Surviving as a Trash Bard in a Game

—Ah.

I couldn’t remember anything.

My head was throbbing.

I slowly got up and looked around. No, before that, there was something I needed to check first.

I checked my wallet as it was.

For some reason, there were more silver coins in my wallet than I remembered.

…A total of 19.

‘What is this?’

Let’s slowly retrace my memories from yesterday.

***

It was like rereading a book from the beginning because I couldn’t remember the content I had already read.

I was slowly going back from the first page.

‘…I went up on the table, picked up an instrument, and played it.’

It was something I would never have done if I hadn’t been drunk.

I always enjoyed receiving attention from others, but that didn’t mean I could approach the rough-looking adventurers in this area without any hesitation.

Right.

It felt like I was watching myself in the memory from a third-person perspective.

It was like denying myself, saying, ‘That’s not me.’

I, who started playing the lute, soon began to sway my body back and forth, teetering precariously. Even when people around me gave me worried glances, I didn’t care at all and just continued playing.

A drunkard and a highly skilled dancer are not easily distinguished.

That was also a fact I learned for the first time.

When I was drunk, my feet were so tangled that one leg would block the other’s path, or even trip it.

Dangerous and precarious situations occurred frequently, but after repeating those situations several times, the adventurers who were watching me seemed to think it was a real ‘performance’.

The people who had initially looked at me with worried eyes gradually began to watch my actions with more and more interest as time passed.

A beautiful bard girl, holding a lute in her hand, her pink eyes sparkling, drunk and showing off a feat of almost falling but not falling.

That was how I looked from a third-person perspective.

‘…I really hope no one I know saw me.’

Especially Skyler.

That guy would get angry right away if he found out what I did.

Even though there’s no one in this town who would report my eyes or covet them, and they have it under control… he told me not to be seen as much as possible.

If it were discovered that I not only ignored the advice but also used my abilities and performed in front of many people, a simple scolding wouldn’t be the end of it.

The more I tried to recall the memories of last night, the more my head throbbed.

The more the image of that time came to mind, the more my face flushed.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

With my head throbbing and my face burning, I tried to remember what else I had done after that, but no matter how hard I tried, the memories wouldn’t return.

If the memories of being slightly drunk were like a dusty film, the memories of being completely drunk were closer to someone having cut the film in half with scissors.

The chances of finding the lost film again by chance were very low.

What on earth did I do after that for there to be 19 silver coins in my wallet?

First, getting out of the Adventurer’s Guild is the priority. Skyler will probably be waiting for me at the church with an angry face. If I’m unlucky, I might even run into her on the way.

Is it a blessing in disguise that my body is fine?

I opened the door of the Adventurer’s Guild and slowly began to walk.

My head was still dizzy, but I was able to regain my senses enough.

Although my memories were hazy, I didn’t think I had caused any major problems last night. If I had caused a major problem in the first place, I wouldn’t have woken up at the guild.

Anyway, right now, meeting Skyler, who would be waiting for me, was the priority.

‘…Since I was promoted to silver rank yesterday, the quest must be today.’

I walked quickly along the path.

Through a garden on a slight hill in the village, overgrown with untended trees, the church finally began to appear.

For some reason, there were very few people in this village who went to church, so there was no chance of encountering anyone.

My head was still in a complicated state due to what happened yesterday and the effects of the still-unresolved alcohol. However, I had a vague feeling that things would be okay once I met Skyler.

And then, I was surprised by my own thought.

‘…Why?’

I’m not that kind of person. A person who relies on others, or who thinks things will just be okay…

Get a grip.

I was gradually getting closer to the church. Its distinctive old exterior and towering spire began to come into view.

Three people were seen sitting on the short steps at the entrance of the church.

The large-framed priest was Propertius, the small-framed nun sitting next to him was Nyssa, and finally, Schuyler, who was leaning against the wall and glaring at me.

‘…Ugh.’

He’s definitely angry.

I approached, and Schuyler briefly looked behind me. There was no one behind me.

After briefly scanning the surroundings, Schuyler sighed and looked into my eyes. This time, he didn’t avoid my pink eyes, but met them steadily.

“You’re finally here.”

“…Sorry.”

“What on earth happened yesterday?”

There were two options.

Tell the truth.

Just make up a lie.

‘I’ll get caught soon if I lie.’

It might sound like I’m bragging, but I picked ‘Eloquent Speaker’ as a positive trait, and my speech skill is 10.

I had already felt how powerful the status boosts were with intelligence, strength, and health, but… because of the ‘timid personality’ I chose, my speech and eloquence weren’t properly activated.

The negative trait canceled out the positive trait.

–

If you set your mind to it, you can deceive even God.

Even this world.

–

Let’s put aside what the status window said for now.

Right. To put it simply, when I lie… I get scared.

It wasn’t the case when I was choosing the options in the status window, but when I tried to use it like a passive skill, it was very obvious.

‘I’m just scared, and the lie will work… but the rumors in this town will reach Schuyler’s ears faster.’

If it’s a lie that will be found out eventually, it’s better not to do it.

Therefore, I chose the option to tell the truth.

“I just played some music at the bar.”

“…That’s it?”

“I also drank.”

“And?”

“I got a bit carried away by the atmosphere… I got very excited.”

I was talking about using my eyes indirectly.

Schuyler understood as if it was obvious and asked ‘next’.

What does he think of me anyway.

“And then what?”

“That’s it! I didn’t get caught up in any special events or accidents, and the adventurers just gave me a few silver coins for listening to my performance. That’s all!”

I took out my pouch and showed him the silver coins.

He took a few coins out, examined them carefully, and then put them back in my pouch.

“I clearly told you to refrain as much as possible. I said you could perform… but I never said you could use your eyes.”

“Oh, no… I, sorry.”

“For now, we can guarantee a certain level of safety in this village. Nysha is a platinum adventurer, and Propertius is the owner of the church in this village. But… that doesn’t mean it’s absolute.”

“Yeah.”

“If something like this happens again in another village, I can’t guarantee that I can protect you alone.”

“Okay. I’ll be careful.”

“Let’s rest a bit and then depart for the request. It was a request with no time limit anyway.”

Skyler opened the church door and went inside.

Propertius and Nysha looked inside the church and seemed a little surprised.

‘Why?’

My question was resolved shortly after.

Because they immediately started talking.

“Now we don’t have to clean for a while.”

“Indeed.”

“Propertius, I clearly told you to clean the church beforehand.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re the one who’s supposed to clean it. And I was busy looking into ‘that document’.”

“I’m the one who’s earning all the church maintenance fees?”

“…Next time, next time. It’s clean now anyway.”

Propertius and Nysha’s conversation was more like that of close friends than a boss and subordinate.

It felt like talking to an old colleague?

More than that, how did Nysha and Propertius, and Skyler, get to know each other?

‘Even if people with divine bodies are drawn to each other… it’s a bit strange. That they’re close.’

Divine bodies try to return to their original place. And if you take someone else’s divine body, you can use that body’s abilities as well. In other words, under normal circumstances…

‘Shouldn’t they be in a deadly rivalry like the mad king?’

Yes. If you really want to get down to it, people with bodies are essentially competitors.

There might be temporary alliances… but eventually, they’re all destined to be killed and absorbed by another body owner.

That’s what Skyler explained as the attraction.

‘Should I ask about it later?’

For now, resting and preparing for the request was the priority.

I checked the food and water in my bag, and then my dagger and lute. Skyler was similarly checking his scrolls for the last time.

Nisha and Propertius were just sitting on the church chairs, chatting leisurely.

Is that the kind of composure a platinum adventurer has?

Well, Propertius wasn’t an adventurer in the first place, but… do all platinum adventurers not check or prepare like that?

Why didn’t they prepare?

I was able to understand the reason not long after the request began.