Chapter 491: Chapter 491: Declaration of War (2) - Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 491: Declaration of War (2)

The Stone of Honor was a humongous monument located in the center of the capital of Karnon's Hero Square. The stone, said to have been created when the first Dimension Square was built, recorded the achievements of heroes who had come and gone over the course of Rafdonia's history.

The last achievement was, what, six hundred years ago...?

The feats weren't inscribed on the monument by hand, by the way. The story went that the monument had been crafted using a long-forgotten ancient spell with close ties to the labyrinth. When a feat worthy of being recorded was achieved within the labyrinth, that feat was engraved on the stone automatically.

...At least, that's according to the backstory given in the game.

I was baffled. In the game, I always thought the Stone of Honor was just a random decorative item there to help explain the setting of the world to the player. I played for ten years, and not once did it do anything.

I can't believe it actually works.

Upon arriving at the square with a troop of knights escorting me, I stared up at the monument blankly. People were crammed around the outskirts of the square to see me, and the knights on guard duty were clearly struggling to control the chaos. Since this was Karnon, most of the onlookers were nobles dressed in expensive clothing.

"Bjorn Yandel! It's Baron Bjorn Yandel...!"

"Wooooooh!"

I felt like a zoo animal in a cage. Still, I kept my quiet gaze locked on the stone, trying not to let my discomfort show as I read the achievement listed at the very top.

[...the Last Great Sage, Diplan Groundel Gabrielius, and his companions defeated all the monsters of the Crystal Cave and opened a hidden area of the labyrinth.]

According to the history books, this was the moment the four portals leading up to the second floor first appeared in the labyrinth. The next achievement was similar.

[The Valiant Beastman Warrior, Eamon Myulmarin, and his companions killed the Sea Dragons and discovered a new island.]

The first time an adventurer killed that particular boss monster, a previously nonexistent island suddenly came into view.

[The Great Navigator, Ordel Pikma, and his companions killed all the monsters in the Great Sea and opened a hidden area.]

The first person to completely clear the sixth floor heralded the creation of two new paths to explore, both leading to the seventh floor.

[The Human Adventurer, Ludel Limenin, and his companions reached the Abyss and awakened the spirits of the Lords.]

When someone successfully reached the tenth floor for the first time, the Lords of the Floor took residence in the labyrinth. Then, every time one of them was defeated, Rifts began to appear on their respective floors.

The Iron Hero, Juggernaut... I think he's said to be the first one to ever defeat a Lord of the Floor.

Anyway, none of that was particularly important right now. From a gamer's perspective, the stone was nothing more than a patch note. Essentially, whenever something in the labyrinth changed or got unlocked, a message praising the adventurer who achieved the feat was recorded. And now, one of the feats toward the bottom said my name.

[The Great Barbarian Warrior, Bjorn Yandel, and his companions defeated the Lord of Terror, Dreadfear, and opened a hidden area of the labyrinth.]

That meant that an entirely new area had been opened up because of me. Was that good or bad? Since I had no way of knowing, all I could do was stare up at the stone in a daze.

"Baron Yandel! Could you look over here?"

Without thinking, I turned my head when a man who appeared to be a civil servant called my name.

Click!

Suddenly, there was a bright flash from the recording crystal in the man's hands.

"Please smile! This will go down in the history books forever, after all!"

The history books... Yeah, I guess playing along wouldn't be so bad.

Since I had already been planning to build up my reputation and gather as much support as possible, things like this were a net positive.

Upon coming to that conclusion, I cast Giantization and flexed my arms with a roar of, "Behel—aaaaaah!"

Sure enough, there was another flash.

Click!

That should make the final cut, right?

***

[Your Reputation has risen by +10.]

[Your Reputation has risen...]

[Your Reputation has...]

***

Having my name engraved on the Stone of Honor turned out to be a bigger deal than I thought it'd be. The photographer, who I later learned was working directly under the royal family, made me do countless poses in front of the monument until he finally felt like he got the perfect shot.

"Natural lighting really does wonders for pictures and videos!"

After having my photo taken, I was called in for questioning. It wasn't anything like an interrogation, however—though if I weren't a noble, it absolutely would have been.

"Ah, I see... so you're saying you can't tell us."

"Experience and knowledge are valuable assets for adventurers. Why should I have to tell you for free?"

"...Y-You're right. According to the laws regarding the labyrinth, we can't force you. Yet could you please reconsider for the sake of the kingdom and future generations?"

"Maybe. But I don't seem to remember my fellow adventurers who accomplished similar feats answering all of your questions either."

"W-Well..."

"I'm hungry, so I'm leaving."

By the time I got out of there, it was evening, and the whole world looked different. When I first started to become famous, I was bestowed the nickname of Little Balkan, and when I made a significant contribution to the war against Noark, I was awarded the title of baron. In those instances, I also felt a lot like my entire world had changed overnight—but none of that compared to now.

"It's Bjorn Yandel...!"

All I was doing was walking down the street, but countless people called out to me. Some gave me a round of applause while others ran up to me, asking for handshakes or hugs. One child in the back of the crowd waved at me and begged me to say his name.

What is this...?

Sure, I'd had similar experiences in the past, but this was entirely different. I was in Karnon, the capital. All of the people who lived here were nobles or upper-class citizens. They had never taken much interest in me before but they were different now.

"Baron Yandel! Could you look over here?"

Without thinking, I turned my head when a man who appeared to be a civil servant called my name.

Click!

Suddenly, there was a bright flash from the recording crystal in the man's hands.

"Please smile! This will go down in the history books forever, after all!"

The history books... Yeah, I guess playing along wouldn't be so bad.

Since I had already been planning to build up my reputation and gather as much support as possible, things like this were a net positive.

Upon coming to that conclusion, I cast Giantization and flexed my arms with a roar of, "Behel—aaaaaah!"

Sure enough, there was another flash.

Click!

That should make the final cut, right?

***

[Your Reputation has risen by +10.]

[Your Reputation has risen...]

[Your Reputation has...]

***

Having my name engraved on the Stone of Honor turned out to be a bigger deal than I thought it'd be. The photographer, who I later learned was working directly under the royal family, made me do countless poses in front of the monument until he finally felt like he got the perfect shot.

"Natural lighting really does wonders for pictures and videos!"

After having my photo taken, I was called in for questioning. It wasn't anything like an interrogation, however—though if I weren't a noble, it absolutely would have been.

"Ah, I see... so you're saying you can't tell us."

"Experience and knowledge are valuable assets for adventurers. Why should I have to tell you for free?"

"...Y-You're right. According to the laws regarding the labyrinth, we can't force you. Yet could you please reconsider for the sake of the kingdom and future generations?"

"Maybe. But I don't seem to remember my fellow adventurers who accomplished similar feats answering all of your questions either."

"W-Well..."

"I'm hungry, so I'm leaving."

By the time I got out of there, it was evening, and the whole world looked different. When I first started to become famous, I was bestowed the nickname of Little Balkan, and when I made a significant contribution to the war against Noark, I was awarded the title of baron. In those instances, I also felt a lot like my entire world had changed overnight—but none of that compared to now.

"It's Bjorn Yandel...!"

All I was doing was walking down the street, but countless people called out to me. Some gave me a round of applause while others ran up to me, asking for handshakes or hugs. One child in the back of the crowd waved at me and begged me to say his name.

What is this...?

Sure, I'd had similar experiences in the past, but this was entirely different. I was in Karnon, the capital. All of the people who lived here were nobles or upper-class citizens. They had never taken much interest in me before but they were different now.

"The Giant! It's the Giant!"

"The Great Giant who will lead us into a new era...!"

"May you be the endless light Rafdonia needs!"

Even the aristocrats were praising me like excited fans. It did make some sense, in a way, why they were only acting like this now. Someone with heroic potential was completely different from an actual hero.

"I-I can't believe a hero like him was born in my lifetime."

The Great Sage, Gabrielius. The Abyss Seeker, Limenin. The Great Navigator, Pikma. The Iron Hero, Juggernaut. It was a point of pride to be in the company of such renowned names as those recorded on the Stone of Honor, and the people were ecstatic that within their lifetimes, they got to lay eyes on a hero who would be remembered and talked about for years to come. Even sharing the same space as me was enough to make them feel like they were a little part of history. Thus, I figured I should give them some fan service.

"Honey! The baron said our baby's name...!"

"This kid is going to grow up to be someone incredible! I'm sure of it!"

It was time to activate Pope Barbarian Mode.

I continued to work the crowd until I reached the carriage platform. I couldn't rest my eyes even in the carriage, however, because the people outside followed us, screaming my name. It took a long time to make it back home.

"Woooooh!"

By now, the news had spread throughout the empire. A massive crowd had gathered outside our house, an impromptu festival developing as they all celebrated. Thankfully, knights from Mozlan eventually came by that night to control the crowd and end the festivities.

I reclined on the sofa with a heavy sigh. "Phew... Finally some peace and quiet."

Erwen walked over to me from where she had been peeping out the window through the curtain. "I guess everyone's gone to bed now."

"This is nuts. If today was this bad, what is it going to be like tomorrow?"

"Things will calm down sooner than you think. Surprisingly, people... forget quickly."

"Like when everyone thought I was dead?"

"...Yes."

Erwen sat down across from me, and Auyen spawned to serve us tea like he had been lying in wait.

"Ah, thank you."

"Of course, Captain." Auyen's voice and the look in his eyes were different than usual. He had always been polite, but today, there was a strange level of respect in the way he addressed me. "It must be fate that I was lucky enough to have met you, Captain, and that you were willing to give me the chance to repent for my sins and stand behind you. Even though I can't offer much, I will continue to support you on your path as best I can."

Does this guy think he's a porter for a legendary warrior's party or something?

It was a little funny to see him sucking up like this, but I didn't bother bullying him about it.

He left with a, "Have a good night," and Versyl and Amelia entered the room together.

"I'm sorry," I told Versyl. "Thanks to me, you can't even go home and rest."

"No, I'm glad I didn't go back home. Given the situation, it would have been hard for me to make it back here tomorrow. I'm also a bit too tired to head all the way back anyway."

"I see..."

Honestly, none of this felt real. Everyone was calling me a hero, but did I really do anything worthy of being recorded on the Stone of Honor? We only stumbled upon the hidden event by accident, and it was pure luck that we succeeded in the first place. The Ice Rock expedition was several times harder than what we just went through, and many more people died there.

"The Giant! It's the Giant!"

"The Great Giant who will lead us into a new era...!"

"May you be the endless light Rafdonia needs!"

Even the aristocrats were praising me like excited fans. It did make some sense, in a way, why they were only acting like this now. Someone with heroic potential was completely different from an actual hero.

"I-I can't believe a hero like him was born in my lifetime."

The Great Sage, Gabrielius. The Abyss Seeker, Limenin. The Great Navigator, Pikma. The Iron Hero, Juggernaut. It was a point of pride to be in the company of such renowned names as those recorded on the Stone of Honor, and the people were ecstatic that within their lifetimes, they got to lay eyes on a hero who would be remembered and talked about for years to come. Even sharing the same space as me was enough to make them feel like they were a little part of history. Thus, I figured I should give them some fan service.

"Honey! The baron said our baby's name...!"

"This kid is going to grow up to be someone incredible! I'm sure of it!"

It was time to activate Pope Barbarian Mode.

I continued to work the crowd until I reached the carriage platform. I couldn't rest my eyes even in the carriage, however, because the people outside followed us, screaming my name. It took a long time to make it back home.

"Woooooh!"

By now, the news had spread throughout the empire. A massive crowd had gathered outside our house, an impromptu festival developing as they all celebrated. Thankfully, knights from Mozlan eventually came by that night to control the crowd and end the festivities.

I reclined on the sofa with a heavy sigh. "Phew... Finally some peace and quiet."

Erwen walked over to me from where she had been peeping out the window through the curtain. "I guess everyone's gone to bed now."

"This is nuts. If today was this bad, what is it going to be like tomorrow?"

"Things will calm down sooner than you think. Surprisingly, people... forget quickly."

"Like when everyone thought I was dead?"

"...Yes."

Erwen sat down across from me, and Auyen spawned to serve us tea like he had been lying in wait.

"Ah, thank you."

"Of course, Captain." Auyen's voice and the look in his eyes were different than usual. He had always been polite, but today, there was a strange level of respect in the way he addressed me. "It must be fate that I was lucky enough to have met you, Captain, and that you were willing to give me the chance to repent for my sins and stand behind you. Even though I can't offer much, I will continue to support you on your path as best I can."

Does this guy think he's a porter for a legendary warrior's party or something?

It was a little funny to see him sucking up like this, but I didn't bother bullying him about it.

He left with a, "Have a good night," and Versyl and Amelia entered the room together.

"I'm sorry," I told Versyl. "Thanks to me, you can't even go home and rest."

"No, I'm glad I didn't go back home. Given the situation, it would have been hard for me to make it back here tomorrow. I'm also a bit too tired to head all the way back anyway."

"I see..."

Honestly, none of this felt real. Everyone was calling me a hero, but did I really do anything worthy of being recorded on the Stone of Honor? We only stumbled upon the hidden event by accident, and it was pure luck that we succeeded in the first place. The Ice Rock expedition was several times harder than what we just went through, and many more people died there.

In terms of difficulty, that was way harder...

I shook the thought away. "Anyway, did you get some rest?"

"No... I couldn't sleep. But don't worry about me. We were only there for seven days, and they were all pretty easy aside from that last day."

Well, that's true. I usually pass out from exhaustion after returning from the labyrinth too, but I'm relatively fine right now.

Ainar was the only one of us who was sleeping soundly.

"So, I examined it once more in my spare time..." Versyl took out No. 12: Trust, and placed it on the table. I had given her the item before following the knights to Karnon for my questioning. "First of all, it seems to be the type of item that binds itself to people's souls."

"Binds to the soul?"

"Yes, but strangely enough, it seems to be bound to multiple people. It seems that you, Ms. Fenelin, Ms. Tersia, and I can all use it." To demonstrate, Versyl put the bracelet on Amelia's wrist. It didn't adjust to fit her and instead slid right off.

"You mean only those who went through the test can use it."

"Yes. That's very likely to be the case."

"Hm..."

As I mulled this over, Versyl cautiously spoke up. "But... only one of us can use it at a time. So who do you think should wear it?"

Trust was an extremely versatile item—so versatile, in fact, that it could be effectively wielded by tanks, DPSers, wizards, and priests alike. That was because it had three main effects and thus three ways to use it.

One, you are immune to damage dealt by allies you're Bound to.

When a tank used the item, their teammates could bombard the frontlines with AoE attacks without worrying about them getting a single scratch. In other words, the biggest problem tanks faced was solved and more diverse tactics became available to the party.

Two, the damage you deal increases relative to the number of allies you're Bound to.

When DPSers used the item, their damage increased dramatically.

Three, it doubles all beneficial effects applied to allies you're Bound to.

When worn by a priest or support-type adventurer, their buffs, heals, and other helpful effects doubled in strength.

We can exclude the third use for our team, since it doesn't apply...

In the end, there were only two options: give it to Erwen to take her damage output to an entirely new level, or keep it myself to increase the stability and durability of our party.

Then again, there's no reason to overthink this.

In true barbarian fashion, when there were two types of food on the table, you just had to use both hands to eat all of it. As such, it didn't take long for me to reach my verdict. I would wear it for the majority of the time, but when we needed more firepower, I'd have Erwen use it. "I'll wear it for now and give it to either you, Erwen, or Ainar when necessary."

Everyone nodded, seemingly satisfied with my decision. However, I noticed Amelia looked a little disheartened. It was an extremely minute shift, but I immediately caught it since Amelia normally didn't have any expression on her face at all.

"Now that that's settled, all of you should rest up. We can talk more tomorrow. Oh, but stay for a bit, Emily. I have something to talk to you about."

Versyl and Erwen left the room without argument after noticing the strange look on Amelia's face as well. Now it was just the two of us. After standing for the entirety of our previous conversation, Amelia came over to the sofa to sit down. "...If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have left you guys to interrogate them."

I couldn't blame her for feeling upset. She wasn't able to share in the spoils or have her name written down as my "companion" on the Stone of Honor. Still, I tried to console her with logic rather than comforting platitudes. "Try to see this as a positive. If your name was written down on the stone, things would have gotten tricky for us."

When I went to see the monument today, I noticed that my party members' names were listed underneath the word "companions" in very fine text. Simply put, if Amelia had gone through the test with us, her real name, Amelia Rainwales, would have been exposed to the public.

"I... I know that."

"You do?"

"It's just... I feel a bit bitter."

"...Huh?"

When I tilted my head, Amelia raised her eyes to meet mine. "Because that means I can never stand by your side as my real self."

"Oh..."

Um...

Unable to come up with anything to say in response to that, all I could do was awkwardly fumble for the right words. Amelia then smoothly changed the subject, her strange mood apparently behind her. "Anyway, there's some information you need to know."

"Is this about that thing you mentioned you would tell me later?"

"Yes."

I had told her to stay behind specifically so I could ask about this, but the grim look on her face was making me anxious all over again. "What is it?"

"There's something wrong with my memory."

"...What?" At first, I honestly thought she might be telling an out-of-character joke, but as she went on, it became more and more apparent how grave the situation was.

"There was a moment during the interrogation where I remember being in a daze, and when I came to my senses, the recording crystal was destroyed. I'm certain that I never lost consciousness or did anything to it, though."

"I see."

"I've compared how much time passed to how much I could remember, and there was a slight discrepancy." A discrepancy of about ten minutes, she went on to say. In other words, she only remembered interrogating them for thirty-five minutes, but forty-five minutes in total had elapsed by the time she realized something had happened.

"What are the chances that you're wrong about this?"

"Zero." If she was ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that confident in her answer, then something had to have happened. "Thinking back on it, there's even something strange about how I remember acting. Normally, I would have interrogated our captives thoroughly. But from what I can remember, I interrogated them casually and didn't dig for any major pieces of information."

I stayed quiet.

"That's why I came up with the hypothesis that someone used magic on me. Someone must have manipulated my memory and implanted false information."

"And is that what happened?"

"I still don't know. I had Ms. Gowland examine me, but she said she couldn't find any evidence that someone had cast a spell on me."

Memory manipulation... Who on earth could be the culprit? Was there a wizard of that caliber working under Count Alminus? Or was it a third party?

I was deep in thought when Amelia offered up a final piece of information. "And one last thing: when I came to my senses and looked around, the weapons were all wiped clean."

"...The weapons?"

"Yes, even the sword that stabbed you. It looked like someone had wiped it off with something."

That was suspicious. What the hell happened? I was relieved that Amelia was safe, of course, but now there were even more things to worry about.

"Those guys... they said they took a request from the black market, right? That's why they didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠know who the client was." I should start there. The black market was famous for its iron-clad security and the disturbing rumors that no one who stepped foot inside without permission survived. At the end of the day, however, a den of thieves was still just a kind of house. "I should pay them a visit."

In other words, if I started wrecking the place, someone was sure to have something to say about it.

In terms of difficulty, that was way harder...

I shook the thought away. "Anyway, did you get some rest?"

"No... I couldn't sleep. But don't worry about me. We were only there for seven days, and they were all pretty easy aside from that last day."

Well, that's true. I usually pass out from exhaustion after returning from the labyrinth too, but I'm relatively fine right now.

Ainar was the only one of us who was sleeping soundly.

"So, I examined it once more in my spare time..." Versyl took out No. 12: Trust, and placed it on the table. I had given her the item before following the knights to Karnon for my questioning. "First of all, it seems to be the type of item that binds itself to people's souls."

"Binds to the soul?"

"Yes, but strangely enough, it seems to be bound to multiple people. It seems that you, Ms. Fenelin, Ms. Tersia, and I can all use it." To demonstrate, Versyl put the bracelet on Amelia's wrist. It didn't adjust to fit ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her and instead slid right off.