Free Web Novel"I don't know exactly when it'll happen, but all of us have to enter the Demon Realm together eventually, don't we? When that day comes, anyone who can't fight will only become a burden. That's why I thought getting stronger even one day sooner was the best way I could help my seniors."
Sveinn lowered his eyes, unable to meet my gaze, but there was conviction in his voice.
A peculiar confidence had settled over his expression.
He genuinely believed his reasoning was sound.
Strictly speaking...
He wasn't wrong.
But—
"Surely you weren't explaining something so obvious because you assumed I didn't already know it?"
"N-No...! I only meant that I was trying to find my own way to become stronger so I wouldn't hold my seniors back..."
Doesn't that still mean you explained it because you thought I didn't know?
I considered pointing that out.
Then I decided against it.
Nitpicking every little inconsistency would only derail the conversation, and there were more important issues to address.
"You say you're trying not to become a burden. Yet after all your deliberation, the solution you arrived at is taking away your senior's training time."
"Isn't that rather contradictory?"
"Even so, I thought it was the best option. My skill won't improve very quickly if I only practice during the weekly class."
"Then why not ask the professor who teaches spearsmanship for additional instruction outside class?"
"But... the spear instructor isn't an Awakened..."
The statement was so absurd that a dry laugh escaped me.
Someone whose main weapon happened to be the notoriously unpopular whip didn't even have a regular class to attend.
Until Skati appeared and revealed she knew how to use one, I'd been forced to train alone, repeatedly questioning whether I was even practicing correctly.
"Do you think Awakened people have some unique style of spearsmanship?"
"Or has awakening made you believe you've become some special, superior being who no longer needs instruction from an ordinary person?"
"N-No...!"
"I only thought it might be inappropriate to make that sort of request to someone unrelated to the Special Class for Awakened Ones..."
"I fail to see why."
"Professors are employed to teach students."
"Furthermore, you're a member of the Special Class, destined to be sent into a dangerous environment."
"If you approached any instructor sincerely and asked for additional guidance, I'm certain they'd gladly make time for you."
"Ah..."
"Y-Yes... I understand."
Karvaldr wasn't someone capable of explaining things gently.
So as I spoke with my usual lofty expression and arrogant tone, Sveinn's face gradually flushed crimson with embarrassment.
Watching that reaction, another question occurred to me.
"Did you truly ask Reisir to teach you because you didn't realize something this obvious?"
"Or did you have some other objective?"
"W-Well..."
"I did think it would be nice if we became closer..."
"So I thought learning spearsmanship together would also help us become friends..."
"So you're telling me you only realized professors could teach you after I pointed it out?"
"You, who entered the academy through the Special Admission for Awakened students?"
Does that even make sense?
Did Author Senna lower Sveinn's intelligence just to make pairing him with Reisir easier?
The thought made the person before me seem almost pitiful.
Without realizing it, I let out a quiet scoff.
"Heh..."
Apparently the pity in my eyes was obvious.
Sveinn's face turned an even deeper shade of red as humiliation overwhelmed him.
Surely he won't develop murderous resentment over something this trivial...
My tone was deliberately unpleasant to stay in character, but I even told him he shouldn't hesitate to approach his professors...
His reaction worried me.
Still, there was someone else's response that mattered far more.
Reisir's.
The protagonist of someone else's novel found endless amusement in watching me grow flustered and blush.
What if he decides to keep Sveinn around simply because he thinks teasing him would be entertaining...?
No... absolutely not.
Unable to ignore the possibility, I discreetly glanced sideways.
Reisir's expression remained perfectly calm.
Only the faint upward curve at the corners of his lips betrayed anything.
As I wondered what that subtle smile meant, he noticed my gaze.
He turned toward me.
Our eyes met.
Then he smiled broadly.
He hadn't spoken a single word.
Yet...
Perhaps because he always wore that expression whenever he teased me...
Simply seeing him smile like that now made me feel as though I was being toyed with.
Embarrassment welled up for no reason.
At this rate, I'm becoming Pavlov's dog.
It was awkward.
But...
Not unpleasant.
In my previous life, whenever someone teased me, all I ever felt was fear.
Anxiety.
The certainty that I was being excluded.
There was none of that in Reisir.
No ridicule.
No sense of superiority.
No cruelty.
Perhaps because everything he did stemmed from goodwill...
Affection...
Simple friendliness.
Only after reaching that conclusion did I realize I'd been worrying over nothing.
Sveinn's embarrassment came from having his ignorance exposed.
Someone like Reisir would never find enjoyment in that.
...Thank goodness.
Relief washed over me.
And at that exact moment—
The original protagonist spoke to the original traitor.
"Sveinn, you don't need to rush so much."
"The fact that your 【Spear Techniques】 skill appeared after only a month means you're talented."
"If you keep training diligently, it'll improve quickly."
"Hearing you say that really boosts my confidence, Senior."
"Senior?"
"Come on—we're the same age."
"Just speak casually."
Finally.
The words same age had come out of the mouth of the protagonist of someone else's novel.
He hadn't explicitly said, Let's be friends.
But it might as well have been a friendship invitation.
He truly never gave me a moment's peace.
"I-Is it really all right if I—"
"Of course it isn't!"
I immediately cut Sveinn off before he could finish.
Then I turned sharply toward Reisir.
"Why are you deciding that on your own?"
"Then should we decide together?"
"Obviously we should!"
"Whyyy~?"
"Because—"
I'd already prepared an argument for exactly this sort of situation.
Just as I was about to voice it...
I noticed Reisir's eyes narrowing into smooth crescents.
"Why'd you stop talking~?"
"...And why are you dragging out the ends of your words?"
"Am I?"
...
Watching him...
I suddenly had a realization.
Perhaps he hadn't told Sveinn to speak casually because he wanted to befriend him.
Perhaps...
He simply wanted to see how I would react.
Has he noticed how wary I am of Sveinn?
But I'd always been wary of strangers.
That wasn't anything new.
There was no reason for him to find this so amusing.
...Unless...
He's misunderstanding the situation.
Does he think I'm trying to stop him from getting close to someone else because I'm jealous?
Because I'm possessive?
The misunderstanding was utterly ridiculous.
Unfortunately...
The original owner of this body had behaved exactly that way toward Vigdís before.
Given that history, Reisir's interpretation wasn't unreasonable at all.
Especially since, unlike the previous Karvaldr, I'd stopped trying to control Vigdís and instead let her do as she pleased.
If he believed I treasured him so much that I didn't want anyone else taking him away...
Then naturally he'd find the whole situation amusing rather than concerning.
"It looks like..."
"You're imagining something strange again."
"It's not like that."
"Really?"
"I'm not entirely convinced."
"But let's set that aside for now."
"Can you explain why I shouldn't decide on my own whether Sveinn speaks casually to me?"
Normally he would have relentlessly pursued what I meant by it's not like that.
Even now, the smile on his face deepened.
Yet, perhaps because Sveinn and Pret were present, he restrained himself and returned to the main subject instead.
...Should I actually be grateful for that?
No matter how I thought about it...
Probably not.
So I cut off the budding gratitude and answered.
"If you become equals simply because you're the same age, then Sveinn would also stand on equal footing with me, since I'm your age as well."
"And what about Ríolíkin?"
"He was born early in the year, so he's practically a full year younger than we are."
"Should he start calling Sveinn 'older brother'?"
"Ugh...!"
"I don't want that!"
Ríolíkin, who had been quietly observing everything like someone watching a fire from across a river, nearly jumped out of his seat when the conversation suddenly turned toward him.
Exactly the reaction I'd hoped for.
"Ríolíkin... wouldn't necessarily have to, would he?"
"Then what about Pret?"
"Should he treat Sveinn as a senior equal to us?"
"Or should he treat him as a classmate?"
"If it's the latter..."
"Then how exactly is he supposed to address us second-year students?"
There was no need whatsoever to bring up the fact that Sveinn was a commoner.
Doing so would only reinforce the impression that Karvaldr believed in noble supremacy.
Perhaps because the author was Korean...
As I'd mentioned once before, despite being a Western fantasy, the social customs of this world were heavily influenced by Korean ideas of seniority and hierarchy.
That alone was sufficient.
"Hm..."
"So this isn't something I can simply wave away as harmless after all."
"Exactly."
"Because every person here except you and Sveinn would end up inconvenienced by it."
Reisir becoming friends with Sveinn...
Would throw the Special Class's entire social hierarchy into confusion.
And that was precisely the sort of situation Koreans found profoundly uncomfortable.
If Author Senna is watching this...
Surely she won't try forcing Reisir and Sveinn into becoming friends again.
With that thought in mind, I delivered my final warning.
"Therefore..."
"If you truly intend to place Sveinn on equal footing with yourself..."
"Then don't raise him up."
"You should lower yourself instead."
"...What do you mean?"
"It means you should stop treating me as your equal."
"And stop speaking to me so casually."
He'd gone to so much trouble to close the distance between us.
Surely...
Surely he wouldn't throw away the possibility of becoming friends with me just to befriend someone he'd only met today.
...Would he?
I told myself he wouldn't.
And yet, for some reason, anxiety still gripped me.
I couldn't stop staring at Reisir.
Wondering whether, if necessary...
I should take back what I'd just said.
Fortunately...
It never came to that.
"I don't want that."
"So I'll take back what I said about Sveinn speaking casually to me."
Only after hearing those words from Reisir...
Could I finally let out a silent sigh of relief.
