“Karbaldr. Even if you occasionally play pranks, I can let it slide thinking, ‘Well, that’s just how cats are,’ but not everyone can do that.”
This is a remark that makes one wonder if it’s okay to start a chapter like this.
The protagonist of another novel always spouts nonsense, but today it’s gone too far.
And on top of saying such things, why does he look so serious?
I unknowingly stopped walking and opened my mouth wide.
Even though I started the conversation to make use of the travel time, I couldn’t suppress my bewildered feelings.
“…I don’t even know what you’re trying to say, and moreover, it’s a remark that makes me doubt whether you’re in your right mind.”
“I meant that if you want to get close to Svein, it’d be best to refrain from being mischievous.
And my mind is perfectly fine right now.”
‘Why does he talk as if I want to be friends with Svein but am being tsundere because I’m embarrassed to approach?’
*’Judging from that, the protagonist of another novel is definitely out of his mind.
There’s no doubt about it.’*
“Why are you suddenly hugging Yorr with a scared expression and stepping backward?”
“It’s because I think you’ve gone crazy.
I’m scared the madness will rub off on me?”
“Puhaha! As expected, you’re so random.”
“……”
‘Why can’t he realize that it’s not me who’s random, but he who’s weird?’
I hugged the baby dragon tighter and shot a disgusted look at the protagonist of another novel.
‘Does he finally feel the need to explain his mental state?’
The protagonist of another novel brought up the reason for his misconception.
“During the mock battle lecture last time.
You gave the ‘Seasoning Set’ treasure note that you tried to protect to the end to Svein.
And you even deliberately waited in front of the no-combat zone to do it.”
“Surely… you don’t think that’s why I want to be friends with Svein?”
“No.
Through that, I could tell you don’t hate Svein, but the decisive reason is something else.”
*’Strictly speaking, I dislike Svein.
If in the original work he had fought on the protagonist’s side to the end and died, that would be different.
Or if he had been a villain with a tragic narrative and appealing character.
But Svein made ‘ordinariness’ his character, acted as the original protagonist’s friend, then suddenly betrayed.
And the reason for that was never revealed.
So understanding his actions was completely impossible.
On the other hand, it was too easy to empathize with Reysir’s feelings of grieving over a friend’s death and suffering from a bitter sense of betrayal.
The current Svein, who hasn’t betrayed yet, would feel terribly wronged if he knew…
but anyway, for the reasons above, I didn’t like Svein.
So Reysir’s argument was wrong from the premise.’*
Thus, I started walking again and replied in a relaxed tone.
“If you have any, go ahead and present it.”
“The way you treated me last year.
That’s the evidence.”
“You think I’m the type of person who decides to bully someone just because I want to be friends with them?!”
*’That’s not tsundere or anything.
It’s just having a nasty personality, unstable attachment, low self-esteem, or being emotionally immature…
Oh?
Is this tsundere?
Actually, this sounds a bit like Karbaldr…
No, of course Karbaldr didn’t bully Reysir because he wanted to be friends.
But isn’t there a possibility?
Karbaldr envied that he lived like family with the Bitnir father and daughter, and envy can be seen as a kind of admiration.
And considering that Karbaldr could have been a supporting character…
I’d better not think too deeply.
If I get infected by Reysir’s ‘Karbaldr = tsundere’ ideology, it’ll be a disaster.
I don’t know exactly what the disaster would be, but no means no.’*
“It might have been like that before, but I don’t think it is now.
Our relationship somehow worked out, but you must have realized that normally it would only become hostile.
Besides, your conscience must be making you uncomfortable.”
“If you think that, why did you bring up last year’s event as evidence?”
“I wasn’t talking about the first semester of first year.
You didn’t bully Svein, right?
You did interfere to keep him from getting close to me, and you showed displeasure, but there was a valid reason and you even explained it…
It’s ambiguous to call it bullying, isn’t it?”
*’Even so, the person involved might feel it’s bullying, so I felt awkward and uneasy.
This felt both relieving and like I shouldn’t just feel relieved.
It seems Reysir’s standards for me are too lenient.’*
“What I was referring to was your attitude in the second semester, not the first.
You acted unnaturally and tried to push me away.”
“You’re saying that attitude of mine back then is similar to how I treat Svein now?
That’s ridiculous…”
I tried to scoff and sneer, but stopped short.
Suddenly, I thought that the original protagonist might have a point.
*’Because back then, I was wary of getting close to Reysir to avoid being caught up in his misfortune and getting hurt by the original story.
And now, I’m wary of Svein because I’m afraid he’ll betray us like in the pre-remake version of the original work!
The anxiety from the original novel I read makes me keep my distance, and the fact that I can’t confide in anyone about it is very similar.’*
I fell silent for a moment, then met the eyes of the protagonist of another novel, who wore a triumphant expression.
“So you had no realization until now, but finally understood?”
*’It’s true I had no realization and only now understand.
But what that annoying guy thinks isn’t 100% correct.
In fact, it’s completely wrong.
I really don’t want to be friends with Svein.’*
“Even if I concede a hundred times, let’s say last year I treated you that way for no particular reason.”
“It wasn’t that there was no reason—you wanted to be friends with me but were too embarrassed to show it!”
“But in Svein’s case, it’s different.
I have a clear reason, and I genuinely dislike him, which is why I’m acting this way.”
“So you’re saying you had no reason and just did it because you liked me?”
“……”
“Sorry, I’ll stop joking and listen seriously.”
I’ll ignore the nonsense from the protagonist of another novel and continue the narration.
As I mentioned in the previous chapter, I expected Reysir to bring up the topic of Svein eventually.
So I had prepared an excuse that the original protagonist could reasonably accept.
But then.
‘”The reason I’m wary and keep my distance from that guy, Svein Od…”
Just as I was about to start explaining, the thought crossed my mind:
‘Is this okay?’
*’In chapter 170, I was extremely nervous and careful not to leave footprints on the expensive carpet.
In chapter 183, not only did I talk first to Reysir, a noble, I even asked him to teach me spearmanship.
And in the next chapter, when Reysir said we were the same age so speak casually, I accepted without hesitation.
Wouldn’t that seem like I respect objects more than people?
Should I criticize that he clearly sees me as easy to exploit and just wants to take advantage?
No matter that in chapter 182, Fjodra suggested that if I and Yorr made it rain, it would be efficient for Svein to control the rainwater.
At that time, I objected with displeasure.
But in chapter 196, during Professor Radvicin’s class, he spoke as if my ability was part of his skill.
Should I start by saying that he treated my feelings and opinions as less important than a carpet and trampled on them, and accuse him of being the kind of person who takes things from others too casually?
But using the fact that I was careful not to step on a carpet to slander him like that is just confirmation bias.
And I know best that it’s a narrative I’ve stitched together to suit myself.’*
*’So I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
To utter such speculative accusations even when the person isn’t present, and to advise him to keep his distance by saying that guy isn’t a good person—that’s just slander disguised as advice…!’*
*’I thought maybe the transfer student I mentioned in chapter 168 heard something similar and started avoiding me.
And if Reysir is convinced by my words and thinks of Svein as “that kind of person” and keeps his distance, then I’m no different from turning Reysir into the same kind of person as that transfer student.
…My stomach churns.
This is really the worst.
It’s not because I feel sorry for Svein, who will face hostility without knowing why.
It’s especially because I swallowed my prepared lines and didn’t say them just because I didn’t want to be the bad guy.’*
“Karbaldr…?
Why did you stop mid-sentence?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
“It doesn’t seem like nothing.
Your face suddenly went pale…”
“I suddenly felt a sense of self-loathing…”
“Huh?
What do you mean?”
*’To make such a slip of the tongue.
I must be really shaken.
I clenched my teeth too late, but he already heard the word “self-loathing.”
Not knowing what I was about to do to him, Reysir was busy checking my complexion with a worried face.’*
“..It really is nothing.
It’s just—just because I hate someone doesn’t justify passing that feeling on to others…
And come to think of it, my reason for hating him isn’t even that big of a deal…?
So don’t worry about it.”
“Earlier you were so confident that you had a clear reason, but now you’re changing your story, which only makes me more worried?”
*’As expected of the persistently thorough protagonist of another novel, he won’t just let it go.
Or… in this situation, anyone would do that?’*
“If it really bothers you that much… it’s up to you whether to get close to Svein, but still, opening your heart completely… no, maybe saying that is a bit much?
Then, um… don’t treat him the way you treat me.”
“Huh…?
What do you mean by that?”
“For example, don’t confess your secrets to him, don’t ask him for various advice… or swear that you’ll definitely protect him.
Don’t do that.”
“Oh…”
“And if possible… if what I say and what he says differ, or if we end up opposing each other, I hope you’ll trust me and take my side………….”
“Is that so?
So this is what you want from me, Karbaldr…?!”
The protagonist of another novel’s lips twitched and slowly began to curl upward.
I felt the temperature of my possession body rise accordingly.
I bit my lips shut, widened my stride, and walked quickly.
When we arrived at the entrance of the Academy’s back mountain, I said,
“I brought you here this early morning, so you must achieve meaningful results.
Got it?”
With this stern shout, I activated the 【Encourage】 skill.
So far, there’s nothing wrong.
Although recalling past memories made me a bit emotionally uneasy, it wasn’t Reysir triggering my trauma—it was my own self-sabotage.
This is not the reason I mentioned in the previous chapter about Reysir making a difficult request.
“Karbaldr?
Suddenly I feel sick too…
This can’t be…?”
About ten minutes into walking along the mountain path, the original protagonist complained of queasiness with an ominous expression.
If only it had been a mood issue like mine earlier.
“Tsk, damn it…”
The cause was the precursor phenomenon of magicalization.
Kar finally realize he is indeed a Tsundere!
Tsundere + Obsessed + Author traits all in one chapter, glorious.