Surviving the Game as a Barbarian – 130



Episode 130: Karlstein (4)

What does the head of the family truly want from me?

This part continued to be a question.

I have a guess but should I say that I’m not certain?

So plan B.

I made a plan to come out in front of everyone.

Because in the current situation this is the thing that the head of the family would be least happy about.

‘Originally checks were about preventing the other party from doing what they wanted to do.’

The matriarch wanted to keep Misha’s success in awakening her a secret from both inside and outside. So before Plan B came to fruition she showed her hospitable face.

And the result of continuing the barbarian-style conversation.

I was finally able to hear my unvarnished true feelings.

“I know you used that thing.”

Frost Spirit Ring.

A number item that allows you to definitively conclude a contract with the glacier beast Skadia when you activate the Hidden Piece.

‘It wouldn’t be strange to know that when you become a tribal leader.’

This was the number of cases I already had in mind from the beginning.

Unless she thinks she used ‘that item’ she has no reason to treat Misha like her other child.

However the head of the family is also not at the stage of certainty.

“That thing? “What are you talking about?”

A twenty-five-year-old Jeokmi tribe beastman.

The probability of signing a natural contract with Skadia under these conditions is close to 0% but…

Close and 0 are completely different.

“Hmm.”

So I guess you can think of it like this.

There is a suspicion but there is no confirmation.

“Is your acting poor?”

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It’s so clumsy.

I’ve fooled a few people so far.

“What are you saying? “Say it so I can understand.”

“You’re talking about ‘that item’ that allows you to contract with the Ice Beast Skadia. “You can never say you don’t know right?”

The matriarch stares at me with eyes telling me not to lie because she knows everything.

Do you think the barbarian is an asshole?

“There is something like that? “Then why didn’t you give it to Misha?”

“Because it is a very valuable item. “There’s no way I would give it to someone who isn’t even my child.”

As soon as I heard that I inadvertently started checking Missha.

As expected he looked like he was about to cry.

But I decided to comfort her later.

I continued to act like a barbarian who knew nothing.

“Something of value? Then isn’t it even weirder? “How can I have something like that?”

“Well maybe you got it by chance at the magic tower you often go to.”

What the fuck.

Do you really know everything?

My body stiffened without me knowing.

So to make up for my mistake I decided to aim at the head of the family.

“…Did they even investigate my background?”

A barbarian who is annoyed by someone simply crossing the line.

If this were the case my behavior just wouldn’t be so awkward—

“I told you didn’t I? “The acting is poor.”

Damn I believe in my acting skills.

I didn’t move and asked back as if I was annoyed.

“So what is that thing? “Why do you keep bugging me like this?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“what?”

“You keep saying it’s not you. Because it is something that should not be known to the outside world. “If you admit it then I will tell you too.”

huh? what?

There was no contradiction in the matriarch’s words.

If you’re just looking at it it’s natural that it’s difficult to even tell the name of the object.

but….

‘Why is it so weird?’

A sense of discomfort blooms.

That’s what my intuition tells me after defeating the bastards who tried to cheat on me countless times.

“Does that item really exist? “In fact there is no other purpose?”

Therefore I asked again.

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And I poured all my attention into observing the matriarch closely.

A momentary hesitation a change in facial muscles. Where are your eyes directed and what is your voice like?

“Of course. “What other purpose could there be?”

I’m not an expert but I looked at every moment of those short words with suspicion.

Then I realized it instinctively.

The matriarch is lying now.

‘Oh yeah this is it.’

Thanks to this the last question I had was resolved.

It would have been possible to think about it in another way.

“Tell me honestly. “If you are worried about this child and are keeping her quiet I will solve that problem.”

Why does the family head say such contradictory things?

Everything is explained.

If we say that the object itself not Missha was the purpose.

‘For some reason he just kept saying ‘that thing’.’

Eventually I was convinced.

The head of the house knew about the Frost Spirit Ring.

Just half as much.

‘You know that such an item exists but you don’t know what it is.’

Finally the situation comes to mind.

The head of the family invited me to the mansion.

It was good to know whether Misha was his biological daughter or not.

Because he didn’t seem to be very enthusiastic about his children to begin with.

This purpose was different.

An item that can definitely be used to make a contract with a spirit beast.

If I really knew anything about this stuff I wanted to find out.

That would have been important information to the prisoner that would be difficult to convert into value.

So she brought Misha’s miserable situation before my eyes which she judged to be my Achilles’ heel.

She must have been thinking of using it for trading or blackmail purposes.

thus….

“On the honor of a warrior I don’t know anything about such items.”

Throw away the number of conversions you have been saving.

The reason why the barbarian I selected is a fraud is the warrior’s oath.

“….”

A deep sense of bewilderment is engraved in the matriarch’s eyes.

After confirming this I fired in the last shot before missing the timing.

“But I will definitely find out what that thing is. So wait.”

I muttered as if I was holding back my anger and checked the matriarch’s expression.

There was a deep disappointment in his eyes.

Ji is the worst at acting.

***

“Forget everything we talked about today.”

After receiving notification from the head of the family I left the Karlstein family mansion. Misha had a blank expression from earlier and I didn’t bother to talk to her.

Because I already had something to think about.

‘Well it didn’t get to the worst.’

When I heard of the Karlstein family’s invitation there were two reasons why I readily accepted.

1. Missha’s escape.

If the matriarch was trying to add Misha into her large clan she had to stop it. Following Erwen Einar you’re leaving Misha whom you barely raised?

Isn’t it a terrible thing to even think about?

2. Prevent suspicion of evil spirits.

If the matriarch knew the secret behind Misha’s awakening she needed to visit at least once to properly reveal it.

I didn’t know that he only knew half of it and called me because of that.

I’m sorry.

As we pass the garden the gatekeeper recognizes us and opens the gate wide. It was my first time seeing her face before as she had gone to rest after receiving treatment.

But did they recognize me?

“Oh goodbye.”

When our eyes meet he bows briefly and even serves as a send-off.

The mansion where she lived from Misha’s childhood until he became an adult.

The well-maintained garden was bright and the fountain sparkled with splendid streams of water.

The mansion was not much different either.

Unlike the inn I was staying at the architecture was old-fashioned and had a grandeur.

but….

The dark malevolence surrounding the mansion remained unchanged.

Just like when I first saw this place I felt like I was seeing a dungeon full of monsters.

It felt real again.

Yes he survived here.

For such a long time.

“You had a hard time.”

I patted her on the back and Misha shook her head to come to her senses.

“Oh no. “You did all the hard work…”

Well I didn’t mean it that way.

“But aren’t you the one who had the hardest time?”

I chuckled and hit him on the back again.

“evil! “It hurts!”

Okay now it feels a bit like usual.

“If you have come to your senses take the lead now. “I don’t know the way back.”

“Ha really… what are you going to do without me?”

“You wouldn’t come to a place where you don’t know the way.”

“…That’s right.”

We walked down the streets of Suin having a meaningless conversation.

Harmony was seen everywhere.

“Dad it’s that barbarian from earlier!”

Prisoners walking around laughing and chatting happily as if they were going out as a family.

“Bjorn we eat that too.”

“Why are you eating outside?”

“Uhm what… Because you had a hard time today?”

Soon I stopped by a street vendor with Misha bought some snacks and sat down on a bench in the square. There will be no problem if you hold it in your hand and eat it while moving around…

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a break for a while.

“It’s okay Bjorn.”

“Say it.”

“Why have you never asked?”

“What?”

I took a moment to rest quietly while watching the prisoners coming and going.

Misha asked me one question.

“Aren’t you curious?”

“So what?”

“I… am I really my father’s child…?”

I said something and it turned out to be this.

I smiled and looked at Misha.

She hadn’t done anything wrong but Misha who actually asked the question lowered her head and was only looking at her floor.

“I’m not curious.”

“really? “Not one?”

“So what does it matter?”

“Wow you’re really not interested in me….”

What can you say about this guy?

I was about to slap him on the back but stopped.

‘I told you not to say it hurts.’

I thought about messing up my hair like in a cartoon but it made me cringe so I stopped.

Her hands came up on her knees again having lost her way.

She said to Misha while I also looked away.

We are colleagues in name and in appearance so shouldn’t we resolve any misunderstandings?

“It’s not that I’m not interested it’s that it’s not really important.”

“huh?”

“Level 7 explorer Misha Karlstein. That’s you isn’t it? It doesn’t matter who your parents are. “Because that doesn’t change the fact that she’s a colleague you can trust and have your back on.”

“Wow….”

Misha opened his mouth as if he had heard her amazing words.

And she looked at me with a bright smile.

“What did you think of those words?”

“…Are we going to fight?”

If so I’m glad.

I guess I’ve had enough rest now. I was about to get up but Misha grabbed my sleeve.

“Bjorn.”

“why?”

“This is a secret and I’m only telling it to you?”

“Okay tell me quickly.”

“I… Actually it’s half a penny. Because her mom told me. Before you pass away. “I’m really sorry.”

Ah uh um….

She wondered how she should react but decided to just nod her head.

“…I see.”

“what? “Why aren’t you surprised?”

Because I already knew that.

I didn’t even know these details.

“It’s not that important is it?”

“Wow this emotionless Barbarian!”

Soon we stood up.

After leaving the sacred site we entered the city and arrived at a public platform.

Just when I bought the ticket and was waiting for the carriage.

“Oh right. How did that happen? You swore an oath in front of her father earlier. That’s definitely….”

Misha blurts out her words.

I was truly embarrassed.

I couldn’t even think about whether it was because he was so comfortable or because he had a lot to think about since he was the head of the family.

“That… was a lie right?”

I sighed and nodded.

What would you hide when everyone knows it anyway?

All we have to do is take care of it well.

“Yes it was a lie. “Because you are more important than a warrior’s honor.”

“…is that really like that?”

“okay.”

Misha didn’t say anything for a while after that.

A time filled with anxiety continued.

“….”

“….”

You don’t think it’s strange do you?

It was a moment when I felt like I should say something first if I was feeling suffocated like this.

“ah!”

Misha jumped up.

And she spit out an incomprehensible sound.

“I left something at home so I’m going back!”

“…what? “The carriage is coming soon—”

“Ride first!”

It disappeared quickly.

…what?

Am I really screwed?

***

Sreuk sreuk.

Albreniv Karlstein.

He sat down in the study and turned the pages of his book with somewhat hurried gestures.

And he finally found what he was looking for.

[No…]

……….You can make a contract with the glacier beast Skadia.

The description is completely torn so only one sentence is readable.

All my doubts started with this book.

[Summary of Artifacts VI]

This book contains explanations of hundreds of number items.

And the important thing here is that the explanation is never wrong.

Because the book Total Harerok is that kind of book.

A book of truth where even discussing its value is meaningless.

‘If I hadn’t known this I could have been purely happy.’

When the child said that he had awakened.

To be honest he was happy.

Because I thought there was no need to hide the family’s wealth anymore.

[It’s the glacier beast Skadia.]

The number of contracted souls was a problem.

Is this really a coincidence?

For some reason I couldn’t shake off the feeling of discomfort.

So he looked at the child a few times and quickly came to a conclusion.

The child did not awaken naturally.

If he guessed right he got help.

Probably to that barbarian named Bjorn Yandel.

[I can’t talk about anything related to Bjorn. I made an oath to the water guardian deity….]

However the child refused the conversation citing the guardian deity’s oath.

There is no such thing as compulsion and it has no meaning these days when tradition has faded.

A child who had never been able to resist properly even made such an excuse and lied for the first time.

If this is the case it will be difficult to get a proper answer.

[It would be better to investigate that barbarian.]

He turned his pursuit.

Then suspicious circumstances continued to emerge.

The barbarian was close to a wizard from the Artemion school.

Arua Raven.

Coincidentally it was the person he remembered.

Because he was a competitor I met while wandering around trying to get another ‘Total Sea Rock’.

At that time a hypothesis arose.

What if the wizard obtained the ‘summary record of artifacts’?

So what if you saw that and told the barbarian?

[It makes much more sense.]

I decided to target the barbarian rather than the bold wizard girl. As a result of the investigation he seemed to be living in a relationship almost like a married couple so it would be more convenient to use the child.

but….

‘I never thought it was truly a natural awakening.’

He didn’t believe in oaths or anything like that.

The barbarian didn’t look like he was acting.

His expression was one of genuine ignorance and I could feel that he was lamenting his ignorance for that child.

‘That’s fun. Even with that lowly blood there was talent.’

As my thoughts continued someone knocked on the door.

It was aide Veros.

“Misha Karlstein is asking to see the matriarch.”

“That kid? “Hurry up and let them in.”

After waiting for a while the aide left and the child came in.

“I… there’s something I didn’t say earlier—”

“Oh if that’s the problem don’t worry. Because I will keep my promise. Now no one will ever think of you as not being a part of our family.”

Strangely the child did not react.

I thought he would be a little happier.

He added a word while he was leaving.

“Now you are my daughter.”

These are the words that the child who felt deprivation and love-hate wanted most.

But it was the same this time too.

“…Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I didn’t come here for something like that…!”

“what?”

I was taken aback without even realizing it by his irreverent tone.

What on earth does this change mean?

Without even having time to adjust the child faced him directly.

“father. No not even my father. Is that it? “In fact we are not related even by a single drop of blood.”

“what?”

He was truly embarrassed.

It’s not because I didn’t know it but because I never expected that to come out of this child’s mouth.

“She told me before her mother died. Actually I am not of Karlstein blood. She came to tell me this. “I hate you but… I also pity you.”

Is it really because it’s something I’ve never imagined?

I wasn’t angry at those bold words.

I was just curious.

“Why on earth are you doing that?”

He knows who Misha’s biological father is.

I thought it was a problem that would all be solved if I died in her labyrinth.

but….

“If you hadn’t said that I thought I would have truly accepted you as a member of the family.”

Why does this child reject something he so desperately wanted?

“Why? “Why am I throwing away the opportunity?”

As if it wasn’t worth answering the child turned and headed toward the door.

However was there a change of heart in the end?

She just turned her head and said to him.

“I just… wanted to!”

It was something he couldn’t understand at all.