"By the way, what grades are your Ether Attribute Skills?"

"Mine is S as well."

"I'll say this in advance in case anyone feels sorry for me. I have absolutely no regrets about my Ether Attribute Skill being Grade B. Elemental attribute ability users are common, and I haven't even trained properly yet."

Unlike Reisir, who answered Vigdís's question with a simple reply, Helga went on at length.

The others had all revealed skill grades of A or S.

She was probably worried that if she admitted hers was Grade B, the atmosphere would immediately become awkwardly sympathetic.

But regardless of how Helga felt about her skill grade, the readers would undoubtedly find it strange.

She was someone who, in the original story, would have become an ally and played an active role if she had not fallen victim to Heroine Must Die.

Wasn't her skill grade surprisingly low?

So here's my theory, which also serves as an explanation of how elemental skills work...

You may have forgotten, but Nidr's skill is called 【Earth Control】.

Helga's is called 【Flame Control】.

As you can see, only the attribute differs. The latter half of the name is identical.

Meanwhile, Reisir, who possesses the same elemental category through his lightning ability, has a skill called 【Thunder Dominance】.

This is a characteristic unique to elemental abilities.

From Grade F to D, the naming format is 【___ Manipulation】.

From Grade C to A, it becomes 【___ Control】.

From S to SSS, it changes to 【___ Dominance】.

And right before Author Senna posted the announcement that the series would be going on indefinite hiatus, the original protagonist's skill reached EX Grade and changed its name to 【Thunder God】.

Though, if I had to guess, the real reason was probably that they wanted to conveniently recycle skill names.

Still, the progression itself felt properly built up.

So there has to be a reason the heroine candidate Helga starts with such a low grade.

Even though she had never seriously trained, her skill wasn't labeled Manipulation. It was Control.

That alone suggested she wasn't lacking in talent.

Then, if her grade rapidly rose to A shortly after she began training, that impression would only become stronger.

And if some special event later elevated her to S Grade and changed the skill name once more...

She could have had a genuinely compelling growth-type heroine storyline.

And yet, because the readers hated her so much, Author Senna ultimately had to kill off a character that had clearly been crafted with care.

How heartbroken must they have been?

As a fellow author, I couldn't help feeling both sympathy and pity.

"The Tsundere Young Master's buff skill must be high-grade too, right? You're a direct descendant of a Ducal Family, after all."

"Mine is S Grade as well."

Helga nodded as though she'd expected nothing less.

Reisir and Ríolíkin seemed to share the same opinion.

"No wonder! My stats jumped by a ridiculous amount after getting your buff. I knew it had to be S Grade."

"Th-that's r-right, sir! I felt m-myself becoming i-incredibly strong... sir...! My strength was j-just overflowing...! S-so I had the c-courage to stand in front of that m-monster... sir!"

The two of them already possessed exceptional physical stats.

Naturally, the increase was enormous when a multiplier-type buff skill like 【Exaltation】 was applied.

However, Vigdís, who had only begun physical training less than a year ago, tilted her head.

"Was it really that dramatic...?"

Apparently, she thought Reisir and Ríolíkin were exaggerating.

"Karvaldr told me before. The reason my abilities improved so dramatically after receiving the buff was because my body is already well trained."

"So the better your foundation, the greater the effect?"

"Yeah. For reference, both my stamina and physical strength stats are over 100. What about you, Vigdís?"

"My stamina is 51, and my physical strength is only 40..."

According to the original setting, an ordinary adult male with no special training typically possessed stamina and physical strength around 40.

For Vigdís to achieve numbers like that after only ten months of training was already remarkable.

Yet the reason she looked shocked, as though her stats were inadequate, was because Reisir's numbers were absurdly high for someone with his build.

"B-but Reisir, is th-that really t-true?! My physical strength only j-just passed 100, so h-how...?"

Ríolíkin seemed every bit as stunned by the revelation.

Looking utterly unconvinced, he examined Reisir from head to toe.

I, however, wasn't surprised in the slightest that Reisir's physical strength was comparable to Ríolíkin's.

Because this is a fantasy novel, and Reisir is the original protagonist.

That alone was enough justification.

For example, one of the original heroine candidates had a physical strength stat exceeding 150.

That particular heroine wielded a gigantic war hammer as her weapon.

And despite that, she was described as having a short and slender frame.

Compared to her, what about Reisir?

He wasn't as heavily built as Ríolíkin, but he still had broad shoulders and well-developed muscles.

For someone with that physique, a physical strength stat over 100 was practically conservative.

"It's true... Though I can't exactly show people the words only I can see..."

"N-next semester, can we arm wrestle...?"

"Sure. Sounds good."

Ríolíkin, despite lacking confidence in nearly every other aspect of himself, appeared to take considerable pride in his muscles.

Unable to fully trust Reisir's explanation, he even arranged an arm-wrestling match to settle the matter.

But since they agreed to do it next semester rather than now, that arm-wrestling match would probably never happen.

"A-and, Older Sister Vigdís. If you're worried about your physical strength being low, next semester, would you like to take the Basic Physical Training Lecture together? Me, Lord Karvaldr, and you, Older Sister. Th-the three of us."

"I already do physical training every day... Do I really need a lecture for that?"

"O-of course, ma'am!"

Ríolíkin immediately launched into a passionate explanation of why expert guidance was essential for building muscle.

I can confidently say that not a single reader would want to read that scene.

So I'll skip both that discussion and the small talk that followed and resume after we got off the carriage.

 "We probably won't be seeing each other for a while. I don't know about the others, but... Karvaldr will never accept an invitation or a visit request."

As we waited in line for our turn to use the Gate, Reisir spoke with genuine regret.

Then he shot me a look that somehow managed to combine expectation and reproach.

His intentions were painfully obvious.

He probably thought that if he looked desperate enough, I'd eventually cave.

Not happening.

Even if we met [N O V E L I G H T] during vacation, what would I hear besides a declaration that he's withdrawing from school?

I'd be lucky if he told me after we'd had some fun first.

If I wasn't careful, I'd get dragged into some life-threatening incident in a suddenly emerging Demon Realm, all because of the fundamental law that the protagonist attracts trouble.

And considering this was exactly where the suffering-heavy section of the original novel began, the odds were far too high.

"Hmph."

I sharply turned my head away, making my refusal perfectly clear.

At that, Reisir snickered.

"So cold."

I understand that internal monologues are a protagonist's basic qualification, but does he really have to say every single one out loud?

"Anyway, I had a lot of fun with all of you this semester."

"I-it was i-incredibly, incredibly fun for me too, sir...! N-next semester, definitely...! L-let's all spend time together again...?"

"I had a great time too. Honestly, I'm already looking forward to the next semester."

"I also enjoyed the time I spent with all of you. I hope we can continue doing so next semester."

After Reisir spoke, everyone echoed similar sentiments.

Even Helga, despite sharing the same destination as him.

That left only me.

Naturally, five pairs of eyes turned toward me.

There were only four other people present, but the fifth pair belonged to Yor.

Unlike the others, however, the Baby Dragon wasn't urging me to answer.

There was concern in her eyes.

Seeing that expression made me wonder whether I'd looked particularly happy while spending time with them.

I wish she'd just assume I can't say anything because I'm staying in character as Karvaldr...

But that doesn't seem to be what she's thinking...

The silence became increasingly difficult to maintain under everyone's unwavering gaze.

Then, just as it was becoming unbearable—

The people ahead of us vanished through the Gate.

Without hesitation, I scooped Yor into my arms, stepped onto the now-empty Gate Circle, and stated my destination to the attendant.

"Karvaldr! Have a great vacation! Let's meet again next semester!!"

Apparently, even if he couldn't get an I had fun with you all out of me, Reisir still wanted a proper farewell.

He waved his arm energetically as he shouted.

Persistent to the very end.

"...You too."

The Gate activated.

The circle beneath my feet radiated brilliant light, and my body began to rise.

It was only then, at the very last moment, that I decided I should at least say goodbye.

Otherwise, it might leave me with lingering regrets.

So I spoke.

And as I did, I think I may have smiled slightly without realizing it.

Because I felt as though I had finally accomplished that goal.

That wish.

The one I had spoken of back in Episode 39.

A sense of relief and fulfillment washed over me.

An instant later, the teal light filling my vision scattered away.

The sensation of floating vanished.

My feet touched solid ground once more.

"...They probably didn't see it because of the light, right?"

"Nyaa, myooo."

Yor shrugged and responded with a catlike cry.

Judging by the gesture, she didn't know either.

It was unsettling.

But what was I supposed to do now?

I couldn't exactly go back and say:

"I didn't smile. If it looked like I smiled, that was merely an optical illusion caused by the Gate's light."

Ah, whatever. I don't care anymore...!

Shaking away the anxiety and regret beginning to surface, I started walking.

As I exited the Gate facility, I immediately spotted a luxurious carriage bearing the crest of the Austri Ducal Family.

It was the same carriage.

The same coachman.

The same one that had brought me from the Ducal Castle.

Without thinking much of it, I opened the door to climb aboard.

Then froze.

"Grrrrrr..."

"..."

I quietly closed the door again.

This was not a conscious decision.

It was a pure survival instinct.

An instinct engraved into the deepest parts of my being. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

And I guarantee that every reader would have reacted exactly the same way.

If you opened a door and unexpectedly locked eyes with a wild beast inside, you'd close it too.

That was a leopard, wasn't it?

Pure white fur. Purple eyes...

Only after my brain finished processing what I'd seen did I realize that the beast belonged to the Austri Family.

Regaining my composure, I reached for the door again.

But before I could open it—

The door swung open on its own.

Then a woman's voice emerged from within.

Cold.

Calm.

"Youngest, stop fooling around and get in."

Because of the leopard, I hadn't noticed her presence.

But there was someone else inside the carriage.

Naturally, that person was the owner of the leopard-like familiar.

The eldest child of House Austri.

And Karvaldr's older sister.

Ragfrid Austri.

[N1]