Barbarian in a Failed Game

That day was as monotonous as any other.

Life outside Paradise was harsh for the elves of Paradise—especially for those like Serenil, who had lived close to a thousand years. Spending prolonged periods awake without the comfort of nature was grueling.

Though the ‘drugs’ brought from Paradise could extend sleep durations significantly, Serenil’s role as the bank manager made it difficult even to resort to that.

With Deputy Manager Roun absent, who typically handled most of the practical duties, she was forced to remain alert and engaged.

“… Yes, handle it that way.”

Finishing her work with a disinterested attitude, Serenil dismissed the elf employees of Paradise Bank and closed her eyes.

“I should have just endured for a few more centuries inside Paradise.” she thought. Wanting to reduce a mere hundred or two hundred years had led her to take on the uncomfortable position of bank manager, and now she was paying the price.

One aspect of her job that particularly irked her was having to show respect even to the short-lived races.

Especially to individuals holding important positions within the Empire, such as those affiliated with the royal family or the Triumvirate—the top three most powerful noble families. Paradise’s guideline instructed them to treat such individuals as equals.

For Serenil, raised as a direct descendant of the six high families of Paradise, this was a hard and nearly impossible policy to follow.

Deputy Manager Roun’s enthusiastic approach to his duties saved her from frequently bowing to mere mortals. Yet, the thought of having to lower herself to the level of these short-lived beings would have left a permanent scar on her pride.

Rustle.

Interrupting her moment of contemplation, a piece of paper fluttered into the room, carried by the wind. The paper was blank, yet Serenil’s eyes moved over it rapidly as if reading unseen text, before letting it float away once again.

“A surprising gain. Another disciple of the Sword Master has crossed over to our side, thanks to that arrogant short-lived Sword Demon?”

For once, Serenil smiled—a rare occurrence that lit up her office with her radiant beauty. Still, there was a thousand-year-old serpent behind that smile.

“Foolish short-lived beings… living barely half a century, their vision is bound to be short-sighted.”

While she harbored doubts about the operations of Paradise Bank, Serenil fully supported the bank’s ultimate goals, befitting her status as a member of the high families. This was why she had entrusted most of the bank’s control to Roun.

After all, the Empire’s royal family and the Triumvirate, the pillars of the Empire, were ultimately organizations led by humans. No matter how grand their plans, compared to elves who lived a millennia, others would always seem shortsighted.

‘For now, the Empire might think they can control Paradise Bank’s power and enjoy our money without consequences. But after a hundred, two hundred, or several centuries…?’

Currently, the Empire’s allowance of influence to Paradise Bank only extends to a portion of the continent’s funding streams. But once that financial influence begins to seep into the Empire’s core factions, Paradise’s influence will grow unstoppable.

‘Normally, such schemes would have been thwarted by the short-lived emperor.’

But that was about to change. The insolent emperor who had persistently obstructed Paradise would soon end his brief lifespan, as all short-lived races do. The fact that Paradise Bank’s representatives made contact with the Triumvirate without interference was proof enough.

‘I had expected this time to come eventually, but no one outside the royal family knows the truth. Then, who informed us about the emperor’s condition…?’

Rumble…

“What’s this…?”

Serenil slowly rose from her seat, startled by the sudden shock.

The headquarters of Paradise Bank had been built by skilled dwarven craftsmen. While it appeared lavish, it was essentially a small fortress. It was designed to withstand high-tier spells for a while.

“Did it collapse?”

Her pointed ears quivered continuously. Elven senses do not lie. The sound she just heard was unmistakably that of a building collapsing, and the proximity suggested it had to be part of Paradise Bank.

‘Is it a spell? Could it be those suspicious ones…?’

Serenil narrowed her eyes, recalling the “destruction mage” she had recently encountered—a short-lived race whose vast amount of mana had even made her, a venerable elf, wary. If that mage was responsible, it was conceivable they could bring down walls in a single strike.

“Were they planning betrayal from the start…?”

Her surprise was fleeting.

Serenil quickly regained her usual air of nonchalance. Even though the destruction mage was formidable, against her, they were ultimately insignificant. Before her spirit magic, invisible to others, what chances did a fragile short-lived mage have?

Boom…!

As the building shuddered again, Serenil became convinced the disruption was due to a spell. Few other means could deliver such continuous forceful attacks.

With this realization, she exited her office to eliminate the mage responsible. However, instead of finding a potent mage, she was met by a familiar figure.

“Hey there, sweetheart. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Sword Demon…? Why are you here?!”

“Why so surprised? Did you think I couldn’t come here?”

The smile vanished from Serenil’s face. She was startled to encounter the Sword Demon, who had headed towards Northland, when she thought the bank was being attacked by spells.

Meanwhile, a smile spread across Leniyar’s face.

“It’s suspicious. Was it not okay for me to show up in one piece? Is that it, sweetheart?”

“It’s not that… Can’t you hear it? Paradise Bank is under attack. An unknown mage is attacking us, and now you’ve appeared without any notice, how could I not be shocked?”

“Oh, really? But… you think that’s a spell?”

“Can’t you feel the tremors? If you came from outside, you must have seen the culprit.”

“Ah… Hahaha! Did you think these shocks were spells?”

Leniyar burst into laughter, wiping the tears from his eyes. Sensing something was amiss, Serenil instinctively stiffened and nodded, prompting another bout of laughter from Leniyar.

“…What’s so funny, Sword Demon?”

“Oh, sorry. On second thought, it makes sense. Who would imagine such brute force coming from a person?”

“What are you implying…?”

Boom—!!

The wall behind them collapsed with a thunderous noise. Serenil, thinking it was an enemy attack, immediately moved the mana within her body to respond.

The newly formed hole in the wall was quickly filled with spikes jutting out with a prickling sound.

If anyone had been standing there, they would have been impaled from their lower body to the top of their head. This manifestation of ancient elven magic, borrowing the attributes of a contracted spirit to transform mana into reality, was unique to a high-level elf like Serenil.

However—

Shatter!

The powerful ice, capable of withstanding a mage’s spell a couple of times, shattered in one blow.

What kind of spell is this?! Serenil initially presumed the power was from the ‘Destruction Mage’ and felt a sense of crisis, but then she realized something.

If high-tier spells were being cast at close range, the surrounding mana flow should be in turmoil, yet from beginning to now, the mana around Paradise Bank had remained still.

As if all these attacks had been carried out without using mana.

‘No, that’s impossible!’

Even while witnessing it firsthand, Serenil denied the reality. How could such power be unleashed without mana? Unless it was an ogre, it should be impossible.

No matter how much she denied it, there certainly existed beings capable of such feats. And one of them stood right in front of her.

“First time meeting you, Serenil, the manager of Paradise Bank.”

“You… barbarian?!”

Towering over even the most robust men, his physique exuded an overwhelming sense of menace. Draped in a hide with the head of a wolf vividly taxidermied, this hulking figure’s presence was unmistakable.

Serenil immediately recognized the barbarian before her. How could she not? He perfectly matched the description of the barbarian she had indirectly sent the Sword Demon to kill.

“How are you two…!”

But what truly shocked Serenil wasn’t merely the barbarian’s immense power.

She had expected at least one of the two to perish, yet both were not only alive but had seemingly allied to attack Paradise Bank. This unexpected partnership baffled her the most.

“It shouldn’t be that surprising. If you play dirty tricks, you should be ready to face the consequences.”

“Sword Demon! You betrayed us—!”

Serenil’s stunning face twisted with fury. Abandoning the forced politeness dictated by Paradise, her green hair began rising, giving her the appearance of a wrathful spirit.

Of course, these two had seen far too much to be easily fazed.

“Oh dear, that’s scary. You’re ruining your pretty face.”

“Shut up! You insolent short-lived woman…! Betraying the grace I showed you by welcoming you arrogantly…!”

“Betrayal?”

Ignoring Serenil’s rage, Leniyar shrugged nonchalantly.

“You asked me to bring the barbarian, didn’t you? So I brought him. What’s the problem?”

“You insolent prankster…!”

“The one playing games is you, you damn pointy-eared fool.”

For a moment, the air seemed to grow heavy. Serenil tensed, sensing the shift with her keen instincts.

“Remember that basin you had me soak in all the time? What exactly was in that? You said it was some secret herb of the elves.”

“Those were precious herbs, reserved only for the elders of the six families of Paradise! Each root was worth hundreds of imperial gold coins, and I used them for your sake…!”

“Oh, really?”

Leniyar scoffed, clearly not believing a word.

“Is that true?”

“Well, they weren’t lying. They really are precious herbs.”

Suddenly redirecting the conversation to the barbarian, Leniyar’s actions triggered a sense of unease in Serenil. It wasn’t based on any factual foundation, but a deep instinctual hunch.

‘Something is going terribly wrong!’

Serenil intended to silence the barbarian immediately. However, he was quicker, and words laced with mockery spilled from his mouth first.

“Besides, it must have been incredibly lethal to humans.”

“What would an inferior race like you know…!”

“Karyan told me.”

The unexpected mention of that name painted Serenil’s face with shock. And in that critical moment—

“So, you were up to some dirty tricks after all?”

Leniyar’s sword strike surged toward Serenil’s neck.

“Isa!”

From Serenil’s lips came the incantation for invoking spirit magic in an ancient tongue.

As her chant echoed, elemental energy began to coalesce into a barrier to deflect the incoming blow. The ancient words carried power beyond simple spells, representing the elevated magic of the elves, meant to protect her from imminent danger.

But having faced countless battles, Leniyar’s precision was unrelenting, aiming to cut through any defense, physical or magical. The atmosphere grew tense as they prepared for an intense confrontation.