This Novel is not my Novel

As I absentmindedly stroked Yor while exchanging trivial conversation with the protagonist of someone else's novel, it soon became time to leave.

Just as I stood up to clean the table—

"Karvaldr."

Reisir spoke unexpectedly.

"Leave the cleaning to Yor and me. Shouldn't you do something about your hair first?"

"What are you—"

I stopped myself halfway through my retort.

Something finally occurred to me.

Come to think of it... I collapsed on the floor, didn't I...?

The instant I realized it, I hurried over to the full-length mirror.

The reflection staring back at me could only be described as a complete disaster.

My clothes were hopelessly rumpled, and my hair had turned into something that looked exactly like a bird's nest.

"You saw me looking like this and didn't say anything until now?!"

"Because it's such a rare sight."

Reisir answered with a perfectly serious face.

"I wanted to appreciate it while I had the chance."

What kind of utter nonsense was he saying?

I shot him a look of utter disgust before turning toward Yor.

I could forgive the protagonist of someone else's novel for being impossible...

But I couldn't believe my baby dragon had stayed silent after seeing me in this state.

Responding to my questioning glare, Yor calmly pulled out the whiteboard and wrote:

「 Thought you knew 」

"You thought I already knew? Well, if that's the reason..."

"Karvaldr."

Reisir chuckled.

"You're unbelievably indulgent with Yor."

It wasn't worth responding to.

I ignored him and tried smoothing my hair with my fingers.

It was utterly hopeless.

There wasn't enough time to wash it.

And with naturally curly hair, combing it dry would only make the flyaways explode in every direction.

The situation would become even worse.

In times like this... braiding it is the only answer.

Since I needed to brush my teeth anyway, I headed into the bathroom.

...

After taking care of everything and emerging a short while later...

Reisir looked at my neatly braided hair and immediately started talking nonsense again.

"Oh?"

He tilted his head.

"You grew a tail."

It was obviously bait.

Anything I said would only invite more teasing.

So I deliberately changed the subject.

"Aren't you going to brush your teeth?"

"Can I borrow the bathroom?"

He smiled.

"And a spare toothbrush too, if you have one."

"..."

I'd expected him to slap his forehead and rush back to his own room.

Apparently, Reisir was even more shameless than I'd thought.

As absurd as it was...

I had no legitimate reason to refuse.

A duke's heir couldn't be stingy over something as trivial as a toothbrush.

And denying an invited guest the use of the bathroom would be incredibly poor manners.

Besides...

I'd been the one who brought up brushing teeth in the first place.

Left with no choice, I handed him an unused spare toothbrush and sent him into the bathroom together with Yor.

While the two of them took care of their dental hygiene...

I hurriedly stripped off my wrinkled clothes and changed into a fresh academy uniform.

"You changed into your uniform that quickly?"

Reisir emerged from the bathroom looking impressed.

"Being a young master from a wealthy family must be exhausting."

"Hmph."

It wasn't a comment that deserved an answer.

I merely snorted dismissively, slipped on my jacket, and concentrated on straightening my necktie and tidying my appearance.

Through the mirror, I noticed Reisir quietly watching me.

Then, without the slightest trace of teasing—

"Still..."

He smiled gently.

"I guess there's something comforting about familiar surroundings."

"..."

"You've been much gentler with me today."

"And you said a lot of things you normally never would."

"..."

"Honestly, I came intending to cheer you up if you were having a hard time."

He laughed softly.

"But instead, I'm the one leaving with more energy."

"Today's conversation was really enjoyable."

"Thank you for letting me into your personal space."

He paused.

"I hope you'll invite me again sometime."

"..."

"Or..."

His smile deepened.

"You could always come visit my room."

"...Hmph."

The face reflected in the mirror looked strangely animated.

I immediately looked away, pretending I hadn't seen it at all, and headed toward the door.

After putting on my shoes and opening it—

A low chuckle drifted from behind me.

Fine.

Laugh all you want.

People say laughter brings happiness.

If you keep laughing every day... maybe this novel really will reach a happy ending.

Even after we left the dormitory and headed toward the seminar building, the smile never left Reisir's face.

But the moment he stepped into the First Seminar Room...

It disappeared.

The atmosphere simply wouldn't allow it.

Right...

Reisir and I spent the afternoon enjoying an ordinary, peaceful moment.

But everyone else has spent that same time drowning in anxiety.

I suppose that couldn't be helped.

Although five people had already arrived before us...

An oppressive silence hung over the room.

Helga's complexion was grim.

Vigdís stood beside her, visibly worried and unsure what to do.

Ríolíkin looked as though he might burst into tears at any moment, his face full of fear.

Compared to them...

The two new students appeared considerably calmer.

Since they'd entered through special admission, they'd probably suspected from the beginning that Awakened students would eventually be managed separately.

Sveinn—the future traitor from the original story—stood frozen, quietly reading the room.

Pret wore an equally tense expression, his eyes constantly moving around the room.

Though, befitting the successor to the Information Guild, he was most likely observing every single person present.

Fjodora and that library club senior still aren't here...?

After confirming who had arrived...

Another concern immediately followed.

Where should I sit?

The original author's control over the story had revealed itself once again.

Everyone here had realized that, apart from Reisir—the protagonist chosen by Author Senna—none of us had escaped the noose of death.

Until recently, avoiding Reisir was my highest priority...

Now everything has been turned upside down.

After thinking it over briefly...

I chose the seat beside the person who seemed least likely to die before Karvaldr.

Almost immediately, she greeted me.

"Welcome back, Kar."

Vigdís smiled faintly.

"I was worried after seeing how pale you looked in the auditorium."

"I'm glad you're feeling better now."

"It's thanks to Yor."

"So Reisir had nothing to do with it?"

In the original version before the remake...

Vigdís had fallen in love with Reisir.

She eventually sacrificed her life protecting him.

That storyline simply couldn't exist while her fiancé, Karvaldr, remained alive.

Especially now, when Reisir trusted the Karvaldr I'd become so deeply.

Instead of moving readers, such a development would only provoke disgust.

On the other hand...

What if Karvaldr dies first?

Reisir comforting Vigdís after she lost her fiancé...

The two rapidly growing closer...

Perhaps even a rescue arc where Vigdís's family tried to marry her off to an elderly noble for political gain, only for Reisir to intervene...

It was certainly possible.

I couldn't assume events would unfold exactly that way.

Still...

There was a good chance she would outlive me.

Thinking about it another way...

If I survive... then everyone whose death priority is lower than mine is also likely to survive.

That was, in a sense...

A blessing in disguise.

Unfortunately...

The misfortune surrounding us was so overwhelming that I couldn't take comfort from it.

"That's right."

Reisir casually joined the conversation.

"When I went to visit him with lunch, he'd already recovered."

"And yet the two of you stayed together until now?"

"Yeah."

He smiled.

"Karvaldr invited me into his room."

"And Yor treated me to a special drink she'd made herself."

No matter how hard he tried to suppress it...

The pride in his voice was unmistakable.

He sounded almost as though he were boasting.

"I'm jealous..."

Ríolíkin looked genuinely crestfallen.

"If I'd known, I would've gone too."

"I wasn't confident I could cheer him up, so I gave up..."

Even while worrying about the Special Class for Awakened Ones...

He couldn't hide how envious he was.

Not that I'd ever intended to invite Ríolíkin into my room.

I had no idea where that confidence of his came from.

Putting that aside...

Will Ríolíkin also survive longer than I do?

A story where the protagonist repeatedly calms a berserker who loses control and eventually learns to use that strength to overcome impossible battles...

That wouldn't be a bad development.

Meanwhile—

"So you really managed to enjoy yourselves..."

Helga looked at Reisir with utter disbelief.

"...Even at a time like this."

She was exactly the sort of character who could die at any moment.

If Helga died, Reisir's mental state would suffer immensely.

If she ever found herself in danger, I'd help her as much as I possibly could.

But...

Until then...

Keeping a certain emotional distance was probably safest.

"We weren't just playing around."

Reisir shook his head.

"We spent quite a while discussing everything that's happened."

"Discussing what?"

"Things like..."

He chose his words carefully.

"...Why the academy's leadership kept the professors in the dark about the Special Class for Awakened Ones until just before the new semester."

Apparently deciding to be cautious in front of so many people...

He deliberately said the academy's leadership instead of openly blaming the Imperial Family.

"So what conclusion did you reach?"

"If the students couldn't trust the faculty..."

Reisir calmly explained everything I'd told him earlier.

He omitted all criticism of the Imperial Family.

He also said nothing about my suspicion that Fjodora had intervened behind the scenes.

Understandably so.

Nothing had been confirmed, and speaking carelessly about royalty would accomplish nothing.

"...I see."

Helga slowly nodded.

"That makes sense."

"Even I was furious when I realized my father had kept the existence of the Special Class from me."

"I felt betrayed."

"If the professors had knowingly cooperated in forcing students into training and sending them into the Demon Realms..."

"...the conflicts between students and faculty would have been constant."

By the time Reisir finished...

Helga had summarized the discussion perfectly in terms everyone present could understand.

Nicely done...

Just as that thought crossed my mind—

Creeeak...

The seminar room door, which had opened so smoothly for Reisir and me earlier...

Slowly swung open with an ominous groan.

The person who entered seemed to drag despair itself into the room.

It was the library club senior.

She looked as though she dreaded coming here with every fiber of her being.

Dragging her feet...

Deathly pale...

Her sluggish pace resembled an ox being led to slaughter.

I glanced at the clock.

She'd only just managed to avoid being late.

Whether she noticed everyone's eyes following her or not...

She never looked around.

She walked all the way to the back row...

Dropped heavily into a chair...

Then immediately slumped forward onto the desk.

Every inch of her screamed:

I'm exhausted.

I'm in despair.

Please don't talk to me.

The heavy silence in the room threatened to become even more oppressive.

Then—

Reisir rose from his seat...

And walked straight toward her.