This Novel is not my Novel

Thankfully, no one dared speak recklessly about my familiar in front of me.

In fact, they even seemed hesitant to start a conversation with me at all.

If they said the wrong thing and ended up getting on my bad side, it would become a huge problem for them.

They must have decided it was better to treat me like a bomb that would explode if touched and simply observe from a distance.

Even Tryggdrik was being cautious today.

We ran into each other in the campus cafeteria during lunch, but he never brought up Yor as a topic.

Instead, he expressed his curiosity by probing me with questions about the Sky Blue Ether.

'I still haven't figured out the attributes of the Sky Blue Ether myself, so there isn't much I can say. Besides, I don't want to explain it in detail to someone like Tryggdrik anyway.'

So I questioned him in return.

Why should I have to report my abilities one by one to someone like you?

Then I added that I would explain the Sky Blue Ether if he could provide a valid reason.

As expected, Tryggdrik couldn't provide one.

He immediately shot up from his seat, bowed deeply, and apologized for being presumptuous.

Did that make me feel good?

Not at all.

'In other people's eyes, won't it just look like I'm being unnecessarily cruel and bullying the weak?'

Instead of feeling refreshed, irritation welled up inside me.

But I couldn't show it.

Because from an outside perspective, that irritation could be interpreted as me becoming defensive out of fear that my weakness had been exposed.

Maintaining a composed attitude without batting an eye, I finished my meal and rose from my seat.

After that, I attended my afternoon class, Dagger Techniques.

"Woooow~! A cat floating in midair~?! Is that your familiar? Was it born today?"

Professor Skati did show interest in Yor.

But only briefly.

The moment her eyes met Yor's, she became visibly flustered, just like Ríolíkin.

Still, unlike Ríolíkin, she didn't blurt out anything about Yor's eye color.

"Th-then today must be your birthday too, huh~? Happy birthday...! But don't think that means I'm shortening class, okay?"

Skati winked as she said something completely out of nowhere, even though I had never once used my birthday as an excuse to ask for the lecture to end early.

Feeling dumbfounded, I almost pointed that out, but stopped myself.

Even if her current profession is professor, it's not wise to be on bad terms with the former successor to the head of an Assassination Guild.

Besides, Skati hadn't spoken with any ill intent.

She had witnessed the students whispering among themselves while looking at me after mentioning the Austri Family's Poison Ability during the previous lecture.

So it was obvious she had desperately tried to change the subject before the same situation happened again.

And just as she had declared, she didn't end the lecture until all four allotted hours had passed.

This directly contradicted what she had said during the first class.

'I have no intention of teaching diligently~'

Skati had also been enthusiastic during the second week's lecture, so her claim about working reluctantly was probably a lie.

'It's the sort of thing you could overlook without much thought, but... considering this is the world inside a novel, this contradiction is probably foreshadowing.'

I had a feeling.

That Skati had a personal story that hadn't been covered in the original novel.

If I dug into it, I was sure I could quickly become close to her.

'Author Senna probably omitted it because she thought it was fine to leave out. Let's not pay attention to it.'

Suppressing my curiosity, I headed straight to the private training ground with Yor.

Thus, we arrived in a space completely hidden from other people's eyes.

I immediately cast aside the mask I wore to imitate my possessed body's personality and turned toward Yor.

"Yor, are you okay after today?"

"Nyang?"

Not all curiosity is the same.

There is good curiosity and bad curiosity.

If it's curiosity born from the desire to directly witness what is clearly someone's greatest flaw, then it unquestionably belongs to the latter.

Most of the countless gazes directed at us today fell into that category. frёewebnoѵēl.com

Of course, not every student looked at us with malicious curiosity.

Quite a few were simply amazed by a 'cat familiar that not only flies but also eats with a spoon.'

But being treated like a zoo monkey isn't exactly good curiosity either.

That's why I asked.

"Nyang?"

Perhaps confused because I suddenly asked such a question without any explanation, Yor tilted her head while staring at me.

Faced with those innocent, sparkling eyes, I found myself at a loss for words.

"You don't just look fine. You look completely okay."

My long conversation with Yor this morning before we left the room had become meaningless.

It seemed my worries had been excessive.

Feeling genuinely relieved, I thought it would be nice if everyone simply kept their mouths shut.

"Mweang?"

Yor made a sound that vaguely resembled, 'What?'

Even if that was only my own interpretation, the meaning behind the cry was probably accurate.

Yor, who had only just been born today, was overflowing with confidence.

The realization that I alone had been anxious and lost, constantly conscious of what others thought, made me feel deeply embarrassed and ashamed.

So rather than explaining the different kinds of curiosity, I decided to change the subject.

"It's nothing. More importantly, Yor. Don't you think the movements we learned in Dagger Techniques class today could also be applied to whip techniques?"

"Myang?"

According to Skati, properly using dagger techniques requires being able to throw a dagger from any posture.

If the dagger hits ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ the target, all the better.

But even if it misses, it can still keep the enemy in check, making it sufficiently useful in actual combat.

'She's absolutely right.'

So Skati immediately had the students do flexibility exercises along with practicing arm swings while performing various acrobatic movements.

Practicing throwing daggers at a target from a fixed stance?

She said we could figure that out ourselves through self-study.

"An ordinary ranged damage dealer can stick to a so-called 'stationary DPS' combat style, attacking from a fixed position while being protected by allies, right? But a whip is a mid-range weapon, so it's nearly impossible to attack an enemy from behind an ally. In the end, I have to engage in close combat, but standing still? That's basically asking to be killed."

"Nyang nyan."

"For reference, the original novel's Karvaldr never did anything in combat except apply buffs. He simply stayed in the rear while his subordinates protected him."

That's why I was worried.

Being protected like Karvaldr sounds safe and comfortable, but in reality, it's the complete opposite.

It's the act of entrusting your life to others.

If someone betrays you, or if your escorts die or run away, then all you can do is stand there and die.

"Anyway, back to the main point. I think I can handle close combat to some extent if I can wield a whip from any posture. Throwing daggers and wielding a whip aren't exactly the same, but both require wrist snaps and arm swings, don't they?"

"Nyaha!"

Yor let out a cheerful cry, indicating she understood what I meant.

I think that explanation is enough.

But just in case someone is wondering, 'Why not just use a sword instead of a whip during combat?' let me clarify something.

'For some reason, it's much easier to move this body while wielding a whip rather than a sword.' ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

Is it because this possessed body inherited the bloodline of a family that has devoted generations solely to mastering the whip?

Or is it because of the character setting that 'Karvaldr uses a whip as his weapon'?

I don't know the exact reason, but this body undoubtedly possesses talent for handling a whip.

And if that's the case, then I have no choice but to find a way to make use of it and develop my skills.

"Alright! Now that I've established the direction of my training, before we begin seriously practicing whip techniques..."

"Nyang?"

"Yor, do you know your Ether Attribute? Are you capable of using and controlling your ability?"

Somehow, I ended up rambling about unrelated things as soon as we arrived at the private training ground.

But in truth, the reason we came here immediately after class without even stopping by the room was to check Yor's ability.

I had planned to practice whip techniques while we were here, but that came afterward.

"Yaong, ya-oong~!"

Yor responded with a triumphant expression, showing her agreement.

I already knew familiars could instinctively use their Ether Abilities immediately after birth, but...

...hearing direct confirmation from her like this made me incredibly happy.

Unfortunately, Yor couldn't speak human language, so there was no way for me to learn the detailed mechanics of Sky Blue Ether from this baby dragon.

Still, seeing the ability in action should help in some way.

More than anything, I was thrilled that the nature of the Sky Blue Ether, which I had been so curious about, would finally be revealed.

"Then can you show me right now?"

"Yaoooong—!!"

Letting out a long cry, Yor spun her body in a spiral.

Is that a necessary movement for activating or amplifying abilities?

Or is it just for dramatic effect?

'I really hope it's the latter... so I don't have to imitate it.'

Thinking that, I focused on the flow of Ether radiating from Yor.

The aura I sensed was unusual, and Yor's eyes shone with a brilliant sky-blue light.

But even after five seconds passed, nothing happened.

"Um, Yor...?"

"Nyaooo!!!"

The moment Yor cried sharply, as if telling me not to interrupt her concentration...

...a white mist began gathering near the ceiling, gradually growing denser.

Soon, the mist darkened into a nearly black-gray color, blocking out the ceiling lights and plunging the training ground into darkness.

And then it happened.

A single droplet of water fell onto my head.

"Don't tell me...?"

The moment I realized what the mist gathering above me actually was, I threw my bag of post-training clothes into the shower room.

Immediately afterward, rain poured down inside the training ground.

"To create dark clouds indoors and make it rain..."

Just as its name implied, the Sky Blue Ether possessed sky-related attributes.

Soaking wet, I stood in the middle of the training ground, now transformed into a shallow sea of water, and clicked my tongue in amazement.

"Nyan nyan nyang, nyan nyan nyang~♬"

Yor flew in circles around me, humming as if singing a nursery rhyme.

She looked utterly triumphant and excited.

She must have interpreted my reaction as surprise and admiration.

So I...

"Yor, that's amazing!!"

...praised my adorable baby dragon exactly the way she wanted.

I still don't know whether making it rain is the extent of her power, or whether she can control all forms of weather.

But regardless, the ability to create natural phenomena is undeniably incredible.