Bjorn Yandel the Barbarian

Episode 566: Destination (6)

“If it’s Iblues…”

“Don’t worry. I have already confirmed that the [pagan altar] was built inside the palace.”

Actually, it’s just speculation, but I said so once.

Well, it’s a level of almost certainty, so it’s not wrong.

“…Amazing.”

“I thought so. The essence of Iblus isn’t common—”

“Other than that, the fact that you made this suggestion.”

After hearing my suggestion, the village chief didn’t say anything for a long time after that, and so the time of silence continued.

“…”

“…”

That quiet time wasn’t bad for me.

Aren’t you thrown into the situation as soon as you open your eyes? I needed some time to calm down and organize my thoughts.

‘Jerome St. Red…’

What would happen if I handed over this guy’s body to the village chief?

Although I made that suggestion, I didn’t think it through until later.

So let’s get it sorted out right now.

‘…are you okay?’

The fact that the village chief became the 1st Royal Knight Commander was quite positive.

First of all, isn’t the power of the royal family decreasing?

Also, as long as they had a secret connection, they should be able to share information or make deals behind the scenes when they need each other.

The only problem is the moral part…

‘Because he hit the back of the head first.’

None of this would have happened if he hadn’t tried to hand me over in the first place. No, maybe there was a world where the two of us joined forces to defeat the village chief.

If the village chief was really confident, he would have just beaten them all and took my body away.

[I was able to be sure by coming here. You were the one who worked in Noark decades ago under the name Iron Mask.]

Even Jerome was already convinced that I was an ‘iron mask’, so I had to come up with a way to explain it somehow, or shut him up.

That’s right, if it reaches the royal family, it will be a weakness.

“I will ask you one thing.”

When the thought reached that point, the village chief slowly opened his mouth.

“What happened after I was defeated by them?”

Yeah, I knew you’d be curious about that.

I’m still not sure if I’m telling the truth. I would have liked to make a final decision after getting a little more information.

So, I answered honestly this time.

“You will be sentenced to death. by Jerome’s hand. I hit him seven times with a sword and his head was severed.”

“That makes no sense—.”

“And one of my comrades uses the Rejuvenation Stone on me when I am dead.”

This is the scene of the future I saw.

“You have a stone of rejuvenation…?”

“Even if you don’t want to believe it, it’s the truth.”

“…”

The village chief again kept his mouth shut as if organizing his thoughts, and I waited as if to think to my heart’s content.

“If that’s true… that makes sense.”

“Which part?”

“If, as you say, I am really unable to fulfill my will, why did you offer me this?”

I was wondering about that as well.

Even though I thought of him as a shrewd guy, I opened my mouth without showing it.

“Anyway, as long as you have the Rejuvenation Stone, your goal can never be achieved.”

There are two characteristics of the stone of rebirth.

One is that the resurrection of the dead is only possible for those whose bodies remain after death…

“Because you lose your memory when the Resurrection Stone is used.”

Amnesia is second.

When using the Resurrection Stone in the game, the character loses his/her memory and various values such as intimacy accumulated during that time are reset.

Thinking back on it, it was a fucking device.

I used that precious thing to resurrect them, but the two people I saved ended up leaving the party.

“Sure… this is troublesome.”

Fortunately, the village chief seemed to know in detail about the characteristics of the ‘revival stone’. If I didn’t know, it would have taken another year to explain.

“As written on the record stone, it is certain that you will leave this place someday… but as long as the object exists, does that mean that there is a possibility that the person is someone other than you or me?”

Hearing that, I thought I was almost there.

That’s also true, because the biggest reason the village chief wanted to take my body was ‘certainty’.

My body will one day leave this hierarchy.

That’s why you can 100% escape this place if you take this body.

With one stone of resuscitation, that proposition is broken…

“So, what are you going to do?”

All that was left was the boy’s decision.

Will the variable called the stone of resuscitation take away my body? Otherwise, will he use Jerome St. Red’s body to escape to the city?

I was a little anxious to wait for an answer, so I even added an option.

“If you want to take his body, I will help.”

“You… you are a completely different person from what I have been told?”

“Well, I don’t know what you heard in your research about me, but this is self-defense. Didn’t he hit me in the back of the head first?”

“That too.”

“So what is the answer?”

I swallowed my saliva and asked, and soon the village chief answered.

“It’s a refusal.”

…Nimiral.

***

“Rejection…?”

I can’t understand at all.

I explained the reasonable reason why I should choose Jerome over me, but you rejected me? There’s no way this emotionless guy made an emotional choice…

“…what is the reason?”

“It is your very existence.”

“…what?”

It was an embarrassing answer, but I was able to understand his judgment in the explanation that followed.

“Even if I took his body, wouldn’t you know my true identity? If you go outside and talk about something, the life you barely earned will be difficult.”

He wants to get rid of witnesses.

“so?”

“So it is my judgment that it is better to kill you here and take his body.”

“…Are you stupid? I helped you and betrayed the Royal Knight Commander, and I’m talking about it?”

“You never know what people do. Paradoxically, trust is not built on belief.”

It’s ironic indeed, but in that sentence, I felt room for negotiation.

Trust is not built on belief.

Doesn’t that mean that he might accept my offer if I present him with something credible?

“So… what do you want?”

In fact, the village chief answered my question without hiding his intentions.

“Your weakness.”

“…”

“Just as you can destroy me with a single word, if I had that, I could trust you and hold your hand.”

You’re trying to pick a lot of mulberries.

“What if there is no such thing?”

“Those who are not stabbed do not ask such questions.”

It must be a confirmation-biased way of thinking, but for now, it was as he said.

In fact, as soon as I heard the word ‘weakness’, a few things immediately came to mind.

evil spirits.

The case of killing the Rose Knights at Ice Rock.

And to the fact that he interfered with Jerome in Noark decades ago and stole the fragment of the record.

There are a few things to give away if you want to talk.

Also, it is not regretful to give it up if it is possible to avoid the future that the goddess showed me.

but….

‘I know who is Hogu.’

I answered sternly.

“It is a refusal.”

A clear refusal, not an excuse for not having a weakness.

“Rejection…?”

Even if I asked as if I couldn’t understand it like I did a moment ago, my answer didn’t change.

It was proving that such a proposal was made in the first place.

That my offer sounded very attractive.

yeah, so…

“As I said before, there are two options. You can either accept my offer or decline and do it yourself. That’s it.”

I said last

“There are no conditions.”

“…very bold in a life-and-death situation.”

“All barbarian warriors are like that.”

At my calm and weak answer, the village chief seemed to smile for some reason, then answered without hesitation.

“Okay, now let’s put our heads together. How to take the body of Jerome St. Red.”

Huh, I almost got caught.

***

After successfully negotiating with the village chief.

We had a long conversation inside the cave.

How are you going to bring Jerome St. Red to this cave and take his body.

Actually, it didn’t take long to come up with this plan.

It wouldn’t have been such a difficult plan if the village chief and I cooperated.

However, the conversation got longer in other areas.

“So what is the ‘it’ you promised Jerome? Tell me, now we can be seen as one side.”

That was the part I was curious about.

What the hell did Jerome make such a decision to hand me over to?

Surprisingly, the village chief responded coolly.

“It is the heart of the Karui.”

“Karui…?”

The name of an ancient evil god that came out of nowhere.

As I tilted my head, the village chief kindly explained.

Pointing to a black stone in the middle of the cave.

“You say that. At the cost of a human life, it grants you access to one of the mythical Karui powers. It is all thanks to this object that I can steal the bodies of others.”

It was an item that did not appear in the game.

Well, there’s nothing to be surprised about.

“So why did Jerome want that?”

“Because this is one of the royal treasures. Originally, this object belonged to the Immortal King. The reason why I am the way I am now is because I stole this thing.”

There was something to be listened to more carefully than what kind of crime the village chief had committed in the past.

“It was a treasure of the royal family? Could it be… that the immortal king enjoyed eternal life because of this thing?”

“Oh, didn’t you know? After the Immortal King gave birth to his child, he inherited his throne by taking the child’s body. It is also the reason why the Immortal King always wore a mask.”

It was a secret secret hidden in the huge kingdom of Lapdonia.

‘I couldn’t believe the Immortal King had such a secret.’

Perhaps the reason why King Gaebyeok defeated the immortal king and usurped his throne was not ‘liberation’ but simply because he wanted to preserve his own life.

‘Or else… it could just be that this thing disappeared and the Immortal King died.’

In any case, the value of this treasure from the perspective of King Gaebyeok, the next generation, would be indescribable.

Hearing this, Jerome’s eyes are bound to roll.

Because this guy’s loyalty to the royal family was real.

“Wait a minute, doesn’t that make sense? If you disappeared with this object, how could the Immortal King live for thousands of years?”

The Immortal King passed away about 150 years ago after living a life close to eternal life, just like his reputation.

“Well, I was a little surprised to hear that, too. But isn’t it the royal family? He must have found some means.”

“Yeah, that means you don’t know…”

Immortal King. Heart of Karui. Gaebyeok King….

What the hell happened at that time?

I’m curious, but there was nothing more I could find out here.

“I wonder, is this all?”

“No, just one more thing. But then, what happened to the leader of the silver lion clan sent to the library?”

“Oh that? I’ve sent one of the village warriors to check on your movements. If you put on that condition that your body will be taken away for a month, the amount of sacrifices required for the ceremony will be greatly reduced… No, I don’t know why I’m even explaining this.”

Oh, you noticed.

I also wondered why he answered so well.

“Enough of the conversation, let’s go upstairs.”

Soon after, the village chief forcibly ended the conversation and took the lead.

“Isn’t he waiting for you?”

Jerome St. Red.

It was when he went to ask for the price he had shot me in the back of the head.