Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Novel 2025 - Chapter 491
Chapter 491: Declaration of War (2)
The Stone of Honor was a humongous monument located in the center of the capital, Karnon’s Hero Square. The stone, said to have been created when the Dimension Square was first built, contained a list of achievements from heroes who have appeared and disappeared throughout history.
The last achievement was, what, six hundred years ago…?
The list of feats wasn’t written on the monument by people, however. The story went that the monument was crafted from a long-forgotten ancient magic with close ties to the labyrinth. When a feat worthy of being recorded was achieved within the labyrinth, the record would be engraved onto the stone on its own.
…At least according to the setting of the game.
I was puzzled. I always thought the Stone of Honor was just a random aesthetic ornament in the game that helped explain the setting of the world to the player. I played for ten years, and not once did it do anything.
I can’t believe it actually works.
Once I’d arrived at the square under heavy escort of the knights, I looked up blankly at the monument. People crammed the outskirts of the square to see me and the knights who controlled the area. Since this was the capital of Karnon, most of the onlookers were nobles dressed in expensive clothing.
“Bjorn Yandel! It’s Baron Bjorn Yandel…!”
“Waaaaaah!”
I felt like a monkey in a cage. Still, I kept my quiet gaze locked onto the stone, trying to not let my discomfort show as I read the achievement listed at the very top of the stone.
The Last Great Sage, Diplan Groundel Gabrielius, and his colleagues defeated all the monsters of the Crystal Cave and opened a hidden area.
According to the history books, this was the moment the four portals leading up to the second floor emerged in the labyrinth. The next achievement was similar.
The Valiant Beastman Warrior, Eamon Myulmarin, and his colleagues killed the Sea Dragons and discovered a new island.
When an adventurer was the first to kill that boss monster, a previously nonexistent island suddenly emerged.
The Great Navigator, Ordel Pikma, and his colleagues killed all the monsters of the vast sea and opened a hidden area.
When someone completely cleared the sixth floor, two new paths appeared which both led to the seventh floor.
The human adventurer Ludel Limenin and his companions reached the abyss and awakened the spirits of all the Lords.
After someone successfully reached the tenth floor for the first time, the Lords of the Floor were summoned, after they were defeated, rifts began to appear on the corresponding floors.
The Iron Hero, Juggernaut. I think he’s said to be the first one to defeat a Lord of the Floor
Either way, none of that was particularly important. From my point of view as a gamer, the stone was nothing more than a patch note. Whenever something in the labyrinth changed or got unlocked, a message praising the adventurer who achieved it was recorded. Now, one of those feats listed down said my name.
The Great Barbarian Warrior, Bjorn Yandel, and his companions defeated the Lord of Terror, Dreadfear, and opened a hidden area.
That meant that an entirely new area had been opened up because of me. Was that good or bad? Since I had no way of knowing, I could only look up at the stone blankly.
“Baron Yandel! Could you look over here?”
Without thinking, I turned my head when a man who appeared to be a civil servant called my name.
Click!
Suddenly, a flash emitted from the video recorder the man held.
“Please smile! Don’t you see that this will go down in the history books forever?”
The history books… Yeah, I guess this isn’t bad at all.
Since I planned to build up my reputation and gather as much support as possible, such events were a good thing.
With that decided, I cast Giantization and flexed my arms, shouting out, “Behell—aaaaaahhhhh!”
Sure enough, there was another flash.
Click!
That much should make the final cut, right?
***
[Your Fame has risen +10.]
[Your Fame has risen +10.]
[Your Fame has risen +10.]
[Your Fame has risen…]
[Your Fame has…]
***
Having my name engraved on the Stone of Honor turned out to be a bigger deal than I had thought. The videographer, who I learned later was someone working directly under the royal family, made me do countless poses in front of the monument until he finally felt like he got his final cut.
“Natural lighting really does wonders for pictures and videos!”
After having my photo taken, I was called in to be questioned. It wasn’t anything like an interrogation, however, though if I wasn’t a noble, that absolutely would have been the case.
“Ah, I see…so you’re saying you can’t tell us.”
“Experience and knowledge are the property of an adventurer. Why should I have to tell you for free?”
“Y-you’re right. According to the laws regarding the labyrinth, we can’t force you.
Yet could you please reconsider for the sake of the kingdom and our future generations?”
“Maybe. But I don’t remember my fellow adventurers who accomplished similar achievements answering all of your questions either.”
“W-well…”
“I’m hungry, so I’m leaving.”
By the time I left, it was evening, and the whole world looked different. When I first started to become famous, I was given the nickname of Little Balkan, and when I made a significant contribution to the war against Noark, I was awarded the title of baron. Back then, I also felt like my entire world had changed overnight, but this was incomparable to even that.
“It’s Bjorn Yandel…!”
Even as I simply walked down the street, countless people called out to me. Some gave me a round of applause while others ran up to me, asking to shake my hand or embrace them. Once, a child standing far away even waved at me, asking me to say his name.
What is this…?
Sure, I had experienced something similar before, but this was different. I was in the capital of Karnon. All of the people who resided here were nobles or upper-class citizens. They had never taken much interest in me, yet now look at what was happening.
“Giant! It’s the Giant!”
“The great giant who will lead us to a new era…!”
“May you be the endless light of Rafdonia!”
Even the genteel folk were praising me like excited fans. It did make some sense, in a way, why they were only now acting that way. Someone with heroic potential was completely different from an actual hero.
“I-I can’t believe a hero like him was born in my lifetime.”
The Great Sage, Gabrielius. The Abyss Seeker, Limenin. The Great Navigator, Pikma. The Iron Hero, Juggernaut. I felt proud to be in the company of such renowned names that were recorded on the Stone of Honor, while the people felt ecstatic to know that within their lifetime, they were able to see one such hero who would be remembered and talked about in perpetuity. Even sharing the same space as me was enough to make them feel as if they were experiencing a moment of history. Thus, I decided I should give them some fan service.
“Honey! The baron said our child’s name…!”
“This kid is going to grow up and become an incredible person! I’m sure of it!”
It was time to activate Pope Barbarian mode.
Things continued like that until I returned to the carriage platform. I couldn’t close my eyes and rest even in the carriage, however, because everyone outside was following us and screaming my name. Eventually, I made it back to the house.
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
By now, the news had spread throughout the empire. A massive crowd had gathered outside our house, celebrating as if it were a festival. Thankfully, the knights of Mozlan eventually came by at night time to control the crowd and end the festivities.
“Phew… Finally some peace and quiet.” I reclined on the sofa as I let out a heavy sigh.
Erwen walked over to me from where she had been peeping out the window from beyond the curtain. “I guess everyone’s gone to bed now.”
“This is nuts. If today was this bad, what is it going to be like tomorrow?”
“Things will calm down sooner than you think. Surprisingly, people…forget quickly.”
“Like when everyone thought I was dead?”
“…Yes.”
Erwen sat across from me, and Auyen spawned to serve us tea as if he had been waiting.
“Ah, thank you.”
“Of course, Captain.” Auyen’s voice and the look in his eyes were different from usual. He has always been polite, but today, it seemed as if he was filled with a strange level of respect toward me. “It must be fate that I was lucky enough to have met you, Captain, and that you were willing to give me the chance to repent for my sins and stand behind you. Even though I can’t offer much, I will continue to support you on your path as much as I can.”
Does this guy think he’s a porter for a legendary warrior’s party or something?
It was a little funny to see him sucking up like this, but I didn’t bother harassing him.
He left with a, “Have a good night,” and Versyl and Amelia entered the room together.
“I’m sorry,” I told Versyl. “You can’t even rest at home because of me.”
“No, I’m glad I didn’t go back home. Given the situation, it would have been hard for me to make it back here tomorrow. I’m also a bit too tired to head all the way back home.”
“I see…”
Honestly, none of it felt real. Everyone was calling me a hero, but did I really do anything worthy of being recorded on the Stone of Honor? We only stumbled upon the hidden piece by accident, and it was pure luck that we succeeded in the first place. The Ice Rock expedition was several times more difficult than this, and many more people died back then.
In terms of difficulty, that was way harder…
I shook the thought away and asked, “Anyway, did you get some rest?”
“No…I couldn’t sleep. But don’t worry about me. We were only there for seven days, and they were all pretty relaxed aside from that last day.”
Well, that’s true. I usually faint from exhaustion after returning from the labyrinth too, but I’m still relatively fine.
Ainar was the only one of us who was sleeping soundly.
“So I examined it once more in my spare time…” Versyl took out No. 12, Trust, and placed it on the table. I had given her the item before I followed the knights to Karnon to be questioned. “First of all, it seems to be attached to one’s soul.”
“Attached to the soul?”
“Yes, but strangely enough, it seems to be attached to multiple people. It seems that you, Miss Fenelin, Miss Tersia, and I can use it.” Versyl put the bracelet on
Amelia’s wrist as an example. It didn’t adjust to fit her wrist and simply fell off.
“You mean only those who went through the test can use it.”
“Yes. It’s very likely that is the case.”
“Hm…”
As I was deep in thought, Versyl asked me cautiously, “But…only one of us four can use it at a time. Who do you think should wear it?”
Trust was an extremely versatile item-so versatile, in fact, that it could be effectively used by tanks, DPSers, wizards, and priests alike. It was because there were three ways to use it.
One, you are immune to damage dealt by allies in the Companioned state.
If a tank used the item, not a single scratch would land on them even if their teammates bombarded the frontlines with an AOE attack. In other words, the inherent problem of tanks would be solved and more diverse tactics would become available.
Two, damage increases relative to the number of allies in the Companioned state.
When DPS used the item, their damage rose.
Three, it doubles all the beneficial effects given to allies in the Companioned state.
When worn by a priest or support-type adventurer, their buffs, heals, and other effects were doubled.
We can exclude the third use for our team…
In the end, there were only two options: give it to Erwen to increase her damage output to an entirely new level, or leave it to me to wear to increase the stability and durability of our party.
Then again, there’s no reason to think so hard about it.
In true barbarian fashion, when there were two types of food on the table, you just had to use both hands to eat them. It didn’t take long for me to come to a decision.
I would wear it for the majority of the time, but when we needed more firepower, I could let Erwen use it. “I’ll wear it for now and give it to either you, Erwen, or Ainar when necessary.”
All the team members nodded, seemingly satisfied with my decision. However, Amelia’s expression seemed to be a little disheartened. It was an extremely small change, but I could catch it at a glance since Amelia normally didn’t have any expression on her face.
“Now that we’re done talking, everyone should rest up. We can talk more tomorrow.
Oh, but stay for a bit, Emily. I have something to talk to you about.”
Versyl and Erwen left the room without saying another word, also catching Amelia’s unusual expression. Now, only the two of us were left. After standing for the whole of the previous conversation, Amelia went over to the sofa to sit down. “…If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have left you guys to interrogate them.”
I couldn’t blame her for feeling upset. She wasn’t able to share in the spoils or have her name written down as my “colleague” on the Stone of Honor. I tried to console her by bringing up a realistic point. “Try to think of it as a positive. If your name was written down on the stone, things would have gotten tricky.”
When I went to see the monument today, I saw that my team members’ names were also listed underneath the word “colleague” in very fine text. Simply put, if Amelia had gone through the test with us, her real name, Amelia Rainwales, would have been exposed to the public.
“I… I already know that.”
“You do?”
“It’s just…I feel a bit bitter.”
“…Huh?”
When I tilted my head, Amelia looked at me and said, “Because that means I can’t ever stand next to you with my real name.”
“Oh…”
Um…
Unable to come up with anything to say in response, all I could do was awkwardly fumble for words. Amelia then fluidly changed the subject like she was done feeling bitter. “But there is some information you need to know.”
“Is this about what you said you would tell me later?”
“Yes.”
Actually, I had told her to stay behind so I could hear about this, but her serious expression made me anxious all over again. “What is it?”
“There’s something wrong with my memory.”
“…What?” At first, I wondered what nonsense she was spouting, but as I continued to listen, I realized just how serious the situation was.
“There was a moment during the interrogation where I was in a daze, and when I came to my senses, the video recorder was destroyed. I’m certain that I never lost consciousness or did that, though.”
“I see.”
“I compared the flow of time to the actual time I remember, and there was a slight error.” An error of about ten minutes, she went on to say. In other words, she remembered interrogating them for thirty-five minutes, but forty-five minutes in total had elapsed.
“What chance is there that you’re wrong about this?”
“None.” If she was that confident in her answer, then something must have happened. “Thinking back on it, there was even something strange with the way I acted. Normally, I would have interrogated them carefully. But from my memory, I interrogated them casually and skipped over digging into any major pieces of information.”
I stayed quiet.
“That’s why I came up with the possibility that someone used illusionary magic on me. Some must have manipulated my memory and filled it with false information.”
“Is that what happened?”
“I still don’t know. I had Ms. Gowland examine me, but she said she couldn’t find any trace of it.”
Memory manipulation… Who on earth was the culprit? Was there a wizard of that magnitude under Count Alminus? Or was it a third party?
As I was deep in thought, Amelia then added a final piece of information. “And one last thing. When I came to my senses and looked around, the weapons were all wiped clean.”
“…The weapons?”
“Yes, even the sword that stabbed you. It was clean as if it had been wiped off with something.”
That was suspicious. What the hell happened? I was relieved that Amelia was safe, but now, there were even more things to take care of in the future.
“Those guys…they said they took a request from the black market, right? That’s why they didn’t know who the client was.” I should start from there. The black market was famous for its iron-clad security and the eerie rumors that no one survived after stepping foot inside without permission. At the end of the day, however, it was still a place where people lived. “I should pay them a visit.”
If I started breaking things, someone was sure to give me some information.