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My head is pounding.

I felt like my intelligence was dropping in real time.

…Should I stock up on alcohol just in case?

‘If things get dangerous, I can just drink and boost my intelligence, right?’

Usually, doesn’t drinking make your intelligence worse? Why am I the exception? It’s a bit unfair.

Ha… What good would it do to complain? Nothing would change. I’ll figure out what to do when I wake up tomorrow. I can’t just play music again like yesterday.

There’s no money earned from playing a song; it’s totally inefficient. Is that why adventurers earn more due to risk allowances?

‘…I should also try the buff songs.’

It didn’t really feel like a skill activation—that vague intuition that if I do this, it might happen—but at least it means I can do something.

More importantly, there’s Skylar.

‘I didn’t mean to form a two-person party, but I still don’t know what they’re after.’

The first time we met, they were a rude brat; the second time, they were a nice kid; the last time, they were a suspicious little weirdo.

In the end, they all looked like kids, but their impressions changed a bit.

A potential risk factor. Someone who might smack me in the back of the head if things go south. Don’t let appearances or attitudes fool you. Even scammers are nice at first.

‘I have to be as careful as possible.’

First, I need to inform them about my narcolepsy, figure out how to divide our tasks during the journey, and since the road to Regan is long, I need to choose a town for mid-supply… Ugh, there’s so much to do.

My head hurts.

I wish someone else would do it all.

I closed my eyes and slipped into sleep.

I completely forgot that tomorrow’s me would be different from today’s me.

I opened my eyes.

Early bard rise!

A dark landscape greeted me.

I cautiously pulled back the curtains, but the strong morning sunlight momentarily blinded me.

Ugh…

With a grimace like a vampire touched by sunlight, I groaned, blinking several times as I adjusted to the light.

I reached for my instrument.

For some reason, my mental state, which had felt unstable just a moment ago, seemed to settle. Simply having the instrument in my hands changed everything.

I got ready and went outside.

On the first floor of the Adventurer’s Guild, there were still people drunk or suffering from hangovers, eating warm soup.

“If only there were mussels nearby.”

“What are you expecting to find inland? You’re too optimistic.”

“The guild I know had the receptionists serving unlimited mussels and crabs.”

The chatter and noise of the people pierced my ears.

Even these trivial conversations hold value and information for me.

’If only I had a map…’

I had retained some knowledge of the terrain and major cities from my past life, but with the confirmation that there’s a difference in settings, I couldn’t let my guard down.

Plus, with no convenient “fast travel” system, I had no idea how far things really were.

Maps were classified as luxury items, so I’d better brace myself to spend some money.

‘No, isn’t it just easier to ask Skylar?’

Skylar looked like a young boy on the outside, but they seemed to have quite a bit of adventuring experience. Being seasoned, surely they had a map.

Since we decided to travel together, they would probably share at least a map.

I’d save some money.

Now, all I had to do was pay the receptionist for the accommodation.

Since falling into this world, it had been about four days by my rough calculations. I wouldn’t need to pay a huge amount, but… considering I earned that money with difficulty, it felt a bit painful.

“Four pennies.”

“…Huh?”

“Why do you seem surprised?”

It was cheaper than I expected…

I’d been thinking of prices similar to modern hotels, and I realized there was a notable price difference between my past life and this current one.

Honestly, I was prepared to spend a lot… but it’s a relief.

“It’s nothing. Here.”

“1 copper… change is 7 pennies.”

“Is there no commission here?”

“Pardon?”

“When I went to the blacksmith, they took a fee.”

“…That’s not usual. Typically, it’s not like that.”

“Typically?”

“Unless the other party is a merchant or an exchange service. Settled merchants usually don’t operate that way. It looks like the blacksmith thought they’d never see you again and took your money.”

The truth from the kind receptionist was a bit shocking.

That damned blacksmith… dared to scam me. I’ll settle this score one day.

Well, I’m planning to leave this town today, so if I were to meet again, it would take a long time. A gentleman’s revenge typically takes over three years.

I’ll even jot it down to remember.

“Thanks for everything so far.”

“…Yes. I hope we’ll meet again on the same path in the future.”

I waved goodbye to the receptionist.

How many people has that person sent off till now, and how many will they send off in the future?

Adventurers who have been in the same town for years and those who probably leave after just a few days must have passed through.

Did they smile at every single person? Was there no feeling of regret… or loneliness?

One thing’s for sure—I wouldn’t be able to say goodbye like that cleanly.

I’m inherently persistent, like a weed or mud. I’m someone who doesn’t forget debts or kindness and keeps them buried deep inside. Even as my body and heart grow heavy, I move forward.

Right. I should imitate that person’s face and farewell.

Let’s meet again on this same path someday.

I felt a bit of frustration fade away. I had my first goodbye in this world with a receptionist whose name I didn’t even know.

It wasn’t anything particularly special, we weren’t close, and we had never had private conversations, yet it always feels bittersweet when parting with someone.

I opened the door of the Adventurer’s Guild and stepped outside.

The bright sun welcomed me, and the cool breeze brushed against my skin.

In the backlight, that boy was waiting for me.

He looked like he had been waiting a while…

“…I’m late, more than last time.”

“Yeah. You are.”

“‘Yeah. You are’ isn’t enough! Can you at least keep the meeting time a bit more?”

“Sorry.”

“Ha… Let’s get going. The carriage driver might charge extra for waiting too long. Let’s discuss the travel route inside.”

“Okay.”

Skylar and I got into the wagon.

The last time we were headed to the Music Forest, I caught a glimpse of the carriage driver’s face again. They must know Skylar.

I sat inside the carriage doing nothing, and Skylar shot me a look, specifically a glare.

That kid’s gaze kind of scared me. It’s obviously because of the penalty trait I chose. It’s too late to regret it now, so I just sighed.

“…Let’s look at the map first.”

“Sure.”

Skylar spread out the map.

‘There are so many unfamiliar names.’

What’s this “Krig” in front of the name Empire? And what about the Mad King’s land? Wasn’t the Empire supposed to be one? Why is it divided?

Why is the Holy Kingdom within the Empire? Wasn’t it supposed to be on a separate continent?

Questions filled my mind.

‘…The Music Forest is incredibly vast.’

It didn’t take long to find our current location.

The Music Forest was drawn on the map as a massive area, and the only village nearby was the one we were in.

“For now, we’ll go this way.”

Skylar drew a long curve with their finger from our village to Regan.

I had one question.

‘Why isn’t it a straight line?’

Even though there’s a route for the shortest path, Skylar drew a deliberately curved line upwards. It looked like it would take about 30% to 50% longer than a straight path.

“Isn’t it okay to go like this?”

I drew a straight line from Regan to the village.

Skylar looked at me with a glare that seemed to say, ‘How stupid can you be?’

They looked at me as if they saw me as something below them rather than seeing me as a person… judging eyes. I felt a little offended, but I kept quiet since I knew nothing about this world.

That brat, even if they seem grumpy, is a friendly one that will explain everything if I stay quiet.

“Alright. The straight path is really dangerous.”

“Why?”

“Because we’d be skirting right by the Mad King’s territory.”

“…Mad King?”

“Ah, that’s where the problem started.”

Skylar let out a deep sigh.

Then they looked at the carriage driver.

After a moment, Skylar burned a scroll. Sounds around us suddenly went silent.

Though I could see outside, it felt partitioned.

‘…A barrier?’

Skylar poked the air with their finger and finally began to speak.