Barbarian in a Failed Game

Chapter 076: Rebellion (8)

“So… It’s time you explain. You completely ignored what I said, then used such a ridiculous threat to hold me here.”

“Threat? You’re exaggerating.”

“Aren’t you going to step out? After all, I know that guy ordered it.”

Ron closed his mouth at the sharply edged reply, the man’s menacing aura enough to silence even someone as oblivious as Ron.

“I made it clear. If the Guild didn’t look down on my status, they surely would have conveyed my opinion. Right?”

“Guild… Guildmaster.”

“Your turn will come after Khan has given a proper response. Stay quiet until then. Unless you want to lose your golden badge this time.”

Damn, how deadly. The man quickly overwhelmed two mercenaries. Khan shrugged under the murderous gaze of the Mercenary Guild’s Guildmaster.

“Didn’t you hear everything from Ron?”

“I did. But… ”

Bang!

The man’s fist slammed down on the table.

Astonishingly, the thick table snapped with a crack- a feat nearly impossible for the strength of a pure human, not without grueling, blood-draining training.

“And you expect me to believe such a joke? That Marquis Deillon is the main culprit spreading ‘living corpses’, that an hidden group of mages is aiding the marquis, and that to resolve this, the Pantheon… you handed the task to a barbarian from the Northern Wastes?”

“It’s all true… Eek!”

“Mage friend, don’t be too loose with your mouth. Even a mage from the Tower wouldn’t dare be so bold in front of me.”

“Don’t scare them too much. You might actually kill one of them.”

“Phew…”

The Guildmaster ran his hand through his hair, trying to quell his anger, though his breathing remained rough.

‘They say masters of the sword all have tremendous mental fortitude. Guess that’s not always true.’

Believing that the conversation could now proceed calmly, Khan spoke up.

“You must have sensed something odd about the marquis already.”

“…I had my suspicions. Never dreamed he’d declare independence out of the blue though.”

“And you’ve also been informed about Al-Rasdel and the Sage of the North by Maya. Right?”

“Yes…”

Maya confirmed, cautiously following Khan’s lead. It wasn’t easy to casually mention that she had conducted herself almost like a spy among their group. Khan, for his part, seemed unperturbed.

“I’ve been kept informed of your movements periodically. Fine, let’s assume all those events did indeed happen. I want to believe that kid didn’t stab me in the back. But the Pantheon’s story… I just can’t buy it. It’d be one thing if it ended with them hiring you; your abilities are undeniable. But.”

The Guildmaster’s eyes sharpened like the blade of his sword.

“That young priest’s story is too hard to swallow.”

“Disappointing. Are you saying I, invoking the name of the gods, have spoken lies?”

“…Not exactly that. But close.”

Elena’s eyes narrowed in feigned anger.

“I heard you were a devout follower of the Pantheon. Yet you doubt my words…”

“That’s exactly why I find it hard to believe. Elena, the priestess.”

The Guildmaster interjected sternly.

“The day you were fighting the marquis’ knights, and Ron was waiting with you at the meeting point, and on the day you decided to leave because a tail was following you, you said this: that the Goddess of Justice herself had appointed him as her emissary, and that all his actions in the North have her blessing.”

“Yes. That’s what happened.”

“Do you think I, a follower of the Church, would easily believe that? That the stern judge of justice, the Goddess, would choose a barbarian from the North as her emissary? I have no prejudices against barbarian. But the Pantheon does, doesn’t it?”

No region in Midland, not even the Empire, had as deep a piety as this. In other words, the despise towards pagans was the most intense in the Empire.

Given that Kal Elson is a knight from the Empire, it’s no wonder he has a hard time accepting that the Goddess of Justice would choose a barbarian.

“If this nonsense isn’t true, there’d be no reason for me to have shown up. Which means if you can’t prove this absurdity to be true, you’ll have to pay the price.”

A terrifying threat.

Argon Kingdom’s Mercenary Guild Guildmaster, Kal Elson.

Having trained in the arts of the sword in a certain school in the Empire, he killed his master with his own hands, confessed, and spent three years as a gladiator slave.After his release, he wandered the outskirts of the Great Maze realizing enlightenment and became a master swordsman. Over time, he dedicated himself to the mercenary guild, leading him to where he is now. He was the very demon of the sword who had spent more than half his life taking lives. Given that it was Kal Elson speaking, his words did not sound like mere threats.

“…He’s deadly serious.”

Khan clicked his tongue.

If it were him, he could certainly make good on his word. Even without his forces, as a master swordsman, he could slay any opponent with just his blade.

Yet, Khan knew.

Persuading this man was not as hard as it seemed.

“Just fulfill one condition.”

***

Kal Elson suppressed his rage with immense patience.

“Right, there’s no point in squabbling with him now.”

Kal Elson’s guiding principle was simple.

It should benefit the mercenary guild.

He was indifferent to whatever actions he had to take, as long as it served the guild’s interests, no matter how much it was condemned by the world.

In that regard, being at odds with the barbarian in front of him was a considerable loss.

“He has formed a quite deep relationship with the dark mage of Loren. How he managed to connect with a dark mage who, after breaking ties with her family, grew averse to people remains a mystery… But rashly provoking him could prompt the dark mage to act.”

What made Kal Elson wary more than anything was Khan’s rapid growth over just one or two years.

Hunting the ogre in the East might have been mainly the dark mage’s doing. The capture of the necromancer Darkin Perayas in the West also had reports of a paladin and a magus participating-.

“But slaughtering two dragons in Al-Rasdel was a different story. Since Maya reported it was all his doing. Not to mention, he hunted a sage at least on par with the Tower’s magus and now, has consecutively slain five mercenary squads and a count’s knights…”

It was nothing short of superhuman.

There was no guarantee he could become stronger, but if he did, the empire’s guild headquarters would surely take notice.

‘It’s clear that the benefits of gently handling him, making him easy to manage, overwhelmingly outweigh the gains from being prematurely hostile.’

Kal Elson’s growling like an enraged beast was all part of his calculation.

“Let’s go back to the beginning. Are you prepared with convincing explanations or evidence?”

This was not only an indication to prove his role in slaying the Duke’s first knight.

With the Duke branding the barbarian as “the devil’s minion” and issuing a pursuit order throughout the North, it was also a demand for the head of the mercenary guild to provide benefits and justification for aiding “the devil’s minion.”

“Unlikely.”

The rebellion of the Duke would soon be suppressed.

Without the royal family’s intervention, the kingdom’s only duke and the current king’s cousin, the Black Wing Duke, would unquestionably crush the rebellion in the North.

“But considering the preparation and actual duration of the war, we’ll have to wait at least two years.”

Kal Elson planned to maintain a neutral stance until then, aiming for maximum benefit or at least minimal loss.

However, actively supporting Khan would guarantee not benefits but definite losses, especially for business in the North for the time being.

Therefore, Khan had to ensure benefits far exceeding or matching the support he sought from Kal Elson.

“It’s unlikely…”

“There is.”

“Yeah, right… What?”

Kal Elson, with a dumbfounded expression, asked again, and Khan shrugged, saying,

“I said there’s a reason for the mercenary guild to help me.”

“Are you trying to joke with me?”

Kal Elson’s raw killing intent made the room shudder.

A lifetime dedicated to martial training, achieving supreme enlightenment, and slaying all manner of mysteries with a single sword – these masters were as good as their swords themselves. It wasn’t an exaggeration when people said their bodies and minds were like swords.

“You can’t still be spouting that nonsense about being chosen by the Goddess of Justice, can you? Even if that were true. The guild has no reason to help you! What, are you going to threaten by mentioning a dark mage you’re in league with? Do I look that easy─to─you─!”

A tingling sense of murderous intent pressed down on the assembly as if it gained physical form. Jan, of a timid disposition, gasped for breath and collapsed, while Maya and Ron’s knees buckled.

“Such savagery.” Kal Elson’s eyebrows twitched.

Unexpectedly, the youngest priest, who appeared the most vulnerable, seemed least affected by this murderous intent. Even Khan, who furrowed his brows in response, was taken aback.

“How pitiful and foolish not to realize… I assure you, you will bitterly regret your actions in future,” the priestess, Elena, warned.

“Regret? I abandoned such emotions long ago when I carved my master’s heart out with my sword,” Kal Elson retorted.

“We’ll see about that, won’t we, Khan?”

“Hmm. It’s not like I can rip open my chest to show you,” Khan muttered, eliciting an icy stare from Kal Elson, puzzled by his cryptic words.

“What do you mean?”

“People have their ways.” Khan sighed. “Calm this murderous aura first. You’re scaring everyone.”

“Explanations first.”

“You’ve become rather suffocating. You used to be more straightforward.”

Click. Kal Elson fondled the hilt of his sword—a silent threat to cut the nonsense and get to the point. Khan, with a sly smile, began to speak.

“The rebellion will succeed.”

“What?”

“The royal family will remain silent about the duke’s independence for a while. In that time, the north will fall under the duke’s rule. Depending on how heavy the Black Wing Duke is willing to be, it won’t easily be conquered.”

“What nonsense…”

“Just listen.”

Khan, unfazed, went on. “The duke’s supporters include a sect of mages devoted to the truth. Their aim is to experiment with soul magic in the north, making significant progress. They’ve even created curious magical artifacts capable of turning mediocre mercenaries into warriors of exceptional strength. Their manufacturability for war use is uncertain, but they have enough for conflict, considering the sudden declaration of independence.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“If you don’t? My approach through the guild, when I’ve been marked by the duke, speaks volumes. It was because the situation became too complex to grasp on my own.”

Kal Elson fell silent. ‘He has a point.’ The guild’s intelligence spanned the kingdom, but secrets of the nobility ruling the north before the duke’s ascent were hard to come by. Yet, through Maya and the guild, Kal Elson heard Khan’s story, directly tied to the unfolding events in the north.

‘But still, a continental mage sect, the royal family’s silence, the success of the rebellion… it sounds like the ramblings of prophets stirring chaos, hardly believable without solid evidence.’

Then—

Clang.

“Take this and verify it. You have mages among your ranks, don’t you?”

“Is this the artifact?”

“Yes.”

Kal Elson grimaced as he took the abnormal sword with a serrated blade, unable to find anything peculiar despite his ability to fully comprehend any blade.

‘But, there is something. Considering the Duke’s First Knight showed us something blood-red…’

Additionally, reports mentioned a bandit chief in a border town wielding a magic sword akin to an artifact, found dead and drained of blood. Recalling this, Kal Elson’s posture softened slightly.

‘If even half of what he says is true, it’s enough reason to oppose the duke. Not to mention the dragon affair and that strange sage… If I report this unknown mage sect to the headquarters and stir public opinion, the guild’s stature will grow. And indebting him might be useful in emergencies, like with the ogre situation…’

A sort of speculation. With that thought, Kal Elson removed his hand from the sword’s hilt.

“Fine, we’ll see. But this doesn’t mean I’m helping you. It’s merely a suspension. While our mage examines this sword, bring something more concrete. A direct testimony from Lady Berta of Al-Ranzas would suffice. If it comes from her, it’ll have enough credibility…”

Before he could finish—

Whooosh!

The axe at Khan’s waist suddenly emitted a blinding light and started floating in mid-air.

Instinctively drawing his sword, Kal Elson’s weapon clattered to the ground.

‘This presence…!’