Surviving the Game as a Barbarian-Chapter 442: Giant Step (4)

When I woke up again, it was the middle of the night. I decided to go back to sleep since there was nothing to do at this hour.

I thought I had slept for two days straight…

“…Three days?”

At first, I thought Amelia was joking.

I was still exhausted, even after sleeping for three days straight. Honestly, I had forced myself to wake up even though I could have slept for longer…

‘But it’s really been three days.’

“It’s good that you finally woke up. If you hadn’t, I would have had to wake you up myself. I’m tired of calming Erwen down.”

“…Where’s Erwen?”

“She went out.”

“Out?”

“She said she was going to the sanctuary. It seems like things aren’t going smoothly.”

She didn’t mention the subject, but I didn’t have to ask.

It was probably about her leaving the Pureblood Order.

She had received a lot of support from the fairy tribe, so she would have to give up a lot to regain her freedom.

Like the ‘Divine Tree Bow’, for example.

Or the money she had used to buy this mansion.

‘…Well, the real problem is the ‘Pureblood’ itself.’

The fairy ‘Pureblood’ was a kind of racial secret.

Only one fairy could inherit it per generation, and the inheritor’s ‘Affinity with Nature’ stat would skyrocket. That’s how Erwen was able to form a contract with the Spirit King.

‘I need to help her with this. I can’t just leave her to deal with it alone.’

I suddenly regretted wasting so much time sleeping.

It hadn’t even been a month since we returned from Ice Rock, but we didn’t have time to rest.

But…

Rumble!

“…There’s food in the kitchen.”

Right, let’s eat first.

______________________

After filling my stomach, which had been growling for three days, I started organizing my thoughts.

Lee Baekho, the GM, Hyunbyul, Ragna, Auril Gabis, and all the information I had gathered from the Round Table…

I excused myself and went to my room, spending hours trying to make sense of it all.

‘Ugh… my head is going to explode.’

I felt like a student who hadn’t done his homework.

I had so many things to do, but I didn’t know where to start.

‘…Let’s prioritize them like quests.’

I forced myself to rank them, and my mind felt a bit clearer.

So, the quest I had to complete today was…

“Amelia, how’s the clan registration going?”

Finalize the clan registration.

“The paperwork is done. We just have to go to the guild and register our names.”

I had considered reviving my old clan, but it had been disbanded after I was declared dead, so the process would be complicated. It was easier to just create a new one. ŗα₦ȱ฿ЁṨ

It was a bit of a shame.

Older clans had certain advantages.

‘Well, I can just use my noble title to pressure them later.’

Negotiating with the guild was one of my specialties.

I got dressed and was about to leave when Amelia handed me an iron helmet.

“Wear this. It’ll cause a commotion if you go out like that.”

“…Right.”

I put on the helmet and left the house with Amelia.

“It’s been a while since we last went out together during the day.”

Hmm, has it?

Come to think of it, the last time was when we went to the auction house to buy the Vol-Herchan essence and then visited the art museum.

I hadn’t been able to freely roam the city since returning to this time period.

“Ah, there it is.”

The guild branch wasn’t far from our house.

We took a number and waited, and when it was our turn, I showed the clerk my ID card.

And…

“B-B-B-B… H-huh!”

The clerk started hyperventilating, so we were escorted to a private room on the 2nd floor.

The branch manager rushed in and personally handled the remaining paperwork.

I felt a strange mix of emotions as I looked at the clan roster.

Leader: Bjorn Yandel.

Vice-Captain: Vacant.

Member: Vacant.

Member: Emily Raines.

Member: Ainar Frenelin.

Member: Auyen Lokrob.

It was the bare minimum to register a clan.

Erwen couldn’t join yet because she hadn’t officially left the Pureblood Order.

“P-please come again!”

We left the guild after receiving the branch manager’s ‘respectful’ treatment and headed towards a nearby restaurant.

I was already hungry.

“Amelia.”

“You’re supposed to call me Emily outside.”

Ah, right.

I’m so hungry that I can’t think straight.

“What were you going to say?”

“Ah, it’s nothing special. I was just curious. Why did you leave the Vice-Captain position vacant?”

I hadn’t had a chance to ask him about it.

Why?

“Sometimes, haste ruins everything.”

“…Huh?”

“Tell her that you left it vacant on purpose. It’ll calm her down.”

“…Uh…”

What did I just hear?

“…You left it vacant for Erwen?”

Amelia averted her gaze, as if embarrassed.

And…

“…She seemed upset.”

She mumbled softly and then changed the subject.

“What about the clan name?”

“Huh?”

“Is there a reason why you chose that name? I heard it’s an ancient language, meaning ‘pack of beasts’.”

So you also recognized it as an ancient language.

I guess this is a success?

I thought for a moment and then decided to tell her the truth.

I called her closer and whispered in her ear.

“It’s not an ancient language, it’s Korean.”

Amelia flinched and then whispered back.

“Korean…? You mean… your native language?”

“Yes.”

I nodded and then told her the meaning.

“It’s a spirit of working together for a better future.”

“…Hmm?”

“That’s the meaning of ‘Anabada’.”

For reference, it would also be our clan’s motto for the time being.

We were desperate.

______________________

After lunch, Amelia left to run some errands.

I knew where she was going.

She was going to visit her sister’s workplace and stare at her from afar.

She couldn’t even bring herself to talk to her.

‘…Well, it’s her choice.’

I had finished my quest for the day, but I didn’t go home.

I had something else to do.

Clang!

I opened the door and entered a restaurant.

It was half-full.

The 2nd floor was an inn, and the 1st floor was a restaurant during the day and a bar at night.

“Welcome! Table for one?”

A young waitress with a bright smile led me to a table.

“What can I get for you?”

“Something with a lot of meat. I’m starving.”

“Yes, sir. Please wait a mo—”

“Wait, is the owner not here today?”

“The owner’s wife is pregnant, so the priest told her to be careful. She’s not coming to work these days.”

…Is she sick?

I was a bit worried, but I quickly corrected her.

“I meant the male owner.”

“Ah! Mr. Siegfried will be here soon. In about 30 minutes? He’s always late, so I can’t be sure!”

Okay, so I just have to wait.

“Thank you.”

I gave her a tip and waited at the table.

And then, when I was about to order another dish after finishing my meal…

Clang!

The door opened, and the person I had been waiting for arrived.

“You’re here, Mr. Siegfried!”

“Yeah, anything happen?”

“You have a visitor.”

“…A visitor?”

Bear, who had been talking to the waitress, looked around and then froze as soon as our eyes met.

But he quickly recovered.

“Myla, no more customers. Tell the remaining customers to leave after they finish their meals.”

“…Yes?”

“And you too. Go home with the chef after the customers leave.”

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

“Huh?”

“Make sure no one comes near my table.”

He gave the waitress a series of orders and then approached me.

“…It’s really you. Bjorn Yandel.”

“It’s been a while, Abman.”

He sat down across from me without hesitation.

And…

“…….”

“…….”

Silence.

He spoke first.

“I… heard the news.”

Damn, this is awkward.

“I don’t understand what happened, but it seems like you went through a lot.”

“Ah, yeah… I did…”

“Have you… met the others?”

“Everyone except for Misha.”

“I see…”

He seemed to be deep in thought, and then he continued.

“I went to your house a few times after hearing that you were alive. But there were too many people, and you never came out, so I just left.”

“You should have knocked. I would have let you in.”

“Well, I changed my mind.”

“……?”

There was a strange nuance in his voice.

It wasn’t just my imagination.

So…

“Abman, I didn’t mean to deceive you.”

I had to make that clear first.

“I couldn’t show myself for two years and six months because—”

“Stop.”

“……?”

“Bjorn, you’re misunderstanding something. I’m not angry at you. Of course, I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel betrayed… but that’s not what this is about.”

He drew a firm line and then took my glass and drank from it before continuing.

“I just don’t want to hear it.”

“…….”

“Why you disappeared. You might be involved in something dangerous. And besides, it’s none of my business anymore.”

My heart clenched.

“None of your business…?”

“I’m sorry, but I have to make this clear. If you came here to ask me to rejoin your team, it’s impossible.”

It’s like being rejected before even confessing.

I was more curious than hurt.

“It’s not because of your current clan, is it?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Can I ask why?”

He sighed deeply and then spoke.

“The day I heard you were alive… my wife asked me if I was going to see you. She was worried.”

“I see…”

“You know, Bjorn, two years and six months is a long time. Long enough to change an explorer’s mindset.”

He continued in a melancholic tone.

“So… what I’m trying to say is… I can’t go back to how things were. I don’t think I’ll ever see my child get married if I keep exploring with you.”

“I… I understand…”

I let go of my last shred of hope.

Well, I didn’t really have any hope to begin with.

That’s why I hadn’t classified this visit as a recruitment quest.

I couldn’t ask him to join a clan that might end up fighting the royal family.

Especially not a married man with a child.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. Let’s just drink.”

That was the real reason I came here.

“What? Can’t we drink together unless we’re exploring the labyrinth?”

“…Of course not.”

He raised his glass, and we chatted idly, drinking and reminiscing about the past.

The sun set, and night fell.

We laughed, we argued, and we even had a serious conversation.

“…It’s getting late.”

“It’s just nighttime.”

“My wife is waiting for me.”

“Then… I can’t stop you.”

“I’m sorry. If my wife wasn’t pregnant, I could have stayed longer…”

…Pregnant?

My mind went blank, but I understood.

‘They’re having another child.’

I felt a strange mix of emotions.

I wasn’t there for the birth of their first child either. We had joked about me being the godfather…

“It’s raining. Take this. I have to clean up.”

“…Ah, thank you.”

I took the raincoat he offered and stepped outside.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.

The heavy rain poured down.

‘I’m not sad…’

Maybe it’s because I drank too much.

I felt a pang of loneliness, as if I had lost something precious.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Splash, splash.

I walked through the rain.

Splash, splash.

My steps were heavy, my body swaying slightly from the alcohol.

And as I walked…

[Bjorn Yandel.]

His last words echoed in my mind.

[Move forward. Don’t look back.]

What does he mean by ‘look back’?

[You can go anywhere you want.]

Why do they all think I’m so special?

I don’t understand, but I kept walking.

Splash, splash—

Reciting my to-do list for tomorrow.