This Novel is not my Novel

"The Boss Monster's information window did appear, but... mmm...... There's nothing in it that could help us resolve the current situation!"

It seemed the original author had no intention of letting us overcome this crisis easily.

I clenched my teeth, struggling to suppress the rage threatening to burst out of me.

"I've been wondering what on earth you were talking about all this time...! Do you possess two kinds of Ether as well?! Was that why you always wore an eye patch—to conceal that fact?!"

Fjodora shouted in astonishment.

Like Reisir, she had been singled out as a target for the Boss Monster's concentrated attacks, forcing her to flee frantically with the aid of 【Spatial Leap】.

It was impressive that she had managed to notice the color of Reisir's eyes amid all that.

Then again, keen eyesight and exceptional powers of observation were essential qualities for an archer, so perhaps it wasn't particularly surprising.

"Ah... well, that's..."

He had prepared an excuse long ago.

But perhaps because an unexpected turn of events had exposed the existence of his silver Ether in a way he had never planned, only for Fjodora to confront him about it, Reisir showed a moment of visible dismay.

The one who astutely intervened and put an end to her questioning was none other than Pret.

"Oh, come on, Fjodora! That's hardly what's important right now! Save the interrogation for later!"

"...You have a point."

Judging by the way Fjodora narrowed her eyes and stared not only at Reisir but at me as well, she apparently had a great deal she wanted to say.

But perhaps she simply had no room to pursue the matter when she was in such immediate danger herself.

Accepting Pret's argument, Fjodora adopted an attitude that suggested she would let it slide for now.

I, on the other hand, had never been targeted by the Boss Monster at all.

Free to run my mouth without concern, I pressed the protagonist of someone else's novel.

"Reisir! If you can't see a solution, then try until you can!"

"What kind of ridiculous demand is that?!"

"I gave the explanation you provided about 【Identification】 a great deal of thought. I considered what the attribute of that silver Ether of yours could possibly be, and I concluded that it must be 'the power to perceive truths that cannot be discerned merely by looking with the naked eye'! So I'm certain you can do it!"

In truth, I had never given 【Truth-Reading Eye】 any serious thought whatsoever.

I had simply invented a plausible-sounding explanation on the spot.

So when the protagonist of someone else's novel turned to look at me, I felt guilty before he had even said a word.

Wanting to convey the message, I'm not lying. It's true! I stared back at him with all the intensity I could muster and pressed my lips tightly together.

I could only hope he wouldn't think I was making an unreasonable demand and would instead take it as proof that I had genuine confidence in him.

Then...

Why does he suddenly look like he's trying not to laugh?

Just as confusion began to set in, Reisir's expression changed once more.

The mischievous amusement vanished, replaced by solemn determination.

"All right. Somehow, no matter what it takes, I'll do it!"

The original protagonist had gone so far as to declare that he would do it "no matter what."

There was no possibility of failure now.

The only remaining question is how long it will take him to succeed...

Reisir continued evading the attacks flying toward him, but apparently concluded that he couldn't keep going like this.

Without warning, he ran toward Ríolíkin.

"Ríolíkin, could you help me for a moment?"

"Huh...? Me? What do you need me to do?"

Ríolíkin had not attacked the Boss Monster even once, so, like me, he had merely been standing around blankly.

Then the Boss Monster's highest-priority target suddenly drew close to him.

Ríolíkin hastily adjusted his grip on his shield, looking bewildered.

"I'm going to focus on drawing out the potential of an Ether I'm not accustomed to handling."

"Uh... does that mean...?"

"My defense and evasion will suffer, so I'd like you to protect me."

"Ah, well, um..."

"If I succeed in accomplishing the goal Karvaldr set for me thanks to your help, that means you deserve some of the credit as well."

"J-Just leave it to me! You helped me accomplish my goal during the martial tournament, Reisir...! I'll repay the favor!"

Why was that?

Instead of sounding as though Ríolíkin wanted to repay Reisir's kindness, it sounded more as though he intended to earn my praise and settle an old debt while he was at it.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who heard it that way, because Reisir looked utterly dumbfounded.

Still, good-natured as ever, he soon laughed it off.

"Then I'm counting on you!"

The moment those words left Reisir's mouth, the mass of rock that served as the Boss Golem's hand detached from its body and shot toward him.

It descended along a slanting diagonal trajectory.

Ríolíkin immediately released the mace in one hand.

Then, gripping his shield with both hands, he hoisted it overhead. A shield-shaped membrane of Ether produced by 【Armor of Protection】 covered it, making it even larger and sturdier.

He planted his widely spread feet firmly against the ground and bore the tremendous weight of the rock.

Lowering the left side of the shield slightly on purpose, he poured strength into his right arm and shoved sideways.

Boom—!!

The rock struck the ground with a heavy crash.

Ríolíkin had successfully deflected the Boss Monster's attack.

A relieved smile blossomed across Reisir's face as he gazed at Ríolíkin's back.

After retrieving its fist, the Boss Monster raised one foot.

No—it tried to, only to catch on something, lose its balance, stagger, and fall.

A wire saturated with red Ether had ensnared the Golem's ankle.

"Wow! It still didn't break?! Expensive equipment really is better!!"

"Wow! I can't believe we actually managed to topple that enormous Boss Monster! All that effort I put into helping you set up the wire was worth it!!"

Unlike Helga, who was wholly occupied with marveling at the durability of her new weapon, Pret did not miss the opportunity to advertise his own contribution.

"Honestly, from where I'm standing, it sounds like the tsundere young master is making an absurd demand! But you seem to think it's possible, Reisir... We'll buy you as much time as we can, so make sure you succeed!!"

Lest the Boss Monster snap the wire, Helga manipulated the Ether within it and unwound it from the creature's ankle as she shouted.

"Myaaow—meow meow!"

"Screee—!"

Yor and Lausa unleashed a rain of arrows at the Boss Monster just as it rose.

The Boss Monster halted before it could assume an attacking stance and protected its power core, curling itself into a ball once more to move the core elsewhere.

Their latest attack was presumably not intended to discover the location of the power core, but to exploit the enemy's attack pattern and buy time.

My baby dragon truly was wise.

Boom!!

A dagger brimming with brown Ether flew into the center of the Boss Monster's newly re-formed body and embedded itself deep within it.

"Oh dear! I threw it after packing in as much Ether as I possibly could, yet all I managed was to make it stick... A sharp strike may be one thing, but a powerful blow truly isn't my specialty!"

Pret lamented the result with evident disappointment.

But by the Boss Monster's standards, it must have been threatening enough.

After all, one of its rock fists shot toward Pret.

"Aha! Still, it seems I managed to divert the Boss Monster's attention! I'm starting to feel rather confident now!"

As if showing off his agility, one of his specialties, Pret continued joking at his leisure while effortlessly dodging the Golem's rocket punch.

"Everyone seems to have placed their hopes in Reisir. Then again, we have no better option at present..."

Fjodora drew her bowstring back and concentrated Ether into her arrow.

The teal-stained arrow tore through the air and punched a hole in the Boss Monster's body.

Her lips moved soundlessly.

["If it ceases to target him altogether, he should be able to concentrate more fully and accomplish what he intends."]

That was what I read from her lips.

Apparently, she intended to make the Boss Monster forget Reisir's existence and lure it into pursuing only Pret and herself.

"Haaah—!"

Perhaps spurred on by the actions of the other two, Vigdís let out a battle cry and swung her sword at the Boss Monster's foot.

She was neither as agile as Pret nor did she possess a movement-related skill like Fjodora.

I couldn't help thinking she was being far too reckless.

I might actually have felt relieved if her attack had been so pitifully weak that it posed no threat whatsoever to the Boss Monster.

Vigdís's full-force strike failed to split the rock apart completely.

However, it did leave a small crack and knock loose several fragments of stone, which only heightened my anxiety.

Sure enough, the next moment, the Boss Monster's foot struck her and sent her flying.

The sight startled me so badly I nearly screamed.

No, no... She's probably fine. It wasn't a direct hit...

I barely managed to calm myself and keep my wits about me.

Just before colliding with the massive chunk of rock, Vigdís had kicked off the ground and thrown herself backward.

She had failed to escape the attack's range completely, but she had been airborne when it struck her. Some of the impact that her body would otherwise have absorbed must have been converted into the force that propelled her away, dispersing the damage.

She had also held her Ether-coated sword before her like a shield.

Most importantly, she possessed 【Ironblood Body】.

Did she charge in because she trusted her reflexes and her Ether Attribute Ability?

Vigdís executed a flawless breakfall and rose with all four limbs intact.

Even so, I had no intention of retracting my assessment that she had been reckless.

The thought crossed my mind that she might have escaped unharmed only because the original author had decided it wasn't time to kill her yet.

Unlike Vigdís, who had nearly made my heart stop, Sveinn did not attempt to charge the Boss Monster with his spear.

Instead, he joined the spirit beasts' strategy by throwing harmless masses of water at it.

That was far better. He was providing a reasonable amount of help while also protecting himself.

But...

Doesn't this mean I'm the only one doing absolutely nothing right now?

The thought made me increasingly self-conscious.

Still, I had no intention of letting impatience drive me into doing something reckless.

Unlike Vigdís, I possessed no defensive skill like 【Ironblood Body】. I was also fully aware that I risked panicking whenever an enormous object came hurtling toward me at high speed.

Besides... judging by how this is going, won't everyone be completely exhausted by the time the battle finally ends?

I had used my head to devise a way of handling the situation, only for Helga to accuse the "tsundere young master" of making an absurd demand.

It filled me with indignation, but what else could I do?

At least one of us needed to conserve his stamina.