“I’d like to let you rest more… but it’s about time we moved, isn’t it?”
About five minutes had passed since they started resting?
Valtraus let go of the familiar he had been holding and stood up, opening his mouth.
The cheetah-form familiar, which had been half-lying down, also put its four paws on the ground and stood up.
Though its breathing had returned, there was no way its stamina had recovered in just five minutes.
Rascatl’s eyes and posture clearly showed signs of fatigue.
Valtraus’s gaze as he looked at his familiar was full of pity.
“I’ll feed you lots of delicious treats when we get back, so hang in there a little more.”
His tone as he said this was filled with tenderness.
Suddenly, a question came to mind.
- Concern
‘How could someone capable of this be so heartless and cruel to his own younger brother, never once showing pity or embracing him?’
It seems I’ve ended up empathizing too much with Karbaldr’s feelings and situation.
The fundamental reason is probably because the original author set it that “Karbaldr has never received love or attention from anyone.”
Seeing that I came up with such a question unconsciously even though I knew this fact well.
I forcibly cut off my thoughts and tried to focus on the current situation.
Rascatl, encouraged by his master’s words, gathered strength and activated the [Giantification] skill once more.
Valtraus gripped the whip in his hand.
This was likely to use the skill again because the buff’s duration had ended during the break.
‘Cracking the whip makes a loud sound, but there’s no way monsters will be drawn by it, right? Even though the lightning Reysir created fell with a thunderous roar, the normal golems didn’t react at all. They were still scattered in piles of stones, only gathering together when we approached, didn’t they? So I’m sure they won’t react to Valtraus’s whip sound, but…’
I said this and stopped Valtraus.
“Please wait a moment.”
Of course, it wasn’t because I was worried about the sound, but for another reason.
“Wasn’t it urgent?”
“It is urgent. That’s why…”
When I said it was urgent but hesitated instead of quickly saying what I had to, a questioning look settled on the other’s face.
Valtraus frowned as if frustrated but didn’t urge me.
Instead, he glanced at his familiar, seeming to think it was fortunate that Rascatl could rest a bit more like this.
But just because the other was laid-back didn’t mean I could be too.
After taking a deep breath, I uttered what I needed to say now.
“Well, that is. Since you came here to help me, please do your best and try harder.”
“What, what?! I risked danger to help you because I thought I had wronged you! Not only do you not thank me, but you pick a fight with sarcasm?! There’s a limit to tolerating rudeness…”
“That’s not it! What I just said was just something I had to say to satisfy the skill’s activation condition.”
Hearing my words, Valtraus forgot his anger and blinked with a look of bewilderment and confusion.
I guessed that the readers probably thought, “What is that nonsense?” after reading my lines.
But those quick on the uptake probably realized.
That the ‘skill’ I just mentioned referred to [Encourage].
“…There’s a skill whose activation condition is picking a quarrel? Did you get some kind of taunt skill? Even setting aside how you got such a skill, why did you use it on me?”
“It’s not a taunt skill. It’s a buff skill that draws out the other’s potential through words.”
Among the [Encourage] skill’s description, there is a line: “The narrative flows with the author’s sentences, and the characters move forward.”
Since the skill’s name is [Encourage].
It would be common interpretation that this ‘sentence’ refers to ‘words of encouragement.’
‘But anyway, the important thing is that it draws out the target’s potential to allow them to display power beyond their current ability, right?’
And encouragement isn’t just about saying nice things.
Sometimes, encouragement mixed with provocation can lift someone who’s about to give up.
From that perspective, what I just said also satisfies the activation condition of the [Encourage] skill without any deficiency.
And I actually felt that the skill activated properly.
“A skill that draws out potential by provoking anger? What kind of skill is that?”
“There are other methods too… but no, this isn’t important, so let’s move on. Anyway, the effect is to strengthen Aether Attribute skills.”
“What?! Is that really true?!”
At my words, Valtraus opened his eyes wide in surprise.
I gave a slight nod toward him.
Meanwhile, I inwardly encouraged myself with an ordinary “Let’s do our best, fighting!” and then applied the Aether attribute skill enhancement buff.
And quickly used the [Encourage] skill as well.
“Since my proficiency is still low, you might find it hard to feel the change in Aether without concentrating, but you’ll know right away when you use the skill.”
Currently, the enhancement effect obtainable from the [Encourage] skill is only 1.11 times.
Compared to when I first learned of this skill through the status window, it has only increased by 0.01.
Even so, I revealed the existence of the [Encourage] skill to Valtraus and used it because this skill synergizes well with the [Elation] skill.
‘After all, both are multiplier increase skills. It’s practically like stacking two [Elation] skills!’
It’s a pity that the [Encourage] skill’s proficiency is still terribly low, but a 1.11x additional increase in stats is clearly a significant value.
I don’t know for sure, but Rascatl’s strength and agility stats are around 200~300, maybe even higher, so even more so.
“Hmm… It feels like I have more strength than usual, but also not…”
Valtraus, who had activated the [Elation] skill by swinging the whip, muttered with an uncertain expression.
This time too, he granted me that buff, so I opened the status window to check the stat increase.
The [Encourage] skill was properly applied.
And yet Valtraus didn’t feel a big difference…
“It’s probably because your body isn’t very well-trained. Your familiar will be different.”
“…Let’s get going. Get on quickly.”
Valtraus made a slightly vexed expression but couldn’t refute, so he quickly changed the subject and climbed onto his familiar’s back.
Instead of continuing the conversation, I sat behind him and steeled myself mentally.
Because I knew the familiar’s speed would be faster than before.
I must not let my guard down just because Rascatl is tired.
In Chapter 28, didn’t we conclude through experiments on the research student seniors that reapplying a buff gives a pseudo-stamina recovery effect?
Sure enough, Rascatl proved the effectiveness of the [Encourage] skill with even greater speed than before.
And that wasn’t all.
It even managed to successfully bring me to the location where the main supporting characters of the original work were.
And before the boss raid started.
“Gi… giant cat…?!”
“Rather than a cat… shouldn’t we call it a cheetah?”
“Whoa! It’s a giant cheetah…!”
They must have been surprised when a huge beast suddenly ran at tremendous speed, kicking up a cloud of dust, and came to a sudden stop.
The protagonist of another novel blurted out an absurd statement in a dazed voice.
Hailga corrected her childhood friend’s words in a bewildered tone, and Liolikin screamed in fear…
“Surely it’s not a new monster…?!”
The betrayer of the original work spouted even greater nonsense than the protagonist of another novel.
“�� must be a familiar belonging to Senior Karbaldr’s family. Its fur is pure white and its eyes are purple, and above all, a person who looks like Senior Karbaldr is riding on its back, right?”
“Long time no see, Young Lord Valtraus.”
Pret corrected his schoolmate’s misconception.
Fjodra acknowledged the person just mentioned.
“Yes. It’s been a while, Your Highness the First Imperial Princess. This is the first time since the New Year’s celebration banquet.”
Valtraus dismounted from Rascatl’s back, stood on the ground, and bowed.
For reference, around this time I had also gotten off the ground, but I couldn’t stand properly.
Because Rascatl’s speed had increased even further, motion sickness symptoms had rushed back.
“Karbaldr! Are you okay?!”
It seems he only now noticed me because I was clinging tightly to Valtraus’s back.
Reysir quickly came over and supported me.
Normally I would have reflexively pushed him away, but unfortunately I was too dizzy from motion sickness to do so.
I couldn’t kneel on the ground here.
Even when I dry-heaved with a “Ugh…!”, I was grateful that he didn’t recoil in shock.
“Don’t… pat my back… It makes me feel worse…”
“Ah, sorry.”
The hand that was patting my back changed to a light stroking motion.
It’s not like that settles my stomach, so he could just leave his hand still.
“By the way, where is Yor?”
Perhaps he noticed that my condition was due to simple motion sickness, Reysir calmly looked around and noticed Yor’s absence.
Come to think of it, I didn’t know how to get the baby dragon out of the Yeouiju.
‘Yor shook the Yeouiju to take things out, so would it work if I did the same?’
Thinking inwardly that I wished Yor would come out now, I lightly shook the wrist wearing the Cintamani bracelet.
Then Yor popped out as if he had been waiting.
The bracelet also returned to its original form, fitting snugly into the baby dragon’s hand.
“That orb had such a function too?!”
“I only found out today too.”
Was he feeling guilty for resting comfortably inside the Yeouiju while I endured on the running cheetah’s back?
As soon as he came out of the Yeouiju, Yor grabbed my wrist and pressed firmly on the acupoint that is said to relieve motion sickness.
Not with his sharp claws, but by bending his fingers and using the knuckles.
‘Now I feel a bit better!’
Yor’s hands are healing hands.
Just as I was regaining normal condition thanks to the baby dragon.
“Um, well… Ah, hello…?”
Vigdis hesitated as she approached Valtraus and greeted him.
In reality, the engagement is scheduled to be broken off, but that is a secret for now.
Since she was still maintaining the status of the possession body’s fiancée, she couldn’t pretend not to see Valtraus, her prospective (fake) brother-in-law.
“You are… Karbaldr’s fiancée, right?”
“Yes. I am Vigdis Shalbrady.”
“Long time no see.”
“Yes.”
“By any chance…”
“Yes?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
“Yes.”
Fortunately for Vigdis, the conversation didn’t continue long.
I’m curious what Valtraus was about to say to her, but there must be a reason he stopped himself.
For instance, a question about the fake memory loss, or a question about how I regard my family.
‘Wait! Come to think of it, since Vigdis is here, wouldn’t it have been fine to deny the word ‘friend’?‘
If I had just said it was because of the fiancée, Valtraus would have understood.
After all, Vigdis is only the possession body’s fiancée, never my fiancée.
I didn’t think of that excuse.
Reysir is just using this as cuddle time lol