Chapter 95: Barbarian Trophy (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 95: Barbarian Trophy (2)
I tore through meat and drank alcohol. My dirtied hands were roughly wiped off on the tablecloth. My reason for going this far was simple.
Regardless of what Baron Martoin wants, this will be beneficial for me too.
I was currently in the count's banquet hall. Since this was a gathering of many people, it was best to behave like a barbarian. The more barbaric rumors accumulated, the more they would shield me when someone suspected that I was an evil spirit someday.
"Excuse me, can I touch your arm?"
"Do as you like."
"Kyaaa! I really touched it!"
As I was enjoying the banquet, possessed by the spirit of a barbarian, curious nobles approached and started talking to me. It felt like working part-time as a mascot.
"Hey, can you scream one more time like before?"
"Behelahhh!"
"Hahaha, how superb!"
As I was demonstrating some professionalism befitting someone who'd been commissioned by the baron, more and more people gathered. There were also knights among them, a total of three, and all three had annoyed looks on their faces. It seemed they were jealous that everyone was paying attention to me and treating me favorably.
"They should call you little clown, not Little Balkan."
"I heard he got his name in the first place because he's small down there."
"To go around farting like that... it seems that the pride of a warrior is a thing of the past."
I pretended not to hear. Not only did they sound like apprentice knights who were only as strong as third-floor adventurers, but there was also nothing to be gained from causing a ruckus.
"Hahaha, have you been here this whole time?" As I was filling my stomach and appeasing the nobles, Baron Martoin returned. He looked around and smiled like he was really happy. "Sorry to break this up. I have someone I'd like to introduce him to, so I must take him away."
"Oh...!"
The place the baron led me to was the banquet hall inside the mansion. The atmosphere was different from the outdoor space I had been in until just now. There, the band was playing merry tunes and young men and women were dancing in the gardens, but here?
Is this a meeting of real nobles?
The room was filled with quiet, soothing music. Those sitting at the tables and chatting looked elegant and gave off a dignified air.
"Come here."
As I followed the baron, I studied my surroundings. About two hundred people were enjoying the banquet in the indoor hall. Most of them were direct blood relatives of the royal family, such as the young son of Baron Martoin, or had higher social status such as bank presidents or guild branch managers.
"Among the people I'm going to introduce you to from now on, there are many with a higher rank than me, so I'd like you to refrain from being rude as much as possible."
Afterward, I followed the baron around to meet the titled nobles.
"Baron Martoin! Long time no—who is your friend?"
"Perhaps you have heard of him, Viscount. He is the Little Balkan, a famous figure among the adventurers these days."
"Aha, is this him? I've heard that name before. But how come he is here with you?"
Instead of answering the viscount's question, the baron looked at me and winked. That meant it was time for me to hurry up and spit out the line I'd practiced. "When I was in trouble, the baron helped me. In return, I decided to protect him for the time being."
"Hahaha! I envy you for getting to hear those words from such a strong-looking barbarian!"
"It's nothing. I've said many times that it's not necessary, but..." The baron trailed off and gave me another look.
"...A warrior never forgets a favor."
"Ha! A true and honorable conviction. Did you say Bjorn, son of Yandel? I will remember your name."
This kind of conversation unfolded twelve more times. There were only thirteen titled nobles in attendance, excluding the count who was hosting the banquet. Well, a titled aristocrat with even the slightest fief in this city had been a rarity in the game.
It turns out that I've become acquainted with the nobles now.
Originally, participating in such a banquet would only have been possible if my reputation level had been considerably higher, so I decided to be as careful as possible. I was not qualified to participate in this event, which also meant that I did not have the power to protect myself if I earned their disfavor.
"So, now that the greetings are over, you can take a break next to me until the count arrives."
After finishing our rounds, I stood quietly by the baron and faithfully served as a trophy.
"...Tsk." Was it because the baron was by my side, or because the warning from earlier worked? I wasn't sure, but the steward clicked his tongue and looked away whenever I met his eye and didn't bother to nag me like before. Was this the life of a barbarian?
I should have done that way earlier.
Anyhow, things were rather cushy after that. Baron Martoin, a titled aristocrat, never got up first. Even if he stayed put, there were a lot of people who came up to him in order to introduce themselves, and I just had to entertain them whenever the baron wanted.
"Ooh!"
"As expected, the name of Little Balkan is not just for show, Baron!"
I did things like bending a prepared steel bar with my bare hands and arm wrestling. A good chunk of time passed by like that.
Then I saw a familiar face approaching through the crowd. "May the blessing of the twilight star be with you. Nice to meet you, Baron Martoin, and..."
"Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"Haha, my apologies, Sir Yandel, I am not great with names." When I revealed my name, the paladin in white armor smiled kindly. He was the same man I'd met the other day after completing the commission in the sewer. Late at night, I'd brought Elisa Behenk's body to him and was briefly acquainted with him. His name was...
"Do you know Captain Krovitz?"
Paal Krovitz. That was his name.
...Captain? This kid?
When I looked at the baron, surprised, the man scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed. "I'm unworthy, but I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to serve as the captain of the Third Paladins."
"I see..."
I was extremely shaken up. It hadn't even occurred to me as a possibility because he had come so late at night for a chore like picking up a dead body, but the captain of the paladins? Didn't that mean that he was a monster with more power than an eighth-floor adventurer?
Instead of answering the viscount's question, the baron looked at me and winked. That meant it was time for me to hurry up and spit out the line I'd practiced. "When I was in trouble, the baron helped me. In return, I decided to protect him for the time being."
"Hahaha! I envy you for getting to hear those words from such a strong-looking barbarian!"
"It's nothing. I've said many times that it's not necessary, but..." The baron trailed off and gave me another look.
"...A warrior never forgets a favor."
"Ha! A true and honorable conviction. Did you say Bjorn, son of Yandel? I will remember your name."
This kind of conversation unfolded twelve more times. There were only thirteen titled nobles in attendance, excluding the count who was hosting the banquet. Well, a titled aristocrat with even the slightest fief in this city had been a rarity in the game.
It turns out that I've become acquainted with the nobles now.
Originally, participating in such a banquet would only have been possible if my reputation level had been considerably higher, so I decided to be as careful as possible. I was not qualified to participate in this event, which also meant that I did not have the power to protect myself if I earned their disfavor.
"So, now that the greetings are over, you can take a break next to me until the count arrives."
After finishing our rounds, I stood quietly by the baron and faithfully served as a trophy.
"...Tsk." Was it because the baron was by my side, or because the warning from earlier worked? I wasn't sure, but the steward clicked his tongue and looked away whenever I met his eye and didn't bother to nag me like before. Was this the life of a barbarian?
I should have done that way earlier.
Anyhow, things were rather cushy after that. Baron Martoin, a titled aristocrat, never got up first. Even if he stayed put, there were a lot of people who came up to him in order to introduce themselves, and I just had to entertain them whenever the baron wanted.
"Ooh!"
"As expected, the name of Little Balkan is not just for show, Baron!"
I did things like bending a prepared steel bar with my bare hands and arm wrestling. A good chunk of time passed by like that.
Then I saw a familiar face approaching through the crowd. "May the blessing of the twilight star be with you. Nice to meet you, Baron Martoin, and..."
"Bjorn, son of Yandel."
"Haha, my apologies, Sir Yandel, I am not great with names." When I revealed my name, the paladin in white armor smiled kindly. He was the same man I'd met the other day after completing the commission in the sewer. Late at night, I'd brought Elisa Behenk's body to him and was briefly acquainted with him. His name was...
"Do you know Captain Krovitz?"
Paal Krovitz. That was his name.
...Captain? This kid?
When I looked at the baron, surprised, the man scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed. "I'm unworthy, but I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to serve as the captain of the Third Paladins."
"I see..."
I was extremely shaken up. It hadn't even occurred to me as a possibility because he had come so late at night for a chore like picking up a dead body, but the captain of the paladins? Didn't that mean that he was a monster with more power than an eighth-floor adventurer?
"If you need a place to rest, please come visit our temple. As I said last time, the temple will never forget your achievements, Sir Yandel."
Hmm, at the time, I had thought those were empty words. But since the man in charge was the one saying this, I'd have to visit someday. You never knew; even if it was impossible now, if I built a little more of a bond, he might even suggest a priest for the team.
In the middle of the conversation, the baron interjected in a coy tone. "Hmm, achievements? Captain Krovitz, what do you mean by that?" His eyes were full of curiosity. True, he probably had a hard time imagining what a barbarian could do for the order.
"Ah, it seems I didn't tell you." Krovitz looked at the people around him as well as the baron and then began to speak as if he was reading from a children's storybook. To sum it up, it was nothing new, just the fact that I'd found the priestess of Karui in the labyrinth, not to mention that I'd located and punished the wicked woman while she was hiding in the sewer. That was the end of the story, but Krovitz was quite well-spoken.
"Ha! I've heard that name before. A worshipper of the evil god appeared a while ago. But to think this man was the one who got rid of them."
"Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel. They say he was born with the destiny of a hero..."
When the story ended, everyone around him, led by the baron, let out exclamations.
"This is a divine connection blessed by the stars. The Church values our relationship with Sir Yandel as well. Oh, I have somewhere I must be, so..." Krovitz, who peppered me with flattery until the very end, announced he had business to attend to and left.
The baron's eyes softened a little more. "You are a much greater man than I thought."
[Your reputation has increased by +10.]
[Your reputation has increased by +10.]
***
"Oh, I'll be darned."
"Captain Krovitz, who is well known for being a good judge of character, said that, so it's clear that he's going to be a notable figure in the future."
While the story Krovitz had told was spreading among the nobles without me realizing it, the count appeared and the banquet officially began.
"Count Ferdehilt has arrived!"
Receiving everyone's attention, a dignified-looking man descended a central staircase that led to the second floor. Beside him was his daughter, a girl in her late teens. In a way, she was the main character of this banquet.
"Thank you all for coming here for my daughter Arabella's birthday. We have prepared a lot of entertainment, so I hope you set aside your worries today and enjoy yourselves!"
The music changed dynamically at the count's words, and the static banquet hall began to liven up. Quiet voices grew louder, and laughter that was far from dignified erupted here and there. I was sure it was in part due to the alcohol kicking in, since everyone had been sipping on drinks up to this point.
"Would you give me the honor of allowing me to kiss the back of your hand, my lady?"
The young people each held the hand of the sex they liked and headed out to dance. The older ones sat down and engaged in vulgar conversation over the jesters' show.
"Let's get going." The baron rose from his seat. His face seemed tense. When I asked where we were going, he answered, "You haven't met the count yet, have you? When I saw him earlier, I talked about you, and he said he must meet you." The baron's expression was completely different from when he had gone around greeting the titled nobles earlier, as if he were now dealing with a direct superior.
"If you need a place to rest, please come visit our temple. As I said last time, the temple will never forget your achievements, Sir Yandel."
Hmm, at the time, I had thought those were empty words. But since the man in charge was the one saying this, I'd have to visit someday. You never knew; even if it was impossible now, if I built a little more of a bond, he might even suggest a priest for the team.
In the middle of the conversation, the baron interjected in a coy tone. "Hmm, achievements? Captain Krovitz, what do you mean by that?" His eyes were full of curiosity. True, he probably had a hard time imagining what a barbarian could do for the order.
"Ah, it seems I didn't tell you." Krovitz looked at the people around him as well as the baron and then began to speak as if he was reading from a children's storybook. To sum it up, it was nothing new, just the fact that I'd found the priestess of Karui in the labyrinth, not to mention that I'd located and punished the wicked woman while she was hiding in the sewer. That was the end of the story, but Krovitz was quite well-spoken.
"Ha! I've heard that name before. A worshipper of the evil god appeared a while ago. But to think this man was the one who got rid of them."
"Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel. They say he was born with the destiny of a hero..."
When the story ended, everyone around him, led by the baron, let out exclamations.
"This is a divine connection blessed by the stars. The Church values our relationship with Sir Yandel as well. Oh, I have somewhere I must be, so..." Krovitz, who peppered me with flattery until the very end, announced he had business to attend to and left.
The baron's eyes softened a little more. "You are a much greater man than I thought."
[Your reputation has increased by +10.]
[Your reputation has increased by +10.]
***
"Oh, I'll be darned."
"Captain Krovitz, who is well known for being a good judge of character, said that, so it's clear that he's going to be a notable figure in the future."
While the story Krovitz had told was spreading among the nobles without me realizing it, the count appeared and the banquet officially began.
"Count Ferdehilt has arrived!"
Receiving everyone's attention, a dignified-looking man descended a central staircase that led to the second floor. Beside him was his daughter, a girl in her late teens. In a way, she was the main character of this banquet.
"Thank you all for coming here for my daughter Arabella's birthday. We have prepared a lot of entertainment, so I hope you set aside your worries today and enjoy yourselves!"
The music changed dynamically at the count's words, and the static banquet hall began to liven up. Quiet voices grew louder, and laughter that was far from dignified erupted here and there. I was sure it was in part due to the alcohol kicking in, since everyone had been sipping on drinks up to this point.
"Would you give me the honor of allowing me to kiss the back of your hand, my lady?"
The young people each held the hand of the sex they liked and headed out to dance. The older ones sat down and engaged in vulgar conversation over the jesters' show.
"Let's get going." The baron rose from his seat. His face seemed tense. When I asked where we were going, he answered, "You haven't met the count yet, have you? When I saw him earlier, I talked about you, and he said he must meet you." The baron's expression was completely different from when he had gone around greeting the titled nobles earlier, as if he were now dealing with a direct superior.
The count, huh?
I started to get nervous as well, but the count I met was actually a pretty upbeat guy, and he was very kind to me. "Haha! It is you! I wanted to see you in person." When I went to say hello, the count stood up and even asked to shake my hand.
"Nice to meet you!" Even as I responded to the handshake in a barbarian way, I couldn't shake the thought that something was strange. Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel. I was definitely aware of my recent fame.
But is all that enough for the count to be acting like this?
I was not so sure about that. At least, I didn't think so. After all, there were fewer than a hundred nobles with the rank of count in this vast city. He was incomparable to the district chief of the Adventurers' Guild I'd met before, truly a man of omnipotent power. Even in the game, events from counts or higher-level magnates did not occur until the latter half.
"You're taller than I thought. You should be called Big Balkan, not Little. Haha!" A man like that was complimenting me like he wanted to please me. "By the way, what is that weapon? I heard you normally use a mace." He continued to subtly mention things that he wouldn't have known unless he had been paying attention to me.
Why is that?
I couldn't understand it. If he wanted, I was sure he could make even the top seventh- and eighth-floor adventurers, whose fame didn't even compare to mine, do whatever he wanted. Why was he interested in me?
And making me fucking anxious...
Some might be happy that an important guy like the count was paying attention to them, but not me, especially not at a troubling time when something might explode in the near future.
...If something happens, what could it be?
It was just when my innate anxiety naturally started assuming the worst about the count that he clapped, looked at me, and suggested something unexpected. "Seeing you so suddenly gives me an interesting idea. In a little while, there will be a showdown between the apprentice knights. Wouldn't you like to participate in it too?"
"...Wouldn't the knights not like that?"
"I will solve that problem. How about it?"
"I'll think about it..." I didn't give a definitive answer. It would be less troublesome to pass along my decision through the baron later, rather than rejecting him to his face.
"Hmm, if you say so. Do as you please."
The count stopped paying attention to me at that point. Then he began conversing with the baron about this and that, a shallow conversation in which they praised each other's wives and children and blessed the futures of their families.
"Haha, this conversation was so enjoyable that I kept you for a long time. You should go and enjoy the banquet as well," offered the count.
"Yes, my lord."
Afterward, when I left the count's side and returned to my original table, the baron immediately spoke to me. "So... what are you going to do?"
"About what?"
"The showdown!"
Of course. I withheld my answer, saying I was thinking about it. I was going to refuse, but I judged that this would seem more sincere.
"Think carefully. You never know if this opportunity will be of help to you later."
As expected, the baron tried to persuade me by talking about the benefits of participating in the tournament, saying the prize for even just participating was two million stones, and that it was a good opportunity to make a name for myself. The count was even giving away a 7000-numbered item as a prize for winning the tournament.
"What? Garphas's necklace?"
"...Why are you so surprised? Do you know of it?" The baron, who wasn't an adventurer, cocked his head at my reaction. That was rather fortunate. If he had been an adventurer, my reaction would have been even more questionable. "Hmm, I heard from Sir Elta that it's not that attractive of a prize."
No. 7777, Garphas's Necklace, only dropped in the rifts on the fifth floor, and the probability of it doing so was atrocious, making it extremely difficult to obtain. In many ways, it was an item similar to the Ring of the Frost Spirit, a lower numbered item with a strong personality but that wasn't of great value to adventurers. Because of that, even though it was rare, it was treated kind of as a bust.
But it even holds a hidden special event.
I didn't have to think it over for long. An ominous feeling that something was about to happen? My determination to sit back for a while?
Smirk.
So what? I should carefully calculate the gains and losses to be had in everything I did, but that didn't mean I should cower like an idiot and shy away from what must be done. That was called putting the cart before the horse.
"I'll do it."
"Huh? What did you just say?"
"The tournament the count spoke of, I will enter it."
The count, huh?
I started to get nervous as well, but the count I met was actually a pretty upbeat guy, and he was very kind to me. "Haha! It is you! I wanted to see you in person." When I went to say hello, the count stood up and even asked to shake my hand.
"Nice to meet you!" Even as I responded to the handshake in a barbarian way, I couldn't shake the thought that something was strange. Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel. I was definitely aware of my recent fame.
But is all that enough for the count to be acting like this?
I was not so sure about that. At least, I didn't think so. After all, there were fewer than a hundred nobles with the rank of count in this vast city. He was incomparable to the district chief of the Adventurers' Guild I'd met before, truly a man of omnipotent power. Even in the game, events from counts or higher-level magnates did not occur until the latter half.
"You're taller than I thought. You should be called Big Balkan, not Little. Haha!" A man like that was complimenting me like he wanted to please me. "By the way, what is that weapon? I heard you normally use a mace." He continued to subtly mention things that he wouldn't have known unless he had been paying attention to me.
Why is that?
I couldn't understand it. If he wanted, I was sure he could make even the top seventh- and eighth-floor adventurers, whose fame didn't even compare to mine, do whatever he wanted. Why was he interested in me?
And making me fucking anxious...
Some might be happy that an important guy like the count was paying attention to them, but not me, especially not at a troubling time when something might explode in the near future.
...If something happens, what could it be?
It was just when my innate anxiety naturally started assuming the worst about the count that he clapped, looked at me, and suggested something unexpected. "Seeing you so suddenly gives me an interesting idea. In a little while, there will be a showdown between the apprentice knights. Wouldn't you like to participate in it too?"
"...Wouldn't the knights not like that?"
"I will solve that problem. How about it?"
"I'll think about it..." I didn't give a definitive answer. It would be less troublesome to pass along my decision through the baron later, rather than rejecting him to his face.
"Hmm, if you say so. Do as you please."
The count stopped paying attention to me at that point. Then he began conversing with the baron about this and that, a shallow conversation in which they praised each other's wives and children and blessed the futures of their families.
"Haha, this conversation was so enjoyable that I kept you for a long time. You should go and enjoy the banquet as well," offered the count.
"Yes, my lord."
Afterward, when I left the count's side and returned to my original table, the baron immediately spoke to me. "So... what are you going to do?"
"About what?"
"The showdown!"
Of course. I withheld my answer, saying I was thinking about it. I was going to refuse, but I judged that this would seem more sincere.
"Think carefully. You never know if this opportunity will be of help to you later."
As expected, the baron tried to persuade me by talking about the benefits of participating in the tournament, saying the prize for even just participating was two million stones, and that it was a good opportunity to make a name for myself. The count was even giving away a 7000-numbered item as a prize for winning the tournament.
"What? Garphas's necklace?"
"...Why are you so surprised? Do you know of it?" The baron, who wasn't an adventurer, cocked his head at my reaction. That was rather fortunate. If he had been an adventurer, my reaction would have been even more questionable. "Hmm, I heard from Sir Elta that it's not that attractive of a prize."
No. 7777, Garphas's Necklace, only dropped in the rifts on the fifth floor, and the probability of it doing so was atrocious, making it extremely difficult to obtain. In many ways, it was an item similar to the Ring of the Frost Spirit, a lower numbered item with a strong personality but that wasn't of great value to adventurers. Because of that, even though it was rare, it was treated kind of as a bust.
But it even holds a hidden special event.
I didn't have to think it over for long. An ominous feeling that something was about to happen? My determination to sit back for a while?
Smirk.
So what? I should carefully calculate the gains and losses to be had in everything I did, but that didn't mean I should cower like an idiot and shy away from what must be done. That was called putting the cart before the horse.
"I'll do it."
"Huh? What did you just say?"
"The tournament the count spoke of, I will enter it."