Chapter 150: Chapter 150 Barbarian Lord (2)

Barbarian Lord (2)

Barbarian Lord (2)

Rotmiller is different from Misha and the dwarf.

As a scout, he’s observant, perceptive, and has years of experience.

Tsk, I didn’t expect him to ask so directly.

‘…It’s my karma, so I have to deal with it.’

There’s only one option that comes to mind right away.

Admitting that I’m an evil spirit and appealing to his emotions is ridiculous, so I have no choice but to act outraged and smash his head in.

But…

‘No matter how I think about it, it’s strange.’

It’s not just that his judgment is clouded by emotions.

I know Rotmiller well. If he truly thought I was an evil spirit, he wouldn’t be having this conversation with me.

To put it simply, he’s like a herbivore.

In other words, it means that even Rotmiller isn’t certain about his words.

And besides, I don’t feel any malice from him.

I quickly decide on my position.

‘As expected, it’s best to deny it and observe the situation.’

Of course, I’m not going to make excuses and beg him to believe me.

That’s not the way of a manly barbarian.

I break the 3-second silence and speak coldly,

“Rotmiller, I hope there’s another reason why you’re insulting me.”

It’s like saying that I’m giving him a chance to explain because he’s my precious companion.

Actually, it’s not even a lie.

If it weren’t for Rotmiller, my fist would have already been flying towards his head.

However, he just chuckles.

“You probably thought I was genuinely angry. If I didn’t know you well.”

“What?”

“Oaths, honor, and such. You’re not someone who’s bound by empty formalities. You’re not impatient enough to be swayed by emotions.”

Rotmiller knows me too well to be fooled by acting. And even the warrior’s oath, which used to be a cheat code, won’t work.

Therefore, I also slightly change my position.

“…Even I would feel offended if I heard that from a companion.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Rotmiller shrugs and finishes his drink.

The atmosphere has softened considerably compared to before.

“But you’re so unique.”

Rotmiller continues.

A barbarian who reads books.

A barbarian who’s not swayed by emotions.

A practical barbarian who values practicality over honor. Most of it could be brushed off as him being extraordinary.

Except for one thing.

A barbarian who knows information that a warrior with less than a year of experience could never know.

“Back then, in the labyrinth, you said you heard a revelation.”

After returning to the Tower of Heaven, I told my curious companions that I heard a revelation from Behella, the ancestor god.

After all, it’s a world where gods exist.

Misha and the dwarf just accepted it.

Even Rotmiller, who I was worried about, didn’t say anything, so I thought I had gotten away with it.

But…

“Who would believe something like that? I didn’t believe it either. That’s why I thought you might be an evil spirit.”

Right, so he was thinking this behind my back.

Well, if you assume I’m an evil spirit, everything would make sense.

In the first place, that was the truth.

However, the situation is very positive.

“So you’re saying you don’t think so now?”

Rotmiller nods without hesitation at my question and continues,

“The book I read described evil spirits as beings who see everyone in the world as puppets. But you weren’t like that.”

Although he placed little value on honor, he cared for his tribe enough to give advice and guide the young warriors.

He felt a sense of loss and anger at the death of his companion.

It’s something an ordinary evil spirit would never do.

The path I’ve walked has become a shield that protects me, without any need for clumsy excuses.

Well, it seems like there was another factor that completely dispelled Rotmiller’s suspicion.

“And besides, the Goddess of Stars gave you an oracle, didn’t she? How could I possibly doubt you after seeing that with my own eyes?”

The oracle given by Leathlas, the Goddess of Stars.

Although I grumbled about the vine breaking after just one day, it really was a stroke of luck.

“It made me realize how narrow-minded I was. The reason I thought you were an evil spirit was because I was looking at you with the eyes of a criminal.”

No, but he was right…

I suppress my twitching conscience and continue listening to Rotmiller.

“There are definitely people in this world who are loved by the gods. And history called them heroes.”

“…That’s a bit much.”

“Huhu, I knew you would say that. You have a tendency to underestimate yourself. But at least I truly believe that.”

I’m speechless at Rotmiller’s sudden barrage of compliments.

It would be ridiculous to just agree, wouldn’t it?

I push aside my awkwardness and ask the last thing I’m curious about.

“But then why did you bring it up?”

Rotmiller doesn’t think I’m an evil spirit.

Maybe he did before, but not now.

Then why did he take the risk of asking me directly?

The answer is completely unexpected.

“I wanted to give you a warning and some advice.”

“Warning and advice?”

“Yes, you’re wise, but you’re also naive in this aspect. No matter how much you trust your companions, you need to know how to hide yourself.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You’re going to form a new team, aren’t you? Your uniqueness will inevitably stand out like an awl in a pocket. Maybe someone like me will appear and try to judge you.”

Rotmiller says that…

…since I can’t go around telling people about the oracle, I should hide myself as much as possible.

That this will protect me from potential dangers.

“As someone who has lived an ordinary life, I wanted to tell you this.”

“…I see. Thank you. I’ll always remember your advice.”

“Hmm, I got a bit carried away. Let’s end it here. I’ll carry Murad.”

And so, the last drinking party of Team Misfits ends.

Unlike usual, we part ways without making any promises to meet again.

“I wish you all the best in your journey.”

Team Misfits.

I’ve truly received a lot from them.

____________________

The conversation with Rotmiller was beneficial.

Not because of the advice he gave me…

…but because the situation itself gave me a wake-up call.

Although I managed to get through it this time…

‘…it could happen again anytime.’

There’s no guarantee that it won’t happen again.

Therefore, I think about it.

What if a companion, someone I’ve become attached to, is certain that I’m an evil spirit?

And even has evidence?

“….”

I don’t bother putting the answer into words.

Nothing would change even if I did.

I’ll survive, even if it means becoming a terrible person.

‘…I need to be more careful.’

To prevent that tragedy…

…I decide to be more cautious in my every action.

Just like when I first fell into this strange world.

To think that the only one I can trust is myself…

…and to be even more thorough in my calculations and actions.

If I truly care about them, that’s the right thing to do.

“Bjorn, what are you thinking about?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You’re not thinking about anything weird I might have said while I was drunk yesterday, are you…?”

The morning after Team Misfits’ last gathering. I go out with Misha and head towards the Grand Temple.

There was no need for her to come with me…

…but we have to stop by Commelby together later anyway.

“It’s good to see you again. Do you have any concerns?”

We call for Krovitz as soon as we arrive at the temple.

The young paladin in his early thirties looks puzzled, seeing me visit again after just two days.

I get straight to the point.

“It’s not a concern, I have a request.”

“A request… I’ll hear you out.”

The Dragonslayer, no, the Dragon Sword. Although it’s a valuable treasure, I’ve judged that it’s just a burden to keep.

“May the star of twilight guide us. They’ll be very pleased.”

Did he judge that it’s for the greater good?

Krovitz readily agrees and says he’ll arrange a meeting with them.

It’s a relief.

In the first place, it would be a difficult task for a 6th-grade barbarian to even meet the leaders of the Dragonkin…

‘And since we’re meeting through the temple, they won’t try to rip us off or steal it.’

“I’ll contact you at the address you left when the date is set.”

“Thank you for your help.”

Okay, then that matter is settled.

I leave the temple with Misha and get on a carriage heading to Commelby.

And as soon as we get off, we head to the Central Exchange.

The reason is simple.

‘I need to upgrade my Spirit Engraving first.’

If it gets out that I received an oracle, there’s a chance I’ll be kicked out of the tribe.

So I need to reach at least the 6th stage before that happens.

From the 6th stage onwards, you need materials as well as money.

“Are you registering for consignment?”

“I’m here to find an item.”

I say that and hand the document I prepared to the employee.

Heart of Immortality.

It’s a material that can be obtained with an extremely low probability from troll byproducts acquired through the ‘Distortion’ spell.

Although it’s expensive, it’s much more profitable to just buy it if you have enough money. It’s an item that even those who specialize in hunting trolls would only obtain once every few months.

“There’s one item that matches your criteria. Would you like to see the information?”

I pay 3,000 stones for the search fee and check the price. It’s 18 million stones.

Phew, it’s 1 million stones more expensive than last time.

“…I’ll buy it.”

Although it’s a bit disappointing, I buy it without hesitation.

It’s an item that’s so rare that there’s only one listed in the entire exchange. There’s no guarantee when it will be available again if this one is sold.

‘If the 6th stage is this expensive, I’ll practically have to obtain the materials myself from the 7th stage onwards.’

With that thought, I arrive at the item storage and check the item for any defects before receiving it.

With this, my goal for today is complete.

And now it’s Misha’s turn.

“Let’s change your sword this time.”

“…Is that why you brought me here?”

Misha looks at me as if asking why I’m deciding for her, but she doesn’t object strongly.

It’s not strange.

She must be starting to feel the limits of steel.

“Our goal for the new team is to reach the 6th floor, so don’t worry about saving money.”

“…If I find something I like.”

We look for a suitable item while considering Misha’s opinion since it’s a weapon she’ll be using.

It takes longer than expected.

We agreed on buying an Iril longsword, which is a 3rd-tier alloy made by mixing mithril and steel, but the problem is choosing the design.

“Ah, I told you we’re not choosing based on looks!”

“Right, let’s go with that. Anyway, just pick one quickly. For reference, I like this one.”

“Ugh, as expected of a barbarian. You really think anything heavy is good enough, don’t you?”

Although she grumbles, Misha chooses carefully.

The weight distribution, reach, and such are also important, right? I’m quite surprised as she even rattles off the names of famous blacksmiths.

She’s an explorer too.

“Wow, I can’t believe the day would come when I’m using a sword that costs 12 million stones…”

“We could have saved 4 million stones if we skipped the enchantment.”

“But if we’re going to buy one, we should buy a good one! I’m going to use it for the rest of my life!”

Misha hugs the sword as if it’s a baby after receiving it from the storage.

And she mutters with determination,

“Ugh, I really need to save the rest of the money…”

I tilt my head.

“Why would you save money? Use all the remaining money to buy ‘Beast’s Blood’ after leaving enough for necessities.”

“…Huh?”

If barbarians have Spirit Engravings, beastmen have Spirit Beasts. Spirit Beasts grow over time, but if you feed them ‘Beast’s Blood’, that time is shortened.

“Didn’t I tell you not to worry about saving money?”

“…Is it really okay to spend it all like this?”

“It’s not just spending, it’s an investment for the future.”

Misha also said that it would be better to just buy essences, but I don’t think that’s very rational. Most essences above 5th grade cost tens of millions of stones.

And there’s no need to buy anything below that.

“You haven’t even unlocked your Spirit Beast’s abilities yet. I think it’s best to focus on that for now.”

In the end, Misha uses all her remaining assets to buy ‘Beast’s Blood’ after setting aside her emergency funds, convinced by my strong persuasion.

She said she’ll drink it when we get home…

…and we’ll find out tomorrow if any of the abilities are activated.

“Then let’s go back.”

We return to the residential district after several hours of spending money.

It’s around 8:00 PM.

The sun is setting, and dusk is approaching.

‘I’ll go to the sanctuary tomorrow morning and get the Spirit Engraving, and that’s one thing done…’

I organize the things I need to do before the next labyrinth opens.

There are three things left.

1. Meet the Dragonkin and return Dragonslayer.

2. Obtain information about Orculus and Noark.

3. Form a new team.

Ah, come to think of it, I haven’t asked her about this.

I ask her right away since it came to mind.

“Misha, do you have any preferences when it comes to finding companions?”

I’ve roughly decided on the composition for the remaining three spots, but I need to hear Misha’s opinion as well.

After all, she’s a founding member…

…and she has much more experience as an explorer than I do.

I figure I might be able to get some advice on things I haven’t even considered.

“Uh…”

Misha contemplates seriously and then speaks cautiously,

“That… I, I’d prefer if there were no fairies.”

It’s an unexpected request.