This Novel is not my Novel

"Oh? You weren't at dawn training today, so I assumed you'd slept well, but the circles under your eyes look exactly the same as usual. Did you train alone in a private training room?"

When I emerged into the dormitory lobby in time for breakfast, Reisir went out of his way to approach me from where he had been sitting and strike up a conversation.

Judging by what he said, Reisir, Helga, and Vigdís must have gathered in the first small auditorium by five in the morning and trained together as usual.

"I remained in my room. Since the academy is closed, I tried to sleep a little longer... but it was ineffective."

"That's too bad......"

The answer I had just given was a lie.

I had woken early this morning as usual.

However, rather than exercising my body through physical training, I had sat at my desk and worked at the typewriter.

Unaware of this, Reisir sincerely sympathized with me and even let out a lament.

It made me feel needlessly guilty.

"Was your supervising professor there?"

"No. Professor Vanahilda didn't come. I suppose she went home instead of remaining at the academy."

Just as I had expected.

The reason I had not bothered to attend dawn training was that I had anticipated Vanahilda's absence.

My goal was to raise 【Whip Techniques】 to C-rank during this period of closure.

I already intended to spend the entire day swinging my whip and putting my body through its paces. I could not afford to waste my stamina on training where I would not even receive a professor's guidance.

It would be far more efficient to conserve my strength and invest it when Skati instructed me.

"Come to think of it, Professor Vanahilda said she had a young son. I suppose it's only natural that she'd go home."

The protagonist of someone else's novel muttered this and dismissed the matter casually.

But my dear readers would know very well that his assumption was wrong.

Her son died long ago.

As luck would have it, Vanahilda had been assigned sole responsibility for our dawn training, with no exceptions even on weekends.

But how could she possibly track down a wanted fugitive by devoting only a few hours to the search each day?

Then came the opportunity known as the academy closure.

If she did not search for her enemy now, she would have no chance to do so until vacation. No matter how much money the academy offered, there was no possibility that she would remain here.

Pret and the members of the Hrafnin Information Guild need to find her enemy soon...

Just as I brought that train of thought to an end, Reisir took hold of my arm and pulled me toward the neatly arranged buffet.

"I looked over everything earlier, and there are plenty of dishes that seem delicious. Quite a few of them look like things you'd enjoy."

He handed me an empty plate as he spoke.

I was about to snap that he knew nothing about my tastes, but the sight of spicy fermented cabbage and cubed radish pickles stopped me.

Apparently, by "things you'd enjoy," Reisir had meant Korean cuisine.

Seasoned mung bean sprouts and bracken sat among various salad greens, while vinegared red chili paste and sesame oil occupied prominent places among the assortment of dressings.

Butter-grilled lobster and braised pollock stood beside sushi.

Grilled marinated beef and Beijing duck had even been placed on either side of the lamb-chop steak.

It isn't only Korean cuisine mixed in here...? Well... Hmm, fine.

I decided not to think too deeply about it.

"Karvaldr. This way."

After placing small portions of food from East and West alike onto my plate, I wondered whether walking straight over to the gathered group would constitute a collapse in characterization and turned toward an empty table instead.

The protagonist of someone else's novel called out to me, took my plate, and headed for the table where everyone else was sitting.

I expected him to bring me over there, but I didn't think he would resort to this...

Dyuf was among those seated at the table, which made me needlessly self-conscious.

I was afraid he might think I had ordered the protagonist of someone else's novel to do this.

Dyuf had seen what happened and knew that was not the case, yet his expression was still full of displeasure as he watched me approach empty-handed and sit down.

"Good morning, Lord Karvaldr."

"Yes."

"......"

"......"

My exchange of greetings with Dyuf ended in extreme awkwardness, but the atmosphere did not have time to sink.

Skati immediately spoke in a lively voice.

"Karvaldr, good morniing~! Did you hear that you'll be training with me throughout the academy closure starting todaay~?"

"I was the one who proposed it in the first place."

"Is that soo~?! Thank yoou~! Now I won't be bored at all while the academy is closeed~! And I'll get proper meals like thiis~!"

"There is no need to thank me. I merely wish to raise the rank of 【Whip Techniques】."

"Wonderful~! Then let's work hard togetheer~!!"

She raised a fork skewering a cube of steak high into the air as she shouted, overflowing with enthusiasm.

From a student's perspective, such passion from a professor was extremely welcome. From an introvert's perspective, however, it was overwhelmingly intense.

For that reason, I brought the conversation to an abrupt halt by replying, "Ah... yes......"

"U-Um! Karv!"

This time, Vigdís spoke to me.

She looked as though she had been waiting for an opportunity and had hastily spoken before she missed her chance.

I was beginning to wonder why she felt the need to pretend we were close when so few people were watching when she said something unexpected.

"There's someone I'd like to introduce to you."

Those currently gathered here were Yor, Reisir, Helga, Vigdís, Skati, Dyuf, and me.

There was also the Awakened Professor who had served alongside Skati as an observer for the duel in Chapter 273.

Everyone except the last person was already acquainted with me.

It was therefore quite easy to predict whom Vigdís meant.

"This is the professor responsible for the swordsmanship class I'm taking this semester. She also assists with my training outside of class. She even remained at the academy during the closure so that she could continue instructing me."

I had expected as much.

In the original work, this character had traveled the world as a knight-errant, helping people until she became an Awakened One.

And her weapon had been none other than a sword.

Freedom, knighthood, and outstanding swordsmanship.

These were all things Vigdís admired beyond measure.

On top of that, this person was also a woman...

If such a person joined Valhalla Academy as a professor, it would be perfectly natural for her to oversee Vigdís's training.

If I had truly loved Vigdís and become engaged to her for that reason, I might have bowed politely to this professor and asked her to take good care of Vigdís.

But Vigdís and I had promised to end our engagement rather than marry, and the possessed body of Karvaldr was not the sort of person who would behave that way.

I was just parting my lips to offer an indifferent, "I see," when Vigdís continued.

"And! When I was little, she was also the knight who guarded me."

Her words brought a particular part of Vigdís's setting to mind.

It was something I had mentioned before in Chapter 93.

"Father replaced my guard shortly afterward, so I did not have long with Dame Hjaltin. Even so, watching her taught me that a woman could be confident, strong, and admirable. I wanted to become like her, and I also discovered how appealing swordsmanship itself could be."

Vigdís's face shone with excitement as the words came pouring out of her.

Hjaltin Einar, meanwhile, looked at her as if she were gazing upon an adorable child.

Apparently, Hjaltin truly was the female knight mentioned in Chapter 93.

"I thought it would be impossible to meet Dame Hjaltin again. Yet not only have we reunited here at the academy as professor and student, but I can even receive personal swordsmanship instruction from her...! Karv, don't you think the bonds of fate are truly strange and remarkable?"

In the pre-remake original work, Vigdís and Hjaltin had no connection whatsoever.

That was only natural. In the original work, rather than being hired as a professor at Valhalla Academy, Hjaltin had remained unaffiliated with any organization.

She devoted herself to conquering the Demon Realm, traveling wherever she was summoned by Einherjar Teams in need of support.

That was also how she became close to the original protagonist.

Reisir had likewise operated independently at the time and was dispatched from place to place, so the two encountered each other frequently.

As their friendship deepened, they eventually began traveling together...

And then she died.

It happened before Vigdís even graduated from Valhalla Academy.

For that reason, I had never so much as suspected that the female knight from Vigdís's memories might have been Hjaltin.

Had this connection between them existed in the remake as well?

Or had the original author decided, while introducing Hjaltin as a professor in the currently serialized version, that connecting her to Vigdís's past would work perfectly and added it as a new setting?

The question arose, but no one within the world of this novel knew the answer.

There was no one I could ask.

"...You must have wanted to tell me about this very badly."

"Yes! I've wanted to ever since Dame Hjaltin... No, Professor Hjaltin appeared during orientation! But the atmosphere wasn't suitable then... Afterward, I thought it might be better to wait until the two of you could meet and exchange greetings, so I held myself back."

"Not 'everyone,' but 'the two of us'... You make it sound as though you have been waiting for an opportunity to introduce Professor Hjaltin to me."

"That's because that is exactly what I meant."

"......?"

The question Why? filled my mind.

Surely she was not planning to complain to her former guard, He bullied me, so punish him.

While I remained baffled, unable to understand her reasoning, Vigdís explained.

"Professor Hjaltin is the person who inspired my desire to learn swordsmanship, while you are the person who gave me the opportunity to learn it, Karv."

It was not me but the real Karvaldr who had given her that opportunity.

Moreover, the real Karvaldr had not meant to give Vigdís an opportunity at all. He had merely sought to create a reason for her to love him.

She may not know that I am a false Karvaldr, but she should know why the real Karvaldr arranged her enrollment at Valhalla Academy...

Yet she said such a thing with the innocent smile of a child.

I truly had no idea how to respond.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Karvaldr. My name is Hjaltin Einar."

When I remained silent and merely stared at Vigdís with my lips pressed together, Hjaltin addressed me first.

Her voice was firm yet calm, and the faint smile on her face conveyed an easy composure.

If she was the female knight from Vigdís's memories, then this demeanor must represent the ideal Vigdís aspired to embody.

Yet it bore no resemblance whatsoever to Vigdís in the original work, who was always stiff and maintained a blank expression at all times.

Still, I could not take that as proof that the remake had created a connection between two people who originally shared none.

After all, Hjaltin's demeanor bore no resemblance to the present Vigdís either.

Vigdís in the original work had not consciously sought to become so taciturn. Her circumstances must simply have shaped her into that person.

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