Bjorn Yandel the Barbarian

Chapter 662: Companionship (1)

A witch’s curse that covered this world in ancient times.

To put it briefly, this curse is similar to ‘radioactivity’.

After the curse, the entire continent turned into a land of death where no life can live, and only Lapdonia It is known to the world that

the disaster was able to be avoided…

However, there was no witch’s curse outside the castle walls…

No, to be exact, there was no witch’s curse as we knew…

[It’s really fine outside now… Plants are growing and close by. When you get closer, you can see insects eating blades of grass, as well as wild animals…] Like

a post by a Noark player on the Ghostbusters bulletin board…

Outside the castle walls was not a land full of death…

‘Well, it’s not like it’s in a perfect state. It’s the same, but…’

Standing on the edge of a cliff, I look at the gray world unfolding in front of me…

Everything was gray, but only the sun rising in the distance shines red, creating a strange atmosphere…

“… The world has never been better…”

GM said As I muttered, it was a world that seemed certain to be destroyed…

But the more it happened, the more doubts grew…

That’s because there wasn’t a single truth in what the royal family said…

‘Radiation is shit…’

There was no poison scattered in the air. ·

There was just a world that was destroyed in another way ·

Of course, I can’t even guess why the royal family hid this fact—·

“I think I know why the royal family distorted the truth·”

“Huh?”

The GM lowers the telescope he didn’t know when he took it out and continues.

“How can they tell the residents within the walls that this world is approaching destruction?” “

What do you mean?”

“Look down there…”

The point the GM pointed to was the border where the gray waves met the land. “

It’s so slow that it’s hard to tell with the naked eye, but that area is expanding little by little…” He

then put the telescope he was given to his eyes. When we check the spot, we see that erosion is slowly progressing along the boundary line…

“The problem is… I don’t think it’s just this side…”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Didn’t those who went outside the walls first return to the city? Surely it wouldn’t have been any different if it was on the other side…” “

But is there any reason to come back to the city? If what you say is true, the city will be destroyed first, right?”

“Well, isn’t it true that you know information that we don’t know? Hmm, maybe even if that erosion progresses, it may not be able to break through the protective magic circle…”

After listening to the story, it was an unorthodox guess that wasn’t wizard-like…

But…

‘I’m sure it’s not wrong…’

Actually, those Noark guys. invaded the city…

This means that there is a means to survive within Lapdonia…

I don’t know what exactly it is yet…

‘I’ll have to find out the rest by exploring it myself…’

In that sense, from now on, I will go down to the coast with the GM and We conducted that kind of investigation…

Unfortunately, we didn’t find out much…

But let’s at least summarize it…

Boom!

First of all, that erosion zone is literally the land of death.

The moment an object or anything else touches it, it loses its color and hardens like a stone.

For reference, I haven’t tested it on people.

I wonder if it will hold up if the resistance power is high, but I have the courage to really experiment. There is no…

Anyway…

“A corpse…”

The second thing is that a skeleton was found in a cave found while looking around the coast. It

seems like at least several years have passed, but even after searching the surrounding area, nothing more could be found…

Finally, the third and most important one:

“At this rate, it will take about 10 years to reach the outer wall of District 10.”

Assuming that erosion proceeds at the same rate, it was calculated that it would reach the city in 10 years. Well,

the protective magic circle surrounding the city. If this erosion can be prevented, there won’t be any problem.

“Let’s stop searching and go back.”

“Are you going back at all?”

“I can’t hold on forever, so shouldn’t you go home now?”

As I said this with a grin, the GM’s eyes widened.

Should I say he looked like he couldn’t believe I was saying something so normal?

“Why don’t you want to go—·”

“No! let’s go! hurry!”

They’re happy to the point of being sad…

I thought we’ve become a bit closer now…

“Okay, let’s go…”

After that, we left the beach and moved towards the castle wall, chatting…

“Habellion… But isn’t it a bit strange?”

“What do you mean?”

“This fact is not yet known… From the top of the walls of District 10, you could have seen the world turned upside down… I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such a ghost story…” “Perhaps… the

Baron is on the walls of the castle? Have you never been there before?”

“Have you been there?”

When I told him about the experience of climbing Bifron’s castle wall and appreciating the vast expanse of nature, the GM nodded in understanding.

“That’s because Bifron is a unique case. Other castle walls have illusion magic, but Bifron is the only one in the city.” I understand that there is something wrong with that magic…”

“…Oh really?”

“It is natural for you not to know this as it is something that cannot be known from the outside… Oh, by the way, the soldiers and knights who worked on the walls of Bifron said they thought that the nature outside the walls was caused by illusion magic…” This is

the first time I have heard of such a story.

He is clearly a high-ranking wizard and has lived there for some time, so he knows a lot…

“But… isn’t the same thing with illusion magic in sacred places?”

Oh, that’s

right… “That’s true, but I didn’t know the castle wall was in that condition…”

The sacred site is located outside the castle wall.

History books say that the royal family respected different races and gave them independent land where they could live, but in reality, it is discrimination. It’s ostracism…

Just looking at the invasion of District 7 this time, isn’t it true… As

soon as Noark activated the magic circle created by the royal family a long time ago, the Holy Land was completely cut off from the city and isolated—·

‘My thoughts went astray…’

Anyway, all the way to the Holy Land. As you walk, you come to a section where you can’t go any further because you’re blocked by an invisible wall…

At that time, there was a forest beyond…

[There’s an order to everything…]

[····]

[Warrior, you’re still beyond that… [It is not the time to wonder]

If you think about it, the shaman said a very meaningful line at that time. What would it be like?

We have grown so much that we can’t compare to then…

Is it now time to wonder about what’s outside the castle walls?

“Well… you might have thought that only the castle was a special case… First of all, it is known that the illusion magic was applied nominally out of consideration for other races…” “Still, I suddenly

become curious… What is it actually like…”

“Yes… ?”

“Since you mentioned it, I have to check it out… I’m passing by anyway…”

As I was leaving, I slightly changed my route and took the route that goes closer to the castle wall.

“The entire area around the castle wall is forested, so it’s very inconvenient…”

“Stop complaining and move on quickly. ·”

As I patted and led the GM, who wanted to go home quickly, I was soon able to arrive at one of the six sacred sites that exist in Lapdonia. ·

Tuk ·

A transparent curtain blocking the road as if no further access was allowed ·

9 It is a sacred place for fairies located in the district.

It wasn’t difficult to look in from the outside…

‘…I can only see a forest…’

As it was the outermost border of the sacred place, it was impossible to see the living environment of the fairies or the cityscape, but it was still a bit. It was amazing…

‘It’s so big…’

The tree was so huge and neat that it couldn’t be compared to the Barbarian’s Holy Land…

As if it had been carefully maintained for thousands of years…

“… “But are you going to just wait like this?”

As I was looking inside with interest, the GM started to notice…

And surprisingly, at that moment…

“···Huh?”

I think I saw something moving beyond the barrier…

“Wait a minute…”

“···Yes?”

“Quietly…”

He soon silenced the GM and stared into the forest, and a fairy was seen emerging from the bushes. A silver-

haired male fairy with a youthful face who could have been a minor or just an adult.

“He’s coming this way.”

A fairy slowly approaches our direction…

“Can you see it…?”

Because the direction was so precise, I suddenly had that thought, but it actually seemed unlikely. That’s

because if I saw someone outside the barrier, I wouldn’t have looked so calm…

Sigh. Soon,

the fairy who arrived in front of the barrier stretched out her hand and caressed the invisible wall. He sweeps it away as if he is touching it…

And he mutters something…

“····”

Because of the barrier, his voice was not heard…

But perhaps the GM also had a talent for lip-reading…

“They say it’s stuffy…”

“··· He speaks with his eyes. “Can you understand?”

“It’s a trick I’ve learned over the course of my life. It wasn’t even that difficult of a word…”

The GM smiled humbly, but I was really surprised.

That’s because we come from players.

There are no problems speaking and listening, and reading lips to understand what’s being said is. It was a different kind of story·

“Oh, now I muttered to myself, ‘I wonder what’s out there…’·”

Thanks to the interpretation of what I said from the side, I understood why the fairy was making that expression·

“Curiosity is human. This is the greatest desire I have… Maybe one day that boy will make a name for himself…”

“When did you say you only question what you can handle?”

“Yes, that’s why I said it’s great… Because people like me are just curious…” I guess he’s

not a wizard, so he speaks well…

“In that sense, if the Baron’s curiosity has been satisfied, why don’t you start moving again? “Isn’t it?”

“Okay, let’s go…” I

laughed at the GM’s request for a moment…

I checked the silver-haired fairy beyond the barrier one last time and then turned my back…

‘Sseu-eup’s face seems a little familiar…’ Well,

it’s meant to be. If we have, we’ll meet again someday.

***

As always, the way back was the reverse of the way we came.

However, unlike when we came back, we didn’t stop talking about small things, perhaps thanks to the few days we spent wandering around unfamiliar places and building rapport.

He also doesn’t find me that difficult anymore. Should I sweeten it?

“And what about you, Baron? I heard a lot of rumors in the city…”

“They’re all just rumors…”

“Hmm, from what I heard, only one of them was real…” ”

…You’re feeling very comfortable, aren’t you?’

“Haha… I’m sorry for my sin…”

Beyond making light conversation, he also asked personal questions that he must have been curious about…

“What is your goal, Baron?”

“Are you starting a fight?”

“It’s not that, I’m just asking because I’m really curious… Haven’t you always been busy and ahead of risky tasks…”

“···Nothing·”

“Yes?”

“It means there has never been a grand goal… To survive with me and my people… That’s all I have as a goal.”

Of course, the world is a give and take thing.

As he answered honestly about me, I also asked him personal questions. He continued to throw:

“Then what is your goal?”

“You mean me?”

“Yeah, since you’re asking me that, it seems like you have a clear goal…”

“I…”

When asked about the goal, the GM seemed to hesitate slightly, but then slowly continued, “

I’m sure… someday.” “There is someone I really want to meet again…”

If I were to interpret it as a fellow player, the goal is to return to the original world, and the motivation is ‘someone’…

‘Maybe it’s family…?’

I don’t know, but I nodded, pretending not to know…

“That’s right… I don’t know who it is, but I hope we can meet again…”

“… Thank you…”

“Cheer up…”

The GM immediately gave me a pat on the shoulder as a sign of support. Even though he runs away from me, he laughs as if it’s funny…

And…

“If you leave out the incomprehensible ‘cultural differences’… Baron Yandel seems like a really nice person…”

He says something that I don’t know if it’s a compliment or a sarcasm…

Well. It’s not that I don’t understand it…

Even the locals are crazy about it, so how strange will I look in the player’s eyes?

‘Still, it’s a bit unfair…’

Do you think it would have been different if they started as barbarians?

If it were 100, he would have acted the same as me…

Perhaps…

“Then let’s just rest here for the night…”

“Yes… Okay…”

After it got reasonably dark, I laid down a blanket in an empty space with few trees. ·

‘At this rate, I’ll be able to return to the city before tomorrow evening·’

As I closed my eyes and checked tomorrow’s schedule one more time, a sentimental voice suddenly came from next to me·

“I mean the sky·”

“···?”

“The sky is the same in any world…”

In fact, it was a feeling I often felt while camping. If I

just lie down at night and look at the sky, I don’t know where I am.

However, as I said it, I guess I missed it, so the GM didn’t ask for an additional explanation. Add:

“Ah, whether it’s inside or outside the castle walls…”

“Yeah, it’s really no different…”

“····”

The time continued for a while as I looked up at the sky in silence…

Was it because I was stuck in the magic tower on a fake day?

He was sleeping outside like this, and in the process, it seemed like he was somehow reminiscing about old times… This must have been his daily routine when he was in and out of the labyrinth…

“Baron…”

“Why are you calling me?”

“Weren’t you curious about the school I first joined?”

“That’s right… I couldn’t ask you in detail because I drew a line saying I didn’t want to talk about it…”

But why did you even think about saying it now?

When I said this as if throwing a tantrum, the GM smiled bitterly but answered sharply,

“Yes, it’s not a very interesting story…”

It seemed like today was the day for him.

It’s the kind of day everyone wants to talk about.