ability to drag enemies towards him using wind.

The old Yandel wouldn’t have been able to do that against such powerful enemies.

But…

‘Time has passed.’

Maybe he had absorbed new essences and become stronger.

Even Erwen and she herself had changed a lot in the past two years.

‘If that’s the case…’

The more Raven organized the information, the more she was convinced that Bjorn Yandel was alive.

The decisive factor was Amelia’s presence.

Although she couldn’t find any concrete evidence, there were still unanswered questions about his death.

But the woman who had disappeared with him was alive?

It strongly suggested that he might be alive too.

But the problem was…

‘If it’s really him, what should I do?’

Bjorn Yandel is an evil spirit.

The royal family had officially announced it, and she had known about it before the announcement.

She had seen his expression.

[You said there's a rumor going around that Yandel is an evil spirit... It's not just a rumor, is it?]

Misha, who had been closest to Yandel, didn't answer.

But her trembling eyes held the truth.

Click, click.

Raven bit her nails for the first time in a long time.

It was a habit she only had when she was stressed.

She couldn't think straight.

She wanted him to be alive, but she also didn't want him to be.

But...

"Well, I'll have to confirm it."

Raven made up her mind.

She knew.

That she couldn't just run away and avoid her duty, no matter how scared she was.

______________________

No. 399 Cage of Silence.

A trap-type Numbered Item activated when a spatial movement ability is used within a certain radius.

"She's... not going to come back, is she?"

"She will. And probably soon."

"How can you be so sure?"

"This cage doesn't last forever."

To be precise, it lasted for two hours after activation.

And it had a long cooldown.

'And we can't even attack them while they're trapped.'

It was an item solely for 'restraint'.

All attacks from the outside were blocked when it was active.

So people usually surrounded the cage after trapping the enemy and then ganged up on them when it was deactivated…

Thud.

The soldier guarding us saluted as soon as he heard footsteps from the hallway.

"Nia Lafdonia!"

Right, she's back.

"Thank you for guarding them. I need to talk to them, so can you leave us alone for a moment? And please keep this a secret."

"Yes!"

Raven returned alone after about an hour, and she even dismissed the soldier.

It was a positive sign, but it was too early to relax.

Raven stood in front of the cage, silently observing us, and I asked,

"...What are you going to do with us?"

"You're still using that tone?"

Damn it, she's coming at us strong.

Should I just reveal my identity and try to persuade her to help us?

As I was contemplating, Raven continued,

"...Take off your helmet."

I obediently took off my helmet, which was stained with the Lighthouse Keeper's blood.

Raven's expression didn't change.

"...And your armor."

What does she think I am?

Men and women shouldn't be together after the age of seven!

"I can't comply with an unreasonable request of a sexual nature. Even if I were a woman, I wouldn't—"

"What are you talking about?"

Raven just glared at me as I tried to explain why I couldn't take off my armor.

This is getting a bit scary...

"...I haven't reported you to my superiors yet. Or about Miss Rainwales. But if you don't comply with my request, things will be different—"

"I'll take it off."

"You're... being curt."

What the hell, there's no way for us to escape anyway.

I took off my armor, revealing my back, which was covered in wounds.

And...

"...!"

Raven's expression finally changed.

Her eyes widened, her gaze fixed on the tattoo hidden beneath my armor.

Phew, this feels better.

"It's been a while, Raven."

"..."

"You were expecting this, weren't you?"

Raven bit her lip and glared at me at my question.

"...I was hoping it wasn't true."

"Because I'm an evil spirit?"

"Yes. I wish it could have just remained a good memory..."

Raven trailed off sadly.

I also felt a tightness in my chest.

So she couldn't accept the fact that I was an evil spirit.

"Wait!"

"...?"

"Raven, it's a misunderstanding that I'm an evil spirit."

I quickly tried to persuade her.

"Misunderstanding?"

"Yes, I'm not an evil spirit."

"Then what's with that appearance?"

Raven clenched her fists, looking at me.

"It seems like you shrunk your height by absorbing an essence like 'Bone Knight'... If you're not an evil spirit, why would you go through all this trouble to hide your identity?"

Right, I knew she would ask that.

"The royal family had already announced it when I returned. And I found some suspicious aspects to it, so I decided to hide my identity for now."

"...I agree that the announcement is suspicious. But 'for now'? And 'returned'? What do you mean?"

Okay, so I managed to pique her curiosity.

"It's a long story. There's this thing called the Fragment of Records—"

"Wait!"

Raven cut me off.

"There's no need for a long explanation. This is enough."

There was a familiar item in her hand.

No. 7234 Distorted Trust.

The consumable item that prevented anyone within a 10-meter radius from lying.

"You know what this is, right? I received it from Mr. Parteian in the Doppelganger Forest. I used the remaining budget from the corps to recharge it."

She was well-prepared.

Whoosh!

She had even activated it. The second hand on the compass-sized disc started to move.

And then...

"So, tell me. Is it really a misunderstanding?"

Raven asked, staring at me intently.

'...Will it work?'

I was a bit nervous.

I hadn't actually tested if Auril Gabis' 'gift' worked.

I was planning to buy 'Distorted Trust' or something similar and test it before revealing myself.

But...

"Raven, it's really a misunderstanding. I'm not an evil spirit."

Well, it seemed to be working since I could say it—

Click.

The second hand suddenly stopped.

"...What did you just do?"

"Uh..."

The second hand started moving again as I trailed off.

Was it just a temporary error?

"I don't know either..."

I quickly feigned ignorance, and 'Distorted Trust' stopped working again.

And then...

Tick, tock.

After a brief pause, it started working again.

"...Why does it stop working when he speaks?"

I gulped at Raven's question.

'He said I wouldn't be affected by these items...'

Damn old man.

He should have told me beforehand!

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