Ch.28Chapter 28. A Performance That Moves Emotions

After that, I continued alternating between training and rest, telling Merilyn Sutherland about everything I had experienced one by one.

Most of them weren’t exactly pleasant stories.

Given the state of the world, stories of death were inevitably included at some point.

“From what you’ve told me, it seems you’ve been through quite a lot of hardships. Did you often see your companions die?”

“Yes, well. That’s just how the world is now.”

My answer was followed by a thrust.

The spear moved forward quickly, roughly piercing through the center of the scarecrow and scattering fragments everywhere, demonstrating its power.

Spearman… no, this was a moment when the familiarity gained from changing to the Spear Wielder class shone.

But what stood out even more was the performance of the spear itself.

Its durability remained flawless despite multiple swings, and it had enough power to easily slice through a scarecrow made of wood and straw.

With a bit more practice wielding the spear, I felt I could soon thrust this mighty power precisely where I wanted to easily take down enemies.

“So I feel a bit wronged. I just chose something with high pay, but everyone calls me a Hero Killer and whatnot.”

While inwardly reflecting on such personal assessments, I continued agreeing with Merilyn’s words, but she just stared at me without saying anything in response.

Her eyes were still smiling, but that was merely out of habit.

Anyone could tell from her unraised corners of her mouth that she wasn’t taking these stories very pleasantly.

“…Hahaha, are these kinds of stories not good?”

“I don’t think that. I just think they’re not the kind of stories to be told with a smile.”

A serious voice returned to my awkward laugh.

Sitting down, there was a considerable bitterness in the way she stroked the lute in her hands.

“I am merely a humble minstrel.”

Following that, Merilyn’s fingers moved with rhythmic phrases.

-Tinkle~

What began was a performance.

And simultaneously, it was an answer to my question.

“My duty is to travel the world, process stories I’ve heard, and receive evaluation from other connections… And the stories I hear can’t always be pleasant.”

Yes, unlike what had continued all along, with a very lonely atmosphere.

“Sad as it may be sad, funny as it may be funny, it all expresses an aspect of the world… So I just listen. Even in an era where survival has become a vulgar joke, I feel how those who came to this land seeking salvation value life more preciously than death.”

-Tinkle~♬

As the refreshing lute sound was plucked in a slow tempo.

Just by listening, I could feel her lonely emotions conveyed through her voice, transmitted through my skin.

“…Yes, that’s right. Not all stories need to be pleasant.”

Even a requiem sung at a funeral is sung to let go of sorrow, so how could someone who sings songs only seek pleasant things?

Standing with a spear in hand before the scarecrow, I felt a simple gratitude toward her who put these thoughts into words while playing.

For once, she set aside the playful attitude she had shown all along.

Because I felt she was affirming my calm acceptance of this harsh world.

-Swoosh!

Realizing I had found another person who understood me, I felt more elasticity in my spear-wielding movements.

Stronger and faster than before.

-Tinkle~♬

As the lute sound resonated gently through these actions, her lips parted and a faint breath escaped.

“La~ Lira~♪”

A melody as beautiful as her pure white appearance.

With that smooth continuation of song, my actions also lost their hesitation and gained momentum.

This wasn’t an illusion.

From the moment I heard the song, something, a change occurred in my body.

-Swish, Slash!

As the straw of the scarecrow was cleanly cut off with the brisk swing that followed this realization.

Though I was surprised by my own achievement, I strongly felt I didn’t want to stop here.

With such thoughts, distractions gradually blurred away as my spear thrusts began to move relentlessly toward the point visible in my sight.

-Swoosh!

Yes, it was a point.

The spear thrusts that until now had been swung randomly.

At some point, they precisely penetrated exactly where I wanted to strike.

-Swish, Slash!

As this happened again as I thought it would, I felt a welling desire.

Could this also be possible? And this?

-Crack!

At the end of such enthusiastic combinations, the scarecrow collapsed as its durability reached its limit.

Merilyn, who was marking the end of her performance by tapping the body of her instrument, soon rose from her seat and began walking toward me.

“…Excellent.”

-Clap, clap, clap.

Making clear sounds at regular intervals, erasing the lingering impression of the performance.

“At that level, you’ll certainly do well in actual combat.”

As she revealed a bright smile illuminated by the sunset, as if proud of me.

As tension gradually eased while facing her, I alternately looked at the spear in my hand and her, asking what I suspected.

“That performance just now, was it some kind of spell or magic?”

“Magic is the result of scholarly accumulation recording explorations of the world, and sorcery is an achievement gained by consistently repeating traditions like faith or customs… This kind of skill acquired solely through personal experience doesn’t have such depth.”

-Tinkle.

A light laugh of “hoho” came through the lightly ringing lute sound.

Along with that, what followed, seemingly insignificant, was something I couldn’t overlook at all.

“Though I’ve lived my whole life as a minstrel and take pride in it… isn’t it funny that I don’t have the talent to interfere with others’ emotions?”

Interfere with emotions?

Isn’t that essentially in the realm of “hypnosis,” the ability that Dukhun Oh has?

Moreover, to cause it broadly to everyone who hears the song?

“However, manipulating others’ emotions at will goes against a minstrel’s mission…”

As if to correct my misunderstanding, she plucked the lute strings again, drawing attention to herself.

“So what I’m permitted is not creating something from nothing, but merely enhancing the excitement of someone who already feels it.”

“Does that mean it just amplifies emotions?”

“Just as a seed must be buried in the ground to sprout, and multiplying something that doesn’t exist still results in 0… The fact that you felt strength from my performance means your will was that distinct.”

It was merely a contribution, and the basis for being able to achieve the same results as before exists within me.

That wasn’t simply encouragement done out of consideration for me, but an experienced and cold analysis stemming from the insight she had gained traveling this world.

I could sense this fact as her gaze gradually shifted from me to the spear in my hand.

“And because the weapon in your hand also responded to my performance, the excess remaining in your still inexperienced body could be erased.”

Ego Weapon.

Even though its presence wasn’t yet outwardly apparent, she had accurately seen through its identity.

Looking down at the spear, she laughed hoho and said:

“Please cherish it. Though it’s still a young existence, if you stay together, it will be a great strength for your growth as you try to navigate this harsh world…”

Though meeting this spear was coincidental, if that connection continues, I could reach somewhere even more amazing than before.

The moment I heard such sincere advice, I felt my heart pounding more intensely as I held the spear.

Though it’s just a temporary loan now, I developed a goal to be properly recognized as the owner of this weapon when the time comes and I have the right qualifications.

“Thank you for being with me today. I look forward to tomorrow as well.”

With a simple hope that my meeting with her would continue beyond the upcoming mission and beyond.

****

After such a chance encounter today.

The wandering minstrel who left the training ground boldly stepped into a dark alley, plucking the strings of the lute in her hand.

No clear destination was set.

Just humming a tune and going wherever her feet and mood took her was her entire way of traveling.

“How strange. That someone’s name remains so distinctly.”

But today, the sentiment she felt was somewhat different.

After a meeting, parting always awaits. Even if a promise is made for the future, it remains buried as a memory until that time comes.

Yet in her heart, which accepts the world with such a light mindset, his name still lingered?

“Among all the connections I’ve passed by until now, not many remain distinctly in my memory… How strange indeed.”

Receiving help by chance or having someone approach with some purpose, and keeping a certain distance for some reason, were all common experiences when meeting people.

Among countless encounters so far, this was nothing special, yet why couldn’t she take their meeting lightly and kept recalling it?

Perhaps her heart was being drawn for reasons she wasn’t aware of?

“Miss, are you alone?”

A voice came while she was lost in thought.

The minstrel, suddenly realizing her feet had led her into a gloomy alley, stopped and stared at the shadow that appeared before her.

Under the moonlight, a shabby-dressed man with fierce eyes.

Behind him, those with similar attire and atmosphere all had vile smiles on their faces.

“Hehe, well. Just standing still and a woman comes rolling in.”

“Face is decent, let’s see… Oh, this is a big catch!”

Was it because she was too focused on him that she walked into such a place without awareness?

No, it’s the same as usual.

Her journey simply goes where her feet lead, and if her heart desires, she fearlessly enters garbage dumps or monster lairs alike.

“Kihihi! This is going to be fun!”

“Don’t blame us too much. Once you take the drug we have here, you’ll soon enjoy it too~”

But never once did she think her reckless actions were wrong.

Rather, she always hoped for moments like this.

“…I sense strong desires.”

A minstrel’s performance.

The more fulfilled the emotions of the audience watching her, the more her momentum increases.

“Being true to desire is good. Please tell me here and now? What is the greatest desire you feel at this moment.”

-Tinkle~

The plucking of strings as hands gradually reach out toward her.

That smooth melody amplifies the emotions people have and encourages the actions that will follow.

That is the only skill that one who calls herself a humble minstrel has honed while traversing various worlds…

“Haha, greatest desire? That’s to spend quality time with the miss right here~”

The leader of the thugs, beginning to burn with lust while watching the minstrel’s skill.

The look in his eyes revealed he wasn’t concerned with anything else.

As the king of this alley, he showed he had nothing to care about except being true to his desires.

“You just want to spend time with a woman you met here. Is that your greatest desire?”

She doesn’t deny that if it’s his desire. As far as individual desires go.

“Then what about you?”

But the audience watching the stage isn’t just one person.

The performance from her hands isn’t limited to individuals either.

“Are you satisfied with your current state of eating leftovers from others?”

The moment her gaze fixed on the cold blade approaching as the leader came toward her.

-Stab!

When the flash at its end pierced through from behind. The leader’s crumpled expression quickly turned backward.

“You, you, what the…”

“Shut up, you bastard. I never liked you!”

-Stab, Stab!

The subordinate who had harbored discontent toward the leader continued stabbing.

The leader, who allowed the surprise attack, lost his reason and swung his fist to smash the subordinate’s head against the wall.

Crunch, the sound of skull and brain being crushed together echoed loudly in the alley.

Even as he fell into such a miserable state with consciousness fading, hatred toward him was still drawn on that face.

-Stab!

Yes, and the subordinates who next thrust their knives.

“You, you guys, why…”

“You, if you die, I become the boss!”

“Come to think of it, last time you broke my nose because you said I was ugly, right?”

“I never liked you. Just die right here!”

Stab stab stab.

As the leader’s body was butchered by the blades in their hands.

Though he resisted and took down a few, even that wasn’t enough to overcome the numerical disadvantage.

-Tinkle~

The sound of performance as a life fades away.

But it would be far from a requiem.

Those present here are true to their desires, and a scene of fulfilled desire doesn’t require the solemnity of a funeral.

“Desire for me, and hatred toward those you’ve been with in the gutter all along… Which way is your desire pointing now?”

Despite blood splattering and staining her white clothes, the minstrel doesn’t stop.

Even as blood-stained blades are pointed at each other, she only whispers her mission softly while brightly changing the smile on her lips.

“Either way, you don’t need to hold back. Worries, concerns… Let’s forget all the vague anxieties, at least for this moment.”

“Even if irreversible results come from this moment, I’ll make you forget even that fear with my performance…”

As restraint is released, and the audience wishing to unleash their desires satisfyingly overflows.

How could a minstrel who should enhance the heat of the moment refuse and retreat from this festival?