Surviving as a Useless Bard in a Game

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The reason why teleportation magic circles are complex and difficult to activate is quite simple and clear under the strict supervision of the mages in the Mage Tower.

It’s because it’s incredibly easy for an individual to create one.

“It’s not an easy task. It’s only possible because it’s me.”

“…Can you read thoughts? Emotions, perhaps?”

“No, Selina, it’s just that your face gives it all away.”

…Anyways, I couldn’t help but acknowledge Skylar’s abilities.

Even a Gold Badge mage couldn’t create a teleportation magic circle on the spot.

They could activate one, but unless they were Platinum mages who reached the highest level, they couldn’t create one.

There are ways, like how Skylar once did, to intentionally cause a magic eruption within oneself and roll the dice until a pattern similar to the teleportation magic circle emerges, but that’s betting with the user’s life.

Solving based on an answer sheet and creating an answer are entirely different things.

For mages, what’s most important is not intelligence, but pure talent.

A human gifted by the heavens.

Anyone can memorize formulas inscribed on a plane with enough time. Most mages write and activate magic that way.

But Skylar is different.

The magic circle, originally meant to be drawn in two dimensions, is now beginning to be reconstructed in three dimensions.

“Fura, assist.”

“Got it.”

Fura spills divine energy.

Within the flowing starlight, a faint wing pattern symbolizing ‘flight’ is engraved.

Countless scrolls rise into the air.

Though they seem to drift irregularly in the sky, there’s an order and structure to their movement.

And finally, they form a sphere.

Like a globe spinning, the scrolls begin to revolve around a virtual point.

Skylar slowly releases magic power.

The way to control uncontrollable magic power is simple.

It’s like putting specially shaped glasses on racehorses to help them focus on the track; to control the uncontrolled magic power, you pour it onto the scrolls.

However, the scrolls don’t activate.

‘…Only some of them.’

Yeah. The magic power precisely strikes the unnecessary parts of the magic circle inscribed on the scroll. And then, it catches fire.

Skylar pulls out a vintage black fountain pen from inside his coat.

He opens the cap and rewrites with the magic-infused ink from the golden nib.

One hand pours magic while erasing the scroll, and the other hand writes a new scroll.

This is the pinnacle of skill.

“…Selina, please enhance me with a melody.”

“Okay.”

I took the lute and infused magic into the melody.

It’s a simple enhancement.

—♩

The speed of writing and destroying increased even more, and Skylar finally stopped spilling unstable magic power.

“Scipio.”

“…Yeah.”

“From now on, I’ll spill magic power to activate teleportation. The target is the city at the northern edge where Propertyius and Nisha are.”

“What should I do?”

“Cut all the wavy magic with your sword. If you miss even one, we’ll either end up in a completely different place or get stuck in a gap.”

“Got it.”

…That sounded a bit grim.

Scipio didn’t look the slightest bit troubled, even hearing that his granddaughter Auris might die.

‘…It’s trust.’

Trust in his comrades.

And trust in his own abilities.

He was clearly confident that we wouldn’t make a mistake on something that simple.

This is a fragment of the legendary adventurer party from the past that boasted the highest reputation.

The Gray Cat calmly came down from under the table and stuck by my side.

It rubbed its body between my legs.

…Is this really what’s inside a human?

Anyways, let’s get ready.

‘The last time I teleported, it was incredibly dizzying. I thought I was going to die.’

Here we go.

Uncontrollable magic power flowed through the ink inscribed on the scrolls. The scrolls, which had been spinning slowly like a globe, began to accelerate.

Blue light spilled out of the gaps that formed, and the strands of magic couldn’t hold up under the pressure and ricocheted outward.

Scipio started to slice through the lines of magic that sprang out with his sword, moving at a speed so fast it was hard to follow with my eyes.

He reached a speed where only afterimages remained in my line of sight.

Then, the world was painted white.

‘…Ah, I think I forgot to pay for the lodging at the inn.’

I belatedly recalled an important fact as I was swept away by the light.

***

I blinked.

—

At the northern edge.

The city where you had met Nisha and Propertyius.

To be precise, it was a city.

—

‘—It was a city?’

Something felt odd.

My mood, my senses, my heart felt strange.

It was ominous. Uneasy. Uncomfortable.

I turned my gaze.

A strange landscape caught my eye.

I saw crimson flames. A landscape impossible to fathom.

I was, I realized. I didn’t notice.

I muttered to myself. I had to ask the reason. Even though I knew there was no one who could answer.

“…Why?”

Skylar looked at the ‘city’ with a blank expression beside me. No, it wasn’t a city. The view we were looking at was the ruins of a once-glorious romantic city called the northern edge…

And, breaking through the awkward silence, an explosion was heard.

​

BANG—!

A sudden roar that shook the eardrums.

All eyes turned to the source of the sound, and the wildly beating hearts gradually started to regain their original rhythm.

Humans have a strange ability to empathize with others’ troubles, yet the moment their own lives are in danger, they regain calm in an instant.

We immediately ran.

Naturally, I was the one left behind.

Barely gasping for breath and reaching my physical limit as I ran like crazy, I collided with someone’s back.

Just before the source of the sound, it was Scipio standing right in the middle of the road.

Scipio stood there on guard, moving Auris behind him.

He was looking at me with eyes that said, “Take care of this for me.”

I nodded and stepped back.

Skylar unfolded what remained of the scroll, preparing for battle, and Fura clasped her hands together and began to pray sincerely. It was a sight I had never seen before.

Scipio was sweating as he gripped his sword tightly with both hands.

He must have been putting in a lot of effort because a strange cracking sound was heard.

What lay beyond their shoulders were:

“It’s been a while. It seems news hasn’t reached all the way to the end of the world?”

—Three familiar faces. One unfamiliar face.

The Mad King, Eyall.

And, next to him, an unfamiliar woman.

Further back, Nisha and Propertyius, severely injured.

‘A Platinum adventurer and an odd priest who seems to be on par with him are in that state?’

I immediately shifted my gaze back to the Mad King.

He stood there without a single scratch.

His eyes were fixed on me.

Instinctively, I began to whirl magic in my eyes.

“…Tsk.”

The Mad King avoided my gaze.

…Are we in sync?

—The dice roll hasn’t come up.

—

[ Loading ]

[ NEW! ] [ Searching for new possibilities ]

—

Shall I take a gamble?

No, there’s still time. Besides, a new function has appeared!

First… let’s set a goal.

“Skylar.”

“Yes.”

I didn’t have to say more; he knew what I meant. We had spent enough time together.

Our first goal is to rescue Propertyius and Nisha.

The Mad King, Eyall, merely looked at us, chuckling to himself, as if he found joy in our plight. He didn’t take any particular action.

However… the woman with brown hair standing beside him, who seemed ordinary on the surface, was anything but ordinary just by being here.

‘What’s her identity?’

Eyall slowly plunged his sword into the ground, precariously resting his chin on it as he ‘observed’ us.

After a while, he opened his mouth.

“I have a question for you. Would you indulge me in a bit of conversation?”

“…Well, it depends on how it goes.”

“Why do adventurers think of themselves as the protagonists of life? Do they really believe the world revolves around them? Isn’t that something you’re curious about?”

“……”

“Why can’t you see that while you work hard, your enemies are working just as hard? That such a simple fact!”

“I knew that, but is it okay to leave your territory and come all the way to the northern edge?”

Pfft, pffft….

Eyall laughed like a child.

He was mocking us.

Yeah. To be honest, it seemed a bit complacent. I couldn’t help but admit it.

Why did we think Eyall would just sit back and do nothing?

Our enemy was not the villain from a fairy tale seen by children.

That aside, I found his laughter disgusting.

Considering he actually had the appearance of a boy who had just shed his childish ways, it was even more nauseating.

I frowned and stepped in front of Skylar.

He tried to stop me, but when he glanced at my expression, he let go of my arm and stopped trying to hold me back.

“What’s so important about territory and citizens? They were merely a means to collect bodies after all.”

I haven’t finished preparing yet. There’s no help from the Emperor. There’s no support that can help us. We’re outnumbered and in a disadvantageous situation. I can’t even promise that I can escape.

But I was resolute.

I decided at this moment.

The Mad King, Eyall, is trash.

Simply put, he has hurt the bonds of fleeting connections.

That’s why, right now… I will win.

It’s not necessary for the final showdown to be in perfect condition.

—

[ Searching for new possibilities… ]

[ He is the enemy of this world. ]

—

I had faith somewhere inside me.

I brought the leather flask filled with alcohol to my lips.

I drank it all at once.

The standoff continued.