This Novel is not my Novel

In any case, Sveinn splitting off was a matter for later.

For now, everyone on our team, Sveinn included, headed toward what we believed to be the opposing team's starting point.

Each of us carried a weapon in one hand while the other firmly gripped the ribbon tied around our neck.

I'll need both hands once the fighting starts, so I can't keep holding the ribbon forever...

Pret possessed the 【Disguise】 skill, allowing him to weave a Camouflage Net from Ether and conceal both himself and his teammates.

Then, the moment we walked past, Fjodora and her familiar could use 【Spatial Leap】 to snatch our ribbons before we had the chance to react.

That was precisely why we were holding onto them now.

There was no point in losing without even getting to fight.

"By the way, aren't there fewer traps than we expected?"

About ten minutes had passed since we'd begun our advance, carefully searching both for the opposing team and for traps hidden throughout the mountain.

Vigdís broke the silence.

I had fallen into a trap on the way from the departure point to our starting position.

Aside from that...

We hadn't found a single sign of another one.

Perhaps everyone's tension had started to fade.

"Maybe. Or maybe we just haven't found them yet and have been lucky enough not to trigger any. Even after seeing it happen, none of us could figure out how the trap Karvaldr stepped into had been set, right?"

"I guess that's true."

Reisir was probably just reminding everyone not to let their guard down.

Vigdís nodded in agreement.

But somehow, she reached the exact opposite conclusion from the one he'd intended.

"If they're so well hidden that we can't find them even while looking this carefully... doesn't that mean we're wasting our energy creeping around?"

She was actually suggesting we ignore the traps despite knowing they existed.

If our lives had truly been on the line, nobody would have entertained the idea.

But perhaps because this was ultimately only training—

"I... suppose...?"

Even the original protagonist looked as though she'd made a convincing point.

"We still can't ignore the possibility that the other team is hiding somewhere. We should at least keep watching our surroundings... but since we're protecting our ribbons with our hands anyway, maybe it'll be fine."

Just from the way he muttered to himself—and even stopped walking while thinking—I could tell which conclusion he was leaning toward.

Sure enough...

"...We'll still be training in these mountains this afternoon. If we're this tense all day, we'll wear ourselves out before it's over. Maybe Vigdís has a point. What do the rest of you think?"

"I agree."

Unlike me, who merely nodded, Sveinn answered aloud.

Seeing that, I briefly wondered whether I should have spoken as well.

But I'd already expressed my agreement with a nod, and speaking up afterward would only have been awkward.

So I let it go.

"Alright. Then let's pick up the pace."

With that, Reisir started walking again.

He no longer carefully scanned the surroundings.

His stride lengthened, and he moved confidently through the forest.

Yet even after another ten minutes...

None of us triggered a trap.

At that point, all the caution we'd exercised until now almost felt like wasted effort.

"Maybe there really aren't that many traps... Is it because we're still near the base of the mountain? Or maybe they only placed a handful since it's still the first week?"

Hearing those words from the protagonist of someone else's novel told me his guard had dropped considerably as well.

Which meant—

We're about to run into the opposing team.

My muscles tightened.

I gripped the whip in my hand.

Silently steeling myself, I activated 【Encouragement】 and bestowed its blessing upon both myself and Yor.

Less than three minutes later—

"Ugh... uwaaaah...!"

Ríolíkin's enormous frame burst from the bushes, accompanied by his usual feeble battle cry as he charged straight at us.

Since we'd all been protecting our ribbons with our hands, they must have concluded that stealing them with a surprise 【Spatial Leap】 attack was impossible.

So they'd sent Ríolíkin charging out from beneath the Camouflage Net instead.

They're waiting until we're forced to let go once the fighting starts.

The instant that thought crossed my mind, 【Character Analysis】 activated on its own.

The entire world seemed to freeze.

I adjusted the flow of my Sky Blue Ether, carefully controlling my thought speed.

At the same time, while predicting how each member of the opposing team would move, I cracked my whip and applied the 【Exaltation】 buff to everyone on our side.

Just as expected. Ríolíkin is focusing entirely on Reisir.

He didn't spare anyone else so much as a glance.

He ran straight toward Reisir.

For someone as timid as Ríolíkin, choosing to confront the strongest person on our team wasn't surprising.

Someone had to keep Reisir occupied.

Assigning that role to the member least likely to lose his ribbon was simply the most logical strategy.

Perhaps because he knew exactly how strong Reisir was...

Ríolíkin swung his mace with every ounce of strength he possessed, making no attempt to hold back.

Even slowed by the accelerated perception granted by 【Character Analysis】...

The sheer weight behind the blow was unmistakable.

Even the original protagonist couldn't block that with one hand.

Reisir gripped his spear with both hands and assumed a defensive stance.

Though he'd been forced to release his ribbon to do so...

No one from the opposing team appeared.

Apparently, Reisir alone had entered combat.

The rest of us still protected our own ribbons while keeping watch over our surroundings.

They were waiting for a better opportunity.

If they have any sense, they won't all be hiding in the same bushes Ríolíkin came from... Still, should I have Yor burn that area just to be safe?

The thought crossed my mind.

Then a better idea occurred to me.

Reisir predicted I'd be their highest-priority target. If I let go of my ribbon now, Fjodora will immediately use 【Spatial Leap】 on me.

I doubted Lausa would appear instead.

As a familiar, Lausa wore no ribbon.

Like Ríolíkin, she had no need to worry about protecting one, so she'd naturally remain focused on Reisir.

Having finished my calculations...

I adjusted the flow of my Ether again, increasing my thought speed ever so slightly.

Then, without drawing attention, I released the ribbon with my left hand.

Pretending to aim toward the bushes, I fixed my gaze there while retrieving a dagger from my inventory.

At the edge of my vision...

A faint teal glow blossomed.

Just as I thought. They reacted immediately.

They'd been waiting for exactly this moment—

For both Reisir and me to release our ribbons.

If only one of us lost ours to 【Spatial Leap】, the other would instantly become more cautious.

Going after both simultaneously was undoubtedly their best chance.

Maintaining 【Character Analysis】 at this level of acceleration consumed an enormous amount of concentration.

Even so...

I watched, almost leisurely, as the tiny teal light slowly grew brighter.

And calmly prepared my response.

The instant the glow began to fade—

I released both my dagger and the handle of my whip completely.

Given Fjodora's height... her ribbon should appear right about here.

The moment Fjodora emerged from space—

I grabbed my own ribbon again with my left hand.

At the same time...

I thrust out my right hand.

She never expected to be the one getting ambushed.

Confusion flashed across Fjodora's face.

My hand had already closed around the tail of her ribbon.

"H-How...?"

As I tore away the teal ribbon and allowed 【Character Analysis】 to end, her voice reached my ears.

Perhaps explaining everything in detail when asked was a proper villain's habit.

But I had no intention of becoming a villain like Karvaldr.

"I simply anticipated that Your Royal Highness the Princess would use 【Spatial Leap】 to target my ribbon."

"Even so... that's..."

She trailed off, still staring in disbelief.

Then—

"Gasp!"

A sharp intake of breath sounded behind me.

I instinctively turned.

Sveinn stood there, frozen.

In his hand was a severed purple ribbon.

Beyond him...

Pret was already fleeing at full speed.

With Fjodora's ribbon gone...

He must have decided he couldn't deal with everyone else by himself, even if Ríolíkin successfully kept Reisir occupied.

Even so... he managed to slip behind Sveinn, cut his ribbon with a dagger, and escape without hesitation.

Combat might not be Pret's specialty.

But someone who had trained for years was different.

His skill...

And his decisiveness.

"...At least we've managed to keep it a draw."

The relief in Fjodora's voice was unmistakably genuine.

She really must have hated the thought of losing and being stuck with preserved rations for lunch.

In that case, Reisir must have protected his ribbon.

If Helga and Lissy had been nearby, Pret wouldn't have fled on his own.

Nor would Fjodora have sounded so relieved.

Just as Reisir had predicted two chapters earlier...

Those two were apparently still waiting at the Teal Team's starting point.

Now that there was no one else nearby to worry about...

I finally turned toward Reisir.

Ríolíkin stood frozen, looking at Fjodora with an expression that plainly asked what he was supposed to do next.

Meanwhile, Reisir held his own ribbon firmly in his left hand while continuing to keep Ríolíkin pinned in place.