Surviving the Game as a Barbarian-Chapter 473: Friend or Foe (5)

The answer came after a long pause.

"...A favor...?"

Her voice was different from when she had told him to leave.

She was trying to hide it, but her trembling voice betrayed her fear.

It was understandable.

She had seen it firsthand.

How ruthless Lee Baekho could be.

And how powerful he was.

"Yes, a favor."

But it wasn't a request.

"We've been through a lot together, haven't we?"

It was a threat.

She knew that refusing him would have consequences.

That thought dominated her mind.

But...

"...No."

Misha refused.

"You haven't even heard it yet."

"I don't care what it is. I won't do it."

Her eyes were trembling, but she met Lee Baekho's gaze head-on.

He was impressed.

"Wow..."

He had met many fearless people, but not many who could overcome their fear.

"How can someone change so much in such a short time?"

What was the source of her newfound courage?

The answer was simple.

"Hansu hyung is amazing. He must have worked really hard to win her over."

Lee Baekho chuckled.

He didn't understand the difference, but Misha felt like she could breathe again.

"I understand. Love makes you blind, right? I wonder if Hansu hyung even knows..."

He trailed off and then looked at Misha, who seemed to have something to say.

"...Who... is Hans...?"

"What...?"

Lee Baekho stared at her blankly and then burst into laughter.

"Pfft! Hahaha! Oh, right. That makes sense. I'm such an idiot!"

Misha frowned at his laughter, and he calmed down, answering her question.

"Lee Hansu is your boyfriend's real name. Okay?"

Misha didn't react to his teasing tone.

She just repeated the name silently.

"...Lee Hans..."

"It's Hansu, not Hans."

It was a difficult name to pronounce, even after years of practice.

"Lee Hansu."

"That's better."

"Lee Hansu... So that's Bjorn's..."

Misha closed her eyes, as if cherishing the name.

Lee Baekho watched her with a strange expression.

But he didn't dwell on it.

He had work to do.

"So you're really not going to do it?"

"...Why should I?"

"Hmm, let me see..."

He shrugged.

He was usually playful and didn't hesitate to lie...

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

"Because if you don't, Bjorn Yandel will die."

...but this was the truth.

___________________

After the Round Table,

I logged out and went to sleep.

I couldn't stay up late. I had to wake up early tomorrow.

"Mister! Wake up!"

"...Five more minutes."

"Stop talking nonsense and get up. We're almost done packing."

"...Already?"

I opened my eyes and checked the time. It was 11:00 AM.

Damn, I wanted to wake up earlier...

"Wait, I'll pack my own room."

"Don't bother. Just go wash your face."

"Okay, Mister. It's not that much anyway. We'll take care of it."

I quickly washed my face and returned to my room to pack. Four large carts were already waiting in the garden, loaded with our belongings.

Thump-!

I carried my barbarian-sized iron bed downstairs and loaded it onto the last cart.

"We're ready to depart, Baron Yandel."

"Alright, thank you."

The hired drivers led the carts away, and we were left alone in the empty house.

"...This feels strange."

Erwen looked around the empty living room with a wistful expression.

I understood how she felt.

We had made a lot of memories here.

Good and bad.

[We won't be coming back, will we?]

She had been so worried back then...

But she seemed much calmer now.

Even though the essence's negative effects were stronger than before.

'It must be because of her mental growth.'

Erwen was also a source of concern for me.

Well, my biggest concern was someone else...

'...When is Lee Baekho going to send her back? He should be able to find our new address...'

"Let's go. We need to unpack before nightfall."

I checked the house one last time, making sure we hadn't left anything behind, and then we left.

We hired a carriage, and Auyen was our driver.

It seemed like he was good at more than just navigating ships.

"...You're surprisingly good at this."

"I worked as a coachman before becoming an explorer. I know the city streets like the back of my hand. Of course, it's nothing compared to your skills, Clan Master."

"Enough with the flattery."

Anyway, it suddenly occurred to me that it might be a good idea to buy a carriage and have Auyen drive us around.

Our new house even had a small stable.

And since he had worked as a coachman, he probably knew how to take care of horses.

'Hmm, not bad.'

I shared the idea with Amelia, and she seemed to like it.

"Everyone needs a role. I don't mind, as long as Auyen is okay with it."

"Lokrok, what do you think? You heard us."

"I-It would be an honor! I'll do my best to serve you, Clan Master!"

Auyen seemed genuinely happy with the idea.

Well, it was better than being cooped up in the basement.

I would discuss it with him later.

"We've arrived, Clan Master."

Thanks to Auyen's smooth driving, I had dozed off in the carriage.

We had arrived at our destination.

A three-story building on the main street of Commelby, the commercial district, just ten minutes away from the Alminus Central Exchange.

"...It's in much better condition than I expected."

"I know. I thought it would be dilapidated, considering the low rent."

The building was owned by the Melbeth Trading Company, and we had secured it at a discounted price.

It would be our new clan house.

But since we didn't have any clerks yet, we would be living here for the time being.

"Alright, let's unpack. People are staring."

The news of our move had already spread, and passersby were gathering to watch.

Were they that surprised to see a noble moving?

"Phew..."

With four explorers, unpacking didn't take long.

The first floor wasn't suitable for living quarters, so we decided to use it as a common area. The second floor was for Amelia and Erwen, and the third floor was for me and Auyen.

At Amelia's request, Auyen was given the room with a window...

"A room overlooking the main street of Commelby... I never thought I would live in a place like this..."

...and he was surprisingly emotional.

I had expected him to be happy about having a room with sunlight, but I hadn't expected him to tear up.

"Where did you live before?"

"On the outskirts of Ravigion."

"The slums near the outer wall?"

"Yes..."

He was a navigator, and a member of a pirate clan... he should have been wealthy.

I asked him why, and he explained that he had been treated like a slave and hadn't received any pay.

"But why did you stay?"

"You wouldn't understand, Clan Master. There are many clans like that. Once you join, it's difficult to leave..."

Clan rules, contracts, and shared crimes had bound him to the clan.

But I didn't feel sorry for him.

The real victims were the explorers they had robbed and killed.

"Just do your job. I'll be watching."

"O-Of course, Clan Master! I'll do my best!"

I didn't trust him, so I lectured him for an hour.

"I'm doing this for your own good. It's better to be honest and hardworking. Understand?"

"...Yes."

"Louder."

"Yes, Clan Master!"

That's better.

___________________

I was busy after we moved.

"No, I'm going to turn the backyard into a garden."

"A garden? It would be much more useful as a training ground."

While Amelia and Erwen were arguing about interior design, I went out to take care of business.

Baroness Lirivia had contacted me.

She had found a few suitable locations for my estate and wanted me to inspect them.

She had also expressed her disapproval of my decision to build the estate in the 7th District.

[...I still don't understand why you want to build your estate in Ravigion, not the Imperial City. It's not too late to reconsider.]

I had decided to build my estate in the 7th District.

I was a noble, but I was also an explorer.

It was more convenient to be close to the Dimension Plaza.

'And the land in the Imperial City is too expensive.'

I could build a much larger estate in the 7th District for the same price.

'Okay, so I've secured the land. Now I just need to build the house.'

I had chosen a plot of land and finalized the purchase.

Now I just needed to consult with an architect from the Melbeth Trading Company and finalize the blueprints.

Construction would take at least a year.

'That's it for today.'

I went home and collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.

The next day, I visited the dwarf's forge to check on the progress of the Mithril smelting. And then I visited Lotmiller.

"...Are you serious? You want me to teach tracking skills to the barbarians?"

"I'll pay you well. And you're not doing anything anyway."

"That's true, but... if you're doing this for me, you don't have to. I can find another way to—"

"What are you talking about? You're the only one who can do this. I'm asking for your help."

Lotmiller, who had initially tried to refuse, eventually agreed.

"Then let's go to the sanctuary. The 2nd Elder will explain everything. If you can't communicate with him, go to the administrative office."

"...Administrative office?"

Lotmiller looked at me as if I was insane.

Did he think barbarians didn't have an administrative office?

One day, two days, three days, four days...

Time flew by.

Bersil Gowland, having severed all ties with her former church, finally joined Clan Anabada. She was the first of the Ice Rock survivors to officially join.

"...You want me to be the Vice-Captain?"

"Yes, I think you would be a good fit."

"That's true, but... I think it's better to leave the position vacant for now. It will attract less attention if I'm just an ordinary member."

"..."

"Don't worry, I'll still handle the Vice-Captain's duties. Of course, there will be times when I need your authority, but..."

"I see... Then let's do that. Thank you."

"But... are you really going to do it? The Floor Lord raid?"

"Of course. You're coming too."

"...It's a little much for my first clan expedition, isn't it?"

"Are you planning to file a complaint with the royal family?"

"Haha, just kidding."

After Bersil joined the clan, we began preparing for the five-man raid.

I couldn't focus.

'Why isn't she here...?'

Misha still hadn't returned.

Was Lee Baekho planning to break his promise?

I was getting anxious, but there was nothing I could do.

I just had to wait.

"You're leaving again?"

"This is the last one. After this, I'll be free until the next labyrinth opening."

"I see... You're working hard."

"I might be late, so don't bother making dinner. I don't want to eat cold leftovers again."

I left the house and went to the designated location.

And then...

I tore up the note Raven had given me.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

A magic circle appeared on the ground, and the light engulfed me.

"It's been a while."

"Yes, it's been a while."

I was back in the Dragon's Temple.

I looked at the Ancient Dragon sitting on his throne and recited my quest objective.

'Deliver the Dragonslayer's heart and receive the reward.'

It was the last quest for this month.