Surviving the Game as a Barbarian-Chapter 476: Of Men and Women (3)

Baron of Lafdonia.

Hero of the Explorers.

New Chieftain of the Barbarians.

Leader of Clan Anabada.

All these titles referred to one person.

Bjorn Yandel, the Giant.

"He's... really alive..."

Misha Carlstain clenched her fists.

She had gone to the city at dawn and asked around. Lee Baekho's words had been true.

"Then what have I been doing all this time...?"

A mixture of emotions washed over her.

Joy, sadness, relief, and a sense of emptiness.

And anger.

Why had Bjorn Yandel faked his death?

And deceived her?

If he hadn't...

She wouldn't have had to spend the past few years with those criminals.

"No."

She shook her head, dismissing the thought.

There must have been a reason.

Bjorn Yandel wasn't that kind of person.

She would trust him.

Until she heard his explanation.

"...Yes, that's right..."

She muttered to herself and headed towards Bjorn's address.

But the house was empty.

"He... moved...?"

Why now, of all times?

She found a nearby inn and stayed the night. The next morning, she asked around again and finally found his new address.

"Commelby..."

It felt strange.

We had talked about moving to the city center someday...

'This is his house...'

She stood in front of the house, but she couldn't bring herself to knock.

Her mind raced.

How would Bjorn react when he saw her?

What if he wasn't happy to see her?

She had heard he was living with that fairy and Emily Raines.

'Emily Raines... the one from Parune Island.'

What was their relationship?

How had they become companions?

Were the rumors about them true?

Anxiety gnawed at her.

"..."

Misha Carlstain spent the entire day wandering around the house, occasionally peeking inside.

'At least I saw him...'

She had seen Bjorn return late at night, but she hadn't been able to talk to him.

He had looked tired.

'Yes, that's the reason. Nothing else...'

She would come back tomorrow.

But the same thing happened the next day. Bjorn left early in the morning and returned late at night.

She could have talked to him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Have a good day, Mister!"

"...I wish you were staying for dinner."

The two women would see Bjorn off in the morning, and he would scold them for coming all the way to the door.

She finally understood.

'He's... okay.'

Even without her.

Bjorn Yandel's life hadn't changed much.

One day, two days, three days, four days...

Time passed.

She continued to watch him from afar, occasionally using her ability to conceal her presence.

The two women were sensitive to presences, and she almost got caught a few times. But she hadn't entered the house, so she had managed to avoid detection.

But she gradually became bolder.

She moved from the street to the window.

And from the window to the backyard wall.

She watched them, hidden in the shadows.

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And one day...

Swaaaaaaaaaa!

A magic circle appeared, and Bjorn returned.

He asked about the changes in the backyard, and the two women answered.

"This...? It just... happened. It looks a little crude, but... we didn't have a choice."

"We couldn't let one person have it all, so we decided to share."

Were they really talking about the backyard?

Misha didn't think too much about it.

They went to the kitchen, and the mysterious man prepared a meal.

"How is it? Does it suit your taste?"

"It's perfect. Just the right amount of seasoning. And plenty of meat."

He always complained about my cooking being bland...

"The ladies instructed me to always prepare extra, in case you came home hungry."

"...Ladies?"

Misha froze.

Were the rumors true?

Bjorn didn't say anything.

He didn't deny or confirm it.

Thump—

Her heart sank.

She had also been misunderstood while living with him, but he had always denied the rumors.

"Mister, you don't have anything scheduled for today, do you?"

After the meal, they went to the garden and chatted over tea.

The backyard, divided into a training ground and a garden.

A round table with three chairs.

'...They're too close.'

She couldn't stay here any longer. She would be discovered.

She carefully moved towards the wall, trying to avoid making any noise.

One step.

Two steps.

As she moved away from them, a single thought kept repeating in her mind.

What if...

She had accepted Lee Baekho's offer.

And waited for him.

Would she be sitting there with them now?

She didn't know.

But one thing was certain.

"I was just wondering what it would be like to have a family."

There was no room for her here.

So...

Rustle.

She would leave.

That's what she had decided.

But at that moment...

"!"

Two figures charged at her from both sides.

She had been too distracted to react.

"...Eek?!"

When she came to, she was kneeling on the ground, her arms pinned behind her back.

The situation was clear.

She had been caught spying on her former teammates... or rather, her ex-boyfriend.

"..."

What could she possibly say?

"Ahaha..."

She chuckled awkwardly and tried to greet him.

"I-It's been a while... Bjorn... Ugh!"

She bit her tongue.

It was a terrible reunion.

___________________

A room on the second floor, overlooking the backyard.

A woman stood by the window, nervously biting her nails.

"Why is she back now...? After abandoning him...? And she's trying to... steal him away from me..."

Her muttered words revealed her anxiety. Amelia, who had been watching her, finally spoke up.

"...I can't hear her. She's using a magic tool... Is there anything we can do...?"

"There is, but..."

"Then we should—!"

"Bjorn won't like it."

Erwen immediately shut her mouth.

And she continued to bite her nails, staring out the window.

Amelia, unable to stand it any longer, asked,

"Then why don't you do something about it? You've been passive for too long."

Erwen turned and glared at Amelia. Her eyes were cold and sharp, but Amelia just shrugged.

"What? Am I wrong?"

She knew.

Even if Erwen looked like she was about to lose it, she wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize her relationship with Bjorn Yandel.

Beneath that prickly exterior was a scared, insecure girl.

"..."

Erwen didn't answer.

She avoided the question and remained silent.

'I don't usually meddle in other people's business, but...'

I can't just leave her like this.

Amelia walked over to the window and sat down next to Erwen.

And then she asked,

"Tersia, what kind of relationship do you want with Yandel?"

"..."

Erwen didn't answer.

Normally, Amelia would have just given up... but she persisted.

"If things continue like this, nothing will change, even if Misha Carlstain returns."

"..."

"Do you want to be in a romantic relationship with him?"

Finally, Erwen answered.

"...Is that... wrong...?"

It was a typical response from someone who lacked confidence.

"I didn't say it was wrong."

"...Then what are you trying to say?"

The cornered coward became aggressive, and Amelia took a step back.

"I'm just curious. Why haven't you expressed your feelings?"

"..."

"You know, don't you? Yandel is oblivious. He's too busy thinking to notice anything."

"..."

"So tell me. Maybe I can help."

"...Ha! You? Helping me?"

Erwen scoffed and then asked,

"What about you...? What kind of relationship do you want with him...?"

It was a sensitive topic, but Amelia answered honestly.

"I'm happy with the way things are. I'm already having fun."

She didn't mind Erwen's childish tantrums or the fact that she always had to clean up after Yandel's messes.

The reason was simple.

"Like Yandel said, this is what it's like to have a family."

Erwen was speechless. The coldness in her eyes had vanished, replaced by confusion.

"..."

"..."

A long silence followed.

Erwen finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper.

"...Tell me... what should I do?"

Her prickly exterior had finally cracked.

Amelia smiled gently.

"Wait."

"...Wait?"

"He'll run away if you approach him now."

A hunter had to corner their prey before making a move.

Amelia calmly explained the situation.

"Yandel probably thinks you're not thinking straight. He thinks your feelings are just a temporary infatuation. That's why he's avoiding you."

And there was one more thing.

"He doesn't want to ruin your current relationship."

The fairy and the barbarian were similar.

They both hid their insecurities behind a tough exterior.

"So you have to wait. If you approach him now, he'll just make excuses and run away."

"How long...?"

"Until he thinks you're over it. Until he thinks you're thinking rationally."

When that happened, he would finally face her feelings head-on.

"Of course, you can't just wait. You have to nurture your relationship in the meantime."

"...How?"

"Stop using honorifics."

"...What else?"

Amelia then gave her some advice on romantic relationships, and Erwen listened intently.

Her advice was surprisingly effective.

It all made sense.

"Tying his tie for him...? That's..."

Erwen looked at Amelia with a newfound respect.

"Have you... been in a relationship before?"

"...No."

Erwen frowned, her trust wavering.

"Wait, then how do you know all this?"

Amelia chuckled awkwardly and said,

"...I read it in a book."

Well, it was true.

___________________

Ten days after meeting Lee Baekho,

I finally reunited with Misha.

'I never imagined it would be like this...'

I let Amelia and Misha inside and activated a portable sound barrier.

I didn't want Erwen to overhear our conversation.

"..."

"..."

An awkward silence followed.

It wasn't a heartwarming reunion.

My muscles tensed, and my neck felt stiff.

'Why is this so awkward?'

I finally spoke.

"Your hair... it's long."

"Ah... this...? Yeah..."

It wasn't much of a conversation starter.

But I continued, trying to break the ice.

"I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair tied back like that."

"I used to do it all the time when I was cooking... Ah, I mean... I did..."

There it was.

Her usual awkwardness.

I smiled, feeling more relaxed.

"Just speak normally. It's not like we're strangers."

"But... I really did fix it... while you were gone..."

"...Fix it?"

"Yes... I still... revert sometimes when I'm nervous... But I've fixed it... mostly..."

So she was nervous too.

"A-Anyway, now that we've greeted each other, I-I have to go—"

What was she talking about?

Didn't she understand the situation?

"Where are you going?"

I took a step forward and grabbed her wrist.

'...She's so thin.'

She couldn't escape now, unless she had a Blink skill.

Had she learned one while I was gone?

I couldn't be sure.

"Misha Carlstain."

I looked at her and said,

"You're not going anywhere."