Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking

Bonus chapters are like surprise blossoms—unexpected, yet full of joy! 🌱

---

Unlike the traditional portrayal of elves in many isekai worlds, where they are born from the World Tree, the elves of this world reproduce much like humans.

Although their fertility rate is relatively low, being a long-lived race affords them plenty of time to maintain a sustainable population size.

In terms of reproductive barriers, they aren't strictly limited to their own kind. For forest dwellers, intermarriage with outsiders typically only occurs when a drastic decline in their population—such as one caused by war—necessitates it. Otherwise, they tend to follow the course of fate in such matters.

However, when it comes to the World Tree, they maintain a deep, almost primordial reverence. As their name suggests, the forest dwellers live predominantly in vast tree-covered regions of the continent, each anchored by a World Tree at its center.

The accounts of the World Tree are vague at best. Even among the forest dwellers, it seems as if some invisible force has erased much of its history, leaving only scant mentions.

The most widely known statement about the World Tree is this:

"The World Tree shields its people from the influence of the evil gods beyond the void."

What these "evil gods" are remains a matter of debate among the forest dwellers. Regardless of the interpretation, from the Fairy Court down to the fairy villages, they hold an unshakable belief that the World Tree protects them from calamities.

Historically, the forest dwellers are descendants of ancient fairy bloodlines. Their fairy kingdom in the distant past was far more prosperous than their current state.

In the age when the ancestral dragons worshipped by the lizardfolk still roamed, a cataclysm reshaped the world, wiping out numerous advanced civilizations of that era.

This disaster decimated the fairy population, forcing the survivors to seek refuge in what is now the Golden Tree Sea, where the World Tree resides. There, they clung to survival and avoided being lost to history.

Since then, the World Tree has continued to shelter the fairy descendants, providing them a safe haven whenever calamities strike the outside world.

Thus, while the forest dwellers may not have been directly birthed by the World Tree, it has long served as a sacred symbol of faith for their race.

Every Fairy Princess becomes the World Tree's guardian, achieving a profound resonance with it and receiving a form of "blessing."

This blessing grants immense power—nearly godlike abilities—to its bearer, but it also comes with stringent limitations.

The bearer cannot leave the Golden Tree Sea for their entire life and must abide by the World Tree's edicts, refraining from initiating conflicts beyond their borders.

However, the Fairy Court has long struggled to find a new Princess capable of inheriting this power.

Wisdom can be nurtured and accumulated over time, gradually raising the bar.

But bloodline purity sets a fairy's potential from the moment of birth.

Fairies with a higher bloodline purity, such as the elven archers, can easily live for several millennia, even tens of thousands of years.

Most forest dwellers, barring accidents, can expect lifespans of thousands of years, after which they rapidly age and return to the tree sea at the end of their lives.

The current Fairy Queen, sustained by the World Tree's blessing, has lived for tens of thousands of years—an almost perfect example of immortality.

But even she is nearing the end of her time, ready to return to the World Tree.

While the long-lived races have robust physical resilience against aging, the wear and tear on their spirits is an undeniable reality.

Not even "gods" are immune.

And now, of all times, ominous signs are surfacing across the world, as if heralding the return of the past calamity that once destroyed it.

Every race hopes to endure and survive the impending disaster. The long-lived races are no exception.

This is why the forest dwellers were so stirred upon seeing Nahida.

After listening to the elven archer's explanation, Nahida fell deep into thought.

Based on the forest dwellers' historical records, the past calamity might have been caused by the fall of a Stellaron or the actions of a careless Aeon. But piecing together the truth from fragments seemed almost impossible.

However, regarding the World Tree, she felt compelled to investigate.

Nahida's curiosity and thirst for knowledge weren't simply part of her roleplaying; they were inherent traits of a Trailblazer.

As Himeko often said: "Explore, understand, establish, connect—these are the four things we do every time we enter a new world."

So far, Nahida had only accomplished the first two steps. The latter two hadn't even begun.

Thus, even if she were currently listening in as "Venti," she would still want to see the legendary World Tree for herself.

What kind of leaves does it have? Is it truly the towering golden tree described by the elven archer? What exactly is the blessing it bestows? These questions ignited her curiosity.

When she turned to seek her companions' opinions, she noticed—

Everyone was already showing expressions of intrigue and eagerness. Even Dan Heng wasn't immune.

It seemed a journey to the World Tree was inevitable.

After exchanging glances with her team, Nahida, as the invited guest, softly declared:

"We accept your invitation to travel together. However, I must decline the coronation ceremony for now!"

"After all—I don't know enough about your people or the responsibilities this entails. Taking on such a role in ignorance would likely bring disaster rather than protection to your people."

The elven archer's face lit up with excitement, and she eagerly reassured her:

"Oh, there's no need to worry about that! The coronation ceremony takes about a year in mortal time to complete."

"Even after the ceremony, Her Majesty the Queen would still have to teach you many things. That could take anywhere from five hundred to a thousand years, so you'd have plenty of time to grow!"

That long? We'd all probably turn to dust… Wait, no, the Express crew isn't exactly short-lived, but with that timespan, our Trailblazing journey might already be over by the time I finish learning everything.

Though such thoughts flitted through her mind, Nahida maintained her polite smile, firmly and gracefully declining.

"Please allow me to witness everything firsthand before making my decision."

With that, they concluded the most pressing matter, and the elven archer began preparing for their journey. However, a dwarf sorcerer traveling with them cleared his throat loudly.

"Ahem. Hey, Long Ears, aren't you forgetting something?"

His words drew the attention of several people present. Among them, the young Fairy Princess turned her innocent, curious gaze toward the dwarf sorcerer, her expression so pure and guileless that he felt as though he'd been struck by an arrow straight to the heart.

He couldn't help but think—if not for that mining accident, his own granddaughter would probably be about her age by now.

Though his expression faltered momentarily, the dwarf sorcerer quickly regained his composure and continued, "I'm talking about Orcbolg. While this trip to Gretlow wasn't wasted, don't forget you still have a task to complete, right?"

The lizardman priest offered a resigned, almost human-like sigh.

"Indeed. Without Orcbolg's help—or the capable archer in our party—we might not be able to complete the mission."

He understood the elven archer's urgency in wanting to return her tribe's heir to their home. If the lizardfolk found a young one with a strong ancestral bloodline, they would similarly prioritize returning it to the safety of their kin. However, the mission itself could not be overlooked.

After all, this was a directive issued from the national level, tied to divine prophecy and current political movements.

The archer could take the Princess back without fear of punishment; in fact, she would likely be rewarded. But the priest and the sorcerer still had their mission to consider. And neither of them could claim expertise in dealing with goblins.

Sure, the two of them were strong enough to handle a few dozen goblins in a fight. But with limited spell slots per day, a swarm of goblins could easily overwhelm them once their magic was depleted.

Preliminary reconnaissance had already confirmed that the ancient ruins contained at least two hundred goblins. These goblins had even domesticated magical beasts. Adding in their leader, the pair—both Silver-ranked adventurers—would likely be torn apart if they ventured in alone.

The elven archer, to her credit, didn't shirk responsibility. She paused to consider a solution.

"Why not try to find Orcbolg again? He's the candidate chosen by the human kingdom. He might not know it yet, but the feathered arrow of fate has already landed on his head. Running isn't an option."

"Wait a moment!"

March 7th raised her hand enthusiastically.

"When you mentioned Orcbolg earlier, I wanted to ask—are you talking about Goblin Slayer?"

Though the events in the cave had left her dazed for a while, her memory of their earlier time at the tavern was still intact. She clearly recalled the hero that Venti had spoken of—the one praised in poetic songs.

"That's right. We tracked his whereabouts to a town in the western borderlands. But the West is vast, and searching for him one town at a time would take forever. So we went to the towns suffering the worst goblin infestations, hoping to find him there."

Since Nahida had already introduced them, the elven archer didn't maintain a haughty attitude and explained patiently.

"That's when we heard about his exploits through your songs. So we decided to come straight to you for help!"

March 7th nodded, finally putting the pieces together.

"What a coincidence! We actually ran into him yesterday. He's... a very unique person, to say the least."

"Oh? Is that so? Human girl, can you tell us where he is now?"

The lizardman priest perked up with interest.

Without the archer, their team of two wouldn't be enough to explore the ruins. But with three members, they might stand a chance—especially since his dragon tooth warriors could handle some of the scouting roles normally assigned to rangers.

Sacrificing a dragon tooth warrior to trigger traps would cost him a spell, but at least it wouldn't be a wasted one.

"Haha! Human girl? That's such a strange way to address me! Just call me March 7th. Now, let me explain."

March 7th's lively smile reassured the group, her cheerful demeanor putting everyone at ease.

"Our team crossed paths with him during a mission. Afterward, he didn't take the same guild carriage back with us. He went off in a different direction. The coachman mentioned taking him to…"

Her memory trailed off, but Dan Heng calmly pulled out a map, circling a small frontier town near Gretlow.

"He went here. It's a border town known for its thriving livestock industry."

Dan Heng's concise words accompanied the map, which he handed to the lizardman priest.

After offering his thanks, the priest studied the map and mentally planned the route.

"It seems we might not need to part ways after all. This Goblin Slayer's town is right along our route. The only question is whether he'll agree to join us."

The lizardman priest's tone carried a hint of concern.

Though exterminating goblins was a simple task in theory, it wouldn't be fair to pressure someone into staying just to make up for a lack of manpower.

"We could always offer him the archer's share of the reward," the dwarf sorcerer suggested with a sly glance at the elven archer.

The archer shot him a glare, clearly annoyed.

"Can't you keep your mouth shut? Go drink your ale!"

Recognizing his blunder, the dwarf quickly obliged, even glancing nervously at the door as if expecting elven assassins to burst in and silence him.

Meanwhile, the Fairy Princess seemed oblivious to the tension, intently listening to the conversation with an expression of earnest curiosity.

She's adorable, the dwarf thought. It's fascinating how different they can be despite being of the same race.

As this quiet observation reshaped the dwarf's aesthetic preferences, Nahida declared confidently, "He'll definitely accept your request."

---

With that reassurance, the group's final doubts were resolved. They set out for Goblin Slayer's town, accompanied by the Star Rail crew.

While the adventurers' goal was the ancient ruins, the Star Rail team was headed to the elven homeland—the Forest of Kings. From there, they could safely journey to the Golden Forest where the World Tree resided, giving the Fairy Court time to prepare for their arrival.

As they traveled, a contingent of light cavalry from the forest dwellers joined their procession, adding to the already considerable spectacle.

During the trip, Nahida showcased her extraordinary abilities, playing a gentle melody on her lyre that summoned soothing winds. These breezes dispelled the fatigue of the long journey, leaving everyone rejuvenated.

Her divine display only deepened the forest dwellers' conviction that she was destined to become the next Guardian of the World Tree.

Even the Star Rail team benefited from their hosts' high regard, receiving first-class treatment throughout the journey.

Two days later, after clearing out several troublesome monsters along the way, they finally reached Goblin Slayer's town.

Their timing couldn't have been better—on their first visit to the guild hall, they spotted him sitting at a table with the young priestess, seemingly lost in thought as he waited for others to finish selecting their quests.

Noticing their approach, Goblin Slayer turned, his voice flat and businesslike.

"What do you want?"

"Goblin extermination," the elven archer replied without hesitation.

"Alright."

His prompt agreement took the archer by surprise, given the rumors she'd heard.

"Aren't you going to ask for the details first?"

"I will—how many goblins are there? What's the size of the nest? Do they have bodyguards or shamans?"

As he listed his questions, his gaze landed on the smallest among them—Nahida, as well as the familiar faces of the Star Rail team. His voice took on a steely edge.

"I don't mind working with them, but she can't come along."

He looked directly at Nahida, whose cheeks puffed out in indignation as she glared back at him.

Speaking as if chastising a child, he explained, "Goblins love eating tender little ones like you. They can smell your sweetness from miles away."

While his words carried the weight of grim experience, the Star Rail team couldn't help but stifle their laughter.

Nahida, meanwhile, sighed in exasperation.

Her appearance might mislead people, but she'd expected as much from an old acquaintance. Some things never changed.

---

Thank you so much for being here. This bonus chapter is like a little sprout—brought to life by all the warmth and encouragement you've given! WiseTL is so grateful to have such wonderful Readers who help these stories grow into something even more beautiful.

If you'd like to sprinkle even more sunshine and rain onto this garden of dreams, you can visit [patreon.com/WiseTL]. Every little bit helps the flowers bloom brighter!

-With love, Nahida 🌱