The Bard, Fuguyama (Part 1)

To defeat Undo, they first had to discover where he was hiding. In other words, what Tanimaki and his companions needed most right now was information.

And the only way to obtain it was to visit towns and villages, gathering clues with their own paws.

They arrived at a town called Eldenberg.

In the town square stood a lone bard. Before the fountain, he strummed his lute while singing an ancient tale.

The bard was a pufferfish. Apparently, his kind had evolved to live on land.

Gentle was Caret, warm of heart...

Yet when duty called, he played the hero's part...

Apparently, the pufferfish bard was singing about Caret Backslash, the founder of the Republic of Meows.

"What a beautiful voice," Mayutan said with admiration.

"At least you can carry a tune, unlike Tanimaki," Debiru remarked.

"What the meow?! Debiru!"

Tanimaki flew into a rage. But he didn't throw a punch. It seemed he had matured a little.

The bard's voice was especially magnificent in the lower register. It stirred the souls of all who listened, carrying a power that seemed to rise from the very earth itself.

The three of them were completely captivated by his performance, losing all track of time. Before they knew it, the crimson sky had faded into deep indigo, and no one else remained in the square.

The bard took a break.

"Thank you very much for listening to my songs. My name is Fuguyama. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Fuguyama gave them a deep, respectful bow.

"Your singing is truly wonderful."

As he said this, Mayutan dropped 1,000 yen into the empty can in front of Fuguyama as a tip.

"Tch... You could've bought me some silver vine with that money instead, meow."

Tanimaki had become completely catlike. His selfish personality, however, remained exactly the same.

"Thank you very much. Your support truly encourages me."

Fuguyama was remarkably polite. Perhaps those who truly cherish their fans are the ones who ultimately find success.