---

—Ah.

I had no memory of anything.

My head was throbbing.

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

I examined my wallet.

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

…A total of 19 coins.

‘What’s this?’

Let’s slowly recall the memories of yesterday.

It was like having no recollection of a book I had already read and starting from the beginning again.

I was slowly retracing my steps from the very first page.

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

If I hadn’t been drunk, I would have never done something like that.

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

Yeah.

It felt like I was observing myself from a third-person perspective. Perhaps it was a feeling of denying myself.

I began playing the lute and immediately started swaying my body, teetering precariously. Though people around me cast worried glances, I paid them no mind and kept playing.

It was hard to distinguish between a drunken fool and a highly skilled dancer.

That was a revelation to me.

Drunk, I ended up tripping over my own feet or getting one leg in the way of the other.

Often dangerous and precarious situations unfolded, but since it happened repeatedly, the adventurers watching me seemed to think it was genuine “performance art.”

The people who initially looked at me with concern gradually began to find my actions entertaining over time.

A beautiful bard girl, holding a lute, with pink eyes sparkling, performing hair-raising stunts while dangerously on the verge of falling over, all the while thoroughly drunk.

That was how a third party would see me.

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

Especially Skylar.

If that guy found out what I did, he’d be furious.

No matter how many eyes or greedy souls lurked in this town, I had told myself to remain unseen.

If it were found out that I showcased my abilities in front of a crowd after ignoring advice, the scolding would be never-ending.

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

The more I recalled that image, the hotter my face got.

‘This is crazy.’

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

If the memories of being a little tipsy were likened to dusty film reels, then the memories of being completely smashed were like someone having cut those film reels with scissors.

The chances of suddenly finding that lost film again were incredibly low.

What on earth had I done to have 19 silver coins in my wallet?

First things first, I needed to get out of the Adventurer’s Guild. Skylar would surely be waiting for me outside the church with an angry face. If luck was against me, I might even run into him on the way.

Is it fortunate that I still have my faculties about me?

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

Although my head was still spinning, I was coherent enough to stand.

My memories were hazy, but I didn’t think I had caused a major issue last night. If I had, I wouldn’t have woken up in the guild.

Anyway, meeting Skylar, who was waiting for me, took precedence.

‘…I was promoted to silver yesterday. I must have had my request to carry out today.’

I walked briskly along the road.

On a sloped hill in the town, I pushed through a garden overgrown with trees, and finally caught sight of the church.

For some reason, there were not many people attending this church, which made running into anyone unlikely.

My head was still in a mess from yesterday’s events and the lingering effects of the yet-to-be-processed alcohol. However, I thought that meeting Skylar might help sort things out—at least that was the idea.

Then, I was startled by my own thoughts.

‘…Why?’

I’m not that kind of person. I don’t rely on others or think that things will just magically get better…

Get a grip.

I was slowly nearing the church. The distinct old appearance and the towering steeple began coming into focus.

I saw three people sitting on the short steps at the entrance of the church.

A large-framed priest was Propertyius, the small-framed nun beside him was Nisha, and lastly, Skylar was leaning against the wall, glaring at me.

‘…Ugh.’

He’s definitely mad.

As I got closer, Skylar glanced briefly behind me. No one was there.

After keeping a cautious eye around, Skylar sighed and looked at me. This time, he didn’t avoid my pink eyes; instead, he stared right back.

“You finally came.”

“…Sorry.”

“What on earth happened yesterday?”

I had two choices.

To tell the truth.

Or to just make up some vague lie.

‘He’d probably catch the lie right away.’

It’s unfortunate to say this, but I had the trait “Eloquent Speaker” due to my positive characteristics, and my rhetoric was at level 10.

I had already felt how strong the status boosts were with my Intelligence, Strength, and Constitution, but… my chosen negative trait, “Cowardly Nature,” meant that my speaking skills and eloquence didn’t activate properly.

The negative trait canceled out the positive trait.

—

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

This world too.

—

Putting aside the state window’s words for now.

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

It wasn’t during the state window selection, but it definitely showed when I tried to use it like a passive skill.

‘It’s just fear, and I can lie, but… news travels faster than a rumor in this town, especially to Skylar.’

Since it would eventually be found out anyway, it’s better not to lie.

Thus, I chose to be honest.

“I just played a bit at the tavern.”

“…Is that all?”

“I also had some drinks.”

“And?”

“I got a bit carried away by the atmosphere… and got a little too excited.”

I turned my act of using my ability into a roundabout explanation.

Skylar understood what I was hinting at as if it were obvious, and asked for “next.”

What exactly does he think of me?

“And then?”

“That’s it! There wasn’t anything special or any accidents; the adventurers gave me a few coins for playing well. That’s all!”

I took out my wallet to show him the coins.

He inspected a few of the coins carefully before putting them back into my wallet.

“I specifically told you to hold back as much as possible. I said you could perform, but I never said you could use abilities.”

“Oh, I didn’t… uh, sorry.”

“For now, I can guarantee some safety in this town. Nisha is a platinum adventurer, and Propertyius is the owner of this church. But… that doesn’t mean it’s absolute.”

“Okay.”

“If this were to happen in another town, I can’t guarantee I can keep you safe by myself.”

“Got it. I’ll be careful.”

“For now, let’s rest a bit before heading out on the quest. It’s not time-sensitive anyway.”

Skylar opened the church door and walked inside.

Propertyius and Nisha glanced inside the church, appearing somewhat surprised.

‘Why?’

My question got answered shortly after.

Because they started chatting right away.

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

“Looks like it.”

“Propertyius, I specifically told you to clean the church a bit before now.”

“Sorry, but it’s your responsibility to clean it. I’ve been busy looking into ‘that document.’”

“I’m the one bringing in the funds to maintain the church, aren’t I?”

“…Let’s deal with that later; it’s clean for now.”

The conversation between Propertyius and Nisha sounded more like that of close friends than a superior and a subordinate.

It felt like a conversation between old comrades, perhaps?

But how did Nisha, Propertyius, and Skylar even come to know each other?

‘No matter how much people with physical bodies attract each other… doesn’t it feel a little odd that they’re so close?’

The bodies naturally try to return to their rightful places. And if someone takes another’s body, they can use its abilities as well. That is to say, under normal circumstances…

‘Shouldn’t they be in a deadly rivalry like those involving the Mad King?’

Yeah. If you really think about it, people who possess bodies are essentially competitors.

There might be temporary alliances, but eventually, they would definitely be killed by another body owner, and that body would be fused.

That’s what Skylar explained as attraction.

‘Should I ask them about it next time?’

For now, the priority was to relax and prepare for the quest.

I confirmed my supplies and food in my bag, and checked my dagger and lute. Skylar was also checking his scrolls for one last time.

Nisha and Propertyius were leisurely perched on the church benches, chatting away.

Is that what a platinum adventurer’s leisure looks like?

I get that Propertyius isn’t an adventurer, so I can let that slide, but do platinum adventurers generally just chill without preparing anything?

Why weren’t they getting ready?

I soon learned the reason not long after we set out on the quest.