Barbarian's Adventure in a Fantasy World-Chapter 51: Escort Request (1)

“You’re doing an escort request?” Cassan remarked, his face filled with surprise. “I can’t believe you’re already taking on such tasks...That’s impressive.”

“It’s nothing special. I just happened upon the opportunity,” Ketal replied while chewing on his food. “I’ll be leaving this place for a while, so I thought I should inform you in advance.”

“That’s very considerate of you. It’s a shame that you’re leaving,” Cassan muttered, his expression carrying genuine regret.

Cassan had been greatly influenced by Ketal. Once living like a street rat, quietly waiting for the inevitable death, his time by Ketal’s side and involvement in various incidents had changed his perspective. And now, his mentor was leaving. Ketal might not return for a long time, or perhaps never at all. To Cassan, that was a truly regrettable thought. Alexandros nodded solemnly, seemingly sharing the sentiment. Among them, only Hayes sighed quietly in relief.

Finally, he’s leaving, Hayes was still terrified of Ketal.

During the battle between Aquaz and Ashetiaar, Ketal had asked why he needed to intervene. His expression had been one of pure curiosity. There had been a genuine desire in him to simply observe the fight. At that moment, Hayes realized that this barbarian’s worldview was fundamentally different from theirs.

Though outwardly there might not appear to be significant differences, at the core, his values were completely twisted. He was something in human guise.

Ketal was kind and virtuous on the surface, yet, ultimately, there was no telling what truly lay beneath. Hayes still occasionally dreamt of Ketal smashing her head.

Ketal had undoubtedly helped her greatly, even saving her life, but her primal fear of him could not be quelled.

And now, Ketal was going away. Just that thought brought her a sense of mental peace. Still, she knew she couldn’t show her true feelings outwardly. She forced herself to put on a regretful expression. “It’s really unfortunate, Ketal. I thought we’d share many more adventures, but now we’re parting ways.”

“I guess you’re right.” Ketal was deeply moved by their words and demeanor. They all seemed to feel regret and sadness about his departure, which alone brought him immense joy. Ah, this is what companionship is.

There was no need for the cliché of betrayal. True companions who stood together and lamented their parting were more than enough to warm his heart.

“Don’t worry too much. Fate is a strange thing. We’re bound to meet again someday,” he reassured them.

“Yes, of course,” Hayes responded, her unease growing. We’re going to meet again, aren’t we?

Hayes struggled to suppress her anxiety, forcing away the ominous thoughts creeping into her mind. She didn’t remember at that moment that she had given Ketal a token of invitation to her holy sanctuary.

***

By the early evening, as the sun set and the moon began to rise, Elene and Aron sat in their lodging, both looking gloomy.

“It’s almost time, my lady,” Aron said.

They were about to embark on their journey to the Denian Kingdom. Under normal circumstances, it should have been an exciting and hopeful occasion, but now it felt like they were death row prisoners awaiting execution.

Aron tried to comfort her, speaking cautiously. “You don’t have to worry too much. The person in question is a mercenary. If he is a C-Rank mercenary, it means he has quite the track record. The fact that there haven’t been any major issues... he might actually be alright.” fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

“But he’s a barbarian,” Elene replied with a bitter smile. “Has there ever been a time when morals and laws mattered to a barbarian?”

Aron couldn’t find a response to that. Barbarians were known to be irrational and emotional beings. They acted solely according to their own whims. Neither riches nor beauty held any sway over them.

Despite this, barbarians hadn’t faced extinction for one simple reason—their power. The barbarians were overwhelmingly strong.

Many kingdoms had tried to utilize the raw strength of barbarians in the past. However, all of them failed to tame barbarians, and those barbarians often had been the cause of the kingdoms’ downfall.

Even Elene’s own kingdom had dealt with barbarians a few times, and not once had it ended well.

“If there haven’t been any issues so far, then surely he’s different from a typical barbarian. Still, he is a barbarian. You never know when he might act on impulse,” Elene said.

When talking about those brutish individuals, their past behavior meant nothing. Just because a volatile bomb hadn’t gone off yet didn’t mean it was safe. It remained a dangerous entity.

“What if we wait here for another mercenary?” Aron asked.

“That’s not an option,” Elene replied firmly. “If we wait, all that’s left is a slow death. Even if this barbarian is a ticking time bomb that could go off at any time, we have to take our chances.”

That was how dire their situation was.

Aron lowered his head in defeat. “If the worst happens, I will act as your shield, my lady.”

“No, you are my retainer. What kind of master doesn’t protect their retainerss?”

The sound of soft sobbing filled the room. Meanwhile, time continued to pass. Elene’s expression darkened further.

“Let’s go, Aron.”

“Yes, my lady,” he replied.

The two left their lodging and headed toward the estate’s gate. There, their mercenary awaited them.

“You’re here. You were late, so I thought something might have happened,” Ketal greeted them with a casual tone.

“We... we had some preparations to take care of,” Aron stammered.

“Is that so,” Ketal replied with a slight smile, not pressing the issue. “Then let’s depart immediately. We have a long journey ahead.”

“Yes.”

The two followed Ketal with expressions like livestock being led to the slaughterhouse. The departure time was early evening—an unusual choice, as most journeys began in the morning.

This was Elene’s insistence. The route had already been planned out on a map. The main road would take about two weeks, but Elene insisted on avoiding populated areas. Naturally, this meant taking a detour, which would at least double their travel time.

“A month, huh? That’s quite a while,” Ketal remarked, walking leisurely. If he set his mind to it, he could have completed the request in a day, but he had no intention of rushing.

He was in good spirits. This was his first escort mission—leaving the Barcan Estate and heading to a faraway kingdom. He wondered what the people there would be like and what he might discover in the new land.

Maybe I can learn more about the Myst there, Ketal thought.

The Barcan Estate had been wonderful, but it was small, and there wasn’t much to enjoy. The opportunity to explore a wider world excited him. Traveling with his escort clients was also a source of amusement. He planned to savor the journey at a relaxed pace.

Ketal walked ahead while the sound of footsteps followed from far behind. Those footsteps never drew closer.

“Isn’t it a bit dangerous to be so far away from me? It would be better if you stayed closer,” Ketal commented, glancing back.

Elene and Aron were keeping a significant distance from Ketal—far too much for him to effectively protect them.

However, Elene quickly shook her head. “No, this distance is fine. I don’t sense any signs of people nearby, so there’s no need to worry.”

“I see.” Ketal shrugged, deciding not to argue.

Night soon fell. Despite departing at dusk, they hadn’t made much progress. With darkness limiting visibility, it was impossible for them to travel further.

Ketal surveyed the area and selected a spot to set up camp. “We will spend the night here. Is that alright?”

“Huh? Oh, yes,” Elene stammered, stepping back nervously. Instinctively, her hand moved to her chest.

“Hm,” Ketal murmured, stroking his chin. I think it’s going to take longer than expected for them to welcome me.

Still, it didn’t bother him much. This was the medieval world—a place where trust was difficult to build. Fear of others was only natural. It seemed their fear of barbarians was particularly ingrained. Even if he explained he wasn’t like a typical barbarian, they wouldn’t believe him. Persuasion was futile.

So, the only thing he could do right now was to treat them well and hope for the best. Building trust with his clients was part of his duty as an escort.

“It should be fine here,” Aron said cautiously.

“Good, then let’s prepare the camp,” Ketal said, clapping his hands. He reached into the leather pouch at his waist, drawing Elene’s attention.

Her eyes widened in surprise. From the small pouch, barely large enough to fit his hand, a large cloth emerged, unfolding endlessly.

“Is that an artifact?” she asked.

“I earned it by working hard on my requests,” Ketal replied casually, but Elene found it hard to accept.

It was a spatial expansion artifact—something so rare that even she, a former princess, couldn’t easily acquire one.

A barbarian has this? Elene thought.

While she and Aron stood dumbfounded, Ketal swiftly set up poles and raised the cloth. In an instant, he managed to build a small tent.

“Here you go. This will be your shelter,” Ketal announced.

“Thank you.” Elene bowed her head, astonished. She hadn’t expected him to provide them with a tent.

“Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, I could only afford one tent. The two of you will need to share it. Is that okay?” Ketal asked.

“That’s fine,” Elene replied without hesitation. They had already shared a room in that shabby inn while they were lodging. This wasn’t any different.

However, the tent was just large enough for two people. Elene cautiously asked, “And how about you, Mr. Ketal?”

“I don’t mind. I’m used to sleeping outside,” Ketal answered.

He wasn’t lying. In the White Snowfield, finding proper shelter was often impossible. Sleeping in a hole carved out of ice was far worse than this environment, which felt like paradise in comparison.

“You don’t have to worry about standing watch either. I’ll handle it,” he added.

In the past, he had gone a month without sleeping while being hunted by monsters in the White Snowfield. At this point, sleep was of little importance to Ketal.

His priority right now was building trust. To do so, he planned to be as accommodating and kind as possible.

“All you need to do is rest. I will take care of the rest,” Ketal said with a warm smile, trying to appear as friendly as possible.

However, Elene shivered, goosebumps crawling up her skin. “N-no, that’s alright. You don’t need to take on everything yourself. We will take turns standing watch.”

“I don’t mind,” Ketal said.

“Neither do we,” Elene replied quickly.

Ketal had set up their tent, offered to sleep outside, and even volunteered to handle all the night watches. His kindness was far beyond what one would expect from a mere escort mercenary.

And that kindness only made him seem more suspicious.

He is planning something while we sleep! Both Elene and Aron had the same thought simultaneously.

“Well, if that’s what you prefer,” Ketal murmured, sounding slightly disappointed. He had hoped this would be an opportunity to build trust.

Oh well, it doesn’t matter. We have plenty of time. I can approach them slowly, he thought, maintaining his gentle smile.

However, when Elene saw that smile, her resolve only hardened. I must never fall asleep.

And so, as her mistrust lingered, the night dragged on slowly.