The light slowly returned to my darkened vision.

This is my room.

A room in Bjorn Yandel's inn, not Lee Han Su. When I checked my watch, it had been exactly 12 seconds since I got to that place.

Is one hour there equal to one second here?

The gap in time itself was not surprising, because the labyrinth was also like that. No matter how many days I spent there, when I returned to the city, it was always noon the next day.

I don't know how this happens, but it's definitely a convenient phenomenon.

However, I have to be careful. In other words, it meant that I would be defenseless for 12 seconds. Of course, in case of an emergency, I could just log out and walk away, so there was no problem... But what if it's not an emergency? What if something comes suddenly? What if something happens in those 12 seconds?

It will be difficult to react appropriately.

Well, I had no intention of not using the community for that reason. I just kept such a danger in my unconscious mind. That way, when something does happen, I can make a decision as quickly as possible.

"Phew...

I stretched and let out a long sigh. A slight fatigue fell on me, not physical, but mental.

That's right, technically, I've been awake for 12 hours.

I closed my eyes, thinking that if there were a person who was inclined to sleep only that day, it would be reasonable to suspect him of being a gambler.

I didn't want to fall asleep right away, I needed time to get my thoughts in order.

It's good that I joined early.

The Ghostbusters community was established and functioned with more efficiency than I expected. There was no doubt that as a source of information it acted as I wished. Thanks to this, I was able to obtain information about the Dimensional Collapse.

Just rumors, huh?

It was undoubtedly good. However, for some reason, the feeling of despondency and anxiety was growing at the same time. When I first heard about it, I thought it was the bad luck I was expecting. But if not, what the hell was supposed to happen?

... I need to be more careful.

With this thought in mind, I fell asleep. So time passed, and the next day morning came. The day has come to fulfill my promise to Baron Martoan.

***

"Good luck!" Tell me everything when you come back! "Misha saw me off, and I went outside.

With a few changes, I reached the house of Baron Martoan.

"Come here." There is no time.

As soon as I entered the spacious mansion, I was dragged into a magnificent room and changed.

Apparently I didn't look wild enough to be present at the Count's banquet today.

Bloody hell.

Being a barbarian, you have to deal with such things. I usually dressed more neatly for the opposite reason.

"Oh my God, just look at those muscles.

With the help of a maid, I took off my breastplate and shirt and put shoulder pads on my naked body, with spikes on one side and a beast skull pattern on the other.

"Could you sink a little?"

— Of course.

The maid stood on a stool and whimpered, wrapping something around my belly, a championship belt that was thicker than even my arm length.

Damn, why did I need to wear something like that? A single breastplate could protect the entire torso.

"Please raise your hand."

Even after that, various fashionable devices were added to my body, regardless of my will, focused more on intimidation than on protection. The balance of weight was also arbitrary, to the point that every movement was uncomfortable, and the hair that the maids tied was constantly falling and preventing me from seeing.

But I understood what they wanted.

When I looked in the mirror, there was a barbarian warrior standing there, who was probably drinking dragon's blood while snacking on ogre meat. A thought suddenly occurred to me:

So what if it lacks protection or practicality?

Hell, if I walked around like that, everyone would pee in their pants and run away. In that sense, the intimidation was excellent.

I called it the "(True) Barbarian Regime," but it seemed that in their eyes that wasn't enough.

"Click."

A branch with a goatee looked at me disapprovingly. That bastard's name was... He hasn't told me yet.

"What's your name?"

To my question, the butler frowned and gave a short answer, as if he did not want to talk to me.

"Call me, sir-...

"I'll call you butler."

—... Tsok, an ignorant barbarian.

I didn't like the butler for many reasons. From beginning to end, he spoke to me in a tone as if he were addressing someone below him.

Even the baron did not treat me like that.

Who does he think he is? After all, he is still a commoner.

Inwardly grumbling, at the direction of the butler, I even inserted insoles into my boots, plate boots weighed about 7 kg due to excessive construction. With an awkward object, it was truly excruciating.

"Now it's worth looking at you. You used to be too short," that son of a bitch said.

Ha... It's just for one day.

No wonder he agreed to pay me a million stones in one day. It was really the cost of real labor. In any case, after the unscrupulous butler explained the details about the order of movement and where to stand while the baron was talking to the others, it was time to leave.

"Time is up. Go.

I left the palace-like room and headed for the main gate. The luxurious carriage was already waiting. Perhaps a baron was riding in it, whom I have not seen all day today.

"Why are you standing still?" Your place is over there.

I stood at the head of the procession of carriages. Were they going to follow me?

"This is an important mission, so look ahead and keep your posture..."

That bastard butler kept nagging me until he left, as if he couldn't trust me.

"Let's move out!"

Presently a knight on horseback directly behind me shouted, raising his flag, and I led the procession at a moderate pace.

*Top-top-top-top*

As we drove out of the main gate, I glanced around the wide cobbled street.

These were the streets of Carnon, the royal capital, where I would not have been able to go with my status. Even the shop buildings were majestic, and the people's outfits were just as noble. The royal palace, which I could not see from my place of residence, showed itself in the distance.

I have to find a way to get here quickly to use the Heavenly Auction House..."

The butler told me to look only ahead, but I did not miss the opportunity to look around. Perhaps this was the reason.

"Stop!"

Turning the wrong way, the procession stopped. The bastard butler ran up to me with a flushed face, and shouted something, but I confidently pinched my ears.

Whose idea was it to entrust this to a barbarian?

***

The distance from the baron's mansion to the count's mansion, where the banquet was held today, was about 6 km. Although I had the experience of covering a greater distance on three legs, I overlooked the fact that I was wearing a full set of equipment, which was sheer irrationality.

Hell.

Sweat poured down in streams. If it weren't for those damn insoles, it wouldn't be so hard.

"Baron Martoan has arrived!"

While I cursed the butler, we arrived at our destination. As soon as the front gates of the count's estate opened, curious glances flew from everywhere. They must have been nobles who wouldn't have been satisfied with the sight of mere entertainment, but it seemed that it was the first time they had seen a barbarian leading a procession of carts.

"Put the barbarian in front, you must have been inspired by this anecdote!"

"It's a great atmosphere of intimidation. There was a feeling that a giant was coming.

"Wow, Father, can we make such an entrance next time?"

The nobles gathered in the open hall, where the banquet was served, and warmed up the atmosphere, splashing out their impressions one after another. He seemed to like the reaction. When the baron got out of his carriage, he burst into such laughter as I had never seen in him before.

"It's the first time I've received so much attention just standing. When I return, I will give you generous compensation.

The baron was so pleased that he even promised a bonus.

"I'll go and greet the Count, and in the meantime you enjoy the banquet."

Soon after, the baron entered the mansion, accompanied by only a few retainers. Then, naturally, the knights scattered and mingled at the banquet.

— …

Only then did I notice that I was left alone in this large banquet hall.

"Oh, look at the horns on that helmet. How scary!

"It looks like he was created in the image of the ancient devil Parseir!"

Suits, tuxedos, dresses with open backs, knightly armor shining with white glitter, precious metals shimmering like flowing waves, and I: the only one with the air of a savage.

Was it some kind of zoo?

"Oh, he's coming. I wonder where he is going?!

As soon as he took a step, words of curiosity burst out here and there. I felt that the post-traumatic stress that I thought I had overcome was about to make itself felt.

At that moment, a man came up to me.

"Good job.

It was a knight who acted as a standard-bearer in the row immediately behind me.

"You're really a monster to wear this and walk this distance without resting.

The knight, who must have watched my difficulties more closely than anyone else, grinned and patted me on the shoulder.

"How about you sit there with me until the Baron returns?"

What was that? Is this man really an angel?

"Good.

Shortly afterwards I sat down in an empty seat next to the knight. I was surrounded by all kinds of delicacies, but they did not arouse my appetite. Perhaps it was the same with the knight, because he sat and quenched his thirst only with alcohol. I suddenly became curious and asked:

"Is it okay that you're not with them?"

"Even if I go, I won't be welcome there. I was a researcher like you.

No wonder he looked so miserable.

"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel. What is your name?

"I'm Carls Erimore."

After a brief acquaintance, we continued our conversation. I felt it from the beginning, but Carls was not a bad guy. He was an explorer, so we communicated well, and even though he was a knight, he didn't show their usual arrogance. That bastard butler should have learned. Speaking of him...

"What are you doing?" Who told you to sit down? "The butler who entered the mansion with the baron found me and immediately ran up to me. He seemed unhappy that I was resting.

"Look. There is no need for this. I told this guy to rest.

As Carls stepped forward, the butler flinched and lowered his voice.

— ... Is that so? If you're done resting, get up. What will people think if they see a barbarian sitting and resting?

— ... What is he resting?

"No, people will think you're weak. So get up. Regardless of your true nature, you should be an iron-blooded warrior today.

At the butler's insistence, I got up after a short rest.

Yes... You only have to be patient for one day.

Didn't I promise to be the baron's trophy and pride?

I was determined to play my role carefully.

Of course, I wasn't discouraged.

A warrior with iron blood, a savage in this world, whose fists are ahead of the law, a barbarian. Yes, if it were me...

'Behella

As soon as my mind alignment was finished, the scream burst out on its own.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" Do you know how much it cost to make that gear you wore today to order, or how pathetic you looked when you got lost before?

The butler who had made these insulting remarks frowned.

Seeing this, I wondered why I had endured all this time.

Am I not a barbarian?

"I just wanted to do it!"

In this spirit, I barbarously picked up a piece of meat lying nearby. It was a tomahawk steak. The meat was attached to the bone like a handle.

"Yes, that's what I wanted."

As I tore the meat with my bare hands, like a savage, the butler nodded. However, his expression frowned as he saw that I was also gnawing on a bone.

To this I replied respectfully, preserving the dignity of a barbarian warrior.

"Butler, I want to crush your skull."

— ... A what?

He had never heard such words in his life. Looking at the butler, who doubted his ears, I kindly added an explanation.

"I just want to do it for some reason!"

*Хруст, хруст*

Even as I said this, the bones of an unknown animal crunched in my mouth.

"Your jokes go too far.

"Are you kidding?"

When I raised my head to ask what he was talking about, the butler's complexion turned white. It seemed that he understood only now. After all, I was a barbarian.

"Did you think it was a joke?"

The barbarians were simple, ignorant and true to their feelings. Of course, the butler might not have known the physiology of the barbarians.

But if he's studied my biography, he knows what happened in the Guild.

Of course, I tried to justify myself. At that time, I had no other choice. With the exception of looting, tax evasion, and a few laws related to the nobility, most things in this world could be settled with a fine. As long as you were proving that you were not a looter, you could somehow cope with the rest. But that was something that only I knew.

— ... I have something to do, so I'll go. And you rest.

The butler hurriedly left with an awkward expression on his face, as if he was really investigating my case.

Karls, who was watching the situation, laughed loudly.

"Hahaha!" I never knew that this man could express himself like that! For some reason, he seemed to like my actions.

"But are your teeth okay?"

"It's all right. They are quite strong.

It wasn't an innate ability, but a consequence of increasing my Bone Strength stat. For some reason, this made me hungry and I started eating for real.

"Look at that!"

"Oh, God, what barbarism!

The noble ladies looked at me as if they had seen a new kind of creature, but it didn't matter anymore. Who cared if I looked barbaric?! If I could ignore the humiliation, there would be no more comfortable position than this.

'Behella

"Why did you suddenly scream again?"

"Delightful!"

The time of hesitation in the elegant atmosphere was over. Now I began to enjoy the banquet in earnest.