Surviving the Game as a Barbarian-Chapter 502: The Age of Exploration (3)

…and the members who had known me for a long time just assumed that I was being this way because the previous round’s information had been boring.

“So… it’s my turn again?”

The next round began with Queen, and I listened attentively, memorizing the information they shared.

There were a few shocking revelations and some useful tips.

But I couldn’t focus.

There was a simple reason.

Misha Carlstain was a traitor.

From my perspective.

That statement echoed in my mind.

Two rounds had passed, and the third round was nearing its end…

‘…What does it mean?’

Misha, a traitor?

We had just had a heart-to-heart conversation and reconciled… Had Lee Baekho done something?

Was this his Plan B?

Countless possibilities swirled in my mind.

‘I need to hear more about this.’

Butterfly had been the one who revealed this information.

But she hadn’t mentioned Misha again in the second or third rounds.

Which meant I had to take the initiative…

“Pfft, why are you all so surprised? Is Lafdonia afraid of Noark’s growth?”

…but how?

If I suddenly asked why Misha was a traitor, it would arouse suspicion.

The Round Table had once been plagued by the rumor that ‘Lion = Bjorn Yandel’, so I had to be careful with my words and actions.

“…..”

“…..”

Ah, it was my turn.

All eyes were on me.

‘…Let’s wait one more round.’

I decided to take action if Misha wasn’t mentioned in the next round.

“If you defeat the Sky Lord alone, you can choose the active effect.”

It was a piece of information that was difficult to obtain, but not very useful even if you knew it.

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

The jewel glowed green, and a brief silence followed.

Of course, it didn’t last long.

“Um… you can slay a Floor Lord alone…?”

“Well, it might be possible in 100x mode…”

“Pfft, do you really think Lion would do that?”

There were no objections since it was related to Floor Lords. Honestly, they would probably believe me even if I said the sky was green, as long as the jewel glowed green.

‘So it’s Queen’s turn again.’

I glanced at her…

“I think I’ve heard enough for this month. I’ll be leaving now.”

…and she declared her withdrawal.

The other members followed suit.

And it was mostly my fault.

“…Lion seems bored too.”

I had been lost in thought and hadn’t participated much in the discussion, just revealing a random piece of game information to get my turn over with.

“That’s a shame… I was hoping to tell you about the Lord of Hope. Pfft…”

Clown seemed disappointed that he hadn’t been able to pique my interest, despite his preparations.

“Well… it’s probably nothing to you, Lion…”

He promised to bring more interesting information next time.

I couldn’t very well encourage them to continue in this atmosphere.

“…….”

The meeting ended.

______________________

The day after the community meeting,

I woke up in the afternoon, feeling refreshed after a long sleep. Bersil Gowland was waiting for me.

“What brings you here?”

I pretended not to know, even though I had a hunch, and she said she had something to tell me.

“Um… I don’t know how you’ll react to this, but… I’ve received information that Misha Carlstain might be a traitor.”

Right, that’s why she had come to see me first thing in the morning.

“A traitor?”

“…I’m not sure. I mean, I’m sure… but I don’t know the details.”

She suggested that I reconsider Misha’s membership, but I refused.

“I can’t make a decision without knowing the details.”

“Right… I guess so…”

“But I won’t ignore your concerns. I’ll look into it. Can you investigate further?”

“…Alright. I’ll do that.”

“Thank you.”

Okay, so she would be actively gathering information at the Round Table from now on…

It reduced the risk of me revealing my identity by asking too many questions.

“Then I’ll be going now. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

After Bersil left, a letter arrived in the evening.

“Mister! There’s a strange letter for you! You should take a look!”

Erwen had brought a letter from the mailbox.

It had a white tiger drawn on the envelope, and the contents were written in an unfamiliar language.

[As you requested.]

Why had he written it in Korean?

What if someone else saw it?

I grumbled inwardly, but I started reading the instructions on how to escape the city.

‘…This is more complicated than I thought.’

It seemed impossible to memorize and then burn it, so I carefully folded it and stored it in my subspace pocket.

Having more options was always a good thing.

Having more variables was not.

I had to prepare for the worst, even if I didn’t want to believe it.

Therefore…

“Emily, can you investigate Misha for me?”

“What do you mean?”

I explained what had happened at the Round Table and instructed her to investigate Misha.

“I’ll try, but it’s risky to follow her around all day. She’s quite perceptive.”

“Really? But you’re much better at that kind of thing than I am, judging by your essences.”

“If she’s deliberately approaching us with malicious intent, she might be hiding her true abilities.”

“…Then don’t get too close. Just observe her for now.”

“Alright.”

Okay, so Amelia would investigate Misha discreetly…

I spent the rest of the day resting, and then the next day, I resumed my busy schedule.

I visited the sanctuary for another land sale, the former chieftain to hear about the previous Tribal Council meetings, and Raven.

“The Record Stone…? Are you talking about the Fragment of Records? Gavrilius’s legacy?”

“It doesn’t matter what it’s called. Just give me any information you can find. And don’t attract too much attention. We don’t want to arouse suspicion.”

“Okay. I’ll do that. But… are you prepared for the next expedition…?”

“Everything’s going smoothly. Well, we’ll see what happens when we enter the labyrinth.”

“Right…? We don’t know anything yet. It’s a real exploration, isn’t it? What about Bersil Gowland? How is she?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean?! Mages are the most important members of an expedition! She didn’t seem to know much about history…”

“She’ll be fine. She’s a good fighter, and she’s trustworthy. I can cover for her weaknesses.”

“I-I see…”

After meeting with Raven, I gathered all the clan members three times a week.

The official purpose was to help Misha integrate into the team.

“…I haven’t found anything unusual yet.”

Amelia always reported to me after the meetings, but she hadn’t noticed anything strange about Misha.

Time passed.

“…This will be our most fruitful expedition yet.”

Melbeth had sent us supplies.

Combat and support scrolls, various potions, exploration-specific Numbered Items…

They had given us everything we needed to explore any environment, and the quality was top-notch.

‘This must have cost a fortune…’

It showed how much they were expecting from the ‘hidden area’.

I felt a little pressured, but I was determined to deliver.

And as I was preparing for the expedition…

“Bjorn…”

“It’s Chieftain, 1st Elder.”

“Ah, right. I’ll be careful.”

As the sun began to set, I walked through the forest path in the sanctuary, and a clearing appeared, illuminated by torches. Dozens of young warriors were gathered there.

I smiled and shouted,

“Congratulations, young warriors! From this day forward, you will leave the sanctuary and become true warriors!”

It seemed like…

“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!”

…there were no newbies this time.

______________________

The world was constantly evolving.

In human history, the most significant period of development was the modern era.

The 200 years since the Industrial Revolution had seen an unprecedented explosion of technological advancement.

Then what about the barbarians?

When had this tribe experienced its most rapid growth?

I could say with certainty.

‘Now.’

And the proof… was this clearing.

The tutorial lines had changed.

“Now, step forward and choose your weapons and armor!”

Countless weapons and armor were displayed on the racks.

And that was just the main course. The standard equipment had also been significantly improved.

“Come here. You’re not supposed to wear greaves like that. It’s like this.”

“Ah, thank you… I’ve never worn armor before.”

We weren’t just giving them a breastplate and sending them into the labyrinth anymore. We were providing them with a full set of armor.

And their backpacks were filled with compasses, water bottles, potions, and other exploration essentials.

‘One million stones per person.’

The cost per warrior had more than tripled, but it didn’t matter.

Our sanctuary was a gold mine.

‘With this much support, they’ll be able to level up quickly and buy land.’

It was still in its early stages, but if things continued like this, I would be able to create a virtuous cycle.

“Ugh… this is so uncomfortable…!”

The young warriors seemed to find the armor restrictive, but they didn’t complain.

Everyone had role models.

“Just endure it. You’ll get used to it.”

“But—”

“It’s not a choice! Warriors wear armor! Look at the Chieftain!”

“…….”

“If you want to be a great warrior, wear armor!”

There were no longer any warriors in our tribe who looked down on armor.

“…I’m going to save up and buy a Laithium breastplate!”

Laithium, my favorite material, had become a symbol of a seasoned warrior.

“Now, go! Your destinies await!”

After the equipment distribution, we went outside, and Bersil cast the Bonding spell on the warriors, grouping them into teams of three. Then we sent them into the labyrinth.

“…I hope they all return safely.”

“Don’t worry, Ainar. The Mage Tower has banned the use of barbarian hearts, so there will be fewer looters.”

“Really…?”

Barbarians had always survived, even when they were sent into the labyrinth without proper shoes.

They would be fine.

‘I hope they grow stronger quickly. Then I can raise the land prices even more.’

I dismissed my thoughts after confirming that all the warriors had entered the portal.

My duty as Chieftain was done.

“Mister…”

“I’m not your ‘Mister’ anymore.”

“…Huh?”

“Call me Clan Master.”

It was time for the expedition.