Originally, hymns were a common sound on the streets.

The sacred melodies, deeply imbued with religious tones, have the power to calm the human heart. Thus, the citizens of the holy city welcomed the morning in a quiet and serene atmosphere.

However, these days are different. Perhaps it’s due to the festive mood? With so many people stepping into Trumpet Hall, even the wandering bards, who can’t resist a good story, have been swept up in the crowd.

Two taps of the feet and a clap. Joyful melodies breaking the morning languor resonate from here and there.

The street apple vendor hums, and the playful little boy running on the white tiled floor sings a tune that is simple yet catchy.

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

The knight paused for a moment, feeling the impulse tickling her heart.

Most of Chisel Yurensto’s time was filled with training. Aside from eating, going to battle, and catching some sleep in bed, she dedicated all her time to honing her swordsmanship.

There was nothing else to do, nor anything else she wanted to do.

However, as her extreme training began to take a toll on her spirit, the military doctor from the Eastern Front prescribed her a “rest for the mind and body.”

While the mechanisms of the soul have not yet been precisely revealed, and there remain many mysteries regarding its recovery and damage, it is widely accepted that comfortable and positive emotions have a beneficial effect on the soul’s recovery.

There is a clear counterexample in the form of dark sorcerers.

They squeeze power from the soul through negative emotions, don’t they? The military doctor believed there had to be a reason why dark sorcerers do not torture the soul with positive emotions.

As a result, Chisel Yurensto received the command from the First Princess to “train only for 2 hours a day, and enjoy the rest of your time with hobbies.”

Hobbies. If that term refers to a sanctuary for the soul accompanied by happiness, then she has no hobbies.

Without hobbies, she cannot fulfill commands. She cannot train. So, she merely sat blankly on her bed, letting the tedious hours slip away. Like a pinned, taxidermied butterfly in a space.

Even after returning with her daily bread (seven types of it), once she finished her brief meal alone, she planned to let time flow away like that.

Because she did not know how to fill the empty spaces in her schedule.

If it’s empty, it’s okay to stray off the path for a moment. Cissel Yurensto moved gracefully to the music spreading through the streets.

If she followed along, she would see a stage bustling with a crowd.

On a wooden platform set up appropriately on the street, a beautiful girl was dancing and singing. It was a street performance.

The lively girl, with her red twin tails tied down, swayed them skillfully, leading the atmosphere of the stage. Perhaps she was used to standing in front of people.

“How was it? Did you enjoy it? It was pretty good, right?”

“Awesome, Karen!”

“We’re cheering for the tournament too!”

“Leave out the tournament talk! I’m here as a performer!”

As the girl laughed heartily, her bright laughter spread to the crowd. Perhaps a piece of that laughter reached Cissel, as her gaze was captured.

Cissel, as if entranced, slipped into the crowd of spectators. And she pushed forward resolutely.

“No, don’t just push in… Ugh, what strength…?!”

“Am I being, pushed out…?!”

Cissel had a strength that surpassed her stature, so she could easily navigate through the soft crowd. Pushing through, she reached the front row. Now, the girl’s figure and voice were clearer.

A redhead… could she be from the south, where the sun lingers long in the sky?

Her singing skills couldn’t be called exceptional. However, her ability to command the atmosphere was outstanding. She moved as if breathing with the people, elevating the festive mood.

By the time Cissel regained her senses, several songs had already passed. It seemed quite a bit of time had gone by, as she could feel the texture of the bread in the bag changing from soft to hard.

“Now, for the next song, should it be cheerful? Or gentle?”

“Exciting-!!”

Chirp.

The girl nodded her index finger side to side, pointing to a top hat placed upside down at her feet. Inside the hat, a considerable amount of coins had already piled up, but it wasn’t full. That was the important point.

“Oh dear, but it seems my assistant ‘Mr. Hat’ isn’t excited! He’s so hungry that he can’t even enjoy the music. Any kind gentlemen who can fill ‘Mr. Hat’s’ belly?”

Give money.

At this, the audience chuckled and began tossing coins one by one. However, the girl seemed unsatisfied, waiting a bit more leisurely. But she knew it was still a good atmosphere!

Yet, in the mind of Cissel Yurensto, who was entranced by the girl’s song, only one thought wavered: the song wouldn’t play until ‘Mr. Hat’ was filled── that notion kept swirling around.

Clatter.

Cissel turned the bag of bread she was holding upside down and dumped the cold pile of bread into the hat. The savory smell of bread wafted up.

“Eh…?”

“………”

“Um, I’m grateful, but I was actually asking for money…”

“Ah.”

Realizing the context too late, Cissel’s face flushed with embarrassment. The girl, seeing her reaction, burst into laughter and extended her hand toward Cissel, saying,

“My name is Karen! I’m a bard, a mercenary, a screenwriter, and a stage producer! How about we have a meal together? It seems like you just donated all that bread.”

“I’m, well… Cissel. Yes, if it’s not too much trouble…”

The sacrifice of the bread was worth it.

With this naturally intertwined opportunity, the mad magician quietly scrapped the ‘Aren’t you interested in idols?’ plan.

——–

Karen was quite talkative.

“So, this happened when I was in the West. At that time, I was looking for a way to showcase my artistry because, objectively speaking, my voice didn’t suit singing, and it was difficult to reproduce the melodies in my head. So──”

“Ah…”

“For now, I’m trying to form a theater troupe! Gathering bards from various fields to create a stage. Of course, people say! Such plays are the privilege of the nobility, and untrained individuals don’t understand their value, but my thoughts are a bit different. Once accessibility is resolved──”

Cissel, to be honest, didn’t fully understand even half of what she was saying. She could only vaguely grasp that she was reaching out in various directions.

And… she had a lot of things she wanted to do.

That made Cissel curious.

She had seen Karen on another stage. It was during the Hero Selection Tournament. She wielded two daggers and defeated a seasoned mercenary.

Why did this girl, who wanted to form a theater troupe, participate in the Hero Selection Tournament?

“Promotion!”

“………Promotion?”

“I’m going to make it to the highest rounds possible. Or, I’ll fight against someone very famous! Then I’ll make a grand presentation. To all the gathered audience, please remember this Karen!”

“That’s a brilliant idea…”

So she intends to use this grand stage as a billboard. It seemed she had no interest in grasping the immense glory of being a hero.

Karen chattered about her plan to receive investments through the fame she gained, to quickly form a theater troupe and hold performances in the imperial capital. She had a solid dream.

“Then what about you?”

“Yes?”

“Oh, I saw you too. Competing… I heard you’re a very famous knight from the East? A contender for the championship, they say. Why did you participate in the tournament? To prove your strength like a wandering knight?”

“That’s…”

Because I have to. was the answer that disappointed the old man she met in the first round.

—

For Karen, who has her dreams pinned on the tournament, hearing such dry words feels like a rudeness akin to showing up in a janitor’s uniform instead of a dress at the banquet.

Cicel spoke as if he had a grand reason for his challenge.

“I have an illness. I thought that perhaps becoming a hero might allow me to cure it.”

“Ah…! Did I, um, ask something very rude?”

“No, it’s not a serious illness…”

In truth, it isn’t. The symptoms are severe, but the solution is simple. If he stops using the fable, it would be resolved immediately.

However, thinking about what would happen if the illness doesn’t heal is quite troubling. If things continue like this, Elaine won’t allow him to stand on the battlefield, and he will have to look for other… work.

Imagining himself not stepping onto the battlefield, all that comes to mind is sitting on the bed, idly wasting time. He feels like he’s sinking like a corpse, unable to know what to do.

Cicel knew only Sir Yurenstoin.

“An illness, an illness.”

After a moment of contemplation, Karen cautiously spoke up.

“I know a really skilled priest. He excels in medicine and pharmacology, and he has connections with a former cardinal. He usually lives in seclusion, so he’s not well-known.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I don’t know what kind of illness requires you to become a hero, but if it’s alright, how about getting a check-up?”

“……..”

A renowned physician recommended by a bard girl he met by chance on the street.

Even thinking positively to the extreme, it sounds suspicious. But the mention of a connection with a former cardinal piqued his interest. After all, there is currently only one person who has been ousted from the cardinal position yet still clings to life.

The former cardinal and current military priest, Dakiten Julius.

He was the one who diagnosed Cicel’s soul illness. If Karen’s words are true, perhaps he could hear a story from Priest Dakiten…

“Um, may I take a moment to think about it?”

“Of course! I’m not trying to scam you into paying a huge medical fee… so just relax. After all, becoming a hero is such a difficult task. If there’s another way to heal, that would be amazing!”

Karen gave a thumbs up.

After promising to meet her again, Cicel sought out Dakiten Julius, who was staying in the holy city, to inquire about the ‘reclusive physician.’

Having received a hint from the mad wizard, Dakiten naturally divulged the information.

“It’s been a while, Sir Yurenstoin. Yes, that is indeed true. In terms of diagnosing illnesses, he is far ahead of me, and he happens to be in this holy city.”

“What a coincidence…”

“Yes, a coincidence. He usually avoids contact with others entirely and only treats those he has a connection with, which is why I couldn’t recommend him at the time. But it seems the goddess is looking out for you. If you’re alright with it, it might be good to pay him a visit.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you for kindly responding to my sudden visit, Priest Julius.”

Thus, Cicel found himself going back and forth between the mad wizard’s left hand and right hand, ultimately facing the mysterious reclusive physician alongside Karen.

——–

She must ponder.

‘Every time I write a fable, my soul is chipped away, and someday I will die, but not just yet.’

With this mindset, it was difficult to think. A more tangible threat was needed. This is Cissel Urensto, who exhibits extreme passivity due to her long training. To break her long-standing inertia, a massive shock is required.

Only after experiencing the dire reality that she could actually die would she finally engage in genuine contemplation. There’s a reason why wealthy heirs in melodramas start falling ill with incurable diseases.

People don’t change easily unless they are on the brink of death!

Therefore, I, who specialize in lifting glasses, said to Cissel:

“You will die if you write three more fables.”

“………What?”

“Three times.”

Suddenly, the threat of soul sickness hit Cissel, leaving her complexion pale, like a patient diagnosed with terminal cancer.

In reality, she had completed 23 fables and had about 0.7 left.