hefourthdayoftheMartialArtsournantpassedwithoutanynoteworthyincidents.
hatwasonlynatural.spenttheentiredaydoingnothingbutwatchingmatches.
Sincethethirdandfourthroundswereheldonthesaday,theparticipantsmusthavestruggledquiteabitwithmanagingtheirstamina.
Forsoonelike,whohadalreadybeeneliminatedinthesecondround,itwasnoneofmyconcern.
Anditwasn'tReisir'sconcerneither.
Comparedtotheotherfirst-years,hisabilitieswereoverwhelminglysuperior.Whetherhehadtodefeatoneopponentortwoinasingledaymadelittledifferencetohim.
hegapinskillhedisplayedwasfargreaterthanithadbeenintheoriginalnovel.
PerhapsseeingReisirperformsooverwhelminglyhadstirredidr'scompetitivespirit.
Duringthethirdround,idrdeliberatelyfoughtaprolongedbattle,defeatinghisopponentthroughswordsmanshipalone.nthefourthround,however,heimdiatelybroughtouthisarthAttributeAbilityandendedthematchasquicklyaspossible.
ntheoriginalnovel,hehadn'trevealedthatabilityuntilafterreachingthefinals.
fcourse,hehadalreadyuseditduringhisfightwithRíolíkin,soanyhopeofwinningthechampionshipthroughswordsmanshipalonehadvanishedlongago.
AndhemusthaverealizedthatdefeatingReisirwithswordsmanshipalonewasimpossible.
Withthat,supposethereportonthefourthdayofthetournantissufficient.
owthen.
etusmoveontothefinalday,wherethelong-awaitedchampionshipmatchtakesplace.
"xcuse...elga?Sorryforaskingagain..."
"hmy,whyareyouapologizing?Justaskwheneveryouwant.stheresothingthat'sdifficulttounderstand?"
"Well...'mnotreallysurewhythispartturnsoutthisway..."
Becausetodaywasthedayofthefinals,thecompetitionforseatshadbeenfiercerthanever.
Asaresult,wehadfinishedbreakfastearlierthanusualandarrivedatthestadiumwellaheadofti.
Unfortunately,finalexaminationswerejustaroundthecorner.
hestudentswhohadcoearlytosecuregoodseatswereallbusyreviewinglecturematerialsorlookingthroughcollectionsofpastexamquestions.
notherwords,thestadiumhadeffectivelytransfordintoonemassivestudygroup.
heconversationbetweenigdísandelgawastakingplaceagainstthatbackdrop.
Ríolíkinwasalsogroaningoveratextbook,andevenReisir,despitehavingthechampionshipmatchaheadofhim,wasparticipatinginthestudysession.
AreYorandtheonlyexceptions...?
otthatlackedthingstostudy.
venafterfinishingthefoundationalcurriculumandadvancingintomorespecializedsubjects,therewasalwaysmoreknowledgetoacquire.
heproblemwasthatnoneofitwasparticularlysuitablestudymaterialfortheyoungmasterofaducalfamilywhohadsupposedlyreceivedthefinesteducationavailablesincechildhood.
nsteadofborrowingbooksforacademicimprovent,hadvisitedtheacademylibraryandcheckedoutbookspurelyforentertainnt.
Bywhichanwhatpeopleinmypreviousworldwouldhavecalledwebnovels.
oeveryoneelse,thisprobablydoesn'tlooklikereadingappropriatefortheheirofaducalfamilyeither.henagain,Reisiralreadyknowsreadwebnovels.
venso,hadwrappedthebooksincoversasaminimalefforttopreservemydignity.
Forreference,YorhadchosenahumanitiesbooktitledheAgonyoftheAbsolute.
hadskimdthroughitmyself.
heauthor'sself-congratulationwasunbearable,andthewritingwassopretentiousitmademyheadhurt.
tdefinitelywasn'tmytaste.
noughpointlessthoughts.Justread.
fnotnow,wouldn'thavetitoenjoymyhobbyforquiteawhile.
Determinedtofinishallthreenovelsbeforethematchbegan,wasjustabouttoimrsemyselfinreadingwhenelgasuddenlydroppedaboltfromtheblue.
"Cotothinkofit,YoungMasterKarvaldrisexcellentatacademicstoo.Wouldn'titbebettertoaskyourfiancéinsteadof?"
heexcusethatwasn'ttakingthecourseigdíswasstudyingwouldn'twork.
Afterall,neitherwaselga.
hereasonshecouldanswerigdís'squestionswassimplybecausethematerialcoveredbasicknowledge.
couldprobablyhelptosoextent.Butit'snotasthoughcouldconfidentlyanswereveryquestionthewayelgadoes.
Forthatreason,pretendednottohearherandfocusedonmybook.
henReisirunexpectedlysteppedin.
"elga.fyou'reworriedthathelpingigdísistakingawayyourownstudyti,canteachherinstead."
Don'ttell...
astheprotagonistofsooneelse'snovelstarteddevelopingfeelingsforigdís?
ntheoriginalstory,herloveremainedentirelyone-sided.
fthissohowturnedintomutualaffection,howexactlywassupposedtoreact?
...o.couldn'tcongratulatethem.
igdíswasdestinedtodiemuchyoungerthanshehadintheoriginalnovel.
AndifReisirtrulycatoloveher,thepainhewouldsufferfromherdeathwouldbefargreater.
hethoughtmademychestfeelheavy.
Astrangelethargysettledover.
Fortunately,beforethosepessimisticthoughtscouldspiralanyfurther,anothervoiceinterrupted.
"Asexpected,wasaskingtoomanyquestions,wasn't...?'msorryforbotheringyou..."
Contrarytomyexpectations,igdísdidn'tlookpleasedatall.
nstead,sheloweredherheadandapologizedtoelgawithagloomyexpression.
"Ah...You'vemisunderstoodcompletely.Sincestudyingissothingeveryoneforgetswithoutreview,helpingyouisusefulpracticefortoo."
"Really...?"
"fcourse.Besides,thereareplentyofcoupleswhoenjoystudyingtogetherasadate.justthoughtitmightbeniceforBigSisterigdísandYoungMasterKarvaldrtodothesa."
Aftercomfortingtheutterlydejectedigdís,elgashotReisirasharpglare.
Alookthatplainlydemandedwhyhefelttheneedtointerfere.
"Can'ttheyenjoythatsortofdatesootherti?etKarvaldrrest."
"Andwhyexactlyshouldthey?"
"Becausethereisareason.hehealersaidKarvaldr'sfrequentnosebleedsarecausedbyntalfatigue.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,heneglectedtontionthetitle.
otthatheneededto.
ehaddiscoveredithimselfbypeekingovermyshoulderandreadingpartsofitwithoutpermission.
AndthefactthathappenedtobereadinganovelReisirhadalreadyreadwashardlyacoincidence.
ehadrecomndeditbackinChapter71,insistingthatitwasexcellentandthatabsolutelyhadtoreaditsoday.
Readers,thinkaboutityourselves.fawebnovelprotagonistrecomndsawebnovel,howcouldyounotreadit?
Moreimportantly,thisprotagonistfromanothernovelhappenedtolovethenovelhadwritten.
hatantourtasteswereremarkablysimilar.
Arecomndationfromhimpracticallyguaranteedquality.
ivenhowpreciousmyfreeticurrentlywas,choosingthisbookhadbeenthebestpossibledecision.
"mm...Reisir?AreyoureallyofferingtohelpBigSisterigdísbecauseyou'reworriedaboutYoungMasterKarvaldr?otbecauseyoudon'twanthisreadinginterruptedandhopehe'llfinishthenovelquicklysoyoucandiscussittogetherafterward?"
"ahaha.Asexpectedofelga.Youreallydoknowwell."
herewasalimittohowfaraheadsooneshouldcounttheirchickens.
hadnoideawhyheassudwouldautomaticallydiscussthebookwithhimafterfinishingit.
"oodgrief...Anyway,Reisirdoesn'tneedtohelpBigSisterigdís.onlybroughtitupbecausewonderedwhethertheYoungMastermightgetjealousof.Butthatdoesn'tseemtobethecase.famanlikeyoustartshelpingherinstead,wouldn'tthatchangethings?"
"Afteralltheti'vespentteachingigdíswhilesparring?owyou'resayingthat?"
"eachingsoonewhilecrossingweaponsandsittingshoulder-to-shoulderhelpingthemstudyarecompletelydifferentthings."
elgashookherheadfirmlyandwavedhimaway.
hessagewasobvious.
Shewouldhelpigdísherself,soheshouldmindhisownbusiness.
Reisirreluctantlyopenedhistextbookagain.
alsoraisedmynovelandresudreading.
venafterendingupinsideanovel,readingnovelsisstillfun.
Andifreadingwasstillenjoyable,thenwritingwouldsurelybeenjoyableaswell.
Soday,whenfinallyhadthefreedom,wantedtofinishthenovelhadbeenwritingbeforedied.
owthatknewworldsinsidenovelscouldtrulyexist,thedesirehadbecostrongerthanever.
Perhapsresponsibilitywastherightword.
Myworld.
Myprotagonist.
Mycharacters.
Astheirauthor,itwasmyresponsibilitytoguidethemalltowardahappyending.
"ookslikeit'sabouttifortoheadtotheparticipantwaitingarea.Savemyseatfor,allright?'llcobackonce'vefinishedwinningthechampionship."
Alongwhilelater,afterthegeneralspectatorshadfilledthestadiumandthesurroundingsbecanoisy,Reisirclosedhistextbookandstoodup.
Cotothinkofit,evenafterfinishinghisfourth-roundmatchyesterday,hehadcostraighttothestudentseatingareainsteadofreturningtotheparticipants'section.
tseedhegenuinelydislikedbeingalonewithidr.
otlongafterReisirleft,thehostappearedholdinganethermicrophone.
hehostfirststirreduptheaudience'ssenseofregretbyemphasizingthatthiswasthefinaldayofthetournant.
henheimdiatelyshiftedgearsandpushedanticipationtoitspeakbybringingupthechampionshipmatch.
eannouncedthattheday'sopeningeventwouldbethethird-placeplayoffforthefirst-yeardivision.
Althoughthefinalistshadalreadybeendecided,hedeclared,nextyearcouldbringentirelydifferentresults.
Asthespeechcontinued,thetwostudentsdefeatedbyReisirandidrthepreviousdaysteppedontothestage.
heywerebothoutstandingtalents.
aditnotbeenfortheexistenceoftwomonstersknownastheoriginalprotagonistandtheoriginalvillain,eitheroneofthemcouldeasilyhavereachedthefinals.
closedmynovel,leavingonlytenpagesunread,andfocusedonthearena.
hesightofthetwocombatantsdrawingouteveryounceoftheirpowerandabilitieswasmorethanenoughtokeeptheaudienceonedge.
Whenthematchconcluded,thunderousapplauseeruptedthroughoutthestadium.
nlyafterthecheersfinallysubsideddidthehostpickuptheethermicrophoneoncemore.
"owthen~!hemontwe'veallbeenwaitingfor!StudentidrramodversusStudentReisirDaudabiner!Fromtheveryfirstdayofthetournant,knewthesetwowouldetinthefinals!And'msuremanyofyouthoughtthesa!heirabilitieshavesimplybeentooexceptionaltoignore!"
Afterdeliveringalengthyandoverlydramaticintroduction,thehostbegandiscussingthestrengthsofbothfinalists.
Whenspeakingaboutidr,hepraisedhissolidswordsmanshipandhisabilitytodeployarthAttributetheratpreciselytherightmonts.
WhenspeakingaboutReisir,however,hefocusedentirelyonhisflashyandpowerfullightningabilities.
Whatnonsense.
Reisir'sspearsmanshipisvastlysuperiortoidr'sswordsmanship.
Whymakeitsoundasthoughhereachedthefinalssolelybecauseofhislightningabilities?
Questioningthehost'squalificationsasacomntator,foundmyselffrowning.
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