Barbarian in a Failed Game

Chapter 296. The Great Forest (3)

“Let go, let go…! Are you not afraid of our God?”

“Just beat him up and take him away. Ah, and have a polite and considerate conversation with him, the church way. Can you do that?”

“Sir, I am a paladin.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry for doubting you.”

“… Then, excuse me for a moment.”

Leo, who responded with a firm affirmation of being a paladin when asked if he could make the shaman talk, dragged the lone surviving shaman somewhere within the hideout.

『Tsk, dirtying someone else’s house with your muddy feet. What a nasty beast.』

‘Since when did my mind become your house?’

『Heh heh. What does it matter…. I have received your thanks. I’ll clean up the mess that rude beast left behind.』

There’s no communicating with him.

The Spirit of Resentment’s voice, which called Khan’s mental world its home, gradually faded away. It left with the nonsensical statement that Khan should be grateful for preventing the madness spread by the Beast God’s will from tearing through his mind.

‘The Beast God. The Beast God, huh….’

Despite the nonsense, the Spirit of Resentment’s words did contain some meaningful information about the Beast God.

A God more unpredictable than those consumed by chaos.

A God who spreads madness just by existing.

A type he really didn’t want to encounter. A lunatic who acts as he pleases, sacrificing his followers, the beastmen, without a second thought.

‘Since such a reckless madman said he’s coming soon, running away isn’t an option….’

It wasn’t an option anyway. To prevent the Great Forest’s schemes, he had to at least deal with either the Beast King or the Grand Shaman, who unified the forest tribes.

And if it’s a lunatic like the Beast God, it wouldn’t be surprising if he chased him to the ends of the continent to cause havoc.

‘Going to the frontlines… No, I can’t go to the frontlines. If the Great Forest’s true aim was war, both of them would have shown up there. The frontlines aren’t the answer.’

In the game, the two named characters actively roamed the battlefield, threatening the empire. However, in the current world, where many things had changed, they were hiding somewhere in the Great Forest, not showing themselves. The meaning of this was clear.

“The situation has become more complicated than I thought.”

Khan, after organizing the rough situation, concluded aloud. Strength versus strength. Troops versus troops. The Empire versus the Great Forest.

If it were a simple war, he would just have to invade the depths of the Great Forest and take down the Beast King and the Grand Shaman. The reason the Great Forest could continue the war was precisely due to their presence. After that, the tribes would naturally fall apart.

But from the moment the Beast God got involved, this could no longer be seen as a simple war.

‘Then, I’ll have to change my approach a bit.’

“Veil.”

“Yes…?”

“The Arch Mage residing in the fortress. Does she deal with spatial magic?”

“… That’s correct. The Magi of the Magic Tower even moved some of the tower’s facilities to learn spatial magic from her. There’s no doubt about it.”

‘Not just a witch anymore, but an Arch Mage. She’s really made it…’

Predicting the movements of someone far away is tough even for the Empire’s renowned commanders. But if the opponent is Ludmilla, it’s not so difficult.

If the Arch Mage defending the only fortress on the front line that hasn’t been captured is indeed Ludmilla, she will stop crouching and launch an offensive the moment she spots a gap in the enemy’s defenses.

She has the mind to deduce the right answer from even trivial clues.

‘Though I haven’t heard the details due to the urgency, Maya forming a detached unit and infiltrating is likely a coordinated move with Ludmilla. In that case, rather…’

Veil glanced at Khan with slightly uneasy eyes.

Asking about the Arch Mage in the fortress, then falling silent for a while, deep in thought—these were the intellectual actions that surprised him, given his knowledge of Barbarians.

The notion that Barbarians, who cannot handle mana, are an inferior race is common knowledge. Yet here was Khan handling dark mana. The descent of the God of the Great Forest showing interest in him had already defied conventional wisdom.

‘Ah, come to think of it.’

Amidst all the unrealistic events they’ve been through, a memory surfaced.

‘By now, those attacking the Demonic Realm should have returned to the front line, shouldn’t they…?’

***

“This is troublesome, Natrix.”

“What are you nagging about this time…!”

“Nagging? When have I ever done that?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Every time you open your mouth, it’s about maintaining the dignity of the interim Borderland Marquis, or about how I need to go around in human form because people are scared… I’m sick to death of it!”

“Sigh.”

Like a parent troubled by a child’s tantrum, Neria, the head maid of the Canuta Borderland Marquis’s domain and the head of the Interracial Harmony Bureau, crossed her arms and sighed.

“You can’t help it, can you? Natrix, you boldly declared that you would take on the role of the fortress lord until Khan returns.”

“T-That was…!”

“Khan was caught in the vile schemes of demons, so Ludmilla took responsibility and went to the Emperor herself, saying, ‘No one shall question who is fit to be the lord in the Borderland Marquis’s absence’! She declared that the great dragon here would handle the nobles’ opposition in Khan’s stead…”

“Stop, stop! I get it already!”

A small girl with sky-blue hair and horns sticking out of her head fumed and waved her hand. Then, a multitude of lights enveloped the girl, and when the lights faded, the girl was gone.

“Is this better?”

“Yes, it’s wonderful!”

Neria, the new high elf of Paradise, clapped her hands in delight.

Where the girl had stood, there was now a woman who looked like what the grown-up version of the sky-blue-haired girl might have been. The sharp gaze, which could hide her somewhat sulky expression, exuded an imposing aura, and the curves that the wide dress and cape could not conceal made the woman appear completely different from the girl.

“Damn it… Do I really have to be in this uncomfortable form?”

“Temporary Lord, please don’t say that. People pay a lot of attention to their leader’s appearance. Think about it. Wouldn’t a beautiful queen who’s hard to approach be more attractive as a leader than a little girl who barely reaches their chest?”

“Even so…! Saying that my usual form is that of the daughter of a fake image and that I’m filling in for the absent Borderland Marquis is complete nonsense!”

“Oh dear.”

The corners of Neria’s mouth curled up slightly. It was a smile born not of difficulty but of amusement.

“According to Imperial law, it’s true, isn’t it? The opposition from the Elector and Imperial nobles who couldn’t give territory to a barbarian was crushed thanks to the current absent Borderland Marquis holding the incredible title of a dragon’s mate.”

“Ugh…!”

If Khan heard this, he would be utterly shocked. After all, the current lord of the Canuta Borderland Marquis’s domain, bordering the Great Forest, was Khan. He had become a married man without even knowing it, and this fact had spread around the Imperial political circles.

‘Even so, this is a bit much…!’

As the reality she had been trying to ignore pierced her ears, the face of the now-adult Natrix turned red.

A mate? Since when could a dragon become a human’s mate? Besides, dragons and humans couldn’t have children together…!

Although she accepted it out of a sense of responsibility, Natrix couldn’t help but blush. How could a dragon, who lived for an unfathomable amount of time, form a bond with a human who lived only a few decades?

The time gap between a dragon and a human was even greater than that between the old and the young. Even if it was a fake betrothal for the sake of appearances, the embarrassment was unavoidable.

‘Above all… I am a dragon…!’

Dragons were creatures of arrogance. This was no different for a hatchling like Natrix.

According to dragon customs, a match could only be made if their ranks were somewhat aligned, an unspoken rule. No matter how extraordinary Gordi Khan was as a mortal, he was still a mortal.

“The idea that I, a descendant of the great sea dragon…! Even in a fake betrothal with a mortal…!”

“Are you still concerned about that?”

“Of course…!”

“Hmm. But don’t you think Khan could someday become greater? Just like how I, who was merely a half-elf, became a high elf.”

Natrix thought Neria was too young to understand.

A mortal achieving transcendence? That was impossible. Dragons had watched countless mortals dream of transcendence and fail. In this world, transcendence was not something one achieved but something predetermined.

Just like how one was born a transcendent species, inheriting their rank from the beginning.

A human, born as a human, must die as a human.

Thus, she could declare with confidence.

“Hmph. If that guy truly transcends mortality, what’s a mate? I could even become his concubine!”

“Y-Yes? That much…?”

“That means it’s absolutely impossible!”

Only after snapping at Neria did Natrix, feeling a bit more at ease, recline on the lord’s throne.

“Ha… I’m getting tired. This is enough. Bring in the children. They don’t need these pointless procedures anyway.”

“Even so, some formality is necessary.”

Neria smiled sweetly and whispered into the air.

She was speaking to the numerous spirits guarding her surroundings.

And soon after—

Clang. Rumble…!

The heavy iron doors guarding the lord’s quarters began to open on their own. They were automatic doors crafted by the dwarven survivors who had joined the Canuta Borderland Marquis’s domain.

Rumble… Thud!

Through the open doors, four figures appeared.

Leniyar, the Sword Phantom, recently rumored to have become the new Sword Master after subjugating numerous demon realms with a single broken sword.

Aries, known as the Saintess, with the Pantheon Church proclaiming that the day the Goddess of Justice officially appoints her as an apostle is not far off, bringing hope to the people in a continent troubled by the proliferation of demon realms.

Ludmilla, who directly negotiated with the Emperor, placing Natrix in the fake role of Khan’s mate, and who was now called a Arch Mage instead of a witch.

“Ah, ahem. It’s been a while…”

Behind Ludmilla trailed a long-armed bald man like an attendant, Alejandro, who cleared his throat to announce his presence but faltered.

‘What, what is this.’

He thought it was a joyous day, with the strongest allies of their leader finally gathered in one place, and attempted to lighten the mood…

‘Damn it… Why is the atmosphere like this?’

After having the top of his head ripped off by Khan and subsequently shaving the rest, Alejandro couldn’t even wipe the cold sweat trickling down his head and trembled.

The subtle tension among the five seated individuals made his spine tingle.

“Everyone!”

At that moment, Neria’s cheerful voice broke the delicate standoff.

“Then… shall we start the discussion?”

Seeing Neria’s cheerful smile, Alejandro felt a sense of foreboding.

Acting without caution could be a death sentence.

“The discussion today is about who will take charge of the Great Forest subjugation mission under the name of Marquis Canuta— and also about a member of the Council of Truth who appeared in the Great Forest…”

Gordi Khan’s first companion and his betrayer, the lesser dragon.

“Mrs. Roswell… No, the treatment of Drake Tilly Ashanumos.”