Chapter 160 : Chapter 160
Chapter 160: Band (3)
Kurt had an impression that was un-elf-like in many ways.
Elves usually had a strong image of being sharp and slender.
Especially the Northern Elves of Shurina, as mentioned last time, lived only on 'Dew', so they tended to maintain a particularly thinner physique than other elves.
But Kurt was different.
He had a large build, not just for a Northern Elf but even for an elf, almost at the level of a Half-Orc, and he even filled that body with rugged muscles.
He was a man overflowing with so-called wild beauty.
Furthermore, his body, or precisely above his neck, wasn't particularly elf-like either.
Usually, elves prefer long hair regardless of gender.
No, rather than preference, it would be more correct to say their sense is a bit different.
Since they live such long lives, it is said that they don't feel even moderately long hair is that long.
Especially in a place like Shurina with little exchange with the outside world, living only among elves, such a tendency was bound to become stronger.
But Kurt was different.
Far from an elf, even by human standards, he had extremely short hair.
Should I say, a so-called military cut.
Perhaps that's why his appearance was even more alien.
And, because of that.
"...A bard, huh."
From him, who was sweeping back his short hair once with his hand, a charisma that was hard to approach, different from almost all the elves present here... no, almost all the elves we've seen on the way here, could be felt.
"A rare existence in this city."
Of course, Cain, who is (was) the master of Krom, was also a figure possessing immense charisma.
However, he was extremely elf-like.
He possessed the unique appearance of elves, and possessed values that were very much like a Dark Elf.
But Kurt had no elf-like appearance at all except for his pointed ears.
"Your face is also very unfamiliar."
Therefore, he looked even more... dangerous.
"Yubini, did you say?"
"That is correct."
"You seem to be a Northern Elf like us, is that right?"
"That is correct."
"You don't seem to be from Shurina. There is no way there is a face I don't remember."
Of course.
How could anyone not remember a face like this after seeing it once.
"I was born and raised in Tiaria."
"In Tiaria. Hmm."
Kurt nodded once, then turned his gaze slightly towards Ibi next to me just like that.
"I wondered why you were traveling with a rare existence like a Dark Elf half-blood, but if you are from Tiaria, it wouldn't be that strange."
Since Tiaria is the place where Dark Elves are seen (relatively) a lot after Krom.
But Kurt's words didn't just mean that fact.
"You must be one of Cain's seeds too."
"...!"
He recognized Ibi's face.
Precisely, Cain's likeness inevitably revealed in Ibi's face.
When Ibi reacted inadvertently to that, Kurt continued speaking as if she had taken the bait.
"Even if you are a half-blood, a bard from that Cain guy's seed. Living long, I see all sorts of things."
As if saying, 'Actually, I have already seen through all of your true identities.'
The next one he looked back at was Miki's side.
"You are an Irons."
"...!"
At that, Miki also showed a shaken appearance just like Ibi a moment ago, no, even more greatly than that.
"I know your father's skills well. And, I also know well that he would never raise his own child as something like a bard."
"N, no, I am..."
Then, without giving Miki, who trailed off, any chance for an excuse, he looked at Toric this time and said.
"I've heard stories that there are many bards belonging to Kapers, but I haven't heard that you are one of them, Toric Silverhand."
"......."
Toric just remained silent.
His accumulated experience wasn't in vain to be surprised one by one by such things.
However, Kurt... precisely Pariah, who was with him, had just watched all the processes of accumulating that experience.
"You had better learn more ways to hide yourself, Succubus."
"...!?"
Lily was startled and put her hand over her veil, but exactly as said, it was over the veil.
The veil wasn't taken off and was properly covered.
"Did you think that just because you hid your horns and tail from view, the sensuality you exude wouldn't be noticed at all?"
When Kurt, who saw through us exactly just by looking once like that, let out a small snort, it wasn't only the companions who showed a considerably flustered appearance.
"Kurt, just what..."
When Morgana, who hadn't properly grasped this situation yet, asked, Kurt answered in a calm tone.
"It means these people are not something like a bard troupe, Morgana."
"Pardon...?"
"Did you hear these people's performance yourself? Probably not."
"...!"
The fact that we weren't the only ones whose truth Kurt saw through at once.
"You certainly possess a cool head, but your body is not like that. Did that bard satisfy you? So you came to believe whatever that person says? Enough to believe such a clumsy lie?"
"K, Kurt, I..."
"No need to make excuses, Morgana. Haven't you maintained cool-headed judgment regarding work while coveting lust for several hundred years?"
When the embarrassed Morgana tried to say something, Kurt raised one hand slightly to stop her.
"That just means this person was an existence outside the standard."
And then, he directed those eyes that seemed to see through everything towards me again.
"──Who are you."
Saying that unlike everyone else here, he still doesn't know about me yet.
At that moment, the sound of someone among the companions swallowing dry saliva was heard.
I also saw Ibi and Toric trying to get into combat stance immediately depending on my answer.
In a situation where such taut tension continued, I slowly opened my mouth.
"...You ask who I am?"
To alleviate that tension even a little, showing the most sly smile possible.
"──Then, let me show you directly."
I slowly moved my hand towards my 'weapon'.
Seeing this, Kurt's hand was seen gradually heading towards the knife lying alone on the table in front of where he sat.
To that, I raised the corner of my mouth in a grin once more.
"Who I am."
And finally lifted my 'weapon'.
"Stop your mo──"
──Strum.
Plucking the strings.
"──?"
Then, Kurt's hand, which was moving instinctively towards the knife, also stopped with a flinch.
"I picked poor Robin clean."
Seeing me hold the lute I had been carrying on my back forward, pluck the strings, and simultaneously start singing.
"Picked poor Robin clean."
Then the companions, who were in a state of tension until just now, were also watching my [Performance] that started suddenly as if slightly mesmerized.
'Wh, what are you doing...?'
Seeing Ibi slightly lift both arms and say this only with her mouth shape without making a sound, I just gave a wink.
"I picked his head, I picked his feet I woulda picked his body, but it wasn't fit to eat."
But the one who looked most dumbfounded was, as expected, Kurt.
Those eyes from a moment ago, which seemed to say he already knew everything, had changed into eyes that had absolutely no idea what he was looking at right now.
Eventually, when I finished the first verse of the song and put the lute back on my back, Kurt was still frozen in that absurd reaction.
I offered a greeting with a somewhat exaggerated gesture towards such Kurt.
"As you can see, I am a bard."
"......."
"Yes, that is correct. My companions are not bards. But since it is true that they are my precious companions, I just told a small lie to bring them here too. Without those friends, I am literally a body that cannot live."
Not a metaphor, I really cannot live.
Especially in this 'later region' teeming with strong individuals with levels in the late 10s, even more so.
"......Just what business does a bard have to come find Shurina?"
"Well, I came to sing."
I continued speaking with the corners of my mouth raised in a grin.
"The truth you all are hiding."
"......What?"
"I came to hear the story about the 'False God', Shurine, whom you drove out."
For an instant, Kurt's eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
"As I told you, since I am a bard, I have a lot of interest in all kinds of interesting stories of the continent that will be inspiration for songs."
Especially if it is a true story, even more so, I added.
"......So, just to hear that story, you came all the way here... and directly in front of me through Morgana?"
"I am a bard, aren't I? Finding new song subjects and seducing, if you ask why I do such things, I can only say it is no different from breathing for me."
I raised my index finger and added immediately.
"Instead, not the propaganda you used to seize power, I want to know what really happened that day."
"Yu, Yubini!? You, just what on earth are you──"
"Please tell me the truth about Shurine. Then, I will also give you what you want."
At my direct demand thrown like that, I felt the surrounding atmosphere freeze in an instant again.
Especially Morgana, who was appalled, making her already white skin even paler, eventually bowed her head immediately to Kurt.
"I, I am sorry, Governor Kurt! It is my negligence! I will kick these people out right n──"
Then she gestured to the nearby soldiers to instruct them, but.
"──Wait."
Kurt raised one hand again and stopped her and the soldiers.
"The truth?"
Showing a calm... or rather, an extremely cold expression, with the absurd expression from a moment ago nowhere to be found.
"The truth."
At that, when I acted slyly, meeting that gaze straight on as if not to lose, Kurt seemed to sweep up his short hair slightly.
"Heh──"
Soon.
"──Kuhahaha!!"
He began to burst into hearty laughter, unbelievable for a person who had such a cold expression until just now.
Everyone was dumbfounded again, unable to grasp the situation at the sudden laughter echoing through the room, but I alone showed a nonchalant grin with my hands behind my back.
"Kuhaha! You are a guy with guts spilling out, bard."
Kurt liked that appearance of mine even more.
"You seem to be definitely a different guy from those mediocre bards scattered on the streets."
In short, it meant [Persuasion] was successful.
Kurt is certainly a character who pays almost no attention to 'lust'.
He is definitely not a character who would fall in love at first sight upon seeing my beauty.
However, that only appears so because he dislikes 'boring people'.
Because he thinks if someone isn't bold enough to behave so-called 'arrogantly' towards himself, the Governor of Shurina whom no one dares to treat carelessly, they are not worth dealing with.
So he should be seen as similar to Morgana.
However, if Morgana decided the qualification to deal with her by the 'race' of elf, Kurt was by 'personality'.
If they are scared stiff of him and behave politely── 'boringly', he filters them out immediately like sifting through a sieve, but.
"Certainly, you possess a beauty that Morgana would fall for."
"...! K, Kurt?!"
If you survive there, now, only then does the appearance start to come into view.
"Come to my bedroom, bard."
And my appearance, need I say more?
"Then I will calmly tell you the story you want to hear as well."