NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 123.2
In This World, Everyone Has Their Strengths And Weaknesses
Hermine entered celebration mode, thrilled at the progress. Yuuri, hearing her reasoning, thought, “Well, that’s definitely progress.” Ireis, too, realized she might finally be shedding her tone-deafness and smiled happily. Meanwhile, Lerei, who had no musical knowledge, tilted her head in confusion but cheerfully congratulated her once she understood it was a good thing. Truly, it was a beautiful display of friendship.
However, a ten-year-old watching the scene judged the situation calmly and decided to speak up. Although it felt wrong to dampen the mood, they thought it was something that needed to be said.
“So, basically, if you end up stuck with weird two-note or one-note dissonances, wouldn’t that make you irredeemably tone-deaf?”
““Aroru!””
“…Aroru… Even though I thought it, I didn’t say it. Why did you have to?”
“Sorry to kill the vibe, but I thought it’d be better to face reality.”
“Aroru, you’re so cool-headed about these things…”
Next to the frozen-in-shock Ireis, Hermine and Lerei shouted angrily. After all the encouragement, why would he say something like that? But it wasn’t like Aroru had any ill intent. He simply thought it was good to have hope but imagined how terrible it would be if progress stalled in such an awkward way.
“So, are you saying I shouldn’t aim for any more improvement?”
“I didn’t say that. Just, if you’re focusing on instruments, maybe harmonizing instead of leading vocals could be a good idea.”
“I am… a bard…”
“Yeah, I know. But just keep in mind there’s a chance things could get worse.”
“…You’re right. If I end up constantly singing off by one or half a note, it would be unbearable…”
At Aroru’s calm observation, Ireis slumped her shoulders but seemed to grasp reality. Being involved in music, she understood that continuously singing off-key by small amounts would create an unsettling dissonance. The slight deviations wouldn’t seem jarring in the moment but would grow unbearable over time. She dreaded such a subtly tone-deaf future.
“Has there ever been someone like that among your kind, Ireis?”
“…No, never.”
“Huh, I see…”
“I am famous as the first tone-deaf mermaid in history, even among mermaids outside my tribe.”
““…Wow…””
The group was stunned into silence. A tone-deaf mermaid was rare, but to be the first in history? Ireis wasn’t just unusual; she was extraordinarily rare. They silently prayed she wouldn’t get captured by some shady sideshow owner. A tone-deaf mermaid would make quite the spectacle.
Even so, the fact that she still aspired to be a bard showed an inner strength at odds with her delicate appearance. While she often got discouraged, she didn’t give up on her dream. She kept working hard to overcome her tone-deafness.
“Ireis, your voice is beautiful, so I hope you get better.”
“Thank you, Yuuri.”
“If you’re focusing on harmony, maybe it’d be worth finding a partner to sing the melody with you.”
“…If such a kind soul exists, I’d love to meet them.”
Since being a bard was a niche role, whether such a person even existed was a mystery. But it wasn’t a bad idea. Singing alone highlighted her issues. If Ireis handled harmonies and accompaniment while someone else sang the melody, it could be perfect. The thought of this new possibility made Ireis’s face light up with happiness.
Later, when word spread that Ireis was looking for a partner, a flood of overly eager men appeared, only to be chased away by her mentors, who had switched into protective guardian mode.