“I’ll forgive you since you seem to be sincerely reflecting,” I said.
“Phew… what a relief. I was actually debating whether I should slam my head against the floor or not.”
Even though I spoke with an arrogant tone about granting forgiveness, Reysir Daudabina did not find it offensive. Instead, he simply breathed a sigh of relief and even let those words slip.
‘Did I forgive him too quickly? If I told him to slam his head against the floor even now, would he do it?’
It was only natural for such a thought to flash through my mind. However, taking back my forgiveness after already granting it would look far too petty. Besides, what would be the point of watching the protagonist of another novel bash his head against the ground?
So, I simply asked a follow-up question.
“By the way… did you say you were planning to stay holed up in the library today to finish reading through the materials on magnetic fields?”
“That was the plan, but it’s not a must. I’ve already skimmed through most of the materials. Even if I open a new book, it’s just a repetition of things I’ve already read.”
If, by any chance, the original author was currently observing and narrating our conversation, then if we moved to the library together, there was a possibility that the author’s gaze would follow us.
‘That’s why I was going to send Reysir to the library first and then head there one hour later…’
I suddenly felt that by then, Reysir might have already left. He had rejected the professors who requested a duel by claiming he had materials to look up in the library, but seeing him now, I suspected it was just an excuse to get some private training or rest.
It was a good thing I asked just in case.
Thinking it was fortunate, I quickly spoke up to keep Reysir occupied in the library for at least another hour.
“Did you not feel anything while reading those materials?”
“I mean, if you want to play together, I’m totally down to… wait, what?”
Because I spoke before he could finish his sentence, our voices overlapped. It seemed Reysir thought I wanted to hang out with him but was too embarrassed to say it directly.
What an absurd misunderstanding.
“…What was I supposed to feel?” Reysir asked with a sheepish face when I stared at him with an incredulous expression.
It was the reaction of someone who realized they had made a mistake. I tilted my chin up arrogantly, looking down at Reysir—who was slightly shorter than my possession body—and parted my lips.
“The fact that your lightning attribute is not merely an offensive ability with high destructive power, but can be utilized in a much broader range of fields.”
“Could it be…! Did you look into ways I can use my ability besides forming magnetic fields??”
Even though I deliberately took a condescending and dismissive attitude, the protagonist of another novel did not back down in the slightest. No, far from that, he seemed so genuinely happy that it was almost perplexing.
“I didn’t look into it specifically… as I mentioned before, I simply know a few methods of application that are within the realm of common sense.”
“Not just one, but several…?!”
“I already told you about one, didn’t I?”
“The magnetic field, right? Then what about the rest?”
“……”
The way he spoke with a beaming grin was so annoying that I wanted to snap at him to figure it out himself. However, I suspected it would be impossible for Reysir to discover the applications of his lightning power on his own. It is impossible for a character to come up with an idea that doesn’t exist in the author’s mind.
‘And in the pre-remake version of Nas-e, the original protagonist couldn’t use his lightning abilities in diverse ways!’
Even as his skill rank increased, only his destructive power grew. He couldn’t refine that power to use it in different manners. It wasn’t much different now. Despite being presented with the new method of using ‘Magnetic Fields’, he hadn’t even thought about looking for another application.
‘I suppose I have no choice but to intervene and spoon-feed him the hints.’
I originally intended to tell him one by one once he could handle magnetic fields to some degree. But since I needed to tie him down to the library today, I decided to give him something to study.
“Most living creatures, including humans, move their bodies and transmit sensations through electrical signals, don’t they? So, if you can sense even these minute bio-signals, you’ll be able to pinpoint the location of enemies who are hiding or far away.”
“If that becomes possible, I won’t have to worry about being ambushed?!”
“Well, I suppose. And as you study bio-signals, you might even be able to stimulate your own nerves with electrical currents to improve your reaction speed or muscular strength…”
“You do give me buffs, but having another way to increase my stats wouldn’t be a bad thing. I could use it in emergencies!”
“……”
“And I also think it might be possible to generate plasma by ionizing air molecules.”
“You’re going to do what to air molecules?”
The protagonist of another novel had been tossing out a comment or two every time I suggested a use, but he suddenly froze with a blank expression. In the modern world outside this novel, plasma is used in various fields, so its existence is generally known to the public. However, in this novel’s world, the concept of plasma itself was foreign, which likely caused such a reaction.
“Look into plasma slowly. You’ll need to be able to handle magnetic fields to stabilize it anyway.”
“Is that also common sense?”
“It is.”
“Karbaldr… you sure have a very broad range of common sense, don’t you?”
Of course, I do. It’s because I’ve mastered not only the common sense of this novel’s world but also the common sense of the world outside. Being a fantasy novel author allows one to encounter a lot of miscellaneous knowledge.
But since I couldn’t say that…
“It’s just that your common sense is lacking. So, throw away that arrogance of thinking you’ve skimmed through most of the materials and go rot in the library while you study.”
I scolded the protagonist of another novel with those words for no reason. Nevertheless, instead of scowling, the other party just kept grinning. He must have mistaken my words for me being a tsundere, acting embarrassed after being caught lying about ‘common sense’ when I had actually studied specifically for him.
At that thought, a wave of shame washed over me, and I felt my face heating up. So, I stood up abruptly while holding Yor and spoke.
“…Then, I shall head back to the dormitory.”
“You’re not going to the library with me?”
“And why should I…?!”
“Well, to help me with my studies?”
“……”
For a moment, I was flustered, wondering if he had noticed my scheme to keep him tied to the library. However, Reysir’s subsequent answer only left me feeling bewildered. But even that feeling didn’t last long before it flipped again, because he added the following:
“Is that not it? If you were planning to go to the private training hall right after breakfast, you would have been wearing training clothes. But since you’re in your school uniform and asking about my schedule, I thought you were planning to go to the library with me.”
As expected of the original protagonist, he was unnecessarily sharp.
“I was just going to rest this morning…”
“Ah, is that so? Rest is important too! Good call!”
“……”
“Then get some good rest, and I’ll see you at lunch!”
“………”
Reysir waved his hand vigorously and ran off toward the library. I quietly watched his retreating figure, let out a deep sigh, and sat back down on the bench.
Since the protagonist of another novel had exited first, there was no need to go through the trouble of returning to the dormitory and coming back out. Moreover, this happened to be a place where extras didn’t usually venture. It was perfect for quietly stroking Yor and getting lost in thought.
That was why I had decided to sit back down and spend about an hour planning the development of Hoe-ak-bang before heading to the library…
“You told Senior Reysir that you were going back to the dormitory, so what are you doing here? Did you notice I was hiding? Is that why you mentioned sensing people through bio-signals?”
The moment I thought no one was around, a sly voice came from right beside me. Startled, I turned my head and saw the face of an individual with carrot-colored hair. Before I could even calm my racing heart, I had to catch my breath in another shock.
“Oh? Didn’t you promise Senior Reysir during last Friday’s lecture that you’d scream if you got surprised? Is it a reflexive reaction that’s hard to fix? But I think you’re fine as you are. A scream is a signal for help, but at the same time, it’s the worst thing you can do because it draws in enemies.”
Pret spoke incessantly while standing in a very uncomfortable-looking posture, leaning forward with his arms resting on the back of the bench. He must have been eavesdropping on my conversation with Reysir from somewhere behind us, then slinked out to approach me once Reysir left.
“Bringing up bio-signals had nothing to do with you… though I did keep the possibility of you following us in mind. You seem to have a lot of interest in other people’s business.”
In truth, I hadn’t kept it in mind at all. Pret was the future head of the world’s best information guild. Following someone just to watch Reysir apologize to me would be an excessive waste of talent, wouldn’t it?
However, my pride wouldn’t let me admit that so easily, so I stiffened my neck and lied. Fortunately, the other party didn’t try to test if my words were true and simply admitted it.
“Aha! You’re right. I am that type. You saw right through me.”
“If you’ve eavesdropped on someone else’s conversation, you should have just disappeared quietly. Why did you reveal yourself?”
“I wanted to tell you that I can’t join you for lunch today. Someone gave me an errand, so I have to go outside for a bit.”
Come to think of it, he had private lessons from Skadi from yesterday afternoon until evening, so he wouldn’t have had time to handle things outside. Therefore, I had no complaints about him not even having started the task I requested yesterday morning.
“Did you only tell this to me?”
“I did mention it to the others when we got up after finishing our meal… why? Would it be troublesome if people knew we met alone to talk about my personal schedule?”
“Is it not safer to avoid personal contact as much as possible to keep our transaction a secret?”
“Not at all. Two people who aren’t even close meeting secretly away from others’ eyes is suspicious no matter how you look at it, right? That’s why it’s better to build a rapport. That way, no one will doubt our relationship even if I openly visit your room or if you come to find me.”
He wasn’t wrong. However…
“I have no intention of letting you into my room or visiting yours… and Reysir is already suspicious of your identity. If you and I have frequent personal contact, he will surely realize that I have placed a request with you.”
“I didn’t exactly hide my identity perfectly, but even then, he wouldn’t be able to be sure if I just deny it, would he? As long as Senior Karbaldr doesn’t leak my identity to Senior Reysir, that is.”
“There is no way I would do such a thing, is there? If I did, Reysir would find out that I contacted you behind his back…”
If he found out, he would not only nag about how dangerous it was, but he would also express worry and disappointment about why I didn’t bring him along when meeting someone as suspicious as Pret. Furthermore, it was obvious he would persistently demand to know what kind of conversation I had with Pret.
Therefore.
“You’d better not let it slip to Reysir that I already knew who you were.”
—I gave Pret this warning.