<div> “Phew. Today’s work will soon be over.”
 In his office, Arental put down his seal and rubbed his stiff shoulders.
 Cleaning up the aftermath of recklessly spending a huge budget had become part of his daily routine.
 Noras, who had been waiting nearby, handed him a cup of tea.
 “Ah, thank you.”
 While taking a brief rest, Arental’s blank gaze turned toward the window.
 It was already about time for the sun to set.
 Noras sat silently, listening.
 There was no longer the same chaotic noise as before.
 All that could be heard were calm footsteps, the flutter of papers, and occasional work-related conversations.
 “When we beat Ever Blaze, the atmosphere was electric, but I guess it cooled down fast. Even though today is the match against Wisdom.”
 At Noras’s comment, Arental glanced at the clock on the wall.
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 </div> “Ah, the results should be out soon.”
 But his brightened expression quickly faded.
 He looked at the remaining documents and his mouth drooped.
 Noras smiled cheerfully and said to him,
 “I’ll go and check on the results.”
 “Hmm? By yourself?”
 Arental asked with a worried face, as the communication orb was located in the council chamber, swarming with elders.
 “If I wait near the door, I might overhear the results.”
 “What if you get caught and scolded?”
 “I’ll just say I was passing by.”
 With that, Noras walked off toward the council chamber.
 As she arrived, a flustered voice leaked through the door crack, prompting Noras to press her ear tightly against it.
 “T-That loser who got crushed in the first round won? Are you saying Frostheart beat Wisdom…?”
 “Goodness, I must be dreaming.”
 Noras nodded involuntarily, surprised.
 Even she hadn’t truly believed it was possible.
 “Is Arental really pulling it off this time?”
 “He already has. Honestly, even if they don’t win the championship, just this much is enough to justify the budget. It proves how promising the recruits are.”
 “That’s true. If the projected treasure harvest in the Demon Realm increases visibly, they’ll more than make up the deficit. When you think about profit and loss, it might actually have been a good thing. Putting Arental on the council was the right move.”
 “Indeed. The young ones understand the flow of the new era, so someone like him needs to be there.”
 At this rate, they might even break out the booze.
 “Come on, why talk business only? Frostheart won, didn’t they? We should enjoy the glory first.”
 “You’re right. A day like this deserves a celebration. Let’s drink tonight. Everyone bring one of your best bottles.”
 Of course.
 Pathfinders drink every time they claim new territory, so they’re practically all alcoholics.
 And there’s no way the leadership would let such a celebration pass.
 ‘Oops, now’s not the time for this. I need to report this to Lord Arental.’
 With an excited heart, Noras turned around.
 Just as she was about to head back to the office, she saw Arental walking toward her.
 “I couldn’t help but worry.”
 “Oh, if that’s the case, as you can see, I’m fine. More importantly, you were right. It’s true that Frostheart defeated Wisdom.”
 “Just as I thought. I had a feeling they would.”
 Arental’s face showed deep relief as he spoke.
 “Since I’m here, I should greet the seniors as well. If we won, the mood should be quite good.”
 Arental turned the doorknob to the council chamber.
 In that moment, a rush of wind fluttered past with a whoosh.
 “Hmm, you’re here.”
 Through the open door, the elders inside wore solemn expressions as if nothing had happened.
 “Have the results come in?”
 Though Arental already knew, he still asked.
 Some elders, unable to hide their joy, twitched at the corners of their mouths.
 Then the door shut, and that was all they could see inside.
 Noras had to guess the situation from the voices.
 “Ahem, well, they won by a hair’s breadth.”
 “That’s good news.”
 “Good news? If we don’t win the whole thing, it’s all pointless.”
 With one elder’s harsh criticism, others chimed in.
 “Indeed. Getting arrogant already? That won’t do. Don’t you agree?”
 “A brash young man like him shouldn’t be relaxing before anything is set in stone. That kind of attitude will lead to disaster.”
 “If he wants to strut in here, let him do it after they win the whole tournament.”
 ‘You’ll only acknowledge him after they beat Valient? These shameless old men…’
 “Hmm, I suppose the elders are right. I may have let my guard down too much.”
 When Arental said that in a gloomy tone, the elders’ voices softened slightly.
 “Ahem. Still, the results were impressive. There’s reason to be hopeful.”
 “Yes, indeed. In any case, I’m glad we won. I’ll take my leave now.”
 The council chamber door opened once again.
 Arental’s face looked completely drained as he stepped out.
 “Geez, I got scolded again. I’ll get back to finishing my work. Noras, you may go home.”
 “Yes, Lord Arental… please don’t overdo it.”
 Arental waved his hand weakly and walked off toward his office with heavy steps.
 Noras stood still, watching his bitter back fade into the distance.
 Then, from the door crack, he heard the elders again.
 “Were we too harsh?”
 “No, for this matter, being strict is right. We have to break his bad habit of making bold decisions alone.”
 “I agree. He used the budget too freely. If something like this happens again, we might not recover.”
 “Still, it doesn’t sit right with me. If this ends well, let’s throw him a proper celebration.”
 They’re strange old men—harsh on the outside, yet caring behind the scenes.
 Noras left them behind and stepped out to go home.
 Then she smiled faintly, thinking about the aftermath of this incident.
 ‘His Majesty is probably getting anxious over a joke bet. Headmaster Arkandric will be strutting around. And Hersel Ben Tenest…?’
 He’ll be thrilled, of course.
 He was the leader who guided the key players to victory, so he must feel the greatest sense of fulfillment from this dramatic comeback.
 This will surely become a huge credential for him.
 ‘If an interviewer sees his resume someday, they’ll faint on the spot.’
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 </div> Noras couldn’t even begin to guess where Hersel would start his career after graduation.
 ***
 While spending time in the lobby—
 “We’ve come this far, so we have to win it all.”
 Looking at Ricks, who said that, I thought what a shameless guy he was.
 We only won because a series of extremely lucky events happened.
 Who would’ve expected it?
 The faster-than-expected stat growth of our team, Dorosian’s unpredictable action of locking away the potion box due to tension with Arshian—none of that could’ve been foreseen unless you were a fortune teller.
 Still, there was one hope that clearly existed.
 Because the archmage had finished his business and returned, Wisdom was able to use proper potions starting from round two.
 But everything fell apart because of one short guy sitting across from me, munching snacks and boasting proudly about his performance.
 “In the end, I pulled it off. Ahem, it was a bit noisy, but still.”
 Of course, I did try to smooth it over.
 I was basically suggesting that Limberton should be disqualified for bringing in the “Dragon Slayer,” considering it a magic tool.
 After all, the Knight Division prohibited the use of magical items.
 However, Archmage Lynderi confirmed that since no mana was used, it was ambiguous to call it a magic tool, and whether they understood my feelings or not, they kept chatting nonsense.
 “Anyway, it’s a relief that Hersel raised the objection quickly.”
 “Bellman, what do you mean by that?”
 “If there had been room to contest it, Wisdom would’ve come fully prepared. The result might’ve been overturned. But with all the attention on the match, the Archmage personally verified it. He confirmed that the tool Limberton used was a weapon powered solely by pure aura, not mana.”
 Leana nodded with understanding.
 “So, you're saying he cut off any protests from the start.”
 Heh, don’t you dislike me?
 Go on, say it like before: ‘No way, Hersel couldn’t possibly be that smart.’
 “By the way, I don’t see Riamon.”
 “He said he’d stop by home and come back before the match. Said he had to grab a weapon.”
 “Oh, right. His greatsword broke.”
 “Anyway, let’s do our best. Isn’t the momentum good right now? At this rate, we can beat Valient too.”
 Edina’s cheer as she spoke with Limberton made it hard for me to stay in that space.
 I stood up to get away from this madhouse full of lunatics.
 Hoping to calm myself, I ignored them and walked away.
 “Hersel, where are you going?”
 “Leave him be, Limberton. Judging by his face, he’s probably deep in thought about the next match. Isn’t he cooking up a new tactic?”
 “Ricks is right. Even for Hersel, it’s normal to feel the pressure. He’s not fighting alone, after all.”
 …Lunatics.
 Especially Ricks and Bellman—they’re the worst.
 I sped up my steps in fear.
 I kept going until I could no longer hear their voices.
 I ended up in an open garden with no one around.
 As I sat on a stone bench, the sun set and the moon began to rise.
 I gave up thinking and simply stared into space.
 The chilly wind pierced through my clothes and cooled my skin.
 As I felt myself settle down, I longed to escape the secular world, at least for today.
 But human thoughts don’t work that way. No matter how hard you push them aside, they keep resurfacing.
 The thoughts you want to avoid are usually the ones that bother you most.
 And so I kept questioning myself.
 What will happen to Wisdom now that their narrative has collapsed?
 Originally, they were supposed to grow through the fight with Valient—have they fulfilled that condition against Frostheart?
 If they’re forced to retire, how far will the ripple effects spread?
 In that case, is there an appropriate replacement?
 These are questions I just can’t ignore.
 But no matter how hard I wracked my brain, no answers came.
 As I sighed, a voice called out.
 “What are you brooding over?”
 It was a slightly blunt but teasing voice.
 I knew instantly who it was.
 Turning my head, I saw Dorosian sitting beside me.
 “As you know, everything’s gotten tangled. My head’s a mess.”
 “So, have you thought of a way to fix it?”
 “If I had, I wouldn’t be sitting here like this.”
 As I confessed my hopelessness, Dorosian replied like it was none of her business.
 “Really? Then don’t worry about it.”
 Of all people, she understood my struggles the best, so her words felt a bit absurd.
 “What?”
 “It’s only natural that no answer comes. Someone who doesn’t even know their own future trying to control someone else’s—especially dozens of people—that’s just nonsense.”
 I couldn’t think of a response.
 Her words were true, judging by the outcomes.
 “So don’t obsess too much. Some things may have helped, sure, but others were meaningless. Haven’t you already experienced that yourself?”
 She was right.
 Every time I tried to fix a broken narrative based on my knowledge, there were gains, but also new variables that were introduced.
 Still, I couldn’t just leave a derailed situation alone, so I believed I’d made the necessary choices—and I still do.
 “So, are you saying I should do nothing? If they fail to fulfill their role and get eliminated, who’s going to take it on?”
 That was the core of the issue.
 But today, this woman seemed strangely different—was it just my imagination?
 “Even if their set path is ruined, if it’s them, there’s nothing to worry about. Because qualifications aren’t granted by others—they’re proven by oneself. And they’ve already proven theirs. For them, a broken narrative is just a new trial. It’s actually an opportunity for them to shine even brighter.”
 The words coming out of Dorosian’s mouth—the word choice, the tone—it was hard to believe they came from someone just “slightly changed” recently.
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 </div> “That’s why they’re the protagonists.”
 Then suddenly, a question crossed my mind.
 I wasn’t sure, but I spoke up, hoping she wouldn’t run away.
 “You’re…”
 “Oh my, judging by your face, I guess I’ve been found out?”
 The Dorosian from the future.
 She was sitting beside me, dressed just like the present Dorosian.
 “I even paid attention to the lipstick color, too.”
 Fortunately, the future Dorosian hadn’t used time-stop magic.
 She just smirked and covered her lips with her hand.
 That meant, unlike last time, she didn’t plan to flee and was willing to talk.
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Chapter 239

“Phew. Today’s work will soon be over.” In his office, Arental put down his seal and rubbed his stiff shoulders. Cleaning up the aftermath of recklessly spending a huge budget had become part of his daily routine. Noras, who had been waiting nearby, handed him a cup of tea. “Ah, thank you.” While taking a brief rest, Arental’s blank gaze turned toward the window. It was already about time for the sun to set. Noras sat silently, listening. There was no longer the same chaotic noise as before....

1 Second Invincibility in the Game

Chapter 239

1 Second Invincibility in the Game - Chapter 239