This Novel is not my Chapter 118: Main Competition (18)

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.