Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Novel 2025 - Chapter 452
C452: Barbarian Revolution (1)
In [Dungeon & Stone], there are several special stats, among these are “invisible stats” that do not affect the overall combat power rating.
A prime example is the fame stat.
Though calling it a stat might be a bit of a stretch…
When your Fame Stat is high, people around you start to recognize you, which increases the chance of special events like sudden quests. It also means a default increase in favorability when conversing with NPCs for the first time.
At a glance, it seems like a useful stat.
However…
‘It’s more like we put it into numerical form.’
It’s not that the effect is caused by having a high reputation.
It’s rather that they’re famous enough to have that effect, so they have a high fame stat.
In reality, if you brought in a famous celebrity and gave them a status window, their Fame stat would be extremely high, and they’d get similar benefits.
Support is also a type of stat like this.
Depending on this stat, you get:
Increased leadership within the tribe,
Reduced opposition.
Higher policy success rates and better compliance, etc.
It’s useless in the typical explorer route, but once you delve into internal-affairs-type content, it’s a stat you really have to pay attention to.
Well, except for the barbarians.
“Your character’s support has increased by +1.”
“Your character’s support has increased by +1.”
“Your character’s support has increased by +1.”
“…”
“…”
As a barbarian, if one officially becomes the tribe chief, the support starts off insanely high.
After all, it’s a legitimately earned right.
The warriors respect the chief’s authority and naturally accept the commands.
‘The problem is that just having high support doesn’t mean the power lasts forever.’
The chief can always be ‘challenged’.
But this isn’t a critical issue either.
In fact, it’s something to be welcomed.
Because no matter how much damage you cause, you won’t be forced to step down from being chief—
As long as you’re not defeated by anyone.
‘…But I should still keep an eye on the support stat. If it gets too low, these kids will all get depressed.’
As I was thinking about that, Aynar, who was cleaning the large tent for the tribe chief that I was about to move into, spoke to me.
“Bjorn…! Why are you just sitting around?!”
It was a silly question, typical of Aynar.
“Because I am the chief.”
“…But still, it’s unfair for me to do it alone—!”
“And Aynar, you are an elder.”
“…Elder? Me…?”
Ainar was dumbfounded by the sudden promotion.
Hmm, didn’t see that coming?
“Isn’t it obvious! Aynar, who else can be trusted more than you, a member of the Seven Pillars, the second daughter of Pheneline?”
“It’s… not that much…”
Oh, come on, don’t be so modest.
“As the Baron Jandel in the Kingdom of Raphdonia and Chief of the Barbarians, I, Bjorn Jandel, say this! So believe it!”
For people like Aynar to hear you out, the best thing to do was put your status front and center.
[Your character’s support has increased by +1]
Indeed, it didn’t take long for Aynar to accept it.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Well then! I am an elder now!!”
“Then, can I leave the rest to you? I have other duties as the chief, and aiding me in them is the role of an elder.”
“Of course! I like assisting!”
Aynar quickly returned to cleaning as if she had never complained, and I sat down and closed my eyes.
Not because I was really sleepy, but because I had things to think about.
‘It’s a bigger mess than I thought… … .’
During the brief handover of power from the former chief, I heard about the tribe’s current situation, and it was worse than I’d expected.
From finances to population, welfare, and infrastructure.
Everything was a problem.
It was surprising that this tribe was still functioning at all, and it was overwhelming to consider where to start fixing it.
‘It’s not the first time I’ve faced a complex situation.’
After classifying the problems in order of priority and difficulty, it became clear to me what I needed to do before anything else.
First up is: Reform the cabinet
It’s the first quest every tribe chief must complete.
But I’m not sure if the word “reform” is quite accurate here.
“Um… Bjorn?”
While I was sitting with my eyes closed, Aynar carefully tapped my shoulder.
“Inside the sanctuary, call me ‘chief.’”
“S-sorry, well… Chief…?”
“Good. Speak.”
“I’ve been thinking about it, and… having an elder do this kind of menial labor seems unfair!”
Tsk, that’s the problem with educated folks…
They read a few books and now they know what’s ‘unfair.’
“Either pick another warrior for the job, or do it yourself! Or… tell another elder to do it! I-I just really hate cleaning!”
I smirked at her self-righteous declaration.
“Fine. Then stop cleaning.”
“…Are you going to force some other elder to do it?”
“No. And to begin with, there are no other elders besides you.”
“…Huh? What do you mean?”
Ah, so she doesn’t know.
I explained the tribe’s situation to Aynar.
“The original elders all retired together with the previous tribe chief.”
“What?! Wait, don’t tell me those old guys walked out on their own because they couldn’t accept you?”
“Calm down. It’s nothing like that.”
At first, I wondered if it might be a collective boycott because they didn’t trust me—the guy who ate “noble food.”
But that wasn’t the truth.
[You’ve become the tribe chief and still plan to enter the Labyrinth? Hahaha! Good luck! Try not to die this time like before!]
The elders were indifferent to my declaration that I wouldn’t quit being an explorer.
They didn’t question my legitimacy as a noble either.
They just seemed genuinely happy that they could finally retire.
[Heh heh, so you’re taking on the hard life now. These young warriors keep choosing difficult paths for themselves…]
[Good luck, don’t come to me if you don’t know something, I’m not going to do the maths anymore!]
Later, I found out that the previous elders were the old war buddies of the previous chief, and they reluctantly held their positions out of duty because the old chief begged them to.
They’d threatened to quit every day, only for the previous chief to beg them back to their desks.
“So don’t be too upset that they were stingy with potions.”
“Huh?”
“I checked, and indeed, the public funds are empty.”
When I told Aynar the story of an elder who was bitter about not being able to provide a proper weapon at a coming-of-age ceremony due to such costs made Aynar tear up.
“…That’s terrible!”
It was like a girl discovering the secret of her parents working night jobs to provide for their children.
“In any case, if there’s a warrior you think would make a decent elder, feel free to recommend them to me. After all, you’d know them better than I would.”
“Well, yeah, that makes sense…—”
“Chief.”
“…The chief has always been too busy looking after the tribe!”
Well, I appreciate the recognition.
Pleased, I nodded my head as Aynar recommended a few warriors.
However…
“Aynar, why that expression? You look somewhat unsatisfied.”
She slumped her shoulders as she responded.
“I chose the best fighters among my friends… but I don’t know if they’ll meet your expectations.”
“In what way?”
“Well… none of them can read.”
“Oh, that’s no problem.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
I had no expectations of literacy to begin with.
The previous elders only began to learn to read after becoming elders…
“I’m not planning to entrust the elders with administrative tasks as before.”
Why else would the Barbarians be in this mess?
Illiterate and numerically challenged individuals handling administrative tasks led to this situation.
“So the elders only need to teach the young warriors how to fight and instill a sense of loyalty to their tribe.”
“Huh? Then who will handle the rest? Even you can’t do it all alone.”
I grinned and said.
“Inside the city walls.”
“…?”
“We’ll hire humans from there.”
In professional terms, outsourcing.
Simply put, I plan to delegate the work.
****
White-collar humans who are good at administrative tasks.
I had just the right person.
Shavin Emure, a Grade 7 Civil Servant in the Administrative Agency, a part of our friends group.
‘I heard from Ragna that she made it to Grade 6, but was recently laid off.’
Of course, it’s not guaranteed that I can recruit her.
She refused Ragna’s offer to come work under her without a second thought for the sake of preserving their friendship.
Likewise, she may reject my offer as well.
But…
‘I might be able to get a few good referrals.
That would be enough for now.
Even if I get manpower, I still need the “funding” to pay for external help.
‘What to do with the funds.’
That was another problem that needed an answer.
The tribe’s funds are barely enough to buy weapons for the monthly Coming-of-Age ceremony and feed the younger warriors.
‘…I need to establish a new source of income first.’
‘Don’t give fish to the hungry, but teach them how to fish.’ To reform the current Barbarian tribe, we need to overhaul the sources of income.
It’s absurd that a whole tribe survives on donations and inheritances from warriors.
‘Money…’
No immediate solution came to mind.
They’ve been settled here for thousands of years in this cramped land. There’s no way there’s any iron ore or natural resources left.
‘To be honest, their metalwork isn’t great, either.’
They do produce decent-quality steel by hammering it relentlessly, but that’s about it.
City blacksmiths make better quality weapons.
Investing in blacksmithing facilities on a tribal scale? It would take a long time, and even then we couldn’t outdo the dwarves.
‘…Other than fighting in the Labyrinth, they don’t know how to do anything else. Sheesh, what kind of tribe is this?’
I muttered a curse while another thought popped into my head:
Every Barbarian warrior is an explorer, which is a high-income profession, so why are they poor?
They’re indoctrinated when they’re young, and once they’re old enough, they contribute like a tithe every month?
“Aynar.”
I asked a true Barbarian for her insight, still unable to understand.
“How are we poor if everyone’s making money? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Well… it’s because we’re poor.”
“No, I mean, why are we poor? Aren’t we all earning a decent amount?”
“Ah, that’s because you think so! Everyone spends on new equipment, drinks, and by the end of it, there’s nothing left!”
At first, it seemed to make sense, but to a Barbarian expert like me, it was interpreted differently.
The problem was not income but spending.
They spend everything and send only the spare change to the tribe, hence the perpetual shortage of money.
“Ah… and… I don’t mean to complain but…”
“Go ahead, quickly.”
“…Can you not tell the other warriors I said this?”
“Fine, hurry up.”
“The truth is, other than you, the warriors like to keep the old equipment they buy. They don’t sell it.”
“…What?”
“You know… there’s attachment to the old gear… Some warriors even want to pass it down to their children!”
At that moment, I was speechless.
“……”
…So that’s why there’s no money.
It was ridiculous, but there was nothing I could do about it immediately.
Collecting equipment is part of the Barbarian’s nature.
Like crows collecting shiny objects.
Changing a trait embedded in their DNA was beyond even a chief’s authority.
But…
“Well, it’s not too bad! Collecting gear is a kind of savings, right?”
As Aynar muttered defensively, a lightbulb went off in my head.
“…Savings?”
“Y-yeah! If we become famous later, those items could sell at higher prices! It’s… it’s basically an investment, right?!”
“…Investment?”
“Ah—o-of course, I don’t do that! Really, I mean it! W-well, I do have a few pieces, but… they don’t overlap. Each has a different use, so you never know when you might need—”
“Aynar, are you a genius?”
She had just given me a brilliant idea.
“…?”
She still seemed clueless as to the trouble she’d stirred up.
‘Yes, this is truly revolutionary.’
I can’t think of any other way to put it.
***
Before the fellow tribesmen visiting the sanctuary for the festival returned to the city, I summoned all the Barbarians.
There was no need for a preamble about the sunny weather or anything.
“I have something to say to you all!”
As soon as the crowd gathered, I started my speech.
Well, it was more accurate to say I was announcing my first policy as chief.
“Awake, warriors! I am different from the former chiefs! Therefore, I decided to give you an opportunity!”
The warriors, who would scratch their ears out of boredom, immediately lit up at the mention of ‘giving’ something.
“Opportunity…?”
“Sounds good, whatever it is…?”
Okay, I had successfully piqued their curiosity.
Before the Barbarians’ attention could wander, I quickly continued with the idea I had come up with, thanks to Aynar.
The method that could both educate the Barbarians about the economy and splendidly fill the empty public coffers.
“I will give you the opportunity to buy land in the sanctuary!”
“…Land?”
“You said you’d give us something, but now you’re saying buy! That means we pay money?”
The Barbarians looked puzzled, as if they had no idea what I was talking about.
Well, I didn’t expect them to grasp it right away.
I gave a short and simple explanation, tailored to their level of understanding.
“Do any of you own a house in the city? Probably not. And even if you do have a house, the land it sits on isn’t yours! That’s because in this kingdom, commoners can’t own land!”
I’m offering you a noble’s privilege.
“But it’s different with the Holy Ground. If I grant permission, you can buy land here—and once you buy it, it belongs to you forever!”
Of course, there will be a small property tax attached.
“You’ll be free to carve your name into the land, build a monument or a statue—whatever you want!”
“…Free?”
“Yes, free! You want to build a house? Then build it! Not some tent that’ll collapse in the rain, but a house like the ones in the city—one that your children’s children can live in forever!”
Build as much as you want.
And don’t worry about window taxes.
“Th-that sounds good…”
Gradually, the usually skeptical Barbarians began to show interest.
Of course, many were still puzzled.
“But to buy land…”
“It must be expensive, however much it is!”
“Is the land really worth that much…? Wouldn’t it be better to buy usable weapons…”
The warriors instinctively felt something was off.
It was time to play my trump card.
“Think about it, warriors!”
“…?”
“Weapons eventually rust, but land is different. It remains yours forever, something you can pass down to your children!”
It was a hard sell to Barbarians, who live for the day.
But…
“Plus, if you buy land, you won’t have to pay for lodging anymore! Not just you, but your children too, forever!”
The eyes of the Barbarians, who spent a significant amount on lodging each month, widened.
“…That’s right!”
“It’s true…! If you have land, you can just stay in the sanctuary!”
They finally realized the value of the land.
“But the city side would be more convenient… closer to the labyrinth…”
A few warriors expressed such valid concerns, but they were in the minority.
So, I just made a mental note of their faces.
If they’re good at fighting, maybe I’ll pick them as elders.
Anyway, it was time to drop the final bombshell.
“And most importantly…!”
As I walked away, the barbarians fell silent as if on cue, their ears pricked up.
This time, I didn’t even have to raise my voice.
“Land in the Holy Ground is going to become expensive!”
Money.
That universal motivator, regardless of tribe or race.
“It’ll only get more expensive over time! So expensive that later on, you might not even be able to buy it at all!”
“…?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Once someone buys land, it’s theirs forever—so when it’s all sold out, there’ll be no more left to buy!”
“…!”
“What! If you still want land by then, you’ll have to beg, right? You’ll have to plead with someone who already owns land, saying, ‘I’ll pay you a fortune—please sell it to me!’”
A simple principle of supply and demand.
“Well, even then, it won’t be easy. After all, who’d sell a precious piece of land that means your children’s children’s children will never again have to waste their money on city lodging?”
“…!!”
“Oh, but if you end up missing this opportunity, your children’s children’s children will be cursing you from their tents!”
“…?”
“‘Why didn’t our ancestors buy land back then?!’ That’s what they’ll say!”
“!!!!!!!!!!!”
The warriors, suddenly imagining a distant future where their descendants are left out in the cold, were struck dumb.
It didn’t look like I needed to say much more.
“Warriors! I’ll say it one last time!”
I shouted with authority.
Like a politician from this day forward.
“A true warrior never misses an opportunity!”
The answer was real estate.