Chapter 243: Chapter 243 Branch Point (3)

Branch Point (3)

A man, observing the situation from afar, chuckled as the Marquis heir’s body tilted towards Bjorn Yandel.

‘The rumors were true.’

He was a wild one.

To pull something like that in front of the Prime Minister.

‘No, maybe he believes that the Prime Minister and the other nobles won’t blame him.’

Hmm, it wasn’t incomprehensible.

After all, there was a clear difference between a noble who was about to become a Marquis and a barbarian explorer who was about to become a Viscount.

And besides…

…there had been many instances of bullying that were even more blatant in the noble society, where hazing was rampant, and it was tacitly accepted.

It was a kind of taming.

But…

‘He’s certainly bold.’

The Marquis heir wasn’t a knight.

He just absorbed a few essences to build an intimidating physique.

But to pick a fight with an explorer who was known to have defeated the Corpse Collector in a physical confrontation…

‘Ah, come to think of it, he’s injured, right?’

The man belatedly remembered that Bjorn Yandel was still suffering from the aftereffects of the last battle.

He said the poison had even seeped into his brain.

He was sweating profusely just from walking normally at the last banquet.

That must have been why the Marquis bastard did that.

‘…This is going to ruin the mood.’

The man involuntarily frowned as he imagined what was to come.

The malice of nobles hidden beneath their glamorous facade.

And a hero being humiliated in front of everyone.

It wasn’t a scene he wanted to see on his rare outing—

“Huh?”

The man tilted his head.

Because an unexpected outcome had occurred.

The barbarian’s body didn’t even budge at the Marquis heir’s trick.

‘…Has he already recovered to some extent?’

Good.

That’s when…

…the barbarian’s shoulder muscles, which couldn’t be concealed by mere cloth, twitched.

And at that moment…

“Aak!!”

As if there was a reaction, the Marquis heir was thrown backward.

“…….”

The music stopped, and silence fell.

He couldn’t understand it at all.

‘…He pushed the Marquis bastard away here?!’

It was an act he wouldn’t have done if he had considered the consequences.

The man, feeling a sense of secondhand embarrassment, felt even more dizzy.

Although he was glad that the barbarian’s condition had improved and he wasn’t tricked by that pathetic scheme…

‘He should have just ignored it.’

If it were him, he would have said something like, ‘Haha, did my legs give out? I should work out more,’ and then gotten back at him later.

That was the less risky option.

Well, it was a barbarian-like action…

‘…That person wouldn’t have done it like this.’

Then was he really just a barbarian?

The man was disappointed, but he continued to observe the situation.

You never know.

This could also be part of a bigger picture…

And even if he wasn’t ‘that person’…

Bjorn Yandel was someone who was suspected to be a player due to his exceptional growth rate.

‘Let’s just watch for now.’

That’s when, as he was focusing his gaze…

“Bjorn, son of Yandel.”

…the Prime Minister called the barbarian’s name in a troubled voice.

He also already knew.

About the Marquis heir’s trick, and how the barbarian responded to it.

‘Now, how is he going to resolve this situation?’

The man waited for the barbarian to speak, not giving up on the possibility of a reversal until the very end.

It didn’t take long.

The barbarian shouted indignantly,

“…I, I didn’t do anything wrong!”

A protest without any logical defense, like a whining child.

“It’s true! I was just standing there, and he used me to do a forward roll!”

He even blamed the Marquis directly.

The man felt a sense of emptiness.

“Marquis! You tell me! You just wanted to do a forward roll, right?!”

He remembered the experienced players in the community who said that Bjorn Yandel couldn’t possibly be a player.

Now he understood what they meant.

‘This is a modern person…?’

The man’s gaze turned cold as he looked at the barbarian.

_________________________

The title bestowal ceremony was over.

Honestly, I don’t remember the details.

It was boring.

The Prime Minister gave a long speech, using all sorts of fancy words, and I officially became a noble of this country as he bestowed the title upon me on behalf of the royal family.

And then the banquet began.

‘Damn it.’

It was different from the last banquet.

Back then, many nobles approached me to build a relationship or out of simple curiosity…

“…….”

…but now there was no one around me.

Even Baron Martoan and the Count who tried to arrange a political marriage were just watching from afar.

It was a completely different treatment from the Marquis and the Viscount, who were surrounded by many nobles.

Well, it was understandable.

I was on the Marquis bastard’s bad side because of this incident.

‘Ha, because of one weird bastard.’

I grabbed a piece of meat with my hand and started eating, recalling what had happened earlier.

[Bjorn, son of Yandel.]

How was I supposed to resolve that situation when even the Prime Minister was looking at me with a reprimanding gaze?

This was the answer I came up with.

The Mindless Barbarian Mode, which had always helped me in difficult situations.

[…I, I didn’t do anything wrong!]

After all, everyone who should know would know that it was the Marquis bastard’s fault.

I decided to just be shameless.

In the first place, political talk didn’t suit a barbarian.

[It’s true! I was just standing there, and he used me to do a forward roll!]

As expected, the Prime Minister couldn’t say anything at my words.

[…Forward roll?]

This is what happens to those who only work with pens at their desks.

No matter how smart and quick-witted they are, they lack experience in this kind of conversation.

[Marquis! You tell me! You just wanted to do a forward roll, right!]

Even the nobles who were looking at my actions as a challenge changed their attitudes as the Mindless Barbarian Mode continued.

They realized.

That barbarians were a completely different species.

[…Cariot Kudo, is that true?]

The Prime Minister then looked at the Marquis with a cold gaze, and the Marquis answered in a panic,

[Th, there’s no way! That barbarian dared to push me, not knowing his place—]

[Stop.]

[…?]

The Prime Minister just stared at the flustered Marquis with a kind smile, without saying anything, as his words were cut off.

It was an unspoken pressure to not make things worse.

[Ye, yes… that’s right….]

In the end, the Marquis bastard had no choice but to admit that he wanted to do a forward roll.

After all, that action meant the Prime Minister was siding with me.

Even nobles have that much sense.

‘…The Prime Minister, this man is also a bit suspicious.’

Anyway…

…the title bestowal ceremony resumed as if nothing had happened, and it ended with him handing me the essence I had chosen two days ago in a luxurious box.

And now…

‘Should I just go back…?’

I was sitting alone at a large round table, stuffing my face with meat, and I started to feel bored.

‘Hmm, okay, I’ll eat one more plate and then leave.’

I asked the servant assigned to each table to bring me another plate piled high with meat.

After some time…

‘Huh?’

I turned my head at the approaching presence, and instead of the plate of meat I was waiting for, I saw a man.

“Haha, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Viscount Yandel.”

He was the first noble to approach me at this banquet where I was completely ostracized.

My barbarian intuition told me the moment our eyes met…

…that he was suspicious.

No…

“I’m Hans from the Aiphreya Baron family.”

…that this man was dangerous.

___________________

Hans Aiphreya.

Hans A. for short.

“…You’re more quiet than I expected?”

Although he didn’t have a title since he was the youngest son of a Baron family, I felt suffocated.

A ‘Hans’ with noble characteristics?

It was a type of Hans I had never seen before!

“I’m Bjorn, son of Yandel.”

I roughly introduced myself and was about to leave, saying I was busy.

But that’s when…

“Huff, huff, here you go, Viscount Yandel.”

…the plate of meat I ordered arrived.

The servant brought three plates piled high with meat, as if he had taken my appetite into account.

“…Thank you.”

I couldn’t help but express my gratitude.

But what was this?

“It’s my… first time…”

The servant was staring at me with a touched expression.

“Hearing those words while doing this job…”

Ha, these damn nobles.

The servant then said I could ask him for anything and stood behind me, waiting for my next request.

‘…I was going to just leave.’

But I felt like I would unintentionally hurt him if I did that.

So I grabbed a piece of meat with my hand.

“You were still eating. If it’s not a bother, would you mind if I join you?”

An ordinary noble would have readily agreed to this request or politely refused.

But I was a barbarian of this city.

“It’s a bit uncomfortable.”

I said it was uncomfortable without hesitation.

Hans A.’s eyes narrowed.

“Hmm, you’re a bit different from what I heard.”

It was a meaningful statement and gaze.

So I couldn’t help but ask,

“Different?”

“Ah, I misspoke. I just thought you wouldn’t be uncomfortable with something like this.”

What the hell is this guy?

He’s strangely relaxed for the youngest son of a Baron family without a title.

And his name is Hans.

‘…Why did he approach me?’

It seemed like I needed to test him.

I spoke naturally after a brief moment of contemplation.

“Why don’t you have a plate too? I’m a bit uncomfortable eating alone.”

“Aha, so that’s what you meant.”

Hans A. ordered food from the servant at my words.

And so, we had some time alone.

“It’s nice to meet you. I was actually bored because I was alone.”

I extended my hand, which was still covered in meat juice, and Hans A. hesitated for a moment before shaking it.

Geez, that disgusted expression.

‘Phew, this is even more suspicious.’

What was his reason for staying here, even shaking hands with my greasy hand?

I opened my mouth to find out.

Wide enough that I wouldn’t feel awkward even if bits of meat I was chewing on flew onto his face.

“Right! Hans Aiphreya? I like you! Let’s be friends!!”

“…….”

“Why don’t you want to be friends?”

He smiled awkwardly, picking off the bits of meat on his face one by one, at my question.

“No, there’s no way…”

“Haha, I like you!”

The food he ordered soon arrived, and we ate and chatted.

He congratulated me on receiving a title.

He said the weather was nice today.

Most of it was meaningless small talk, and at some point, Hans A. stopped eating.

Because the bits of meat that flew out of my mouth had all landed on his plate.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“…I don’t feel well.”

“Hmm, I’m uncomfortable eating alone…”

It was a subtle way of telling him to get to the point if he had one, or leave if he didn’t.

Then how would he react?

The answer was simple.

“If you’re uncomfortable, then I’ll excuse myself.”

Hans A. got up from his seat without hesitation.

And…

“Enjoy your meal.”

…he immediately left.

‘What was that about?’

Did he really just come to be friends?

“…….”

I felt even more uneasy because he just left like that.

__________________

Early evening, as the sun began to set.

I left the royal palace as if running away after Hans A. left and got into a carriage heading home.

After all, I had met a Hans.

I couldn’t even imagine what kind of incident I might get caught up in if I stayed in this place full of nobles.

‘Let’s absorb the essence first.’

I asked Keplo, who resumed his close protection as soon as we left the royal palace, for his understanding and then opened the test tube.

‘Come to think of it, this is my first time absorbing an essence without breaking the test tube.’

Corpse Golem, Orc Hero, Manticore.

Although the situations were all different, I had to break the test tube to absorb the essence.

It wasn’t like it could be reused anyway.

Whoosh.

I took a deep breath, holding the test tube to my nose, and the essence inside was absorbed into my body like smoke.

「The essence of ‘Bion’ seeps into the character’s soul.」

The 3rd-grade monster, Bion.

There was one reason why I chose him in the end.

Honestly, absorbing ‘Vol-Herchan’s’ essence and preparing against Aura while increasing my combat power would have been more advantageous right now…

…but the acquisition difficulty was vastly different.

‘Since I absorbed this, I can just skip ‘Land of Immortality’ later and just get experience points.’

Vol-Herchan was a common monster that appeared in groups, and it was easy to encounter if you went to its field, while ‘Bion’ was difficult to encounter, and the characteristics of its field were very tricky.

This essence choice was a more long-term investment.

‘And besides, there’s not much difference in terms of specs, even though the essence’s characteristics are different.’

And if you consider the effect of the next Spirit Engraving, this was the more rational choice.

「Soul Power increased by +100.」

「Soul Regeneration increased by +30.」

「Strength increased by +25.」

「…….」

「…….」

I felt a sense of fulfillment deep down.

A new vitality from the minor physical stat increases.

I opened my eyes after briefly savoring the afterglow, and Keplo congratulated me with a smile.

‘It’s late today, so I guess I can go to the training center tomorrow.’

I closed my eyes again, feeling disappointed that I couldn’t use my newfound strength right away.

After some time…

Creak.

…the carriage suddenly stopped in the middle of the street.

Did a wheel fall off?

That’s when, as I opened my eyes with that thought…

“I sense mana from below!”

…Keplo, a human knight with a talent for mana, unlike a barbarian, shouted.

And…

“You have to get off qu—”

…a giant explosion engulfed us in flames.

Kwaaang!

The carriage shattered in an instant.

Beeeeeeeep!

I heard the knights shouting amidst the ringing in my ears.

“Assassin! An assassin is here!!”

Damn it.