Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking

Since receiving Dan Heng's message aboard the Astral Express, Welt Yang had been restless. Concern for the difficulties the younger Trailblazers were encountering weighed on him heavily. It was, after all, the nature of a parental figure to worry about their children.

While Welt trusted both Dan Heng and Venti to look after March 7th, the situation on this planet was far more savage than he had anticipated. Its dangers posed unique challenges, ones that could leave lasting scars on someone as tender-hearted as March.

For both personal and practical reasons, he decided to travel to the surface—not only to ensure their safety but also to gather information.

It was noon when Welt, dressed impeccably in his signature gentlemanly attire, stepped into the Adventurer's Guild. His arrival drew immediate attention, particularly from the adventurers seated near the entrance.

"Whoa! Look at that! That gentleman is so dashing!"

A halfling girl tugged excitedly at her companion's sleeve, her eyes sparkling as she admired Welt's poised and stately demeanor.

"Hey! Don't be so loud!"

The girl's companion, a human with a single ponytail, blushed furiously, hastily covering the halfling's mouth.

The halfling, however, wriggled playfully in her arms, her wide, fluttering eyes giving off the impression of being shy—though her antics suggested otherwise.

"Ugh, you're impossible. Can't you not embarrass yourself for five minutes?" the ponytailed girl huffed, pushing her mischievous friend aside.

"Why don't you say something to her?" she said, turning to the lone male member of their group—a warrior with perpetually half-lidded, bored-looking eyes.

"Eh, that's just how Tao is," the warrior replied lazily, shrugging. "Anyway, that guy… He doesn't look like a local noble, does he? Maybe he's from the capital or the royal city?"

"I don't know," the ponytailed girl said hesitantly. "But judging by his aura, he might be a believer of the Supreme God. The judges I've seen in the big cities have that same elite vibe."

"And look—he's heading straight for the receptionist. Definitely here to issue some sort of special commission."

The warrior smirked, pulling a gold coin from his pouch and spinning it between his fingers.

"I'll bet you one gold coin he's here for that team."

"Ugh, don't start betting on obvious things," the girl groaned, shaking her head.

Meanwhile, the halfling girl perked up, having been momentarily ignored. She slapped a coin down on the table dramatically.

"I'll bet!"

"Oh? Who are you betting on?" the warrior asked, suddenly intrigued.

"That the gentleman isn't here for that team!" she declared proudly.

"Deal. No backing out." The warrior grinned, placing his coin on the table beside hers.

The ponytailed girl sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You two are hopeless…"

---

Meanwhile, Welt approached the receptionist, his calm, professional aura instantly silencing the room.

"Good afternoon," he began. "I'd like to issue a special commission. Could you provide me with a list of adventurer teams currently stationed here?"

"Ah—of course! Just a moment!"

The receptionist hurriedly pulled out a ledger containing the names of all active teams residing in the guild's accommodations. Welt immediately spotted a familiar set of names at the top of the list:

Astral Squad

Members: Dan Heng, March 7th, Venti, Stelle.

Their foreign-sounding names stood out starkly among the local entries. Welt adjusted his glasses and pointed to the entry.

"These names intrigue me. Could you tell me more about them?"

"Oh, you mean the Astral Squad? They're wonderful!" the receptionist gushed, her face lighting up as if she were speaking about her own children. "Not only are they incredibly skilled, but they're also kind and fair when negotiating rewards. And they're so easy to work with! They even have a 100% mission completion rate!"

Realizing she might have been overly enthusiastic, the receptionist quickly recomposed herself, returning to a more neutral expression.

"Ah, but if you're interested in hiring them, you'll need to make a reservation in advance."

"Are they that popular?" Welt asked, raising an eyebrow. This wasn't something Dan Heng had mentioned in his regular reports.

It was true that Dan Heng and the others had adopted a localized approach to their expedition, completing commissions as part of their exploration efforts. But specifics were often glossed over in his updates, leaving Welt and Himeko in the dark about many details.

Had it not been for Dan Heng's timely report about March 7th's recent struggles, they might not have known at all.

"Yes, they've been making waves recently," the receptionist explained, her voice brimming with pride.

"They started as White Porcelain-ranked adventurers but quickly distinguished themselves by completing a mission to subdue a near town-level threat. Although other teams assisted, our evaluators confirmed that the Astral Squad handled most of the heavy lifting."

"Impressive," Welt remarked, adjusting his glasses again.

"Indeed. In fact, we're currently preparing a batch of custom Ruby-Grade badges for them," she continued.

"Ruby Grade?"

"It's one of the higher ranks, just below Silver," the receptionist clarified. "While they could be promoted directly to Silver based on their performance, the guild prefers to gradually elevate them to build up their reputation. After all, to become legendary heroes, their public image and conduct must be flawless."

Welt listened intently, making a mental note to discuss this development with the team later.

"The guild has plans to frame them as the next 'Heroic Party,' but there's still some debate about which member should be the titular hero. For now, they'll be tasked with more high-difficulty missions to further cement their status."

"Fascinating," Welt said. "Thank you for the insight."

"If you're serious about hiring them, I recommend placing a request soon," the receptionist advised. "Given their trajectory, they may not be available for long. Once they reach Silver or Gold Rank, they'll only take elite commissions."

Welt nodded thoughtfully.

"I have no issue with that, but I would prefer to discuss the mission details privately. Could you tell me where I might find them?"

The receptionist furrowed her brows in thought before replying.

"Well… Based on the time, they're probably resting and won't come by until later this afternoon. After taking on such a grueling mission, it's only natural they'd need extra rest..."

Her voice grew quieter toward the end, and Welt nodded thoughtfully. Dan Heng's earlier report had already hinted at the difficulties the group had faced.

After confirming where he could wait for them, Welt took a seat in the guildhall, pulling out his phone to send a message.

His arrival had been hastily planned; upon hearing about March 7th's struggles, he had conferred briefly with Himeko before descending to the planet. Dan Heng's message the previous night had arrived close to midnight, and Welt hadn't wanted to disturb their rest further.

The "special commission" request was more of an excuse—a blend of reconnaissance and indulging in a bit of role-play. He had no ulterior motives.

However, just as he began typing, a loud, melodramatic wail erupted from behind him.

Before Welt could stifle a chuckle, the guild doors burst open with a dramatic wham!

"Receptionist!"

The high-pitched yet commanding voice prompted Welt to turn his head. Standing at the entrance was a girl who could have walked straight out of a fantasy painting.

She was an elven archer, with pale green hair and matching emerald eyes, her delicate features accentuated by long, pointed ears—a hallmark of her forest-dwelling kin. Her outfit was equally fantastical: light armor over a cropped top and shorts, revealing a lithe, graceful physique. A quiver of arrows was slung at her waist, and a longbow rested against her back. Around her neck hung a Silver-ranked adventurer's badge.

The adventurers nearby erupted in whistles and banter.

"Another elf from the forest! What a beauty!"

"She's not as good as Mimiya, though," a veteran adventurer muttered, crossing his arms with an air of superiority.

"Are you talking about... her chest?"

A dwarf sitting beside him chimed in, his curiosity genuine.

"No, there's no point comparing anvils. Whether flat or flatter, it's the same either way."

The resulting laughter only emphasized the light-hearted rivalry between their races.

Welt, however, couldn't help but contrast the lively reception the elf received with the wary looks he'd garnered earlier.

So, no matter where you go, it seems pretty girls will always be more popular than middle-aged gentlemen.

Meanwhile, the receptionist, initially taken aback, quickly regained her composure.

"Ah, yes! How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for someone named Barthabas!" the elf declared in a melodic but unfamiliar accent that was distinctly more elegant than the local dialect.

"Barthabas?"

The receptionist frowned, scanning her mental registry of local adventurers. She came up empty.

The elf's confusion drew a hearty laugh from her companion—a stout dwarven sorcerer clad in robes of white and red, with a large wine gourd hanging from his belt.

"Bah! You pointy-eared twig-brain! How many times have I told you not to use your native tongue to call people's names?"

His teasing prompted another round of cheers and laughter from the dwarf contingent.

The elf bristled. "Better a twig-brain than a beer barrel like you!"

This sparked a retaliatory roar from the dwarf. "You call this stoutness a beer barrel? It's robustness, you undergrown tomato!"

The elf stomped her foot. "What did you just call me?!"

As the two began bickering loudly, a deep, resonant voice interrupted.

"If the two of you must quarrel, might I suggest relocating out of this humble monk's line of sight?"

The voice belonged to a lizardman monk whose appearance evoked tribal shamans of old. Despite his primal garb, his speech carried a scholarly refinement.

"Hmph! Tell her to stop insulting me first," the dwarf grumbled. "She's the one using her fancy language. Go on—tell us what you call him in your forest tongue!"

The elf hesitated before replying, "...We call him 'Oni of the Bottle.'"

Welt nearly dropped his phone at the absurdity of the title. Adjusting his glasses, he turned his attention back to the scene, finding himself genuinely curious about where this chaos was headed.

The receptionist, now visibly exasperated, sighed.

"Apologies, but we have no adventurer by that name here."

The elf scoffed, crossing her arms triumphantly. "Looks like your naming traditions aren't that great either!"

"You arrogant pointy-eared brat!" the dwarf fumed.

"Enough," the lizardman interjected again, raising a hand. "If I may, this humble monk believes the name in question might translate to 'Venti, the Bard.'"

The moment the name left his lips, a youthful voice piped up from behind them.

"Who's looking for me?"

All heads turned toward the speaker—a petite figure that made even the adventurers' jaws drop.

It was a childlike elf, with a single white side ponytail and bright green eyes that shimmered like dew-drenched leaves. Her cheeks still bore a faint roundness, and her small frame was clad in an outfit of white and green resembling a feathered tennis dress. Her bare legs peeked out from under the skirt, ending in white leggings.

Tilting her head in innocent curiosity, the little elf asked, "Are you looking for the greatest bard? That's me!"

"Adorable!"

Before anyone could stop her, the forest elf archer darted forward with a delighted squeal. The rest of the elves in the room stood instinctively, their bloodlines seemingly drawn to protect the child.

The reaction was almost primal. This was no ordinary elf child—her appearance carried traits of ancient forest royalty. She bore the unmistakable signs of a high-bloodline ancestor, the kind who could be named a queen of their kin.

To see such a figure here, in a human settlement, was utterly shocking.

As the elves moved to surround her protectively, one stepped forward to confront Mimiya, who had just arrived with her party.

"Who are you to accompany this child of royalty?" the elf archer demanded.

Mimiya, however, blocked her path with a sigh. "Could you stop clinging to her like some long-lost relative? Who I am doesn't matter. What does matter is that you back off."

"Who are you?"

"I am her... attendant," Mimiya said sharply. "As for her name, you are not worthy to know. Now step aside."

Mimiya's tone brokered no argument. She positioned herself protectively in front of the young elf as the rest of the Astral Squad approached.

The other adventurers, including Welt, could only watch the unfolding spectacle with stunned expressions.

Even Welt, ever composed, found himself adopting a bemused expression.

What in the world is going on?

---

Hello! Thank you so much for reading this chapter. WiseTL has worked hard to bring these wonderful stories to you, and I'm so happy we could share this moment together! Don't you think stories are a little like dreams? Each one has its own colors and shapes, and they grow even brighter when shared with others.

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