The reward you received for defeating Riakis was simple. After the raid, you had to return to the cabin and crawl into the flames. By doing so, your Spiritual Stamina would increase significantly, and then your character would be transported back to the Witch's Forest.
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Condition: Defeat Chaos Lord Riakis.]
[Reward: Your Spiritual Resistance permanently increases by +50.]
After reopening the achievements window, you would see that the question marks had been replaced. The fact that you could only get the reward after heading to a designated location made it unique among Dungeon and Stone's other hidden features. There was also a time limit, so if you tried to come back later, you wouldn't receive the reward.
[Your Spiritual Resistance has permanently increased by +50.]
With that simple interface message, devoid of any explanation or emotion, your character received a mysterious power, as if something hidden in plain sight blessed you.
Every time I received this hidden reward, I tried to find out if I was missing anything else, but my experiments were not working. In the end, I thought I must have been thinking too much about things and that there was nothing else hidden here.
[An error has occurred.]
So where the hell am I?
This was clearly not the Witch's Forest.
[Your location cannot be registered. The transmission of the character record has been temporarily suspended].
And who was this girl?
Step, step, step.
He was in a grassy field illuminated by the faint glow of a bonfire. Since the girl in front of me didn't answer my question, all I could do was look for answers in the surrounding area.
Finally, the girl broke the silence. «...Elise Groundia». His voice sounded directly into my head instead of passing through my ears, but surprisingly, it sounded pretty normal otherwise.
«...Shit.» However, that name gave me goosebumps. That's how famous she was. «Ah, I'm sorry I swore. I'm a barbarian, so sometimes I do it when I'm surprised».
I took a deep breath as I studied her. Judging by his expression, he wasn't kidding when he said that. But that didn't mean he had to take his statement at face value.
Is she really the Witch of the Earth?
Still, I ended up giving in and decided I had to accept it. I had no reason not to believe her. Didn't he already know that the witch was alive? Furthermore, the fact that he had met that girl under those circumstances was proof enough that she was no ordinary girl.
Yes, that makes sense. In fact, this is good for me.
If she really was the Witch, this was the perfect opportunity to unearth as much information as I did...
«Do not open the Gate of the Abyss.»
What did he just say? What did he just say?
¡Shaaaaaa!
While he was dazed trying to process that, a creepy wind blew and the field in front of him began to blur and fade. I desperately extended my hand towards the witch, whom I could barely see now.
«...Yandel, what the hell do you think you're doing?».
However, instead of the girl, my fingertips met Amelia's angry face.
[Your location has been confirmed. Character registration streaming has resumed].
Suddenly I was back in the Witch Forest. Feeling disturbingly like I had just been possessed or something, I asked my teammates if they had also experienced anything similar when they followed me behind.
«...A field covered in fog? What are you talking about?»
«We just got here when we crawled through the fire!».
So they didn't experience the same thing. «I guess I must have been confused.» I didn't know what exactly had happened, so I put the experience aside for the moment. Amelia gave me a suspicious look, but didn't ask any questions.
[23:50]
After checking the time, I decided to end our expedition here and spend the remaining time resting.
«¡Hey, Bjorn!»
«Fenelin, stop bothering him and leave him alone. It seems like he has a lot on his mind».
«Oh, wrong...»
Thanks to Amelia, I was able to spend a few minutes organizing my thoughts without interruptions. The first thing I did was establish that this had not just been a dream, which meant that the girl I had met was really the Witch of the Earth.
«Do not open the Gate of the Abyss».
Why would you tell me that? No, why was I the only one who had experienced that phenomenon? The same was true of Auril Gavis: everyone seemed to have strange expectations of me.
...Could it be because I played the original game?
i sighed. Every day I put all my effort into getting things done, so why did it seem like the number of things I had on my plate kept growing?
[The maze is closed].
No matter how much I analyzed the strange experience, I couldn't find any answers to my many questions before they sent us back.
[You are being transported to Rafdonia.]
The gloomy sky over the city was the same as always.
«Wait, that man isn't...?»
«It's Baron Yandel...»
When I returned to Dimension Square, many of the adventurers seemed surprised to see me there. I didn't pay attention to them, as this had become normal for me.
«...This time things have been really bad.»
«Fortunately, none of us died. Let's go home and rest».
The adventurers who had been at war on the seventh floor seemed especially exhausted, and their equipment was not doing much better either.
Had something happened?
I would have to investigate it later. Luckily, I could now get the information I needed directly from Versyl without having to go to the Round Table. The more power he gained, the less need he had for the Round Table in general.
But since that bastard clown and the GM's subordinate were still there, he had to continue participating.
I headed towards the checkpoint. In the past, I would have rushed to get in line faster, but now, there was no need.
«Bjorn! Come here! Here!»
There was a checkpoint reserved for teams of rank four or higher. Usually people of this rank were in clans, so luckily for us, there was practically no queue. Groups and clans consisting of more than ten people had their own separate checkpoints.
I should work to increase the clan's rank, especially if I want to reduce the wait time even further.
Although the queue was short today, our mana stone gain wasn't that big either, so it didn't take us long to get through the checkpoint.
«Lunch, would you say ya to you inn?»
«Yes, see you later!»
After separating from Ainar, I headed straight home.
Come to think of it, I also have to take care of the house this month.
I had just returned, intending to take a well-deserved break after fighting Riakis, but my mind was already filled with all the work I had to do.
«I'm going to wash first. Make sure you take care of yourself and rest».
«Good job this time».
«Rest, Yandel».
I headed to the bathroom and scrubbed off all the grime accumulated during our expedition. After cleaning myself, I lay down on the bed and let out a sigh.
I needed to fall asleep quickly. Tomorrow I had to get up early.
***
The next morning, at six, I washed quietly and went out, careful not to wake Amelia or Erwen.
Bostecé.
I was very tired.
I had gone to bed around two in the afternoon, so I had slept about fifteen hours...
Since I had just returned from a fifteen-day search that ended on the third floor, it wasn't that bad, but that didn't change the fact that I was exhausted. My rule of thumb had always been to spend the entire first day after any search resting.
«It is an honor to serve you today, Baron Yandel».
Shortly after reaching the carriage platform, I boarded a noble carriage and headed to the royal capital of Karnon. It had been a long time since I had traveled by carriage to the royal capital. The last time was when I was given the title of baronet, when I met the marquis.
I should sleep on the way.
Comforted by the fact that I would not have to pay for the seven hundred thousand stones of this trip myself, I quickly fell asleep.
[13:10]
We arrived shortly after noon.
Gorjeo.
I quickly put some jerky in my mouth to calm my hungry stomach.
As I headed to the doors of the mansion, a guard with bunny ears quickly approached me. Luckily, he recognized me instantly. «It is an honor to meet you, Baron Yandel», the guard greeted me on behalf of Baroness Lirivia as he guided me into the mansion. I was deeply impressed by the display of hospitality.
...So this is the benevolence of a nobleman.
There really were a lot of little things that made a noble suitable and that were invisible at first glance. Even if one day I bought land and built a mansion under the name Baron Yandel, it would take me a long time to learn all these things.
«It's been a while, Baron Yandel». After waiting a few minutes in the room where the guard had left me, I was greeted by the Rabbit Baroness I met at my banquet.
«It's been a long time, Baroness Lirivia. You have a very nice house. And the people in your charge are very nice».
«Haha, you are very kind too. Although I must say that you don't seem nervous in the least».
«Should I be?»
«Not at all. In fact, it's great. Honestly, I can't imagine you nervous, Baron Yandel».
«Sometimes I get nervous like anyone else. Normally when my life is at stake».
«When you say things like that, I remember that you really are an adventurer». Having lived in noble circles for some time, Baroness Rabbit was well versed in the art of social subtleties. Even though I just responded to her as I normally would, she was able to keep the conversation flowing naturally, and we chatted for some time. «Wow, is it too late yet? As host of this month's meeting, I should leave. I have to go say hello to the other members when they arrive».
«So where do you want me to meet with all of you?»
When I asked him about the meeting location, he simply tilted his head and laughed. «That's what I have to worry about, Baron Yandel. Rest assured, I will have someone come guide you to the meeting, so please make yourself comfortable here for now.»
«...I see. Okay. See you later».
About half an hour later, the guide Baroness Rabbit mentioned earlier finally arrived. «The head of the house is waiting for you». We arrived at a large studio. As soon as I saw it, the first thing that came to mind was the Round Table thanks to the large round table in the center of the room.
Is there any rule that prohibits holding a single meeting in this world without a round table?
I barely managed to swallow the laughter that threatened to go up my throat. I didn't want the first impression they got of me to be that of manic laughter.
I could feel everyone's eyes on me without even having to look around. They must have been curious about the newcomer.
If so, why didn't they come up to greet me at the ceremony?
Oh, maybe they didn't want to attract attention. Based on what Baroness Rabbit told me that day, these guys were a real group of herbivores.
«I'm sorry, Baron Yandel, would you mind staying there for a moment? It won't be long.»
«Okay.»
«Okay, since we're all gathered, let's get started». Baroness Rabbit sat at the end of the table and, acting as moderator, began to review the day's itinerary. «The first item on today's agenda is whether or not we accept Baron Yandel into our alliance. As we are a group that works for equality of all races, we will allow anyone who wishes to have the opportunity to freely express their opinion before the vote. The decision will be made by the majority, and we must all humbly accept the result».
So that's the vibe of this group, huh? No wonder they have a round table: it's so everyone can be face to face.
«First, I would like to ask Baron Yandel a question». As soon as the meeting began, an elf with a mustache raised his hand and spoke. The blue color of his hair gave away the house he came from.
«Forward».
«First of all, let me introduce myself. I am Baron Heskaira. It's a pleasure to meet a famous hero here».
«I am Baron Yandel. The pleasure is all mine. So what do you want to ask?»
«I heard that not long ago, you became the chief of the barbarians. Is that true?»
«That's right.» It wasn't like I could hide it, so I quickly nodded my head in confirmation. Everyone knew it anyway, so their reactions to the news were mild at best. The real question that interested them was the following.
«I've heard about the kind of person you are, Baron Yandel, so I won't beat around the bush. Why did you do that? Didn't he know our unspoken rule?»
«No. I knew her perfectly».
«Oh yeah?» I had decided to open up and many of the other members seemed intrigued by my response. «Why did you decide to become a boss if you knew?
«Because that unspoken rule didn't benefit me at all».
«...I can't accept that logic».
"¿Por qué?"
«We have made concerted efforts to avoid antagonizing more established families, but in one fell swoop, your actions have squandered years of hard work».
«I know. You have shown all nobles that you are loyal to the crown, even giving up your ties to your respective sacred lands to do so.»
«You knew it, and yet...»
It was time to leave a lasting impression.
«But so what?» I interrupted the mustachioed Baron. I was sure my behavior was appalling to these silver spoon aristocrats, but... «Let me ask you, what difference has all that made?»
I was just a barbarian.
That single question left the elf completely speechless. I turned my head to look at the rest. It was the perfect time to let them know exactly who they were dealing with.
«You all have to have realized it, right? Even after you all left your homes and distanced yourself from your sacred lands, you have not yet been accepted».
Of course, in truth, they didn't completely cut with their respective races. Instead, they simply acted as if they had. Although none of them were the chief of their tribe, it was obvious that they all maintained some kind of relationship with their own people behind the scenes.
The reason I openly took over as chief was because then I can get more support from the barbarians.
If I wanted to change things, I had to take sides. Standing idly by waiting for the change to just happen was nothing more than a waste of time. Why didn't these politicians know?
«Now, does that answer your question?»
«Yeah. At least... now I understand the kind of person you are».
Well, that was exactly what I expected.
Once it was over, Baroness Rabbit stopped looking silently to move us forward. «So is there anyone else who would like to comment or has any questions to ask Baron Yandel? If not, let's vote. Those who are in favor of Baron Yandel joining us, raise your hands».
The way they held the vote was very different than I expected. I thought they would do it secretly instead of just having them raise their hands in front of each other.
Silently, everyone began to raise their hands one by one. Fortunately, things went as I expected.
«As the thirty-one members agree, Baron Yandel has been accepted into our alliance».
It was unanimous.
«As of today, Baron Yandel is our ally. His enemies are our enemies, and under no circumstances will we abandon him».
When Baroness Rabbit finished speaking, everyone applauded. Although they had not expressed any complaints, they did not seem particularly happy either. It was logical. This occasion heralded the ascension of the first non-human nobleman in six hundred years, and he was a barbarian, of all things.
Even if I had pulled down my pants and shit in front of them, the voting results would not have changed. Everyone present had accepted that they were powerless and destined to wait eternally for change to come. Even if I were a senseless mass murderer, they wouldn't have minded accepting me into the group and waiting for me to have a son who, hopefully, wasn't completely devoid of humanity.
«Then you can sit there, Baron Yandel».
I headed to the only empty seat available as the applause concluded. After Baroness Rabbit dedicated a few words of congratulations to me, the meeting continued.
«The second point on today's agenda is support for Baron Yandel».
This too had already been decided. In fact, it had been decided at the time I agreed to join Melbeth, although we had a much-needed discussion delving into the details of how much land I would buy and how much financial support I would receive by doing so.
I'm sure it's the maximum support they can offer...
Thanks to the hard work of the Rabbit Baroness, she had achieved a slightly larger allocation of funds than she expected.
Finally, it was time for the next item on the agenda.
«The third on today's agenda is...» Baroness Rabbit gave me a quick glance, probably to check if I was nervous, before continuing. «...discuss the possibility of formally supporting Baron Yandel and his clan, Anabada.»
«...Anabada Clan? Is it the clan that Baron Yandel formed?»
«Yes, that's right.»
Of course, they were not happy with this topic of conversation.
«I understand accepting Baron Yandel into our group and supporting the establishment of his new state, but this is a completely different topic».
«It's not about supporting your new status! This is for your own benefit! This is unprecedented».
Questions were shouted and complaints were expressed. However, at the end of it all, it all came down to this:
«Why should we do that?»
Was there a good reason to go to so much trouble?
«Yes, well»
I got up from my seat, interrupting Baroness Rabbit as she tried to respond on my behalf.
I shouldn't leave something like that to someone else.
It was time to prove my own worth.