Surviving the Game as a Barbarian

Elwen’s younger sibling was nothing like I expected.

Given that the eldest, Daria, and second-born, Elwen, both had long and sharp features, I naturally assumed the third would be similar…

‘…She’s small.’

About 150 centimeters tall.

Roughly the same height as Raven, maybe even shorter—but completely different in mood. Where Raven had a cold presence, this one felt… soft.

She didn’t seem overweight, but her face—more precisely, her baby fat—hadn’t completely faded.

‘…Looks bouncy. She’d probably get mad if I touched her?’

Anyway, that was my first impression of Elwen’s little sister: a tiny girl who could never pass for twenty-one.

“…Your gaze is unpleasant.”

I flinched instinctively.

‘…With that look, and she’s the cold dominatrix type?’

Hard to find that combo in real life. Still, that wasn’t the point right now.

“…H-hey, you can’t just say that. Um, why don’t we start with introductions?”

Elwen’s coaxing words led the small, pouty fairy to reluctantly speak her name.

“…Mei Forwin di Tersia.”

“I’m Bjorn, son of Yandel. Nice to meet you, Mei.”

“……”

I wondered if she’d complain about me calling her by name, but thankfully she didn’t say anything.

Maybe she was minding her manners because I was her sister’s companion?

I didn’t know the details, but as the adult here—and a senior explorer—I decided to get the conversation going.

“Mei, how many times have you entered the dungeon?”

“…Four times. After that, the dungeon was sealed, so I couldn’t go back.”

“That must’ve been frustrating.”

“Not really… It’s not like going into the dungeon is something amazing.”

“…Huh?”

Now that was unexpected.

I figured a kid her age would be full of curiosity about exploring, so I thought that’d be a good topic to start with.

But she wasn’t whining—her tone and expression were dead serious.

“Did you… not want to be an explorer?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You have to sleep in cold, dirty, hard places every day. The food tastes like crap, and like it or not, you’re stuck with other people…”

Well… that’s true.

If you don’t need a lot of money or have some specific goal, there’s really no reason to become an explorer.

That’s probably why so few nobles pursue the path—

“And the dungeon always takes things away…”

“……”

“I wish it never existed.”

Knowing the history of Elwen’s family, I couldn’t say anything to that quiet grumble from the tiny girl.

“…Haha, still, someone’s got to go in, right? The mana stones we dig up in there are how we get to eat, sleep, wear clothes, and live…”

“I know that.”

“……”

Mei’s curt tone left Elwen visibly flustered. Watching them, it became clear—Elwen didn’t know how to deal with this Mei girl.

Probably because she felt guilty.

But conversation comes with experience.

‘I’ve dealt with plenty of kids like this.’

So, I went with the tried-and-true method: spark her interest.

You don’t start with distant topics. You pick what she’s most curious about.

“Elwen. Did you ever tell Mei how the two of us first met?”

“Huh? Oh, just briefly. That… um… you, uh… helped me when I was in trouble…”

“…You called me Mr. Yandel?”

“Haha… W-what’s wrong? Mr. Yandel?”

Elwen gave me an awkward smile.

Didn’t take long to piece things together.

‘She’s embarrassed in front of her little sister.’

Well, I guess the nickname kind of became a pet name /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ by now.

Besides, this whole meeting was to show I wasn’t some weird guy—calling me “Ajusshi” here probably wouldn’t help.

“…Is there something I don’t know about?”

Mei spoke up first, curiosity sparked by the idea that there might be stories she hadn’t heard.

“Well, I’m not sure how much she told you… Want to hear it?”

“……”

“I’ll tell you.”

And just like that, things moved quickly.

I started from the first time I met Elwen and told the rest of our adventures in the most entertaining order.

But at some point, she must’ve noticed the missing gaps.

“…What about the Goblin Forest?”

Mei asked about a specific episode.

There were many incidents in the Goblin Forest, but she was probably referring to the one where Daria died.

“…It’s okay. I already know the gist of it.”

I glanced at Elwen for permission, and she nodded.

So I calmly shared that story, too.

Longer and more detailed than the rest, but it could all be summed up in one sentence:

‘Daria saved Elwen and died in her place.’

Unfortunately, that was the end of Barbarian Storytime.

After the tale ended, Mei was silent for a long time, and both Elwen and I waited quietly with her.

“If the dungeon didn’t exist… my sister would still be here…”

She finally spoke those words after a long pause.

I nodded sincerely.

“Maybe. That could be true.”

If Daria hadn’t become an explorer, maybe she wouldn’t have died.

Though then, she wouldn’t have been there to protect Elwen either.

“Why does everyone cling to the dungeon so much…”

Mei’s next question had a simple answer.

“Because it’s no different than the city.”

“…?”

“We go in because we’re tired of losing. Because the city takes just as much as the dungeon does.”

That’s something Daria and Elwen definitely understood.

That’s why they became explorers.

To stop losing things. To protect what mattered.

“You say you hate it, but isn’t that why you became an explorer too?”

Mei didn’t answer.

She had a face that said she understood… but didn’t want to admit it.

‘Well, at that age, it’s hard to even know what you’re feeling.’

That thought crossed my mind—but honestly, I wasn’t in a position to talk.

Even I wasn’t sure what I was feeling these days.

I chuckled softly and gave Mei a bit of advice.

“Mei Forwin di Tersia.”

“……”

“The dungeon will reopen soon. You should go in again. You’ll learn that it’s not always a place that only takes.”

Her answer came only after a long pause.

“Do you really… think so…?”

I replied without a shred of hesitation.

“I’m sure of it.”

Because that’s what it had been for me.

***

As we kept chatting about this and that, spending time together, I started to get a better sense of what kind of relationship Elwen and Mei had.

“Should I bring some more snacks? I actually have some from a famous shop in the city—”

“No thanks, I’m fine, sis.”

Every time Elwen awkwardly tried to do something nice, Mei would awkwardly try to avoid receiving it.

Definitely not what you’d call a warm family dynamic.

‘…Frustrating.’

It was clear they cared about each other—so why did they act like strangers?

Even I was getting exasperated, but there wasn’t much I could do.

I didn’t have the experience to give advice on family matters.

‘No need to butt in. Just observe.’

So I stuck to that stance, kept the conversation pleasant, and let time pass.

Knock knock knock.

A visitor arrived.

“Mei, are you inside?”

A refined male voice with a familiar tone.

“Ah, Uncle…!”

Mei immediately jumped up and went to open the door, while Elwen watched with an awkward smile.

She knew it, too.

That reaction was completely different from how Mei treated her.

“Mei, have you been well?”

“Oh come on, it’s not like I’ve been gone long.”

“Haha… Even a few hours is enough to worry.”

The fairy man, who gave Mei a fatherly smile while patting her head, looked over at me and greeted me politely.

“It’s been a while, Bjorn Yandel.”

A familiar face.

“It has, Beleg Shusia di Tersia.”

An explorer considered a hero among the fairies—and Elwen’s maternal uncle.

We’d briefly met once during a racial summit.

“I heard you came with Elwen… I figured you might be here.”

“Were you looking for me?”

“Among other reasons. I’d have come even if you weren’t here. My precious niece has returned home, after all. Elwen, how have you been lately?”

“I’ve been… okay.”

“That’s good. May I sit?”

“Suit yourself. I’m not the one who lives here.”

I shrugged, and Beleg chuckled as he sat across from me.

Then—

“I heard what happened in town on the way here.”

That made my shoulders twitch involuntarily.

After all, this man was Elwen’s uncle.

“I understand what you meant by it… but did you have to go that far?”

“……I’ve got no excuse.”

“Uncle, I said it was fine—no, I’m actually grateful.”

I hung my head in shame, and Elwen stepped in to defend me.

As a barbarian tank, I rarely got to feel what it was like to be protected by someone else.

“…What happened?”

Mei blinked wide-eyed, but none of us dared answer.

Maybe that annoyed her.

“I’m going out for a bit. You two talk.”

With that, Mei left the house, and things settled down for now.

“…She’s a good kid.”

“She really is. And she follows her sister’s lead well.”

“I was talking about Elwen.”

“Ah…?”

“So please treat her well. Even if you explain it a thousand times, a closed marriage prospect won’t open again. So have some responsibility—”

“U-uncle…! What are you saying?!”

“Elwen, no matter what you think, I’m still your and Mei’s guardian. I have to say what needs to be said, don’t I?”

I had nothing to say to that.

Only one thing came to mind.

“…You’re right.”

“Can I assume you understood what I meant?”

“O-of course.”

“Good. Don’t take it the wrong way. Think of it as the concern of an adult who cares for Elwen.”

All I could do was nod silently, but thankfully, Beleg didn’t press the issue any further. The conversation turned casual again.

“Beleg, while I’ve got you here, I wanted to ask something. Has public opinion really turned that badly since Elwen left the Pureblood Order?”

“…I can’t even lie and say it’s good. Some of the things coming out of the elders’ mouths…”

“You must’ve done a lot to help. I appreciate it.”

“I just did what needed to be done.”

“I’d like to help too, from now on. Could you tell me more about the fairy political structure?”

“Hmm… Sure. You’re not exactly an outsider anymore.”

“……”

There were a few subtle digs sprinkled in his words, but still—our conversation was productive.

I now had a general idea of what to do to improve Elwen’s standing.

When I got back, I’d need to plan out the details—

“Elwen, would you step outside for a moment?”

…Huh?

“There’s something I want to discuss privately with the Baron. Just for a moment.”

“Okay…”

Just as things were wrapping up, Beleg sent Elwen out of the room.

Naturally, that made me tense.

He’d been blunt enough to drop the “take responsibility” bomb in front of her—what on earth was he planning to say now that she was gone?

“…So? You said you wanted to talk?”

I asked cautiously, and after a brief hesitation, Beleg came right out with it.

“Baron, I heard… that you possess the Resurrection Stone.”

…That was not the topic I’d expected.