Chapter 42 – The Mage and the Barbarian (Part 2)

 

*Interrupt*

After the transmission was interrupted, Raven's lab fell silent for a while. However, she could not have expected this. How did she know that her plan to rob me would end with her having to pay me compensation of 5 million stones?

People here really lack ingenuity.

In fact, she had a way to win the argument. If she were to ask this question to any rank 9 researcher living paycheck to paycheck, he would answer that he would gladly take the essence, and her point of view wouldn't be shattered so easily. However, the researcher she contacted was clearly experienced.

If it's someone familiar with its master, he can't be an ordinary researcher.

This was a decisive mistake. Now it's time to pay for the mistake.

"Hahaha!" A barbarian who argued with a mage? He's more charming than I've heard! The gray-haired and wrinkled old man opened the door without knocking. His back wasn't crooked, and he looked very young despite his age. After a moment's bewilderment from the sudden intervention, I was able to quickly determine the identity of this old man. "Oh, I didn't introduce myself. I am the master of this young lady whom you have just brought to tears.

"I--I didn't cry!"

It was Master Raven. In other words, the teacher of the Great School of Althemion, a school that occupied as many as five floors in the tower. In a way, he was the same... no, even a more significant figure than that head of the district.

"In any case, I heard your conversation.

"Excuse me?" How? Soundproofing magic must work-...

"Ah, you must enhance this magic. There are too many holes in its formula. Here.

His speech was no different from that of the neighbor's grandfather, but because of his position, I couldn't help but feel a little discouraged. It was clear that he cherished Raven as an apprentice, and I was kind of a bad guy here.

"Ha... You've completely destroyed my magic circle. It wouldn't be easy to do without my knowledge, even for you, master..." Why did you eavesdrop on our conversation?

The old man grinned.

"My youngest student brought a man home. And a living barbarian at that! Of course, I'm curious.

Something seemed strange to me.

"Alive?"

As I muttered this, the old man laughed sincerely again.

"Haha!" Most of them come dead! Or simply delivered in the form of a heart!

"Don't look like that. It's a joke!

Got it. Is this the humor of a magician?

Since I too was a barbarian who could read moods instead of looking serious, I responded with a genuine laugh.

"Hahaha!" I want to crush your head!

The so-called barbaric joke.

— ... Wh-What?

Why doesn't he laugh? Oh, that's right. I didn't mention it.

"Hahaha!" It was a joke!

No matter what nonsense you spew, all you have to do is say it was a joke, right?

"So don't look like that, grandpa!"

"Grandpa...?"

"Oh, that was a joke too!" Hahaha!

At my joke, Master Althemion, Grandfather for short, frowned, as if he was displeased.

As I looked away, Raven was watching us with her jaw dropping, as if she couldn't understand the situation.

— ... Mr. Yandel, is it possible that you are crazy?

Was it a polite expression or just a curse word? The mixture of polite speech baffled me.

Error.

Judging by her reaction, I may have gone too far. I think it was normal. The damn barbarian had just shouted a crazy joke in front of the head of the magic school in the magic tower.

"Ha... I should have guessed from the way you behaved in the Guild...

However, it was a bit unfair. This may sound like an excuse, but joking about a dead barbarian in front of a barbarian who had just escaped execution was insensitive.

"It seems that I took a defensive position because I was very excited. I apologize if my words made you feel bad.

It was my first such excuse in a long time, but Raven shouted as if it wasn't enough.

"How can this be called defense?!

"The best defense is an attack.

This has been my motto since childhood.

So. How can I sort everything out?

Looking closer, I noticed that the old man was standing motionless with empty eyes.

As the silence lasted, I began to genuinely worry about my well-being.

"Hohoho!" This guy is definitely something! The old man began to laugh for no reason.

I didn't know why, but I laughed with him.

"Hahaha!

"Hohoho!" What an interesting guy!

Anyone could tell that I was just laughing, pretending to be brave. But that might have been enough to resolve the situation.

"Don't worry! This old man is different from the sensitive and narrow-minded fools.

Even as he said this, his lips were still trembling. But this could not have been pointed out.

I can roughly guess what kind of character he has and how to treat him.

"Haha!" From what barbarous blood do you come? "Forget my previous words!" You took my joke very close to heart! I've never seen such an ardent mage in my life!

I didn't meet mages often at all. Oh well.

"Haha, this old man has such a side. I think we'll get along!

"I agree!"

The cool air quickly dissipated. Raven watched us, laughing heartily, with a dumbfounded look on her face.

"Ha... What exactly is this situation?

I wasn't sure either, and I was sure that this old man didn't even know what he was doing.

"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel!" A great magician! I want to know your name!

"Bjorn Yandel!" Meeting you after communicating with narrow-minded magicians is like a breath of fresh air! Nice to meet you. I am Deian Tveherion!

For some reason, the old man introduced himself in a loud voice. When I saw the veins in his neck, I was worried about his health, but I pretended not to notice it.

"Amazing!" This is the voice of a real ambitious person!

I, Björn Yandel, was a barbarian with social skills.

"So, what I said to these narrow-minded magicians back then was-...

"Amazing!"

"Hm?" I haven't said anything yet-...

"I'm sure it's amazing!"

After many minutes of such hospitable conversation, the old man seemed to have recovered from the show and slowly returned to business.

"So. What do you plan to do with Aru?

"Aru?"

"Ah, that's kind of like my nickname for my junior student.

Aru in the sense of Arua Raven? Such a culture seemed to be everywhere.

"In any case, those 5 million stones earlier, what if me-...

"I can't undo it.

The regime of the Social Barbarian was over.

When I cut off his words with a straight face, the old man clicked his tongue.

"*Click*, who said you wouldn't get your money?" If you don't mind, I'd like to give you something different.

This changed the situation.

"What is it?"

"This," the old man put his hand into the robe he was wearing and took out a palm-sized box. However, I was more interested in the robe he was wearing than in the box.

Does this robe have a subspace charm? Hmm, he won't give it to me if I ask, right?

"Well?" Open up.

Smacking my lips inwardly, I opened the box and found one ring there.

"It's an item called the Frost Spirit Ring."

"The Frost Spirit Ring?"

The old man continued his explanation for my mumbling, but I decided that I didn't need to listen. I was already familiar with this subject.

"Although it's only the 9000th, I'm sure a researcher like you knows how valuable a numbered item is.

Numbered Item: An item that could only be obtained from the Rift Keeper. Each of them had a unique and special ability. Of course, most of them were expensive, regardless of the number.

— You are very lucky. If I didn't like you, I would never-...

"It's still an item that no one uses.

No9425: Frost Spirit Ring.

The Frost Spirit Ring only dropped below the 3rd floor and had a special ability. It wasn't an ability that aided in combat, but it sealed one of the essences absorbed by the wearer.

Of course, the statistics remained as they were, and only skills were sealed, but...

In this case, it is cheaper to remove the essence in the temple.

Think about it. Leveling up became astronomically more difficult over time. However, if you wore this ring, all skills from the essence were completely blocked. It was the same as the complete disappearance of one essence slot. Researchers thinking about the future would rather erase the essence in the temple and take a new one than wear this ring.

"But it must be something very useful for you, right?"

Of course, this was true. In the beginning, stats were more important than skill combinations. Moreover, even if the Corpse Golem had weak skills, the stats themselves were quite high.

If you take into account the fact that after removing the ring, you can always reactivate the skill, then this is not a bad item in itself.

I finished the calculations in my head. In fact, I didn't even think about giving up the ring. That was because the information I had just organized was only a small part of the true value of this ring.

Judging by the fact that he never mentioned it, even though I tested it, I believe he really doesn't know about this property.

Sorcerers were the greatest intellectuals in this universe. However, when Raven didn't know about the "Tears of the Goddess" under the statue in the Bloody Citadel, I was sure. In my eyes, they were just a bunch of noobs. In any game, noobs were the easiest to extort valuables.

"What's bothering you so much?" To be honest, this ring is not worth 5 million stones. But it's not something you can get just by wanting it.

"I see," I nodded in agreement. Even in the game, the auction price of this item was only about 1.5 million stones. However, due to the lack of stock for sale, I was able to purchase it only once out of ten.

But could I get this precious item?

I didn't expect to get all 5 million stones. This old man must have also planned to send me back with some useless item he had. Deep down, he probably thought I was a stupid barbarian.

"Thanks to you, I have acquired an excellent item. I use it to my advantage.

But it was the same for me.

"Consider it a gift from an old man.

Watching him laugh good-naturedly, I thought, "With a little bit of effort, I can extort more things from him in the future. I can already see how we'll get along.

***

"Mr. Yandel, today probably isn't the best day, right?" You're probably tired after everything you've been through. Maybe we can meet in 2 days to discuss the rest?

"Just what I wanted."

After briefly agreeing on the detailed time and place, Bjorn left the laboratory.

After that, Raven waited for her master's reaction.

"Excuse me, master, it's my fault-...

"It's all right. It wouldn't have been sold anyway. That barbarian, when he understands what this ring is worth, he will have a very big headache.

"Is that true?" Fortunately, he didn't look particularly angry about bringing Bjorn here, so Raven relaxed and asked what she was interested in. "But why did you behave like that?"

The master's attitude today was very strange. He hated rude people, and had never called his fellow mages narrow-minded before.

"Ah, I had one thing to check.

"Check?"

"You shouldn't know that.

She pursed her lips with an impenetrable expression on her face. This made it clear that there was some intention to match Bjorn's high tension, but at this rate, she had no way of finding out.

"In any case, he is strange. So strange that I'm even starting to look forward to it. I hope I'm right...

"Are you going to continue like this?" If you're going to tell me, then just let me know?!

"I'll tell you later, when the time comes." Oh, when you have time, write down what happened to that barbarian and send it to me.

"Aren't you going to tell me why?"

"I'll tell you when I'm sure."

Not long after, her master left the lab with a soft smile as usual.

Looking at the empty space he had left behind, she had a strange feeling.

What is he thinking about?

She wondered if it would be a bad idea to bring Bjorn to the tower. She remembered that the last days of those in whom her master showed such interest had not been very good.

But can the same be said of Mr. Yandel?

Remembering the rank 9 researcher who had demolished the entire Guild, she began to get worried.

No, it can't be. The Magic Tower is not some street shop.

The guild and the magic tower were completely different. It was not a place that a single barbarian could conquer, no doubt.