Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

My reunion with Ainar was exactly as I expected.

A tearful reunion wouldn't suit barbarians.

So, this was better.

"Bjorn!"

"Ainar, it's been a while—"

"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"

As soon as I opened the gate, Ainar shoved me back into the yard.

And...

"You lied to me!"

It seemed like she was furious about me faking my death for over two years and then pretending to be Lihen Schuitz when we met at the library.

I deserved to be beaten up, considering the emotional distress I had caused her.

But that wasn't what Ainar wanted.

"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"

I fought back, roaring my ancestor god's name.

Thud!

We exchanged blows, rolling on the grass.

The fight continued for a while, and then...

Ainar picked up her greatsword, which she had thrown to the ground in a fit of rage, and I shouted for Erwen to bring me my hammer.

"Both of you... stop it!!"

Erwen's intervention ended the fight.

She was frowning, her carefully tended garden now a mess, but I pretended not to notice.

Ainar was the priority right now.

"Ptoo!"

Ainar spat out a mouthful of blood and grinned.

"So it's really you, Bjorn..."

Is this what a natural barbarian is like?

She calmed down so easily.

Misha would have cursed me out and blasted me with ice magic.

"You haven't changed at all, Ainar."

"Really? I think I've changed a lot."

Ainar shrugged and approached me, punching me lightly on the chest.

"I probably won't understand what happened to you, even if you explain it. It's always been like that. But..."

"But?"

"I'm glad you're alive, Bjorn."

"Ah..."

I was speechless.

Her words were sincere, despite her casual tone.

But she must have also felt awkward.

"But... what's with that scrawny body?"

She looked down at me, and I felt a strange sense of shame.

My barbarian pride was wounded.

"It's because of the essence! The Bone Knight essence you absorbed! Don't worry, I'll remove it soon! Now that I have my name back!"

"Hmm, is that so? Do it quickly. It's weird to see you shorter than me."

Her words were like daggers to my heart.

"And... I should probably wait before taking you to the sanctuary. The tribe will be disappointed if they see you like this."

...My heart aches.

It would have been better if she had just insulted my gaming skills.

'I have to remove the Gachabon essence soon...'

"So... is the reunion over?"

Raven intervened, and Ainar finally noticed her.

"Oh! Aruru! It's been a while!"

"It's only been six months."

"Hahaha! You're so sensitive! You'll never grow tall if you keep frowning like that."

"I'm not growing any taller even if I don't frown!"

"Don't lose hope. Look at me!"

"That's because of the essence you absorbed!"

Raven shouted, and Ainar chuckled, rubbing her ears.

Raven then grabbed the back of her neck.

It was a heartwarming scene.

'It's been a while...'

A nostalgic feeling.

It wasn't just me who felt it. Raven, who followed Ainar inside, was also smiling, despite her angry outburst.

"...I'm glad."

"Huh?"

"You're back to your old self."

"...What are you talking about? Let's go inside."

"Okay."

We entered the house and continued our conversation.

Raven and Ainar awkwardly greeted Erwen, and then it was Amelia's turn.

"Barbarian, it's been a while—"

You're acting like you know her.

I quickly interrupted Amelia.

"You two know each other, right?"

"Know each other...?"

Ainar tilted her head.

I was speechless.

She had been so upset about me 'trampling on a warrior's honor' back then...

Well, she didn't recognize Amelia on Parune Island either.

"Ah, I remember! That Noark explorer who stayed behind with Bjorn at the end!"

Ainar nodded, remembering the incident on Parune Island.

"Her name was..."

"Emily Raines."

"Ah, that's right!"

That's not right at all.

We didn't even exchange names back then.

We just called each other 'looter' and 'bitch'.

'Should I just pretend I don't remember the incident on the 2nd floor?'

As I was thinking that...

"Emily Raines, was it?"

"Yes?"

Ainar spoke to Amelia in a surprisingly friendly tone.

And then she said something even more unexpected.

"Thank you."

"...Huh?"

"I don't know you well, but Bjorn must have trusted you. That's why he kept you by his side."

Ainar looked at Amelia with a sincere expression and thanked her.

"Thank you for being there for him during those difficult times."

"...It's nothing."

"Haha! It's my duty! I'm a bit jealous that it wasn't me, but it couldn't be helped! I'm in this state, after all!"

"..."

"I'm not smart like Aruru, and I'm not reckless enough to abandon my tribe like that fairy."

"…………Hey, are you insulting me?"

Erwen finally spoke up, frowning, and Ainar smoothly dodged the question.

"Haha, did it sound like that?"

Wow, she's good.

She didn't even deny it.

Ainar's communication skills had improved significantly.

"Anyway, enough about that. Tell me what happened. I came here as soon as I heard the news, but what have you been up to?"

I spent some time explaining what had happened to me.

Of course, it wasn't the whole truth. I had to filter some information.

"Oh!"

"Ah!"

"Uh!"

"I see."

Those were the only four responses Ainar gave.

Unlike Erwen and Raven, the conversation ended quickly.

It was one of the advantages of talking to a barbarian.

But...

"...That's everything that happened."

"Oh!"

It was also a disadvantage.

You couldn't tell if they really understood.

Unless you asked directly.

"Do you understand?"

"Sort of!"

"...That's enough."

I quickly moved on to the next topic.

"You must have been surprised, Ainar."

"Huh?"

"The royal family announced that I was an evil spirit. It must have been a shock, not just for you, but for the entire tribe."

"Ah, that? It wasn't a big deal."

"...Not a big deal?"

"Only fools would believe that you're an evil spirit. No one in our tribe believed it. We just thought the royal family made another mistake."

Oh, I see...

It was a completely unexpected answer, but I had to continue.

"But what if... just out of curiosity..."

I cautiously probed Ainar.

"What if I really was an evil spirit?"

Her answer was crucial.

Depending on her response, I might have to retract everything I had told her and reveal the truth.

Erwen, Amelia, and Raven all gulped nervously.

And...

"Hahaha! You, an evil spirit? That's a good one!"

"Don't brush it off as a joke. I'm serious."

Ainar finally answered, unable to ignore my persistence.

"Hmm, you, an evil spirit... Well, there's only one answer, isn't there?"

"Only one answer...?"

"You're saying you would accept it? Because he's your comrade?"

Erwen and Raven asked, and Ainar tilted her head.

"What are you talking about? I would kill him, of course!"

"K-kill...?"

"The chieftain said so! Evil spirits must be eliminated!"

Phew, this isn't going to be easy...

_______________________

Raven and Ainar stayed until late that night. We chatted over tea and had dinner together.

And then the drinking began.

"It's getting late... I should be going."

Raven finally left, but Ainar stayed and drank until she passed out. She woke up the next morning and had breakfast before leaving.

"You said you have things to do today, right? Let me know when you're done. You should visit the sanctuary. I know I said that yesterday, but they'll be happy to see you."

"Okay..."

After Ainar left, Erwen also got ready to leave. She had to visit the sanctuary after what had happened in the labyrinth.

"I'll leave the house to you."

After Erwen left, I also left the house, leaving Amelia in charge.

I had a lot to do.

"It's Viscount Yandel...!"

As Erwen had warned me, there was a crowd gathered in front of the house.

It was to be expected.

The news about my return had spread throughout the city.

There were reporters, and also those who had come just to see my face.

"Viscount! Can we have a word with you?"

"Waaaaaaah!"

"Please shake my hand!"

Wow, so Ainar escaped on her own?

Well, it wouldn't have been difficult for her.

"Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!"

I roared my ancestor god's name and charged through the crowd.

"Aaaaah! Run!"

"Follow him!"

Run?

I'm just moving forward.

Tadat, tadat!

I quickly escaped the crowd with my overwhelming strength and ran through the empty streets.

A few people tried to follow me, but I easily shook them off.

'Now, let's go...'

I put on a large robe and checked the map, heading towards my destination.

The closest one was...

'Here it is.'

A small house with a red door.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

A woman with a haggard face opened the door.

"You're...!"

She looked at me, her expression filled with shock and disbelief.

It was understandable.

"Can I come in, Mrs. Ashid?"

She bit her lip and then stepped aside, allowing me to enter.

"I... I don't have anything prepared... Would you like some tea...?"

"It's fine. I didn't come for refreshments. I have something to return to you."

"Return...?"

I pulled out a box from my subspace pocket.

She carefully unwrapped the cloth and looked at the ashes inside.

Then she collapsed to the ground, her body wracked with sobs.

"Ah, ah, ah..."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't bring him back in one piece."

"Ah, ah..."

"And these are his belongings. They're all in his subspace pocket. Take your time and look through them. Let me know if anything is missing."

"..."

"And... if you need anything, or if there's anything I can do for you... here's my address. Please contact me anytime."

"Sob..."

"I'll be going now."

She didn't answer.

But I took her silence as a yes and stood up.

And then...

"Wait..."

"...?"

"Please... wait..."

She stood up and went to the kitchen.

And then she returned with a cup of tea.

"He... he always served this tea to his guests."

"I see... I'm not a tea connoisseur, but it smells good. It suits him."

"Tell me... about him... what was he like...?"

"I think we'll need more tea."

I took a sip of the tea and began my story.

It was mostly trivial things.

I couldn't tell her the truth.

Small anecdotes from the expedition.

Casual conversations we had.

His subtle acts of kindness and consideration.

"Everyone loved him. You know, he wasn't flashy, but he had a calming presence. He made you feel safe."

"Yes... he did."

"He was always a good listener, but he rarely talked about himself. That's why everyone was so surprised when he mentioned his wife..."

"He... he talked about me...?"

"Yes."

"What... what did he say?"

"He said you were a strong woman."

"..."

"But he also said you would cry if you lost your confidence."

"S-sob..."

She finally broke down, tears streaming down her face.

I looked away, giving her time to grieve.

And after a while...

"Thank you... for coming..."

"Don't mention it. I discovered a good tea thanks to you."

"...Are you going to the others now?"

I nodded.

"That's all I can do."

I left Ashid's house and continued my visits.

I returned the ashes of those who could be recovered.

And for those who couldn't, I gave their families their belongings.

And for those who didn't even have any belongings left... I apologized.

Their reactions were all different.

"Well, well, if it isn't the great hero, the Viscount! What brings you to my humble abode?"

Some were sarcastic.

Some were indifferent, accepting the belongings and sending me away.

Some were suspicious of the Marquis's story, while others were grateful for my visit.

But one thing was certain.

"Come on, Meilin... say hello to your mother..."

"Is this... my mother? Why?"

I was a sinner in their eyes.

And I would have to carry this burden until the day I could finally tell them the truth.

One day, two days, three days...

Time passed.

It took several days to return the fallen explorers to their families.

Four days, five days, six days...

And then...

「Character's soul resonates and is drawn to a specific world.」

...that day arrived.

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