Surviving as a Trash Bard in a Game

After grabbing some simple equipment from my room, I realized that I was missing the most important item for an adventurer.

And that was… a weapon!

I mean, bards were supposed to be the type of class that used instruments to support allies and hinder enemies. But I don’t even know how to play!

How many people in the modern world even know how to play the lute?

Until I learned how to play and got used to it, I needed a temporary weapon. Even after learning an instrument, I still needed a way to protect myself—there was no harm in increasing proficiency.

As a result, before carrying out the herb quest, I… stopped by the blacksmith.

A man’s romance.

I could feel my heart pounding.

I could feel a bearded, bald man hammering away at the red-hot iron, stealing glances at me.

As I looked around at the various swords and arrowheads on display, I realized that the only sword light enough for my strength to wield was a dagger, and my mood quickly turned sour.

Ever since I became like this, I felt like my emotions had become more volatile, like a manic-depressive patient.

Was this also the effect of low intelligence status?

‘Maybe I should raise my intelligence before strength and health…’

Of course, strength and health were more important because they were directly related to my life, but if I continued to be this unintelligent, I felt like I would really go crazy.

Anyway, back to the point, I picked up a suitable dagger.

It weighed about 200g, but for some reason, it felt ten times heavier, like 2kg. My strength, which was far below the average person’s, was causing problems again.

It was so weak that it hurt to hold my arm up for a while. It really was just skin and bones.

“How much is this?”

“1 denarion. Note, I don’t accept drachmas.”

It was quite expensive.

No, it wasn’t just expensive.

Compared to the previous game, where you could buy a cheap sword for 6 pennies (bronze coins), the price difference was roughly 50 times…!

‘It’s definitely a rip-off.’

There was a low probability that a good quality sword or a famous sword would be sold in a rural area like this. Judging by its heavy weight, it wasn’t of good quality, nor was it something a beginner could easily use.

Even if there was a difference in the times, this kind of price difference? It didn’t make sense.

Even with my lowered intelligence, I wouldn’t be fooled by this kind of scam.

–

1. [ Purchase (1 denarion) ]

2. [ Refuse and leave ]

3. [ Intimidate ] (Speech bonus)

4. [ Haggle ] (Speech bonus)

5. [ Charm ] (Charm bonus)

6. [ Combat ]

–

As I was contemplating the dagger, a familiar UI popped up as if it had been waiting for me.

It never showed up when I really needed it, but now it was showing up for this trivial choice.

…Well, it was helpful for now.

It felt like I was getting help for something I could do on my own. Like a person who could walk perfectly fine on two feet riding a wheelchair?

‘For now, the clumsiness and narcolepsy are once a day… so I can choose without worry today.’

–

[ Haggle ]

–

I pressed the button, and a virtual die appeared before my eyes.

–

[ Haggle – 10 or higher ]

[ 8 + 5 ]

[ Success! ]

–

My mouth started to move on its own.

“Isn’t the price too high? It doesn’t even look like it’s that good of quality.”

“There are plenty of people who will buy it. If you’re not going to buy it, get lost.”

“It looks like it weighs a little over 200g, and the quality of the metal isn’t good either. Did you mix in scrap metal?”

“…Tsk.”

“If you want, I can go get a magnet right now and check. What do you say? How about selling it to me at the original price?”

“Is that a threat?”

“No. It’s a negotiation.”

“What kind of woman haggles like that… Hah… Fine. Take it for 8 pennies. Get lost.”

“I only have denarions and coppers right now… Could you possibly…”

“Tsk, do you think this is an exchange bureau or a merchant’s guild?”

“This much is fine, isn’t it?”

I said with a smile.

The bald blacksmith’s face turned red for a moment, then he clicked his tongue.

Indeed, even without the help of the status window, my appearance could be a weapon. It was a pretty enough face even without any enhancements.

Pretending to be annoyed, he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out several pennies.

I handed him a copper, and he gave me three pennies.

“Huh…”

“One penny is the exchange fee.”

“Thank you! I’ll come again!”

“Don’t come!”

Even though he seemed to be angry, there was a hint of anticipation in his voice. Well, it’s easy to live with this kind of appearance.

Since 1 copper was 11 pennies… was the dagger 7 pennies? What a huge scammer. Did he really think I was just some naive country girl? Or did he think I was a noble?

Anyway, I saved money!

.

.

.

Watching the back of the outlander bard girl walking away, the blacksmith muttered to himself.

“…Made 2 pennies profit.”

Secretly throwing the ‘5 pennies’ price tag he had removed from the dagger into the furnace, the blacksmith happily hammered away at a new weapon.

***

–

[ Grade: Copper ]

[ Herb Gathering ]

[ Please gather at least 15 ‘Bending Hands’. ]

[ 1 Copper ]

–

Finally finished with the price calculations, I looked at the quest I had received and thought to myself.

‘It’s true that adventurer labor costs are high. But this high a price for just picking herbs?’

A simple calculation showed that it was roughly a day or two’s worth of living expenses.

It was a cheap iron dagger, but it was still worth almost two daggers. Such a high reward for just gathering herbs?

Well, was I lucky to have chosen a well-paying quest? I’m amazing.

Thinking that, I set off for the quest location.

How long had I walked?

After asking a passerby about the whereabouts of the herbs and hearing that they could often be gathered on the mountain behind the village, I walked for about another 15 minutes.

Just by changing a person’s appearance, the attitude of ‘passersby’ changed this much.

The attention of others… it’s a little exciting.

No, no. It’s not exciting.

Why am I feeling this way?

My head hurt.

Clutching my aching head, I began to sort out the pros and cons of this body.

If you do nothing, nothing will happen.

The advantage was that passersby answered my questions very kindly, and the disadvantage was… that I felt like I was going to die.

With every step forward, sweat poured down like rain, and my feet felt like heavy iron blocks stuck to the ground.

The power of strength ‘-3’ and health ‘-5’ was greater than I expected.

Even when I was in reality, I wasn’t very healthy, but it wasn’t this bad. I really felt like I was going to die.

Coming to another world… and dying from lack of stamina, there would be no funnier story. Would readers curse my parents for 5,700 characters?

If this was a damn web novel, there would be some convenient developments, cheat skills, or something like that. Why don’t I have any? I’m going to die like this.

Yeah, the trend has changed a bit these days, and there are stories where the main character suffers like a dog… but it’s still fundamentally a web novel. I want to live comfortably too.

‘There are only mountains of problems…’

I had to find an item to solve the stamina problem, solve the health problem, find a way to deal with the penalties, get equipment, learn how to play an instrument, save money for living expenses, and finally… I had to figure out how to get back.

My head was throbbing.

To the point where I thought my head might explode if I kept worrying like this.

In the end, I chose not to think about anything and emptied my head.

Yeah. Let’s just move my feet.

If I finish this difficult mountain climb, my adventurer’s tag will rise in rank… and I’ll be able to take on other quests!

Clinging to a single thread of hope that bloomed in despair, I finally reached the middle of the mountain where the herbs were said to grow naturally.

“…Found it!”

‘Bending Hands’ were more common than I expected, and I was able to gather quite a large quantity, more than 15.

‘If I deliver 15 and find an alchemist to make potions out of the rest, it’ll be perfect!’

I frantically gathered all the herbs I could see, and the sun began to move beyond the mountain. It was gradually getting dark.

Looking around, there was no one… and the atmosphere was somewhat eerie.

The price of gathering herbs without knowing the time was being left alone in the middle of this damn wide mountain.

‘I should go back now.’

I came to my senses and looked around.

Only then did I remember an important fact.

…I was an outlander.

What’s the problem with that?

Of course, it’s a problem.

“Where, where am I…?!”

Outlander = not a villager (local) = doesn’t know the way.

In other words, I was lost.

On a mountain without sunlight, no less.