Barbarian in a Failed Game

From the beginning, the emperor couldn’t hide his unease. The exotic racial characteristics and attire of the figure before him suggested he was someone extraordinary.

No, this was the person who had been manipulating the Three Pillars of the Empire from the shadows.

‘He couldn’t be anything but exceptional.’

“Take a seat. You can relax; in this place, no physical interference between us is possible.”

“I’m aware of that. However, it seems proper to introduce myself first. You’ve lived far longer than I have, being the ruler of a nation.”

The emperor’s eyes widened slightly.

The man’s demeanor was unexpectedly mild and polite. He had been curious about the individual who commanded rough figures like the Sword Demon and the barbarian warrior.

“Call me Han. Since you are senior to me by far, please be at ease.”

“… Very well.”

The name felt clearly like an alias, but Emperor Friedrick didn’t delve into it. This was an opponent who worked from the shadows, after all.

Formally exchanging names in such a manner indicated a somewhat favorable stance towards the emperor, which was actually more reassuring.

“Your Majesty wished to meet me. Is it because you are worried about what I might do to the Empire?”

“It sounds like you could do just that if you wanted. Such words are hardly appropriate before the emperor of the Empire.”

“Well… speculating isn’t prohibited, is it? In my wildest dreams, I might imagine myself sitting on the imperial throne.”

The audacious tone was brazen, yet the emperor didn’t admonish the self-proclaimed “Han”. His relaxed manner didn’t provoke hostility; rather, such straightforwardness provided reassurance. The most dangerous threats were those unseen.

‘This is essentially saying he has no such intentions.’

With the man’s intentions more or less understood, Emperor Friedrick decided to move to the next stage of their conversation.

“What did you do with the ledgers from the Paradise Bank?”

“Of course, I have them.”

“And do you have a plan for their use?”

“Leaving them as they are might be the most effective approach, don’t you think?”

Han’s statement was accurate.

The purpose of the Paradise Bank, backed by the elves, was to extend the elves’ influence across the continent, establishing a foothold in doing so.

“Look at the pitiful state of the Paradise Bank now. Time is no longer on the side of those pointy-eared folks. The longer they keep transactions blocked, the more their position in the banking sector will erode. The hyenas already eyeing the banking business started by the Paradise Bank will only become more frenzied.”

“And the trading house that stands to gain the most from this will depend on your choice, it seems.”

“Haha… Who knows? I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but given that suggestion, it might be worth a shot.”

The emperor was certain that Han’s casual demeanor was a façade. Someone who had orchestrated such a perfect plan wouldn’t have hesitated to consider controlling the banking business directly.

“You’re making idle threats.”

“Threats? I don’t know what you mean.”

Seeing Han blink innocently as if he knew nothing, Emperor Friedrick clicked his tongue.

“Leave the Merchant Guilds as they are. Even if they eventually need to be dismantled, doing it too hastily will cause too many side effects. It’s better to set up a competitor to gradually consume them.”

“Uh… Are you sure it’s alright to say that? You are, after all, the emperor.”

“Stop pretending to be naïve. Wasn’t that your plan all along? Using Theoron’s estate in Koeltz was too obvious.”

Han continued to feign ignorance, tilting his head in confusion. The emperor, clicking his tongue again, opened his mouth.

“The lord’s family in Koeltz, entangled in your schemes, has close ties with the Theoron Merchant Guild. That’s why Georg Melchus visited Theoron’s estate without suspicion. However, the true owner of the Theoron Merchant Guild isn’t the Genswein family but the Platinum Merchant Guild that supplies their goods.”

“…”

“And it’s long been known that your barbarian friend had a meeting with the head of the Platinum Merchant Guild. During that meeting, he killed the head of the Paradise Bank’s external affairs department. You must have made some agreement with the Platinum Merchant Guild back then. In return, you facilitated their entry into the Empire through this incident.”

The emperor’s triumphant gaze seemed to ask, “How’s that?”

Han responded with an awkward laugh, seemingly taken aback by the unexpected accuracy of the emperor’s comments.

“Haha… Indeed, you don’t become an emperor just by chance. Yes, you’re right. From the start, I planned to use the Platinum Merchant Guild to dismantle the Empire’s Merchant Guilds. Truly, Emperor Friedrick, you live up to your reputation as a wise ruler…”

“Enough with the flattery. As I said earlier, leave the Merchant Guilds for now.”

“Hmm… In exchange for what?”

The emperor’s eyebrow twitched.

“In exchange?”

“Yes. There must be something to balance the scales, correct?”

“You’re quite bold. Almost excessively so. Do you think you can forever evade the grasp of the Empire?”

“At the very least, I don’t think you’ll catch me.”

From the isolated space, the emperor felt Han’s confidence. This man genuinely believed the Empire wouldn’t be able to catch him.

“And there’s no need for you to antagonize me, Your Majesty.”

“Are you suggesting I tolerate an unidentified shadowy force?”

Han’s assured expression didn’t change.

“Indeed. You see, having me as an ally could be far more beneficial than hunting a phantom. I have shown my hand already and have no further intentions to disrupt the Empire. My focus lies elsewhere.”

Emperor Friedrick mulled over Han’s words.

“What do you propose?”

“First, let me correct a misunderstanding. I neither have a formidable faction nor hide in the shadows. It’s quite disheartening to hear such claims when I’ve shown my face so openly.”

Furthermore, Han, with a smile that belied a hidden meaning, continued.

“My goal is, after all, world peace.”

The absurdity of the statement made Emperor Friedrick’s face harden. He felt Han was mocking him.

“Ah, please hear me out, Your Majesty,” Han interrupted, noticing the emperor’s displeased expression. He wore his characteristic warm and easygoing smile.

“I’ll explain my true objective right now.”

*

Emperor Friedrick found himself momentarily stunned by the long and seemingly far-fetched narrative that abruptly began.

And with good reason.

“Well, it’s quite sudden, I admit. Talking about an imminent war, the Empire’s downfall, the descent of a great demon—it all sounds outlandish.”

However, what Khan, disguised as his previous incarnation thanks to the “Disguise Robe of Mortalia,” conveyed to the emperor encompassed the impending catastrophes this world would soon face.

Of course, he didn’t spell out the details explicitly.

“In such cases, being rather vague tends to be more effective.”

Indeed, the usually sharp-witted Emperor Friedrick seemed to be in a state of bewilderment, much like a stunned fish.

“But it is the undeniable truth.”

And Khan’s instincts from his days as a sales representative kicked in, telling him that now was the time to press on.

“If you doubt my words, consider what my friends have done on my behalf.”

They cleansed a region on the brink of becoming a demon’s lair, vanquished an ancient dragon reborn after millennia, defeated two demons in a situation where paladins couldn’t promptly intervene, thwarted the Paradise Bank’s ambitions that could have threatened the Empire, and prevented the corruption of the Three Pillars.

On a minor scale, they prevented the downfall of a border kingdom, while on a major scale, they resolved issues central to the Empire, ultimately contributing to world peace.

“Well, it’s true we’ve gained various benefits. But was any of that for me? The enemies are still strong, and we remain weak. We had no choice but to grow stronger.”

“Enemies?”

“Yes, enemies.”

The emperor showed keen interest at the mention of “enemies” and Khan knew he had the emperor hooked.

‘Got him!’

Now was the time to seal the deal, to dump the troublesome main quests onto the competent emperor.

“How much do you know about the Followers of Truth?”

Emperor Friedrick nodded in acknowledgment.

Naturally, he assumed the emperor knew of their existence. After all, Khan had briefly explained to his comrades who the “Followers of Truth” were, and they had encountered them firsthand.

It was only logical that such information would have been passed on to the factions they belonged to, eventually reaching the emperor’s ears.

“Then, are you aware of this?”

However, the emperor likely didn’t know this particular detail.

“There is a Saboteur hiding within the imperial household, extracting information.”

*

A member of the Followers of Truth, publicly known as an imperial administrator, the Saboteur casually read a report detailing the emperor’s activities.

‘The Dark Chamber, the emperor has played his trump card.’

The Dark Chamber was considered an ‘open secret’ among those in the know. Essentially, it was the only place where the emperor could safely converse with a designated ‘high-risk individual’.

These conversations could not be overheard because the spatial barrier of the Dark Chamber rejected the presence of more than two souls.

‘He’s deemed the orchestrator of this situation as such a threat?’

Even in his old age, the emperor’s judgment was formidable, thought the Saboteur, inwardly impressed.

Within the Followers of Truth, the Saboteur was counted among the elite mages. Naturally, he had access to secrets that others couldn’t easily approach. Moreover, his position as an imperial administrator provided him with insights into events unfolding across the continent.

From the Saboteur’s perspective, the orchestrator behind this chaos was undoubtedly a significant threat.

‘Argon Kingdom was no coincidence, then.’

In fact, the Followers of Truth had clashed with this unknown entity even before the Paradise Bank incident. Seeing their plans thwarted repeatedly by a single barbarian, the Saboteur had seriously considered stepping in to eliminate the insolent warrior.

‘Up until now, I’ve had to bide my time, unable to leave my position.’

But that was no longer necessary.

Now that he had entered the Empire, escaping the Saboteur’s scrutiny would be nearly impossible. With most Seekers already operating discreetly throughout the Empire, capturing him wouldn’t be difficult if he so desired. Though the barbarian’s prowess was extraordinary, it couldn’t compare to the fully prepared forces of the Seekers.

‘The only concern is that the Apostle has shown interest in that barbarian.’

However, even that had now been addressed.

‘Subjugating the shadowy factions involving key figures from the Three Pillars will greatly benefit the grand cause of the Assembly.’

There was no longer any reason to hold back. The Saboteur began drafting letters to be sent to Seekers and followers across the Empire.

‘We’ll strike the moment he leaves Levant.’