“Why are you like that? Did I do something wrong?”
“Hmph.”
The Protagonist of Another Novel had moved and stepped right into my field of vision, forcing me to turn my head once again.
It was around that time that Fjodra gathered her teammates together.
Soon after, a transparent, turquoise barrier enveloped them.
‘She must have used the [Wind Mastery] skill to block out sound. The reason would be to conduct a strategy meeting.’
‘Was it because the Original Protagonist realized this as well? Despite my repeated snubs, he opened his mouth to speak to me again.
“Shouldn’t we have a strategy meeting, too?”
“Just because we can’t hear the opposing team doesn’t mean they can’t hear us.”
“Then we can just write it down.”
In the previous battle, Reysir had personally taken the ribbons from all the members of the opposing team, except for Liolikin, whom it was impossible to take a ribbon from without knocking him unconscious.
Although he didn’t face them all at once and took them down one by one…
‘Still, it doesn’t change the fact that it was an incredible performance, worthy of the original protagonist!’
In the battle scheduled to take place ten minutes from now, it was obvious he would sweep up the opposing team’s ribbons with irresistible force.
However, it would be a lapse in plausibility for Reysir to handle the entire opposing team by himself right now.
Marking some of them would be the mission for Yor and me.
And the one who decided which individuals Yor and I should handle was the original author, Senna…
‘It will be reflected through the contents of the opposing team’s strategy meeting!’
Since setting up a strategy was useless anyway, I didn’t see the need to waste energy by racking my brain.
It was much better to spend that time spying on the opposing team’s movements to find out who was going to deal with Yor and me.
“Why don’t you just think about it yourself and let me know?”
I waved my hand dismissively, throwing those half-hearted words at the Protagonist of Another Novel.
Meanwhile, I carefully observed the lip movements of those surrounded by the transparent turquoise barrier.
Because they were gathered in a circle, some of them had their backs to me or had their faces obscured by others.
However, Fjodra, who was leading the strategy meeting, had her lip movements clearly visible, so there was no problem.
‘Hmm… So… Pret and Fjodra, the two of them, are going to take my ribbon as quickly as possible? While Liolikin, Lausa, and Hailga hold out while keeping Reysir in check?’
If my ribbon was taken, according to the rule that those not wearing a ribbon cannot participate in the battle, I would have to withdraw the buffs I had placed on Reysir.
If they were lucky, they could even take Reysir’s ribbon.
Even if he managed to protect his ribbon and flee, Vigdis and Svein, who hadn’t received buffs, wouldn’t be much help.
They would have no choice but to waste time waiting until I returned.
“Even if Ms. Hailga and Ms. Risi have their ribbons taken, if we succeed in taking Senior Karbaldr’s ribbon…”
The moment Fjodra spoke those words, Pret raised his hand and stopped her, saying, “Wait a moment!” Then, he stared straight at me and moved his lips.
“Senior Karbaldr, I see you know how to read lips?”
The moment I read those lip movements, my shoulders flinched reflexively.
I saw Fjodra’s surprised expression as she hurried to cover her mouth.
And the person standing next to me witnessed this scene as well.
“What’s this? Pret, why is he suddenly looking at you with that sinister expression? And why is the Imperial Princess so surprised?”
The Protagonist of Another Novel asked, his voice tinged with both displeasure and curiosity.
Whether he heard the voice or read the lips, Pret made a face as if he were being treated unfairly and mouthed the following words.
“I was simply admiring Senior Karbaldr’s versatility, but to call it sinister… Senior Reysir, you’re really too much.”
“What on earth is he saying right now…?”
“He says you’re being too much for calling his look of admiration ‘sinister.'”
“……Eh?!”
Since I had already been caught knowing how to read lips, I satisfied the Original Protagonist’s curiosity.
Then, this time, Reysir looked at me with his eyes wide in surprise.
“How do you know that?!”
“I read his lips.”
“You can do that, too?!”
“I learned it during the break.”
“Why??”
“Just because I thought it would be useful?”
“It certainly is useful…”
He was nodding and speaking as if he understood, but Reysir’s face was full of bewilderment.
He still didn’t seem to understand why I had learned lip reading.
Instead of explaining the reason in detail, I shifted my gaze back to the front to observe the opposing team.
All the members of the opposing team, including Fjodra, were covering their mouths with their hands.
When I clicked my tongue, *tsk*, at that action which was clearly intended to prevent strategic leaks, Reysir asked me yet another question.
“Then you…! Was the reason you told me to come up with a strategy on my own because you were focusing on reading the opposing team’s lip movements?”
“Well, something like that. Though it’s become meaningless since I got caught.”
“It’s not meaningless. It’s a great harvest to have found out even a part of the opposing team’s strategy.”
“It’s highly likely they’ll scrap that strategy and come up with a new one.”
“But it’s not like there’s zero chance they’ll just use that strategy because they can’t find another way.”
That made sense. So, I shared what I had discovered by reading Fjodra’s lips with Reysir. However, to quickly reveal the result, this also turned out to be meaningless.
When all the members of the opposing team tied their turquoise ribbons around their necks, the only person who rushed toward me was Pret.
Even if it was slower compared to facing me with Fjodra, it wasn’t impossible for Pret alone to take my ribbon.
‘Did they redistribute their strength in a way that could definitely hold Reysir back?’ Or…
‘Assuming that Yor would help me, they only sent Pret to me. Is their main goal to concentrate as much power as possible on Reysir and take his ribbon?’
Whether it was Reysir or me, if even one of us had our ribbon taken, our team wouldn’t be able to resume the battle, so it was possible they had changed targets.
Furthermore, in such a situation, if Reysir took Fjodra’s and Hailga’s ribbons and then brushed off Liolikin to come and help me before they could re-equip their ribbons…
‘In contrast to me, who can barely hold out against Pret even with my Familiar’s help, Reysir’s strength as the protagonist will stand out even more!’
Even if the opposing team changed their target for a concentrated attack, the task for Yor and me remained the same.
All I had to do was protect my ribbon and hold out until Reysir came to take Pret’s ribbon.
Then, at the point when the Original Protagonist took the ribbons of Fjodra, Hailga, and Pret, the scores would be equal.
If we took Risi’s ribbon, we would be one point ahead and succeed in a comeback.
Even if the opposing team re-equipped their ribbons and attacked again to protect Risi’s, it didn’t matter. It would only serve to highlight the scene where Reysir takes those ribbons as well and secures the victory.
However…
‘Why is Pret acting so passively?’
Even if the target wasn’t me but Reysir, it would be much more advantageous to take my ribbon first and then help with the attack on Reysir.
Since we had clashed once, he couldn’t not know that entering close combat would be to his advantage.
For some reason, Pret didn’t try to close the distance.
He only moved back and forth appropriately within the range of his whip.
No matter how I thought about it, he was clearly stalling for time.
‘What on earth is he aiming for…?’
Just as I began to feel that his grinning face was indeed “sinister,” as Reysir had described it, Pret suddenly leaped back and took a deep breath.
It was the preparatory movement for shouting something loudly.
Even if only to find out his scheme, I needed to hear what he had to say.
So, the moment I controlled the flow of the Sky-Blue Aether and stopped the [Character Analysis] skill, a ridiculously absurd remark pierced my ears, enough to make my mind blank out for a moment.
“Ah! Senior Karbaldr, did you just wink at me?!”
“What?!”
“What do you mean…?”
Because the words were so unrealistic that I doubted I had heard correctly, I stood there blankly, chewing over Pret’s statement.
Only then did I realize that someone else had reacted before me, shouting, “What?!”
And at that moment, the owner of that voice — .
“Ah…!”
He had his ribbon taken as the price for being distracted by Pret’s nonsense. As his teammate, I could only stand there with my jaw dropped in shock.
“Wow, Senior Karbaldr. No matter how much you want to win, you shouldn’t act cute and ask your junior to go easy on you. This is training, isn’t it?”
Pret’s ridiculous remarks grated on my nerves even more while I was already feeling flabbergasted. I felt a surge of anger.
“Don’t talk nonsense!! When on earth did I ever wink at you or act cute?!”
“Aha! Now that I think about it, maybe you didn’t??”
The sight of him winking as he said that awakened a violence within me I didn’t even know I possessed.
However, knowing that Pret was merely carrying out a ‘strategy’ as an enemy, I turned my anger toward my teammate who had fallen for such a low-grade and incredibly clumsy strategy.
“Why on earth did you react to such nonsense?!”
“It’s not entirely impossible… I thought some dust might have gotten in one eye, making it look like you were winking…”
“In the first place, why were you even trying to watch dust get in my eye?!”
“I wasn’t trying to watch the dust get in…”
“If you’re going to keep making such pathetic excuses, just don’t say anything at all!”
“……”
“……”
I was huffing and puffing, glaring at the silent Protagonist of Another Novel, when Fjodra and Lausa were suddenly enveloped in turquoise light.
The moment I saw that, I realized.
The opposing team’s strategy didn’t end with taking Reysir’s ribbon.
‘They’re planning to take the ribbons of Vigdis and Svein, who are heading this way, too!’
The Protagonist of Another Novel seemed to have realized this as well, as he began running frantically toward our team’s Starting Point.
If he could meet the two of them before Fjodra did and return to the Starting Point together, he would be able to protect them after re-equipping his ribbon. However…
‘It’s physically impossible!’
No matter how fast Reysir could run, catching up to Fjodra, who moved using [Space Leap], would be difficult.
And catching up to Lausa, who even had the ability to fly, would be completely impossible — .
“That’s unfortunate. Since Senior Reysir had his ribbon taken, he can’t pick up Senior Karbaldr and run away.”
“……”
“Will you hand over the ribbon obediently, or should ‘we’ take it?”
It was also impossible for me to protect my ribbon.
Although I didn’t give up and fought as hard as I could alongside Yor, in the end, I had no choice but to surrender one more ribbon into the hands of the opposing team.
Reysir 🤦