Kays Translations

Chapter 84

“Good work, Hash-dono. My, my… such marvelous playing, and a technique I’ve never heard before. Our guests were thoroughly impressed!”

“Was it alright? I hope I didn’t offend anyone…”

“Not at all! In fact, one of the noble guests even said, ‘Please introduce me to him!’ What do you say—should I set it up?”

I spoke with the guild president and pondered his offer.

Nobles, huh… There’s a high chance that some of the escaped classmates have noble backing.

Getting a foothold in noble society now might not be a bad idea.

“Understood. I’m scheduled to perform three more songs, then I’d like to join the banquet. If it’s alright, I’d be glad to speak with them then.”

I relayed this to the guild president. I continued alternating between Earth songs with support effects and pieces from this world. Eventually, I joined the banquet.

“Truly splendid technique. May I ask your name?”

“Nice to meet you, sir. My name is Hash. If it’s not too bold, may I ask for your name as well?”

“Ah, forgive me! I’m Tora Hacartney, a count by title.”

“A pleasure, Count Hacartney. I heard you had something you wished to discuss with me?”

“Yes, let’s get right to it. You see, among us nobles, we often hold luncheon gatherings tied to faction politics—what you might call ‘greetings of goodwill.’ At such events, families try to impress their faction leader with gifts or entertainment.”

“I see, I understand, Your Excellency.”

It seemed he was inviting me to perform at a luncheon held at the estate of a faction leader.

Could this be a chance? If it’s a large event hosted by a top noble, there might be a chance that one of the hiding classmates shows up for a break from laying low.

I’ve already met the number requirement for unlocking the skill’s support effect. Technically, I no longer need to remain as “Hash.”

But still… just a little longer—I want to keep searching for my classmates.

“I would be honored to accept your invitation. If you could inform me of the date, I’ll make arrangements to attend.”

“Then, please come to my manor on the day of. We won’t be allowed to access the marquis’ hall until the actual event, but it’s a proper venue. Others have brought full ensembles there before. You’ll find it more rewarding to perform than here. The luncheon is scheduled for two days from now.”

“Understood. Should I prepare piano performances only?”

“Yes, it was your piano that truly captivated me. That powerful and skillful music I’ve never heard before—I’d love the marquis to hear it as well.”

Once again, I found myself helped by the guild president.

This will be my entry into noble society.

Later, I enjoyed some time at the banquet while receiving music-related questions from guests—and of course, due to Hash’s good looks, more than a few flirtatious invitations from female attendees.

“Hash! The food’s great! Look at this—it’s Dàzhàpái (Taiwanese fried chicken)!”

“Oh? They’re already offering that at the cooking guild’s booths? I’ll have to try one too.”

“No need! You can have this one! It’s already sold out!”

“My, is that so? Are you sure?”

“I already had two pieces—so I’m good!”

Melt came over happily and handed me a piece of Dàzhàpái.

What a good girl… Melt is such a good girl…!

“…Still as delicious as ever.”

“Right?

As I chatted with Melt, Letty and Shuris came over as well.

Somehow… I’ve been seeing Shuris more often lately—though never as Seim.

“Nice to meet you. Hash-san, was it?”

“Ah, what an honor! A pleasure to meet you, Lady Shuris Veil of the Thirteen Knights.”

“Oh? You heard of me from Same?”

“Yes. He told me to be absolutely respectful toward you. Had he not said that, I might have tried inviting you rather forcefully.”

“Haha… To do that even knowing I’m a Thirteen Knight—you’re bold. But somehow it doesn’t feel unpleasant when it’s someone like you.”

“And yet, I believe you are worth risking one’s life for.”

“…You seem well-versed in flowery speeches. I’ll tread carefully around you.”

“Harsh!”

That wasn’t me. That was 100% Hash speaking on his own.

You bastard…! I mean, yes, Shuris is absurdly beautiful, but still!

“By the way, I wanted to ask—Hash-san, do you know when Same will return to the city?”

“Seim, hmm… Let’s see…”

The luncheon is apparently two days from now.

After that performance, I’ll return to Same, report the current situation, and share some answers about the dungeon core with the queen.

Maybe I should ask the guild president to route future Hash-related requests through Seim?

If I’m going to continue exposing classmates in noble society, I’ll need to keep this act going occasionally.

“Let’s see… At the earliest, Same will return in three—no, maybe four days. But knowing him, he might leave town again right after.”

“I see… If you get a chance, could you tell Same I want to talk to him about ‘that underground warehouse matter’?”

“Understood. The underground warehouse… got it.”

Underground warehouse… must be about Muraki.

Yeah, it’s about time I returned as Same.

Especially to deliver my decision to the queen.

And with that, the victory banquet came to a peaceful end, and the guests left with satisfied smiles.

“Then Hash-kun, please come to my manor at 9 AM the day after tomorrow. It’s on the street with the museum in the noble district—as I mentioned earlier. You’ll know it by the large violin-shaped topiary outside.”

“Understood. You have quite the refined taste. I look forward to visiting.”

After seeing off Count Hacartney, the venue gradually emptied.

Ah… the cooking guild staff are cleaning up like the walking dead…

Thank you… really, thank you all for your hard work.

By the time I noticed, the sky was glittering with stars.

Off in the distance, the horizon still glowed orange—a magical mix of dusk and starlight.

They call this moment the magic hour, don’t they?

“So pretty, the sky. No clouds, so you can see the stars clearly.”

“Yes. The sunset and stars blending together… like a miraculous moment in time. I really love skies like this.”

That’s my honest feeling.

I guess I’m drawn to things that shouldn’t mix, but somehow coexist.

“Let’s head home! Once we’re back, I’ll practice a little more!”

“Of course. Do your best, Melt-san.”

Melt, now carrying the violin, spoke with determination.

She must’ve been inspired by Letty.

And so, the two of us walked slowly home beneath the fading orange sky—

At home, just to be sure, I returned to my true form—Shizuma.

As expected, Hash’s skills had successfully transferred to me.

Status:

Stamina: 120
Strength: 120
Magic Power: 70
Mental Strength: 90
Agility: 70

[Growth Rate: Maximum | Fully Reflected]

[Silver Fox’s Blessing]
[Keen Observation]
[Basic Enchant Magic]
[Survival Instinct]
[High-Speed Movement]
[Throwing]
[Gourmet]
[Rhythm Step] ← New
[Performance Lv.3] ← New
[Cooking Lv.4]
[Crafting Lv.1]
[Sewing Lv.1]
[Swordsmanship Lv.3]
[Archery Lv.1]
[Hunter’s Insight Lv.1]
[Scholar’s Insight Lv.1]
[Thief’s Insight Lv.1]
[Swordsman’s Insight Lv.1]
[Warrior’s Insight Lv.1]
[Mercenary’s Insight Lv.2]
[Dance Insight Lv.1] ← New

I successfully acquired the sub-class trait “Dancer’s Insight” from Hash.

Basically, once you acquire these “insights,” you gain access to that profession’s skills.

At level 1, the abilities aren’t anything flashy, but even so, dancers have extremely fast unarmed attack speed—which seems like it’ll be really handy.

“Hey Shizuma, about this violin—was it really okay not to return it to Hash?”

“Yeah, Melt, you can keep it. Feel free to practice as much as you want. Maybe I’ll help you find a practice book later too.”

“Okay! I’ll look around too. I’d love to play together with Hash someday!”

Having a hobby is a wonderful thing.

Now then… since Hash will be needed again soon, I guess I’ll stay in his form for another two days.

“Alright, now that I’ve checked everything, I’ll turn back into Hash. But try not to ask him for weird favours, okay? Even though I’m the one controlling him, his behaviour becomes overly theatrical.”

“Aww, but that’s what makes him funny!”

“Well, I’m the one who gets embarrassed!”

Still, Hash seems to be letting me retain almost full control of his strong personality, so I’ll let it slide… but it really shows that strength isn’t just about power—personality matters too.

So, I turned back into Hash and spent my time practicing local songs in preparation for the upcoming luncheon.

Apparently, Melt went to the Glory Knights’ clan home and started taking violin lessons from Letty.

She had some lessons back at her family home, and since Letty still practices violin as a hobby, she has access to training materials and has been generously lending them to and teaching Melt.

“So it’s finally tomorrow, huh…”

The noble luncheon is tomorrow. Honestly, I don’t think any of my classmates will be attending, but I believe this is a major stepping stone in the search for them.

A marquis is a high-ranking noble. That means many lower-ranking nobles associated with that faction will likely attend the luncheon.

If I can get noticed and become favoured by the nobility through this, it might eventually lead to my music reaching the ears of my classmates.

So, I should prepare some well-known piano pieces from Earth.

Since it’s a formal noble event with a heavily aristocratic audience, the piece should be one that is:

• Famous,
• Elegant,
• Memorable,
• Universally recognized.

“Hmm… When it comes to piano, perhaps Mozart. Let’s go with the ‘Turkish March’.”

A mix of local songs and Mozart’s Turkish March. Hopefully, this combination will help flush out one of my classmates.

The next day — Luncheon Day

Naturally, I couldn’t bring Melt with me to such a formal occasion, so I proceeded alone through the noble district as Hash.

Fortunately, music-related attire generally resembles noble clothing, so I didn’t stand out as I walked through the area.

I had considered keeping a noble-style outfit for Seim, but unfortunately, once equipment is worn even once, it locks to that character’s size and can’t be reused.

It’s one of the few differences between the game and this world.

“So this is the place… quite elegant… how wonderful.”

I arrived at an estate that clearly had a much larger garden than most, adorned with artistic topiary sculptures everywhere—truly a place of beauty.

There were bushes trimmed into the shapes of violins, trumpets, music notes, and even an elaborate piece that looked like a grand piano. It was clear that Count Hacartney, the master of the house, held a deep love for music.

After speaking with the gatekeeper, I was led inside.

“I’m glad you made it! I’ve already informed Marquis Allheus that today’s luncheon would feature a piano performance. The piano should be installed in the hall by now. Haha, I can already picture their shocked faces… Even among us nobles, many know of famous court musicians and guild-registered performers. But no one has heard of a virtuoso like you—with such creativity and breathtaking skill! Forgive me, I’m getting a bit excited. Let us make this the day when the name Hash becomes known in noble society!”

“It’s an honor, Your Excellency. But personally, I believe my role is to bring music to all people. Even if I gain recognition among the nobles, I’ll still find myself playing in alleyways, guided by the wind.”

“Hah! A wonderful philosophy. You really are something special.”

It seemed Count Hacartney shared a similar outlook with Hash.

Thus, the two of us rode in a carriage toward a grand estate that overlooked the entire city of Lindblum, located in the most elevated part of the noble district.

Rather than calling it large, the word majestic seemed far more appropriate for the mansion.

It wasn’t quite the scale of the royal palace, but even so, it felt no less impressive as I stepped out in front of it.

So this is the estate of Marquis Allheus, huh?

If he’s the head of a noble faction, then performing here will surely spread my name rapidly.

I’ll have to give this my all—more than ever before.

At that same time, within the mansion where Hash had just arrived, a private conversation was taking place between the estate’s master and some hidden individuals.

“Even if it’s difficult to let you out into the public eye directly, I still wanted you to experience the atmosphere, at least. Today’s luncheon, yes, it does have the aspect of nobles expressing opinions about the current royal regime—but it’s also meant to help you momentarily forget about your stifling confinement.”

“We’re grateful for your kindness, Lord Allheus. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the presence of so many people this close.”

“Honestly, I’m just blown away by these cakes. I mean, seriously—it’s like, someone actually put real thought into this. Don’t you think they taste amazing?”

“Yuuko, don’t eat yet! Lord Allheus, thank you truly. We understand it’s a risk for you to host such a large gathering in the current situation.”

“Don’t worry about it. In fact, it’s something that needed to be done. It’s also a form of public messaging—both internally and externally. Lately, the sight of patrolling knights around the noble district has become quite noticeable. I needed to maintain the appearance that we have nothing to hide.”

Not in the mansion’s innermost chambers, but in the room adjacent to the hall where the luncheon was being held.

Various dishes had been laid out, and the room was filled with a strong sense of human presence—students were gathered there.

While no one had given them a formal lecture on the importance of a change of pace, ever since Hishida brought in news from outside and someone had brought back food, the students had gradually begun to show signs of life again.

It was that slight recovery which led to this luncheon being arranged on short notice.

However, it wasn’t because the marquis truly cared about the students.

Rather, it was due to the words of the “mysterious gentleman” who had insisted:
“Make absolutely sure those children are treated with the utmost care.”

“It seems one of the guests brought a musician today. From this room, you should be able to hear the performance without issue. Please, take today to relax and recover your strength. If you need anything, feel free to ask the maids outside.”

With that, Lord Allheus exited the room.

The students, now in a room with large windows for the first time in a while, surrounded by an assortment of desserts and drinks, and able to sense the presence of others nearby, finally stretched their wings a little in this brief moment of peace.

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