This Novel is not my Novel

Now that I've made my decision, I need to figure out how the confession villain should meet his end...

It seemed I would have to read Pret's investigation report, the one the original protagonist had intercepted in Chapter 267.

But I could hardly ask for it in a place with so many eyes watching.

Resolving to wait until after class, I deactivated 【Character Analysis】, which I had apparently activated at some point.

"...It's all thanks to Professor Skati's guidance. He told me that although my physical abilities are weak, I'm skilled at controlling Ether. If I could use that to manipulate wires, I could buy time in an emergency by binding an enemy in place. Though I wasn't able to restrain Lissy."

I had not consciously slowed my thoughts, but time did not come to a complete stop while I was using 【Character Analysis】.

As a result, I missed the very beginning of Helga's explanation.

Still, all I had missed were the first two syllables of Skati's name, so it was hardly a serious problem.

"Did the wire snap? Or did it lack the physical force necessary to hold Miss Lissy?"

"I think it was both. My Ether seemed to be pushed back slightly by Lissy's strength, and then the wire snapped. If the wire had been more durable, it might have lasted a little longer, but the result probably wouldn't have changed."

"The physical force of your Ether is not something that can be resolved immediately. You will have to improve it through training. For now, it would be best to acquire wire sturdy enough for actual combat."

"They say even a difference of 0.1 seconds can decide victory or defeat in a real fight... so I suppose I should. I'm glad I challenged Dremby to a duel. Once I receive the compensation, the first thing I'll buy is some high-quality wire."

Helga spoke as though making a joke, trying to maintain a cheerful demeanor, but she could not completely erase the troubled look on her face.

Wire broke easily and was effectively a consumable that had to be replaced after only one or two uses.

It was understandable that the reality of having to spend a large amount of money on something like that would sting.

"Oh, right! Since we're on the subject, has the amount of compensation I'll receive been decided?"

"Not yet. This weekend, at an imperial gathering, Father will appoint someone. Once that person reviews the outline of the incident, they will make the decision, so the amount should be settled sometime next week. Payment will be made within a month."

"There's no chance that 'someone' will be Your Royal Highness the Princess... is there?"

"Regrettably, no. Since I am currently studying alongside you at the academy, my objectivity would inevitably be called into question. Father will surely choose someone else."

"I thought so."

Helga nodded at once, accepting it as though she had expected as much.

Even so, a clear flash of disappointment crossed her face.

The fact that she was disappointed at this moment was evidence that she considered Fjodora to be on her side.

Fjodora seemed to have noticed that unconscious reaction as well.

Judging by the tentative suggestion she made next.

"Once the person responsible for deciding the compensation has been chosen... I will inform them of your circumstances and try to persuade them to award you as much as possible."

"Really?!"

"...Still, do not expect too much. Even if the appointment is made with objectivity in mind, the final decision will ultimately remain at the chosen individual's discretion. It is not uncommon for a party involved in the incident to approach them with a 'request,' which they then choose to grant."

Now that Helga's eyes had lit up, had Fjodora suddenly begun worrying that Helga might be disappointed in her if the compensation turned out to be too small?

Unable to give any firm assurance, she quickly qualified her words.

And considering the particular emphasis she placed on the word "request"...

Rather than paying a large sum to a baron's family, the villain's family might decide it would be better to offer that amount to a member of the imperial family and build connections instead.

In other words, she was mentioning the possibility of bribery and influence peddling.

She had avoided saying it directly.

Even so, as a member of the imperial family herself, it could not have been an easy thing for Fjodora to bring up.

"I... see. I understand."

Helga gave a bitter smile and let go of her expectations.

After all, she could hardly ask Fjodora, who was effectively a third party, to pay for a bribe out of her own pocket merely to increase the amount of compensation Helga received.

Preparing a bribe herself was even more impossible.

Besides, offering a bribe and asking for special treatment wouldn't suit either of their characterizations in the first place.

In any case, judging from this conversation, it was safe to say there was a zero percent chance of the villain repenting and going to apologize to Helga and Dyuf.

His father, Count Ofraushi, did not seem to be a particularly clean man either.

"I should not have brought it up."

Perhaps Fjodora felt deeply apologetic and awkward for raising Helga's hopes only to take them away immediately.

A look of regret appeared on her face.

Helga watched her in silence for a moment, then suddenly smiled with confidence and spoke.

"It would be nice to receive a lot of compensation, but money wasn't the point of the duel in the first place. I got to beat Dremby black and blue, so I'm already satisfied!"

"Mm... I see. In that case... I should prepare a gift to commemorate my classmate's splendid victory in her first duel."

Promising a gift at a time like this.

It seemed Helga's attempt to comfort her had only doubled Fjodora's guilt.

"A gift...?"

"Yes. I was thinking of giving you a set consisting of wire and the auxiliary tools required to use it as a weapon. Do not refuse. Since you are scheduled to enter the Demon Realm with me, ensuring that you possess proper equipment is also a measure taken for my own safety."

"I'd never refuse! Thank you. I'll put it to good use!!"

She had not actually received the gift yet. It had not even been prepared.

Yet Helga immediately thanked her, as though hammering the promise into place so Fjodora could not change her story later.

Instead of frowning, Fjodora's lips curved upward.

She seemed to like Helga's bold attitude.

"What a fine sight! The bond between upperclassman and underclassman is strong indeed!"

The one who spoke with a hearty guffaw was Professor Bjorn.

"It seems your important discussion has concluded, and the meal is more or less finished as well. I will now announce the revised rules for the treasure hunt."

From the sound of it, he still intended to continue the treasure hunt in the afternoon.

No one would have complained if he simply abandoned the treasure hunt and had us play the Ribbon Snatching Game again instead.

I could not understand why he was so serious about this game.

"I believe there are some problems with allowing students to seize treasures directly from one another. Instead, I am considering a system in which, after a battle, the loser personally hands over treasure to the victor. What do you think?"

"What if the other person refuses to fight, or runs away in the middle of the battle?"

"That will not happen. Anyone who attempts such a thing will immediately receive a punishment."

In response to Pret's question, Professor Bjorn pulled out a headband bearing the words ♡Cutie Pie♡ and waved it around.

Just how many varieties were there in that punishment-headband series?

I was overcome with dread.

"Quite a few of you look worried. Do you think that under these rules, no matter how hard you search for treasure, it will all be taken from you and you will inevitably receive a punishment?"

We had already learned more than enough during the morning training that our treasure could be stolen.

There was no one here who would suddenly start worrying about that now.

Apparently, it had not even occurred to him that the concern on the faces of several students, myself included, was caused by the headband he was waving.

"If all of you had been training hard for a long time, I would have told you to simply accept the outcome regardless of who won or lost... But the difference in skill and training experience between beginners and everyone else is too extreme, so I thought it might feel unfair. Those with skill could simply fight, which would eliminate any reason for them to actually participate in the 'treasure hunt.' So I prepared a few additional rules!"

At Professor Bjorn's words, Helga, Lissy, and Sveinn all looked intrigued.

"Winning a battle does not allow you to take all of your opponent's treasure. Before the fight, both sides must agree to wager an equal number of treasures, and you may not fight the same opponent consecutively. Ah! And naturally, all treasures must be stored inside your bag while still in their capsules. Trying to deceive someone with a dud is also against the rules."

At the very least, that meant there was no risk of losing all one's treasure in a single battle.

It could not serve as a fundamental solution, but it was at least a minimal safeguard.

Still, having to wager equal numbers of treasures before fighting...

That meant anyone who failed to find even a single treasure would also be unable to obtain one through combat.

On top of that, fewer treasures remained now, which would make them even harder to discover.

I had failed to find a single treasure all morning. Would I really be able to find one before it was too late?

It was a rule that made me sigh involuntarily.

"Ah, right! Come to think of it, I was so busy considering the rules that I forgot to praise all of you."

Just as I was beginning to resent Pret for discovering no fewer than nineteen treasures that morning, Professor Bjorn made an unexpected remark and diverted my attention.

"To be honest, I thought you might end up helplessly pacing around with the ingredients right in front of you. That is why I brought a recipe book and was prepared to step in and help if necessary. Yet you managed to prepare such excellent food among yourselves! I was greatly relieved to see that none of you would starve wherever you went. At this rate, I believe you may eventually be capable of gathering ingredients yourselves and cooking with them."

In other words, he intended to make us gather our own cooking ingredients from the mountain behind the academy before long.

If I had to resent anyone here, perhaps it should not be Pret, who had merely participated diligently in the training.

Perhaps it should be Professor Bjorn, who had prepared this sort of exercise in the first place.

"You did the cooking, so I will handle all the cleanup. Those who wish to rest a little longer may do so, and those who want to resume the treasure hunt quickly may begin immediately."

The moment Professor Bjorn finished speaking, the scrape of chairs being pushed back rang out from all around us.

Most of the people here were children of noble families who had been raised under strict etiquette lessons and taught never to drag their chairs noisily.

They must all have been in quite a hurry.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!