Chapter 25: Only My Talent Levels Up

Let’s rewind a bit—

Before Lindaril showed up.

After witnessing her friend’s spontaneous haircut, Chloe decided to fulfill her duties as a responsible adult.

“Emil! You can’t just treat your hair like that, young lady! That’s a no-no, a big no-no!”
“…You seriously think you’re in a position to say that?”

“Hey! Don’t throw gender equality back in my face like that, not fair!”

Right.

It’s not like being a girl means you have to grow your hair long.

Yeah, I was being sexist.

I admit it.

I apologize.

‘Wait, why am I getting a gender equality lecture from a Luntreval native?’

Chloe slumped in defeat at her own logic.

Clearly, I should’ve majored in the humanities.

STEM is completely useless in social combat.

No way I’m cut out to be a web novel protagonist at this rate.

Shouldn’t I be able to talk a dragon out of its hoard with wordplay?

‘Oh, right. I’m not the protagonist.’

Where the hell is that main character, anyway?

Oh, that’s right—we haven’t even reached the prologue.

He’s probably still in some church, deep into a tragic backstory build-up that won’t get revealed until halfway through the plot.

“Ughhh…!”

Meanwhile, Yaltarian was once again overcome with emotion.

A friendship tested, yet shining—a tale of young girls and their (misunderstood) bond, moving enough to touch even an empress’s heart!

He who feels nothing before such human drama is unfit to be called an artist!

“Chloe, Emil…! Your gramps will return shortly! I shall craft a wig worthy of our Chloe!”

“Ah… sure.”

Shouldn’t he be comforting his granddaughter who just got buzzed because of him?

Chloe (disqualified from the arts, STEM major) decided not to say anything.

‘And just like that… “our Chloe” again.’

Now she had a grandpa too—right after getting a fake uncle.

I’m really good at family farming, huh?

I’ve collected more bonus family members than hidden achievements.

Chloe snapped back to her senses when she saw Emil about to leave.

“What’s this? Where are you off to now?”

“Payback.”

“…Suddenly? On who?”

“…The pickpocket’s apprentice?”

Who even is that?

Why is there a question mark at the end of your answer?

Wait, no—

It’s the middle of the night!

Chloe was speechless at Emil’s utter lack of danger awareness.

“A kid wandering around alone at night? Not okay. You know you could get kidnapped or worse?”
“Says. The. Pot. To. The. Kettle.”

“?”

“…Sigh. Whatever. Just stay. Don’t leave the inn.”

And just like that, Chloe got locked in.

It really felt like being imprisoned.

Bonus: a teary reunion with Groomrok, who was still sobbing his eyes out.

“Why are you crying now, sir?”

“It’s nothing, child… ah, look, rain…”

“The infrastructure in this kingdom is seriously corrupt.”

First Yaltarian, now this building?

The place looked like a palace outside, but the roof leaked like a busted shed.

After that one-sided, weepy reunion came to a close, Chloe was securely locked inside a well-guarded room.

Emil, meanwhile, was glaring at the instrument left on the table.

A child-sized violin.

A gift she’d received on the way to the inn.

“…Beautiful…”

How long had it been since she last saw one?
She was tempted to smooch it.

Look at that slim waist.

Scandalous, huh?

Big pianos are great, but violins?

The smaller the better.

Make them too big and they become cellos.

Chloe shivered with pride at the consistency of her logic.

The smaller and cuter it is, the more love it deserves.

The bigger and bulkier it gets, the more it needs to stay away.

Yes.

Violins are the instrument for those who adore small things…!

Too big, and violinists flinch like, “Ugh, no thanks, I don’t do huge things.”

Octobasses were a tragic casualty of that mindset.

The path of a violinist is the path of a lone conqueror—

One who chooses a single bow as their beloved, and walks the thorny road of music alone!

Naturally, Chloe could only play the violin.

Or, flipping that around: the violin was the only thing she could play.

But—

Tch…

She hesitated as she tuned the strings.

Hesitated again when she tried a note.

Clutching the violin tightly, Chloe groaned in frustration.

Not because the partner arranged by her dad’s friend was too small—

The small violin was a symbol of Chloe’s guts.

But what could she do?

‘I wonder if I’ll be okay. I’ve had a pretty long break.’

Two months.

She’d spent those months in a long-distance relationship with her violin.

If Yaltarian’s acquaintances saw the current Chloe, what would they think?

“What’s this about music all of a sudden? Wasn’t she a painter?”

They’d be shocked, no doubt.

Two months was a long enough break to raise such a reaction.

[It’s been a long time, huh… 😔 But I’ll cheer you on!]

“Being cheered by you just makes me more pissed off.”

[Hey, thanks! I’ll keep cheering you on anytime!]

Who the hell is thanking anyone in this context?

Frustrated, Chloe felt the heat rising in her body, even in the middle of winter.

[Are you having heating problems? Try applying some thermal grease!]

Stop the abuse of musicians!

Chloe sighed and grabbed her violin.

‘Well, compared to the hardships I’ve gone through, this is nothing.’

Once she decided to sell her AI-generated art, she abandoned her sense of shame.

What’s wrong with being reborn as a girl?

She could now tolerate wearing women’s clothes.

‘…Honestly, I don’t even mind wearing skirts anymore. Back at the college festival, I nearly cried while cross-dressing.
’
[Cross-dressing is actually the most masculine thing, apparently! 😘]

So, what, does that mean men’s clothing is the most feminine thing?

If I wear pants, am I somehow corrupting my femininity?

Chloe trembled with frustration and then got angry.

Remember!

The humiliation of the first time they dressed me in a skirt!

If I kept hating it, I’d never wear pretty clothes again!

And how I was punished with nothing but underwear when I stormed out of the house!

“Ugh! Just kill me!

“Do you want to die, my daughter?”

“No, no, I’ll wear it, please just let me!”

What else could I do?

I was born in an era where girls wearing pants was considered heretical.

The age of unisex was yet to come.

‘Fine, let’s go with this.’

After regaining her focus, Chloe adjusted her chin rest.

It’s said her pride was shattered.

Thus, Chloe refocused her senses, tuning the strings.

“Titus. Find them.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Find out who’s playing this piece!”

The situation escalated with Lindaril’s desperate cry.

Lindaril ran through the corridor as though enchanted following the faint sound of strings, still distant.

‘The first note is steady.’

Fast, slow.

Then fast again.

And slow.

A persistent, deliberate bowing.

The sound, spreading clearly as though testing the instrument.

There was no flashy virtuosity on display.

And yet,that was what made it beautiful.

Even with its rough sound and the obvious flaws of the instrument,
there was something compelling about it.

It had an almost devilish charm.

A power that seized the soul of anyone who heard it.

An undeniable, magnetic appeal.

‘It’s them.’

Lindaril forgot the reason she had come here.

All that remained in her mind was a single thought.

‘I need to bring this person to tomorrow’s concert!’

With an elf’s sharpened hearing, Lindaril’s ears led her straight to the source of the music.

She rushed up to the door and knocked impatiently.

“Excuse me! Sorry for interrupting the performance! There’s something I’d like to request!”

The music stopped, replaced by the sound of footsteps.

The musician who had impressed Lindaril opened the door.

The brief moment before the door opened felt impossibly long.

It was painfully slow, as if filled with longing.

At this moment,  Lindaril’s heart was filled with anticipation, like a child opening a gift.

“Yes, yes. This is Yaltarian-sama’s party.How may I help you?”

“…Huh?”

She’d knocked in a daze, and when the door finally opened, it wasn’t who she expected.

The girl with a messy wig tilted her head slightly, holding a violin bow in one hand.

“Yaltarian-sama went out to look for my wig. If you’re a guest, would you mind waiting inside?”

025.

Only My Talent Levels Up (Continued)

“Wh-what? Yes, I am a guest… but that’s not the point right now.”

She was a guest, yes, but that wasn’t important at the moment.

So, what was this about?

Wait, her brain wasn’t working.

‘You… were the one?’

You played that?

The violin piece I just heard?

“You? You, Chloe? Bald Chloe?”

“Yep. The bald, shaved head Chloe, that’s me.”

“Wait! I know! Chloe A. Turing! Oliver’s daughter!”

How does she know that?

A stalker?

Chloe eyed her with suspicion.

And then—

“Oh my goodness!”

—Hug!

Lindaril, in a whirlwind of emotion, rushed over and hugged Chloe, patting her as if she were a child.

“Ahhh—! A perverted elf! You better lock the door!”

“I’m not a pervert! Didn’t Oliver tell you? I’m Lindaril, your father’s friend!”

“Eh?”

Wait a minute.

Now that she looked more closely, the face did look somewhat familiar.

‘Ah! That’s the one from when I was little!’

In her very early years, when she could barely distinguish objects, Lindaril had come over to Oliver’s house.

“Wait, more importantly! What was that performance just now? Did you, Chloe, compose that piece?”

“No? It’s someone else’s composition. I can’t compose.”

“Ah, I see.”

At Chloe’s quick response, Lindaril felt a bit relieved.

Right.

There’s no way she’d be that good at composing just yet.

‘I need to find out who the composer is later.’

But for now, that could wait.

After all, Chloe had only just begun to show her skills.

Of course, it made sense.

If the skill wasn’t there, would she be competing in children’s competitions?

What a joke.

A duet?

That would never happen.

‘Only ensemble!’

It’s all about ensemble.

A group performance, no exceptions!

We’re going for the royal orchestra’s full ensemble!

“It’s fine, you don’t need to compose! I was so shocked I almost dropped my jaw, how do you play so well, Chloe?”

The praise was now scattered and disjointed.

Chloe’s response, however, was slightly flavored with a touch of Emile’s Etudes.

“Yeah, right.”

“Huh?”

What’s going on?

Lindaril was taken aback.

Chloe herself was confused.

How could she not be?

‘…Why am I so good at this?’

Two months of apprenticeship.

For someone so young, that was a significant break.

But despite that break, Chloe’s fingers now produced far more enchanting melodies than before.

Another click sound, was it?

If that were the case, she wouldn’t have been so stunned.

[Of course! Wow… I was so lost in the performance, I couldn’t even react!]

‘Can you be quiet? You’re completely ruining the mood.’

[Okay!]

Anyway, there was no mistake—

That was indeed Chloe’s talent.

The performance, an expression of Chloe’s will, was uniquely hers.

‘If this were guitar or piano, I’d at least understand.’

Wouldn’t just understand?

She’d be able to show off a bit, too.

Who was she?

A busker with years of experience and a decade-long career as a musician.

From freely switching between guitar and keyboard to ultimately becoming the band’s keyboardist.

A hobbyist musician, really.

But the violin?

“I… I’ve been playing the violin for less than three years.”

“Huh?”

Chloe muttered this to herself in disbelief.

Lindaril briefly questioned her ears, then suddenly snapped to attention, remembering the girl’s age.

Of course, Chloe had no time to explain further.

The piece was a solo violin sonata—number 1.

A fugue.

It was a masterpiece that Chloe had practically memorized.

Bach had originally arranged it for organ, and Chloe had practiced it over and over on the piano.

026.

The Limitless Potential.

So, it was impossible to ignore.

‘The first Fugue isn’t a piece an amateur violinist could play.’

A masterpiece well-known for its high difficulty.

Two months ago, Chloe couldn’t have played this piece.

At least not on the violin.

Yet, now she could.

Without any practice, her skill had simply increased.

It was as if…

As if her talent had actually grown.

Chloe stared at the conclusion she’d come to, utterly dumbfounded.

‘Talent… it can grow?’

She had always thought talent was something defined from birth,
an unchanging concept, limited by inherent boundaries.

Talent was supposed to be like that, wasn’t it?

But now, it was expanding?

The limits of her talent, growing wildly on their own?

‘Wait, could it be?’

Could it be that the status window from the clicking sound was real?

Chloe and Lindaril stared at each other.

And in their confusion, both opened their mouths in sync.

“What the heck is this?”

The chaotic chorus of musicians whose understanding of common sense had just been shattered.

—

🌟 Name:

Chloe A. Turing

🛡 Class Level:

Warrior 1 / Mage 9

📜 Skills:

Spirit Magic Lv 1

Bard Magic Lv 1 → 2 (New!)

[Your talent blooms with the wisdom of the Dragonborn.]

[Your performance is infused with magic.]

[You can now use song spells.]

⭐ Current Level Cap: 10 / 41

—