Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

The Marquis wasn't asking if I was a demon—he was stating it as fact.

I tried to protest, but he wouldn't give me the chance.

"Of course, you won't admit it here. You might think it a trap. So just listen until I finish."

"..."

"No matter what you say, I believe you are a demon."

"..."

"That's why, even when you became a noble, you made sure no one found out. If people knew a hero like you was a demon, it would disrupt the citizens' perception."

This was the topic I'd discussed before with Amelia.

Why was I able to become a noble without 'verification'?

[Maybe the royal family knew and turned a blind eye. Back then, you were like a hero of the city.]

...So this really was the reason.

"A demon must always be the enemy of all residents, and indeed, they are. More terrifying than any monster in the labyrinth, they steal our lives away."

The Marquis's voice carried a hidden, deep anger.

"When it was said you died in the labyrinth, I was secretly glad. It was the best outcome for me, the one who must lead this country, if the demon disappeared without being revealed."

From here, I knew well what he meant.

The 'best outcome' he spoke of was soon overturned.

"But one interfered. You know who. A brazen one named Ibaekho."

The Marquis was blackmailed by Ibaekho to publicly declare that Bjorn Yandel was a 'demon,' and then the demon assimilation policy was put on the table.

It was such a massive policy that it had not yet been implemented.

"That one tore open my deepest wound."

"...Your deepest wound?"

"My son... Eltora Terserion is already dead. The body that now bears my son's name is some unknown demon."

"...!"

I was genuinely shocked.

Not because I hadn't heard the story before, but because I didn't expect him to confess it so frankly.

"You really didn't know?"

"Uh... I had no idea."

"Anyway, that one used my son's identity to threaten me. Since I couldn't deal with my son immediately, I had no choice but to yield to that threat."

So what exactly did the Marquis want to say now?

I kept listening because I didn't know.

It wasn't all something I already knew.

"The demon assimilation policy must never be realized. Even if becoming a demon wasn't their intention, if we accept them... who will relieve the grievances of those whose bodies were taken?"

For the first time in today's conversation, I felt I was seeing the Marquis's inner self.

"When you disappeared and then returned, the reason you could immediately create an excuse was this. Paradoxically, to block that one's plan, you must not be a demon."

"So you'd prepared ahead."

"Exactly. We fabricated false information behind the scenes, made it seem like you had a real infiltration mission that never existed. We prepared so thoroughly no one could suspect it was fake."

Now the mystery cleared up.

No wonder even heavyweights like Duke Kealurnus believed it without suspicion.

I never expected the whole plan had been thoroughly prepared the entire time I was gone.

"Originally, the plan was to announce you died during the mission... but you survived, and the plan failed."

Now I understood all the Marquis's intentions and clenched my fists tightly.

"So that's why... you sent me to Ice Rock?"

The Marquis nodded without any change of expression, easily confirming.

"There's no point in trying to cover it up now. Yes, that's why. We thought if you died before reclaiming your name, no problems would arise."

How could a person be so shameless?

After such an honest conversation, I felt like punching him right in the face.

But...

'I promised myself to endure.'

That day, on the cold ice, I swore not to lose control.

So.

"So... now tell me. Why say all this?"

I asked calmly.

He's no fool to lose his temper just because I saved him once.

Sure, saving him had some effect, but...

There must be a valid reason for this talk—

"Because it's confusing."

...Huh?

"You have no reason to save me. You probably wished I'd die. You're not the type trying to look good to me."

That's definitely true.

But...

"Then why did you risk yourself to save me? I couldn't understand at all. Then I realized it wasn't just me."

The Marquis looked at me and continued.

"You've saved countless people all along. But you never had a reason to save them. Thanks to that, I was able to conclude... no, finally accept this."

"What was it...?"

"That even if you are a demon, you are a person with the nature of a hero."

A hero...

Honestly, that didn't feel very real.

I just struggled to survive.

With the people around me.

"Demon or not, you are someone who will bring good to this world."

Anyway, my personal thoughts aside, I instinctively knew what would come next was the main point.

"So I offer you a proposal."

The Marquis said with shining eyes.

"Stand with us. Truly become a resident of this world and use your power to maintain balance and peace."

With such a steady buildup, that powerful and passionate voice...

There was a force in his words that could lead people.

But I knew.

People with such power must keep their minds clear.

'Damn, I almost got taken in.'

There are two kinds of people in this world.

Those who hear a 'proposal' and only imagine the good, building hopeful fantasies, and those who do the opposite.

I always want to be the latter.

Therefore—

"To ask for my power is strange. I'm already doing that enough."

I answered vaguely and demanded he reveal more cards.

"Forget all this demon nonsense you don't understand. If you want something, just say it straightforwardly."

He didn't seem surprised at my request.

Just laughed as if he expected it and calmly continued.

"Ha, of course I have desires."

"Then speak."

"Even if you hold my hand now, there is no proof to trust you. I need proof."

Wait, when did he conclude I was a 'good demon'?

He flips sides so easily, it's uncanny—

"Ibaekho."

The air suddenly stiffened.

"Kill that one who only seeks to disturb this world's balance."

So that was the real purpose.

"Then I could trust you fully."

No surprise.

This guy wouldn't be that easy just because I saved him once.

After a brief silence, the Marquis added, as if persuading me.

"If you're uneasy, just think of it as a deal. If you take care of Ibaekho, I will be your steadfast patron while you live in this world."

Well, if that actually happens, it'd be reassuring.

Even if I publicly call myself a demon in the city center, the Marquis would have the power to smooth things over.

But that only makes it more mysterious.

No need to mention why the Marquis wants Ibaekho dead.

"But why ask me to do such a thing?"

Why not deal with it himself and instead assign me this task?

"Because you're the only one who can."

His answer surprised me.

"To be honest, we tried countless times but all failed. It wasn't even easy to meet that one. But... maybe with you it's different. That one seems very interested in you."

"..."

"Of course, you don't have to decide now, nor tell me if you do. Just remember. The moment you bring back that one's head, you'll have nothing to worry about."

"..."

"Please make the right choice. You love this world, don't you? Unlike the other demons."

With that, the Marquis sipped his now-cold tea, and our conversation fell into a lull.

He never spoke first again, and the more time passed, the more tangled my thoughts became.

What should I say?

Or what should I ask further?

None of that mattered.

No matter what I say, his mind wouldn't change, and no answer I get would be fully trustworthy.

Just like with the lab chief I met on basement level one.

[The only way to get truth through others is to believe. So if I go on and on, it's just wasting time.]

[That's why I said it's a deal. Who I am doesn't matter. Whether you accept my proposal or not, that's your decision alone.]

The important thing is always your own judgment.

'Well, I can at least just keep this in mind...'

I figured I could treat it as a side quest.

No harm in not completing it, right?

"I'll think about your offer. Though, I'm not a demon."

Breaking the long silence, I said this, and the Marquis nodded without hesitation.

"Do as you please. But now that the favor is done, you can rest easier."

"...What do you mean? I said I'd think about it."

"I don't sleep well without certainty."

"Oh, you mean about the District 7 °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° construction—"

"That's not what I meant."

The Marquis shrugged and added:

"I offered the right path. That was my repayment for you saving me."

"..."

"I don't know if you'll believe it."

Tch, he really has a knack for making people feel uneasy until the end.

"...I'll be going now."

"Wouldn't you like to have a meal? It feels awkward to let you leave just like this."

"I'm not very hungry today."

I felt like my head would explode if I ate with the Marquis now, so I fled the mansion.

Then, riding the carriage the Marquis lent me, I headed to the military station and closed my eyes.

It had been a mentally exhausting day.

Rumble, rumble...

The carriage wheels rolled softly.

As I tried to clear my mind, drowsiness quickly crept in—

"Brother."

...Huh?

What was that? An auditory hallucination?

"Why did you save the Marquis back then?"

That clear voice made me snap awake, staring out the window.

"Trying to be friends with the Marquis?"

Ah, damn, that startled me.

Why the hell is this guy here?