Surviving as a Useless Bard in a Game

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The atmosphere shifts. However, it’s not overwhelming.

The intimidation I felt from the Mad King, the Emperor, and Nisha and Propertyius doesn’t exist with her. She’s stronger than me, but not strong enough to make me cower.

I felt fear. Of course, being easily frightened means it’s expected to be scary.

But I know the kind of terror that freezes your body, leaving you too paralyzed to speak. Knowing something already is slightly less terrifying.

It’s this minor difference that makes the persuasion possible. At least I can converse, share words, and respond. That’s why I hold the upper hand in this negotiation.

Even without a status window or dice, my mouth was still firmly attached to my body.

“…You could become a god.”

“Yup.”

“You can take responsibility for those words, right?”

Hikikomori angel, the loner.

I was underestimating Fura.

At best, her strength was at the level of a Gold Badge Adventurer. Just a mere cleric. Not a warrior or a wizard, but a high priest commonly seen in the Central Church.

One rank different.

At the very least, she wasn’t a being beyond human comprehension. She was a comprehensible strong individual. If my opponent was careless or asleep, even I, the frail one, could defeat her.

Yeah. I thought she was human.

However, her figure—winged, looking down at me gracefully from above—seemed… not of this world.

It didn’t signify beauty. My reflection in the mirror already appeared superior to her in that regard.

What I’m speaking of is the unique atmosphere, character, and energy of a person.

Simply looking up at the sky, one feels overpowered by nature. I was gazing at her as if I were an astronomer staring at the stars.

It didn’t feel like being overwhelmed, but a sense of danger was present.

Walking the tightrope.

If you tell a devout religious person that they too can become a god, especially if that person is an extremist, it’s no surprise if your head separates from your body immediately.

In fact, some religions do execute those who contradict their doctrines.

This world was less developed than modern times. No, to be precise, there were many aspects that conflicted with modern understanding. It was medieval fantasy, after all.

I’m not sure how the moral compass is set, but I’m confident there wouldn’t be a notion that it’s okay to kill someone for blaspheming the doctrine.

Silence.

In a world where it felt like my breath had stopped, I opened my mouth again.

It took a while.

“What I mean by becoming a god isn’t religious.”

“As I said earlier, you speak briefly. I am the master of the Southern Central Church, and I’m the first elder to become a shepherd in a nun’s body. I’m also a Gold Badge Adventurer with a divine body. So…”

“Repeating what I already know won’t revert my tone back to when we first met.”

“Be polite.”

She fluttered her wings and approached me.

Even though she was slightly shorter since she was hovering, her eye level was a bit higher than mine.

My neck was starting to stiffen.

I closed my eyes, moving my neck sideways to loosen my muscles a bit.

“…We’re in a conversation, aren’t we? Can we keep it reasonable?”

“It’s too high up, and my neck hurts. Can’t you come down?”

“Don’t change the subject. More importantly, why the sudden formal tone?”

“You told me to be polite.”

Not expecting me to comply with her request, she stared blankly at me.

There’s something awkward about this part. Is it normal to act like this after living 150 years without social interactions? Ugh… I shouldn’t end up like that.

‘I thought she was just a simple hikikomori, but she clearly draws the line on certain things, as if her personality has shifted.’

I still couldn’t accurately judge who Fura was.

Life is singular. To persuade with one opportunity, I needed to know a bit more about her. Yeah. Right now, I needed certainty.

“Shall we get back to the point?”

“……”

“Are there things in your life you wish you could change? Things you regret?”

“Of course, there are. But I won’t change them. Even if I could, never.”

“Why’s that?”

“Changing what has already happened doesn’t erase it. The past where I was betrayed… Skylar has probably mentioned it already, to negotiate with me. Right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s the same. Even if I changed the past to control those who betrayed me with divine power, so they wouldn’t betray me, wouldn’t the fact that they betrayed me still exist?”

“So did you make them nonexistent?”

Crack.

Chills ran down my spine.

The button of rage.

Everyone has buttons that shouldn’t be pressed. It was a concept similar to a trauma switch. Just moments ago, I was scratching the surface of it with my nails, and now, I pressed it with force.

Skylar instantly moved beside me.

And then, she burned the scroll with her magic.

It happened in an instant that could be recognized as a ‘moment’ even by my eyes. A wall made of magic unfolded in front of us, and an immense lightning bolt immediately collided with that wall.

The sound of an explosion.

And then, ringing in my ears.

I couldn’t hear anything.

“…Skylar.”

“We’ll talk later.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t expect to persuade you anyway. Now that it’s come to this…”

Skylar casually glanced back. A Gray Cat sat calmly, grooming its fur with its tongue.

Tsk.

Skylar clicked her tongue.

Yeah. The Emperor assigned a watcher to us. If we ever attempted to betray or refused to gather our bodies… that creature would turn hostile against us.

We couldn’t avoid combat.

“How dare you bring that up?”

“If the Church gets destroyed from using such a grand technique, we’ll have to come out, right? Is that alright?”

“Rebuilding is easy.”

“You might end up seeing the betrayers buried beneath the Church with your own eyes again.”

“…I used to overlook you as Skylar’s companion, but I can no longer tolerate this.”

Provoking someone else’s trauma is dangerous. And at the same time, it’s something only trash would do.

I was simultaneously doing something dangerous and something only trash would do. I know that my words and actions are… slightly bad.

But I judged that I had no choice but to use such provocative words. At least in terms of my ‘rhetoric.’

“Skylar, do you trust me?”

“…Yes. Always.”

“Suddenly, that’s embarrassing to hear.”

“Defense isn’t going to hold for long. No need for unnecessary words. Just the facts, simply.”

“I like how quick the conversation is.”

“You’re not just anyone. We’ve spent quite a while together, so I can probably guess what you’re going to say just by looking at your eyes.”

“Alright. Can I have a little time?”

“…Gladly. And anyway, if I can’t stop that, I might die too.”

“You don’t need to add that last part. It ruins the emotion!”

“Shouldn’t priority be on not dying right now instead of emotions and atmosphere?!”

“The job of a Bard places importance on emotion and atmosphere just as much as it does on life! More importantly, head-on…!”

Skylar urgently pulled another scroll from her bag and unfolded it as a barrier. Beyond the translucent barrier made of blue magic, Fura spread her wings and mercilessly struck lightning from the Church’s ceiling.

That’s what she calls a ‘Gold Badge’? Are you serious?

The difference in skill levels. I never expected a Gold Badge Adventurer to be this strong. And even a cleric, who’s not even a combat-centric class, doing this much?

‘…This is insane.’

For now, since Skylar’s blocking that lightning, I need to come up with something persuasive to say.

Fear of the Mad King.

Trauma from betrayal.

Resentment towards the Empire.

Skylar’s former comrades.

Propertyius and Nisha are her friends.

I sort through the emotions I can use. Summarize them. And then, reassess.

Bards highlight specific parts of the story, adding, and removing details, allowing for a different perspective on the act. Yes, the profession of Bard is that of a performer, a singer, and, at the same time, a storyteller.

The essence.

“Fura, you actually regret killing the betrayers.”

“No, not at all.”

“I can tell you don’t want to turn back time. But are there not those you wish to bring back? Isn’t there anything you wish to know? Haven’t you ever wanted to read another’s heart? Truly? Hand on your heart?”

“…No.”

I saw hesitation.

It was just for an instant, but she paused before responding.

Lightning and action seem to halt.

I press further.

“Isn’t it the case that you haven’t asked for the reasons? Didn’t you want to ask those who betrayed you, but in a moment’s outrage, you buried them beneath the Church without even questioning them?”

“Enough.”

Bingo.

I was spot on.

A reaction came.

“You can do it. Making the impossible possible is divine power. You can even resurrect the dead and ask them. As long as all the bodies are gathered in one place!”

“……”

She goes silent. The lightning grows quiet.

A person who was like family betrayed her, a comrade, killed without even asking the reason. Regret? Surely there isn’t. But curiosity remains.

That’s why she… hesitated.

When will the lightning strike again? In this tense situation, she slowly descends from the sky.