But before he could properly check the content, the pages began flipping rapidly. By the time Eddie got a good look at the book again, more than half of the thick volume had already turned.
Thick.
Somehow the thin book had transformed into something as massive as an encyclopedia. Despite seeing this phenomenon for the second time, Eddie unconsciously gripped his forearm tightly as an eerie chill ran through him.
The once thin book had thickened, and the large font with wide spacing had gradually become smaller and more compact, making the content difficult to read.
Eddie belatedly tried to stop the turning pages. Though the wind was strong, it seemed unable to resist the physical force of a human hand, and the ceaselessly turning pages finally stopped.
“Ha, hah…”
A sigh escaped him involuntarily. Eddie fixed his gaze on the book.
But the middle section of the book was completely blank.
Yet he had definitely seen text earlier? When Eddie hurriedly checked the earlier pages, he found the text he had seen before.
[Eddie discovered a convenience store in the basement of the inn. Why is my convenience store appearing here?]
[Ketron was collapsed in front of the inn. Hey, that inn was mine?]
[“Child, do you like sweet things?”]
[“They are trying to bring down the sky.”]
[“I’m Sebastian! Pleased to meet you!”]
[There wasn’t much to pack. After all, it was just the neighboring city of Sandern.]
Eddie stared at the rapidly flipping front pages with a hardened expression before suddenly remembering something and hastily flipping through chunks of pages.
Something more important than seeing past events.
The ending.
How exactly does the second part of 〈The Hero Doesn’t Hide His Power Too Well Part 2〉 end?
But disappointment soon filled Eddie’s face as he flipped through chunks of paper looking for the end.
Empty.
From some point onward, nothing was written on the pages. Not a single ink mark.
Still clinging to his last thread of hope, Eddie found the very last page, and his heart turned cold.
Was it because it was empty?
No.
Rather, it was filled. Despite the middle section being completely blank, the ending scene was fully described.
That’s why he was afraid.
But fear couldn’t stop him from checking. Eddie hurriedly began reading the content.
The writing was extremely small and tightly spaced, making the content densely packed, but he read through it in an instant.
[The Hero Doesn’t Hide His Power Too Well Part 2 fin.]
When he finally confirmed the ending, Eddie’s face was filled with an indescribable expression.
Thud.
The cover of the thick book closed, and Eddie just breathed heavily for a while.
Even after closing his eyes tightly and opening them again, the world remained unchanged, and Eddie was still in an empty space with an inexplicable book.
“So this is why…”
He slowly opened his mouth.
“Is this why you called me here?”
Though it was a question, there was obviously no one to answer it. But seemingly unconcerned, Eddie spoke again.
“To make the ending like this? Is that why you’re showing me in advance?”
What exactly do you want from me?
His mind was in turmoil. Still, there was no one to answer his questions.
He had thought everything was peaceful. That the world was so peaceful. Even though he had somehow become entangled with the protagonist, become friends with him, and deepened their relationship to the point where they found stability in each other, he still thought of himself as merely an extra, and that this story had already ended.
But that wasn’t the case.
This world had a sequel that no one knew about.
Though there was still much he didn’t understand, Eddie clearly realized one thing in this moment.
‘Eddie’s Inn’ wasn’t just a passing location in the novel. In Part 2, that place had become a main base for the central story.
Having seen the ending, he could now be certain.
The innkeeper ‘Eddie’ had risen to become a main character in Part 2, serving as a helper character for the true ending of this story.
Of course, even after confirming the ending and learning what kind of character Eddie was designed to be, he still didn’t know exactly what his true identity was.
The middle section was still blank, and this story didn’t seem particularly kind to Eddie the helper either.
But what the story wanted was clear. It was written right here.
The story wanted helper Eddie to meet Ketron and lead him to the ending of Part 2.
The beginning, and the end.
The middle of the story remained undetermined. The empty middle section was proof of that.
Judging by how only the earlier parts that Eddie had actually experienced were written in the content, it seemed that except for the beginning and end, the story was entrusting itself to the ‘autonomy’ of the characters.
However, it wouldn’t tolerate deviations from the important ‘trajectory’ needed for the ending of the main story, which explained the current situation.
In other words, Ketron’s participation in this tournament was something like a mandatory quest.
“…Are you telling me to help?” Eddie spoke.
“So that Ketron can see this ending?”
No one answered him.
“Ha.”
I thought I was just going to enjoy an easy life after being transported into a novel world, but to think I’d be entangled with the protagonist from the very beginning.
Ketron collapsing in front of Eddie’s inn wasn’t a simple coincidence after all.
It was the predetermined beginning of this story.
The moment Eddie realized this fact, he felt an inexplicable vibration. A strange sensation and sound, like gears meshing together and beginning to turn.
It was the footsteps of a story that had somehow found its track.
A sound that no one could hear, audible only to Eddie, who was one of those gears.
A sound that Eddie had heard a few times before.
The book began to flutter again. Wind blew in, turning the thick book, and it smoothly flipped to a page somewhat before the middle before stopping.
There, the story was being written in real time.
[…Ketron defeated his opponent in an instant. Since he had subdued him with the back of his blade rather than the edge, his opponent hadn’t shed a single drop of blood and had essentially just taken a hit, but everyone knew the match had been decisively settled.
Having no intention of being reckless, the swordsman who had faced Ketron cleanly raised both hands to acknowledge his defeat, and simultaneously, the administrator’s declaration fell over the tense arena.
“Ketron, victory!”
The audience erupted into thunderous cheers.
The appearance of a young swordsman who had been instantly subduing his opponents since the beginning of the main tournament was naturally surprising and exciting.
“What’s that fellow’s name?”
“I heard it’s Ketron!”
“That young man is amazing!”
The sound of people chattering spread here and there.
Ketron! Ketron! Ketron!
A name spreading like wildfire. It was as if one could see his reputation rising instantly.
After easily finishing the semifinal, Ketron looked around and soon spotted someone in the waiting room on the first floor, then approached that direction without hesitation.
“Eddie.”
When he called the name, the person being called smiled brightly.
It was Eddie, who had somehow managed to persuade the administrators to let him into the inner waiting room.
[“I knew you’d win, Ket.”]
This was something Eddie had not yet experienced.
Just as Eddie began to feel puzzled, the pages of the book fluttered wildly, and a dazzling light burst forth from between the pages.
Ah.
Eddie thought he knew what this was.
Fwooosh!
Eventually, that light engulfed Eddie’s body in an instant.
“…Ugh.”
It was dizzying, but instantaneous.
When the light stopped, Eddie was no longer in darkness. Coming from a dark space relying on a single light source to a space illuminated by midday sunlight, his eyes took a while to adjust to the brightness.
But before long, when his eyes adjusted to the light, Eddie realized he was standing in an unfamiliar place he had never been to before.
Of course, even if it was his first time here, he couldn’t fail to recognize where he was.
That was because from outside, he could hear the tremendous cheers of a massive crowd.
In the distance, he could see the arena, and on it, Ketron instantly subduing his opponent.
He also saw the opponent acknowledging defeat and raising both arms in surrender.
“Ketron, victory!”
Along with the administrator’s declaration, amplified by magic, came cheers so loud they could burst eardrums.
Looking around briefly, Ketron’s eyes met Eddie’s, and Eddie could see Ketron running toward the waiting room where he was standing.
“Eddie.”
Not feeling anything strange about what had changed or what had happened until now, the man called his name gently, and Eddie realized what he should say at this moment.
After biting his lips for a moment, Eddie forced a casual smile and congratulated his cat who had returned victorious.
“I knew you’d win, Ket.”
Whether that was exactly the nuance that the story had written down, he couldn’t be sure.