Surviving as a Useless Bard in a Game

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I returned to the Adventurer’s Guild and received my reward with Skylar.

Of course, the split was… 80:20.

I got 2, and Skylar got 8.

It couldn’t be helped. In the end, I did nothing and became a burden… just a load. Honestly, I felt lucky to get even 20%.

“Need another scroll?”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know why, but it seems the scroll’s duration has completely run out. It was supposed to be semi-permanent…”

“No, it’s fine.”

“But…”

“I feel a bit relieved now. Ever since we left the forest.”

I smiled and waved my hand toward Skylar.

Skylar looked at me with a somewhat disappointed expression before waving back in response.

Finally, we returned from the quest.

I could feel the tension easing, and my muscles were going limp. Suddenly, pain shot through my joints. I thought I had fully recovered, but…

‘So, how much did we earn this time?’

The quest was a complete success. So the reward was 1 denarius.

‘This time, the silver content really dropped, and thanks to that little brat, my share ended up being 20%. In the end, my remaining share after conversion is 4 coppers.’

I could just pull out the coins I tossed into my pocket and count them, but right now, I didn’t want to do anything.

I painfully turned my brain around and finished the calculations.

Currently, my assets were 9 denarius and 19 coppers.

I spent all my pennies on bread and water.

‘If I don’t earn more money…’

The chance of selling items that boost status in this rural town is low. I haven’t even seen anything resembling accessories in forges or shops.

In other words, I needed to go to the capital or at least a decent city.

I could technically take on quests myself and try to obtain items, but with this body, I thought it was nearly impossible.

‘…If I could at least provide a buff with music, it might help.’

Oh, wait a minute.

Why am I just now thinking of this?

The answer was closer than I expected.

I immediately stood up and pulled out my new lute, which had a slightly mystical aura. I set it on my knees and held it like a guitar.

‘A bit uncomfortable.’

I corrected my posture. For some reason, I ended up in a very skilled position.

This was definitely my first time handling an instrument. The only thing I barely remembered was the piano lessons that my mom forced me to attend in childhood.

But… my body was leading me somewhere on its own.

I surrendered myself to that urge.

I moved my fingers without thinking. I probably had never touched a stringed instrument in my life. Yet from my fingertips, the melody of a skilled performer emerged.

♩♫♫♩♩♩—

A song that made the listeners hum without even realizing it.

[You felt a surge of courage.]

‘…A buff.’

I gained something I could do.

Even I.

*

Skylar.

Her name, which means wisdom and trust, certainly suited that boy.

“What happened?”

“Well, aside from suddenly disappearing in the middle and being found passed out, it was quite… normal.”

“That’s an abnormal situation you’re describing, you little brat.”

“…Don’t call me a brat.”

“Sure, brat.”

Skylar frowned as he looked at Adventurer Harun. He was the rugged adventurer who immediately tried to make a move when he first met Selina.

The warm impression and smile were completely different from when he rushed in, drawn by Selina’s gaze… and his behavior and tone resembled that of someone dealing with a child.

Skylar was irritated by that.

‘…A kid younger than me at this age.’

It was a complicated feeling for him, more than just simple irritation.

Regardless, Harun seemed oblivious as he rapidly fired off everything he wanted to say. Not once did he check Skylar’s expression.

“…What do you think?”

“What are you asking about?”

“Overall.”

“To be honest, it seems like you’re also going to get caught up in this.”

“No matter what dangerous things await, I won’t stop and move forward. If I worried about getting caught up in everything, I wouldn’t be here. That’s the nature of adventurers.”

“You’ve never learned ecology, have you? You say that quite well.”

“Haha… So? Stop trying to deflect.”

Skylar realized that Harun had caught on to his intentions.

To be honest, it was the first time he had seen someone with so many curses and blessings combined. He had no idea what the heck had happened.

She was an unfortunate woman just by being born.

On top of that, she had endured rough experiences as an adventurer. No one could ask her directly, but it was clear she had faced extraordinary circumstances.

That’s why Skylar hesitated.

He could simply watch her as she floated by. After all, his mission was not to look after others.

…Perhaps, it was even possible that someone might covet her body.

Originally, pieces tend to want to reassemble, and they get bound together. That way, they’re drawn to each other, returning to their origin.

‘In the end, all bodies will gather into one.’

Harun was a trustworthy adventurer. But if asked whether he was a good person… he couldn’t answer that easily. While there are trustworthy people in the world, there’s no one with a good character without a reason for it.

And, he didn’t want to share his mission with others.

“Do I really need to say anything?”

“…Brat.”

“Harun, it was a huge consideration for me to even go on a quest with her.”

“I know.”

“I can’t understand why you care so much about others. Just because she’s pretty? Or because you messed up when you first met? If it’s neither—”

“Stop there.”

Harun’s face twisted in discomfort.

Skylar thought he had hit a nerve.

The two of them locked eyes. It felt like sparks were flying in the air.

The atmosphere became tense, and the attention of the adventurers gathered.

The unique air formed by the gathering of people is called atmosphere. And adventurers are always sensitive to that.

Being perceptive could be a lifeline in their profession.

The current flowed toward them.

‘…In this distance, it’s a bit dangerous.’

The first floor of the Adventurer’s Guild was a tavern and a reception desk for accepting quests.

It wasn’t common, but sometimes you could see adventurers brawling. They regarded such brawls as an annual event.

They started to turn their heads, shift their bodies, or sit up properly.

Everyone began to prepare for a proper viewing.

No one tried to intervene. After all, getting involved in someone else’s fight was crossing a line in the relationships of adventurers.

Looser than family or comrades but tighter than friends.

In that strange and ambiguous relationship.

Conflict began to germinate.

“Harun, do you really need to hear it that way?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m curious.”

“…Is that really all? Such a light thought?”

“Yeah. I hate people who cut me off while I’m talking and then suddenly go silent forever. They make me curious.”

Selina.

An unusually extraordinary newcomer adventurer who suddenly appeared at the Adventurer’s Guild.

Despite being a bard, she carelessly carried around her instrument and couldn’t even manage her hair properly but was overly conscious of others’ gazes.

She usually had sparkling round eyes, but when important topics came up, her gaze would sharpen instantly.

Every time she returned from a quest, her clothes were covered in dirt, mud, and dust, but she always wore an expression similar to “I’m fine.”

‘…And that strange mental suppression I feel whenever I fall asleep, no, something close to mental domination. Is it a protective mechanism attached to the curse?’

In many ways, she was a being that attracted the attention of others.

It wasn’t simply because she had a body. They were unconsciously concerned about her.

In other words, their ears were now gathered in one place.

To hear Skylar’s story.

They say rumors spread faster than the wind, but they’re not actually faster than the wind.

If you can easily catch up to it on human footsteps, that is.

Someone was coming down to the first floor. The focus that had been on Skylar and Harun was quickly dispersed and redirected to the staircase.

“…Eh.”

The girl, who came down the stairs holding the instrument carefully like a bard, broke into a sweat under the gaze concentrated on her.

The adventurers subtly averted their eyes.

Only then could Selina take her next step down.

Why was she here?

Her pink eyes sparkled.

Skylar thought to himself.

‘Could there be a curse that makes one become a fool?’