Chapter 259: Chapter 259: Clan (3) - Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 259: Clan (3)

Even though the light on the jewel turned off, the silence dragged on. Just as I had been in the middle of wondering if that ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠post was true or not, Clown had confirmed its authenticity, which made the weight of what had happened that day all the more evident to us.

So, the outside world really is fine.

What would happen to the city once the community closed for the night? Rumors would surely spread like wildfire.

Those damn bastards from Noark.

Hearing the truth from Clown's mouth, I could clearly see Noark's intentions. That post was not a confession borne of personal defiance. It was a planned move to spread this information through the city using the community.

Which is why this asshole is telling us about all this so easily.

Clown always hid behind a frivolous mask and spoke in a theatrical tone, but he wasn't actually a fool. For example, he maintained his silence during all of Noark's previous plans. And even though he was one of the top members of Orcules, he never used them as information fodder here.

"Soon, an assassin will be sent after Bjorn Yandel."

The last piece of information he had mentioned was similar. Although he spoke as if Noark was going to be the one to send an assassin, he had in fact been referring to an assassination plot by a large clan. And what he stood to gain by doing so was obvious.

"Anyway, Mr. Deer, you were very zealous." Clown had made Deer make a move in real life. "Pshe, I didn't expect you to actually send those knights like that."

He had laid the foundation for tracking down Deer's identity in exchange for tipping us off. Even if the assassination against Bjorn Yandel failed, from his perspective, that was way more important.

"Asshole."

It was possible that the reason why Deer had suddenly called the knights back was because he had belatedly realized what Clown's aim was. The longer the tail, the more likely he was to be caught by it.

"It's fun watching you two fight, but please do that on your own later! Um, Mr. Clown, if it's all right, may I ask a question?" When Clown and Deer showed signs of starting a brawl, Queen skillfully cut through the tension and tossed out a question. "So, who is the old man? The one who carried over ten thousand people with Mass Teleport at once and disappeared. Sounds like he was the one who guided you all outside too."

"That's..." Clown trailed off and laughed awkwardly. "Pshe, it's a secret. If I just tell you, that would be no fun, right?"

It was clear he had no idea who the guy was. That was not how you pretended to know something. With the experience I'd racked up thus far as Lion, I saw an opportunity to toss in my two cents and took it. "There's no way that old man would have revealed his identity."

I topped the act off by shooting Clown a look as if to scold him for trying to pull a petty trick. Clown flinched like I'd caught him red-handed. His eyes seemed to say, How did you know that?

Queen, for her part, shifted her gaze to me, giving me a curious look. "Hmmm, does that mean you know something, Mr. Lion? Who that mysterious old man is?"

No, how would I?

Maintaining eye contact, I didn't answer, Lion's signature gesture that you had to bring him something interesting if you wanted to hear something from him.

Queen grumbled, "Hmph, then can you at least tell me what you're interested in?"

Hey, that would reduce the variety of information.

There was only one thing I could say, exactly the same line I'd used in a similar situation in the past. "I don't know." Lion didn't know himself. "What I'm interested in."

At my words, Queen looked at me like I was an unfamiliar beast.

Okay then, I think I've met my quota for today...

I pretended not to be interested in the conversation that followed despite listening intently. The gathering, which had momentarily been on pause, resumed.

"Then I will go this time." Goblin took the second turn. He revealed information related to one of the churches. "Do you remember me telling you about a blessing that was given to someone a few months ago? I finally figured out who it was."

What? Out of the blue? Having not expected this to come up here, I tried my best to keep my composure.

"You're finally useful. Pshehe, so, who is it? And what's the holy relic they received?" Clown, who had shown a strong interest in the blessing and holy relic at the time, straightened up in his seat. Perhaps something like this had never happened before.

Goblin puffed out his chest and said, "Bjorn Yandel. The one who received the blessing back then is the same barbarian who recently gained fame as the Giant."

Things were getting interesting.

"Bjorn Yandel."

Not to toot my own horn, but it was the hottest name in the city these days.

"He's the one who received the blessing...?" Having suffered much at my hand, Clown laughed in apparent shock. "Hey, is this information confirmed? That man isn't even human. How could he receive a blessing?"

"Well... I thought it was strange, too, but when I looked into it, it's not completely unprecedented. There have actually been a few people of different races who have received blessings in the past."

"Most left a big mark on history." Deer stepped in to back Goblin's explanation up. "So stop doubting Goblin without even knowing anything. Didn't the jewel turn green?"

"That..." That didn't always mean the information was accurate. That was obviously what Clown wanted to say, but he couldn't finish his sentence. That was because he was the prime example of that.

"Now, now. Let's stop this. You, too, Mr. Clown. Since this information is 100 percent accurate, unlike Mr. Clown's from back then, you all don't have to worry. I saw it for myself and confirmed it."

Huh? Goblin saw and confirmed it was true himself? Well, that changed things. At first, I thought it was highly likely that Goblin had obtained information after it had already become widespread. But he was saying he saw it for himself?

...Then he was there too?

When the third vine broke off, there had been a total of five people around me: three knight bodyguards, Missha, and Sven Parav, the vice captain of the Second Order of the Paladins of Reatlas. Naturally, I could immediately narrow the suspect list down to one, since it was pretty much an established fact that Goblin was a paladin.

How interesting. To think he's really him.

The image Goblin presented at the Round Table and that dignified paladin from back then were incredibly different. Well, it probably still wasn't as jarring a difference as me.

...Is this actually a good thing?

Clown and Queen's, and now even Goblin's identity, had been revealed. There might come a day when this information would be extremely useful.

There was only one thing I could say, exactly the same line I'd used in a similar situation in the past. "I don't know." Lion didn't know himself. "What I'm interested in."

At my words, Queen looked at me like I was an unfamiliar beast.

Okay then, I think I've met my quota for today...

I pretended not to be interested in the conversation that followed despite listening intently. The gathering, which had momentarily been on pause, resumed.

"Then I will go this time." Goblin took the second turn. He revealed information related to one of the churches. "Do you remember me telling you about a blessing that was given to someone a few months ago? I finally figured out who it was."

What? Out of the blue? Having not expected this to come up here, I tried my best to keep my composure.

"You're finally useful. Pshehe, so, who is it? And what's the holy relic they received?" Clown, who had shown a strong interest in the blessing and holy relic at the time, straightened up in his seat. Perhaps something like this had never happened before.

Goblin puffed out his chest and said, "Bjorn Yandel. The one who received the blessing back then is the same barbarian who recently gained fame as the Giant."

Things were getting interesting.

"Bjorn Yandel."

Not to toot my own horn, but it was the hottest name in the city these days.

"He's the one who received the blessing...?" Having suffered much at my hand, Clown laughed in apparent shock. "Hey, is this information confirmed? That man isn't even human. How could he receive a blessing?"

"Well... I thought it was strange, too, but when I looked into it, it's not completely unprecedented. There have actually been a few people of different races who have received blessings in the past."

"Most left a big mark on history." Deer stepped in to back Goblin's explanation up. "So stop doubting Goblin without even knowing anything. Didn't the jewel turn green?"

"That..." That didn't always mean the information was accurate. That was obviously what Clown wanted to say, but he couldn't finish his sentence. That was because he was the prime example of that.

"Now, now. Let's stop this. You, too, Mr. Clown. Since this information is 100 percent accurate, unlike Mr. Clown's from back then, you all don't have to worry. I saw it for myself and confirmed it."

Huh? Goblin saw and confirmed it was true himself? Well, that changed things. At first, I thought it was highly likely that Goblin had obtained information after it had already become widespread. But he was saying he saw it for himself?

...Then he was there too?

When the third vine broke off, there had been a total of five people around me: three knight bodyguards, Missha, and Sven Parav, the vice captain of the Second Order of the Paladins of Reatlas. Naturally, I could immediately narrow the suspect list down to one, since it was pretty much an established fact that Goblin was a paladin.

How interesting. To think he's really him.

The image Goblin presented at the Round Table and that dignified paladin from back then were incredibly different. Well, it probably still wasn't as jarring a difference as me.

...Is this actually a good thing?

Clown and Queen's, and now even Goblin's identity, had been revealed. There might come a day when this information would be extremely useful.

"Then what's the holy relic? If it's the Goddess of the Stars, it must be a relic related to fate, right?"

"To be honest... I don't know that, either. I'm not in a position to be asking around..." Goblin ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then confessed that he knew nothing about the holy relic's abilities, and his turn ended.

Next was Queen. "The day the returning adventurers were being rewarded in the Palace of Glory, the palace sent an official notice to the Magic Tower."

"An official notice?"

"Yes. It was a request for them to repair the portal to the labyrinth. When they checked, they found it was in a very unstable state." After that, Queen shut her mouth and waited for the jewel to glow. It was a green light, indicating a pass, but the other members weren't pleased.

"This may only be your second time, but come on. Pshehe, what use is there in garbage information like that?"

Despite Clown's dig, Queen did not budge. "I don't know. I think this information will mean different things to different people depending on their level," she retorted. "If the repairs were even a little late, there could have been a dimensional collapse."

But even Deer was on Clown's side this time. "It's not like you're saying that a dimensional collapse is going to happen, though; information that repairs have already been done is a bit subpar."

Well, there was nothing they could gain from this information, but the same couldn't be said for me.

...If the repairs are finished, it would be correct to assume that the EXP copying bug has been fixed.

Man, did that mean I'd need to speed-run to gain portal-opening EXP from now on? Still, just in case, I decided to test it out one more time the next time I entered the labyrinth.

"I have nothing more to say. I sincerely believe that this information is not inferior to the information I heard today." Queen remained firm with the other members and received a pass.

"Oh, you can do that...?" Goblin, who had received many rejections in the past, seemed to be in awe of this novel method. But knowing you could do something and making it work were two different things. Even if Goblin tried to say the same thing Queen did, things wouldn't go the same way for him. A barbarian-like stubbornness wasn't something everyone could pull off. It had to be backed by the confidence that you were the best.

This woman is really strange too.

Anyway, after Queen was Deer. He spoke of a royal treasure being stolen while Karnon had been engulfed in flames. I had never heard of it before, but judging by these guys' reactions, it seemed like it was a pretty important item. I'd look into it later.

"Now it's you, Crescent."

It was finally Crescent Moon's turn. Because he was silently keeping to himself and acting out of character, I was looking forward to what kind of information he would spit out. But when I actually heard it, it was nothing special.

"The elves have decided to replace the next pureblood with someone else due to circumstances within the tribe. They are currently looking for a suitable candidate."

Since this was information on the inner workings of one of the six races, it helped get a sense of the current state of affairs in the city, but it was otherwise just ordinary information that ended there. However, I couldn't take my eyes off of Crescent Moon. That was because he was staring straight at me.

"Next time, I will bring something more entertaining." By that, he meant that while he may not have had anything useful for me this time, he was determined not to give up on the Stone of Revival.

That wasn't bad. In truth, the information itself wasn't all that bad for me either.

If they're selecting a new pureblood candidate, would Erwen be able to take the role? If she could consume that, that would be a game-changer.

As I was getting my thoughts in order, I could feel everyone's eyes on me. Oh, it was my turn now. Instead of the few bits I prepared, I pulled out something else. "If you use the Stone of Revival, you can revive up to two people."

So, keep working hard.

The Stone of Revival was an item that had been considered a mere legend until I mentioned it, but one that had now become a reality. Naturally, information about this item was valuable. However, I figured the members who were not desperate for the Stone of Revival would find this dissatisfying since this wasn't information related to how to acquire it. It was just an extra tidbit saying it could save two people, and this was already the third time I'd used this particular topic too.

However, the other members did not voice their dissatisfaction. The mood wasn't right for that.

"Two people... I see..." Crescent Moon, who appeared to have lost someone important not too long ago, muttered blankly at my words. There was a deep longing in his voice. A moment of silence ensued.

"Why, Mr. Crescent, you just lost us one chance today." Clown lamented that my turn had been wasted on the Stone of Revival and suggested we move on to the next round.

"I have nothing else prepared, so I will stop here. If it weren't for Lion, you all wouldn't have come, either." Crescent Moon didn't even look at Clown and asked the other members for their understanding before leaving the Round Table.

The same went for Goblin. "Uh, my curiosity is sated... I don't have anything to use, either, so I'm going to leave."

Once even Goblin left, Deer also felt it too tough to continue with just the four of us and opted to leave. That was fair—once you got down to four people, the gathering got a bit grueling. Excluding the speaker, you could only pass with information that two or three other people were unaware of, and the amount of information you could obtain in return in each round was reduced.

"Then what about this? The three of us."

"I don't mind."

Clown and Queen agreed to go on. Ultimately, the choice was mine.

These two are bound to have valuable information...

The thought made me want to be greedy, but in the end, I decided not to push it. If I wasn't careful, they might find out that I was nothing but hot air. So the gathering ended after the first lap. "If there was something interesting, it would have been said already." With that arrogant, Lion-like line, I turned around and returned to Hansu Lee's room.

After spending more of my time looking through the forum, it soon became closing time and I returned to my original body.

"Oh, right. This isn't my house." I was in a room at an inn in District Seven that I had obtained using Kharon's face and name. As soon as I opened my eyes, all the worries I had momentarily put aside came flooding back.

I wonder if Kharon is doing all right.

Kharon was my alibi. If the GM had really decided to make a move today, he would probably be watching Kharon right now to see if he was a player.

Inhale.

I wanted to check how things had gone as soon as possible, but if I went to where Kharon was now, there was a chance this would all go sideways. And so I decided to exercise patience and endure my burning curiosity.

The morning after what turned out to be a near-sleepless night, I met Kharon again at the holy land as agreed.

"Bjorn!"

Because the appearance change lasted thirty days otherwise, we put on the mask again to return to our original selves.

"Hehehe, considering the dark circles under your eyes, I'm guessing you had a great night?"

Oh, right. That was the excuse I was using. "...Thanks to you."

I glossed over that and interrogated Kharon about everything that had happened yesterday, reasoning that I couldn't risk 'not remembering' something big later. To be honest, though, I was just curious as hell. Although I'd entrusted this task to him, my imagination had run wild all night.

"Oh, you mean yesterday?"

I wonder what could have happened?

"Then what's the holy relic? If it's the Goddess of the Stars, it must be a relic related to fate, right?"

"To be honest... I don't know that, either. I'm not in a position to be asking around..." Goblin then confessed that he knew nothing about the holy relic's abilities, and his turn ended.