Free Web Novel"Then draw your weapon."
"Yes."
Karvaldr drew not the cherished sword at his waist, but an ordinary iron sword from his inventory, plainly recognizable as a standard issue weapon.
Even if he ended up in a tense confrontation with the original protagonist, it would only be because he had let his guard down and failed to use his full strength. In truth, Karvaldr was extraordinarily powerful.
...This was probably a bit of deliberate staging meant to establish that fact in the readers' minds.
Seeing Karvaldr's choice, Reisir also retrieved the standard issue spear he had once used from his inventory.
Since his opponent had disrespected him by drawing a standard issue weapon, he would respond in kind.
...Though his reason was nothing so valiant.
"As I recall, Reisir, you recently received a fine weapon from the Imperial Family. And yet you draw such a cheap weapon against me. How exactly am I supposed to interpret that?"
"Huh? But didn't you draw a standard issue weapon first, Professor?"
"I only did so because I have no intention of using my full strength against a student."
"Ah... I thought you meant that using a good weapon during a spar would be a waste of durability, so we should use standard issue weapons that can be treated as expendable."
As Reisir spoke with an awkward expression, Karvaldr let out a hollow laugh of disbelief.
"Now that you know that wasn't my intention, hurry up and draw a proper weapon."
"That would be difficult. It's the only weapon I own that's suitable for actual combat. If it breaks, I'll have to face monsters using the weapon you just called cheap."
"......If it breaks while you are sparring with me, then it will effectively be my fault. I will compensate you by buying you a new one."
Karvaldr stood speechless for a moment at the miserly behavior of another novel's protagonist before finally saying that.
It was an attitude befitting the supporting character whom readers of the original work had nicknamed "the Giving Tree."
Reisir did not refuse Karvaldr's offer.
As though he had been waiting for those exact words, he returned the standard issue spear to his inventory and drew the expensive one instead.
They said protagonists in modern web novels tended to be shrewd about securing their own interests, and Reisir certainly fell into that category.
Come to think of it, wasn't Reisir described in the original version before the remake as someone who never refused anything offered to him...?
I had forgotten because he was always bringing me food while vehemently refusing any monetary compensation in return.
"You may attack first."
Holding his sword in one hand, Karvaldr beckoned with the other in a gesture that was not quite provocative.
Despite that, Reisir merely answered with a brief "Yes" and nodded.
He did not immediately rush forward.
He planted both feet firmly on the floor and bent his knees slightly, taking a guarded stance from which he could either charge or retreat at a moment's notice.
With the tip of his spear trained on Karvaldr, he carefully studied his posture.
It was only natural that a peculiar gleam entered the original supporting character's eyes upon seeing how cautious the original protagonist was.
"You have the basics down."
The instant those words left Karvaldr's mouth, Reisir kicked off the floor and shot forward.
At the same time, golden Ether enveloped his spear, crackling with sparks.
Once he had closed the distance, he swung.
Karvaldr avoided the attack with a light step backward.
As though Reisir had anticipated that response, the sparks leaping from his spear converged into a bolt of lightning and shot toward Karvaldr.
Karvaldr struck it aside with his Ether-coated sword.
Using that opening, Reisir corrected his stance and immediately launched his next attack.
Judging by the angle of the spear, he intended to sweep Karvaldr's legs out from under him.
Naturally, Karvaldr did not allow it.
He was, after all, a character established as one of the strongest fighters in the Empire.
Karvaldr moved his sword with astonishing speed and knocked Reisir's spear aside. Then, exploiting the opening that followed, he thrust out his free palm and struck Reisir squarely in the chest.
At this point in the story, Karvaldr is still several levels above Reisir in skill.
When the two first met in the original version before the remake, their abilities had been evenly matched, making it difficult to predict which of them would win.
Unlike the stagnant Karvaldr, however, the original protagonist had continued to grow steadily.
The number of Reisir's victories gradually increased until, at some point, Karvaldr could no longer defeat him.
This time, however, not only had their meeting occurred far earlier, but the nature of their relationship had also changed.
Reisir was still an inexperienced student, while Karvaldr faced him as a veteran professor.
Will the remake develop into a story about Reisir surpassing the teacher who was once stronger than him?
For that to happen, Karvaldr would have to survive for a considerable length of time.
But I could not simply take comfort in that thought.
Perhaps the original author was aiming for a narrative in which Karvaldr's death became the catalyst that allowed Reisir to overcome a wall and grow.
Or perhaps it would develop into a story where, no matter how powerful the protagonist became, he would realize that he could never fight and defeat his already dead teacher, preserving Karvaldr forever in his memory as an unbeatable figure.
But... when I try to guess Author Senna's thoughts, 【Character Analysis】 doesn't activate. Is it because she exists outside the world of this novel and therefore isn't recognized as a character?
Karvaldr and Reisir's spar was worth watching with complete concentration.
To trigger the effects of the Thought Acceleration Skill, I decided to observe the match while predicting how Reisir would respond to Karvaldr's movements.
It was easier to anticipate Reisir, whom I had seen fight often and knew well, than Karvaldr, whose combat style I was witnessing for the first time today.
Karvaldr swung his blue Ether-coated blade with enough force to cleave Reisir in half at the waist.
Considering Reisir's current posture and the tendencies I had observed in his fighting style, he would most likely block with the shaft of his spear rather than dodge, then counterattack with an Ether Skill.
My prediction proved correct.
Golden lightning flashed.
The greatest advantage of lightning was its speed.
When fired from such close range, evasion was nearly impossible.
Rather than attempting to dodge, Karvaldr covered his body in a thin membrane of Ether to block the current, then activated his own Ether Attribute Ability.
Using 【Frost Control】, Karvaldr transformed the moisture in the air into ice crystals and launched the newly formed shards in a wide spray.
The area of effect was too broad to evade.
There were three possible responses Reisir could choose.
He could envelop himself in an Ether membrane and block the shards, just as Karvaldr had blocked the lightning.
He could rapidly spin the shaft of his long spear and use it like a large shield.
Or, since being struck would not inflict fatal wounds, he could accept the minor injuries and damage to his clothing, charge directly through the ice, and counterattack.
But he won't stubbornly choose the last option.
There was no reason to charge through and reduce his clothes to rags when this was not even a real battle.
That was especially true when the lecture had only just begun.
Of the remaining two options, Reisir chose to spin his spear and deflect the ice shards.
Even after the last shard had been knocked aside, his spear did not stop.
He preserved the centrifugal force and converted it directly into a counterattack.
Karvaldr placed his free hand against the flat of his sword and received the blow with both hands.
The force behind the spear must have been considerable, because rather than countering immediately, Karvaldr leaped backward to create distance.
Then he covered the floor beneath Reisir's feet with ice as Reisir rushed forward to maintain his momentum.
The instant Reisir stepped down, the ground became slick.
With the floor suddenly transformed into ice and all friction gone, anyone would have faltered.
Reisir was no exception.
But befitting the original protagonist, he did not simply fall helplessly.
He drove his spear into the floor with tremendous force.
The interior of the small auditorium had been reinforced so that ordinary impacts could not damage it, so the spearhead neither pierced the floor nor embedded itself.
It did, however, shatter the icy surface and strike the solid floor beneath it.
By bracing himself against the spear shaft, Reisir barely managed to maintain his balance.
He was given no time to recover.
Frost crystals began creeping over his feet where they rested on the ice, attempting to bind him in place.
The moment Reisir sensed them, he wrapped both feet in Ether and released a burst of lightning, shattering the ice.
He retreated without hesitation.
Karvaldr's sword cut through the space he had occupied an instant earlier.
Although his attack had failed, Karvaldr bared his teeth in a satisfied smile.
Reisir fired another bolt of lightning, but the ice crystals that had begun swirling through the air at some point collided with it and neutralized the attack.
Several more exchanges followed.
Throughout them, Reisir was forced to divide his attention, remaining constantly wary that the floor might turn to ice at any moment.
Karvaldr leisurely secured his victory before offering his assessment.
"You certainly lack experience. But how did you manage to reach such a level of skill? I was called a genius while growing up, yet even I wasn't this capable at your age... Was that claim about one's growth accelerating after awakening actually true? Even accounting for that, your talent seems to far exceed anything ordinary."
The truth that Reisir had received a protagonist's advantage far beyond any ordinary awakening benefit was known only to Yor and me in this world.
Since Karvaldr knew nothing of that, it was only natural for him to find Reisir's progress strange.
Viewed through the lens of common sense, Reisir's level of ability was absurd.
"For now... I need to assess the other students as well. Return to your seat. Good work."
As Karvaldr spoke, his eyes seemed to say, I want to fight one more round. What a shame.
Reisir responded by bowing politely and thanking him.
He handed the Baby Dragon into my arms, then sat down beside me in the seat Yor had previously occupied.
"Yor wasn't saving that seat for you."
"Yaoong, myaong myaong, myaoooo—!!"
"Then should I get up and sit over there?"
In response to Yor's protest and mine, Reisir pointed toward the empty seat beside Sveinn.
Had it been the seat beside Pret, I would have told him to do as he pleased. Unfortunately, Pret was sitting between Sveinn and Ríolíkin.
I checked who occupied the seat at the opposite end.
Of all people, it was Fjodora.
Reisir would never go over there.
In the end, despite my awkward reluctance, I had no choice but to grab the hem of Reisir's clothes as he started to rise.
"...Just sit here."
"Very well. Reisir, you remain there. Karvaldr, stand up."
It seemed my bickering with another novel's protagonist had drawn the professor's attention.
I had hoped to be called as late as possible, even if only so I could engrave Karvaldr's combat style more deeply into my memory.
I shot Reisir a pointless glare before rising from my seat and walking toward the center of the auditorium.
