Surviving as a Useless Bard in a Game

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The small girl who came out of the hut looked at us with sparkling eyes and said,

“Pretty.”

No, she must have been talking about me.

After all, I’m the prettiest person around.

“That’s a nice thing to say. But who on earth are you?”

I remember that there were two presences felt coming from the hut. Is that little one the owner of the other presence? Then, why is Scipio living with her?

Skylar definitely said that Scipio had a spouse.

No spouse, just an old swordsman living alone in a humble hut in a distant desert, cut off from the world… and a little child.

My brain whirred rapidly with thoughts. My mind was swimming with clichés from countless creations I had experienced before.

I reached a conclusion.

“Scipio, is she your daughter?”

“…No.”

“Then who is she?”

“She’s my granddaughter.”

Right. He mentioned 200 years. The time when the star chasers first discovered the body.

If he had found a body and married after sharing it, then the time when he started a family must be ages ago. So, it’s highly likely that all his family has already passed away.

‘…But it doesn’t add up.’

I slowly walked toward Skylar.

Scipio must have realized just by looking at me that I was a bard who was “close to ordinary,” not a significant threat, so he didn’t seem particularly wary or attempt to stop my movements.

Sometimes being weak can come in handy.

“Skylar.”

“…Yes.”

“How long can a human live once they surpass a certain level?”

“In the past, there were beings who reached divine realms in human bodies and obtained immortality, but that’s impossible now. The divinity and magic power have faded too much…”

“Just the conclusion.”

“You can live a long time. Aging slows down. When the body is filled with divinity and magic, it naturally changes that way. A trained body is a miracle and magic in itself.”

“Got it. I somewhat understand.”

I slowly brought the leather flask filled with alcohol to my mouth.

Gulp.

A sip, weak enough that this shabby body wouldn’t get drunk.

At the same time, slowly savoring the expensive liquor.

Rolling it slowly in my mouth with my tongue, the wine flows down my throat. It was worth sneaking some of the expensive wine the Emperor served.

My head starts spinning.

“…Wine?”

“No. Just nutrients.”

“You’re talking crazy.”

Scipio eyed me with suspicion and slowly stepped back.

He’s on guard against the fragile human.

…Does that mean I look like a lunatic right now?

I felt a bit bad about it, but let’s set that aside. It’s not a big deal.

What’s more, he’s quite sensitive. Skylar hasn’t noticed it until now.

‘A human who surpasses a certain level can live for a long time.’

Let’s start from the beginning.

Scipio, the leader of the star chasers, is an incredible swordsman. Skylar mentioned that he’s the first person to recruit if you want to face the Mad King.

He must have reached an extraordinary level.

That means his body transcends that of an ordinary human. He could probably match the Mad King, who can trigger natural disasters with a single swing of a sword.

‘The idea of transferring one’s body to another.’

It’s a dangerous thought, but it’s not impossible.

Hypothetically.

I’ve never actually seen how to forcibly take or attach a body.

If I see someone like Skylar, who has had their body taken from them, then it’s natural to assume that the theft and transfer of bodies are possible. There must have been several instances until now.

So, a bizarre group known as body hunters was formed.

‘The granddaughter’s age is too young.’

Scipio’s age.

The time Scipio got married.

The time he started a family.

The time he had children.

And the time he saw his granddaughter.

I calculate the time.

Incompatible parts.

Contradictions.

He’s too old, and his granddaughter is too young.

It’s laughable to call it reasoning, but at least an organization is complete.

Now is the time to speak.

“You’ve given your most precious thing to someone, haven’t you?”

I walked slowly toward Scipio’s granddaughter.

She looked at me with her sparkling eyes.

I felt drawn to her.

Eyal, Propertyius, Nisha, Osidens, Fura.

The sensations I’d felt until now.

Scipio fell silent. I had guessed right.

***

The inside of the hut was bustling with people.

Given that only two had been living there until now, expecting a spacious size was excessively unreasonable.

Worry and concern were etched on Scipio’s face, but it didn’t seem to concern me.

I might as well just look around.

Thinking for just a moment made my head throb terribly. I wanted to rest. Why is there only one bed inside the hut?

Does he want to share a bed with his granddaughter at that age?

Gross.

‘Ugh… thoughts I normally wouldn’t have are popping up.’

In the awkward atmosphere, Skylar struggled to speak.

Just a moment ago, the tension had been so thick it felt like someone would draw swords and fight, but with the girl’s appearance, the heated atmosphere suddenly chilled.

It’s no wonder it became awkward.

“…Where are your ‘ears’?”

“Can’t you see?”

Skylar’s eyes turned toward the girl.

She had long, light brown hair and vaguely sparkling blue eyes.

What a strange girl.

“What’s your name?”

“Do you need to know? You’re leaving soon.”

“Considering your poor naming sense, I’m just saying. Starting with naming your adventurer party ‘Star Chasers’ and changing your own name to ‘Scipio.’”

“…Isn’t it cool?”

“Sure.”

Scipio opened his mouth with a somewhat dark expression.

It was a total 180 from the lively demeanor he had just before.

“I didn’t name her. My daughter did.”

“Is that so? So, what’s her name?”

“Auris. What do you think?”

“Nice.”

“Right? My daughter doesn’t resemble me much, so her naming sense doesn’t either.”

As he spoke, he poured fresh, white milk from the leather pouch into a cup.

The rich aroma filled the hut.

The little girl with the name Auris cautiously climbed onto the bed, keeping an eye on us.

I watched.

Just in case. I don’t want any competitors who could potentially pose a threat.

–

Auris.

An ordinary girl.

–

The status window didn’t reveal that she possessed a body. Looking back, it had never once shown me.

Information about people is either intentionally hidden or just doesn’t appear.

You know, what exactly do you want me to do?

If the status window had anything resembling self-awareness, I would have wanted to ask right away. But I knew all too well that there would be no response.

In the end, what I chose was silence.

‘My head hurts.’

Skylar, can’t you just handle this? I don’t want to roll the dice or rely on my speech. It’s your network, and you led me here, so you should take care of it.

I looked at Skylar while gently pressing on my throbbing head with my fingers.

He met my gaze and nodded.

…Can you tell just from my expression?

It’s a relief if you understood.

The conversation resumes.

“Scipio, I understand your situation, but…”

“I’m not going.”

“But if you don’t go, we’ll die.”

“Is that now a threat?”

“It’s still a proposal.”

“No, right now you’re gambling with your lives as a stake while knowing the only humans left to me are my granddaughter and old comrades, you malicious children.”

“I won’t deny that.”

Skylar’s approach pricked my conscience a bit.

Threatening to force someone against their will to join. If you’re gone, we’ll die. If we die, it’s because you didn’t join us.

A wizard who prizes efficiency above all else.

Recently, Skylar unleashed the cold and indifferent side he hadn’t shown me onto his old comrades, to be honest.

‘I’m losing my attachment to him.’

Perhaps I should have negotiated instead? However, I can’t think of any persuasive methods.

When the negotiations actually start, I could manage somehow, but it sounds boring. If there’s no reason for me to step in, it might just be better to leave it to the old comrades.

“…I’m not going.”

“Does that mean you’re okay if we die?”

“No, it won’t be okay. I’m just calculating what’s more valuable: your lives or the last treasure my daughter left me.”

“What’s the conclusion?”

“Your lives are worth less than my family. I’m that kind of person in the end.”

“……”

“I’m not going. I don’t want to go.”

The little girl named Auris walked over to her distressed grandfather.

She circled around the elderly man with white hair while observing his expression. That sight… hurt a little. Sending a family member to war carries this kind of weight.

Seeing it directly makes a difference.

And then the girl speaks.

“Grandpa.”

Scipio remained silent, his mouth, eyes, and ears shut tight.

His will to do nothing was evident.

But the little girl didn’t give up and whispered into the old man’s ear.

“What you want to do, you should do.”

…Ears.

Magic power swirled around the girl’s ears.