This Novel is not my Novel

"But Sveinn, why are you here?"

Instead of rejoining us after getting his ribbon stolen, Sveinn was supposed to...

...head to the Teal Team's starting point and snatch the ribbons from Helga and Lissy.

That was the strategy we devised back in chapter 215.

And at the time, I was certain that Sveinn would fall into a trap and have his own ribbon stolen instead.

Seeing him here now, it seems my prediction was right on the money.

The reason I asked him why he was here despite already thinking this was to avoid a pointless argument.

Judging by his expression, he looked ready to blame me, arguing that Reisir had only lost his ribbon because I had been needlessly playing innocent.

"Th-that's... I just had the bad luck of falling into a trap..."

Sveinn averted his sharp gaze from me and muttered a half-hearted excuse.

It seemed he realized he wasn't in a position to blame others.

"So, you lost your ribbon?"

"......Yes."

"I see."

For me, it was just the result I had expected, so I could dismiss it casually.

But the others couldn't do the same.

"I lost one, Kar and Reisir each lost one, and Sveinn lost two... We're already four points behind...? Aren't we going to lose at this rate?"

"It's three points, not four. Karvaldr snatched the princess's ribbon again. Still, that doesn't change the fact that the score difference is huge..."

Vigdís and Reisir's expressions were dark as they had this conversation.

Vigdís had failed to even catch up to the fleeing Pret, let alone take his ribbon, and Reisir had his ribbon stolen while unable to shake off Ríolíkin and Lausa's guard.

They must have sensed that closing a three-point gap wouldn't be easy.

"That's a relief, at least."

"I guess Pret didn't tell you about that?"

"No, I only heard that you two lost your ribbons and the reason why."

"I see..."

"Yes..."

In the end, their conversation didn't last long.

After exchanging a few more words with no real substance, they fell silent.

Seeing Vigdís merely dart her eyes around with her mouth shut, it seemed she simply had nothing more to say.

Reisir, on the other hand, looked deep in thought, so I guessed he was contemplating our future strategy.

"Should I try again? I'll go to the opposing team's starting point alone and take Senior Helga's and Senior Lissy's ribbons..."

Sveinn broke the silence and offered his opinion.

As he was under the delusion that he'd fallen into a trap simply because he was unlucky, he misjudged that he could easily snatch Helga's and Lissy's ribbons if he went back to the opposing team's starting point.

He probably thought the traps wouldn't be concentrated in one place.

After all, if a bunch of traps were clustered around one team's starting point, it would be unfair from the start.

Considering it with common sense, it was a logical approach.

The problem is that Pret has probably moved the locations of those traps.

He would have done so even before the Ribbon Snatching Exercise began, while we were having our strategy meeting.

And he's probably doing it at this very moment.

Therefore...

"That strategy is abolished."

It was only natural for me to declare this decision.

But since Sveinn didn't know that Pret could control the traps, it was plausible that he'd think I was saying this because I didn't trust his skills.

As expected, the look in Sveinn's eyes as he stared at me turned sharp again.

"Why is that?"

"Her Royal Highness the Princess must have headed to the starting point after I took her ribbon, so she would have heard a report that you were aiming for the ribbons of the two people there. That's the first reason—that she would have devised a suitable contingency plan."

"That means..."

Sveinn was about to say something more but swallowed his words.

Judging from the circumstances, if I hadn't taken Fjodora's ribbon, she wouldn't have noticed that he was targeting Helga's and Lissy's ribbons.

He could have just waited at the Teal Team's starting point and acquired two ribbons every ten minutes.

Was he about to say that it's my fault he lost that great opportunity?

I'd think that kind of thinking was a slight to Helga and Lissy, but...

I didn't want to escalate the conflict by arguing with Sveinn, who was already dissatisfied with me.

So, instead of questioning what Sveinn was about to say, I showed no reaction to him—

"And the second reason is."

—I began, turning my gaze to my wise baby dragon.

To ask the following question.

"Yor. From what you saw, do you think Vigdís fell into the trap simply because of bad luck?"

"Yanyang."

"If not, did it seem like Pret led her into it?"

"Myanyang!"

Yor shook her head in denial at the first question, then nodded in affirmation at the next.

She immediately understood the intention behind my questions.

I stroked the clever baby dragon's head and torso, then turned back to Sveinn and continued my explanation.

"A moment ago, I briefly saw what looked like Pret luring Vigdís somewhere. So, just in case, I instructed Yor to help her... And as expected, Vigdís ended up in a trap. That's why I just asked Yor those questions."

"Are you saying it seems Pret identified the trap locations beforehand and used them to take Senior Vigdís's ribbon?"

"Not 'it seems like.' That's exactly what I'm saying. Didn't Yor just confirm it? She said she directly saw Pret leading Vigdís into a trap."

I thought Sveinn would have figured it out after I'd said this much.

The fact that he might not have fallen into a trap 'because of bad luck.'

But Sveinn failed to grasp my intention at all.

"But I wasn't led into a trap by Senior Helga or Senior Lissy...?"

It wasn't enough that he showed a displeased reaction.

"Surely you don't think the opposing team can freely move or manipulate the traps? Just because Senior Vigdís and I fell into them? That seems like a huge leap in logic..."

He even said that.

It seemed he really, really didn't trust me.

Or maybe he just didn't want to trust me.

Still... I suppose it's understandable that he'd feel it's a leap in logic.

After all, I know that Pret can manipulate the traps.

It's basically the same as me fitting the reasons to an answer I already knew.

If you don't know that, then of course—

"Even if Pret really did lead Senior Vigdís into a trap, I think it's more likely that he used a trap he found 'by chance.'"

—it's only natural to think that.

"But it's not like the possibility is zero, is it? In actual combat, even the smallest possibility can get you killed the moment you overlook it. We have to move with that in mind."

"But you haven't experienced much actual combat either, have you, Senior?"

"......What?"

I couldn't help but show my bewilderment.

Because Sveinn was extremely conscious of his commoner status.

To openly talk back not just to some low-ranking noble, but to Karvaldr, the scion of a ducal family—that was why I was so surprised.

I thought that even if he did push back, it would be much, much later...

He seemed to have realized his mistake after speaking, as he quickly lowered his eyes, but...

He didn't correct what he'd said or add an excuse.

He didn't seem to have any intention of apologizing either.

The timing was faster than I expected, but it can't be helped. After all, I'm the one who let his dissatisfaction grow.

If I were to raise my voice here, my relationship with Sveinn would hit rock bottom.

I had no intention of getting along with a character destined to betray the original protagonist, but I didn't want to deliberately start a fight and create a hostile relationship, nor was I actually angry at his actions in the first place.

Therefore, there was no reason to raise my voice and fight with Sveinn.

I let out a small sigh and spoke in an explanatory tone.

"To learn what I just said through 'practical experience,' you would have to be incredibly lucky. It would mean you nearly died from overlooking a possibility but somehow managed to escape that danger and survive. I simply don't want to bet my life on that kind of luck."

"......"

Dissatisfaction still clung to Sveinn's face as he kept his mouth tightly shut.

It wasn't a sign that he was taking my words to heart.

Still, if the fact that Pret could control traps was revealed, he'd have no choice but to admit that my opinion was entirely correct.

So I decided to just let it be.

Besides, it was obvious that whatever I said now would just be perceived resentfully.

"Reisir, make a choice."

"H-huh? A choice? Suddenly, about what?"

It wasn't as though he had been spacing out while Sveinn and I were talking; he had been listening with a serious expression.

Heck, just now, when Sveinn expressed his dissatisfaction—

When I took a calm attitude, this guy even looked at me with a pleased expression.

So why is he asking what he has to choose?

The absurdity of it made me let out a hollow laugh.

Even after seeing my reaction, the protagonist of someone else's novel didn't come to his senses and spouted more nonsense.

"I'm on your side, of course, Karvaldr!"

"Who asked you to just blindly take a side? I'm telling you to think logically and decide whether it would be better to try the strategy of Sveinn heading to the opposing team's starting point alone to aim for Senior Helga's and Senior Lissy's ribbons again, or whether we should abolish that strategy."

"Ah......"

Judging by his reaction, his statement about being on my side was a remark he had made without thinking.

It was truly dumbfounding.

But seeing him say he was 'of course' on my side without even a hint of hesitation, I found myself, against my will, slightly moved.

Feeling that my pride had somehow been wounded, I frowned and pressed the protagonist of someone else's novel.

"Answer quickly. We're three points behind, aren't we? We can't waste any more time."

"Alright, alright."

For some reason, the protagonist of someone else's novel answered with a strangely amused expression.

I couldn't understand his attitude, but I couldn't make an issue of it, as he soon put on a cautious expression and became lost in thought.

Especially since I had just said, mere seconds ago, that we couldn't waste time.

For that reason, I waited for about a minute, silently glaring at the protagonist of someone else's novel.

As if he'd made a decision, his lips slowly parted.