Medieval Fantasy Barbarian

No man can ever pass up the barbarian class. It’s a stupid thought, but to someone, it was an eternal truth.

‘I should have chosen a different class.’

Ivan sincerely hated his past self who had held such a belief.

The return-regression-possession trope. A cliché among clichés that every web novel reader knows.

Looking back at his situation, having been possessed, he couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Come to think of it, he remembered laughing at protagonists in stories who were possessed in high-difficulty worlds and went through all sorts of hardships.

Thinking they could have had an easy possession life if they had only played easier games.

Only after finding himself in the same situation did he deeply realize how stupid that thought had been.

It’s because I didn’t know! I really didn’t know I would be possessed into a game!! Would I have done it if I knew?!

If I had known this would happen, I would have enjoyed dating sims instead of RPGs.

Late regrets couldn’t change what had already happened. But it wasn’t all bad. Looking at it as positively as possible, wasn’t this a second chance at life?

No matter how difficult the journey ahead might be, it would be a hundred times better than dying pathetically after being hit by an 8-ton truck.

And one more thing. Ivan quite liked his new body.

A fairly handsome face, height exceeding 190cm, and above all, muscles filling his entire body. Even his previous body, which had been decent for an ordinary person, was nothing compared to this newly acquired one.

While lost in these idle thoughts, Ivan’s mood became a bit gloomy. It was because he remembered his PT trainer.

‘That man must think I died because of him.’

Despite his quirks, he was a really good person. I hope he’s not suffering too much. I hope he doesn’t make any wrong decisions trapped in unnecessary guilt.

What’s so sinful about teaching someone to exercise diligently? To be honest, if anyone was at fault, it would be that 8-ton truck bastard.

Thinking about it makes me angry again. Driving like that piece of… Ivan took a deep breath to control his anger.

There was nothing to gain from dwelling on the past. Especially not now.

Ivan snapped out of his daydream and looked at the barbarian warrior who had nearly killed him with a tight embrace.

“So, really… you don’t remember anything?”

“…No, I’m really sorry.”

When Ivan couldn’t even properly look him in the eyes, Habel was visibly flustered.

“Come on, there’s no need to be so awkward. What kind of behavior is this between brothers?”

Ivan carefully examined Habel.

Aside from their enormous muscles, it was surprisingly difficult to find similarities between the two.

“Uh, for brothers… we look quite different, don’t we?”

Habel stared blankly as if he’d been hit on the back of the head with a hammer, then laughed like a madman.

“Ah, we certainly aren’t children from the same womb.”

“Then…”

“That’s not the issue. Isn’t it more important that we’re brothers who have shared a friendship thicker than blood?”

So he means sworn brothers. Ivan nodded vaguely.

True to his words, the kindness in Habel’s gaze toward Ivan revealed a bond beyond that of ordinary brothers.

It was almost burdensome for the recipient.

Ivan briefly imagined what would happen if the man in front of him discovered that he was possessed.

From what he could guess, being hit by an 8-ton truck would seem like a peaceful death in comparison.

‘I’d be fucked if I’m found out.’

Ivan deeply engraved in his heart that he now had a secret to take to his grave.

Additionally, he felt the need to know how the person he had possessed had lived, in order to avoid being discovered.

Ivan naturally spoke more casually.

“Then can you explain what kind of person I was before losing my memory?”

Habel hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Well, it’s not something I can hide anyway. Ivan, you have no parents. You were abandoned in the forest and happened to be discovered by people of our tribe.”

Habel paused and gauged Ivan’s reaction. Ivan’s response was surprisingly indifferent.

“Well, I kind of expected that. If my parents were alive, they would have shown their faces in this situation, right?”

“Now that you mention it… that’s certainly true.”

Ivan didn’t feel any regret about being an orphan.

Even if he had parents, it would just be awkward to deal with them. It would only increase the chances of his identity being discovered.

‘Not bad. No, actually good.’

He was even immune to mother insults. No matter how he thought about it, it was all profit.

“…Ivan, are you smiling right now?”

Ivan quickly put on a serious face.

“How could you say such a cruel thing!!”

“No, that’s not what I meant… I’m sorry! I think I was mistaken!!”

Having assessed the situation, Habel was terrified and bowed his head deeply.

“As long as you know you’re sorry. Be careful next time.”

Ivan covered his mouth and laughed softly. This was much more fun than he expected.

Habel, who had nearly fallen into the abyss with a moment’s mistake, hastily changed the subject.

“Ah, that’s right! Ivan, you were an excellent warrior.”

“Me?”

“There was hardly anyone of your age who could match you. I remember how you used to beat up those who picked on you for being an orphan.”

The physique is certainly no joke. It didn’t seem like he was just saying it to make him feel good.

Habel proudly listed the things Ivan had done in the past as if they were his own achievements.

Ivan was listening with interest to the somewhat exaggerated stories when he suddenly felt uncomfortable.

“That time when you killed that wild boar in one breath…”

“Wait, now is not the time for such stories. There’s a much more important issue.”

Ivan’s expression turned cold.

The abrupt change in attitude made Habel uneasy. What could be this important issue? In the tense atmosphere, Ivan asked seriously.

“Habel, when was the last time you… bathed?”

Habel blinked. Then he barely understood that Ivan wasn’t joking.

“Well, I haven’t really counted, so I’m not sure. Warriors don’t care about such things.”

“……What?”

Upon hearing this, Ivan not only looked at Habel as if he were an incomprehensible monster but also increased the distance between them.

Habel felt a little hurt.

“I don’t understand why you’re so surprised. You don’t bathe either.”

Ivan was shocked by that blunt response.

“That’s absurd!! How could I be so barbaric…”

In the midst of raging against the malicious slander, Ivan could smell the terrible stench emanating from his own body.

He smelled no different from Habel, or rather worse, perhaps due to his serious illness.

How humiliating. Ivan lowered his head, feeling his pride as a civilized person diminishing. Seeing this, Habel genuinely enjoyed the moment and cackled.

“I never thought I’d see you make such a silly expression. Perhaps losing your memory isn’t all bad.”

Ivan barely suppressed the murderous impulse that they say can only be felt between true brothers. Honestly, he also thought he might lose if they fought.

“…I’d like to bathe, could you lend me some soap or something like that?”

“Hmm, what’s soap?”

“……”

Ivan realized anew that the civilization of these barbarians was more filthy and backward than he had imagined.

But it was too early to despair.

Any seasoned web novel reader would have learned how to make soap in preparation for such situations.

Ivan was confident that, given enough time and materials, he could make soap, albeit crude.

The problem was that he might accidentally reveal his identity, but for the sake of soap, he was willing to take that risk.

He couldn’t compromise on this, no matter what else. If you can’t even wash properly, are you even human? You’re just an animal.

“Habel, I have a favor to ask, could you possibly get me some oil and lye?”

“It’s not difficult, but why… Never mind. You must have your reasons. Wait a moment.”

Habel brought the materials generously without asking any questions.

Ivan was genuinely grateful for his brother’s generosity. And he hoped that his future actions would also be generously overlooked.

After several trials and errors, Ivan successfully made soap.

Ivan shared this achievement, which would go down in the history of this otherworld as a great invention, first with his brother, who was the major contributor.

“Is this… soap?”

“Yes, isn’t it amazing?”

Habel silently glared at the soap. Ivan read clear wariness and distrust in that gaze.

Naturally, he could anticipate that this matter wouldn’t be resolved so easily.

‘Seems like I’m fucked… Was I too hasty?’

Ivan seriously considered if this was the moment to bite his tongue.

And then, Habel acted exactly opposite to his expectations. Habel moistened his hands with water and slowly applied the soap. Finally, he rinsed off the soap in water and admired his clean, dirt-free hands.

“Ivan, you were right. This is truly an amazing thing!”

Whether Habel genuinely thought so or was trying to save his friend’s face, Ivan couldn’t tell.

However, he knew there was no need to distinguish between the two.

But his real brother was already dead, and he was merely an uninvited guest occupying an empty body.

Ivan recalled this fact and smiled somewhat bitterly.

“Perhaps others will also recognize its value. It might be difficult right now, but…”

Knock-knock. A rhythmic knocking sound spread through the door.

“May I intrude for a moment?”

The owner of the voice flung the door open before an answer could be heard. To Ivan, it seemed quite rude.

“What kind of bastard…”

Irritated, Ivan was about to unleash a torrent of curses when his eyes met with the person who had opened the door.

Surprisingly, it was a familiar face.

“Oops, I apologize. I was in such a hurry that I made a mistake.”

The priest laughed like a kindly old man.

“I heard that you’ve been locked up in your room making something quite remarkable, and I just couldn’t contain my curiosity. Would it be alright if I take a look?”

Ivan and Habel exchanged glances secretly.

Though they had an ominous feeling, hiding it would only make them seem more suspicious.

Probably nothing bad would happen. What could go wrong with just making soap?

Ivan placed the soap in the priest’s palm.

“Yes, this is something called soap. Be careful, it’s slippery.”

“Oh, the texture is quite peculiar. Where did you get such…”

As the priest gripped the soap in his hand, it tried to slip out of his grasp due to the laws of nature.

“What’s this…?”

The flustered priest tightened his grip.

Then the soap escaped from his hand at an incredibly fast speed and hit him squarely on the nose.

Drip-drip. Blood flowed continuously from the old, unsightly nostrils. Ivan sensed that the situation had taken a turn for the worse.

“This, this wicked abomination!!!”

As expected, the priest, his face turning bright red, bellowed in rage.