Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Novel 2025 - Chapter 708
Chapter 708: Conscription (3)
After electing our vice-captain, I called Versyl Gowland to the side and took some time for a one-on-one with her.
I mean, since I was the captain, I should say a few things to her, right?
“Haha, congratulations. You’ve finally obtained some authority.”
“Stop joking around…”
Well, I only said that to try and lighten the mood since it looked like she was overwhelmed by her sudden promotion. Though, I guess it was only right that the second-in-command was a bit serious.
“Versyl Gowland.”
“Yes.”
“From today onward, you are our clan’s vice-captain. You must lead the clan in my stead when I am not around. Although everyone will help you, you are the one who needs to make the final decision, and you must bear responsibility for said decision.”
“I know that…”
From her expression, I could tell she wasn’t just saying that to get through this. It made me feel a bit more relieved and I trusted that she would be able to diligently carry out the duties of the vice-captain without cutting any corners.
I don’t need to say much.
I decided to shelve all the words of advice I had prepared beforehand. For someone who already knew the weight of their duty, words of trust and encouragement were the ones that were needed.
“I know that you will do well. Let’s go. Everyone is waiting for you.”
I patted her on the shoulder a few times before ending our talk. We then returned to where the rest of our clan was waiting and officially began our meeting.
Well, maybe calling it a meeting was a bit much. To be honest, it was closer to a band of criminals getting their story straight before an interview with the police.
“Still, since we’ve prepared for this beforehand, we shouldn’t have too much trouble with it.”
“You’ve prepared for it?”
“We didn’t know how long we’d be outside the city walls, so we already spread the word around that the entirety of the clan was going on a special training camp.”
The entirety of the clan doing special training for over two months. Although it was sure to raise some suspicions, what could anyone say about it when that was the official story we were going with?
Actually, quite a few clans had systems where they did training in the private underground training facilities. While it was technically illegal to use skills in said facilities just as it was in the city, the other option of training in the city’s public facilities would expose their use to other people. As a result, most clans practiced their strategies and tactics in private training facilities, and the city largely just overlooked the practice.
“Well, no matter what fuss they make about it, we should be fine. They won’t have anything to say to us if we just respond to the conscription order within the time limit. It’s not illegal for us to be away somewhere for two, three months, right?”
Well, that was the basis of their plan, at least. If we just paid our taxes and upheld the law, the city respected our freedom. The core here was that we needed to bury the fact that we’d left the city walls.
Alright, we can settle that part here…
We carried on talking about our plans going forward.
“Your role is important from this point on, Captain.”
“My role?”
“You’ll be the mouth of the clan within the military command.”
“So I should work hard to try and position you in the safer backlines or things along that vein.”
“Yes, that’s right. Of course, that’ll depend on your disposition.”
“My disposition…?”
Wasn’t I pretty normal? Well, I did like to be on the side hitting rather than getting hit—
“Some view this war as an opportunity.”
Ah, so that was what she meant.
“You could try to position us in favorable positions so we can obtain military achievements. Even if trying for them may be more dangerous than staying in the backlines—”
I didn’t need to hear any more of that.
“It’s fine. I have no interest in doing that,” I sternly cut her off. “No one getting seriously hurt and surviving. That alone is enough, so don’t push yourself. Understood?” Since this was the most important point, I looked each member in the eyes.
“Don’t worry. I’ve perfectly understood your intentions, Captain,” Versyl, the last person to make the visual exchange, said with confidence in her eyes.
“Alright, that’s good.”
My heart eased a little.
***
After settling on our baseline plan, we finally exited the sewers and entered the city.
The roads were completely empty since everyone had been evacuated. However, as we continued toward the walls that were connected to Bifron, we began to see more and more people.
They weren’t civilians who were selling fruits or carrying out other mundane actions, but adventurers or soldiers who fought for a living.
It didn’t take long for them to start whispering about us.
“Bjorn, son of Yandel.”
“It’s the Anabada Clan.”
“I heard that they went to do some group training…”
“Then are they joining the fight after just now seeing the conscription order?”
The adventurers didn’t approach us but rather stepped away and opened the path while whispering amongst themselves. Most of them had positive reactions to seeing us.
“I’m so relieved to be assigned to District Seven.”
“Yeah. Fighting on the frontline with them makes me feel like we’ve already won.”
In such a volatile time of war, the most reliable thing was a strong ally. Even the people who would’ve looked at us with envy or jealousy under normal circumstances were glad to see us.
“I heard that he never abandons his allies.”
“I hope that reputation of his holds true.”
“Those above won’t even blink even if a thousand of us died.”
“I’m glad Baron Yandel is here.”
To be honest, their reaction was warranted. I was currently the only noble who was still an active adventurer, and it was natural for me to care about District Seven, the place where my clan members resided. The adventurers around us would surely feel like they’d just obtained a reliable supporter.
“Nia Rafdonia!”
As we continued to walk toward the city walls, a group of knights seemed to have heard the news, as they quickly ran over and saluted us.
“We greet Baron Yandel!”
“Which affiliation?”
“Fourth Knight Order of the Palace, leader of the Iron Wall Guard, Muellen Byle.”
With his identity revealed to us, the knight opted not to talk in front of all the onlookers.
“If it wouldn’t cause you trouble, could you follow us for a moment? The commander was very glad to hear that you have appeared, Lord Baron.”
“And who is the commander?”
“Third Commander Eltora Tercerion.”
Okay, so the son of the Marquess.
No, to be precise…
“My son… Eltora Tercerion is already dead. The one possessing the body of my son is some nameless evil spirit.”
The evil spirit who had possessed his son’s body, and the one who had abandoned us during the Ice Rock Expedition.
There’s no way this country can do well when a bastard like him is still sitting in a commander position.
“Um… Lord Baron?”
“I got it. Lead the way.”
Since we couldn’t hold our conversation in the middle of the street with everyone’s eyes on us, I followed the knight over to the command center situated in a central position below the city wall. From what I could tell, they were using the biggest inn near the wall as their base.
“Could everyone else wait on the first floor?”
“Versyl, come here. You’ll go with me.”
“Um… That’s…”
The knight who had brought us here looked like he wanted to stop Versyl from going as well, but after what I said next, he stayed silent.
“She is the vice-captain of my clan. It’ll be better if she’s also present.”
“Understood, then this way…”
With that, the knight led us to the room on the third floor, and I saw that guy for the first time in a long while.
“Greetings, Baron Yandel.”
Hah, this bastard. Looks like he’s gotten even more rude since the last time I saw him.
“Do sit down.”
He doesn’t even have a noble title, yet he dares to act up just because he holds the position of commander.
I got pissed off and just sat deeply on the sofa, and it ended up just collapsing beneath me with a crack!
“I…will just stand behind you,” Versyl said politely before stepping back.
However, it seemed that the marquess’s son—“bastard” for short—noticed her presence only then. He looked at the knight who guided us here with a frown.
“I’m sure I said to not let anyone else in?”
“Well… she is the vice-captain of the Anabada Clan…”
“Hmm, vice-captain…”
The bastard, who seemed like he was going to kick her out immediately at first, thought twice about it as he brought his hand to his chin.
I was starting to see why salespeople of small businesses were promoted relatively quickly. Even if a title was only for show, there was a great difference between having and not having one.
“My vice-captain and I don’t hide anything from each other, so you don’t need to worry about her.”
“Not hide anything…?”
When I said that, the bastard looked back and forth between me and Versyl before nodding with an unreadable expression.
“Hmm, understood. Ms. Gowland? You may continue to be here.”
“Thank you.”
“By the way… It must be difficult, right?”
The hell was this bastard talking about? Did he completely forget that I beat him up before?
He made for an ugly sight, acting all mighty just because he’d obtained a crumb of authority, so I quickly continued with the main topic.
“So, why did you call us?”
“How could I not when you, who had disappeared without a trace, suddenly reappeared? But first, aren’t you here because you are responding to the conscription as well, Lord Baron?”
“Well, that is true. I was in an isolated place cut off from outside communications and only received the conscription order not long ago.”
“Could I ask where this isolated place was?”
“It’s nothing much. I was training in a private training facility.”
Although it was a very suspicious answer, outwardly showing suspicion toward me would be a grave mistake in the world of nobility.
“Haha… Is that so?”
As expected, the bastard continued without a comment, and we left the topic there.
“By the way, I’m asking because a situation like this is a first for me, but could I hear what will be happening from now on?”
“Ah, your circumstances are indeed unique, Lord Baron.”
“That’s what I thought as well when I heard about it.”
“First, under the Special Adventurer Law, the Anabada Clan will temporarily join our third company and be under our command.”
“And what about me?”
“For now, you will become a part of the military command in the royal capital of Karnon before your station is decided. Well, most titled nobles are stationed at the back in the strategy teams…but there are rare cases where they are put on the frontlines.”
“Oh, can that happen?”
“When that person wishes for it, or perhaps when that titled noble’s strength is needed at the frontlines.”
That was a piece of information that I didn’t hear from Kaislan.
“Then I could stay here in the third company as well?”
“Hmm, then you would need to follow my orders. Will that be alright with you?”
“I don’t care.”
“If that is the case, I will welcome you…but you’ll need to go to the military command and personally make your case there. I do not have the authority to transfer a titled noble such as you, Baron Yandel.”
I stifled a sigh. That meant I still needed to visit Karnon for a bit.
“The military command should have received the news already, so you can go right away.”
“Understood. So what is happening here? I wasn’t able to get any information because I came here as quickly as I could.”
He sighed. “I don’t know where I should begin. In short, the Noarkans who had taken over Bifron have stepped outside with their own two feet. They marched as if the royal capital was their aim, and all forces were mobilized to suppress them. We even had to utilize the Magic Weapon to push them back to Bifron, and we successfully did that today.”
“Magic Weapon…?”
“Ah, maybe you don’t know of this because you haven’t been a part of the military before. In a sense, it is the true strength of the royal family. One shot from the weapon can rend the sky and shake the earth. And when I saw it in action, it wasn’t an exaggeration.”
Hmm, was this like the palace’s nuke? I couldn’t get any details just from that story alone.
But was that tremor I felt in the sewers because of that Magic Weapon?
I was struck by an inexplicable sense of frustration.
It was like endlessly peeling an onion, layer after layer, and another layer appearing. If I considered the palace my enemy, my future began to feel more and more dismal.
Of course, there was one positive thing about all this.
If they’re this strong, they should be able to stop Noark well enough on their own.
Maybe the “incident” the records stones mentioned wouldn’t happen here and now. Maybe the palace would effortlessly defeat the Noarkans, kick them out, and a period of peace would find us again.
That…might be being too hopeful.
Hah, if not for Goblin’s intuition, I might have been able to be a little more optimistic.
“Ah, we’ve just received a message from the military command. You are being called urgently to Karnon, Lord Baron. Someone will be there to greet you when you take the military magic circle.”
“I see.”
I stood up, and the bastard chose that moment to speak down to me as if he were my superior.
“Do you have anything you want to say or ask before you go?”
Ah, that?
“Of course, I do.”
I definitely had one thing I needed to tell him before I left.
“Eltora Tercerion.” I approached him before whispering into his ear, “I know what you did during the Ice Rock Expedition.”
It didn’t matter that the order was given by the marquess. The man in front of me had abandoned us as our frontline officer.
His shoulder flinched, betraying how flustered he was. It seemed that he didn’t expect me to talk about that directly to his face.
However, I ignored his reaction and continued, “So do well. Because that won’t happen again.”