The moment the future marquis' body leaned towards Bjorn Yandel, a man watching the situation from afar smiled satisfied.
The rumors were true.
Not even the word «ruffian» was enough to describe that guy. To think that he would play such a trick in front of the prime minister.
No, maybe he thinks the prime minister and other nobles won't blame him.
Hmm, it was understandable if you looked closely. Between a nobleman who will soon be a marquis and a barbarian explorer who has just received the title of Baron, the difference was all too clear. Due to the nature of the unique aristocratic society, the most blatant harassment had been common, and had been implicitly tolerated. It was a kind of domestication process.
It must be admitted that it is daring.
The future marquis was not a gentleman. He had taken some essences just to get an intimidating appearance. Engage in a hand-to-hand fight against the explorer who was known to have defeated the Corpse Collector...
Ah, now that I think about it, he's hurt, right?
Late, the man remembered that Bjorn Yandel was suffering the aftermath of the previous battle. Apparently, the poison had even infiltrated his brain. They said that at the last thanksgiving party sweat dripped just from walking. That's probably why the marquis would try something like that.
...It's just going to ruin my mood.
At the future that came to mind, the man frowned. Malice hidden behind the splendor of nobility, a hero suffering humiliation in front of everyone, was not a sight he wanted to see on his first outing in a long time.
«¿Eh?»
The man tilted his head due to a completely unexpected result. The barbarian's body did not move despite the future marquis' dirty trick.
Has anything already been recovered? That's good.
Just as he thought this, the barbarian's shoulder muscles, which could not be hidden with clothes made of cotton, twitched.
«Aaagh!» Just then, the future marquis fell backwards as a rebound reaction. Even the music stopped and there was silence. I couldn't understand it at all.
...Did you just push the bastard marquis?!
It was an act he would never have done if he remembered the consequences. For some reason, other people's shame took over the man and he felt a little dizzy. He was glad that the barbarian's condition had improved enough to not be subject to creeping manipulations.
I should have pretended I didn't know.
If it had been him, I would have said: «Haha, have my legs failed me? He should exercise more», and get the marquis back later. So there was no risk. You could say he acted like a barbarian.
If it were really him, it wouldn't have turned out like that.
So was he a native barbarian as suspected? The man was disappointed, but remained attentive to the situation. Still, you never knew. It could be another great painting, even if it wasn't him. After all, Bjorn Yandel was suspected of being a player due to his extraordinary growth.
Let us observe for ahour.
That's when he was focusing all his attention on those thoughts.
«Bjorn, son of Yandel». The prime minister pronounced the barbarian's name in a worried voice. He already knew the future marquis' manipulation, of course, and also how the barbarian reacted to this.
So how are you going to overcome this situation?
The man did not let go until the end and waited for the barbarian to open his mouth. It didn't take long.
Soon, the barbarian shouted as if it were unfair: «I, I did nothing wrong!». It was a protest without any logical defense, like a child making a fuss. «It's true! He was still when he used me to roll forward!».
He even shamelessly attributed responsibility to the marquis. The man felt somewhat disappointed.
«Marquis! You speak too! Tell him you just wanted to roll forward!».
He reminded people who knew Bjorn Yandel by commenting in the community that it was not possible for him to be a player. Only then did he understand what they meant.
Is this a modern man...?
The man's eyes turned cold as he looked at the barbarian.
***
The investiture ceremony was over. To be honest, I didn't really remember how it went. It was boring. The prime minister used all the rhetoric that existed in the world to deliver a speech and with the words: «I grant the title in the name of the king», I became a noble officer of this country. And so the banquet began.
Damn sea.
It was different from the thank you party. Then many nobles came to make friends or out of pure curiosity. Now there was no one. Including Baron Martoin, even the earl who attempted an arranged marriage only watched from afar. It was a completely different treatment from that of the marquis and the viscount, who were surrounded by many people.
It's not that I didn't understand it. The marquis had properly singled me out for this incident.
Ha... all because of some weird bastard.
Now that I had come to this, I tore the piece of meat in my hand and remembered what had happened before.
«Bjorn, son of Yandel».
How to overcome a situation in which even the prime minister looked at me with eyes of reprimand? The answer I got was this, what was always very helpful to me in difficult times, the Brainless Barbarian Mode.
«I, I didn't do anything wrong!»
Everyone who knew already knew it was the marquis' fault, anyway. I just decided to be shameless. A political line did not suit a barbarian in the first place.
«It's true! I was standing when he used me to roll forward!»
As expected, the prime minister was unable to respond.
«...Roll forward?»
Guys who only held pens on desks were like that. No matter how smart and smart they were, they were bound to have zero experience in this type of conversation.
«Marquis! You speak too! Tell him you wanted to make forward rolls!».
Even the nobles who accepted my actions as a challenge changed their attitude as the Brainless Barbarian Mode continued. They had realized that the barbarians were literally a different race than them.
«...Speak, Kariot Kudou. Is that true?»
The prime minister looked at the marquis with cold eyes and he answered scared: «Of course not, prime minister! That barbarian dared to push me without knowing his place-»
«¡High!»
Cutting him off and observing the bewildered marquis, the prime minister smiled a warm smile without saying a word. It was a tacit threat not to make this a big incident.
«Yes... that's right... correct».
In the end, the marquis had no choice but to admit that he wanted to move on. That was because the prime minister's actions also meant he was on my side. A nobleman would know.
That prime minister also worries me.
Anyway, whatever. The delivery ceremony resumed as if nothing had happened, and ended with the essence chosen two days ago being delivered to me in a luxurious box. Now yes.
Should I go home?
Sitting alone at a round table, eating meat, the desire to return home began to boil inside me.
Hmm, one more plate, then.
Making a decision, I asked the assistant at my table to bring me another plate filled to the brim with meat.
¿Hmm?
After a while, when I turned to the nearby presence, I saw a man instead of the plate of meat I was waiting for. «Haha, nice to meet you, Baron Yandel».
This was the first nobleman who approached me after thoroughly intimidating me. As soon as our eyes met, my barbaric intuition spoke. Something didn't fit.
«Soy Hans de la Casa del Barón Ifreia».
This man is dangerous.
Hans Ifreia: In short, "Hans".
«...You are more reserved than I thought.» I had no title as the youngest in the baron's family, but it still suffocated me. A Hans with aristocratic features? This was a type of Hans I had never seen before!
«I am Bjorn, son of Yandel». I planned to briefly introduce myself and leave, saying I was busy.
But just then the meat dish he had ordered in advance arrived. «Huff, huff. Here it is, Baron Yandel». Considered with my appetite today, the assistant brought mountains of meat in three different dishes.
«...Thank you.» Words of gratitude came out accidentally. But what was this?
«This... is the first time...» The manager looked at me with excited eyes. «No one had ever told me that doing this job...»
Oh, these aristocratic bastards. The manager asked me whatever I wanted without hesitation, and then stood behind me waiting.
Iba a irme.
For some reason I thought it would hurt his feelings, so I grabbed a piece of meat with one hand.
«It seems like you're still eating. If it's okay with you, can I come with you?».
If I had been an ordinary nobleman I would have willingly agreed to that request or gone around the bush to reject it, but I was a barbarian of the city. «That's a little awkward». I told him bluntly that I felt uncomfortable.
Hans I's eyes narrowed. «Hmm, you're different than what I've heard». His tone and look were somewhat peculiar.
I asked: «Different?».
«Oh please excuse me. I just thought you wouldn't be uncomfortable with something like that».
Who the hell was this bastard? This youngest member of an untitled baron family was strangely relaxed. Also, his name was Hans.
...Why did you approach me?
It seemed like he had to probe him. After thinking about it for a moment, I spoke nonchalantly. «You should have a plate. It is uncomfortable to eat alone».
«Aha, that's what you meant». Hearing my words, Hans ordered the food he wanted from the manager. That's how our moment came alone.
«Nice to meet you. I was bored being alone». I extended the hand that held the food without cleaning it. Hans hesitated for a moment before picking it up. Oh, that disgusted expression.
Ha, this makes it more suspicious.
What reason did he have for staying in this seat, even shaking my greasy hand? I opened my mouth to find out, enough so that it wasn't strange for the pieces of meat he was chewing to land on his face. «So? Hans Ifreia? I like you! Let's be friends».
Hans did not answer.
«Why, don't you want us to be friends?».
At my question, he laughed awkwardly as he removed the pieces of meat from his face one by one. «No, of course not...»
«Jaja, ¡me gusta!»
Soon the food I had ordered arrived, and we ate and chatted together. Congratulations on the title. The weather is good today. Most of it was trivial talk like that and at some point Hans stopped touching his plate. That was because the pieces of meat that came out of my mouth ended up in it.
"¿Por qué no comes?"
«...I don't feel well in my stomach».
«Hmm, it's uncomfortable to eat alone.» That meant, get your business out quickly or get lost. So how would this guy react? The answer was really simple.
«If you're uncomfortable, then I'll leave». Hans I got up from his seat without hesitation. «Have a good meal». He immediately left the table.
What was that?
Did he really just want us to be friends? The fact that he was leaving worried me even more.
***
At dusk, the sun began to set slowly. After saying goodbye to Hans, I half ran out of the palace and got into the carriage heading home. That was because I met Hans. Spending time in a place full of nobility, I had no idea what trouble I would be involved in.
Let's start with the essence first.
As soon as I left the palace, I excused myself to Keplow, who escorted me closely again, and opened the test tube jar.
Come to think of it, this is the first time I've eaten it without breaking the jar.
Corpse Golem, Orc Hero, Manticore, every circumstance was different, but in the end, I had to break the bottle to take it. Either way, it couldn't be recycled.
Whoop.
Putting the test tube in my nose and breathing deeply, the essence was absorbed by my body like smoke.
[The essence of Bayón has filtered into your soul.]
There was a reason I chose this guy in the end. In fact, right now it was more advantageous to take Vol-Herchan's essence to prepare me for auras and increase combat power, but... the difficulty of acquisition varied greatly.
Now that I have this, I can take the Earth of Immortality experience points and skip it.
Vol-Herchan was a group entity and easy to find on the field, while Bayones were difficult to even get and their field was very complicated. The team this time looked more to the future.
It's just that the characteristics of the essence are different, there is no significant difference in terms of statistics.
Furthermore, considering the effect of the upcoming Soul Imprint, this was a more reasonable choice.
[Soul Power has increased +100. Soul Regeneration has increased +30. Strength increased +25].
A sense of fullness emerged from the depths of my chest, a new sense of vitality provided by small physical statistics. When I opened my eyes after enjoying the glow, Keplow smiled and sent me words of congratulations.
Today is late, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to go to training camp.
Disappointed at not being able to immediately use the newly acquired power, I closed my eyes again. I didn't know how much time had passed like this.
Crujido.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped in the middle of the street. Had a wheel fallen?
Just as he thought that, Keplow, a human-born knight with a talent for mana other than a barbarian, shouted: «I can feel the mana from below! You have to get off n-!»
There was a huge explosion and flames surrounded us from all sides.
¡CRASHHHH!
The carriage broke into pieces in an instant.
¡Beeeep!
Through the ringing in my ears, I could hear the screams of the knights. «Murderer! The murderer is here!»
Damn everything.