[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian":3,"chapter-surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-654":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Surviving the Game as a Barbarian",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1328031,1764,"Chapter 654: Event (3)","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-654",654,"\u003Cp>The moment the explosion burst forth—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kyaaaaaaah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd’s cheers abruptly turned into screams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Over there! Magic’s flying from that direction!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Block all exits! No one leaves!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soldiers standing by to prepare for any unforeseen incidents rushed toward the origin of the magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“G-Give way...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd scrambled to flee the potential terror, plunging the scene into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“—Marquis! Are you unharmed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an act of terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bold enough to target the Prime Minister himself amid such a grand event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps surprisingly experienced in such matters?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis, who seemed momentarily stunned, quickly recovered, brushed his sleeves, and stood up unscathed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he said in a tone far gentler than usual, looking at me:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine. More importantly, tend to this friend first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his words, a priest attending the event hurried to me and began treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please evacuate the area immediately!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just wait a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the knights’ urgent pleas, the Marquis insisted on waiting until my wounds partially healed before approaching and saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for what happened today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt oddly unfamiliar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, had the Marquis ever thanked me before?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...I don’t think so.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe if I looked hard enough, I’d find something—but it’d be very different. After all, I’d never done anything truly deserving sincere thanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When this is all settled, I’ll summon you separately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the Marquis left, escorted by knights, and I remained alone, replaying the recent events in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I hadn’t planned on thanking him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Why did I do that?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I regretted it a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why risk my body for the Marquis just because he was pretty?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since the magic that hit me was strong enough to harm even my Dragon Mode form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I had done nothing, the Marquis might have died—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ah, maybe not?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I asked if I could kill the Marquis the other day, Ibaekho answered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Uh, that’s a bit... That bastard revives at the palace even if killed.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...Revives? What’s that about?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ah, you don’t know? It wasn’t in the game, I guess. Anyway, there’s a royal treasure that’s in the Marquis’s hands right now.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether I threw myself or just watched from behind, the Marquis wouldn’t have died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm, thinking that way, maybe it wasn’t so bad?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe this incident will build some goodwill so I can strike a hard blow to his back later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s more painful to be stabbed in the back by someone you trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Anyway, I should stop rushing headfirst to block attacks.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of how the situation turned out, I recognized my bad habit clearly from this incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe because in the labyrinth my job was to take hits instead of others?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I seem to have a deep-seated obsession that I must be the first to take a blow no matter what I do...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“T-Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly someone spoke to me—it was Count Langston, who had won first place in this competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you hadn’t pushed me out just in time, I would’ve been caught in that explosion too. Baron Yandel saved my life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah... so that’s one way to interpret it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True, if I hadn’t pushed him, he probably would’ve been badly hurt. That man was right beside the Marquis when the magic flew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m glad you’re safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I replied briefly, and Count Langston cautiously asked one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But... if I may be so bold, why did you save me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, it was the same question the Marquis asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smirked and retorted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why shouldn’t I have saved you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trailing off, Count Langston spoke candidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m your rival. If I weren’t here, Baron Yandel could have taken first place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a bit absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does he think this competition is some battle survival?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Or maybe it’s just his noble mindset.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, even if that weren’t the case... there’s no reason for the Baron to look favorably on me, is there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, he meant I treated him badly earlier...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I lucked out this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until he came to thank me, I’d forgotten about his existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn’t need to say that outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t care about that. I saved you because I could.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, I slapped his shoulder heartily, and he looked up at me with a peculiar gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baron Yandel... you truly are as rumored. I sincerely apologize for my previous rudeness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To hear that from someone who disliked me—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...That’s surprisingly satisfying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character’s fame increased by +10.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character’s fame increased by +10.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Character’s fame increased by +10······.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「······.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「······.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The construction competition that had drawn so much attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the terrorism that occurred there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, by the next morning, every media outlet in Raphdonia was abuzz with headlines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An assassination attempt on the Marquis and the hero who stopped it, Bjorn, son of the giant Yandel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The headlines varied, but the core was this, and otherwise, it was remarkably quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumors about assassins sent by Noark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrorism for political reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the son coveted the title and orchestrated it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the countless rumors flooding the streets, the media refrained from speculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the third-rate tabloids who thrive on controversy stayed quiet on this matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Marquis’s power is truly immense.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s strange to see media that usually write nonsense about me suddenly act cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, the country’s second-in-command was involved, so it’s natural to tread carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the third day after the incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow... the culprit still hasn’t been caught...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was opening the newspaper to check the news today, Misha suddenly peeked her face over my shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn, where do you think it is? Noark? The silence? Or that annoying son?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I think Noark’s the most likely. But maybe you should calm down a bit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? Because he’s too close to be a companion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, I’ve noticed Misha’s mood has been unusually high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe something good happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since we were alone for a while, I asked about how she’s been, and her expression quickly brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Not doing anything special... just exercising with Ainard during the day... and after dinner’s done, I’ve been doing some painting...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Painting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I started as a hobby recently. I went to a gallery with Reigns and got a bit interested... Ah! Don’t ask me to show you though—I absolutely won’t!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she even went to the gallery with Amelia, it seemed the awkward phase was completely over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it seemed her old personality was returning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Being all shriveled up was kind of cute too...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Talking more, it seemed relations had improved not just with Ainard and Amelia, but generally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gowland’s not close with me yet, but he doesn’t seem bad... Elwen? I don’t know. Looking back, I think I was more at fault, and I apologized recently, but she avoided me...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I got really close with Emur. She was really curious about Rotmiller. Oh, two days ago, I even met with Hikurod and Rotmiller all together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Why didn’t you come with me then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, you were out busy that day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was two days ago when I had to visit the royal intelligence after being told there were questions about the terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah... If I’d known about that appointment, I’d have postponed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So... what are you doing today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah. If you’re free, wanna go to Kummelby later? I saw my sword handle is worn out and want to replace it...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah... I can’t come back with you, is that okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m meeting the Marquis tonight. Probably after Kummelby, I’ll head straight to Carnon. Um, maybe—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it’s okay! Don’t worry! I’m just leaving the sword and coming back! I’ll get ready now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying that, Misha disappeared and quickly returned, ready like lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, I left the sacred place and headed to Kummelby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving the sword at the forge, we had a simple meal nearby, and since we were already there, we stopped by the market to check prices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoa! Why did everything get so cheap? If I had lots of money, I’d buy everything!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Probably because the labyrinth closed, no one’s buying right now. Wait a bit longer. Explorer gear prices will keep falling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm... still, it was fun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Me too. It’s been a while since I enjoyed myself. I wish I could stay longer...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gotta go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have to, since I promised the Marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay, take care...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After parting with Misha, I went straight to Carnon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it was an appointment, I got a free pass at the gate with no hassle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome, Baron Yandel. The Marquis awaits. Please come in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting with the butler waiting for me at the expected time, servants lined the garden and greeted me in formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Noble families really are different.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered how long it would take before even servants naturally give such dignified greetings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still having no mansion of my own, I couldn’t imagine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guided by the butler, a door smoothly opened, revealing a guest room with a magnificent yet dignified atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...How many guest rooms does the Marquis family have?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, it’s always a different guest room when I visit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems they have multiple guest rooms to suit various visitors...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This one looks the best of all I’ve seen.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a glance sufficed to feel the strong hospitality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis even rose to greet me as I entered the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt nostalgic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, I sometimes talked through the crystal ball instead of visiting in person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sit down, your legs might hurt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, \u002FN_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t\u002F you first. You’re the guest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very well then...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After I sat first, the Marquis sat facing me, and the conversation flowed naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lately, everyone’s been talking about it. Have you found out who the culprit was?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet. The deeper we dig, the more we realize they prepared thoroughly. If it hadn’t been you, we would’ve been in serious trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyone could’ve done it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serious trouble...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I guess he has no intention to reveal the resurrection item to me either?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know, but the praise kept coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyone could’ve done it... Sure, there were many nobles and knights, but when trouble came, you were the only one who risked yourself for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just got lucky, Marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard about your conversation with Count Langston through the news. You said you saved him just because you could? Is that true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well... it’s true...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m not fond of being openly flattered, so I quickly changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So why did you call me today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, I thought it proper to inform you of the progress regarding the incident. Also, the rebuilding of District 7 has been entrusted to the Yandel Barony. You’ll probably get contacted soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, that’s a relief—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But that’s not the main point, so let’s move on quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that’s not the main point, then what is?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tilted my head, curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since I know your character, I’ll be frank.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis wiped away his gentle smile and called me by name with a cold voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bjorn, son of Yandel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think you’re a demon.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1863,"2026-06-05T19:33:18.642Z",1,"novelbin.me","bc0272c5c6282955d07efda32e0be5661a3cf2e89b6e243056fa6997320c2bba","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-655","surviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-chapter-653",807,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurviving-the-game-as-a-barbarian-cover.jpg"]