This Novel is not my Novel

At any rate, I had the distinct impression that 【Encouragement】 had been successfully applied to Vigdís as well.

I looked at the next target and spoke.

"Ríolíkin, you... just don't get scared and run away alone."

"I-I won't run away...!"

"Then that will do."

"......Huh? Is that all? You told everyone else to work hard, or do their best, or that you were looking forward to what they would do...!"

Telling Sveinn I was looking forward to his contribution had been pure sarcasm.

And what I had said to the others hadn't exactly fallen outside the realm of verbal abuse either.

Yet seeing Ríolíkin beg to hear even that sort of thing made me even more reluctant to speak carelessly.

"Even you would be unable to withstand a direct attack from the Boss Monster... but you might be able to deflect one."

"Oh...! Really?!"

"That is only my guess, so don't take it too seriously. I have never even confirmed how strong that Boss Monster is, have I? If we end up fighting it, decide for yourself whether to dodge."

"Yes!!"

Ríolíkin answered with uncharacteristic confidence.

Although I had belatedly qualified my statement, he didn't seem to be listening very closely.

Anxiety swept over me at the thought that my unnecessary remark might make him insist on defending, only to be gravely injured or killed.

Still, Ríolíkin is a coward. Once he faces an enemy several times larger than himself, he'll get scared and look after his own safety without any prompting.

I did my best to reassure myself with that thought and decided to place my faith in Ríolíkin's timid nature.

Does that leave only the original protagonist?

Before using 【Encouragement】 one final time, I brought up the skill's description window in front of me.

In truth, I didn't expect its proficiency to have increased at all.

Even though I had used the skill on Yor and myself whenever I thought of it throughout the entire vacation, its effect had increased by a mere 0.01.

And yet....

It went up?!

By a full 0.05, no less.

That was five times the result of two months' effort.

I felt more hollow than pleased, and even that feeling was swallowed by confusion.

Why did this happen?

Was it because this was the first time I had used 【Encouragement】 on anyone other than Yor and myself?

Or was it because I had put so much effort into tailoring my encouragement to each person?

Surely it wasn't because I had thoroughly irritated them and provoked their determination?

"Are you reading the skill description? Well? Did the proficiency increase?"

Had Reisir finally lost his patience after thinking his turn had arrived, only for me to stare silently into empty space?

He questioned me in an impatient tone.

"Surprisingly... yes. The skill description originally said, 'Strengthens an Ether Attribute Ability by [1.11] times,' but the value has now increased to [1.16] times."

"Wow! Its proficiency rises incredibly quickly! Is it growing so fast because it's a unique skill created from your disposition?"

There was no chance the skill's effect would increase like this every time.

It would make no sense for an absurdly overpowered S-rank skill that enhanced other people's Ether Attribute Abilities to grow quickly as well.

Moreover, that wouldn't benefit me in the slightest.

If this skill inflated our overall combat strength, Author Senna would introduce even stronger enemies in the future.

If an incident happened somewhere I wasn't present, like today....

Everyone would be gravely injured by the sudden drop in our combat strength, and someone might even die.

If everyone else grew stronger while I alone remained where I was, I would eventually be killed by an enemy whose strength had risen to match theirs.

So I did need to work hard and pursue my own growth.

But nothing good would come of making the others excessively dependent on my buff skill.

"This must be because today is the first time I have used the skill properly. One always improves quickly when first beginning something, does one not?"

I spoke firmly and shook my head.

The original protagonist accepted my explanation with, "I suppose that's true," though he also looked disappointed.

"By the way, if its proficiency increased, that means the skill was applied properly... right?"

"You are stating the obvious."

"It was just so completely different from what I imagined...."

"So? Are you disappointed?"

"No, not that much. I can't say I don't wish it had been a little different, but this suits you, so I like it."

I had spent a great deal of time wondering how I could use 【Encouragement】 while preserving Karvaldr's established characterization.

It felt as though I had safely completed one difficult assignment, and I was secretly rather proud of myself.

"Then, Karvaldr, would you hurry and say something that will give me strength too?"

Apparently, he hadn't been lying when he said he wasn't disappointed and actually liked it.

Expectation shone on Reisir's face as his single golden eye gleamed.

I faced him and spoke as though delivering a threat.

"After Yor made it rain and I even gave you a buff, just try failing to shatter the mana core in one blow."

"What happens if I fail?"

"That... Hmm.... I will leave it to your imagination."

"You haven't thought of anything, have you? That means you believe I can do it, right?"

The protagonist of someone else's novel once again interpreted my words however he pleased.

In reality, I was certain he would fail.

But if I declared that failure would bring some severe consequence, there was a risk that he would push himself too far in his determination to succeed somehow.

...I had no choice but to evade the question.

It would be disastrous if our strongest fighter depleted his Ether and ended up tottering around from exhaustion before the boss battle had even begun in earnest.

"Do not be overconfident. You must ration your strength carefully. If the plan fails and we are forced to fight that thing, all our lives will be in danger if you cannot participate in the battle."

"Don't worry. Even in the worst-case scenario, that won't happen."

The original protagonist grinned and adjusted his blindfold.

The gesture clearly meant that if the situation became desperate, he would use his silver Ether without concealing it, so I had no need to worry.

The setting says he still can't control his silver Ether properly... but he can simply claim that 【Encouragement】 temporarily allowed him to control it.

I gave a slight nod to show that I understood.

Upon seeing it, the protagonist of someone else's novel—

"But if I shatter the mana core in one blow and successfully clear the Demon Realm, what will you do for me?"

—spouted yet more nonsense.

"We have already wasted a great deal of time. Stop fooling around and attack."

"All right...."

Only after I hardened my expression and urged him on did Reisir finally become serious.

He calmly pressed his lips together, fixed the enemy with a cold gaze, and concentrated as he drew up his power.

The sight was solemn enough to make it difficult to remember his usual infuriatingly playful behavior.

Golden Ether gathered at the tip of the spear clenched firmly in his hands, and crackling sparks surged around it.

Yet none of the sparks scattered in every direction or delivered stinging shocks to those nearby.

They remained solely around the spearhead, proof that Reisir had complete control over the power of lightning.

Then, when the golden radiance grew too dazzling to look at any longer—

Clatter....

The sound of stones striking one another came from the Boss Monster's direction.

Despite the considerable distance between us, the sound reached all the way here.

When I turned my head, I saw the mound of stones heaving violently.

The Boss Monster had sensed the powerful Ether and reacted.

Reisir's gaze had remained fixed on the creature the entire time, so he must have noticed the change long before I did.

Even so, he showed no impatience and maintained the composure befitting the protagonist of the original novel.

At last, the rocks gathered together into a roughly humanoid shape.

Only then did Reisir raise his spear high and fire the golden Ether into the sky.

The moment it reached the dark clouds Yor had created—

Rrrrrumble....

A deep reverberation shook the air.

KRA-BOOM!!

With a tremendous roar, a thick pillar of light plunged into the enormous Boss Monster.

The rock pierced by the powerful golden lightning split apart with resounding cracks.

Stones forming the golem's body came crashing down, striking the ground with heavy impacts that made it tremble.

Perhaps overcome with awe at the sight, someone even breathed, "Wow...."

But instead of looking at the collapsing golem, I looked up at the sky.

As expected, the ominous gray barrier still remained.

"Tsk. It failed."

I clicked my tongue loudly on purpose, jolting everyone out of their daze and forcing them to face reality.

Only then did they look up at the sky in surprise and sigh.

Dark shadows of anxiety and concern spread across their faces.

They must have begun wondering how in the world we could fight a Boss Monster that hadn't fallen even to such a powerful attack.

As the rocks scattered across the ground began to stir and gather once more, I felt equally helpless.

I might have expected this, but the strike I had just witnessed had been extraordinary.

"Would trying one more time be pointless...?"

While everyone stood in devastated silence, the original protagonist cautiously spoke.

The defeat in his voice made it clear how thoroughly his spirits had fallen.

"If you are confident that another attempt will succeed, then I have no objection. If not, you should refrain after considering the risk should you fail again."

"Right...."

Apparently, he had suggested it only because he felt he had to try something, not because he was confident that a second attempt would succeed.

It was understandable.

He might not have recklessly gathered every trace of his golden Ether and unleashed it all at once, but he had still exerted the greatest power he could safely control and failed to defeat the enemy.

It was only natural that he would feel powerless.

Author Senna may enjoy making Reisir suffer, but that doesn't mean she wants her protagonist to look incompetent.

The original author wouldn't want a development where Reisir made a grand display of unleashing his decisive strike, only for it to inflict no damage whatsoever on the enemy.

I could use that.

To establish enough plausibility for weakening the Boss Monster, I spoke.

"Even so, I doubt your attack was meaningless. You saw the Boss Monster lose its shape and scatter completely across the ground, did you not? You must have damaged whatever mechanism gathers the rocks and makes them move."

"You mean...?"

Had my plan worked?

Or had my wishes merely happened to coincide with the development the original author had already envisioned?

"Do you truly need to ask me? Surely you can tell that the enemy cannot possibly be unharmed."

The moment those words left my mouth, the golem, which had just finished restoring its full form, abruptly toppled backward.

The damage to its power mechanism must have left it unable to fully support the weight of the rocks comprising its body.