Chapter 391: Captain Barbarian (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 391: Captain Barbarian (1)
In the first-floor living room under the watchful eye of Erwen's surveillance camera, three women sat on the sofa next to each other, sipping tea.
"A special forces unit made up of thirty people... This is the first I've heard of it too. That must mean it's extremely confidential," Raven muttered.
"Since the war is dragging on, I guess the palace is looking for a way to turn things around," Amelia mused.
"Exactly. Considering the reputations of the candidates mentioned by the marquess, I'm honestly questioning whether they'll actually be able to get all these big names on a single team."
"But that part is set in stone according to the marquess."
"Then I think it would be wise to assume they're planning something big that will require a lot of firepower."
While the two of them discussed the situation in serious voices, Erwen didn't particularly seem interested in the current state of our military. "Mister, you said you don't like sweets, right? Have some of this. I bought something savory for you."
"Ah, thanks."
As I ate the peanut butter cookies Erwen gave me, Raven shot me a displeased look. It seemed she wasn't happy with me dropping all that information on them and then keeping quiet.
I swallowed what was in my mouth and said, "So Raven, what are you going to do?"
"...About what?"
"I told you. With me, Erwen, Emily, and the dragonian woman the marquess chose, that leaves two spots."
"Ah..."
"I want you to join us."
When I outright asked her, Raven averted her eyes with a slightly uncomfortable look on her face. "I want to help on the front lines, too, but I think that'd be hard to swing right now." This was undoubtedly a slightly disappointing response.
"...Really?"
I tried not to let it show, but Raven must have picked up on it because she launched into an explanation without even needing to be asked. "On both the battlefield and in the city, Commander Pevrosk is being summoned everywhere these days. If I leave the Magic Corps right now, there will be no one to help manage it all..."
Jeez, so hard-working. This is why she was so trustworthy as a teammate, though.
I didn't want to see her so dejected when it wasn't even her fault to begin with, so I quickly stopped her there. "Why are you explaining yourself? If you're busy, it can't be helped."
"Thank you. For understanding."
"Understanding or not, this isn't something you need to make excuses for."
Anyway, that meant recruiting Raven was off the table. How would we fill the remaining two slots?
As I was pondering this, Amelia spoke to me in a soft voice. "Schuitz, do you think the team needs a navigator?"
"I don't know, I think it's unnecessary since we'll be traveling on a large warship."
"...I see." Amelia nodded, but there was something strangely off about her voice even as she agreed. Did she want to take our basement-bound sailor Auyen with her?
Jeez, no matter how fun sailing is, there's a time and place for everything...
"I think it would be best to leave Auyen where he is for the time being. He may be useful again after the war."
"All right. I was worried since he's not eating much lately but I guess I'll just have to walk him more often than usual."
"...Yes, that should work." Then that solved the problem of the navigator. "Raven, do you know anything about the dragonian woman?"
"No. This is my first time hearing about a Ravien. But I'll look into it once I get back to Command. The commander might know something."
"Yes, I'll leave you to it."
Raven left after that, finishing her tea and bowing out since she had work to do. The rest of us debated which of the candidates the marquess mentioned we should add to the team. Although Erwen and Amelia were constantly at odds, we easily agreed on who our first teammate would be.
"I think we will need a wizard."
"I agree. It'd be inconvenient not to have one."
We would fill the wizard position that was still vacant after I failed to recruit Raven.
"What about the remaining spot?"
"Wouldn't it be best to have a priest?"
If possible, the last slot should go to a priest. If that was too hard to pull off, we decided it would be best to fill it with a support-type special ability user. I had our tanking needs covered, Amelia had close combat, Erwen had long-range, and we'd have a wizard soon too. As such, we decided that it would be best to use a supporting special ability user to boost our close-combat capabilities. These were all reasonable arguments so I readily agreed, except for when we got to the last point.
"Then for the wizard, we can go with either this option or this one, this one for the priest, and if we can't get them, I think this user will be best!" Erwen brightly expressed her opinion, pointing to each of the names on the list of candidates one by one.
"Oh, they're all men?" I genuinely had this reaction without much thought.
"Well... because there are too many women around you, Mister."
"...Huh?" Was that a reasonable justification to only choose men? I glanced at Amelia for help, but to my surprise, she just nodded like she completely got where Erwen was coming from.
"I think it would definitely be best to choose a man," said Amelia.
"...How come?"
"Your judgment is impaired when women are involved."
What is this girl saying? I'm a cold-blooded guy. Doesn't matter if it's a man or woman—if need be, I always chop their heads off equally. The first player I ever killed in Glacier Cave was a woman too.
"Emily, I think there's been a misunderstanding. Why on earth would you think that?" I asked, feeling wronged.
Amelia answered immediately and without hesitation. "Because... you were like that with me too."
Just what sort of reputation had I given myself with these two?
***
There were ten days left until the labyrinth next opened. Amelia had been stopping by the commercial district almost every day since we got back and finally finished disposing of all the loot. In other words, we were finally able to divvie up our haul from our most recent expedition.
"Even subtracting the change, it comes out to 350 million stones."
It was truly an outrageous amount of money. Not only that, but it was an amount that was difficult for a group of our size to achieve with just mana stones no matter how many floors we climbed.
Well, I guess this makes sense considering we wiped out an entire sixth-floor clan.
I was still surprised when I heard the amount, though. The broken ships didn't even sell for full price and we decided to keep the largest ship for future use rather than sell it. If we sold that boat, our total income would have tripled.
"No. This is my first time hearing about a Ravien. But I'll look into it once I get back to Command. The commander might know something."
"Yes, I'll leave you to it."
Raven left after that, finishing her tea and bowing out since she had work to do. The rest of us debated which of the candidates the marquess mentioned we should add to the team. Although Erwen and Amelia were constantly at odds, we easily agreed on who our first teammate would be.
"I think we will need a wizard."
"I agree. It'd be inconvenient not to have one."
We would fill the wizard position that was still vacant after I failed to recruit Raven.
"What about the remaining spot?"
"Wouldn't it be best to have a priest?"
If possible, the last slot should go to a priest. If that was too hard to pull off, we decided it would be best to fill it with a support-type special ability user. I had our tanking needs covered, Amelia had close combat, Erwen had long-range, and we'd have a wizard soon too. As such, we decided that it would be best to use a supporting special ability user to boost our close-combat capabilities. These were all reasonable arguments so I readily agreed, except for when we got to the last point.
"Then for the wizard, we can go with either this option or this one, this one for the priest, and if we can't get them, I think this user will be best!" Erwen brightly expressed her opinion, pointing to each of the names on the list of candidates one by one.
"Oh, they're all men?" I genuinely had this reaction without much thought.
"Well... because there are too many women around you, Mister."
"...Huh?" Was that a reasonable justification to only choose men? I glanced at Amelia for help, but to my surprise, she just nodded like she completely got where Erwen was coming from.
"I think it would definitely be best to choose a man," said Amelia.
"...How come?"
"Your judgment is impaired when women are involved."
What is this girl saying? I'm a cold-blooded guy. Doesn't matter if it's a man or woman—if need be, I always chop their heads off equally. The first player I ever killed in Glacier Cave was a woman too.
"Emily, I think there's been a misunderstanding. Why on earth would you think that?" I asked, feeling wronged.
Amelia answered immediately and without hesitation. "Because... you were like that with me too."
Just what sort of reputation had I given myself with these two?
***
There were ten days left until the labyrinth next opened. Amelia had been stopping by the commercial district almost every day since we got back and finally finished disposing of all the loot. In other words, we were finally able to divvie up our haul from our most recent expedition.
"Even subtracting the change, it comes out to 350 million stones."
It was truly an outrageous amount of money. Not only that, but it was an amount that was difficult for a group of our size to achieve with just mana stones no matter how many floors we climbed.
Well, I guess this makes sense considering we wiped out an entire sixth-floor clan.
I was still surprised when I heard the amount, though. The broken ships didn't even sell for full price and we decided to keep the largest ship for future use rather than sell it. If we sold that boat, our total income would have tripled.
"Then what do you want to do with the cash?"
Amelia had worked harder than anyone else to dispose of the items. When she asked me what my plans were, I answered without a moment's hesitation. "Of course we have to share it equally."
"Then each person will get a little over 110 million stones." Amelia smiled softly and mentioned that with this amount, she could finally buy the weapon she had been eyeing. But it didn't take long for that smile to fade.
"Before you get a new weapon, I want you to pay me back first." Erwen's voice was too cold for someone talking to their teammate. Of course, the request itself was fair. Although the deal had gotten a little convoluted, Amelia had been the one to pledge my Demon Grinder to the bank as collateral, after all. Amelia used that money to buy an essence, and since she hadn't been able to pay it back, Erwen was forced to take out a loan using the house as collateral.
"I'm sure there's still time left to repay the debt...?"
"I'm starting to think we'll never be able to repay it in time if you keep spending like this. And it's better to pay off your debts as soon as possible, right?"
"...How much do you need?"
"All of it, of course. If you cough up everything you earned this month, I think that should be enough to pay it off."
Amelia looked at me like a sad puppy at Erwen's words. It was obvious she was asking for help, but what could I do here?
"...Let's buy the weapon next time."
"When I asked you last month if I could get an upgrade, you promised I could."
"Things have changed now. I remember you also argued not to sell the biggest ship and to instead use it to travel?"
"That's... because we'll need a boat even if it's not on the sixth floor."
"Exactly. Just wait a few more months. I'll help you pay for it then."
Amelia was so upset that she didn't even respond, but judging by the way she quietly exhaled and looked out the window, she seemed to have come to terms with the current situation to some extent.
What should I give her at moments like these to lift her mood again? I don't think she has any particular interest in food...
"Mister, someone's outside."
Huh? A person?
When I headed outside, I found it was someone sent by the marquess. Although the guy looked strong, I couldn't tell whether he was a knight or not from his casual clothing. The conversation we had was extremely short too.
"A letter from the marquess."
"Ah, thank you for bringing it."
I quickly went back inside and opened the letter. I didn't know if this was simply Tecerion's personality or because the recipient was a barbarian, but the contents were concise.
The sorcerer problem has been resolved. I will send someone tomorrow morning so go with them.
So, I'm finally receiving the seventh stage of the Spirit Imprint.
***
The next morning, as soon as dawn broke, I got on the carriage the marquess sent and headed to the royal capital. The trip would normally take at least six hours, but using the military teleportation platform, it was possible to depart in the morning and arrive in the morning too.
It really is convenient...
I arrived at the mansion without even having time to nap in the carriage, but I wasn't able to meet with the marquess this time. Apparently, he headed to the palace early this morning for business. Well, the marquess wasn't a deadbeat, unemployed loafer—he was the prime minister of a country. I was sure he was busy all the time. In truth, the reason I had been able to have so many private meetings with him lately was likely because he prioritized me. And even then, all he had time for was a conversation over a meal.
"Then what do you want to do with the cash?"
Amelia had worked harder than anyone else to dispose of the items. When she asked me what my plans were, I answered without a moment's hesitation. "Of course we have to share it equally."
"Then each person will get a little over 110 million stones." Amelia smiled softly and mentioned that with this amount, she could finally buy the weapon she had been eyeing. But it didn't take long for that smile to fade.
"Before you get a new weapon, I want you to pay me back first." Erwen's voice was too cold for someone talking to their teammate. Of course, the request itself was fair. Although the deal had gotten a little convoluted, Amelia had been the one to pledge my Demon Grinder to the bank as collateral, after all. Amelia used that money to buy an essence, and since she hadn't been able to pay it back, Erwen was forced to take out a loan using the house as collateral.
"I'm sure there's still time left to repay the debt...?"
"I'm starting to think we'll never be able to repay it in time if you keep spending like this. And it's better to pay off your debts as soon as possible, right?"
"...How much do you need?"
"All of it, of course. If you cough up everything you earned this month, I think that should be enough to pay it off."
Amelia looked at me like a sad puppy at Erwen's words. It was obvious she was asking for help, but what could I do here?
"...Let's buy the weapon next time."
"When I asked you last month if I could get an upgrade, you promised I could."
"Things have changed now. I remember you also argued not to sell the biggest ship and to instead use it to travel?"
"That's... because we'll need a boat even if it's not on the sixth floor."
"Exactly. Just wait a few more months. I'll help you pay for it then."
Amelia was so upset that she didn't even respond, but judging by the way she quietly exhaled and looked out the window, she seemed to have come to terms with the current situation to some extent.
What should I give her at moments like these to lift her mood again? I don't think she has any particular interest in food...
"Mister, someone's outside."
Huh? A person?
When I headed outside, I found it was someone sent by the marquess. Although the guy looked strong, I couldn't tell whether he was a knight or not from his casual clothing. The conversation we had was extremely short too.
"A letter from the marquess."
"Ah, thank you for bringing it."
I quickly went back inside and opened the letter. I didn't know if this was simply Tecerion's personality or because the recipient was a barbarian, but the contents were concise.
The sorcerer problem has been resolved. I will send someone tomorrow morning so go with them.
So, I'm finally receiving the seventh stage of the Spirit Imprint.
***
The next morning, as soon as dawn broke, I got on the carriage the marquess sent and headed to the royal capital. The trip would normally take at least six hours, but using the military teleportation platform, it was possible to depart in the morning and arrive in the morning too.
It really is convenient...
I arrived at the mansion without even having time to nap in the carriage, but I wasn't able to meet with the marquess this time. Apparently, he headed to the palace early this morning for business. Well, the marquess wasn't a deadbeat, unemployed loafer—he was the prime minister of a country. I was sure he was busy all the time. In truth, the reason I had been able to have so many private meetings with him lately was likely because he prioritized me. And even then, all he had time for was a conversation over a meal.
Well, I'm better off not seeing him anyway.
Anyway, I followed my guide into the mansion and arrived at an office located on the third floor of the main building. The prime minister's son looked uncomfortable as I entered and when the guide left us alone, he said hello.
"...You've come a long way, Baronet Yandel." His tone was polite and he seemed to be addressing me as an equal, but he gave off the vibe that he was intimidated for some reason. Was it because he refused to meet my eyes?
"Not really. I had an easy trip thanks to you. How are you recovering? I see the bones in your face have healed nicely..."
"...As you can see, I'm fine now."
"I'm glad."
"Ah, and I didn't get to say this last time, but I apologize for my rudeness the other day."
As I listened to Eltora, the prime minister's son, say sorry to me, I almost burst into laughter. I knew he was only being polite, but still, it was kind of funny that the person who got beaten up in the middle of the night was the one apologizing.
"It's fine, it's all in the past anyway. I already worked things out with the marquess so don't worry about it anymore."
"I'm glad to hear you say that. That's a weight off my shoulders."
"So, the sorcerer?"
"He is waiting in another room. If you step into the hallway, Renia, the maid outside, will guide you there."
So all I had to do was go over there and I'd be able to get the Spirit Imprint. There didn't seem to be a reason to rush so I decided to sate my curiosity a bit.
"How did you get the sorcerer to come here?"
"I heard Father personally asked the chieftain for a favor, requesting he send the sorcerer for someone who needed a Spirit Imprint."
"Hmm, but that must've seemed suspicious."
"Not exactly, according to what I heard. After all, not all barbarians can come and go from the holy land freely."
"Ah, did he say I'm a warrior who got kicked out of the tribe?"
That was the first possibility that came to mind, but Eltora shook his head. "He said you were a barbarian born and raised in the city."
"...I see."
I accepted that without hesitation. Come to think of it, that did happen every once in a while. Barbarians weren't much different from humans, after all. When you lived in the city for a long time, you found yourself immersed in its culture and were less bound by tradition. I'd heard that in extreme cases, the barbarian parents in question didn't even send their children to the holy land and instead raised them themselves.
"Well, that should make things easier. Thank you for taking care of that."
"It's in our best interest to help you, Baronet."
"Sure. Then see you next time."
With all my questions answered, I ended the conversation and left the room. The maid waiting outside immediately guided me to the room where the sorcerer was.
"I am prohibited from leading you any further."
In other words, I was the only one who could go inside. When I opened the door and entered, a room completely emptied of all furniture and filled with cigar smoke welcomed me. In the center of the room was a space shrouded in cloth. Through it, I could see the silhouette of a person sitting in an upright position.
It's been almost three years since I've seen the sorcerer...
As I slowly approached, I found myself nervous for some reason. Even if the marquess made up an excuse for me, the sorcerer was sure to recognize me as soon as he saw me. Well, considering the type of guy he was, I was sure he'd keep my secret from the chieftain.
"You're here." Just then, a voice spoke from beyond the cloth and I stopped in my tracks. "My fellow countryman raised in civilization."
What's with this young-sounding voice?
Swish.
When I pulled the cloth aside, I saw a tattooed barbarian wearing an eyepatch. His eyes had both been fine last I saw him, but it wasn't hard to recognize him: the young disciple I had caught glimpses of a few times during my visits to the sorcerer.
"Kekeke, are you nervous about meeting the sorcerer you've been eagerly awaiting? I can feel your heart pounding from all the way over here."
What is this guy saying? I didn't expect this at all. Where did the old sorcerer go?
Well, I'm better off not seeing him anyway.
Anyway, I followed my guide into the mansion and arrived at an office located on the third floor of the main building. The prime minister's son looked uncomfortable as I entered and when the guide left us alone, he said hello.
"...You've come a long way, Baronet Yandel." His tone was polite and he seemed to be addressing me as an equal, but he gave off the vibe that he was intimidated for some reason. Was it because he refused to meet my eyes?
"Not really. I had an easy trip thanks to you. How are you recovering? I see the bones in your face have healed nicely..."
"...As you can see, I'm fine now."
"I'm glad."
"Ah, and I didn't get to say this last time, but I apologize for my rudeness the other day."
As I listened to Eltora, the prime minister's son, say sorry to me, I almost burst into laughter. I knew he was only being polite, but still, it was kind of funny that the person who got beaten up in the middle of the night was the one apologizing.
"It's fine, it's all in the past anyway. I already worked things out with the marquess so don't worry about it anymore."
"I'm glad to hear you say that. That's a weight off my shoulders."
"So, the sorcerer?"
"He is waiting in another room. If you step into the hallway, Renia, the maid outside, will guide you there."
So all I had to do was go over there and I'd be able to get the Spirit Imprint. There didn't seem to be a reason to rush so I decided to sate my curiosity a bit.
"How did you get the sorcerer to come here?"
"I heard Father personally asked the chieftain for a favor, requesting he send the sorcerer for someone who needed a Spirit Imprint."
"Hmm, but that must've seemed suspicious."
"Not exactly, according to what I heard. After all, not all barbarians can come and go from the holy land freely."
"Ah, did he say I'm a warrior who got kicked out of the tribe?"
That was the first possibility that came to mind, but Eltora shook his head. "He said you were a barbarian born and raised in the city."
"...I see."
I accepted that without hesitation. Come to think of it, that did happen every once in a while. Barbarians weren't much different from humans, after all. When you lived in the city for a long time, you found yourself immersed in its culture and were less bound by tradition. I'd heard that in extreme cases, the barbarian parents in question didn't even send their children to the holy land and instead raised them themselves.
"Well, that should make things easier. Thank you for taking care of that."
"It's in our best interest to help you, Baronet."
"Sure. Then see you next time."
With all my questions answered, I ended the conversation and left the room. The maid waiting outside immediately guided me to the room where the sorcerer was.
"I am prohibited from leading you any further."
In other words, I was the only one who could go inside. When I opened the door and entered, a room completely emptied of all furniture and filled with cigar smoke welcomed me. In the center of the room was a space shrouded in cloth. Through it, I could see the silhouette of a person sitting in an upright position.
It's been almost three years since I've seen the sorcerer...
As I slowly approached, I found myself nervous for some reason. Even if the marquess made up an excuse for me, the sorcerer was sure to recognize me as soon as he saw me. Well, considering the type of guy he was, I was sure he'd keep my secret from the chieftain.
"You're here." Just then, a voice spoke from beyond the cloth and I stopped in my tracks. "My fellow countryman raised in civilization."
What's with this young-sounding voice?
Swish.
When I pulled the cloth aside, I saw a tattooed barbarian wearing an eyepatch. His eyes had both been fine last I saw him, but it wasn't hard to recognize him: the young disciple I had caught glimpses of a few times during my visits to the sorcerer.
"Kekeke, are you nervous about meeting the sorcerer you've been eagerly awaiting? I can feel your heart pounding from all the way over here."
What is this guy saying? I didn't expect this at all. Where did the old sorcerer go?