I Became a Foreign Worker Loved by Transcendents
Chapter 28: Performance That Moves Emotions

After that, I alternated between training and resting, recounting my experiences one by one to Merilyn.

Most of the stories were unpleasant.

Given the state of the world, stories involving death had inevitably crept in at some point.

“From what I’ve heard, it seems you’ve experienced quite a lot of harsh situations. Did you often witness people you were with dying?”

“Yes, well. It’s that kind of world, after all.”

As I responded, I charged forward.

My spear swiftly pierced through the center of a straw dummy, scattering fragments everywhere and showcasing its might.

It was the moment that my newfound familiarity with the spearman… No, the lancer class shone through.

But what stood out more was the performance of the spear.

Its durability—unscathed even after multiple uses—and the power to easily slaughter a straw dummy made of wood and straw were impressive.

With a bit more practice swinging the spear, it seemed possible to easily strike down enemies by thrusting this mighty weapon at the desired spot.

“So it feels a bit unfair. I just chose tasks with high rewards, but everyone talks about me being a hero killer and such.”

Pondering these personal assessments, I continued responding to Merilyn’s comments, but she just stared at me silently, not uttering another word.

Her eyes still seemed to smile, but that also appeared to be out of habit.

The fact that the corners of her mouth were not raised indicated that she was not enjoying the stories I had shared thus far.

“…Ahaha, are these stories not very good?”

“It’s not that I think they’re bad. I just don’t think they’re the kind of stories to be shared with a smile.”

A serious voice matched my ambiguous smile.

As she sat there, the way she caressed the lute in her hand was tinged with a significant amount of bitterness.

“I am but a humble jester.”

Her fingers moved in time with the rhythm of the verse that followed.

-Ding-a-ling~

With that, the music began.

It was also an answer to my question.

“The duty of a jester is to wander the world, fabricating stories heard, and to be judged by new acquaintances… And the stories thus conveyed can’t always be pleasant.”

Yes, the atmosphere was very melancholic, unlike the continuous flow until now.

“If it’s sad, then let it be sad. If it’s funny, then let it be funny. That is also an expression of one aspect of the world… So I just listen. No matter how much survival has turned into a cheap joke in this era, for those who have come to this land seeking salvation, life feels far more precious than death.”

-Ding-a-ling♬

At that moment, the refreshing sound of the lute plucked at a slow tempo.

Just listening to it conveyed the loneliness embedded in her voice.

“…Yes, that’s right. Not every story has to be cheerful.”

Even a dirge sung at a funeral was meant to release sorrow, so how could a singer always seek only joy?

Holding a spear before a dummy, I felt a simple gratitude toward her as she played, voicing those words.

Even her typically playful demeanor was set aside in this moment because I felt she was affirming my acceptance of this harsh world.

-Whoosh!

Realizing that I had found another person who understood me, the motion of wielding my spear became even more dynamic.

It was stronger and faster than before.

-Ding-a-ling♬

Amid these actions, the lute’s sound gently spread, and soon, her lips parted, emitting a faint breath.

“La Laila~♪”

A melody as beautiful as her pure white appearance.

With that song flowing smoothly, my actions also became more decisive and vigorous.

It was no illusion.

From the moment I heard the song, something changed within me.

-Swish, slash!

With that realization, my swift strikes cleanly sliced through the straw of the dummy.

I was surprised at my own achievements, but I felt a strong desire not to stop there.

With that thought, my distracting thoughts dissipated, and my spear thrusts began to unerringly aim toward a point in my vision.

-Whoosh!

It was a point, indeed.

Until that moment, I had wielded my spear haphazardly.

Suddenly, it pierced exactly where I intended.

-Swish, slash!

As it happened, just as I had imagined, a surge of desire welled up within me.

Could this be possible?

-Thrust!

At the end of those fervent sequences, the dummy’s durability reached its limit, and it collapsed.

Aligned with the performance’s conclusion, Merilyn, as if announcing its end, rose from her seat and began walking toward me.

“…That was impressive.”

-Clap, clap, clap.

She clapped clearly at regular intervals, dissipating the remnants of the performance.

“With that skill, you’ll undoubtedly excel in actual combat.”

Merilyn looked at me with pride, her bright smile illuminated by the sunset’s glow.

As I faced her and felt my tension ease, I alternated my gaze between the spear in my hand and her, and voiced my curiosity.

“That performance just now, was it some kind of spell or magic?”

“Magic is the result of scholarly research, a record of exploring the world, while a spell is the outcome of traditions persistently repeated, like faith or customs… Such tricks learned solely through personal experience lack such depth.”

-Ding-a-ling.

Amidst the light notes of the lute, a soft laugh, “Hehe,” sounded.

Her seemingly trivial words were accompanied by an implication I couldn’t ignore.

“Having lived my life as a jester and taking pride in that, yet lacking any talent to interfere with others’ emotions, is also noteworthy, isn’t it?”

Interfering with emotions?

Wasn’t that almost like the ‘hypnosis’ ability that Deok-hun had?

To think it affected everyone who listened to the song on such a wide scale.

“However, arbitrarily manipulating others’ emotions goes against a jester’s ethos…”

As if correcting my misconception, she strummed the lute strings again, pulling my focus back to her.

“So, what’s allowed for me isn’t to create something from nothing but to enhance the excitement of those already feeling it.”

“So it’s just about amplifying emotions?”

“Even a seed needs to be buried in the ground to sprout, and multiplying something nonexistent still equals zero… If my performance energized you, it shows your will is that strong.”

It was merely assistance. The foundation for achieving the same result as before lay within me.

It wasn’t just encouragement out of consideration for me, but an assessment from her keen and perceptive analysis gained from roaming this world.

I felt her gaze shift from me to the spear in my hand.

“And the weapon in your hand also responded to my performance, purging the superfluous elements from your still untrained body.”

Ego Weapon.

Its presence wasn’t yet evident, but she precisely identified its essence.

Looking down at the spear, she chuckled and said,

“Please cherish it. Though it is still nascent, if you stay together, it will significantly support your growth as you traverse this cruel world…”

While my discovery of this spear was by chance, if the bond persisted, I might ascend to heights greater than before.

Hearing her heartfelt advice, the pulse in my hand gripping the spear grew stronger.

Even if it was just a temporary loan for now, I hoped to be acknowledged as its true owner when the time came, and I possessed the necessary qualifications.

“Thank you for joining me today. I’m looking forward to working with you again tomorrow.”

Moreover, I wished for my interactions with her, including future missions, to extend even beyond that.

Thus, after today’s fortuitous meeting, the itinerant jester, departing from the training grounds, plucked the strings of her lute and boldly ventured into a shadowy alley.

She had no particular destination in mind.

She hummed a tune and let her feet take her wherever her mood dictated—that was her entire approach to travel.

“It’s fascinating how someone’s name can remain so vivid.”

But today, the feelings that name evoked were inevitably a bit different.

After meeting someone, a parting always followed. Even with a promise of a future encounter, it remained a mere memory until that time came.

Yet his name lingered in her heart, which embraced the world with such ease, didn’t it?

“Among all the fleeting connections I’ve encountered, few have stayed so clear in my memory… It’s quite strange.”

Chance encounters that led to receiving help, purposefully narrowing the distance with someone, or maintaining a certain distance for various reasons were all common when meeting people.

Of the countless people she had met, none stood out as special, so why couldn’t she take their meeting lightly and find herself continually recalling it?

Could her heart be drawn to a reason she had yet to understand?

“Miss, did you come here alone?” Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ NovᴇlFɪre .ɴᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

A voice interrupted her thoughts.

Realizing she had unwittingly wandered into a dark alley, the jester halted and focused on the shadow that had materialized before her.

Bathed in moonlight, a disheveled man glared at her with a sinister gaze.

Behind him, others dressed similarly and with equally malevolent smiles made their intentions clear.

“Hehehe, look at this. Just stand still, and the women come rolling in.”

“Pretty face, let’s see… Oh, this is a big catch!”

Had she been so absorbed in her thoughts about him that she ended up here without noticing?

No, it was the same as always.

Her journey was guided by her whims, and if the mood struck her, she’d boldly enter trash heaps or monster lairs.

“Kekeke! This is going to be fun!”

“Don’t blame us too much. Once you take this drug, you’ll start enjoying it too~”

Yet she never considered her reckless behavior to be wrong.

In fact, she always anticipated such moments with excitement.

“…I feel a strong desire.”

A jester’s performance.

The more genuine the emotions of the audience watching her, the more powerful her performance became.

“Being true to one’s desires is good. Could you please enlighten me here? What is the greatest desire you feel at this moment?”

-Ding-a-ling~

As the lute’s strings vibrated under the touch of her hands, the flowing melody heightened the emotions of the people and inspired their ensuing actions.

This was the only skill perfected by the humble jester, who had journeyed through various worlds…

“Haha, the greatest desire? That would be to spend quality time with the lady here~”

The ruffian leader, driven further by the jester’s skill, began to be consumed by lust.

His gaze, fixed on her, showed he was oblivious to everything else.

As though, as the ruler of this alley, nothing mattered to him but fulfilling his own desires.

“Just wanting to spend time with a woman you’ve just met. Is that truly your greatest desire?”

She wouldn’t dispute that if that was truly his desire. Everyone had their own personal wants.

“Then, what about you?”

However, those observing the performance weren’t limited to a single person.

Her presentation was not restricted to just one spectator.

“Are you content with merely scavenging what others have discarded?”

At that moment, her gaze locked onto the advancing leader and the cold blade aimed at her.

-Thump!

A flash of light pierced the backdrop. The leader’s face, twisted in shock, snapped backward.

“You, what the hell…?”

“Shut up, you bastard. I’ve always despised you!”

-Thump, thump!

The resentful subordinate relentlessly continued his assault on the leader.

The leader, who was orchestrating the ambush, lost his composure and swung his fist, smashing his subordinate’s head into the wall.

A sickening crunch of skull and brain being crushed together resonated loudly through the alley.

Even as he fell into a pitiful state and his consciousness dimmed, hatred for her still marred his face.

-Thump!

Then, the subordinates plunged their knives as well.

“You… you guys, why…?”

“If you die, I’ll be the boss!”

“Now that I think about it, you broke my nose last time because I was ugly, right?”

“I never liked you from the start. Just die right here!”

Thud, thud, thud.

The leader’s body was mutilated by the blades in their hands.

He managed to take a few down in resistance, but that was not enough to overcome the numerical disadvantage.

-Ding-a-ling~

The sound of a performance could be heard as life ebbed away.

But it was far from a requiem.

Those present were true to their desires, and a scene true to desire did not necessitate the solemnity of a funeral.

“Your desire for me and your hatred towards those you’ve lived together with in this filth… Which way is your desire directed right now?”

Even as splatters of blood stained her white clothes, the jester did not halt.

Among the blades dripping with blood and pointed at one another, she maintained her bright smile and softly whispered her mission.

“Whichever it is, don’t hold back. Worry, concern… cast aside everything that brings vague anxiety, at least for this moment.”

“Even if irreversible consequences stem from this moment, my performance will make you forget even that fear…”

With restraint cast aside, the audience, craving a cathartic release of their desires, surged.

How could the jester, whose role was to amplify the intensity of this moment, turn away and withdraw from this festival?

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