This Novel is not my Novel

Since you seem to be sincerely reflecting, I shall forgive you."

"Phew~, that's a relief. I was wondering if I should have slammed my head on the ground."

Even though I had spoken of forgiveness with an arrogant attitude, Reisir did not take offense.

On the contrary, not only did he sigh in relief, but he even said something like that.

Did I forgive him too quickly? If I told him to slam his head on the ground now, would he do it?

For a moment, it was only natural for such a thought to cross my mind.

However, taking back my forgiveness would seem incredibly petty, and besides, what's the point of watching the protagonist of someone else's novel slam his head on the ground?

So, I simply asked a follow-up question.

"Be that as it may... Did you say you were planning on holing up in the library all day to devour the materials on magnetic fields?"

"That was the plan, but it's not like I absolutely have to. I've already skimmed through most of the materials. Even when I open new books, it's just the same old content repeating itself."

If, by some chance, the original author was currently observing and narrating our conversation...

And we went to the library together, there was a chance the original author's gaze would follow.

That's why I was planning to send Reisir to the library first and follow an hour later...

It occurred to me that by then, Reisir might have already left the library.

He had declined sparring requests from the professors, saying he had materials to look up in the library today.

But now, it seemed like he might have just made an excuse because he wanted to do some personal training or rest.

Good thing I asked, just in case.

Thinking it was a relief, I hurriedly opened my mouth to keep Reisir tied to the library for at least an hour.

"While reading those materials, did you not feel anything at all?"

"So you're saying if you ask me to hang out, I can totally do that... huh?"

Our voices overlapped since the other party hadn't completely finished speaking.

It seemed Reisir thought I wanted to hang out with him but was too embarrassed to say it directly, so I was beating around the bush.

Talk about a misunderstanding.

"...What was I supposed to feel?"

As I stared blankly at him with a dumbfounded expression, Reisir asked this question with an awkward look on his face.

It was the reaction of someone who had realized their mistake.

I arrogantly lifted my chin, gazing down upon the slightly shorter Reisir, and parted my lips.

"That your Lightning Attribute isn't just a destructive offensive ability, but something that can be used in a much wider variety of fields."

"No way...! Besides forming a magnetic field, you looked into other ways to use my ability for me??"

Even though I had deliberately taken on a condescending and dismissive attitude, the protagonist of someone else's novel didn't cower in the slightest.

No, it went beyond that; he looked so overjoyed that I was even a little flustered.

"I didn't look into it separately... As I said before, I just happen to know a few ways to use it at a common-sense level."

"Not just one, but a few...?!"

"I already told you one, didn't I?"

"The magnetic field, right? Then what are the others?"

"......"

The way he spoke with a smirking grin was so annoying that, if I had my way, I would have snapped at him to figure it out himself.

But I conjectured that it would probably be impossible for Reisir to discover the applications of his Lightning Attribute on his own.

After all, it's impossible for a character to come up with an idea that isn't in the author's head.

And in the pre-remake 《NaSE》, the original protagonist couldn't use his Lightning Attribute in various ways.

Even when his skill grade increased, only its destructive power grew.

He couldn't process that power to use it in other ways.

It's not much different now.

In that, even after a new method of use called a "magnetic field" was presented, he didn't think to look for other applications.

I guess I have no choice but to intervene directly and spoon-feed him hints.

Originally, I had planned to tell him one by one once he could handle a magnetic field to some extent.

But since I had to keep him tied to the library today, I decided to throw him something to study.

"Living creatures, including people, move their bodies and transmit senses through electrical signals, don't they? So, if you could detect even these faint bio-signals, you could pinpoint the location of hidden or distant enemies."

"If that becomes possible, then there'd be no threat of being ambushed?!"

"Well... I suppose so. And as you study bio-signals, it will likely become possible to stimulate your own nerves with electric current to improve your reaction speed or physical strength..."

"You do give me buffs, but there's no harm in having another way to raise my stats. I can use it in an emergency!"

"And I think it might be possible to generate plasma by ionizing air molecules..."

"Ionizing... air molecules to do what?"

The protagonist of someone else's novel, who had been throwing in a comment or two every time I suggested an application, suddenly paused and made a dumbfounded expression.

In the modern era outside this novel, plasma is used in various fields, so its existence is widely known even to ordinary people.

But in this world within the novel, the very concept of plasma is alien, which must have prompted that reaction.

"Look into plasma slowly. You'll need to be able to handle a magnetic field to stabilize it anyway."

"Is that common sense, too?"

"It is."

"Karvaldr... you have a very broad range of common sense, don't you?"

That's obvious.

Because I've mastered not only the common sense of this world within the novel but also the common sense of the world outside it.

And playing the part of a fantasy novel author, you end up encountering a lot of miscellaneous knowledge.

But since I couldn't say all that literally...

"It's probably because your common sense is lacking. So hurry up and throw out that arrogant notion that you've skimmed through most of the materials, and go hole yourself up in the library and study."

I deliberately gave the protagonist of someone else's novel a hard time with those words.

Despite that, the other party didn't even frown and just kept smiling cheerfully.

He must have mistaken my words as me acting like a tsundere out of embarrassment after being called out for pretending my separately studied knowledge was common sense.

At that thought, I felt a wave of shame, and my face grew hot.

So, I held Yor, shot up from my seat, and uttered these words.

"...Well then, I'll be returning to my dormitory."

"You're not coming to the library with me?"

"Why would I do that...?!"

"Well, to help me study?"

"......"

I was flustered for a moment, thinking he'd seen through my ploy to keep him in the library.

But Reisir's subsequent reply left me bewildered.

However, that feeling also didn't last long and was overturned once more, because the other party added the following words.

"Am I wrong? If you were planning to go to the personal training ground right after breakfast, you would've been wearing your training uniform. But you were in your school uniform when you asked about my schedule, so I thought you were planning to go to the library with me?"

Annoyingly sharp, just like an original protagonist.

"This morning... I was just planning to rest..."

"Oh, is that so? Rest is important too! That's a great idea!"

"......"

"Well then, get some good rest, and I'll see you at lunch later!"

"........."

Reisir waved his hand enthusiastically and ran off in the direction of the library.

I watched his retreating back for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and sat back down on the bench.

Since the protagonist of someone else's novel had left first, there was no need to go through the trouble of returning to the dormitory and coming back out.

Besides, this place just so happened to be a spot that extras didn't frequent.

It was the perfect place to quietly get lost in thought while stroking Yor.

So I decided to sit back down, planning to conceptualize the plot of How a Repentant Villain Saves the World for about an hour before heading to the library, but...

"You told Senior Reisir you were going back to the dormitory, so what are you doing here? Did you, by any chance, notice I was hiding? Is that why you brought up being able to detect hidden people with bio-signals?"

The moment I thought no one was around, a sly voice came from right beside me.

Startled, I turned my head, and the face of a person with carrot-colored hair entered my field of vision.

Without even a moment to calm my startled heart, I was surprised once again and had to hold my breath.

"Oh? During last Friday's lecture, didn't you and Senior Reisir promise you'd scream when you're surprised? Is it a reflexive reaction that's hard to fix right away? But I don't think this is so bad. A scream is a signal for help, but it's also the worst thing you can do, since it can attract enemies."

Pret bent his waist, leaning his upper body forward, and rested both arms on the back of the bench, chattering on in what looked like a very uncomfortable position.

He must have been hiding somewhere in the back, eavesdropping on my conversation with Reisir.

Then, when Reisir left, he must have stealthily approached me.

"My talk of bio-signals had nothing to do with you... but I did consider the possibility that you might follow us. You seem to be extremely interested in other people's affairs."

In fact, I hadn't considered it at all.

Pret was the successor to the world's greatest Information Guild.

For him to trail us just to watch Reisir apologize to me would be an excessive waste of talent, wouldn't it?

But my pride was hurt at the thought of admitting that, so I deliberately held my head high and lied.

Fortunately, instead of probing whether I was telling the truth, he simply admitted it readily.

"Aha! That's right. I am that type. You've seen me very accurately."

"If you were going to secretly eavesdrop on someone else's conversation, you should have just quietly disappeared. Why did you reveal yourself?"

"I came to tell you I can't have lunch with you today. Someone gave me an errand, so I have to go out."

I suppose since he had private lessons with Skati from afternoon to evening yesterday, he wouldn't have had time to go out and handle his work.

So, I had no complaints about the fact that he hadn't even started the job I commissioned yesterday morning, but...

"Did you, by any chance, tell only me this?"

"I did tell the others when I was getting up after the meal... Why? Is it a problem that we met alone and I told you about my personal schedule?"

"To hide the fact that we have a deal, isn't it safer to avoid personal contact as much as possible?"

"Not at all. Two people who aren't even close meeting secretly, avoiding the eyes of others, is suspicious no matter how you think about it, right? So it's better to build a close friendship. Then, even if I openly visit your room, senior, or you visit mine, no one will suspect our relationship."

He wasn't wrong.

However...

"I have no intention of letting you into my room or visiting yours... and Reisir already suspects your identity. If you and I have frequent private contact, he will surely realize that I put in a request with you."

"I may have not hidden my identity perfectly on purpose, but if I deny it, he won't be able to be certain, you know? As long as Senior Karvaldr doesn't reveal my identity to Senior Reisir."

"As if I would do such a thing. If I did, Reisir would find out that I contacted you behind his back..."

If he found out, not only would he shower me with nagging about how dangerous it was,

but he would also express worry and disappointment about why I didn't bring him along when meeting with the incredibly suspicious Pret.

He would also pester me relentlessly about what on earth Pret and I talked about.

Therefore—.

"You, in turn, had better not tell Reisir that I knew your identity."

—I thus warned Pret.

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