Barbarian's Adventure in a Fantasy World-Chapter 45: Fame (2)

“Lady Aquaz has told me everything,” Lord Barcan began. Before departing, Aquaz had fully briefed the lord about the events that transpired. Bowing his head slightly, he continued, “I heard that without you, we would have been defeated. If that had happened, this estate would have been destroyed. Once again, I offer you my deepest thanks.”

“I didn’t want to stand by and watch people die,” Ketal responded calmly. “I only did what was necessary.”

Lord Barcan studied Ketal for a moment, his expression unreadable. “Are you okay? I heard that the demon tried to Brand you.”

“There’s no issue. Frankly, I don’t even fully understand what Ashetiaar was trying to do to me. ”

“I see...” Lord Barcan’s face betrayed a hint of unease.

Even the mere mention of the demon’s name, recorded in history books, sent shivers down his spine. When he first learned from Aquaz that such a demon had appeared near his estate, he had nearly leapt from his chair in terror. His initial reaction had been frustration—why did such calamities repeatedly befall his small estate? But upon hearing that Ketal had single-handedly defeated the demon, his shock turned to awe.

I knew he was strong, but this..., Lord Barcan thought.

To treat Ashetiaar, the demon who was toying with Aquaz, as though she was nothing more than a toy was unthinkable. Even ignoring the demon’s Branding without any apparent precautions was beyond reckless. The sheer extent of Ketal’s power was unimaginable.

Despite having Kain, a Transcendent swordsman, by his side and a general sense of their capabilities, Lord Barcan could not begin to comprehend the true scope of Ketal’s strength.

“But something seems to have changed around me,” Ketal said.

“What do you mean?”

“The people of the estate, for one.”

“Ah,” Lord Barcan said, nodding, as though understanding. “Rumors about you have spread.”

The surviving guards and mercenaries had been talking non-stop. The news of a named demon descending upon the village and the life-and-death battle that ensued had spread like wildfire. For these men, this was a tale they would recount for the rest of their lives, making silence an impossibility.

During the Kartos incident, the number of witnesses had been small enough to suppress the story, but this time, the numbers were too great. Moreover, an entire village had been destroyed, making it impossible to keep the matter under wraps. Lord Barcan had anticipated that the rumors would spread.

However, there was one unexpected twist.

The witnesses who had accompanied them had all lost consciousness during the battle. The clash between divine power and pure evil was not something ordinary individuals could endure. Most of them fainted before Aquaz even had the chance to use the scripture. And during the direct confrontation between Ketal and Ashetiaar, everyone but one person had fallen unconscious.

By the time they regained consciousness, the battle was already over. Left with no firsthand accounts, they could only speculate. Naturally, they arrived at a single conclusion.

What they had last seen was Aquaz’s defeat and the last bit of Ketal’s battle. When they regained consciousness, Ketal’s axe was glowing with a mysterious light.

The people speculated that Aquaz had lost to Ashetiaar, but not entirely—she had kept a trump card. Ketal had bought time for that final move, and in the end, Aquaz had used her power to imbue Ketal with divine strength. With that power, Ketal had defeated Ashetiaar.

This was the rumor spreading throughout the estate.

Ketal stroked his chin with interest. “So, that’s how it spread.”

“I apologize. I tried to correct the story, but by the time I realized, it had already spread too far and started to distort. At this point, no matter what we say, no one will believe it. Besides, I thought it best to hear your opinion first,” Lord Barcan said.

From the lord’s perspective, it could look like Ketal’s rightful recognition had been taken away. It wasn’t that he had held on until Aquaz gathered power; Ketal had single-handedly overwhelmed the demon, with Aquaz merely assisting with the final blow.

However, Ketal didn’t seem to care much. “It doesn’t matter. If that’s what people choose to believe, then that’s the truth.”

“Thank you for saying so,” the lord replied, exhaling in relief. Although he knew Ketal wasn’t the type to concern himself with fame, this was a unique situation. To have defeated a demon single-handedly was an achievement of incalculable worth. If that accomplishment had been diminished to merely holding on, even someone indifferent to fame could have been angered.

Ketal spoke up again, “So, I’m being called the Demon Slayer now?”

“Yes. That’s what’s already being said across the estate. Everyone knows you as the Demon Slayer.”

“Fame...” Ketal scratched his chin. In truth, he had no particular interest in fame. The only thing he sought was his own enjoyment; everything else was irrelevant to him.

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“Is this why people aren’t afraid of me anymore?” Ketal asked.

“I can’t say for sure, but I’d assume so.”

Of course, they still wouldn’t approach Ketal casually. Their instinctual fear would persist, but at least the people of the estate would no longer flee at the sight of him.

“Fame, huh...,” Ketal muttered to himself.

Finishing the conversation, he left the castle. By now, a fair number of people had gathered in the streets. They flinched when they saw him, and some instinctively stepped back. However, that was all. No one attempted to run away as they had before.

Now that he understood the situation better, Ketal could more clearly see the emotions in their eyes. They weren’t looking at him as if he were a monster. Instead, their gazes resembled those directed at a Hero or someone extraordinary.

“Not bad,” Ketal muttered.

Until now, people had always rejected him. No matter what he did, they had been afraid, screamed, and avoided him. Perhaps it was because of his appearance. It hadn’t felt good. In truth, it had made him sad. He wanted to enjoy the fantasy world, to live among these people. Yet, their rejection had left him feeling disheartened.

He had always thought that if he worked hard, took on various tasks, and gradually approached them, they would eventually accept him. It would take a long time, but he was willing to be patient.

However, that long and arduous process had been resolved with a single battle.

“So this is what fame is like.”

The way people looked at him had completely changed. He had only defeated a single demon, and yet this newfound recognition felt incredible.

Yes, I knew it! he thought to himself. My appearance wasn’t the problem!

Looking back, it made sense. This was a fantasy world, akin to a medieval era from Earth. Alo, this estate was in a remote area of the continent. The further from civilization, the stronger the hostility toward outsiders.

Even in modern rural villages, strangers were often treated with suspicion or outright ignored. If such attitudes persisted in an advanced world like Earth, they would undoubtedly be more pronounced in a medieval one—like this fantasy world. After all, one couldn’t even enter this estate without first clearing one of the surrounding Dungeons.

It wasn’t because he was a barbarian. It wasn’t because of his size or the aura of intimidation he exuded. It was simply because he was an outsider. Of course, the prejudice against barbarians likely played a role, but the fact that he was an outsider was the greater factor.

If fear of barbarians were the sole issue, the rumor that he had merely endured against the demon wouldn’t have been enough to change people’s attitudes so drastically. It was because the people understood that an outsider had fought for the estate that they now accepted him.

Naturally, Ketal’s assumption was incorrect. Contrary to his belief, a named demon like Ashetiaar held significant weight. To have endured against such a being was a monumental feat in itself. Moreover, Ketal had protected Aquaz, the Inquisitor of the Sun God.

The Sun God was one of the most prominent religions in this world, and the Kingdom of Gehantra had a large number of followers. Even this small estate had a church dedicated to the Sun God. Protecting the inquisitor of such a powerful deity inevitably changed people’s perceptions of Ketal.

In fact, the lingering fear in people’s gazes despite this extraordinary achievement only highlighted the inherent bias against barbarians. However, Ketal was unaware of these nuances.

Instead, he concluded that his rejection stemmed solely from being an outsider.

Fine, he thought, smiling brightly. If this is what it takes for them to accept me, I will just keep doing what I’m doing.

With a cheerful laugh, he continued on his way. He arrived at the guildhall, which hadn’t changed much. From the guild’s perspective, the troubled village incident wasn’t a big issue. All the mercenaries who had left with him had returned alive. Aside from reporting the demon’s appearance to the higher-ups, there wasn’t much else to be done.

When she saw Ketal, Rosa brought some welcome news to him. “Oh, Mr. Ketal! Your rank has been upgraded. You’re now a C-Rank mercenary!”

“Really?” Ketal’s eyes widened. “C-Rank? That’s two levels up. Why?”

“Well, you did accomplish something incredible.”

The story circulating was that Ketal had endured against a demon alongside the inquisitor of the Sun God. Even if it was merely enduring, it was still a remarkable feat.

“It’s just hard to reach E-Rank, but after that, as long as you have the skills, you can climb the ranks fairly quickly,” Rosa explained.

Becoming an E-Rank mercenary signified trustworthiness. From there, building a record of accomplishments allowed for swift advancement. However, it is rare for someone to jump from E-Rank to C-Rank. In the past ten years, Rosa couldn’t recall a single case like Ketal’s.

“That’s great,” Ketal said, smiling, clearly pleased. Rosa, after a brief chuckle, began to explain further. “Starting from E-Rank, you can call yourself a mercenary. But true recognition as a mercenary begins at C-Rank.”

E-Rank mercenaries were little more than errand runners, handling odd and easy jobs. However, C-Rank was different.

“C-Rank is where you become a true mercenary,” Rosa continued to explain.

It wasn’t just a rank endorsed by the Mercenary Guild; it was a level of recognition that had to be earned. From this point on, Ketal would be able to do much more than before.