Chapter 150 Barbarian Lord (2)

Chapter 150 Barbarian Lord (2)

Barbarian Lord (2)

Barbarian Lord (2)

Rotmiller is different from Misha and the dwarf.

As a scout, he’s observant, perceptive, and has years of experience.

Tsk, I didn’t expect him to ask so directly.

‘...It’s my karma, so I have to deal with it.’

There’s only one option that comes to mind right away.

Admitting that I’m an evil spirit and appealing to his emotions is ridiculous, so I have no choice but to act outraged and smash his head in.

But...

‘No matter how I think about it, it’s strange.’

It’s not just that his judgment is clouded by emotions.

I know Rotmiller well. If he truly thought I was an evil spirit, he wouldn’t be having this conversation with me.

To put it simply, he’s like a herbivore.

In other words, it means that even Rotmiller isn’t certain about his words.

And besides, I don’t feel any malice from him.

I quickly decide on my position.

‘As expected, it’s best to deny it and observe the situation.’

Of course, I’m not going to make excuses and beg him to believe me.

That’s not the way of a manly barbarian.

I break the 3-second silence and speak coldly,

“Rotmiller, I hope there’s another reason why you’re insulting me.”

It’s like saying that I’m giving him a chance to explain because he’s my precious companion.

Actually, it’s not even a lie.

If it weren’t for Rotmiller, my fist would have already been flying towards his head.

However, he just chuckles.

“You probably thought I was genuinely angry. If I didn’t know you well.”

“What?”

“Oaths, honor, and such. You’re not someone who’s bound by empty formalities. You’re not impatient enough to be swayed by emotions.”

Rotmiller knows me too well to be fooled by acting. And even the warrior’s oath, which used to be a cheat code, won’t work.

Therefore, I also slightly change my position.

“...Even I would feel offended if I heard that from a companion.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Rotmiller shrugs and finishes his drink.

The atmosphere has softened considerably compared to before.

“But you’re so unique.”

Rotmiller continues.

A barbarian who reads books.

A barbarian who’s not swayed by emotions.

A practical barbarian who values practicality over honor. Most of it could be brushed off as him being extraordinary.

Except for one thing.

A barbarian who knows information that a warrior with less than a year of experience could never know.

“Back then, in the labyrinth, you said you heard a revelation.”

After returning to the Tower of Heaven, I told my curious companions that I heard a revelation from Behella, the ancestor god.

After all, it’s a world where gods exist.

Misha and the dwarf just accepted it.

Even Rotmiller, who I was worried about, didn’t say anything, so I thought I had gotten away with it.

But...

“Who would believe something like that? I didn’t believe it either. That’s why I thought you might be an evil spirit.”

Right, so he was thinking this behind my back.

Well, if you assume I’m an evil spirit, everything would make sense.

In the first place, that was the truth.

However, the situation is very positive.

“So you’re saying you don’t think so now?”

Rotmiller nods without hesitation at my question and continues,

“The book I read described evil spirits as beings who see everyone in the world as puppets. But you weren’t like that.”

Although he placed little value on honor, he cared for his tribe enough to give advice and guide the young warriors.

He felt a sense of loss and anger at the death of his companion.

It’s something an ordinary evil spirit would never do.

The path I’ve walked has become a shield that protects me, without any need for clumsy excuses.

Well, it seems like there was another factor that completely dispelled Rotmiller’s suspicion.

“And besides, the Goddess of Stars gave you an oracle, didn’t she? How could I possibly doubt you after seeing that with my own eyes?”

The oracle given by Leathlas, the Goddess of Stars.

Although I grumbled about the vine breaking after just one day, it really was a stroke of luck.

“It made me realize how narrow-minded I was. The reason I thought you were an evil spirit was because I was looking at you with the eyes of a criminal.”

No, but he was right...

I suppress my twitching conscience and continue listening to Rotmiller.

“There are definitely people in this world who are loved by the gods. And history called them heroes.”

“...That’s a bit much.”

“Huhu, I knew you would say that. You have a tendency to underestimate yourself. But at least I truly believe that.”

I’m speechless at Rotmiller’s sudden barrage of compliments.

It would be ridiculous to just agree, wouldn’t it?

I push aside my awkwardness and ask the last thing I’m curious about.

“I’m here to find an item.”

I say that and hand the document I prepared to the employee.

Heart of Immortality.

It’s a material that can be obtained with an extremely low probability from troll byproducts acquired through the ‘Distortion’ spell.

Although it’s expensive, it’s much more profitable to just buy it if you have enough money. It’s an item that even those who specialize in hunting trolls would only obtain once every few months.

“There’s one item that matches your criteria. Would you like to see the information?”

I pay 3,000 stones for the search fee and check the price. It’s 18 million stones.

Phew, it’s 1 million stones more expensive than last time.

“...I’ll buy it.”

Although it’s a bit disappointing, I buy it without hesitation.

It’s an item that’s so rare that there’s only one listed in the entire exchange. There’s no guarantee when it will be available again if this one is sold.

‘If the 6th stage is this expensive, I’ll practically have to obtain the materials myself from the 7th stage onwards.’

With that thought, I arrive at the item storage and check the item for any defects before receiving it.

With this, my goal for today is complete.

And now it’s Misha’s turn.

“Let’s change your sword this time.”

“...Is that why you brought me here?”

Misha looks at me as if asking why I’m deciding for her, but she doesn’t object strongly.

It’s not strange.

She must be starting to feel the limits of steel.

“Our goal for the new team is to reach the 6th floor, so don’t worry about saving money.”

“...If I find something I like.”

We look for a suitable item while considering Misha’s opinion since it’s a weapon she’ll be using.

It takes longer than expected.

We agreed on buying an Iril longsword, which is a 3rd-tier alloy made by mixing mithril and steel, but the problem is choosing the design.

“Ah, I told you we’re not choosing based on looks!”

“Right, let’s go with that. Anyway, just pick one quickly. For reference, I like this one.”

“Ugh, as expected of a barbarian. You really think anything heavy is good enough, don’t you?”

Although she grumbles, Misha chooses carefully.

The weight distribution, reach, and such are also important, right? I’m quite surprised as she even rattles off the names of famous blacksmiths.

She’s an explorer too.

“Wow, I can’t believe the day would come when I’m using a sword that costs 12 million stones...”

“We could have saved 4 million stones if we skipped the enchantment.”

“But if we’re going to buy one, we should buy a good one! I’m going to use it for the rest of my life!”

Misha hugs the sword as if it’s a baby after receiving it from the storage.

And she mutters with determination,

“Ugh, I really need to save the rest of the money...”

I tilt my head.

“Why would you save money? Use all the remaining money to buy ‘Beast’s Blood’ after leaving enough for necessities.”

“...Huh?”

If barbarians have Spirit Engravings, beastmen have Spirit Beasts. Spirit Beasts grow over time, but if you feed them ‘Beast’s Blood’, that time is shortened.

“Didn’t I tell you not to worry about saving money?”

“...Is it really okay to spend it all like this?”

“It’s not just spending, it’s an investment for the future.”

Misha also said that it would be better to just buy essences, but I don’t think that’s very rational. Most essences above 5th grade cost tens of millions of stones.

And there’s no need to buy anything below that.

“You haven’t even unlocked your Spirit Beast’s abilities yet. I think it’s best to focus on that for now.”

In the end, Misha uses all her remaining assets to buy ‘Beast’s Blood’ after setting aside her emergency funds, convinced by my strong persuasion.

She said she’ll drink it when we get home...

...and we’ll find out tomorrow if any of the abilities are activated.

“Then let’s go back.”

We return to the residential district after several hours of spending money.

It’s around 8:00 PM.

The sun is setting, and dusk is approaching.

‘I’ll go to the sanctuary tomorrow morning and get the Spirit Engraving, and that’s one thing done...’

I organize the things I need to do before the next labyrinth opens.

There are three things left.

1. Meet the Dragonkin and return Dragonslayer.

2. Obtain information about Orculus and Noark.

3. Form a new team.

Ah, come to think of it, I haven’t asked her about this.

I ask her right away since it came to mind.

“Misha, do you have any preferences when it comes to finding companions?”

I’ve roughly decided on the composition for the remaining three spots, but I need to hear Misha’s opinion as well.

After all, she’s a founding member...

...and she has much more experience as an explorer than I do.

I figure I might be able to get some advice on things I haven’t even considered.

“Uh...”

Misha contemplates seriously and then speaks cautiously,

“That... I, I’d prefer if there were no fairies.”

It’s an unexpected request.