Barbarian in a Failed Game

The elf slain by Neria was a highly skilled elite, proficient in elf swordsmanship. Their skill was proven by the fact that they had managed to survive the ambush and even engage in brief skirmishes with the high-ranking knights.

However, Neria was not just any half-elf.

In a previous border town, she had suffered deep wounds as she covered the rear to save the residents during a retreat. She was a veteran mercenary who had lived a human lifetime and a skilled mage who had honed her dual-colored spells over a long time.

Unlike most elves who spent their lives in paradise, Neria had fought countless battles to protect herself from numerous threats and survived.

“Khuugh…!”

Thanks to the elves’ lack of combat experience, piercing the neck of one of the panicking elves wasn’t a difficult task for her.

“You filthy mongrel…!”

As the elves, enraged by the death of their noble kin at the hands of a half-elf, tried to maximize the power of their spirits, Neria maintained a confident smile. Her expression was filled with absolute certainty that she wouldn’t be harmed.

Naturally.

Elf spirit magic was undoubtedly threatening if one had to stand like a scarecrow against invisible attacks. However, most spirit attacks were straightforward and simple, and once seen, they weren’t as dangerous.

Neria skillfully took down the elves one by one.

In the process, the aura unleashed by the high-ranking knights was a great help, and Elena’s holy magic, which saved her life from a spirit ambush once, was indispensable.

From there, the battle didn’t need much explanation. The knights generously supported by Viscount Petrov began to wreak havoc with Neria’s help, and they quickly swept through without a proper fight.

“We’ll keep two alive. One for your interrogation, and one to take back to the territory for execution. Is that acceptable?”

“Uh, hmm. Do as you wish.”

Ron nodded, albeit with a slightly uneasy expression. Execution, as mentioned by them, wouldn’t be an ordinary execution. They would undoubtedly choose a method that would offer maximum humiliation and disgrace.

However, given the heinous nature of their opponents, it was understandable why Ron’s face showed discomfort.

‘After all, their deeds are far from ordinary…’

Pushing the sight of knights binding one of the three elves who appeared to be leaders to the back of his mind, Ron restored the freedom of the dwarf wriggling on the ground.

“Always seem to be in danger whenever I see you. Might as well be a princess rather than a prince, don’t you think?”

“Ptui. Shut up!”

As soon as he stood up, dwarf William glared ferociously at the elves. If any of them were still alive, his murderous gaze would have been enough to kill them on the spot.

“What’s with the glare? They’re already dead.”

“You saw with your own eyes the atrocities these bastards committed, and you expect me not to glare?!”

“Even so, they’re dead anyway.”

Ron shrugged, causing William to stomp his short legs in frustration.

“Why are you talking as if everything’s over? That damn old elf is still around!”

“You mean the kid Khan dragged off?”

“Yes! That guy has lived for at least a thousand years. There’s no way a human could handle him…!”

“So, what do you expect us to do by going there? We’d just get in the way. He must have seen a chance of winning if he went off on his own, so we should stick to what we need to do.”

Known for his overreactions, Ron’s calm persuasion helped William regain his composure, though still huffing with mild annoyance.

“Hmph. Don’t come crying to me if he gets badly hurt.”

“If he survives, miss Elena will heal him. Don’t worry. Now, tell us—why did you leave in such a hurry without any explanation?”

“…….”

William fell silent, seemingly at a loss for words after Ron’s sudden interrogation. Ron pressed further.

“If you had just asked for help from the start, it would be different. But running off and getting caught by elves, then needing to be rescued—what’s that about? We have enough tasks to handle as it is.”

“That’s because!”

“We came here risking our lives too.”

William’s mouth clamped shut.

“We got here because folks like Mayor Neria and Miss Elena wanted to save you. I can’t believe you’d stay silent now. At least tell us what’s going on so we can decide whether to help or leave.”

William looked down as if deep in thought. He finally raised his head about thirty seconds later.

“The Dwarf Dynasty… no, now the former Leonora Dynasty, is the longest-standing dynasty. Unlike that so-called Pirate King with no real heritage.”

William was born a prince of that dynasty. Born to the dwarf king’s son, who had already fallen out of the competition for the throne, William lived a life disconnected from royal succession.

“The dwarves wander over the sea. Some boast about being the rulers of the ocean, but to me, that’s pure nonsense. How can you be the ruler of the sea if you can’t even land on the mainland whenever you want? We’re just exiles.”

“That would have been during the Southern War.”

Like William, Neria, who had lived for a long time, added her insight and explanation.

“The Southern Merfolk’s conquest war against the Empire. When the dwarves supported the merfolk, they were exiled and banned from setting foot on the mainland.”

“That’s right. Fortunately, they managed to secure some rights to the seas by offering their technology. But in the end, they were still exiled. In such circumstances, what would being a prince even matter?”

That’s why William headed to the mainland. He had almost forgotten about being a prince of the dwarf dynasty, living a different life until he recently learned that the dynasty had been replaced.

“So, are you trying to change the dynasty back?”

“What are you talking about? Didn’t you hear? I left for the mainland because I had no interest in the throne.”

“Then why are you doing all this now?”

“I have no interest in the throne, but I am the rightful heir to its legacy. All I want is to reclaim the relics of the Leonora dynasty.”

Finally understanding the root of the matter, Ron grimaced. Reclaiming relics from ancient times?

He had a rough idea, but something still didn’t quite add up.

“What about Paradise? The high-ranking officials there rarely come outside, yet an elder personally kidnapped you. Were they after these relics too?”

“How would I know their exact motives? It’s just speculation.”

“At least tell us your guess. We need to know something to have face in front of your buddy.”

“They could want the dwarves themselves. Knowing them, it’s not an impossible thought.”

Ron’s eyes widened at William’s answer. They wanted the dwarves as a species? That was on a whole different scale.

“Throughout history, dwarf kings have used a specific ‘hammer’ as a symbol of power. It’s just my guess, but the current dwarf king might not have that hammer. If other royals refused to cooperate with him, that could be the case.”

“Paradise might have known this and aims to use you to get the relic and establish a puppet dynasty.”

Elena, who had been healing the injured, chimed in, having arrived unnoticed.

“Even if it’s not that, just holding that item would greatly destabilize the current dwarf king. They wouldn’t even dream of defying Paradise.”

“That’s likely. Sending an elder shows they have that level of ambition.”

“Then, how exactly were you planning to retrieve this relic?”

Neria asked. William hesitated for a moment, looking uncertain before finally replying.

“It’s… in the Imperial vaults. I was planning to break in and retrieve it… somehow.”

“For now, I was planning to return to Gigantus to think things over.”

“No plan at all, then.”

Ron’s blunt comment made William flinch.

Gigantus was the mothership of the dwarf pirates and an ancient relic. It embodied the confidence that allowed the dwarves, forced offshore, to act as rulers of the sea. Essentially, William had openly admitted his intent to charge headlong into a stronghold filled with rebels who had overthrown the dynasty.

“Anyway, I think I get the gist of it. That ‘hammer’ is of utmost importance, and to get it, you need to cross the sea.”

“Yes, I was gathering materials to launch a ship, but those damn elves ruined everything….”

“We already have a ship.”

At the sudden interruption, William’s eyes widened in surprise. He turned towards the source of the voice, revealing Khan, who emerged while discarding the body of the elf elder.

What kind of battle could leave both parties in such a state?

The elf elder, once a beautiful young boy whose looks seemed to encapsulate the world’s beauty, had his side caved in as if struck by a hammer, and his face was unrecognizable. Khan, dragging the elf’s corpse, didn’t look much better.

His entire body was covered in burn marks, and bloodstains were evident from every orifice on his face.

“Khan!”

His injuries were severe at a glance. Elena approached Khan with the light of holy magic, and Khan, accepting her aid, repeated, “We have a ship.”

“A normal ship won’t cut it! Ordinary ships can’t reach Gigantus before being destroyed.”

“No need to worry about that. It’s a pirate ship crafted by your dwarf hands.”

The bewilderment on William’s face was clear—how do you have that?

“The kind elves donated it.”

It was the very ship used by the Paradise members to pursue him through Leniyar. When the members left it at the Northland port to head towards Hoarfrost Gorge, Khan had recovered it and stored it in Aecharis’s pouch for reuse. Using that would feasibly allow them to sail to where the dwarf mothership, Gigantus, was.

Reflecting on the sole piece of information he obtained from Uruz, Khan muttered, “Alchemist….”

In the past, he had faced the Homunculus in the Argon Kingdom. The Puppeteer and a figure with the same rank as the destruction mage Khan had eliminated.

That individual was now moving with Paradise.

Perhaps, along with her…

‘I need to hurry.’