Barbarian Wisdom (Physical)

“What is this?!”

Barkal asked after reading the inscription on the stele. He tilted his head, not knowing what meaning was hidden in the phrase.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a riddle. Drawing from my experience, I explained to Barkal and Serena.

This must mean that we need to solve the problem beyond the three doors in order to open the large door at the center.

I looked at the stele once more.

First is wisdom.

Second is courage.

Third is faith.

They seem to correspond to the doors from the left, in order.

After reading the inscription, Barkal spoke briskly.

“Then ours is wisdom!”

Why is it wisdom?

I looked at him, curious about his reasoning, and he continued.

“Because you are wise.”

I’m not wise. I mean… Ah, forget it.

“I-I think so too! Brother Dmihtan is the wisest barbarian I’ve ever met! Even compared to other adventurers, you stand out!”

Serena’s words made me tilt my head.

It’s nice of them to think that, but what if an actual math problem comes up?

I’m terrible at math.

As we conversed, it seemed Girinil, having overheard, approached us with a companion.

“It’s safest and easiest if everyone enters the same door, isn’t it?”

That’s reasonable. Honestly, I prefer that method too.

It’s not like we’re under a time limit.

Clunk──!

Just then, something appeared at the center of the main door.

It was an hourglass.

Sand was steadily flowing from the top to the bottom.

Ah, I shouldn’t have thought there was no time limit.

Seems my idle thoughts made this happen.

Girinil seemed to be thinking the same as me and shook his head.

“I shouldn’t have spoken. Looks like if all that sand runs out, the door won’t open. We’d better hurry.”

“Then let’s split up and enter the doors. Our party, ‘Single Star’, will head for the door of faith.”

Tanis, who had arrived at the center with his companions, pointed to the door marked ‘faith’.

By the way, their party’s name is ‘Single Star’?

Does that mean he shines alone? It fits their situation well.

Having heard all this, Barkal pointed at the door to the far left.

“We’ll take the door of wisdom!”

“Then I suppose we’re headed to courage.”

So, wisdom it is after all.

I glanced once more at the flowing hourglass. The sand isn’t falling that fast.

Below it, I saw three empty holes. I pointed at them as I spoke.

“Looks like we’ll find something behind each door to place into those empty holes.”

“So we just have to bring them back.”

“Understood!”

With Girinil and Tanis’s responses, we headed toward the door inscribed with ‘wisdom.’

* * *

We passed through the first door, which seemed to be the ‘Door of Wisdom.’

As we headed inside the dungeon, I began to organize my thoughts.

Who on earth is the necromancer? I still have no clue.

There’s more than one suspicious person.

Girinil is, and so is Tanis.

Their companions, too.

All are suspect.

Actually, thinking like this, even Barkal and Serena seem suspicious.

If it’s a necromancer, swapping bodies with a corpse would be easy. Don’t tell me you two have been replaced by the necromancer!?

“B-Brother Dmihtan? Maybe… just in case, we should inscribe tattoos on each other?”

“I agree! Bestow Thrag’s blessing upon us, brother.”

As I hesitated, the two asked me to draw ‘tattoos’ for them. Now that they mention it, it doesn’t seem like a swap.

Only a handful of people know about the ‘skeleton exoskeleton’.

* 〈’Tattoo Inscription’ level has increased.〉

Tattoo Inscription [2] -〉 [3]

I’ve inscribed so many tattoos that I’ve already reached level 3.

If memory serves, once you reach Tattoo Inscription level 5, you can start making ‘scrolls.’

“Brother, have you made any progress?”

Just as I was recalling the past, Serena spoke to me.

She probably meant, did I find any hints about the necromancer?

“I don’t know yet.”

“I-I thought as much. No one’s especially suspicious… Actually, they all seem suspicious.”

“Brother, if there’s no other way, I’ll just deal with it in my own style!”

What was it again?

Splitting open people’s heads, one by one?

Really, Barkal?

Your method leaves no room for turning back.

“I thought it was a great idea…”

Sensing rejection, Barkal became discouraged. Still, no way.

“Suddenly, it occurred to me… what if there isn’t a necromancer among us?”

“That’s possible.”

Serena’s point actually seems most likely.

So suspicious, so suspicious.

But in truth, everyone probably has their reasons for being here.

I’m probably just on edge for no reason and barking up the wrong tree.

That won’t do.

Who’s going to make sure I get my experience points?

“Well, anyway, we should focus on the danger right in front of us first.”

Serena’s eyes changed. Turning to where she looked, I saw humans wrapped head-to-toe in bandages approaching.

Mummies.

A step above ‘ordinary skeletons’ in terms of undead monsters.

Why are there monsters in the door of wisdom?

* 【Skeleton Promotion effect has been activated.】

* 【Summoning skeleton warriors.】

I wrapped Barkal, standing at the front, in a ‘skeleton exoskeleton’.

“When a mummy dies, it releases toxic gas. Stay away from the corpse.”

After that, I remembered to warn everyone about mummies.

“Khahahat! A guy who’s already dead turning into a corpse! That’s just downright hilarious!”

With a hearty laugh, Barkal leapt at the mummy and swung his axe, ‘Erindal’, cleaving it in half.

Ssshhh──!

Just as expected, green fumes rose from the mummy’s corpse.

“It—it’s true! Just like Brother Dmihtan said, there’s gas coming from the body!”

Serena spoke with a voice full of caution. Yet the way she twisted the mummy’s neck didn’t look cautious at all.

In this way, we defeated the mummies and pressed forward, soon encountering a pillar topped with a small stone.

“That stone must be one of the three keys to open the central door.”

“I’ll take it!”

Barkal strode briskly toward the stone. I braced for a trap, but thankfully, there was no sign of anything amiss.

“T-The stone is gone!”

But then Barkal exclaimed in surprise. As I checked, the stone had indeed vanished, just as he said.

What the?

Where did it go?

As confusion spread, two jackal-headed humans emerged from the wall behind the pillar.

― We are the Guardians of Wisdom, charged with administering the trial of wisdom.”

At the same time, the jackal-heads spoke. Though both were speaking, their voices blended into one.

― We each hold the stone of wisdom and the stone of lies.”

― The stone of wisdom is the key to open the door.”

― The stone of lies is the key that triggers a trap.”

The jackal-heads continued.

― One of us always tells the truth.”

― One of us always lies.”

― You may ask only one question to one of us.”

They showed us the stones in their hands.

― The stone I hold is the stone of wisdom.”

― The stone I hold is the stone of wisdom.”

After saying this, the jackal-heads fell silent and stared at us intently.

So that’s why it’s called the ‘door of wisdom’—a riddle. Finally, something that suits the door has appeared.

“W-What should we do?”

“I have a plan!”

Serena’s voice was full of worry. Barkal, on the other hand, spoke up loudly, as if he’d thought of something.

“We take both of them.”

“That could be dangerous.”

Barkal tilted his head at my response.

“They said one stone triggers a trap.”

“I heard that too!”

“Our bodies could be in danger, or the door might never open.”

“Hmm.”

As if understanding, Barkal nodded.

That means we must figure out for sure which one is called the ‘stone of wisdom’.

“I have another idea!”

Again, Barkal shouted as if hit by inspiration.

Now what.

“Dmihtan! You, the wisest and most honorable barbarian of the Red Wolf tribe! This time, trust me!”

With that, Barkal approached one of the jackal-heads.

He’s not going to ask something dumb, is he? We only get one shot.

But Barkal asked nothing strange. He just lifted his ‘Erindal’ high and smashed one of the jackal-heads.

Hey, you crazy bastard!

Before I could shout, Barkal pointed at the now-dead jackal-head and asked the surviving one:

“Is this one dead?”

― He is alive.”

* * *

Is this what they call barbarian wisdom (physical)?

It’s a bit unorthodox, but Barkal’s method seems effective.

Having safely retrieved the ‘stone of wisdom’, we immediately headed for the plaza where the central door stood.

I glanced at the hourglass above the central door; there was still time left.

“Looks like we’re the first to arrive.”

“It’s thanks to Barkal’s wisdom.”

Barkal’s method of distinguishing truth was shocking, but it did save us time.

“Kahahahat! That was nothing!”

Despite pretending not to care, Barkal’s mouth—visible beneath his skeletal helmet—was split wide to the ears.

He must be pretty pleased his brand of wisdom (physical) worked.

“But, are the others dead? If so, we won’t be able to open the door!”

Barkal anxiously glanced at the hourglass and the other doors.

There’s still time, but there’s no guarantee the others will return before it runs out.

Should I go after them?

“There were some who arrived even faster than us.”

The next to appear in the plaza were Girinil and his guards.

“Here is the stone of courage. Did you bring yours?”

I showed Girinil the ‘stone of wisdom’, and he smiled contentedly.

“The last one is the stone of faith! I do hope they arrive in time.”

Matching Girinil’s hopes, not long after, Tanis also appeared in the meeting plaza.

But their party didn’t look well. One of Tanis’s companions, a wounded shoulder bandaged and stained with blood, was staggering.

“Have you all waited long?”

“We haven’t waited long at all.”

“That’s good. We still have plenty of time left.”

With that, Tanis glanced over at us. Maybe remembering our previous conversation, his expression soured a bit.

“Well, then, let’s place the three stones in and open the door!”

“Let’s do that.”

Girinil and Tanis moved toward the main door, and I approached with the ‘stone of wisdom’ in my hand.

That’s when one of Tanis’s companions approached me.

It was the female companion who first told me about the powers of ‘Ligato, the God of Connection and Bond,’ when Tanis explained them.

She glanced around anxiously, handed me a scrap of cloth, and hurried back to Tanis.

What’s this?

Looking closely, it was a torn piece of clothing. On the back, something had been written in blood-red letters.

I read the message.

Tanis.

You.

Targeting.

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