This Novel is not my Novel

Fjodora did not open her mouth for what could hardly be called a short time.

Her expression suggested that countless thoughts were running through her mind.

Just as she bore a heavy responsibility, we too carried something... No, we had been forced to shoulder something.

We had felt anxious because of it, yet had been unable to voice our discontent and had no choice but to swallow it.

And all this time, she had overlooked that fact.

...Has she finally realized it?

I sincerely hoped so.

"Let me add this in case there is any misunderstanding: we are also doing our best in our own way. We are fully aware that a single mistake could cost us our lives. Your Royal Highness is not the only one seriously considering actual combat and agonizing over it. Therefore, I earnestly ask that you refrain from assuming without cause that we will refuse to cooperate and pressuring us with an overbearing attitude."

The person before me was a member of the imperial family.

I temporarily removed the mask of arrogance I habitually wore and adopted the refined bearing of a nobleman addressing someone of exalted status.

Then, following the etiquette I had learned since entering this body, I bowed my head politely.

"...I shall take your words to heart."

Rather than offering a rebuttal, she gave me an affirmative answer.

Fjodora had accepted what I said.

I could have ended the conversation there, but one more matter still needed to be addressed.

"Since the subject has come up, Reisir also had his reasons for not revealing the existence of his silver Ether or its abilities."

"Yes... I suppose he did."

Someone reading only the dialogue might misunderstand.

But when Fjodora nodded as she answered, I sensed no attempt to find fault with him.

Nor was she being sarcastic.

She had simply accepted my words and turned to the original protagonist with a look that said she was prepared to understand, so he should explain.

Since the person in question was present, she had probably decided it would be better to hear the explanation directly from him.

Or perhaps her actions reflected the original author's desire to give her protagonist at least one more line and secure more prominence for him.

Regardless, all I had to do now was quietly watch the original protagonist and a supporting character converse.

Or so I thought...

"Karvaldr. Would you explain it for me?"

The protagonist of someone else's novel dumped his own responsibility on me.

Had his resentment toward Fjodora still not subsided? Had he decided he could not speak calmly with her because of it?

Or did the very situation of having to explain himself to the First Princess and persuade her leave such a bad taste in his mouth that he feared his voice would turn barbed without his realizing it?

Either way, I had a feeling the situation we had barely managed to calm would plunge straight back into disaster.

The thought of acting as Reisir's spokesman left me with an indescribable feeling, but I had little choice but to accept his request.

Though I first had to obtain the First Princess's permission.

"Would that be acceptable?"

"I have no objection."

Fjodora answered at once.

It seemed she, too, was uncomfortable with the prospect of speaking to Reisir.

"At present, he is only temporarily able to control it thanks to my buff skill. Reisir had no choice but to keep his eyes covered because he could not control his silver Ether Attribute Ability. His silver Ether is a latent power, much like my Sky Blue Ether... But approximately ten years ago, an incident occurred that forced him to wring out every last bit of his power. His already unstable silver Ether ran rampant, and this condition was apparently the resulting side effect."

"......"

Fjodora could say nothing about the incident in which the Demon Realm had swallowed Count Daudaviner's territory.

I saw her expression rapidly fill with guilt.

Even so, I continued.

"Ordinarily, if someone loses control of a skill, they would attempt to overcome the problem through training. But Reisir could not even do that."

"Why not? Ether may not be Professor Dyuf's specialty, but he is learned and capable. He should have been more than able to assist with such a problem... Does the condition perhaps require treatment with expensive medicinal ingredients? If so, I can provide as much support as necessary."

It was far too late and woefully inadequate as compensation.

Even so, Fjodora spoke urgently, as though asking us to allow her to repay at least a fraction of the debt weighing on her conscience.

But no medicinal ingredients were necessary, and the problem had already been resolved.

I shook my head and continued.

"Reisir's Ether skill reads information about its target. Although it can be used only on objects, plants, and other things without a sense of self, it is an ability with many practical applications. Criminals dealing in stolen goods through illegal auction houses or black markets would inevitably covet it."

"......!"

"If it had become known that an orphaned child living under someone else's roof possessed such an ability, criminals would not have left him alone. They would undoubtedly have abducted him, confined him, and exploited him."

"I... suppose they would..."

"That is why he had no choice but to live as though the skill and his silver Ether did not exist at all. He covered the eye that served as the medium for the skill and sacrificed the vision on that side."

"Ah......"

Fjodora let out a sigh, apparently having become completely immersed in my account.

"Then imagine that the special Awakened class was suddenly formed and he was ordered to disclose every ability he possessed... Who could honestly reveal everything under those circumstances? Naturally, he would feel not only reluctant, but afraid. Moreover, Ether Attribute Abilities are sensitive personal information that people ordinarily cannot disclose lightly, are they not?"

"Y-Yes... That is true..."

"Furthermore, as I said earlier, Reisir's skill can read information only from 'things without a sense of self.' That was why he said it did not appear useful in combat against monsters. I agreed with his assessment and concluded there was no particular need to disclose it."

"Indeed... The monsters observed in the Demon Realm thus far have all been living creatures with a sense of self. It was reasonable for you to reach that conclusion."

Perhaps it was because she had just endured a great deal of harsh criticism and even had an old source of guilt unearthed.

Rather than asserting that the decision was hers to make with her former overbearing logic, Fjodora nodded in agreement with a calm demeanor that bordered on dejection.

"The Boss Monster we just defeated seems to have been an unusual type that the skill could affect, but in practice, the skill was of no assistance whatsoever. The decisive factor was the skill Reisir acquired today... Therefore, if you were to take issue with his concealing his original silver Ether skill, we might begin to wonder whether your goal was truly to understand our abilities for everyone's safety—or whether you had some other purpose."

"You may set that suspicion aside. I have no intention whatsoever of taking issue with it."

I thought the more accurate wording would have been not that she had no intention, but that she no longer had any intention.

However, since she had volunteered not to find fault with us, I decided to extend her the same courtesy.

"But... did Reisir truly reveal everything to you? Both the ability he had spent his entire life concealing and pretending did not exist, and the circumstances that left him no other choice...?"

"Ah... Yes... Well, it just happened that way."

"It just happened?"

"Yes. It just happened."

"...And how, precisely, did it just happen?"

Apparently, Fjodora had become curious about how I had come to know all of this.

Honestly, my first thought was, Only now?

"Are you curious? When I tried to explain the circumstances earlier, you dismissed me by saying that was not what you had asked. I assumed you weren't interested..."

For reference, the "earlier" mentioned here occurred in Chapter 312.

"At the time, I was prioritizing another matter..."

"Ah, I see. But... hmm... I still don't believe this is something that warrants Your Royal Highness's attention, so I shall refrain from explaining."

"There is no need to be so guarded in what you say."

"No. I simply don't want to tell you. Earlier, I was being interrogated, so I had no choice but to speak. But I am not obligated to report to Your Royal Highness whom I spoke with, where we were, what we discussed, or how the conversation came about, am I? That would plainly be an invasion of privacy."

"Hmm... Now that I hear your reasoning, you are correct."

We had already exchanged more than enough words because she had pried into our Ether skills. She could hardly afford to provoke an invasion-of-privacy dispute on top of that.

Thus, Fjodora accepted my point and backed down without protest.

"Karvaldr, Karvaldr! I'm extremely curious!!"

The person whose profession consisted of invading other people's privacy thrust one hand high into the air and waved it vigorously, making no attempt whatsoever to conceal his curiosity.

But none of that mattered as long as I refused to tell him.

Ignoring Pret, I looked back at Fjodora and continued.

"In any case, if I am sent to conquer the Demon Realm as a member of the special Awakened class, I will cooperate to the best of my ability. Therefore, if I acquire any other 'skills that require information sharing,' I will disclose them without concealment."

"Meaning that if the information does not need to be shared, you will not disclose it."

"If there is no need, why should I reveal it? If there is a reason, then please explain it in a way I can accept."

"...No, there is no particular reason. If there is no need to disclose it, then you need not do so."

Fjodora hesitated briefly before answering, but that was all.

"However, the only reason we share our skills with one another is so that we can cooperate and survive in the Demon Realm, is it not? Therefore..."

I paused and looked away from Fjodora.

There was no guarantee they would abide by my words simply because I said them, but there was still something I wanted to make clear to her.

Yet it was not something I could say directly to the Princess's face.

"No matter how close someone is to you, even if they are family, do not go around carelessly discussing another person's abilities. Doing so would destroy trust, and if we cannot trust one another, cooperation will become impossible."

After slowly surveying everyone present as I delivered the warning, I turned back to Fjodora.

If she had already reported the skills we had previously disclosed to the Emperor, I hoped she would at least stop doing so from today onward.

"Ah, it would be best for Lissy to know about the buff skill I used today as well, so I will explain it again later, once everyone is gathered."

"We will be meeting Lissy shortly. Is there truly any need to wait...?"

Of course there was.

If I told Lissy about 【Encouragement】 immediately, the mood would inevitably pressure Reisir into revealing the skill he had acquired today as well...

What if it's another ability that can't be revealed truthfully, like 【Truth-Reading Eye】?

In Chapter 312, Reisir had leaned close to my ear and secretly whispered:

"I'll tell you the details later, when we're alone."

That had surely been the reason.

He probably wanted me to devise another fake skill like 【Identification】 before he told everyone about it.

Therefore, I offered a reason why we needed to postpone disclosing the skills.

"If we include an explanation of the skill Reisir acquired today, it will delay us further, won't it? Everyone is already exhausted... and Helga and I have another engagement scheduled."

"What engagement do I have? And with you, of all people...?"

Perhaps fearing that someone might get the wrong idea, Helga made her revulsion blatantly clear.

For a moment, I considered responding with equal seriousness that I had absolutely no desire to meet her alone or do anything with her either.

Then I decided that would merely waste time and moved straight to the point.