The Genius Necromancer of the Barbarian Race

Chapter 103 : Silver Rank on Top of Platinum

Silver Rank on Top of Platinum

Survival holding.

It may be an obvious statement, but Leonhart has never heard the word.

However, the word began to settle warmly inside Leonhart's chest.

"Su-survival holding?"

"That's right."

The man, Dmihtan, replied simply, as if explaining to Leonhart.

"It means holding out damn hard."

"Damn... hold out."

"That's right."

"Survival holding..."

Leonhart repeated Dmihtan's words, murmuring to himself.

For some reason, it was a word he liked. No, in truth, leonhart already knew.

It wasn't the word 'survival holding' itself that gave him strength. It was simply that this man who had appeared now had reached out a hand to him—and that was what started to give him strength.

Wounds received from people—

are healed through people.

As if that phrase wasn't a lie, leonhart began to feel his energy returning.

"Survival holding...!"

"That's right, survival holding."

He didn't know why. Just exchanging words with Dmihtan made tears stream down Leonhart's face.

"If you wait, spring will come for you, too."

"R-really?"

"I'm sure. I can guarantee that spring will come for you."

With Dmihtan's firm voice, leonhart wiped away his flowing tears.

Then, holding both of Dmihtan's hands, he asked,

"Big Bro."

"Hmm?"

"Big Bro! Please tell me your name!"

Taken aback, Dmihtan looked at Leonhart with an incredulous expression.

But soon, gathering himself, he spoke.

"Dmihtan Elvar—that's my name."

"Your words became my strength, big bro."

Everything that had happened until now flashed through Leonhart's mind like a passing lantern.

At the same time, he remembered the mistakes he'd made toward his comrades in 'Golden Wind.'

He needed to apologize to them.

Such a feeling began to obsessively take over his body.

"I will repay this debt no matter what, big bro!"

"You don't need to repay me."

"No, I must!"

From a certain perspective, Dmihtan was his lifesaver. No, he was even more than that, given that he had pulled Leonhart out of the depths of despair.

"I will repay you somehow. Please—allow me to repay you, big bro!"

* * *

"The fault has been mine, all this time!"

The very first thing the now-clear-headed Leonhart did was apologize to his comrades in 'Golden Wind.'

He summoned all his party members and bowed his head in apology. Then, rommel, who always acted the gruffest, opened his mouth.

"What the...?"

"I felt I at least had to do this so you'd know I was serious."

"No, I mean, why are you in your underwear?"

With everyone looking at him in confusion, leonhart knelt and bowed his head.

"I've been wrong till now. I realized I've been running the adventurer party selfishly. And how foolish that was."

A quiet silence fell. All at once, his comrades' eyes focused on him.

Leonhart bowed even deeper, and with a confident voice, he continued.

"I'm truly sorry. I hope you'll accept my apology."

"Doesn't look like you're going to explain the reason for the underwear, though."

Rommel let out a snort.

"Honestly, when I said I'd leave—it was a lie. I just wanted you to fix your rotten personality, so I tried whatever I could."

"... Rommel."

"It's the same for the rest. Isn't that right?"

Rommel, who had begun to speak, looked at Karin, who had a languid expression.

She frowned, then sighed.

"Wait, so we're not disbanding? I already found a new adventurer party."

"... Really?"

"Well, I haven't signed yet."

As Karin shrugged, ellis standing next to her let out a sigh of relief.

So did Rommel. Looking at Karin, he then turned his gaze back to Leonhart.

"By the way, I'm curious—what made you change your mind all of a sudden?"

"Me too."

"Didn't think that nasty personality of yours would get better in a day."

"Same here."

The comrades made no effort to deny that they'd called him 'nasty,' but Leonhart looked at peace.

"... You really do seem different."

"Right? You used get all riled up when we called you nasty."

"That's because I realized something."

Leonhart gave a gentle smile.

"'Survival holding,' you see."

"... Survival holding?"

"What the heck's that?"

"Aha, so you don't know."

As his party members looked puzzled at the term, leonhart instead smiled, looking pleased.

"It's a magic word. It reminds you to 'endure' no matter what the situation is."

"... Seems like a word we should remember."

"Right, karin?"

"Yeah. If I didn't endure you walking around in your underwear, I would have stabbed you with a dagger ages ago."

A fierce way of speaking—

And yet, leonhart remained unfazed.

"Just as Big Bro said, if I carve the word survival holding into my heart, even your words don't bother me, karin."

"Dmihtan? And who's that?"

"My role model."

Role model?

The other three tilted their heads at those words.

* * *

A naked homeless man you happen to find on the street—

What's the probability that he's the commander of a 'Platinum Rank' adventurer party?

Frankly, I have no clue how to calculate such a probability.

To make it worse, the guy claimed he would introduce me to his own party.

At first, I thought it was nonsense.

A man wandering in his underwear before the market turns out to be the commander of the Platinum party 'Golden Wind'?

Even if this was a hidden camera prank, they'd have filmed it better than this. With those thoughts, I followed him.

"Let me introduce you! This is Dmihtan Elvar, big bro, the man who gave me wisdom while I was at the pit of despair!"

He truly was the real commander of 'Golden Wind.'

Leonhart, having invited me to a grand mansion, began introducing me to his comrades.

Maybe it's because they are 'Platinum Rank' adventurers, but the atmosphere the group gives off is far from ordinary.

"Wait."

"Rommel, what?"

"That guy—he was with the 'Dungeon God' party, wasn't he?"

One of the 'Golden Wind' members—a guy named Rommel—seemed to recognize me.

"I saw you before at the Adventurer's Guild. I remembered you because you're small for a barbarian."

"No way."

At Rommel's words, leonhart turned and stared at me in surprise.

"Big Bro, you're a barbarian!?"

That's what surprises him?

"That's right."

"Oh my... All this time, I've thought all barbarians were idiots!"

Leonhart began to clap.

"Seeing you, I realize that's not the case. Thanks to you, I now see things differently."

Ever since we met in front of the market, he's been oddly warm toward me—though I have no idea why.

"That's not the point right now."

Rommel fixed me with a long, steady look.

"That guy's from the Red Wolf Tribe."

Rommel spoke, pointing precisely at me.

I was a little shocked. Until now, people who weren't 'barbarians' themselves never divided barbarians by tribe.

But Rommel not only recognized 'barbarians' by tribe—but also knew about the 'Red Wolf Tribe'.

"The ones from there are dangerous. The ones who ambushed us before were also from the 'Red Wolf Tribe'."

Shrugging his shoulders, rommel looked my way.

"Hey, are you going to foam at the mouth and charge at us, too?"

What is this lunatic talking about?

"Hey, rommel! He's my mentor, my big bro! Say something like that again and I won't forgive you!"

"No, I'm telling you—he's from the 'Red Wolf Tribe'!"

Nailing down the tribal name, rommel continued.

"Those guys who attacked us in the dungeon before—they were of the same tribe! Why else would he come, if not for revenge?"

Spoken with a sharp edge. Judging by Rommel's words, it seems there'd been a clash with 'Red Wolf Tribe' barbarians.

Could it have been... Barkal?

No, the timing doesn't match.

"And it's not the first time. There's something about those barbarians from that tribe."

"I don't know anything about that."

I mean, I'm not even a barbarian.

"What?"

He just scowled at my answer. It didn't seem we'd make progress unless I cleared up this misunderstanding.

"I said, I don't know anything about that."

I had nothing more to add. My tone must have sounded sincere, for Rommel narrowed his eyes.

"How are you going to prove that?"

What a ridiculous question.

"There's no reason I should have to prove it."

What the Red Wolf Tribe did has nothing to do with me.

I'm not looking to take revenge, either.

Why should I have to prove that?

"Yeah, as Big Bro said, no need to prove it in the first place."

"Whose side are you on, leonhart?"

Clutching his brow like he had a headache, rommel then addressed everyone with a serious look.

"By the way, what are we going to do about that commission at Ragmur Mountain?"

"What about it?"

"It's practically impossible to get a Petrification Antidote Potion in Iushil now."

Rommel looked troubled. The other 'Golden Wind' comrades had equally troubled faces.

"Why did you accept the commission without thinking?"

"I had no choice; we were broke and had to do something."

"Truly amazing, aren't you."

"Obviously."

Rommel clicked his tongue.

"Those merchant bastards must have been tipped off and hoarded everything. Damn them."

Hearing this, my ears pricked up involuntarily.

***

**Origin, English, pronoun List**

드미탄, Dmihtan, he

던전 갓, Dungeon God, Na

황금의 바람, golden Wind, Na

이우실, Iushil, Na

레온하르트, leonhart, he

붉은 늑대 부족, red Wolf Tribe, Na

모험단, adventurer party, Na

바바리안, barbarian, Na

던전, dungeon, Na

의뢰, commission, Na

엘리스, ellis, her

롬멜, rommel, Na

카린, karin, her

존버, survival holding, Na

단장, commander, Na

마나, mana, Na

마법, magic, Na

석화 해제 물약, petrification Antidote Potion, Na

석화, petrification, Na

모험가 길드, adventurer's Guild, Na

엘바르, elvar, Na

백금 등급, platinum Rank, Na

은 등급, silver Rank, Na

라그무르 산, ragmur Mountain, Na

갑자, 60-year cycle, Na

형, big bro, Na

녀석, the guy, Na

힘, strength, it

잠깐, Na, Na

각, gak, Na