Barbarian in a Failed Game

The knights assigned by Viscount Petrov expressed their gratitude for the imperial favor and took the captured elf away in a sack.

Despite the various incidents—such as a half-elf popping out of the carriage or a barbarian slaying an elf elder—they asked no questions, simply offering their help if needed.

‘Smart.’

Khan mused that they might have figured out that his group had little to do with the Imperial family despite being in an imperial carriage. Nonetheless, they didn’t pry as Khan’s group had helped them deal with their lord’s enemies.

“They even left us their horses to make up for it. We should be able to ride to the Carius Sea now.”

The knights also left behind the horses they came on. Despite Uruz destroying the carriage and killing the royal-blooded horses, they had gained five well-armored horses, turning misfortune into fortune.

“Does everyone know how to ride?”

“Of course. I might not be able to fight expertly on horseback, but I can ride.”

Neria climbed onto the horse with ease, adjusting her position before asking.

“But, are we even going to be able to find Gigantus in the vast Carius Sea? I doubt it’ll be in the exact spot William knows….”

“That’s true….”

William admitted, looking dejected as if he hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“You really were about to go without a plan.”

Even the usually cheerful Ron couldn’t help but criticize, but thankfully, Khan had another plan.

“Finding Gigantus precisely might be difficult, but I’ve already thought of a landmark to guide us.”

Although Gigantus moved randomly, it couldn’t stay on the sea perpetually.

Even if dwarves possessed ancient relics powered by mana for almost infinite voyages, the giant ship where an entire dwarven community lived would consume vast amounts of food daily.

‘This is why the dwarves and elves in the Midland Quest are inevitably allies.’

Paradise, true to its name, was a land where surplus resources overflowed. Most of these excess resources were funneled to the dwarves of Gigantus, who in turn supplied the island-dwelling elves with the resources they needed from the outside world.

Khan explained this, filling in for William, who was not as eloquent, and the group showed their appreciation.

“You really know everything. At this rate, you probably know more about this situation than William does!”

“W-What are you talking about! I’ve just been away for so long that I forgot. I knew all that stuff too…!”

“If you can’t remember it at the crucial moment, it’s as good as not knowing.”

“S-Shut up! Anyway, so we’re heading towards Paradise, right? Trust me, the Carius Sea is my backyard.”

Regaining confidence with the prospect of going to sea, William was boasting when Khan, chuckling, contradicted him.

“No, we’re not heading to Paradise.”

Not only William, but the rest of the group also gave Khan puzzled looks. Khan shared the information he had gleaned from his game knowledge.

“We’re heading to the Sea Dragon Archipelago.”

***

‘There are real dragons living in the Sea Dragon Archipelago.’

Among people unfamiliar with the sea, this was considered a mere rumor, one of the many precautions to take seriously when at sea. The legend started when ships passing near the Sea Dragon Archipelago occasionally disappeared without a trace. Even the remains couldn’t be found, and the Empire took notice of these eerie tales.

Thus, a fleet carrying over dozens of mages from the Tower set sail for the Sea Dragon Archipelago. However, they returned without finding any evidence of the missing ships or the rumored dragon.

“But still, disappearance incidents keep happening around the Sea Dragon Archipelago.”

“Isn’t it just that the seas there are treacherous?”

“Half-elf kid, you’ll see when we get there. The seas around the Sea Dragon Archipelago are known for their calm. Unless they all lost their minds at once, it’s hard to make a mistake there. That’s why these rumors persist.”

“Rumors about a real dragon living there, you mean?”

Neria’s eyes sparkled with excitement. She seemed genuinely thrilled at the prospect of going to a place rumored to house an actual dragon. Despite her otherwise kind appearance, she was still an elf, reacting far differently than normal people.

“Village Chief Neria, if there really is a dragon there, wouldn’t it be responsible for the missing ships? Are we not heading straight into the Dragon Jaws?”

“What nonsense. There are no dragons in the Sea Dragon Archipelago. The Imperial fleet already completed their search, and our side also confirmed it.”

“Then, what about the missing ships?”

“No idea. That’s why it’s a legend. What I’m curious about is the sudden urge of this one—” William glanced at Khan, deep in thought as he rode at the back—“to head to the Sea Dragon Archipelago.”

“What’s his deal? For someone who supposedly lived beyond the Northland, how does he know about the Sea Dragon Archipelago…?”

William trailed off. The first time he saw Khan…

Back then, Khan’s strength was just enough to take down a knight from a fringe kingdom, and William was confident that Khan’s power wasn’t significantly greater than that.

Given that Khan wasn’t even affected by the cursed sword, William figured Khan had some hidden strength but didn’t find it particularly remarkable.

But now?

‘At Paradise Bank, I didn’t pay it much mind, as that Sword Demon was with him….’

This time, the Sword Demon wasn’t by his side. Yet, Khan had single-handedly slain an elder from Paradise. William, a prince of the Leonora dynasty, naturally knew more about the strength of Paradise’s elders than most people on the continent.

That made it all the more unbelievable. The Khan he saw now felt like a completely different person, or rather, like a different species altogether.

“Hmph. If we’re going to travel together from now on, you should keep something in mind, and Neria, the town chief, should too.”

It’s easier to not dwell on the questions. Ron’s serious advice made William respond incredulously.

“But he’s so suspicious—”

“It’s not ‘suspicious’, it’s ‘incomprehensible’. Just like how mere mortals can’t fathom the will of the transcendent.”

“What are you talking about now…?”

“It’s not a matter of trust, Prince William.”

The voice was Elena’s, who had been healing Khan’s wounds with holy magic and even using high-level blessings to erase the scars left by Uruz.

Even someone like William, who had no particular connections to the Pantheon’s priests, could tell she wasn’t an ordinary person. More than anything, her eerie gaze made William feel uneasy.

“If it weren’t for Khan, you would’ve been completely at the mercy of the elves, dragged to Paradise. Instead of salvaging the dwarf dynasty, you would have been the one to end it. Is it really the time to be nitpicking about suspicions?”

“No, that’s not what I meant….”

“I’m telling you in advance, Prince William.”

Elena smiled brightly, stroking the neck of her horse as if petting a substitute for someone’s neck.

“You might have questions. You might find Khan’s actions hard to understand, but please try to follow as best as you can. After all, Khan is helping you right now.”

“O-Okay….”

In other words, don’t interfere with unnecessary actions. The ominous glint in Elena’s eyes made it impossible for William to do anything but nod reluctantly.

In the end, what she said wasn’t wrong. While there was a possibility that Khan had other motives, from start to finish, William was in a position where he was receiving help.

“Well, there’s no need to make such a big deal out of it. Our buddy here has always been a bit mysterious. Just think of him as being different from other barbarian, and that’s enough,” Ron joked, trying to lighten the mood, but the atmosphere remained somewhat heavy.

‘It can’t be helped….’

Elena had a strangely fanatical side, particularly devoted to the Goddess of Justice. To her, Khan’s existence wasn’t a figure of worship per se, but certainly close to it.

Not only had Khan helped cleanse the corrupt upper echelons of the church, but he also received a direct blessing from the Goddess recently.

In such circumstances, hearing someone question Khan and say he’s suspicious after he returned wounded from a battle with a monster from Paradise was bound to upset her.

‘It feels a bit excessive, though….’

Fortunately, it seemed that Khan was managing the situation well. Whether it was Aries or Elena, it was evident how Khan cared for them like they were family.

‘If anything ever happens to him, there will be chaos…. I just have to hope nothing goes wrong.’

Just as they had overcome obstacles previously thought insurmountable.

***

In a space filled with nothing but darkness, semi-transparent apparitions floated. They were all elders of the six families of Paradise.

Ancient and powerful beings who had lived for at least a thousand years. As these elders, who spent most of their time in the embrace of nature, held a meeting in the unknown space, “Uruz has fallen.”

An elder from the Eiwass family spoke. The elder discussed the death of a kin and companion of over a thousand years with extreme detachment.

“Uruz, that would be the seventh branch.”

“He didn’t fall easily. Who was he defeated by?”

“I don’t know. The Tree of Memory shows only vague images.”

“An ascendant, perhaps?”

“Likely a being imbued with divine power.”

Their conversation, calmly deducing the answer, resembled the dialogue of emotionless machines.

“We must have lost the Leonora dynasty bloodline then.”

“For the sixth branch to intervene.”

“It’s meaningless. If he fell, it’s an opponent no one can confidently face.”

“Then, are we giving up on the prince?”

As doubts about capturing the dwarf prince were raised,

『No. He will come regardless. As long as he carries the Leonora dynasty bloodline. He will come to reclaim the hammer.』

A new apparition appeared at that moment.

She, unlike the others, had the appearance of an elf but with her lower body resembling plant roots extending downward like stems. She looked like an entirely different being from an elf. The elders of Paradise collectively showed her respect.

The arrogant elves bowed without a moment’s hesitation. And she accepted their courtesy as if it were natural.

“Tree of Memory. Do you mean we do not need to amend our original plans?”

『There’s no need. But there’s also no need to let the relic fall into the hands of that rebel. Therefore….』

Awaken the monster of the Sea Dragon Archipelago. The noble being, who was half-elf and half-plant, known as the Tree of Memory, declared this in an emotionless tone.

『Make sure no one interferes with our plans. Kill all living beings that approach. It’s that simple, isn’t it?』