Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

The royal family wants to marry me off to a noblewoman from the human tribe.

There can be many interpretations of this move.

A pure-hearted person might be happy, thinking the royal family finally favors me and wants to support me from now on...

"Lapir, I want to ask you one thing."

"Go ahead."

"Is the royal family trying to put a leash on me?"

Uncle Dragon didn't answer easily.

"Well, I don't really know about that. But... your choice will be a kind of answer from the royal family's perspective."

"If you marry a human, it means you bow down and submit..."

"And if you refuse, it's the opposite."

I started to understand why Uncle Dragon said that no matter who I marry, the marriage would inevitably be used politically.

"Lapir, is the promise from that time still valid?"

"If you mean the unconditional support and cooperation of the dragon tribe toward you, then yes. It's still valid. Oh, of course, as I said back then, if the king does not intervene."

"I see..."

"But aren't you thinking too negatively?"

"Well, I'm just used to assuming the worst first."

I'll have to think about this part more myself. So, I asked Uncle Dragon a few more questions and then ended that topic.

'I don't even know if the king intervened, nor who the marriage partner is...'

Still, having the heads-up means I can handle the royal meeting calmly without surprise.

"So if marriage is the first thing, what's the second?"

I asked Uncle Dragon about the second piece of news he hadn't told me, and heard something totally unexpected.

"The second is the sealing of the labyrinth."

"...Sealing?"

"Just as it sounds. I don't know the reason well either, but it seems the sealing of the labyrinth will be discussed at the royal meeting."

"So it's not confirmed?"

"No, formally it's just a topic for discussion, but it seems the decision has already been made internally."

"I see..."

I asked about the schedule and details of the sealing, but Uncle Dragon didn't seem to know much more.

"..."

While standing there uncomfortably lost in thought, Uncle Dragon spoke to me again.

"Since things have come this far, may I give you one more piece of advice?"

"You may anytime."

When I nodded, Uncle Dragon repeated exactly what I had said at the tribal council.

"You are the chief of the Barbarians, a baron of the Kingdom of Lapdonia, and also the master of the rapidly growing Anabada clan."

I already knew what he was about to say.

"No matter how you see yourself, you can no longer live as just one warrior."

The warriors of the sacred place.

The thousands of Viphron residents who became vassals of our clan.

And my comrades as well.

"You have countless people to be responsible for. No matter what you think or do, your marriage cannot be just yours alone."

Right now, Uncle Dragon was speaking — or rather, gently lecturing me.

"Make choices for them. Even for your own sake."

It felt like a blow to the back of my head.

From Uncle Dragon's perspective, my postponing marriage probably looked like shirking responsibility.

For nobles, political marriages were not optional.

To them, love was romanticism, and throughout time, romanticism always meant inefficiency.

"That's all I wanted to say to you. I hope you don't take it too harshly."

"Not harshly. It's not wrong."

Maybe I'm a romanticist.

Or at least less stripped of modern sentiment — though even nowadays, it happens often.

Even if it's not political marriages among conglomerates, there is a saying.

Marriage is reality.

"I hope it helps you."

"Don't worry. It already has."

I meant that sincerely.

Because now I think I know what I should do.

"What about Ravien?"

"Well, that kid doesn't come to the sacred place much these days. Honestly, I don't know what or where she's doing."

"Don't you talk often?"

"You'll understand once you have children. It's not like you can have a conversation just because you want one."

"...I see."

"At some point, unless it's necessary, conversations just stop. Ravien wasn't like that when she was younger though..."

Seeing ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Uncle Dragon grumble like that made me laugh somehow.

Is that how all parents are?

Anyway, after my talk with Uncle Dragon, I met Uncle Dragon's daughter Pen again after a long time, by his suggestion.

"You're here? Thought you'd never come."

"Knowing my situation, you say that?"

"Glad you came back alive."

"......"

Maybe because he's the one who brought me the dragon slayer's heart?

His prickly attitude has almost disappeared, replaced by warmth.

"But... don't you think I've changed?"

"Don't know."

"You grew taller, this much!"

"Oh."

Now that I think about it, I did grow a bit.

Still a little runt, though.

'Because the dragon slayer cursed me, my body's time was frozen...'

It seems that as my body recovers, the growth that had stopped before has resumed...

"Wait a bit. I'll be like big sister soon too."

"Uh..."

Wanting to be like Ravien might be a bit much.

After almost a year, I've barely grown that much, so I'd probably remain in the runt category.

Though it's a bit unfair to say that to a kid who's now healthy.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll cheer you on."

"Well, since you're here, tell me some stories."

We spent the time talking about the underground first floor expedition, and stayed overnight at the dragon temple.

The next morning, the three of us—Uncle Dragon, Pen, and I—had breakfast and left early for Karnoon in the Zodiac.

And...

'Being a noble is nice.'

I arrived a day early at the Palace of Wisdom for the royal meeting, staying in the assigned VIP room, relaxing and eating.

Well, I was trying to.

But...

Knock, knock.

As soon as I entered the palace, nobles kept visiting.

"Haha, Baron Yandel, we heard you arrived early. Care for a drink and some conversation?"

Purely social visits.

"I have a proposal for Baron Yandel. Care to listen? I assure you, it won't be a loss."

A businessman disguised as a peddler.

"They say you're looking for a marriage partner..."

Child-sellers.

And...

'What is this?'

An unidentified letter slipped through the door gap.

[Midnight, garden fountain, come quietly.]

The letter only had those three words, no sender's name.

I hesitated for a moment but...

'How can I ignore a mysterious creepy letter?'

So when midnight came, I sneaked out the window and headed to the promised place.

The fountain at the garden's labyrinth-like center.

Waiting briefly, soon the mysterious sender appeared.

"Jerome Saintred."

The count and First Royal Knight Commander, known as the Knight of Light and protector of the kingdom.

Or rather, the ancient hero who took over that body.

Dragon Knight Cornelius Brungreed.

"I didn't expect you to be the one who sent the letter."

"I thought it best to meet secretly. Fortunately, no rats followed me."

"So why did you call me?"

I asked directly, and the chief frowned.

"Do you really not know? Or are you saying you don't intend to keep your promise?"

Ah, right.

I promised to return the temple relic.

Quickly, I opened a pocket dimension and took out Karui's heart, which the chief had entrusted to me.

'I'm a bit uneasy about this... but it's a promise.'

There was no choice anyway.

If I didn't give this, who knows what drastic choice the chief would make.

"......"

After carefully examining the item and finding no issues, the chief tucked it away.

"So, is that the end of your business?"

"The most important business for now."

"You mean there's more?"

Alert and ready, I stared at the chief.

But...

"The royal meeting will discuss your marriage."

"I know."

"Then that's quick."

No matter what was said, I tried to keep a poker face.

"Preferably marry that woman. The royal family's last lifeline to you."

"Lifeline...? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Literally that. If you don't accept their offer, there's a high chance you and your comrades won't survive."

Maybe because I've lived too long as a monster,

As an ordinary barbarian, it's hard to keep up with this kind of talk.

"Please slow down and explain more carefully."

"The royal family—or rather, the chancellor—worries about your growing power. You can legally have multiple wives, and there are several women suitable for that."

Misha Kalstein, daughter of the Red Cat tribe patriarch.

Elwen, pure-blooded fairy.

And...

'Also Uncle Dragon's daughters.'

Of course, I'm no playboy and have zero intention of marrying all of them.

But to those who view marriage purely politically, that's cause for concern.

Though there's one contradiction here.

"I understand what you mean. But what does marrying a human noble have to do with it? Even if I took another wife afterward—."

"That's impossible."

"...Huh?"

I hesitated as the chief smiled.

"Under Lapdonia noble law, even titled nobles can only have one wife in some cases."

"...Ah."

Only then did I recall a law I had forgotten.

"When the wives have the same noble title..."

"You knew. Strictly speaking, it means when the spouse has a higher title... I don't know why such laws haven't changed after thousands of years."

The chief muttered some old-man remarks, but I didn't hear a word.

'Wait a minute...'

It's very rare for female nobles in Lapdonia to inherit titles.

And among those, female nobles with viscount or higher titles are even rarer...

'Is there even an unmarried female noble with a higher title than me...?'

Not that I know of.

...No, there wasn't.

At least, not when I just became a noble and was studying this.

Time always brings change.

"W-wait a minute..."

As of now, there was exactly one such person in Lapdonia.

An unmarried female noble with a higher title than mine.

"Could it be Viscountess Ragna Peprok is my marriage partner?"

"That's correct."

"......"

Viscount... Is this bastard really crazy?