Chapter 7: Give and Take (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7: Give and Take (3)
I began snoring. I envisioned what it must sound like to be a snoring barbarian who had fallen asleep after a tiring day.
Honk! Honk!
...Mm, is this overdoing it a little?
I was a little worried that was the case, but I heard a laugh.
"...Truly a curious people."
I think it worked.
I guess my appearance was better than my acting skills in this case. The common perception was that barbarians were simple-minded and ignorant. That was why I acted like a barbarian all the time, even in situations that had nothing to do with evil spirits. Essentially, I was hiding a dagger behind a smile.
Using the preconceived notion that barbarians were naive as a weapon to see through people's true intentions...
...sounded a bit too teen-angsty.
To summarize, it was easier to lure someone out this way. Just like this.
Honk! Honk!
Scratching my stomach to make for a realistic performance, I curled up on my side. Even so, I continued to listen and focus all my attention on the man's movements. Since I was exposing so many of my weak spots, he would act soon if he had an ulterior motive. If not, I could just sleep.
To be honest, however, I didn't know if I would be able to sleep in this situation.
"Bjorn, it's time to switch."
Ah, mm... I really didn't expect that I wouldn't be able to sleep at all, though.
"Don't lower your guard too much just because there have been no goblins up until now. They are cunning creatures."
The man apparently didn't trust me because he tiptoed around, essentially telling me not to slack off. And in less than five minutes, he fell asleep again.
Disappointment crept in.
I should've just slept, too. What the hell have I been doing for two hours? God damn it.
Was it because a person I had just met had been beside me? Even though I had decided halfway through that he was trustworthy, I still couldn't fall asleep.
If I had known this would happen, I would have just fended off the goblins myself and gotten some sleep on my own. That way, I could have slept even just a little bit.
"Phew..."
I was so tired I could die. And I felt even sleepier because the guy next to me was asleep.
Since it was still my turn to take the watch, I kept my mind on other thoughts in an attempt to fight off sleep when someone suddenly called out to me.
"Bjorn, get up."
"I wasn't asleep."
"How about wiping the saliva from your mouth before you say that?"
When I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, it really was wet.
"Since you slept standing up, you didn't even snore."
It seemed I really had fallen asleep, even if it was just for a short while during the last ten minutes of my shift...
My heart dropped. However, there was something I had to do before berating myself for letting my guard down.
"I'm sorry," I said sincerely.
I wasn't pretending to be a barbarian this time—I was being serious. Night companions were a kind of quid pro quo relationship. Even though the man had provided a safe environment for me during his watch, I hadn't done the same. I had to apologize if I didn't want to become the kind of person I despised.
"Fortunately, we didn't have any problems while you were sleeping, so I'll wipe the slate."
"Thank you. You can sleep more if you want. I can be on watch again."
"No. That won't do. It's your turn, so go to sleep. And give me the watch."
He could have turned the blame on me, but he instead forgave me with a friendly smile.
So without further ado, I went over to my seat and curled into a ball. Again, sleep did not come. All adventurers, including that guy, were truly amazing. To entrust your life to someone you just met for the first time every day?
That took incredible guts. No matter how hard I thought about it, something like that was beyond my ability. For that reason, I started snoring just like before.
Honk! Honk!
I couldn't help it.
I'm sorry, sir, but for some reason, you seem even more suspicious now.
Honk! Honk!
The fact that he had the kind face of a con man.
The fact that he had been the one to suggest not looking for a third companion.
The fact that he hadn't called me out for smelling bad.
All of that was fine.
But just now, he didn't blame me for falling asleep. He even refused the offer of being able to sleep again.
Of course, maybe I was just a bastard, and this guy was, in fact, just a kind person. But in my mind, nice guys like this were the most suspicious ones of all.
It's always guys like these who stab me in the back.
If I had been the old me, now would have been the moment when I let my guard down. But I wouldn't make the same mistake. This was a matter of common sense.
Honk! Honk!
If he really seemed that suspicious, wouldn't it have been better to just give up on this and say goodbye?
Even as I was wondering that, however, I continued to snore.
How much time has passed?
Click.
I heard a faint, but strange sound. A backpack buckle? A belt? Or perhaps the heel of a shoe?
I couldn't get a sense of what had caused the sound.
However, at the same time I noticed, my barbarian body came to its own conclusion.
Danger.
Was this the physical sensation of murderous intent they talked about in martial arts books?
Goosebumps erupted on my skin. Immediately, I opened my eyes and looked around.
"You're up."
The old guy was smiling as kindly as ever... while holding a two-handed sledgehammer covered in goblin blood and flesh over his head.
What the f—
Run! The reaction time of this warrior-trained body was faster than mine. My body was already rolling sideways before my brain could give the command.
Booom!
Hearing the sound of something smashing right in front of my nose, I used the recoil to quickly rise and get back on my feet.
"Ugh!"
The man, whose surprise attack had failed, had a bewildered expression on his face. Rather than asking why, I dashed forward.
"Fortunately, we didn't have any problems while you were sleeping, so I'll wipe the slate."
"Thank you. You can sleep more if you want. I can be on watch again."
"No. That won't do. It's your turn, so go to sleep. And give me the watch."
He could have turned the blame on me, but he instead forgave me with a friendly smile.
So without further ado, I went over to my seat and curled into a ball. Again, sleep did not come. All adventurers, including that guy, were truly amazing. To entrust your life to someone you just met for the first time every day?
That took incredible guts. No matter how hard I thought about it, something like that was beyond my ability. For that reason, I started snoring just like before.
Honk! Honk!
I couldn't help it.
I'm sorry, sir, but for some reason, you seem even more suspicious now.
Honk! Honk!
The fact that he had the kind face of a con man.
The fact that he had been the one to suggest not looking for a third companion.
The fact that he hadn't called me out for smelling bad.
All of that was fine.
But just now, he didn't blame me for falling asleep. He even refused the offer of being able to sleep again.
Of course, maybe I was just a bastard, and this guy was, in fact, just a kind person. But in my mind, nice guys like this were the most suspicious ones of all.
It's always guys like these who stab me in the back.
If I had been the old me, now would have been the moment when I let my guard down. But I wouldn't make the same mistake. This was a matter of common sense.
Honk! Honk!
If he really seemed that suspicious, wouldn't it have been better to just give up on this and say goodbye?
Even as I was wondering that, however, I continued to snore.
How much time has passed?
Click.
I heard a faint, but strange sound. A backpack buckle? A belt? Or perhaps the heel of a shoe?
I couldn't get a sense of what had caused the sound.
However, at the same time I noticed, my barbarian body came to its own conclusion.
Danger.
Was this the physical sensation of murderous intent they talked about in martial arts books?
Goosebumps erupted on my skin. Immediately, I opened my eyes and looked around.
"You're up."
The old guy was smiling as kindly as ever... while holding a two-handed sledgehammer covered in goblin blood and flesh over his head.
What the f—
Run! The reaction time of this warrior-trained body was faster than mine. My body was already rolling sideways before my brain could give the command.
Booom!
Hearing the sound of something smashing right in front of my nose, I used the recoil to quickly rise and get back on my feet.
"Ugh!"
The man, whose surprise attack had failed, had a bewildered expression on his face. Rather than asking why, I dashed forward.
"W-Wait!"
Was he trying to make an excuse or something? Say that he didn't mean to do it? That he was just trying to warm up? If that was the case, that was kind of—no, extremely funny.
Fuck, how stupid do they think barbarians are here?
Crack!
The shield smashed right into the man's chin. However, a strong human was different from a goblin. The man staggered but did not fall over.
Then, I struck him again.
Crack!
[Smash.]
"Ahhh!"
The hammer in the man's hand fell to the ground with a thud. His nose was already red and dripping with blood.
Oh, that's gonna hurt.
But I wasn't going to lower my guard, because I wanted to be the guy who didn't know what that pain felt like.
So, once again—
"S-Stop! I can explain...!"
"Smash."
I slammed the man in the face with the shield again and again until he fell to his knees. If this were a game, he would be incapable of combat. In other words, it was now possible to have a conversation.
"Mister."
"I-I was wrong! Please!"
Had he decided to ask for forgiveness? It was a quick decision, but not a very wise one. That was not the conversation I wanted to have.
"Why did you do it?"
"I-I wanted your mana stones... I was just going to knock you unconscious and steal them. Please trust me!"
Trust? Trust, my ass. If I had that kind of love for humanity, I would have had at least a few more friends.
As I slowly raised the shield, the guy quickly added to his excuse.
"The shield! I was going to take that shield too!"
This was without a doubt the reason why I didn't trust other people. Everyone lied far too easily, even when they weren't good at it.
"Why the shield?"
"...Because barbarian weapons are of good quality. I was going to sell it once I returned to the city."
Certainly, the weapons that the barbarians received during the tutorial were usually valuable. This was because the amount of iron in them was significantly higher than the amount found in generic weapons. My current shield was made entirely of iron.
But even so, killing someone just to get this? Well, when I think about it, it's not that hard to wrap my head around. But...
"Bullshit."
This man was still hiding something.
"Be honest. Why did you do it?"
Just like when dealing with a fallen goblin, I stomped on the man's upper body and crushed it under my foot.
"Ahh!"
Fear was deeply engraved in the man's eyes. Surprisingly, it provoked no emotion in me. Was it because this bastard had tried to kill me?
I could kind of understand now why they said not to look into the eyes when butchering a cow, though... However, I found I could ignore the feeling.
Just as I was considering ending the conversation, the man shouted, "H-Heart!"
"Heart?"
That's an unexpected word.
When I gave him a questioning look, the man continued with a resigned expression on his face.
"...Barbarian hearts are selling for a high price."
"Why?"
"I-I don't know for sure, but they say they're used as an ingredient in a newly developed spell!"
"I see."
Now I understood the motive. I was a goblin to this man: a creature that was difficult to catch, but once caught, came with a great reward.
"Why did you act now instead of when I first fell asleep?"
"...I had to sleep too."
Oh, I see. He wanted to earn money and also sleep while he was at it. I had thought it was because the man was very cautious, but he was just an efficient freak.
"I've told you everything, so please forgive me..."
"Forgive?"
To be honest, I couldn't help but laugh.
Forgiveness? Is that something a guy who tried to tear out someone's heart and steal their gear should ask for?
Had my own reaction been a little late, I wouldn't have even gotten a chance to beg him for my life.
"Please..."
I'm sure he wants to live. How could he have known this would happen? That attitude is commendable. However—
"Mister, it is only right to pay the price."
I hated bastards who did whatever they pleased and avoided facing the consequences. Which meant...
"I-I will give you everything I have! Even if it's not much right now, if I just return to the city..."
He could not be trusted.
In that respect, I didn't even know how this guy was different from a goblin. Although you couldn't befriend a goblin even if you wanted to, this guy had a choice. That was the only difference, and that made him much worse than a goblin.
Of course, this was just an emotional opinion, and I did not make choices based on emotions. It couldn't always work out that way, of course, but I at least tried not to.
"I will probably meet countless people like you in the future. And they'll say the same thing. Should I forgive them every time?"
Forgiveness was a very scary word. A decision made with good intentions often came back as a dagger and stabbed you in the back. I knew that better than anyone.
So this time I had no choice. A mistake in this primordial world wouldn't just hurt my heart, but would even threaten my life.
"I'm sorry, mister. I've been stabbed in the back too many times for that."
"N-No! I wouldn't! I am different!"
Come to think of it, a goblin once said something like that to me. Or, rather, that's what I interpreted from the look in its eyes. And what did I do then?
Grip.
I raised the shield high with both hands. However, unlike back then, I paused.
Of course, the moment of hesitation did not last long. I felt an unknown force pulling my arm and—
"Oh no—!"
I brought the shield down with all my strength.
Crunch.
A heavy silence fell after the crack of breaking bones.
[Achievement]
[Condition: Commit your first murder.]
[Reward: Permanently increases your Spirit stat by 1.]
I did not look away from what I had done and accepted it for what it was.
About a day had passed since I had entered the world of the game. And I had killed a human being.
From the dead man, I retrieved a large hammer, shoulder guards, leather boots, a compass, a knife, a pocket watch, a water bottle, a backpack, a blanket, herbs and bandages, a potion, six days' worth of food and snacks, and thirty-two tier nine mana stones.
"W-Wait!"
Was he trying to make an excuse or something? Say that he didn't mean to do it? That he was just trying to warm up? If that was the case, that was kind of—no, extremely funny.
Fuck, how stupid do they think barbarians are here?
Crack!
The shield smashed right into the man's chin. However, a strong human was different from a goblin. The man staggered but did not fall over.
Then, I struck him again.
Crack!
[Smash.]
"Ahhh!"
The hammer in the man's hand fell to the ground with a thud. His nose was already red and dripping with blood.
Oh, that's gonna hurt.
But I wasn't going to lower my guard, because I wanted to be the guy who didn't know what that pain felt like.
So, once again—
"S-Stop! I can explain...!"
"Smash."
I slammed the man in the face with the shield again and again until he fell to his knees. If this were a game, he would be incapable of combat. In other words, it was now possible to have a conversation.
"Mister."
"I-I was wrong! Please!"
Had he decided to ask for forgiveness? It was a quick decision, but not a very wise one. That was not the conversation I wanted to have.
"Why did you do it?"
"I-I wanted your mana stones... I was just going to knock you unconscious and steal them. Please trust me!"
Trust? Trust, my ass. If I had that kind of love for humanity, I would have had at least a few more friends.
As I slowly raised the shield, the guy quickly added to his excuse.
"The shield! I was going to take that shield too!"
This was without a doubt the reason why I didn't trust other people. Everyone lied far too easily, even when they weren't good at it.
"Why the shield?"
"...Because barbarian weapons are of good quality. I was going to sell it once I returned to the city."
Certainly, the weapons that the barbarians received during the tutorial were usually valuable. This was because the amount of iron in them was significantly higher than the amount found in generic weapons. My current shield was made entirely of iron.
But even so, killing someone just to get this? Well, when I think about it, it's not that hard to wrap my head around. But...
"Bullshit."
This man was still hiding something.
"Be honest. Why did you do it?"
Just like when dealing with a fallen goblin, I stomped on the man's upper body and crushed it under my foot.
"Ahh!"
Fear was deeply engraved in the man's eyes. Surprisingly, it provoked no emotion in me. Was it because this bastard had tried to kill me?
I could kind of understand now why they said not to look into the eyes when butchering a cow, though... However, I found I could ignore the feeling.
Just as I was considering ending the conversation, the man shouted, "H-Heart!"
"Heart?"
That's an unexpected word.
When I gave him a questioning look, the man continued with a resigned expression on his face.
"...Barbarian hearts are selling for a high price."
"Why?"
"I-I don't know for sure, but they say they're used as an ingredient in a newly developed spell!"
"I see."
Now I understood the motive. I was a goblin to this man: a creature that was difficult to catch, but once caught, came with a great reward.
"Why did you act now instead of when I first fell asleep?"
"...I had to sleep too."
Oh, I see. He wanted to earn money and also sleep while he was at it. I had thought it was because the man was very cautious, but he was just an efficient freak.
"I've told you everything, so please forgive me..."
"Forgive?"
To be honest, I couldn't help but laugh.
Forgiveness? Is that something a guy who tried to tear out someone's heart and steal their gear should ask for?
Had my own reaction been a little late, I wouldn't have even gotten a chance to beg him for my life.
"Please..."
I'm sure he wants to live. How could he have known this would happen? That attitude is commendable. However—
"Mister, it is only right to pay the price."
I hated bastards who did whatever they pleased and avoided facing the consequences. Which meant...
"I-I will give you everything I have! Even if it's not much right now, if I just return to the city..."
He could not be trusted.
In that respect, I didn't even know how this guy was different from a goblin. Although you couldn't befriend a goblin even if you wanted to, this guy had a choice. That was the only difference, and that made him much worse than a goblin.
Of course, this was just an emotional opinion, and I did not make choices based on emotions. It couldn't always work out that way, of course, but I at least tried not to.
"I will probably meet countless people like you in the future. And they'll say the same thing. Should I forgive them every time?"
Forgiveness was a very scary word. A decision made with good intentions often came back as a dagger and stabbed you in the back. I knew that better than anyone.
So this time I had no choice. A mistake in this primordial world wouldn't just hurt my heart, but would even threaten my life.
"I'm sorry, mister. I've been stabbed in the back too many times for that."
"N-No! I wouldn't! I am different!"
Come to think of it, a goblin once said something like that to me. Or, rather, that's what I interpreted from the look in its eyes. And what did I do then?
Grip.
I raised the shield high with both hands. However, unlike back then, I paused.
Of course, the moment of hesitation did not last long. I felt an unknown force pulling my arm and—
"Oh no—!"
I brought the shield down with all my strength.
Crunch.
A heavy silence fell after the crack of breaking bones.
[Achievement]
[Condition: Commit your first murder.]
[Reward: Permanently increases your Spirit stat by 1.]
I did not look away from what I had done and accepted it for what it was.
About a day had passed since I had entered the world of the game. And I had killed a human being.
From the dead man, I retrieved a large hammer, shoulder guards, leather boots, a compass, a knife, a pocket watch, a water bottle, a backpack, a blanket, herbs and bandages, a potion, six days' worth of food and snacks, and thirty-two tier nine mana stones.