Surviving the Game as a Barbarian-Chapter 465: Proof (5)

As soon as I stood up, the murmuring nobles fell silent and turned their gazes towards me.

Their eyes were cold and distant, as if a wall separated us. The Mustache Fairy, sensing the shift in atmosphere, spoke on their behalf.

"It seems Baron Yandel has something to say."

His words were polite, but the underlying message was clear.

We'll listen to what you have to say, but don't expect us to change our minds.

The other nobles seemed to agree.

'I'm not doing this for myself.'

Thirty-one nobles, representing thirty-one demi-human families.

The only one who seemed to be on my side was the Rabbit Baroness, who was anxiously watching the situation unfold.

Which meant...

'I just need to convince fifteen more.'

With me, Melbeth now consisted of thirty-two families.

We needed seventeen votes for a majority, and I already had two secured.

"Um... Baron Yandel?"

The Rabbit Baroness's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"First, let me make one thing clear. I'm not doing this for personal gain."

That was the most important point I had to address before trying to convince them.

"This proposal... it's for the benefit of all of Melbeth."

As expected, someone immediately objected.

"How can supporting Baron Yandel and his clan benefit Melbeth?"

"Because I'm different from you."

"...?"

The Mustache Fairy tilted his head, confused.

"A noble's power comes from his family. But my family is just starting out. We don't even have a proper estate yet."

I lowered my posture slightly, and the nobles looked at me with even more confusion.

Good. That should give me enough momentum.

"But none of you truly see me as inferior."

I continued,

"It's strange, isn't it? Marquis Terserion, who wouldn't even meet with a Baron, and Duke Keallunus, who looks down on everyone... they both treat me with respect."

"...."

"Why do you think that is?"

"It's because of your fame, isn't it?"

"Wrong."

Well, he wasn't completely wrong.

But where did that fame come from?

"It's because of my strength."

Bjorn Yandel, the Giant.

The barbarian who had earned his noble title through his own strength.

"My fame and status are a result of my strength."

Therefore...

"That's why you should support me."

The logic was complete.

"If I become stronger, my status will rise as well."

"...?"

"I'm not satisfied with being a Baron."

Supporting me was the same as supporting Melbeth.

______________________

Thirty-one families.

No, with me, there were now thirty-two demi-human families in Melbeth.

This organization had two major weaknesses.

First, they were discriminated against and ostracized by the human nobles.

And secondly...

'The highest-ranking member is a Count.'

Their maximum output was a single Count family.

"Help me. And I'll help you achieve your goals."

But my logic didn't seem to resonate with them.

Their reactions were lukewarm.

"We understand your ambition, Baron Yandel. But isn't this just a special favor for a specific family?"

Damn it, they were treating me like an outsider.

Don't they understand how society works?

You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours.

'Well, at least a few of them seem interested...'

I decided to change my approach.

"That's not the only reason you should support me."

I continued,

"Melbeth hasn't invested in any labyrinth-related businesses yet, has it? It wouldn't be a loss for Melbeth to sponsor a clan."

The reason why so many nobles sponsored explorer clans wasn't just for show.

Having a clan under your wing meant you had influence in the labyrinth.

And in a kingdom where everything revolved around the labyrinth, that influence was incredibly valuable.

Melbeth didn't have a clan yet.

"We understand what you're saying, Baron Yandel. But we haven't avoided the labyrinth because we couldn't handle it."

"Then why?"

I asked, pretending to be ignorant, and the Mustache Fairy answered.

"Because we don't want to provoke the other factions."

It was similar to their strategy of distancing themselves from their tribes.

They were a minority, so they wanted to avoid making enemies.

That was Melbeth's motto.

But...

"That's no longer an option."

The moment they accepted me, a well-known explorer, that strategy became obsolete.

But the Mustache Fairy wasn't giving up.

"That's why this is even more dangerous. If we officially support you, there will be no room for excuses. The other factions will think we're using you to gain control of the labyrinth. And that won't be good for you either."

He was basically saying they wouldn't give me a single stone.

But I wasn't going to back down.

"Are they that scary?"

I asked provocatively.

I wanted to shake them up a bit.

Their reaction was immediate.

"...That's a pointless question."

"Why is it pointless?"

"We're just being rational. That's what a leader does. We have to think about our families, our children, and our future generations."

His voice was emotional, but not hostile.

He sounded like a senior giving me sincere advice.

So I had to push him further.

"It sounds like you're just passing the buck to the next generation."

"You have no right to criticize my judgment."

The Mustache Fairy's voice turned cold.

Damn, he was a decent guy, even though he was a bit of a stickler for rules.

I felt a little bad... but I had to do this.

For my team, for my clan.

"You misunderstood me."

I softened my tone.

It was time to pull back.

"I wasn't criticizing you. I'm just saying we need to be more proactive."

"...."

"That's why you recruited me, isn't it?"

The Mustache Fairy didn't answer.

But someone else spoke up.

"I agree with Baron Yandel."

It was Baron Brewellin of the White Wolf tribe.

He was one of the youngest nobles, in his 30s.

He had been the most vocal about the need for change.

"We all agreed that Melbeth needs to change, didn't we?"

As the Rabbit Baroness had said, there were many who were dissatisfied with the current situation.

That's why they were so quick to support my argument.

"I'm not saying I'm in favor of this proposal... but it's worth considering. We've avoided the labyrinth for so long... but it's time for Melbeth to expand its influence. We can't just sit back and watch while the other factions reap the rewards of the war."

Brewellin's words sparked a debate.

"I agree. It's been a hassle to rely on the other tribes for explorers."

"But why Baron Yandel? We can create our own clan with explorers from our own tribes."

"His clan is still small, isn't it? Less than ten members."

"Yes. It would be more efficient to gather talented explorers from our own families and create a new clan. Then we can all support it together."

Hmm, this wasn't good.

I had to intervene before the conversation went off track.

"You're all missing the point!"

"...Yes?"

"The war will be over by then!"

Why were these cautious nobles suddenly interested in the labyrinth?

It was because of the war.

Countless families had profited from their sponsored clans.

And the others were starting to feel envious.

'Uh oh...'

But they weren't convinced.

"It's too risky to invest in the labyrinth now. The war might not last much longer."

"I agree. It's better to wait and see."

"Honestly, I'm not sure if this will happen again. Maybe we should just stick to our current strategy..."

Damn it, they were too conservative.

They were so focused on the future that they couldn't see the present.

As a K-Barbarian who valued speed and efficiency, I was frustrated.

But...

'I need to change my strategy.'

I had two options.

To appeal to their greed, or to make their future seem bleak.

I chose the latter.

"You fools! While you're wasting time, the other factions are getting stronger!"

Negative campaigning was the key to politics.

"Look at the Marquis! He's using the war to expand his influence! He's giving all the important positions to his own people!"

"But Baron Yandel isn't part of his faction, is he?"

"I'm an exception!"

I made a bold statement.

"Look at his son! He's incompetent, but he's a Corps Commander! He's getting all the credit without even doing anything!"

"Well, I wouldn't say he's completely incompetent..."

"Anyway, I was lucky enough to be promoted this time, but what about next time? There will be more nobles created, and they'll all be loyal to the factions that supported them!"

"...."

"Are you just going to watch? This is our chance to create another demi-human noble family!"

I appealed to their greed.

But it wasn't enough.

"...We can't change the past."

"The war was an unexpected event."

"Honestly, I'm not sure if this will happen again. Maybe we should just stick to our current strategy..."

They were too stubborn.

Even the Rabbit Baroness, who was trying to support me, couldn't convince them.

The vote began.

"We'll begin the vote. All those in favor of officially supporting Baron Yandel and his clan, Anabada, please raise your hands."

The outcome was predictable.

'They're more conservative than I thought.'

I would have to wait for another opportunity—

"I'm in favor."

The Rabbit Baroness and I were the only ones who had raised our hands... but then someone else joined us.

It was Baron Brewellin of the White Wolf tribe.

He was the one who had been most vocal about the need for change.

'...'

And then, one by one, more nobles raised their hands.

One, two, three, four...

By the time the vote was over, we had barely reached a majority.

"...S-Seventeen votes in favor. The proposal to officially support Baron Yandel and Clan Anabada has been approved."

Even the Rabbit Baroness, a Melbeth veteran, was surprised.

But my excitement faded as the discussion continued.

"We agree to support you, but we won't use Melbeth's funds."

They all agreed to support me, but they placed restrictions on the funding.

And in the end, I was left with a meager three options.

1. Take out a loan from Melbeth (with interest and a limit).

2. Use one of Melbeth's buildings as our clan house (at a discounted price).

3. Accept Melbeth's exclusive quests.

The most important one was the third option.

It meant that Melbeth would officially request our help if they needed us, and we would be compensated accordingly.

'...Well, it's a start.'

I decided to be satisfied with this for now.

______________________

After the meeting, I returned home in the carriage.

I needed to get some sleep.

"Ah, Bjorn... You're here..."

"Good morning, Shabin Emure."

"...Is it morning already?"

"...."

I went straight to the sanctuary and started working.

I checked on the progress of the real estate project, approved requests from the administrative team, and...

"Oh! Bjorn! You're here!"

"It's Chieftain."

"...Right, Chieftain!"

I met with Ainar and discussed the recent events in the tribe.

How many of the new warriors had survived their first expedition.

What was the general mood.

And...

"M-Me? The 2nd Elder...?"

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"No way! I'll do it! I'll do whatever you ask!!"

I appointed Charon, the warrior who had been betrayed by his teammate and then started the Backpack Revolution, as the 2nd Elder.

Ainar needed help.

We had to prepare for next month's coming-of-age ceremony, and I couldn't handle everything myself.

And it would be too much to ask the administrative team to do it.

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One day, two days...

Time flew by.

And then a new day arrived.

July 5th, 157th year of the New Era.

The day we started selling land.