Bjorn Yandel the Barbarian

“W-why me?”

It was a bit of a strange question.

Not the content, but the timing.

“You’re asking that only after going through the portal?”

“…I thought it might be a difficult question to ask in front of others.”

Well, that was really the reason.

The more you look at him, the more meticulous he becomes.

It seems like he has quite a bit of loyalty.

“Anyway, why me? “If you needed a paladin, there would have been others…”

I answered the question honestly again.

“I wasn’t chosen because he was a Holy Knight.”

“…yes?”

“I chose you because you were the one.”

Sven Farab’s eyes widened.

It was roughly expected.

Was this just a comment?

A time-honored statement that moves me hundreds of times every time I say it.

Sigh.

Well, I guess so.

For some reason, Sven Farab stepped back with a white face.

As if increasing distance from something.

“…but why?”

As he expressed his doubts and took a step closer, he took a step back and modestly covered his upper body with both arms.

Soon, I received a wary look and couldn’t help but laugh.

I thought I knew what this crazy guy was thinking.

Well, wasn’t something similar happening recently?

“Don’t misunderstand. “Before I break your head.”

“So… does this mean the rumors aren’t true?”

“rumor?”

“The Baron enjoys sodomy—.”

“stop.”

It was harder to hear, so I stopped talking for now.

And he repeated the same thing he said a while ago to clarify.

“I like women. A lot of that too.”

“…I see?”

The wariness in his eyes faded slightly as if his sincerity was conveyed.

But was there still one question?

“Then what did you mean by what you said earlier…”

I chose him not because he was a paladin, but because he was Sven Farab.

The meaning of those words is simple.

Because it’s so literal.

What was needed to capture the Guardian was this guy, not the Paladin.

And…

‘I think it went well.’

I think the plan is already half successful.

In fact, this guy entered the portal without any hesitation.

“Did you feel anxious or anything like that when you came here?”

Still, when I asked him one more time to confirm, he answered that it was not the case. And then he opened his mouth like someone who realized something late.

“Oh, is it because of that…?”

I just shrugged my shoulders and didn’t reply.

And that concludes this topic.

Afterwards, we talked about how to beat the boss, and even though it was in cheat mode, he was familiar with the general information about the boss battle as he had been playing the game.

I was quick to understand even things I didn’t know.

“Um… Baron, how do you know all that?”

He looked at me like that and expressed his doubts, but it wasn’t difficult to come up with a convincing reason.

So, am I just a barbarian?

“Once you become a noble, you can easily obtain information that ordinary people don’t know.”

“It seems like the other nobles don’t know much…”

“Aren’t they from explorers? To begin with, they don’t have much interest in the labyrinth. “Unless it makes money.”

“Ah… I guess so.”

Sven Farab nods his head obediently and puts aside his doubts when he points out that he is an aristocrat.

The business conversation seemed to be over and I thought about getting up and starting the strategy, but I decided not to and continued the conversation a little longer.

Come to think of it, I almost never talked to him alone.

First, let’s start with a lighter topic.

“How is life at Sven Farab Temple?”

“It’s actually not that bad. “After submitting an application for continuation, I am treated as an outsider… but from my perspective, there are times when it is more convenient.”

Secular precepts are a ritual performed when a religious person ends his life as a temple and returns to being an ordinary citizen.

After completing the ritual, the religious person is obligated to follow the temple’s orders.

“What exactly does the secular world do?”

As someone who is far from religion, this was something I was curious about.

I heard that you don’t have to cut off your little finger to get out… but

it doesn’t look like they’ll release the Holy Knight they worked so hard to raise in the Three Gods Church without any compensation.

“Nothing special. “If you take away the blessings from the goddess, put down everything you received from the temple, and leave, it will be over.”

“All the things I received from the temple…?”

“Haha, it means I’m completely broke. Everything I have achieved was obtained while belonging to the temple. Oh, I guess I’ll have to pay taxes starting next year.”

Simply put, it means that withdrawal is possible if you donate all your assets.

In some ways, offering even a little finger seems like a much more humane thing to do.

“I’m not really scared though. Mr. Gowland promised to provide all support… No, wait a minute, you didn’t know at all?”

Sven Farab is scared when he senses something strange while talking.

I laughed and tapped his shoulder.

“Don’t worry. “I will take responsibility for you until the end.”

“Phew… I was surprised.”

“But you’re surprisingly calm, aren’t you? “After the secular world ends, isn’t it possible to grow further?”

Paladins are different from regular explorers.

It is also impossible for them to consume essence like a priest or wizard. However, as you accumulate ‘achievements’, new powers are added one by one.

Oh, by the way, there are various ways to accumulate achievements.

Catch monsters in the labyrinth, make donations, or complete missions for the church.

As your achievements accumulated, the Pope would periodically come and pray for you, and when you woke up one night, you would have new skills.

That is why the Pope’s authority was so powerful.

“Well… But it can’t be helped, right? If I stay there, I’m sure I’ll die someday. Moreover, it is not impossible for the Goddess to grant new powers directly after the secular world, so I am looking forward to that.”

“I guess I have to work harder to catch the monster.”

“I think that if I stay with the Baron, I will naturally catch a lot of money…”

Usually, he seemed like a very light-hearted guy, but after talking with the two of us, I realized that he is a guy who lives a really hard life.

Is that why?

I was a little curious about this part too.

‘Would he go back if he could?’

When Auril Gavis offered an escape ticket as a prize, he participated, but soon abstained and left the round table.

Moreover, after the Ice Rock expedition, he expressed his anger and said that he would take revenge with us.

‘But… how should I ask this?’

After thinking about it for a while, I carefully turned around and asked.

“Sven Farab, I want to ask you something.”

“do it. “Baron.”

“Are you… meeting someone?”

“yes?”

He seemed surprised as if he had heard a question he couldn’t hear, but to me it was a serious question.

Depending on your answer, you can find out how you view the world.

“It meant that he was currently dating a woman.”

“I… I don’t have that…”

“Hmm, I see…?”

Then I guess we have no choice but to find out by asking another question.

While thinking about that, I was about to open my mouth again.

“Ha but!”

The guy spoke urgently.

“The person I have in mind….”

“…?”

“No, there is a woman I like!”

I don’t know why, but before I knew it, he had retreated a few steps away from me.

***

Who is the woman who stole Sven Farab’s heart?

I asked persistently, but he just lowered his face like a mugwort and never answered. This is an action that cannot be taken unless you are sincere towards the other woman.

“I am not really Mr. Gowland. “He feels like Teacher Seo…”

“So you’re saying you like innocent and weak women?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Know. “It’s a joke, it’s a joke.”

This guy also has a unique taste for teasing.

Immediately, I tapped the guy on the shoulder and stood up.

Perhaps because we had a private conversation, I feel like we have become closer than before.

I got to know better what kind of person he is.

“Well, I’m nervous enough to even chat, so let’s go.”

“yes.”

So, I lead him out of the starting point and walk down the hallway.

Wow!

The entrance to the boss room opens on its own when you get close without having to do anything.

As soon as you step inside, the opened door closes violently with a bang.

Grumbling!

Although the venue was dark, there was no difficulty in securing visibility thanks to the Barbarian Candle mode being activated in advance.

Only the three paths leading to the left, right, and front appear, and the crack guardian is nowhere to be seen.

That’s natural.

The guardian we will catch now is a more unique type than any other entity.

plod trudge.

This maze I am currently walking through.

This entire maze is the boss mob we have to deal with from now on.

Now you can see it as the first phase.

「Soul Keeper Hausiel has casted [Defense System].」

The moment we started moving in earnest, a magic cannon came out between the smooth walls where not even a small joint could be seen and took direct aim at us.

And…

pow! Pow-!

It doesn’t really hurt me, but if a magician with a glass body gets hit, it’s just enough damage to go straight to the goal.

This was also the reason for bringing in Sven Farab.

Because he’s a paladin, he can act as an auxiliary tank and can self-heal.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah… yes. I was just a little surprised. it’s okay.”

Well, it looks like that.

I wouldn’t have brought him in the first place if he had been hit and injured.

“Then let’s keep moving.”

Afterwards, as I wandered through the maze, defeating the monsters that popped out from the frame of the magic cannon that was fired from time to time, the target space soon appeared.

A stone chamber with a square structure.

And a magic stone the size of a watermelon lying in the center of it all.

The moment you destroy that, Phase 1 is over.

Just like this.

Kwasik-!

The moment you hit the magic stone with a hammer, a bizarre howling reminiscent of a banshee’s scream vibrates throughout the space, turning the entire world black.

When I opened my eyes, the space I was standing in had changed.

The hallway of a classically decorated mansion.

However, as if you were in a dream space, the decalcomanic hallway stretches out endlessly ahead.

“You said we should search the room together to find the second magic stone.”

“Strictly speaking, not ‘together,’ but you.”

“Ah… Yes….”

We moved together and searched each room sequentially.

Actually, I was embarrassed to call this a search.

anyway.

“Well… I don’t feel particularly dangerous.”

After opening the closed door and entering, Parab opens the box neatly placed in the center.

And…

pow!

The rest is left to luck.

In the process, traps were activated and poison was released, monsters came out, took up a lot of time in battle, and were subject to annoying curses.

“I… “I think it would be best not to open this.”

If he was in a strange mood, I put it on hold and came out and just checked.

If you can’t find the magic stone, you can open it one by one from then on.

‘I’m sure it’ll take a long time to find it on my own.’

If we divided into two groups and searched, we could save a lot more time, but this was unavoidable.

“Soul Keeper Hausiel’s [defense system] becomes more and more robust.”

Even though this is a boss that gets stronger in proportion to the attack time.

‘…How do I open something that could cause us all to die together?’

There are so many absurd traps mixed in between these boxes.

Not really a metaphor, but once in 10,000.

No, it’s an event that happens when the box is opened about once in 100,000 times…

‘I shouldn’t even touch it.’

luck.

To be precise, in the face of misfortune, probability is just a game of numbers.

At least I know that better than anyone else.

‘Well, on the contrary, there are times when positive events occur.’

Please note that there is only one of both, and the probability is almost the same.

So, when I was playing the game, I thought the creator mixed that shit in on purpose.

Make sure you can’t find it by blindly opening all the boxes.

So that you have to rely purely on luck.

‘Anyway, it’s actually better not to expect a golden box—.’

“Um…Baron…?”

I turned my head to Parab’s confused voice and froze.

“…uh?”

A box wide open like a dead Mimic.

Soooooooooo much!

A brilliant light was emanating from within.