Surviving as a Useless Bard in a Game

---

Adults don’t understand a child’s heart. So does a weary adult in the guise of a child know the feelings of a child?

I originally would have said there’s no way, but now I have to answer that I certainly do.

Because Eyal, in the form of a boy, was showing a smile even more innocent than that of another boy.

Crack.

I ground my teeth.

I didn’t particularly hate him for having killed or harmed people.

I wasn’t a righteous person; I was just an ordinary citizen. I had done minor wrongs and minor good deeds, just a plain, ordinary human you could find anywhere.

In the early morning, when the news blares about a factory fire that killed people or a vehicle overturning, we rarely pay any mind.

No matter how many people Eyal killed or how much pain he caused, it didn’t really touch me.

But what if he hurt someone I knew?

I couldn’t help but be angry.

Right.

The simple reason I wanted to kill him now was straightforward.

For the greater good? Of course not.

It was a personal emotion.

A strange woman stood next to the Mad King.

A face I had never seen before.

She was glaring at us.

The woman beside Eyal opened her mouth and screamed. It was a cry infused with magic power.

“Kneel down—!”

I collapsed to the ground, while the others desperately resisted something invisible.

Scipio’s body trembled, Fura, who was floating, lost her balance, and Skylar, bleeding from his lip, glared at the opponent.

The only one unaffected by that power was Auris.

The little girl covered her ears and began to slowly back away.

‘Hearing.’

—It’s a body.

I could sense it instinctively.

This force pressing down on me was indeed the power of the body.

‘The condition is the voice.’

With the alcohol in my system, my mind was racing faster than usual.

Now that I knew sound was the condition, the response was simple.

I immediately yelled at Skylar.

“Skylar!”

Skylar promptly burned a scroll.

It was the [Barrier] we used when we had secret conversations in the wagon.

Inside the barrier, we were cut off from the outside so that sound couldn’t escape. And simultaneously, sound from outside couldn’t enter. It was a perfect response.

Having regained freedom of movement inside the barrier, we slowly rose to our feet.

We reestablished our stance.

Skylar began to organize the situation and gave orders.

I trusted him.

“The body that the opponent possesses… is the ‘mouth’.”

“…You mean the mouth?”

“We didn’t just define and share a specific body—”

“Just get to the conclusion.”

“Everything, including the vocal cords, lips, and tongue.”

“What about abilities? They don’t have multiple, do they?”

“Not at all. There’s only one ability. They can inject magic power into their voice and dominate the target that hears it. The downside is they can’t dominate if the target isn’t listening, and they need to convey instructions accurately.”

As I listened to Skylar’s explanation, I felt one of my old memories surface.

…Programming.

I recalled my major from the past.

“Can you twist it?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, can you warp commands with your will?”

“…I guess?”

“For example, if you were told to eat bread, could you shove the whole, uncut piece into your mouth without using a fork or forcibly attempt to jam it in and fail?”

“It’s open to interpretation…?”

“It’s worth a try.”

“However, we don’t have the luxury to test something uncertain. For now, let’s make an effort not to listen while tackling the Mad King and escaping from this place after rescuing Propertyius and Nisha.”

“…Understood.”

The expression of someone unwilling to flee was evident on Selina’s face.

I slowly looked at Skylar.

He was looking back at me.

An old memory cautiously raised its head.

Since we first met until now, I had seen Skylar’s face many times while coming this far. But he had always turned away first.

For some reason, now I was the one avoiding his gaze. It felt different than usual.

“…That’s right.”

“We can’t win.”

“I know.”

“There will be another chance.”

“That’s true.”

“…”

Skylar fell silent.

The barrier could no longer hold.

It cracked.

He placed earmuffs in my hands.

–

Magic Protection Earmuffs

Prevents being ensnared by voice infused with magic power.

Not a premium product. Not suitable for prolonged use.

It focused on blocking sounds containing magic power rather than blocking all sound.

Conversation is still possible.

–

The status window unnecessarily began explaining things I already knew.

Everyone started putting the earmuffs in their ears.

There were no adventurers without earmuffs as they were an essential item.

Monsters that seduced people with their voices were common even in the hills of the village.

In the awkward and dangerous atmosphere, silence was suddenly broken.

“Let’s do it.”

“…What?”

“Right here, just once, let’s confront the danger head-on.”

“Seriously?”

“Our goal here is to kill the Mad King, and if we fail, our goal is to ensure everyone’s successful escape.”

I nodded my head.

Then, I looked at the Gray Cat.

“You cooperate too.”

The cat slightly nodded its head.

…That was a yes, right?

The barrier finally fell apart.

I could hear Eyal and the woman standing next to him talking.

“Lieutenant, what do you think we should do? Nine bodies have gathered here. Isn’t it fine to eliminate them all and become a god?”

“Whatever you wish.”

“We have three, and they have six, so we’re outnumbered. Isn’t that interesting?”

“…”

“It’s best to at least laugh at a joke. It’s my taste.”

As soon as the Mad King finished speaking, the woman called ‘Lieutenant’ smiled faintly.

It was a natural smile, but it couldn’t hide the feeling of being forced.

A chill crept up my spine.

An unnatural human expression. The uncanny valley.

It looked as if an emotionless monster was awkwardly mimicking a human.

She held a sword in her hand.

“Scipio.”

“I know.”

Following Skylar’s order, Scipio immediately drew his sword and faced the Lieutenant. He attempted to use his voice, but his eyes bulged, and he turned toward us.

The Lieutenant realized we were using the magic protection earmuffs.

She understood that her voice would not reach us, and immediately countered with her sword.

“Not bad. But I’m still better!”

With Scipio’s confident declaration, the sword swung.

Scipio was faster than the Lieutenant.

The difference in skill was clear to see.

The Mad King, Eyal, immediately sprang into action.

He wasn’t so trashy as to just watch his comrade suffer.

But, Eyal’s sword was halted by lightning.

To be exact, the path of the sword was redirected. It narrowly missed Scipio’s back.

Eyal’s eyes narrowed sharply as he looked up at the sky.

There, Fura was spreading her wings wide, holding divine lightning in both hands.

“…Hah!”

Was he that displeased at being interrupted by such a low-level opponent? The Mad King’s expression warped slightly more than before.

He was still calmly dealing with us, but a hint of emotion was laced into his attack.

I immediately took out my lute and prepared to play a tune.

Enhancements and boosts through music, and healing every time an ally got hurt.

That much magic power was possible.

—But, the situation didn’t unfold as I had planned.

The Mad King was a swordsman.

I knew that much.

But as he raised his other hand, he aimed at me.

A spell was unleashed.

I could see it. Attacks visible to the eye can be avoided.

It was merely basic magic.

A [Magic Arrow] that even a baby could activate as long as they infused magic into a scroll.

Its power was trivial.

But I had forgotten that the person casting it transcended the bounds of humanity, known as a ‘hero.’

A ‘giant magic arrow’ came soaring at me with unprecedented speed and power, the form of which I couldn’t see clearly.

Skylar called my name loudly.

“Selina—!”

I couldn’t dodge.

Probably.

And the Gray Cat beside me transformed into an Emperor.

A beautiful, golden-haired peak of the Empire, the platinum adventurer, Framea. At the same time, Eckhart.

She swung her sword.

The magic arrow was cut in half and scattered.

“Why did you take on the appearance of the Emperor?”

“…Don’t act familiar. I’m merely here to observe and protect.”

“Anyway, just answer the question. You could have copied the Mad King.”

“The strongest person I know is my Emperor.”

Romantic yet lacking practical applicability. A reply that piqued the Mad King’s interest.

The true battle was just beginning.