The boss told me that day: «If you want my position, become stronger, warrior. And show that you are worthy. I will watch over you».
If I proved myself worthy, he would hand me the position. So how should I prove it? I didn't bother to ask, because to the barbarians I knew, it was only one thing.
«Wait, let's go somewhere else!»
«...You really are a wise warrior.»
The battle that almost occurred inside was moved to an open field by my insight.
«¡Behell-aaaaaahhhhh!»
«¡Behell-aaaaaahhhhh!»
The battle began when each of us charged at the other with a scream.
¡Bannggg!
The chief wielded the ax that decapitated Oreum, son of Kadua mercilessly and I used my acquired skills to counterattack. But to talk only about the results...
«Gané».
After an hour of fighting, I was defeated. The factor in the defeat was the lack of specifications. That was because the boss and I were the same guy. If our positions were completely different there would have continued to be variables, but since he surpassed me only in strength, there were no surprises until the end.
As expected, I'm not ready yet.
I accepted defeat with elegance. Of course, the outcome could have been different if it hadn't been a training match. In sparring you could not spray Acid Fluid into the opponent's eyes or talk nonsense to confuse them before launching a surprise attack. In fact, in ground combat, when my hands and feet were tied, I didn't tear off his neck with my teeth. In short, it was a fight in which the last shots were sealed. So how was the verification?
«You're still missing», the boss told me. «If you want my position, become stronger».
Wow, I thought the limit was the sixth floor. Hadn't it arrived yet? I was sure he wouldn't refuse to give me the position of chieftain unless I defeated him...
«To the point that you can't defeat even an old man like me.»
Oh, tal take era asi.
Winning against an eighth floor scout... It will take a little longer.
I let go of my impatience. This was also one of the strong points of the barbarians. Even if he didn't succeed, there was nothing to lose. Rather, there was much to gain. Although my body was beaten to the point that I had to drink a few bottles of potion as soon as the match was over, I still caught up a lot. It was different from the time I passed out with a single punch. The battle lasted almost an hour.
The number of his essences that I know for sure is six.
I confirmed the boss's essences several times. Not only that, I also learned his fighting habits to some extent. Next time, I'll be able to face him much easier.
Barbarians are good fighters.
I would have to fight him a little more to learn from experience, but through this battle I was able to naturally learn the senses of the chieftain who was once a warrior who reached the eighth floor.
«He fought the chief for an hour!»
«Look! That stingy boss is eating a potion!»
«It may seem normal on the outside but its interior will not be. Unsurprisingly, Bjorn, son of Yandel, is a great warrior!»
Also, when the sparring ended, my fellow barbarians filling the place didn't seem particularly disappointed by my defeat either. Well, I was only in my first year yet.
«I thought it would take at least five more years».
«Hmm, maybe the chief of the tribe will change much sooner».
Even the elders nodded in satisfaction. I may have lost, but I have gained a lot. On the other hand, the boss didn't win anything.
Yeah, so I think you can say I won.
As I won a mental battle, my motivation returned. Soon, I stood up and stared at the chief. He seemed curious about what I meant after being quiet the entire time. «Are you desperate?»
«Of course not». I chuckled and said, «Again».
It wasn't common to face an opponent with nothing to worry about, right?
***
I fought the chief a total of three times and they all ended in my defeat. However, as the number of fights increased, the sparring time became longer. This was thanks to Hansu Lee's strength, not Bjorn's. I was good at self-feedback. That was because I experienced many failures in my life and what I desperately searched for each time was the reason for the failure. Finding the reason was my specialty.
I definitely knew a lot of little techniques from experience.
The differences between the boss and me were not just the statistics, but our skills as warriors, judgment based on experience and instinctive intuition that captured the opponent's weakness like a ghost, even in a battle in which thoughts first and The reaction then led to delayed actions. These were all things I had to learn. It was not efficient to settle for the role of meat shield now that I had even eaten the essence of an Ogre.
He had to be able to fight better. It was also the way to protect my comrades.
If my allies are in danger, I just have to get rid of the enemies so they are no longer in danger.
That was my destiny, the new destiny of a tank that I had to head towards from now on.
«...It seems like you've realized something».
«Oh, thanks. I have learned a lot».
«Haha, that's what the chief of the tribe does!»
What was this man talking about? It didn't seem like it, but it was really weak for compliments. «Can I come back next time?»
«Whenever you want.»
The sunset was slowly approaching. After my fight with the tribe chief was completely over, all the barbarians who had enjoyed the good entertainment dispersed to do their own things.
«¡Bjorn! ¡¿Go home?!»
«Not immediately. I plan to take a look for a while».
«Really? I can go with you?»
There's no reason you can't.
After the fight, I moved with Ainar. There was no exact destination. We simply walked non-stop in the opposite direction to the city wall.
«I haven't been here in a while».
As we left the camping area, we were greeted by a thick, messy forest, the same forest through which the souls of countless warriors would run, including the old man who performed the Soul Succession ritual to Ainar. But I kept walking.
«If you go that way, there is nothing but the barrier. Why are you going there?»
«Suddenly I was curious about that barrier».
After increasing my speed and walking for an hour, I soon reached the desired point.
Tap.
An invisible wall appeared, as if this was as far as I was allowed to go. Beyond, the forest continued.
When I hit the wall with the back of my hand, Ainar jumped up and stopped me. «Hey! Bjorn! W-what are you doing?! If the protective barrier breaks it will be a big problem!»
True, this is a world where everyone dies without a barrier. Yes, that's how it's known, at least.
This was a question that arose after visiting Bifron. Was the outside world really in the state the palace said it was in?
«Hehehe, warrior, how long». When I turned to the presence behind me, I saw a barbarian old man with a blindfold over his eyes.
«¡Chamán!»
«Yes, it's been time for you too. Ainar, second daughter of Fenelin».
I was always fascinated. How could he orient himself so well without eyes?
«What are you doing here? Few warriors reach such depths».
«I only came because I was bored. And you? What are you doing here?»
«Hehe, what else can a shaman do in the forest?». Saying that, the shaman showed me his hands, which were smeared with white powder. Looking at it again, it was bone dust, and human, not animal.
«They were holding a funeral». When the corpses left in the forest turned into bones, the shaman crushed them into fine pieces and scattered them throughout the vast forest as the last funeral procedure.
«Today it was Kiduba, Tohar's third son?».
«He has a long way to go to be returned to the forest». Simply put, it meant that the old man acting as Ainar's master had to wait longer to turn into bones.
«...Ya veo.»
«I'm going back now, why don't you come with me?», the shaman asked us.
I replied that I would return later.
«Really? If that's what you want». The shaman turned around without hesitation. «Everything comes with an order. Guerrero, it is not yet time to ask what lies beyond».
Leaving behind a peculiar message, he left.
***
«Haha, now that I think about it, we haven't been alone together in a while».
«¿Sí?»
«Why don't we do a round after so long? These days you don't go out with me because you're recovering».
Oh, he meant sparring. It seemed that my previous fight with the chief had awakened a will to win in this boy as well... these barbarians.
«Not today, let's do it tomorrow.»
«Okay. You probably already know this, but I'm pretty patient.»
Clear.
I nodded half-heartedly and began to observe the protective barrier again. Perhaps from the words the shaman left, something seemed strange to me. But there was nothing I could find out.
Ha... If he had been a wizard instead of a barbarian, would he have been able to learn anything?
In the end, I turned around without any benefit. There was quite a distance between the protective barrier and the castle wall, but the return trip was not boring. After all, Ainar was a charlatan. He especially liked the barbarian talk, talking about the team, who fought with whom and won, where he had crude and cool backpacks lately.
«Oh, have you heard? Kharon will be a father soon».
«What?» I was really surprised. «How? Didn't you ever mention it in the maze?»
«Haha, it looks like he's been meeting women since he walked into the third floor. Oh, and I only found out about the pregnancy from the woman a few days ago, so she probably didn't have time to tell you».
Ainar then explained the circumstances in detail. The woman was one of the tribe's warriors. It was to be expected. Humans could not give birth to barbarians. Mixed races were not impossible, but in the end a human child was born. The barbarians preferred their own people first. Their standards of attractiveness of the opposite sex were different from those of the other races.
And most importantly, there are no ideological problems with pregnancy.
In human society, getting married and having children was the correct procedure, but that did not exist in barbarian society. The woman considered giving birth to a child a source of great pride. Not only that, there were also practical benefits. It was small compared to humans, but the palace gave them two years of tax relief.
And the pregnancy period itself was short.
Each person was different, but it took an average of four months to give birth and recovery time was also very fast. Perhaps this was the reason why barbarian women tolerated childbirth so well. It was a little harsh to say this, but childbirth was not just a noble process. Pride or not, it could only lead to a low birth rate if the economic aspects were not resolved.
«Come to think of it, what are your thoughts, Bjorn?»
«… ¿Eh?»
«Children. I heard that the tribe's warriors have also had their eye on you...»
Oh, so that's what «they have their eyes on me» meant. No wonder they kept putting pressure on my body here and there and complimenting it. I really thought they were flattering my muscles and I flexed them as hard as I could.
«I don't want anything yet».
«Oh why? It's not my place to say it, but we're on the late side. There are warriors who graduated later than us who have already given birth».
Was it because it was the first time I had this kind of conversation? For some reason I was starting to feel afraid for the first time since I entered this body of the race that were the barbarians.
As I trembled secretly, trying not to be noticed, Ainar spoke as if he had noticed something. «Ah! Is it because of Missha? Don't worry. Missha will understand. We are barbarians! She can only give birth to beast people». For some reason, Ainar seemed like a different person at the time. To think that she would say she preferred cats over Mr. Bear and yet have these thoughts in her head.
«I'm fine. And you?» I changed the subject out of discomfort. Speaking in Wuxia terms, it was the method of using the opponent's power to attack another enemy.
«I?» However, when the arrow turned towards her, Ainar could not hide his bewilderment. The reason was simple. «N-I can't, even if I want to. What warrior would like a woman as small as me?».
Oh, damn those canons of beauty. Unintentionally, I ended up putting Ainar where it hurt the most.
But the moment I was about to apologize for it, she said: «And now I don't want to either».
¿Eh?
«Of course! The more time I spend with you, the younger and unmanly the other barbarians seem!» ainar shouted almost exasperated.
I was also perplexed and suggested that he look for a compatriot who had accumulated years of seniority. But he received an unexpected response.
«I don't like older men!».
He doesn't like older people, and people our age feel too young...
It could only be an annoying pleasure, but to be honest, it was a positive thing for me. If she suddenly became pregnant and couldn't enter the maze for a few months, those aftermath would affect me too.
Wait, how did the conversation end like this?
Twenty-nine-year-old Hansu Lee aged another year in this place and became thirty.
«Anyway, let me know when you do! I'll introduce you to a good warrior».
These types of conversations were still heavy.
***
Two days later, after having breakfast and sparring with Ainar as a warm-up, I set off on my own. I guess I couldn't call him alone.
«You have reached your destination. The store has been registered, but be careful in any case». He was already accustomed to the faithful escort of knights.
«Well, thanks». Quickly thanking them for their work, I got out of the carriage and entered the meeting place. It was a cafe I had visited about three times so far.
«Oh, Mr. Yandel! Here here!» Shavin Emoor, the grade 7 administrator, was perched in the corner and waved at me. Next to him sat the librarian Ragna, in silence. When I sat down with them, all the members of the usual gathering of friends were already there.
«First of all, thank you for coming. After you received the title of Baron, I contemplated asking you to come».
«You worry about strange things».
«That's right, Shavin. Do you think this man will change now that he is a nobleman?». Ragna sipped tea while speaking with an air of superiority. This time, he was right. He had no intention of showing off his title wherever he went.
Yeah, so the title of Baron isn't particularly difficult for you, is it?
That casual behavior showed me that I was part of a very prestigious family. Well, I didn't know exactly what family it was. Seeing that she didn't act differently even with the knights scattered around me made me more curious. Who could it be?
I looked back at Shavin. Unlike Ragna, she looked at the knights out of the corner of her eye. It must have been uncomfortable.
Let's get straight to the point.
«So what's your business today?»
«Huh, since when do we only meet for business?»
«You have a habit of wrinkling your nose when you lie.»
«Hey? Oh really? I never knew.»
Of course you didn't know.
«Mentí.»
«¡Ah...!»
Seeing Shavin's dumbfounded expression, Ragna giggled. «This is really strange to see».
«Maybe for you. This is nothing to barbarians». Actually, regardless of gender, if I started acting like a serious barbarian, most people would make that face. «Anyway, what? Hurry up and tell me your business».
When I resumed the conversation, Shavin came to and brought it up. «I want to entrust Baron Yandel with a job on behalf of the administrative office».
Hmm, a part-time job? It's not that I didn't have money now, but you never had enough in this world.
«Tell me, what kind of commission is it?»
You should listen to it first.