Surviving as a Useless Bard in a Game

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Equipment for adventurers is like an extra life.

Good armor can block an enemy’s attack once, while a good sword can cut down an enemy in a single swing. The direction changes with just a slight difference.

It’s all about the force.

Skylar recommended blunt weapons and long ones to me for a simple reason.

They’re easy for beginners to use… Well, not exactly easy. They’re simply easier than swords, allowing even the untrained to make decent moves.

Blunt weapons deliver surface impact, while spears thrust at a point.

But swords slash with a surface. Their mechanics differ. It’s not intuitive.

I made excuses to Skylar, saying, “If you’re fighting in tight spaces or around obstacles, swords are better.” But in tight areas with obstacles, a short sword would be preferable. A long sword isn’t good for that.

In the end, it’s all about the eyes.

I want to utilize everything I can to survive. Even with lower intelligence, in life-or-death situations, my brain tends to click into high gear.

The conclusion I’ve reached is to assess the resources, strength, skill, and equipment I have, evaluate their value, and strategize.

As a bard, I can easily acquire money.

As an adventurer, I contribute just under a single serving.

As a body holder, I’m pathetically weak.

I compensate for my shortcomings.

I’m skilled at infusing magic into my music. I can embed a buff into each note. To be honest, I’m better than other bards.

“…What I felt at the music contest was that the current level of bards is low.”

In terms of combat power and magic efficiency, I would fall short. What I’m talking about is the essence of the performance itself.

This brings me to where I need to compensate. I need to reinforce my magic efficiency and combat power. The latter isn’t urgent, as magic efficiency increases each time I use it.

“The urgent concern is combat power.”

The curse of narcolepsy limits my active time while also serving as a safety mechanism.

When I fall asleep, I’m guaranteed not to get into dangerous situations. In other words, it has advantages that can’t merely be seen as penalties.

But can that safety mechanism hold up against platinum or body holders? The answer is “no.”

In the first place, when choosing characteristics, there were murmurs like “most” or “probably.” There’s nothing 100% certain.

So, right now, there are only two urgent matters.

“Reinforcing my combat power to do my part as an adventurer and fixing this damn curse.”

I don’t expect to find decent means to solve both in an alley.

At most, the best gear I can find would be reliable.

“Since my stamina and strength are low, armor is tough for me. It’s best not to expect much from any armor.”

If I’m not expecting armor, the only option left for me is attack. Kill the opponent before I die. How convenient. Still… I don’t have resolve yet.

Yeah. I lacked the resolve to kill someone.

As a modern person, I outright reject my existence in this world.

Riding in the wagon, when the driver killed a thief, I felt nothing inside. No bad feelings or nausea—none of that common aversion.

I was slowly sensing the distance growing between this body and my mind.

My head throbbed.

My neck hurt.

I coughed.

Achoo!

“Are you okay?”

“…Ah, yeah. Just a bit dazed.”

“Be careful. Just because I’m being cautious doesn’t mean the peace here is like the ordinary streets of Regan.”

“The air feels a bit off. Ugh…”

“Which way are we headed now?”

“Huh?”

“No, no, it’s nothing. Your expression tells me everything.”

Please don’t judge my intelligence based on just a few conversations. It bruises my ego a little. Well, I guess it might be lower right now.

It’s different from just feeling bad… right?

Those socially inept wizards tend to obsess over facts like this. If they care that much about logic, they might as well become researchers.

“Speaking of which, how’s the safety?”

“Let’s see…”

Skylar pulls a scroll from his pocket. The patterns and names on the scroll are hidden, but it must be a useful one in this situation… what could it be?

I thought I could recall it, but maybe my head was too foggy to remember the type of scroll. It throbbed. I kept watching Skylar’s scroll with curious eyes.

Magic seeps into the scroll.

The air flow slowly changes.

Suddenly, the cold air settles to the ground, and I distinctly feel the presence of someone nearby.

I spotted a child who had just brushed past us.

Skylar swiftly grabbed the child’s wrist and twisted it.

“…Huh?”

“Pickpockets like this are running around.”

“W-What?!”

Getting pickpocketed in a back alley is a decent cliché in fantasy genres. I never thought I’d be the target, though.

Anyway, since Skylar caught the culprit on my behalf, I’d get my stuff back, give a light beating, and call it a day.

I held my lute upside down.

‘…If it’s a bit damaged, it seems to fix itself. Can’t I just use it as a blunt weapon? Is this a chance to test it?’

Skylar shot me a shocked look while holding the pickpocket. It was a look I hadn’t seen in a while. What a nostalgic feeling.

“No, don’t use a bard’s instrument like that.”

“Even if this instrument gets a bit damaged, it can be restored.”

“No way! That’s impossible!”

Ah, I still haven’t shared the experience I had in the Song Forest. Should I tell him after we get out of this alley?

If I ask if he followed that song ignoring the warnings, I might get an earful of nagging. Maybe it’s best not to bring it up. Yeah, that seems right.

“Anyway, just one hit should turn him around.”

“Let’s just get our stuff back. He’s a kid.”

“Early education is more important, Skylar. You might not get that yet because you’re young.”

“…Selina!”

“Sorry. Just kidding.”

But this pickpocket caught by Skylar is surprisingly small. Smaller than Skylar, dangling from his hand—it’s too funny.

The reason we didn’t see him at first was [Invisibility]?

‘Even though I have the ability to read magic, I couldn’t notice something so simple.’

…Maybe I should tweak how I use my sight a bit? I can now read information about items or areas. How about slowly unlocking other features?

No, wait, that isn’t even a limitation of my sight, right? It’s just a game system that you’ve locked because you don’t want me living comfortably?!

–

Searching for possibilities.

–

The status window opened with another odd sound, and I simply ignored it and closed the window.

It keeps making the same sounds, and it’s frustrating. Ugh…

Skylar let out a sigh, briefly looked at me with pity in his eyes, and then spoke.

“By the way, what should we do with this guy?”

“Let’s strip him of everything he has.”

“…I like that answer.”

This is the basic moral standard in medieval times. Enjoy it, you damn pickpocket brat.

Heh heh.

***

No particularly useful items came out. Did he just steal from us for the first time today? It felt more like retrieving our original amount—not even satisfying.

As I licked my lips, Skylar looked at me with a slightly odd expression.

“What’s up?”

“Hmm, you seem to have changed a bit in personality.”

“Really?”

…Isn’t this just average for a bard?

Hm, I’m not sure.

I guess my smart brain will handle the thinking for me. I can just zone out.

Let’s not forget the original purpose of coming into this alley.

It’s time to head out and buy some gear.

After wandering around for a while, though, I couldn’t find any equipment that appealed to me.

Sure, there were good quality and durable options. They simply had high prices and were adorned with flashy decorations.

I just didn’t like that about them.

For weapons, simple and rugged is better, as my personality from my male days cried out.

“Skylar, what’s the point of gilding weapons anyway?”

“To show your status and signal your position. It’s like saying, ‘I’m a wealthy adventurer, noble, or merchant who can afford this type of weapon. You know what might happen if you mess with me—something like that.’”

“I just wanted to find a decent longsword. They’re all so overpriced.”

“You have the luxury. To be honest, I’m not strong enough to load a bow or crossbow. Sure, they’re cold weapons… but…”

“But?”

“Personally, I wouldn’t want you to be in front fighting. Selina.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because it’s dangerous.”

“Are you worried about me right now?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a bit strange. I never thought you’d say something like that.”

“I don’t know what you think of me, but I’ve shown concern for my companions all along. How about you trust your eyes a bit?”

“But you’re a wizard.”

“If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have explained all the characteristics and traits of wizards in detail.”

I gently ruffled Skylar’s hair. His hair felt soft.

He made it clear he wasn’t pleased about it, but he didn’t forcibly remove my hand from his head. On the contrary… it seemed like he enjoyed it.

I glanced back for a moment.

There was a cat tailing us… no, blatantly following us. Looking back at Skylar, it felt oddly similar to him.

After wandering around for a while, we finally returned to the Adventurer’s Guild at dawn. My earnings today included a decent longsword and a new staff. Well, to be precise, they’re expenses.