hefourthdayoftheMartialArtsournamentpassedwithoutanynoteworthyincidents.
hatwasonlynatural.spenttheentiredaydoingnothingbutwatchingmatches.
Sincethethirdandfourthroundswereheldonthesameday,theparticipantsmusthavestruggledquiteabitwithmanagingtheirstamina.
Forsomeonelikeme,whohadalreadybeeneliminatedinthesecondround,itwasnoneofmyconcern.
Anditwasn'tReisir'sconcerneither.
Comparedtotheotherfirst-years,hisabilitieswereoverwhelminglysuperior.Whetherhehadtodefeatoneopponentortwoinasingledaymadelittledifferencetohim.
nreality,°•𝑜v𝑒light•°hesecuredtwoeffortlessvictoriesandearnedhisplaceinthefinals.
hegapinskillhedisplayedwasfargreaterthanithadbeenintheoriginalnovel.
PerhapsseeingReisirperformsooverwhelminglyhadstirredidr'scompetitivespirit.
Duringthethirdround,idrdeliberatelyfoughtaprolongedbattle,defeatinghisopponentthroughswordsmanshipalone.nthefourthround,however,heimmediatelybroughtouthisarthAttributeAbilityandendedthematchasquicklyaspossible.
ntheoriginalnovel,hehadn'trevealedthatabilityuntilafterreachingthefinals.
fcourse,hehadalreadyuseditduringhisfightwithRíolíkin,soanyhopeofwinningthechampionshipthroughswordsmanshipalonehadvanishedlongago.
AndhemusthaverealizedthatdefeatingReisirwithswordsmanshipalonewasimpossible.
Withthat,supposethereportonthefourthdayofthetournamentissufficient.
owthen.
etusmoveontothefinalday,wherethelong-awaitedchampionshipmatchtakesplace.
"xcuseme...elga?Sorryforaskingagain..."
"hmy,whyareyouapologizing?Justaskwheneveryouwant.stheresomethingthat'sdifficulttounderstand?"
"Well...'mnotreallysurewhythispartturnsoutthisway..."
Becausetodaywasthedayofthefinals,thecompetitionforseatshadbeenfiercerthanever.
Asaresult,wehadfinishedbreakfastearlierthanusualandarrivedatthestadiumwellaheadoftime.
Unfortunately,finalexaminationswerejustaroundthecorner.
hestudentswhohadcomeearlytosecuregoodseatswereallbusyreviewinglecturematerialsorlookingthroughcollectionsofpastexamquestions.
notherwords,thestadiumhadeffectivelytransformedintoonemassivestudygroup.
heconversationbetweenigdísandelgawastakingplaceagainstthatbackdrop.
Ríolíkinwasalsogroaningoveratextbook,andevenReisir,despitehavingthechampionshipmatchaheadofhim,wasparticipatinginthestudysession.
AreYorandtheonlyexceptions...?
otthatlackedthingstostudy.
venafterfinishingthefoundationalcurriculumandadvancingintomorespecializedsubjects,therewasalwaysmoreknowledgetoacquire.
heproblemwasthatnoneofitwasparticularlysuitablestudymaterialfortheyoungmasterofaducalfamilywhohadsupposedlyreceivedthefinesteducationavailablesincechildhood.
nsteadofborrowingbooksforacademicimprovement,hadvisitedtheacademylibraryandcheckedoutbookspurelyforentertainment.
Bywhichmeanwhatpeopleinmypreviousworldwouldhavecalledwebnovels.
oeveryoneelse,thisprobablydoesn'tlooklikereadingappropriatefortheheirofaducalfamilyeither.henagain,Reisiralreadyknowsreadwebnovels.
venso,hadwrappedthebooksincoversasaminimalefforttopreservemydignity.
Forreference,YorhadchosenahumanitiesbooktitledheAgonyoftheAbsolute.
hadskimmedthroughitmyself.
heauthor'sself-congratulationwasunbearable,andthewritingwassopretentiousitmademyheadhurt.
tdefinitelywasn'tmytaste.
noughpointlessthoughts.Justread.
fnotnow,wouldn'thavetimetoenjoymyhobbyforquiteawhile.
Determinedtofinishallthreenovelsbeforethematchbegan,wasjustabouttoimmersemyselfinreadingwhenelgasuddenlydroppedaboltfromtheblue.
"Cometothinkofit,YoungMasterKarvaldrisexcellentatacademicstoo.Wouldn'titbebettertoaskyourfiancéinsteadofme?"
heexcusethatwasn'ttakingthecourseigdíswasstudyingwouldn'twork.
Afterall,neitherwaselga.
hereasonshecouldanswerigdís'squestionswassimplybecausethematerialcoveredbasicknowledge.
couldprobablyhelptosomeextent.Butit'snotasthoughcouldconfidentlyanswereveryquestionthewayelgadoes.
Forthatreason,pretendednottohearherandfocusedonmybook.
henReisirunexpectedlysteppedin.
"elga.fyou'reworriedthathelpingigdísistakingawayyourownstudytime,canteachherinstead."
Don'ttellme...
astheprotagonistofsomeoneelse'snovelstarteddevelopingfeelingsforigdís?
ntheoriginalstory,herloveremainedentirelyone-sided.
fthissomehowturnedintomutualaffection,howexactlywassupposedtoreact?
...o.couldn'tcongratulatethem.
igdíswasdestinedtodiemuchyoungerthanshehadintheoriginalnovel.
AndifReisirtrulycametoloveher,thepainhewouldsufferfromherdeathwouldbefargreater.
hethoughtmademychestfeelheavy.
Astrangelethargysettledoverme.
Fortunately,beforethosepessimisticthoughtscouldspiralanyfurther,anothervoiceinterrupted.
"Asexpected,wasaskingtoomanyquestions,wasn't...?'msorryforbotheringyou..."
Contrarytomyexpectations,igdísdidn'tlookpleasedatall.
nstead,sheloweredherheadandapologizedtoelgawithagloomyexpression.
"Ah...You'vemisunderstoodcompletely.Sincestudyingissomethingeveryoneforgetswithoutreview,helpingyouisusefulpracticeformetoo."
"Really...?"
"fcourse.Besides,thereareplentyofcoupleswhoenjoystudyingtogetherasadate.justthoughtitmightbeniceforBigSisterigdísandYoungMasterKarvaldrtodothesame."
Aftercomfortingtheutterlydejectedigdís,elgashotReisirasharpglare.
Alookthatplainlydemandedwhyhefelttheneedtointerfere.
"Can'ttheyenjoythatsortofdatesomeothertime?etKarvaldrrest."
"Andwhyexactlyshouldthey?"
"Becausethereisareason.hehealersaidKarvaldr'sfrequentnosebleedsarecausedbymentalfatigue.fthat'sthecase,shouldn'theavoidanythingthatrequireshimtousehisbrain?"
loweredmybookandstaredatReisir.
isanswerwassoridiculousthatcouldn'thelpmyself.
Whatwasthisabsurdlevelofoverprotectiveness?
Apparentlyelgasharedmyconfusion.
"fthat'syourreasoning,shouldn'tyoutakeawaythebookhe'sreadingrightnowfirst?"
"o,that'sdifferent.'vereadthatnovelbefore.hesentencesareshort,thepacingisfast,andit'sperfectforturningyourbrainoff.t'srelaxing."
eevenaddedanunnecessaryexplanation.
aturally,heneglectedtomentionthetitle.
otthatheneededto.
ehaddiscoveredithimselfbypeekingovermyshoulderandreadingpartsofitwithoutpermission.
AndthefactthathappenedtobereadinganovelReisirhadalreadyreadwashardlyacoincidence.
ehadrecommendeditbackinChapter71,insistingthatitwasexcellentandthatabsolutelyhadtoreaditsomeday.
Readers,thinkaboutityourselves.fawebnovelprotagonistrecommendsawebnovel,howcouldyounotreadit?
Moreimportantly,thisprotagonistfromanothernovelhappenedtolovethenovelhadwritten.
hatmeantourtasteswereremarkablysimilar.
Arecommendationfromhimpracticallyguaranteedquality.
ivenhowpreciousmyfreetimecurrentlywas,choosingthisbookhadbeenthebestpossibledecision.
"mm...Reisir?AreyoureallyofferingtohelpBigSisterigdísbecauseyou'reworriedaboutYoungMasterKarvaldr?otbecauseyoudon'twanthisreadinginterruptedandhopehe'llfinishthenovelquicklysoyoucandiscussittogetherafterward?"
"ahaha.Asexpectedofelga.Youreallydoknowmewell."
herewasalimittohowfaraheadsomeoneshouldcounttheirchickens.
hadnoideawhyheassumedwouldautomaticallydiscussthebookwithhimafterfinishingit.
"oodgrief...Anyway,Reisirdoesn'tneedtohelpBigSisterigdís.onlybroughtitupbecausewonderedwhethertheYoungMastermightgetjealousofme.Butthatdoesn'tseemtobethecase.famanlikeyoustartshelpingherinstead,wouldn'tthatchangethings?"
"Afterallthetime'vespentteachingigdíswhilesparring?owyou'resayingthat?"
"eachingsomeonewhilecrossingweaponsandsittingshoulder-to-shoulderhelpingthemstudyarecompletelydifferentthings."
elgashookherheadfirmlyandwavedhimaway.
hemessagewasobvious.
Shewouldhelpigdísherself,soheshouldmindhisownbusiness.
Reisirreluctantlyopenedhistextbookagain.
alsoraisedmynovelandresumedreading.
venafterendingupinsideanovel,readingnovelsisstillfun.
Andifreadingwasstillenjoyable,thenwritingwouldsurelybeenjoyableaswell.
Someday,whenfinallyhadthefreedom,wantedtofinishthenovelhadbeenwritingbeforedied.
owthatknewworldsinsidenovelscouldtrulyexist,thedesirehadbecomestrongerthanever.
Perhapsresponsibilitywastherightword.
Myworld.
Myprotagonist.
Mycharacters.
Astheirauthor,itwasmyresponsibilitytoguidethemalltowardahappyending.
"ookslikeit'sabouttimeformetoheadtotheparticipantwaitingarea.Savemyseatforme,allright?'llcomebackonce'vefinishedwinningthechampionship."
Alongwhilelater,afterthegeneralspectatorshadfilledthestadiumandthesurroundingsbecamenoisy,Reisirclosedhistextbookandstoodup.
Cometothinkofit,evenafterfinishinghisfourth-roundmatchyesterday,hehadcomestraighttothestudentseatingareainsteadofreturningtotheparticipants'section.
tseemedhegenuinelydislikedbeingalonewithidr.
otlongafterReisirleft,thehostappearedholdinganethermicrophone.
hehostfirststirreduptheaudience'ssenseofregretbyemphasizingthatthiswasthefinaldayofthetournament.
henheimmediatelyshiftedgearsandpushedanticipationtoitspeakbybringingupthechampionshipmatch.
eannouncedthattheday'sopeningeventwouldbethethird-placeplayoffforthefirst-yeardivision.
Althoughthefinalistshadalreadybeendecided,hedeclared,nextyearcouldbringentirelydifferentresults.
Asthespeechcontinued,thetwostudentsdefeatedbyReisirandidrthepreviousdaysteppedontothestage.
heywerebothoutstandingtalents.
aditnotbeenfortheexistenceoftwomonstersknownastheoriginalprotagonistandtheoriginalvillain,eitheroneofthemcouldeasilyhavereachedthefinals.
closedmynovel,leavingonlytenpagesunread,andfocusedonthearena.
hesightofthetwocombatantsdrawingouteveryounceoftheirpowerandabilitieswasmorethanenoughtokeeptheaudienceonedge.
Whenthematchconcluded,thunderousapplauseeruptedthroughoutthestadium.
nlyafterthecheersfinallysubsideddidthehostpickuptheethermicrophoneoncemore.
"owthen~!hemomentwe'veallbeenwaitingfor!StudentidrramodversusStudentReisirDaudabiner!Fromtheveryfirstdayofthetournament,knewthesetwowouldmeetinthefinals!And'msuremanyofyouthoughtthesame!heirabilitieshavesimplybeentooexceptionaltoignore!"
Afterdeliveringalengthyandoverlydramaticintroduction,thehostbegandiscussingthestrengthsofbothfinalists.
Whenspeakingaboutidr,hepraisedhissolidswordsmanshipandhisabilitytodeployarthAttributetheratpreciselytherightmoments.
WhenspeakingaboutReisir,however,hefocusedentirelyonhisflashyandpowerfullightningabilities.
Whatnonsense.
Reisir'sspearsmanshipisvastlysuperiortoidr'sswordsmanship.
Whymakeitsoundasthoughhereachedthefinalssolelybecauseofhislightningabilities?
Questioningthehost'squalificationsasacommentator,foundmyselffrowning.
