Barbarian’s Dark Fantasy Strategy Guide

Chapter 19 - Tutorial Complete (3)



Chapter 19: Tutorial Complete (3)

(I asked for it to be sturdy, but you made it completely unbreakable……)

‘Immortality’ literally means it won’t disappear. If this option is attached, the equipment will never be destroyed no matter what.

(It’s subtle.)

I can’t help but feel it’s a bit lacking for an Epic option. Because in the game, you rarely worry about equipment durability.

With offensive and defensive options overflowing, why immortality of all things?

(Well, that’s not necessarily true, is it?)

That’s only from the game’s perspective.

For the current Khalid, whose axe breaks every time he uses a skill, it could be an attractive option. Anyway, the request for it to be sturdy was perfectly reflected.

『That’s great. You got an unbreakable axe. Now you can use your skills as much as you want.』

‘It certainly looks sturdy, but is that all it is?’

『I don’t think you’ll need to sharpen it anymore. The whetstone will probably be the one getting ground down.』

Khalid wondered if Becky was exaggerating too much, but if it was as she claimed, it would be the ultimate weapon.

“Thank you, Melissa.”

“Hee.”

Melissa scratches the back of her head, slightly embarrassed.

“It might still be far from my grandfather’s level, but I poured everything I could into it. Now the other half is up to you, Khalid-ssi.”

“The other half?”

“A true weapon is only completed when it meets its true owner. That’s what my grandfather always said. Just as important as being born is how a person grows, right? It’s the same with weapons. They grow together with their owner.”

“Heh, a weapon growing…… Blacksmiths are romantic people.”

To Khalid, weapons were just consumables, so he laughed it off lightly. Melissa frowned at his reaction.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

“If it grows any bigger, it’ll be hard to throw, so this size is perfect for me.”

“No~ I’m not talking about that kind of growth!”

The girl pouted as Khalid playfully replied. She gave him a specific example.

“Listen carefully, Khalid-ssi. The legendary Holy Sword ‘Balduar’ was originally a nameless, ordinary sword. And one day, it met a true hero and grew as they journeyed together. In the end, it became a holy sword and even defeated a Great Demon.”

“Is that an old story told among the fenced-in people?”

“It’s not just an old story. It’s a legend, but it’s still a living legend.”

“A living legend?”

“Yes. The Emperor of the Karma Empire who rules this land now, he’s the protagonist of that story.”

“……!”

『Wh, what?!』

Khalid’s complexion changed. Becky was even more surprised than Khalid and almost fell over.

『N, name! Hey, ask for the Emperor’s name first!』

Until now, Khalid hadn’t thought the Emperor’s name was important. After all, there was only one person called the Emperor within the fences, and he remembered his face clearly. However, Becky urged Khalid, saying it was very important.

When Khalid asked for the Emperor’s name……

“His name? It’s His Majesty Emperor Arthur Rainwood.”

『Holy shit.』

Following Gunnar, now Arthur.

The names of the characters Becky had raised appeared one after another. Moreover, Rainwood was originally the imperial family’s surname.

Finally, the worldview of this place began to form in Becky’s mind.

(The story of the hero I raised first became a legend. And the barbarian warrior I raised last is Khalid’s mentor? ……Now I get it. This is definitely the world after the game.)

A place where the main story and expansion pack protagonists gather. For a long-time fan of the game, even before being a hardcore player, an after-story was the best fan service, but unfortunately, it wasn’t as enjoyable a world as expected.

Demons were still rampant, and above all, Khalid was in a situation where he was aiming for the hero protagonist’s life.

(What on earth happened between the two of them?)

Until now, she hadn’t thought of delving deeply into Khalid’s past, but now it somehow didn’t feel like someone else’s affair.

“……?”

Melissa looked at Khalid, who had suddenly become silent, and was puzzled.

“Ah! Khalid-ssi. I have one more gift prepared besides the axe.”

“A gift? No, it’s okay. This axe is already more than enough……”

“Eh~, really? If you don’t accept it, you’ll definitely regret it later!”

Melissa smiled mischievously.

Somehow, she seemed even more confident than when she showed him the axe. Khalid felt pressured, like he shouldn’t refuse.

“I’ll at least hear you out.”

“Hehe. Good thinking.”

Melissa giggled like a child and then slowly opened her mouth.

“The other gift I’ve prepared is…… ‘Duran’.”

“Duran?”

『Duran?』

Khalid and Becky tilted their heads.

Their expressions said, “What’s that?”

“It suddenly came to mind while I was forging the Blacksteel Axe this time. Like when my grandfather gifted an axe to him.”

“If you mean ‘him’…… Gunnar? Then could it be.”

“I don’t know if it was his last name or first name, but I’m sure he was called Duran.”

Khalid was speechless for a moment at Melissa’s surprise gift.

◈◈◈◈◈◈ ◈◈◈◈◈◈ ◈◈◈◈◈◈

“Hmm~. Mid-40s. Gray hair, a scar on his left eye, a barbarian, you say……”

“His surname or first name is Duran.”

“Hmmmmmm……”

Victor struggled to recall his memories.

“I don’t think I know anyone like that.”

Khalid nodded, slightly disappointed.

He had thought that Victor, who came from the Thieves’ Guild, might know something, but it had been a long time since he had left his main job.

“Even though they defected to the Empire, your hometown friends are a pretty closed-off group, you see. To be honest, even within the Underweaver, there’s not much information about barbarians. They’re not very profitable.”

In the first place, there were very few people who tried to find barbarians, and since they didn’t settle in one place and expand their power, it seemed like it wouldn’t be easy to find them.

A request that would require mobilizing tens or hundreds of Thieves’ Guild members spread across the continent. The 10 gold that the Underweaver demanded as a commission might be a reasonable amount in a way.

“It can’t be helped. I’ll have to find him even if it means searching the entire inside of the fence. So, what’s the reason you came looking for me?”

“Ah, the Lord said he forgot to give you the horse you liked. It’s tied up outside the inn, so take it when you leave.”

It was the horse Khalid had borrowed when he was going back and forth to Stoneberry. It was a good horse for long journeys because of its stamina. He could once again feel Hojae’s meticulous consideration.

“When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Huh, you’re in quite a hurry. I wanted to get to know you better, but it’s a shame. Have you decided where you’re going?”

“I’m planning to head south for now.”

Windfall was the northernmost village in the Dunhelm Kingdom. It seemed like heading towards the center of the continent would be better to access more information in a bigger city.

“If you’re going south, you’ll be stopping by Farewell first…… Oh, that’s right! I have an acquaintance there, why don’t you meet him? He’ll be more up-to-date on the latest news than me.”

“Is he also part of the Thieves’ Guild?”

“Yeah. Unlike me, he’s still active.”

“I haven’t saved up enough money to make a request to the Underweaver yet.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s not an official request, just asking what he knows. Of course, ordinary customers have to pay for any information, no matter how trivial, but you’re my friend! Of course I should do it for free.”

Victor laughed heartily.

He said that it was this acquaintance who had procured the reinforcements for the previous canyon battle. Apparently, he owed Victor a favor.

“Thanks to you, I’ve made it big, haven’t I? It’s been a while since I’ve made him work, so it’s about time I let him go. When you meet him, tell him this. If he carries out your request diligently one last time, this Victor will forgive everything. Then he’ll understand.”

I don’t know how much he exploited him, but Victor’s face was filled with wickedness. Anyway, it was Victor’s way of expressing his gratitude to Khalid.

Victor left the inn after sharing his acquaintance’s details.

『Whew. It seems like the work here is completely finished.』

It was hard to believe that it had only been about half a month since he arrived in Windfall. It felt like he had dealt with several months’ worth of events all at once.

And so, Khalid spent his last night in Windfall.

The next day.

Khalid, who had been treated to the innkeeper’s most generous meal yet, stepped outside. Even though it was early morning, the square was crowded with people. It was similar to the day the merchant group had left for their expedition.

“Khalid-ssi!”

Melissa, who had spotted Khalid, shouted cheerfully. Next to Melissa, Victor stood with the dignity befitting an advisor. Besides them, the guild master, merchants, and even the residents of Stoneberry were there. Everyone who knew Khalid had gathered.

Among them, Melissa was at the forefront.

“Melissa, these people……”

“They’ve all gathered because they want to see you off, Khalid-ssi.”

“Me?”

It was a scene he hadn’t imagined when he first arrived in this village. He hadn’t particularly wished for anyone’s welcome, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.

“The Lord…… My father still has a lot to deal with, so he asked me to convey his greetings.”

“He also said that when you return to this place someday, the village will have changed beyond recognition.”

Even after experiencing a great ordeal, Hojae’s ambition hadn’t diminished. No, perhaps Melissa’s existence had made him even stronger than before.

“I see. I’ll look forward to it.”

Khalid smiled faintly and mounted his horse. He kicked the horse’s flanks without any special farewell. The residents cheered and waved until Khalid’s back disappeared from view.

◈◈◈◈◈◈ ◈◈◈◈◈◈ ◈◈◈◈◈◈

Clip-clop, clip-clop…… Clatter, clatter.

Khalid pulled the reins and gradually slowed down. Half a day had passed since he left Windfall. He arrived at the canyon where the merchant group had previously failed to pass.

Several days had passed since the battle, but traces of it still remained here and there. The spot where Dominic had exploded was also untouched.

The inside of the canyon was much narrower than it looked.

It was just wide enough for two carriages facing each other to barely pass. The cliffs were also high, so sunlight barely reached the bottom.

『……This place feels familiar.』

He had anticipated it to some extent when he first saw the canyon.

The place where the barbarian warrior, having finished the tutorial, officially begins the game. This canyon was where he woke up after escaping the devastated Windfall.

Now that the story was 180 degrees different from the game, Khalid would go through this process instead of Gunnar.

‘Familiar? Have you been here before?’

『Hmm. Let me see. I think I remember…… If I wait a little longer, a revelation, a divine revelation will come!』

Khalid scoffed at Becky’s sudden theatrics. When she had correctly guessed the existence of the Vampire Bat before, he had truly thought she had some kind of supernatural ability. But after spending time with her, he realized that wasn’t the case.

‘Heh, does she still think I believe that?’

It’s not that Becky was incompetent. Rather, she was very intelligent and knowledgeable. Her advice was always helpful to Khalid. So there was no need to show off her abilities by making up strange excuses like divine revelation.

Perhaps she thought that if her existence was deemed useless, Khalid might abandon her.

‘She’s worrying over nothing.’

Khalid could now vaguely sense that she wasn’t a demon. As long as she didn’t betray him according to his rules, Khalid’s trust wouldn’t change either.

However, Becky’s clumsy acting continued.

『Fog……』

‘Fog?’

『There’s a thick fog ahead that I can’t see the end of.』

Fog, you say. It’s a clear, cool, perfect autumn day. She could at least come up with a plausible act.

『If you pass through that fog, you’ll meet someone who has been waiting for you for a long time.』

Becky was completely absorbed in playing prophet.

Khalid shook his head and urged his horse forward.

‘Becky, that’s enough playing around. I realized a long time ago that you don’t have any supernatural powers……’

At that moment, Khalid was speechless at the sight that unfolded before him. Just as Becky had said, a thick fog blocked his path. The fog flowed down from the top of the cliffs like a waterfall.

Becky said smugly to Khalid, who was at a loss for words.

『So, what about my supernatural powers? Huh?』


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