Surviving the Game as a Barbarian-Chapter 724: Limited Time (3)

What kind of scheme did the King of Apocalypse have to make killing the prime minister a condition?
‘Is it impossible to kill the prime minister with royal power alone?’
No, that couldn’t be.
Having played the rebellion route thousands of times in-game, I knew better than anyone how powerful the royal family’s might truly was.
‘Then is it just that they want to subcontract it to me and save their own strength?’
Hmm, better than the previous guess but still not very realistic.
I’m not a reliable troubleshooter who has worked with the royal family multiple times, and from their perspective, there’s no reason to take such a troublesome step.
‘They even kept me tied down for a whole week while scheming this...’
It didn’t make sense to do it just for fun. After all, the King of Apocalypse is someone who values ‘time’ more than anyone.
So it’s better to sum it up this way:
There are two reasons why the King of Apocalypse gave this order.
‘Either there’s some circumstance preventing him from directly harming the prime minister.’
Or
‘I gain some “benefit” only if I kill the prime minister myself.’
Of course, this is just my speculation, and I still have no clue about that ‘circumstance’ or ‘benefit’—
“Suddenly you look deep in thought?”
At that moment, the King of Apocalypse spoke as if urging me to answer, and I snapped back to focus and spoke.
There was only one possible answer.
“Sure, I will. That bastard never sat right with me anyway.”
“Oh, because of that incident...?”
Hmm, if that incident—
“Let me say beforehand, I had no involvement in that. The prime minister acted on his own.”
It sounded like he meant the Ice Rock expedition, and the royal family seemed to roughly know what we were thinking.
“Then channel your grudge properly where it belongs.”
After that, the King of Apocalypse said so, but it didn’t ease my resentment toward the royal family.
Even if the prime minister acted alone, wasn’t it the royal family who granted him such power?
I consider passive consent and neglect to be contribution too.
‘...Still, if what he says is true, it does ease my mind a little.’
Though contributions differ in degree, some leniency might be warranted.
Not hatred strong enough to risk my life for.
Maybe it’s because hating the royal family doesn’t help me survive this world that I think like this.
Anyway.
“Well, then let’s end the talk here—”
“Wait!”
Just as I was about to end the conversation and turn toward the life-support device, I urgently called out to the King of Apocalypse.
There was one last thing I wanted to ask.
Though I wasn’t sure he’d answer.
“Down there.”
“......”
“What is it that’s trapped down there?”
The King of Apocalypse looked at me silently for a moment.
“...You’re suddenly being brief again now that business is over.”
Uh...
I didn’t mean to, but shamelessly I fixed a gaze that begged for an answer.
After a brief silence, the reply came.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t really an answer.
“How did you know something was trapped there?”
A question returned with a question.
I thought for a moment and answered honestly.
“I heard a plea to be freed from there. It was a young girl, maybe about ten years old.”
So, I reasonably deduced
that the ten-year-old girl might be the ‘Witch of the Land.’
“...Is that so.”
“And the answer?”
The King of Apocalypse took a moment, looking deep in thought.
Was it such a difficult question?
Seems like it.
Even after all that, he didn’t give a direct answer.
“...Bjorn Yandel. You know nothing. How this world survives. And how much sacrifice we make for such a world.”
“......”
“The talk ends here. The rest we will discuss anew after this matter is settled.”
Hah, that’s all?
I wanted to say something again out of emptiness, but I couldn’t bring myself to.
Because I was about to take just one step forward.
“...You said the talk ends here.”
The knight drew his sword and blocked my path.
“......”
Since the King of Apocalypse said nothing about the knight’s actions, the conversation really seemed over.
So I just stared ahead like a dog chasing a chicken.
Silence.
The King of Apocalypse shamelessly stripped off his clothes right in front of me and stepped into the device completely naked as if accustomed.
Whirrr—
Soon, the machine started running, mysterious fluid bubbling around the King of Apocalypse, who slowly closed his eyes, ending the entire scene.
‘He really looks like he’s sleeping...’
The short yet interminable audience was over.
“Follow me.”
After watching the King of Apocalypse enter the device and fall asleep, I followed the overbearing knight back upstairs.
And in the surprisingly empty audience chamber, I heard unexpected words.
“The King of Apocalypse said beforehand: whatever you ask for from now on, do your best to grant and cooperate.”
Oh, so that’s it...
So it wasn’t like I was meant to take down the prime minister alone on a barren field.
“What do you want?”
The knight’s demand had a predetermined answer.
“I want to finish watching the video I was watching earlier.”
“...Prepare yourself.”
After that, I resumed watching the video I had stopped earlier.
Of course, to save time...
“Can you watch it while fast-forwarding?”
“I can adjust the speed.”
The video started playing at eight times speed.
But it ended much sooner than I expected.
The video itself was short to begin with...
“Is there a part two...?”
“No.”
“So this is the end...?”
The mad movie of the Anavada clan leading explorers left at the front ended after the scene of my comrades breaking through to the barbarian sanctuary.
The reason was simple.
“Our enemy knows the royal family better than anyone.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“They prepared ways to avoid our ‘eyes,’ so they pulled this ridiculous stunt.”
Later explanations said the video was filmed using some strategic weapon owned by the royal family, and at that time, the prime minister apparently used some trick to neutralize it...
“The King of Apocalypse said even watching up to here would make you kneel.”
Oh, by the way, that prediction was spectacularly wrong.
I knelt without even watching that far.
‘So, what now...?’
I wondered briefly, then asked the knight’s name, causing him to flinch.
“I don’t think we need to introduce ourselves.”
Oh, what?
I just asked because calling him ‘that knight’ felt too casual.
Heh.
I can’t just let that slide as a barbarian warrior.
“Hey! Do you intend to disobey orders?”
Like a martial arts master shouting “Gal!”, I shouted, and the knight’s eyes changed to look at me like I was crazy.
A familiar gaze I no longer cared about.
But this time, I felt a little unfair.
“Didn’t you say the merciful and wise Majesty ordered you to do your best to grant and cooperate with whatever I demand?”
After explaining kindly, the knight’s faint chuckle turned to a confused look.
‘Wait, he did say that. So if I don’t comply, am I disobeying orders?’
A malfunction caused by excessive loyalty.
Finally, the knight sighed and revealed his name.
“...Astarotta Berun.”
Hmm, a surprisingly ordinary name.
He seemed reluctant to introduce himself; maybe it was famous enough for me to know?
‘Then why that reaction earlier?’
Maybe he just didn’t want to introduce himself to some barbarian like me?
“Astarotta... sounds nice and pretty.”
I tossed out the bait as a compliment just in case.
But it was jackpot, as he immediately responded.
“My name is by no means girlish.”
“I never said it was girlish.”
“......”
Astarotta fell silent, seemingly realizing too late he had admitted it himself.
“Anyway, since fate brought us together, I look forward to working with you, Elizabeth.”
“I’m not Elizabeth, I’m Astarotta.”
“Oh, sorry, my mistake.”
He realized I was teasing him and stopped responding, silent.
Of course, it meant nothing serious.
Barbarians have the advantage of taking control even through such trivial weaknesses.
“...Enough. So what now?”
He blatantly changed the subject, and I didn’t press further.
After all, I’m no psychopath.
I only torment someone for a reason.
Yeah, so...
“I’m not sure, but there’s something you have to do.”
“Say it.”
“Bring Raven here.”
Knowing his personality, his guts must be all the way down by now.
Ricardo Rühenpraga.
Leader of the group called Orkulis, commonly dubbed ‘The Traitor.’
The marquis had only heard about him through intelligence s and stories, but recently saw him with his own eyes, a strange feeling indeed.
‘...The Traitor.’
Surely that terrifying nickname would disappear after this.
Whether success or failure.
Because that title wouldn’t belong to him anymore.
‘...No, wait.’
If success, then he wouldn’t be called that.
No one would dare challenge national authority—
‘...I guess I’ve been thinking too much.’
The marquis focused on the man standing before him.
Was this the start of a grand plan, or was the man suddenly seeking him out?
“I heard you requested a private meeting. Speak freely if you have something to say.”
The marquis opened the conversation, and the man slowly spoke.
Short and concise, like his usual taciturn personality.
“Bjorn Yandel was spotted on the frontlines.”
“...I see. Thanks for the . I’ll handle the rest.”
The straightforward left the marquis silent for a moment before nodding.
The man turned and left the room as if he had nothing more to say.
Tap, tap.
The marquis’s expression remained unchanged, but his twitching fingers betrayed his anxiety.
“Bjorn Yandel...”
I hoped he didn’t die when the prison collapsed.
But of course, that wasn’t the case.
“So that bastard again...”
Not surprising.
At first just a nuisance, but maybe even then I suspected it.
That someday this day might come.
That this bastard might be the greatest obstacle to achieving my grand ambition.
Thump!
The marquis’s heart began beating wildly.
But nothing changed.
The moment he hoped wouldn’t come finally did.
“Everything follows the natural order.”
Now, he could only leave it to fate.