Ciaccona: "??? Part-time Poet? You jerk… aren't you just mocking me?!⦍CryingJinhsi.jpeg⦎"
Carlotta: "Part-time… Hahahaha… Hahahaha… This is truly fascinating! I'm going to establish a 'Part-time Department' right this instant!⦍LaughingJinhsi.jpeg⦎"
Zani: "Uh… Lady Carlotta, I suggest you keep a lower profile. If Ciaccona decides to do something to you using that title…"
Chat Group Lecher: "Hiss! Miss Ciaccona, if you're going to do something, please be sure to record it… We're willing to pay to watch!"
Carlotta: "This… Ciaccona, don't forget how well I've treated you. Besides, I have my own trump cards… careful now, or I'll lose my cool and blow you to smithereens!"
Ciaccona: "…How could I possibly do something so inhumane!⦍SpeechlessJinhsi.jpeg⦎"
Rover: "When encountering bastards who aren't even human to begin with, Ciaccona, you really should learn to be a bit more flexible."
Ciaccona: "Huh? This… is that really okay? I… I'll try my best!"
Scar: "Doesn't it feel like that guy was just one step away from calling out the Fractsidus by name?"
Christopher: "Heh! If it's that Ciaccona… it clearly isn't the Fractsidus that needs to be worried!"
.....
" In Between "
Indeed, just as Christopher had suggested, the Rover's concern for Ciaccona stemmed from the Church's pursuit.
After all, Ciaccona's rhetoric was intolerable to the Church's dogma.
Yet, with this trump card in hand, if Ciaccona could just learn to be a little more shameless… she truly wouldn't face any further safety concerns.
Do not be deceived by the fact that this title is merely a Silver-tier item; it is highly probable that it was relegated to Silver-tier solely because it fell into Ciaccona's possession.
Had it been acquired by a villain who held nothing sacred and stopped at nothing, the ability of that trinket would undoubtedly have ascended to the 'Gold' tier immediately.
It couldn't be helped. Who else but Ciaccona, that maiden who loved to sing praises of stories, had always been beautiful of heart and mind, showing no signs of corruption despite the myriad injustices she faced?
It was precisely because this girl could bring joy to others at any time and in any place that the Rover still remembered his past life, when everyone else was skeptical… when the world was awash with humorous singing girls, he had still, without hesitation, taken her home as his bride.
Yet, at this very moment, in the wilds of Ragunna, a group of uninvited guests appeared before Ciaccona.
"Ciaccona, you are under arrest!"
"Surrender the title you have just acquired. Surely, the Bishop is merciful… and will grant you leniency!"
A middle-aged clergyman, leading a full squad of fifty elite Church clerics, accompanied by over a hundred La Guardia exclusive to the Church's emissaries, had trained their sights on her.
They had surrounded Ciaccona in the blink of an eye with practiced precision.
Only then did the leading clergyman, looking visibly relieved, open his mouth to threaten her.
"Heh! This is… the first time you've mustered such a force to deal with a weak woman like me, isn't it? Don't you know my weaknesses? You've always used them to threaten me before… why not continue doing so this time?"
Upon seeing the very entities she had spent her life evading, Ciaccona's heart initially fluttered with panic, thinking, This is the end; I am completely surrounded.
Yet, almost immediately, the words the Rover had just spoken to her echoed in her mind, and his image surfaced within her thoughts…
In that instant, she felt herself flooded with strength, even while facing those who had relentlessly pursued her, and even while trapped within their encirclement.
She was no longer the bard who knew only how to flee, forever incapable of resistance.
Sometimes, it is truly miraculous; even though she had yet to meet that man face-to-face, he seemed capable of bestowing power upon her.
"I believe there is no need for me to reiterate that point, for the moment you chose to resist… The fates of those people were irrevocably altered by your decision!"
"You must understand, Ciaccona, that every misfortune they suffer… is because of you! Therefore, in the name of the Bishop, and in the name of the Lord of Years… I advise you not to be obstinate."
The middle-aged clergyman was a seasoned fanatic; despite his glib threats, his face wore the solemn expression of one discussing salvation.
And once he finished speaking, every cleric and every Echoes drew their weapons in unison.
"Ha… Hahaha… Hahahaha! Rover's words ring true, not a single syllable off! For a group like you, who cannot even be considered human, one cannot treat you with common logic."
"The only reason you haven't struck yet is that you are wary of that one trump card of mine. As it happens, I, too, would like to test exactly what that trump card can do!"
Ciaccona laughed in her fury; she was truly incensed now, and the lengths to which that clergyman would go were, in truth, entirely inhuman.
Since that was the case, Ciaccona had no reason to hold back… or to offer them any shred of decency.
After all, endless concession would only invite more severe exploitation from the other side… nothing more.
"Scoundrel, so you really do intend to resist… Attack! No quarter given… seize her at all costs."
The clergyman, seemingly feeling his authority challenged, issued this command with great fury.
His goal was the item in Ciaccona's possession; as for her life… in his eyes, she was a heretic who should have died on the pilgrimage ship long ago.
That she had lived until today was already a supreme act of mercy bestowed upon her by the Church.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
The sounds of sharp weapons striking the ground echoed as the clerics and Echoes surrounding Ciaccona showed no restraint whatsoever.
Wielding their weapons, they aimed directly at Ciaccona's head, neck, heart, and face.
To say Ciaccona was not nervous seeing such a formation would be a lie.
But things had reached this point; she had no choice but to risk it all, praying inwardly that the title would prove effective.
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
Accompanied by a series of melodious, wind-like sounds, the five dark green characters—Part-time Poet—appeared above Ciaccona's head.
At the same time, a mysterious force gently lifted her into the air. Although her raw strength had not increased, she successfully utilized this power to evade the fatal onslaught.
—