Chapter 248: Chapter 248 Gnometree (2)

Gnometree (2)

The chieftain told me that day:

[If you want my position, become stronger, warrior. And prove that you’re worthy. I’ll be watching you.]

That he would hand over his position to me if I proved I was worthy.

Then how do you prove it?

I didn’t bother asking.

Because there was only one way for a barbarian I knew.

“Let’s move!”

“…You’re a wise warrior.”

The battle that was about to take place inside was moved to the outdoor clearing thanks to my insight.

And…

“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!!”

“Behel—laaaaaaaaaa!!!”

…the battle began with battle cries.

Kwaaang!

The chieftain swung his axe, the one he used to behead ‘Orm, son of Kadua’, mercilessly, and I fought back, using all the skills I had learned.

But to summarize the result…

“I won.”

…I lost after about an hour of fighting.

The reason for my defeat was my lack of specs.

After all, the chieftain was a similar type to me.

If our positions were completely different, there would have been variables, but there wasn’t a single unexpected turn of events since I was weaker than him.

‘As expected, it’s still not enough.’

I cleanly accepted my defeat.

Of course, the result might have been different if it wasn’t a spar.

I couldn’t use dirty tricks like spraying [Acidic Fluid] in his eyes, distracting him with nonsense, or biting his neck when he was on the ground.

In short, I fought with my ultimate moves sealed.

Then what about the ‘proof’?

“You’re still lacking.”

The chieftain then said to me,

“Become stronger if you want my position.”

Tsk, I thought the cutoff line was around the 6th floor.

I’m already at that level, aren’t I?

Don’t tell me I have to defeat him to inherit the chieftain’s position—

“To the point where you can’t even compare to an old man like me.”

Ha, as expected.

To defeat an 8th-floor explorer…

‘It will take more time.’

I dismissed my impatience.

It was also one of the advantages of being a barbarian.

I didn’t lose anything even if I failed to inherit the position.

No, I actually gained a lot.

Although my body was wrecked to the point where I had to drink several potions as soon as the fight ended…

‘But I’ve caught up a lot.’

It was different from back then when I was knocked out with a single punch.

We fought for almost an hour.

And…

‘I confirmed six of his essences.’

I confirmed several of the chieftain’s essences.

And I also memorized some of his fighting habits.

I would be able to fight him much more easily next time.

And…

“He fought the chieftain for an hour!”

“Look! That stingy chieftain is drinking a potion!”

“He might look fine on the outside, but he’s not. As expected, Bjorn, son of Yandel, is a great warrior…!”

The barbarians who were watching the spar didn’t seem disappointed by my defeat.

Well, I’m just a 1st-year, right?

“I thought it would take at least 5 more years.”

“Hmm, maybe the chieftain will change sooner than we thought.”

Even the elders were nodding in satisfaction.

Therefore, I gained a lot even though I lost.

On the other hand, the chieftain didn’t gain anything.

‘Yeah, so I actually won, right?’

I regained my motivation after my mental victory.

I got up and looked at the chieftain.

He seemed curious about what I was going to say, as I had been silent the whole time.

“You’re not discouraged, are you?”

“There’s no way.”

I chuckled.

And I said,

“One more time.”

It wasn’t every day that I could fight someone without worrying about dying.

____________________

I fought the chieftain three more times after that, and I lost every time. However, the spar time increased with each fight.

It was thanks to Lee Hansu’s strength, not Bjorn’s.

I’m good at self-reflection.

After all, I’ve experienced many failures in my life, and what I always wanted was to know the reason for my failure.

Finding the reason was my specialty.

‘He has a lot of tricks, as expected of someone with a lot of experience.’

The difference between the chieftain and me wasn’t just specs.

His skill as a warrior.

His situational awareness honed by experience.

His instinctive intuition that allowed him to catch openings even in the midst of battle, where thinking and reacting was too slow.

They were all things I had to learn.

It wasn’t efficient to just be a meat shield after absorbing the Ogre’s essence.

I had to become a better fighter.

It was also the way to protect my companions.

‘If my allies are in danger, I can just eliminate the enemy to make them safe.’

It was like a destiny.

A new destiny for me as a tank.

“…You look like you’ve realized something.”

“Ah, thank you. I’m learning a lot.”

“Haha, that’s what being a chieftain is all about!”

What is this man talking about?

He doesn’t seem like it, but he’s weak to compliments.

“Can I come back again?”

“Anytime.”

The sun was setting.

The barbarians, who had enjoyed the good show, all went about their business as the spar between the chieftain and me ended.

“Bjorn! Are you going home?!”

“Not right away. I’m going to look around for a bit.”

“Really? Can I come with you?”

Well, there was no reason why she couldn’t.

I moved with Ainar after the spar.

We didn’t have a specific destination.

We just walked aimlessly in the opposite direction of the city walls.

“It’s been a while since I’ve come this far.”

A dense, unkempt forest greeted us as we left the campsite.

The forest where the souls of countless warriors, including the elder who performed the ‘Soul Succession’ ritual on Ainar, were playing.

But I continued walking.

“There’s nothing but the barrier that way, why are we going there?”

“I’m suddenly curious about that barrier.”

We reached the place I wanted after walking for about an hour at a slightly faster pace.

Thud.

An invisible wall appeared, as if to say this was the last point allowed.

The forest continued beyond it.

“Eek! Bjorn! Wh, what are you doing! If the protective barrier is damaged, we’re all doomed!”

Ainar was startled and tried to stop me as I knocked on the wall with the back of my hand.

Well, it’s a world where we’ll all die if it’s gone.

‘Right, at least that’s what they say.’

It was a question I had after visiting Bifron.

Was the world outside the wall really in the state that the royal family claimed?

That’s when…

“Kekeke, warrior, it’s been a while.”

…I turned around at the presence behind me, and an old barbarian with an eyepatch was standing there.

“Shaman!!”

“Right, it’s been a while for you too. Ainar, the second daughter of Frenelin.”

It’s amazing every time I see him.

How can he walk around so well without eyes?

“What brings you here? Very few warriors come this far.”

“I just came because I was bored. What about you? What are you doing here?”

“Kekeke, what else would a shaman do in the forest?”

The shaman said so and showed me his hand, which was covered in white powder.

It was bone dust.

And not animal bones, but human bones.

“You were holding a funeral.”

The last step of the funeral was for the shaman to crush the bones of the deceased after their body was left in the forest to decompose and then scatter them throughout the forest.

“Do, don’t tell me it was Tohal’s third son, Kiduba’s, turn today?”

“He’s still far from returning to the forest.”

In other words, it meant we had to wait longer for the elder who acted as Ainar’s mentor to decompose.

“…I see.”

“I’m about to go back, how about you guys come with me?”

The shaman asked, and I answered that I would stay a bit longer.

“Really? If that’s what you want.”

The shaman turned around without hesitation.

And…

“Everything has its order.”

“…….”

“Warrior, it’s not time for you to be curious about what’s beyond that yet.”

…he left after those meaningful words.

___________________

“Huhu, come to think of it, it’s been a while since we were alone together.”

“Really?”

“How about a spar? You haven’t been playing with me lately, saying your body isn’t well.”

Ah, so he’s talking about a spar.

It seems like my fight with the chieftain earlier sparked his competitive spirit…

These damn barbarians.

“I’m not feeling up to it today, let’s do it tomorrow.”

“Alright. You already know, but I’m quite patient.”

Uh, yeah, yeah.

I casually nodded and continued observing the protective barrier. I felt a strange sensation because of what the shaman said.

But there was nothing I could figure out.

‘Phew, I wonder if I would have been able to discover something if I were a mage, not a barbarian.’

In the end, we turned back without any gains.

Although it was quite a distance from the protective barrier to the city walls, the way back wasn’t boring.

After all, Ainar was a chatterbox.

And she especially loved barbarian talk.

About equipment, about who fought whom and who won, about where they were making sturdy and stylish backpacks these days.

Or…

“Ah, did you hear? Karon is going to be a father soon?”

“What?”

I was genuinely surprised.

“How? He didn’t say anything in the labyrinth.”

“Huhu, it seems like he was meeting women as soon as he entered the 3rd floor. Ah, and he only heard about the pregnancy from the woman a few days ago, so he wouldn’t have had time to tell you.”

I then heard the details from Ainar.

The woman was a warrior from the tribe.

Well, it was only natural.

Humans can’t give birth to barbarians.

Although mixed-race children weren’t impossible, they would still be human.

And barbarians preferred their own kind.

Their standards of beauty were different from other races.

‘And most importantly, there’s no ideological problem with pregnancy.’

In human society, it’s considered proper to get ‘married’ and then have children.

But there’s no such thing in barbarian society.

The children are raised in the sanctuary, and women consider giving birth to be a matter of pride.

And there are even practical benefits.

Although it’s less than for humans, the royal family grants a two-year tax exemption.

‘And the pregnancy period is short.’

Although it varies from person to person, it takes an average of 4 months to give birth, and the recovery is very fast.

That’s probably why barbarian women are so open to childbirth.

Although it’s a bit strange to say this about childbirth…

Is childbirth always a noble process?

Regardless of pride, if the economic aspect isn’t resolved, the birth rate will inevitably decline.

“Come to think of it, don’t you have any thoughts?”

“…Huh?”

“About children. I heard the female warriors in the tribe are after you…”

Ah, so that’s what they were after.

No wonder they kept touching my muscles, saying how good they were. I thought they were genuinely complimenting them…

“I’m not thinking about it yet.”

“Hoo, why? I know it’s a bit strange for me to say this, but we’re late bloomers. There are even female warriors who are younger than us who have already given birth!”

Could it be because it’s my first time having this kind of conversation?

I was scared for the first time since coming to this world.

Of barbarians.

“…….”

Ainar, seeing me subtly trembling, said triumphantly,

“Ah! Don’t tell me it’s because of Misha? Don’t worry! Misha will understand. We’re barbarians! She can’t even give birth to anything but beastmen anyway!”

Ainar seemed different.

She said she was a cat person in front of the bear-like man, but she was actually thinking like this.

“I’m fine. What about you?”

I changed the subject since it was uncomfortable.

It’s the technique of ‘Shifting Flowers and Connecting Branches’, using the enemy’s strength against them.

“Me, me?!”

Ainar couldn’t hide her flustered expression as the arrow was turned back on her.

The reason was simple.

“I, I can’t even if I want to. What warrior would like a small woman like me…?”

Geez, those damn beauty standards.

I had unintentionally stabbed Ainar in her weak spot.

But just as I was about to apologize…

“And… I don’t want to either.”

Huh?

“Th, that’s right!! After being with you, all the other tribesmen seem young and unmanly!”

Ainar shouted as if she was frustrated.

I was also flustered and said she could just find someone among the older tribesmen, but…

“I don’t like older men!!”

…I received an unexpected answer.

‘She doesn’t like older men, and her peers don’t feel manly…’

It was a troublesome preference.

But to be honest, it was a good thing for me.

If she suddenly got pregnant and couldn’t enter the labyrinth for a few months, it would affect me too.

‘Uh, but how did the conversation even get here?’

The 29-year-old Lee Hansu had turned 30 in this world.

But…

“Anyway, tell me if you change your mind! I’ll introduce you to a good female warrior!”

…this kind of talk was still uncomfortable.

_________________

Two days later.

I went out alone after breakfast and a warm-up spar with Ainar.

Ah, ‘alone’ wasn’t exactly right.

“We’ve arrived at our destination. We’ve already searched the inside of the store, but please be careful.”

The knights’ excessive escort, which I was now used to.

“Right, thank you.”

I casually expressed my gratitude and got off the carriage, then entered the meeting place.

It was a tea house I had visited about three times before.

“Oh, Mr. Bjorn! Over here, over here!”

Shabin Emure, a 7th-grade administrative official, waved at me from a corner table.

Ragna, the librarian, was sitting next to him, looking quiet.

The members of our regular friend gathering were all gathered as I sat down.

“First of all, thank you for coming. You received the Viscount title, so I was really worried about whether it was okay to call you out like this.”

“You’re worrying about strange things.”

“That’s right, Shabin. Do you think this man would change just because he became a noble?”

Ragna said arrogantly as she sipped her tea.

She was right this time.

I didn’t intend to flaunt my noble title.

But…

‘Right, the Viscount title isn’t something to be burdened by.’

Her natural behavior showed how good her family background was.

Well, I didn’t know exactly what kind of family, but…

Judging by how she didn’t even react to the knights surrounding me…

‘I’m even more curious. What kind of family is she from?’

I then turned my gaze towards Shabin.

Unlike Ragna, he was subtly looking at the knights.

Well, it must be uncomfortable.

Let’s just get to the point.

“So what’s the reason you called me out today?”

“Heh, were we only supposed to meet if there was a reason?”

“You have a habit of twitching your nose when you lie.”

“Huh? Re, really? I didn’t know that!”

Well, of course, she didn’t.

“It was a lie.”

“Ah…!”

Ragna chuckled, looking at Shabin’s dumbfounded expression.

“It’s rare to see her like this.”

“That’s only for you. This is nothing to a barbarian.”

Indeed, most people, regardless of age or gender, make that kind of expression when I start acting like a barbarian.

“Enough, so? Tell me what you want.”

Shabin regained her composure at my words and said,

“I’d like to request something from you, Viscount Yandel, on behalf of the Administrative Office.”

Hmm, a part-time job…

Although I wasn’t short on money, money in this world was always lacking, no matter how much you had.

“Tell me, what kind of request is it?”

I should at least hear her out.