Chapter 449: Expanding (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 449: Expanding (2)
When I returned home after my meeting with Ragna, I had an unexpected visitor. In fact, I had two of them.
"Oh, Mister! Welcome back! Your friends are waiting for you."
"My friends?"
I tilted my head and entered the living room. On the sofa were two men enjoying a few light refreshments. The moment they saw me, they leapt to their feet with open arms.
"It's—! It's—! Bjorn Yandel, it's really you! You're really here!" sputtered the dwarf, Hikurod Murad.
"It's been a while. I heard that you were alive not too long ago, but to think it was really true..." Even Brown Rotmiller had come.
It was great to see them after so long. Though technically, I had already seen the dwarf back in his forge. The memory of that encounter still had me reeling a bit, to be honest.
"Ugh, tsk... how unlucky. And he seemed like he had a lot of money."
I never expected to hear something like that from him when I went to check out his shop.
"It's great to see you two again. I'm sorry, I was going to visit you guys soon."
"Haha! What's there to be sorry about? We all know just how busy you've been lately."
"How do you know that?"
"That's because wherever we go, your name keeps coming up like you're a celebrity or something! Even when I'm working at the forge, I still hear your name."
"...I-Is that so?"
I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed by that news. It turned out that they knew I had been going around and meeting with the bereaved families in person. They also knew about the recent banquet to celebrate my change in status and even my meeting with the other squad members in Kommelby. Was there an article in the newspaper that the heroes got together to celebrate with a welcome-home party?
"That's why we took the initiative to come here. I wanted to do it a while back, but Rotmiller stopped me. He kept saying that we needed to give you some time so you could take care of some of your business first."
"I see..."
I nodded my head at Rotmiller in thanks before settling down on the sofa. Erwen, who had been watching from the sidelines, came over to us. "Is there something I can get you?"
"Water, please. Oh, make it cold."
"All right!"
As Erwen headed to the kitchen, the dwarf slowly scooted toward me to whisper in my ear. "Ah, that's right! Do you have any idea how shocked I was? That girl, look at her welcoming you home with that big smile. And even going out of her way to get you water!"
"Oh, is this your first time meeting Erwen?"
Rotmiller nodded his head, but the dwarf shook his. "I've actually met her once before. When the party disbanded, she came to me all anxious, asking what happened to you."
Ah, come to think of it, I could remember hearing something like that before.
"Hah, back then I had no idea that little elf would become such a famous adventurer... You never can guess what the future holds."
"True..." I'd always thought that Erwen had incredible potential and talent, but even I couldn't have predicted her meteoric rise. I especially didn't expect her to end up with a nickname like Blood Spirit.
"By the way, Yandel," Rotmiller interjected. "Have you... seen Miss Karlstein yet?"
Yeah, I was wondering why no one had mentioned her yet. "I haven't yet."
"I see..."
"Have you?"
"Only once, after you were presumed dead. I was worried, so I went to check on her, but I never got the chance to meet up with her after that. It was like she vanished into thin air."
"What about you, Hikurod?"
"That goes for me too. Damn. With the news of your return spreading around the city, I was sure she'd come to see you... Surely nothing bad happened to her?"
The dwarf may have been a rambler, but I could understand why he was concerned. Fortunately, Missha was safe. Well, I couldn't speak to how she was doing emotionally, but I at least knew she was alive. "I'm also looking into what Missha is up to. I'll make sure to find her and bring her back safely, so don't worry."
"Well, if you're on the case, I'm sure things will work out, but I wonder... Is Missha perhaps acting like this because of Blood Spirit?"
"...Why are you suddenly bringing up Erwen?"
"Well, there's a rumor you two are in a relationship... Is that true?"
I sighed. He always was a gossip fiend. "No, it's not."
The dwarf immediately exhaled in relief. "Oh, well, that's good..."
It was only a passing comment, but it made me hesitate. "That's... good?"
"Ultimately, it's up to you and your feelings. But you and Miss Karlstein have spent so much time together, haven't you? And Dwalkie, it was his final wish before he passed... Honestly, I'd been watching you two for a while, and I secretly always thought you were a good match—"
Crash!
Just as the dwarf was ramping up to launch into one of his usual rants, the teacup sitting in front of him on the table shattered into pieces.
Step.
Erwen walked out of the kitchen.
"Oh my. The teacup broke," she remarked with a smile, the cold water I'd requested in hand. "Mister, here's your water."
Fwooosh!
As Erwen set the cup down in front of me, the broken pieces of the other cup and the liquid that had spilled onto the carpet floated into the air. "There. Now everything's clean." She used the power of the spirits to clean everything in an instant, then quickly turned around and left after announcing she would be going back to her room.
The dwarf sat there as Erwen headed upstairs, and though he no longer had a teacup, he couldn't seem to find the voice to request another one. He always did have a habit of talking too much, but it wasn't like he was completely tactless.
"Why didn't you watch your tongue? We're guests here, after all."
"...Hahaha, yeah. I made quite the m-mistake." The dwarf let out a heavy exhale but plastered on an awkward smile, clearly wanting to move on and not dwell on what just happened. He really was quite the nosy blabbermouth.
Everything had gotten pretty awkward, so as the owner of the house, I took the liberty of changing the subject. "Well, how have the two of you been doing? Hikurod, I saw that you haven't been doing much blacksmithing these days."
"Huh? How did you know that?"
"I've actually visited your forge before. But you didn't recognize me since I was much smaller back then."
"Huh! Did that happen? Was I really not able to recognize you just because you were a little smaller?" the dwarf asked, sounding incredulous.
Well, it was the truth, so I filled him in on what happened that day. "I have to admit, I was surprised."
"I see..."
"Have you?"
"Only once, after you were presumed dead. I was worried, so I went to check on her, but I never got the chance to meet up with her after that. It was like she vanished into thin air."
"What about you, Hikurod?"
"That goes for me too. Damn. With the news of your return spreading around the city, I was sure she'd come to see you... Surely nothing bad happened to her?"
The dwarf may have been a rambler, but I could understand why he was concerned. Fortunately, Missha was safe. Well, I couldn't speak to how she was doing emotionally, but I at least knew she was alive. "I'm also looking into what Missha is up to. I'll make sure to find her and bring her back safely, so don't worry."
"Well, if you're on the case, I'm sure things will work out, but I wonder... Is Missha perhaps acting like this because of Blood Spirit?"
"...Why are you suddenly bringing up Erwen?"
"Well, there's a rumor you two are in a relationship... Is that true?"
I sighed. He always was a gossip fiend. "No, it's not."
The dwarf immediately exhaled in relief. "Oh, well, that's good..."
It was only a passing comment, but it made me hesitate. "That's... good?"
"Ultimately, it's up to you and your feelings. But you and Miss Karlstein have spent so much time together, haven't you? And Dwalkie, it was his final wish before he passed... Honestly, I'd been watching you two for a while, and I secretly always thought you were a good match—"
Crash!
Just as the dwarf was ramping up to launch into one of his usual rants, the teacup sitting in front of him on the table shattered into pieces.
Step.
Erwen walked out of the kitchen.
"Oh my. The teacup broke," she remarked with a smile, the cold water I'd requested in hand. "Mister, here's your water."
Fwooosh!
As Erwen set the cup down in front of me, the broken pieces of the other cup and the liquid that had spilled onto the carpet floated into the air. "There. Now everything's clean." She used the power of the spirits to clean everything in an instant, then quickly turned around and left after announcing she would be going back to her room.
The dwarf sat there as Erwen headed upstairs, and though he no longer had a teacup, he couldn't seem to find the voice to request another one. He always did have a habit of talking too much, but it wasn't like he was completely tactless.
"Why didn't you watch your tongue? We're guests here, after all."
"...Hahaha, yeah. I made quite the m-mistake." The dwarf let out a heavy exhale but plastered on an awkward smile, clearly wanting to move on and not dwell on what just happened. He really was quite the nosy blabbermouth.
Everything had gotten pretty awkward, so as the owner of the house, I took the liberty of changing the subject. "Well, how have the two of you been doing? Hikurod, I saw that you haven't been doing much blacksmithing these days."
"Huh? How did you know that?"
"I've actually visited your forge before. But you didn't recognize me since I was much smaller back then."
"Huh! Did that happen? Was I really not able to recognize you just because you were a little smaller?" the dwarf asked, sounding incredulous.
Well, it was the truth, so I filled him in on what happened that day. "I have to admit, I was surprised."
"Oh, well, business has been good lately, so—"
"No, not about that. I was surprised because you told me that I was taking up so much space that other customers couldn't come inside. And since I wasn't planning on buying anything, you kicked me out. Anyway, I'm glad business is good these days."
The dwarf flushed red like someone who'd been caught in the act, then laughed sheepishly. "Haha. I can't believe you saw me like that. That's rather embarrassing."
"I didn't say I blame you. There's nothing wrong with trying to make some more money. I just realized you'd changed quite a bit."
"True. You must find it pathetic that I left the party to chase after my dreams but ended up becoming a merchant."
Huh, that wasn't what I meant at all. Still, I was rather curious where he was going with this, so I let him continue.
"But you know what, Bjorn? I have another dream now. One that's bigger than holding a hammer and pounding iron through the night."
"Is your dream to make a lot of money?"
The dwarf smirked. "Something like that. After all, it takes a lot of money to sponsor an orphanage."
"What?" Wait a second. "...Are you actually?"
"I still lack the funds, so I haven't been able to do much. But just the other day, I was able to increase the number of orphanages I support to two."
Damn, that made me feel like a scumbag. I sighed inwardly, momentarily lost in thought.
"Bjorn, I plan to make a lot of money. No matter how pathetic it makes me seem. At this point in my life, I don't have much left to offer, but those kids are different. I'm doing this so those children can achieve their dreams in a way I never could. That's my new dream."
The dwarf seemed to stand a little taller today. Still, he looked quite embarrassed about having spilled his dream so openly. At a loss for words, I awkwardly sipped at my water.
Then, Rotmiller opened his mouth to tell us his story. "I'm not working right now."
In a way, that update was more shocking than the dwarf's. I couldn't believe that such a hardworking man like him was unemployed. "What about the teaching center? Weren't you using your scouting skills to teach other adventurers?"
"Unfortunately, I don't have what it takes to run a business."
So, in the end, the venture had failed. I wanted to offer him some words of consolation, but the dwarf abruptly jumped to his feet. "Hey, Rotmiller! The school failing wasn't your fault—"
"Stop. Just stop it, Murad. We're not here to talk about that."
"B-But still! Bjorn is Baron Yandel now! With one word, he can—!"
"Didn't I tell you to stop it?" Rotmiller's harsh tone reverberated through the house. His voice was so cold and resolute that the dwarf immediately swallowed whatever he was going to say next. I wasn't much better myself.
For him to speak like that...
I'd only seen Rotmiller angry once before. During Team Half-Wit's final quest, he'd been furious with himself when confronted with his limits as an adventurer. He was a good person who didn't direct his anger at others, only himself. Looking at him now, I couldn't help but think that this was why people said it was the nice ones who were the scariest when they got angry.
Considering the dwarf was trying to console him, something must have happened.
I'd have to ask him later when the dwarf wasn't around.
"Oh, well, business has been good lately, so—"
"No, not about that. I was surprised because you told me that I was taking up so much space that other customers couldn't come inside. And since I wasn't planning on buying anything, you kicked me out. Anyway, I'm glad business is good these days."
The dwarf flushed red like someone who'd been caught in the act, then laughed sheepishly. "Haha. I can't believe you saw me like that. That's rather embarrassing."
"I didn't say I blame you. There's nothing wrong with trying to make some more money. I just realized you'd changed quite a bit."
"True. You must find it pathetic that I left the party to chase after my dreams but ended up becoming a merchant."
Huh, that wasn't what I meant at all. Still, I was rather curious where he was going with this, so I let him continue.
"But you know what, Bjorn? I have another dream now. One that's bigger than holding a hammer and pounding iron through the night."
"Is your dream to make a lot of money?"
The dwarf smirked. "Something like that. After all, it takes a lot of money to sponsor an orphanage."
"What?" Wait a second. "...Are you actually?"
"I still lack the funds, so I haven't been able to do much. But just the other day, I was able to increase the number of orphanages I support to two."
Damn, that made me feel like a scumbag. I sighed inwardly, momentarily lost in thought.
"Bjorn, I plan to make a lot of money. No matter how pathetic it makes me seem. At this point in my life, I don't have much left to offer, but those kids are different. I'm doing this so those children can achieve their dreams in a way I never could. That's my new dream."
The dwarf seemed to stand a little taller today. Still, he looked quite embarrassed about having spilled his dream so openly. At a loss for words, I awkwardly sipped at my water.
Then, Rotmiller opened his mouth to tell us his story. "I'm not working right now."
In a way, that update was more shocking than the dwarf's. I couldn't believe that such a hardworking man like him was unemployed. "What about the teaching center? Weren't you using your scouting skills to teach other adventurers?"
"Unfortunately, I don't have what it takes to run a business."
So, in the end, the venture had failed. I wanted to offer him some words of consolation, but the dwarf abruptly jumped to his feet. "Hey, Rotmiller! The school failing wasn't your fault—"
"Stop. Just stop it, Murad. We're not here to talk about that."
"B-But still! Bjorn is Baron Yandel now! With one word, he can—!"
"Didn't I tell you to stop it?" Rotmiller's harsh tone reverberated through the house. His voice was so cold and resolute that the dwarf immediately swallowed whatever he was going to say next. I wasn't much better myself.
For him to speak like that...
I'd only seen Rotmiller angry once before. During Team Half-Wit's final quest, he'd been furious with himself when confronted with his limits as an adventurer. He was a good person who didn't direct his anger at others, only himself. Looking at him now, I couldn't help but think that this was why people said it was the nice ones who were the scariest when they got angry.
Considering the dwarf was trying to console him, something must have happened.
I'd have to ask him later when the dwarf wasn't around.
Anyway, the awkwardness quickly returned. I didn't want to waste any more time sitting here broodingly, so I got straight to the point. "Hikurod."
"Huh? Oh, uh, what is it?"
"I have a business proposal for you."
"A... business proposal?"
"Yeah." If he hadn't come to see me today, I'd been planning to see him soon anyway as I had an important matter to discuss with him.
"It's just you, yet for some reason, I feel kind of nervous... All right, lay it on me."
"I plan to increase the size of my clan going forward."
"What do you need me for, then?"
"I want your forge to be our clan's personal forge."
"Oh! That's something that only the big forges get offered!" The dwarf was extremely happy about the offer, just as I'd expected.
All right, now onto the next steps. "Okay, then let's draw up a contract."
"Hm? Contract? We don't need something like that between the two of us, though."
"When it comes to work, things like this need to be ironed out and set in stone."
"Hmm... That makes sense. But aren't you rushing things? Even after we draft a contract, it's still going to take some time for me to go over it."
"What's there to go over between friends? Let's just finalize things here and now. All you have to do is stamp the palm of your hand here. Just for formality's sake."
"Hmm... Okay, then."
After getting his approval, I quickly jotted down a contract. I then concentrated some of my Soul Power in the palm of my hand to stamp the paper alongside the dwarf.
"Done."
In short, I'd procured myself a partner in crime going forward. I wondered what kind of look he'd shoot me when I gave him the equipment from the Order of the Rose.
***
The day after the dwarf and Rotmiller's visit, I received my keepsakes back from Mr. Bear and Ainar.
It's kind of strange to call them keepsakes, though...
Whatever the case, I put on the equipment I hadn't worn in years.
[You have equipped a Large Adamantium Battle Shield. Your total Item Level has increased by +1750.]
[You have equipped a Lithinum Breastplate. Your total Item Level has increased by +270.]
First came a shield made of grade-five metal alongside my signature piece of armor. Whenever the latter broke, I made sure to get it repaired, and whenever it couldn't be repaired, I always went to purchase one of equal size and value.
[You have equipped Idium Gaiters. Your total Item Level has increased by +400.]
[You have equipped No. 8667: Outlaw of the Wilderness. Your total Item Level has increased by +315.]
[You have equipped No. 8820: Iron Wall. Your total Item Level has increased by +310.]
Next were the gaiters that had been useful in escaping Doppelganger Forest, a belt, boots that doubled your Physical and Mana Resistance for three seconds when used, and...
Why did Mr. Bear take these? I feel kind of weird about it.
Lastly came some special magic underpants that were imbued with Automatic Repair, Shape Change, Acid Immunity, and Cleaning Maintenance. The slang term for it here in Rafdonia was an egg guard—aka a jockstrap.
Anyway, the awkwardness quickly returned. I didn't want to waste any more time sitting here broodingly, so I got straight to the point. "Hikurod."
"Huh? Oh, uh, what is it?"
"I have a business proposal for you."
"A... business proposal?"
"Yeah." If he hadn't come to see me today, I'd been planning to see him soon anyway as I had an important matter to discuss with him.
"It's just you, yet for some reason, I feel kind of nervous... All right, lay it on me."
"I plan to increase the size of my clan going forward."
"What do you need me for, then?"
"I want your forge to be our clan's personal forge."
"Oh! That's something that only the big forges get offered!" The dwarf was extremely happy about the offer, just as I'd expected.
All right, now onto the next steps. "Okay, then let's draw up a contract."
"Hm? Contract? We don't need something like that between the two of us, though."
"When it comes to work, things like this need to be ironed out and set in stone."
"Hmm... That makes sense. But aren't you rushing things? Even after we draft a contract, it's still going to take some time for me to go over it."
"What's there to go over between friends? Let's just finalize things here and now. All you have to do is stamp the palm of your hand here. Just for formality's sake."
"Hmm... Okay, then."
After getting his approval, I quickly jotted down a contract. I then concentrated some of my Soul Power in the palm of my hand to stamp the paper alongside the dwarf.
"Done."
In short, I'd procured myself a partner in crime going forward. I wondered what kind of look he'd shoot me when I gave him the equipment from the Order of the Rose.
***
The day after the dwarf and Rotmiller's visit, I received my keepsakes back from Mr. Bear and Ainar.
It's kind of strange to call them keepsakes, though...
Whatever the case, I put on the equipment I hadn't worn in years.
[You have equipped a Large Adamantium Battle Shield. Your total Item Level has increased by +1750.]
[You have equipped a Lithinum Breastplate. Your total Item Level has increased by +270.]
First came a shield made of grade-five metal alongside my signature piece of armor. Whenever the latter broke, I made sure to get it repaired, and whenever it couldn't be repaired, I always went to purchase one of equal size and value.
[You have equipped Idium Gaiters. Your total Item Level has increased by +400.]
[You have equipped No. 8667: Outlaw of the Wilderness. Your total Item Level has increased by +315.]
[You have equipped No. 8820: Iron Wall. Your total Item Level has increased by +310.]
Next were the gaiters that had been useful in escaping Doppelganger Forest, a belt, boots that doubled your Physical and Mana Resistance for three seconds when used, and...
Why did Mr. Bear take these? I feel kind of weird about it.
Lastly came some special magic underpants that were imbued with Automatic Repair, Shape Change, Acid Immunity, and Cleaning Maintenance. The slang term for it here in Rafdonia was an egg guard—aka a jockstrap.
Actually, now that I have Union, I don't really need them, but...
They were relatively expensive, so even though I no longer had a need for them, I kept them anyway.
Raven also gave me back the Soul of the Dead I purchased and the Orb of Fire, so all that's left is the necklace from Missha...
That was a funny way of thinking about it. It wasn't like I was going around collecting wish-granting balls to summon a dragon or anything.
When I equipped my gear and looked in the mirror, I was glad I'd refused to take back the money they received from my will. The equipment they'd held onto was all in great condition. I would have been grateful purely for the fact that they didn't sell it, but they'd even repaired and cleaned the parts that had been damaged during my fight with the Storm Gush. Considering the base quality of the equipment, I was sure the repair costs were quite steep.
Missha only took the necklace...
I sighed. That was the most precious thing I owned.
All right. Let's see if there's anything else that needs fixing...
After checking over the condition of my equipment, I left the house. I'd taken off my helmet, but still, it had been a while since I'd walked through the city streets in full, battle-ready armor. Since there was no reason to fight in the city, I usually only wore the breastplate. Which meant that today, I was planning on fighting.
Stomp, stomp.
I finally reached the outskirts of District Seven hours after beginning my early-morning walk. The gate that connected to the other districts was sealed shut. The guard on the wall looked down at me like he was waiting for some sort of signal.
Hmph, can't he tell at first glance?
"Behel—aaaaaah!"
Thankfully, the doors that led to the holy land opened up without any need for identification.
Stomp, stomp.
I walked along the same forest path that I once trod with my fellow barbarians after the coming-of-age ceremony.
"Bjorn, son of Yandel! It's really Bjorn, son of Yandel!"
"The strongest warrior, the one they call the Giant!"
The barbarians I encountered along the way all dropped what they were doing and began to follow me. I could feel it in my bones like a true barbarian—something fun was about to happen.
"Waaaaaah!"
"Bjorn, son of Yandel, has returned!"
Eventually, the forest path opened up to the barbarian's village. By the time I arrived, without even lifting a finger, there were already hundreds of warriors following behind me.
"...So the rumors were true."
All the barbarians staying in the residential area had heard I was coming, and they ran over barefoot to get a look at me.
Stomp, stomp.
Step by step, I walked forward without stopping or saying a single word while the other barbarians made way for me, pounding on their chests.
Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!
If a human were watching right now, they would assume this was some sort of festival.
Whoo! Whoo!
As I followed the path they'd made for me, I eventually arrived at the hut of the chieftain. In front of the hut was Ainar, who was standing there waiting. I had heard she was training under him. So she really was spending all her time here.
We made eye contact, and I asked, "Is the chieftain inside?" She stepped aside, clearing the way into the hut. Was she telling me to head on in? Well, that was what I was planning on doing anyway.
Stomp, stomp.
When I entered, a massive barbarian was waiting for me. It was the chieftain. On the day I first woke up in this world, he was the one who brutally cut off the neck of Oreum, son of Kadua, after declaring him an evil spirit.
"You are late, Bjorn, son of Yandel." The chieftain stood before me, looking down at me with a large axe slung over his shoulder. "I thought you had forgotten your tribe while you were busy messing around with the palace."
He was extremely tall. Even though my body was back to normal, I still had to look up slightly to meet his gaze. "As if I would ever forget."
At my answer, a bright smile appeared on his face, like that single statement had erased any feelings of frustration he may have been carrying. "Then welcome home, young warrior!" he said, welcoming me with open arms. "Bjorn, son of Yandel!"
The moment he finished greeting me, he asked me a question. The question, however, was distinctly different from what everyone else in my life had asked upon reuniting with me. Where had I been the past two years and six months? Was the royal family's announcement about me being an evil spirit true? Was I caught up in some sort of political power struggle? He didn't bother asking such human questions.
Instead, he got straight to the point. "So, what brings you here today?"
"I came here to tell you something," I replied. This wasn't a normal thing to say after being gone for such a long time, but I, too, was a barbarian.
"What is it?" The chieftain didn't hesitate as he responded to me in the straightforward manner typical of our people.
"Let's unwind with a fight. With the position of tribal chieftain on the line."
His reply was swift and short. "Good."
The second he accepted my request, all the barbarians began to cry out.
"B-Behel—aaah!"
"Behel—aaaaah!"
"Behel—aaaaah—ghk!"
***
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 7
Physique: 1390.55
Spirit: 521.3
Special Ability: 2197.65
Item Level: 7980 (New +1695)
General Combat Power: 6104.5 (New +423.75)
Acquired Essences: Orc Hero - Rank 5 / Ogre - Rank 3 / Bayon - Rank 3 / Storm Gush - Rank 3 / Vol-Herchan - Rank 3 / Deep Sea Giant - Rank 3]
Actually, now that I have Union, I don't really need them, but...
They were relatively expensive, so even though I no longer had a need for them, I kept them anyway.
Raven also gave me back the Soul of the Dead I purchased and the Orb of Fire, so all that's left is the necklace from Missha...
That was a funny way of thinking about it. It wasn't like I was going around collecting wish-granting balls to summon a dragon or anything.
When I equipped my gear and looked in the mirror, I was glad I'd refused to take back the money they received from my will. The equipment they'd held onto was all in great condition. I would have been grateful purely for the fact that they didn't sell it, but they'd even repaired and cleaned the parts that had been damaged during my fight with the Storm Gush. Considering the base quality of the equipment, I was sure the repair costs were quite steep.
Missha only took the necklace...
I sighed. That was the most precious thing I owned.
All right. Let's see if there's anything else that needs fixing...
After checking over the condition of my equipment, I left the house. I'd taken off my helmet, but still, it had been a while since I'd walked through the city streets in full, battle-ready armor. Since there was no reason to fight in the city, I usually only wore the breastplate. Which meant that today, I was planning on fighting.
Stomp, stomp.
I finally reached the outskirts of District Seven hours after beginning my early-morning walk. The gate that connected to the other districts was sealed shut. The guard on the wall looked down at me like he was waiting for some sort of signal.
Hmph, can't he tell at first glance?
"Behel—aaaaaah!"
Thankfully, the doors that led to the holy land opened up without any need for identification.
Stomp, stomp.
I walked along the same forest path that I once trod with my fellow barbarians after the coming-of-age ceremony.
"Bjorn, son of Yandel! It's really Bjorn, son of Yandel!"
"The strongest warrior, the one they call the Giant!"
The barbarians I encountered along the way all dropped what they were doing and began to follow me. I could feel it in my bones like a true barbarian—something fun was about to happen.
"Waaaaaah!"
"Bjorn, son of Yandel, has returned!"
Eventually, the forest path opened up to the barbarian's village. By the time I arrived, without even lifting a finger, there were already hundreds of warriors following behind me.
"...So the rumors were true."
All the barbarians staying in the residential area had heard I was coming, and they ran over barefoot to get a look at me.
Stomp, stomp.
Step by step, I walked forward without stopping or saying a single word while the other barbarians made way for me, pounding on their chests.
Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!
If a human were watching right now, they would assume this was some sort of festival.
Whoo! Whoo!
As I followed the path they'd made for me, I eventually arrived at the hut of the chieftain. In front of the hut was Ainar, who was standing there waiting. I had heard she was training under him. So she really was spending all her time here.
We made eye contact, and I asked, "Is the chieftain inside?" She stepped aside, clearing the way into the hut. Was she telling me to head on in? Well, that was what I was planning on doing anyway.
Stomp, stomp.
When I entered, a massive barbarian was waiting for me. It was the chieftain. On the day I first woke up in this world, he was the one who brutally cut off the neck of Oreum, son of Kadua, after declaring him an evil spirit.
"You are late, Bjorn, son of Yandel." The chieftain stood before me, looking down at me with a large axe slung over his shoulder. "I thought you had forgotten your tribe while you were busy messing around with the palace."
He was extremely tall. Even though my body was back to normal, I still had to look up slightly to meet his gaze. "As if I would ever forget."
At my answer, a bright smile appeared on his face, like that single statement had erased any feelings of frustration he may have been carrying. "Then welcome home, young warrior!" he said, welcoming me with open arms. "Bjorn, son of Yandel!"
The moment he finished greeting me, he asked me a question. The question, however, was distinctly different from what everyone else in my life had asked upon reuniting with me. Where had I been the past two years and six months? Was the royal family's announcement about me being an evil spirit true? Was I caught up in some sort of political power struggle? He didn't bother asking such human questions.
Instead, he got straight to the point. "So, what brings you here today?"
"I came here to tell you something," I replied. This wasn't a normal thing to say after being gone for such a long time, but I, too, was a barbarian.
"What is it?" The chieftain didn't hesitate as he responded to me in the straightforward manner typical of our people.
"Let's unwind with a fight. With the position of tribal chieftain on the line."
His reply was swift and short. "Good."
The second he accepted my request, all the barbarians began to cry out.
"B-Behel—aaah!"
"Behel—aaaaah!"
"Behel—aaaaah—ghk!"
***
[Bjorn Yandel
Level: 7
Physique: 1390.55
Spirit: 521.3
Special Ability: 2197.65
Item Level: 7980 (New +1695)
General Combat Power: 6104.5 (New +423.75)
Acquired Essences: Orc Hero - Rank 5 / Ogre - Rank 3 / Bayon - Rank 3 / Storm Gush - Rank 3 / Vol-Herchan - Rank 3 / Deep Sea Giant - Rank 3]