46. Do you also want to “judge” me?
After a round of cosplay that made me feel utterly uncomfortable and flustered, I immediately planned to leave with the queen. Not just to leave the residence of the Moon Fairy, Iris, but to hurry back to the capital of the Great Yng Empire.
Because even without the queen reminding me, I was well aware: the Moon Fairy, Iris, is a being so formidable that even the queen was initially too afraid to resist her. She must have too many hidden cards up her sleeve; the fact that she could command that Sword Saint was already enough evidence. Although I saved the queen, the danger was far from over; this was not the time for me to gloat and tease the queen.
We hurried along, the queen tugging at my arm, explaining her “failure” with utmost seriousness.
“Ogier, the Moon Fairy, Iris, is a very special existence for the Great Yng Empire and for me. Perhaps it’s more appropriate to describe her as the ‘will’ of the Great Yng Empire. And due to some special connections, in most cases, I simply cannot resist Iris.”
“Your Majesty, why are you suddenly saying all this so seriously?”
“Eh? Ah… uh, haha~ I just wanted to remind you how dangerous the Moon Fairy really is~ You can’t act so recklessly as to slap her in the face again, okay?~ Ogier.”
Come on, Your Majesty, that’s not what you really think.
[Louise IV is afraid of being mocked by Ogier.]
I wouldn’t laugh at you, Your Majesty. After all, I’ve had a taste of the terror that is Iris’s manipulation of hearts; for you, there’s probably more to it than meets the eye.
Seeing that I didn’t respond, the queen must have realized something, and her voice suddenly became quite constrained.
“You…”
“Mm? What? I haven’t said anything yet.”
I admit I was stifling a laugh.
“Ugh… you have no sense of romance!”
She jabbed me in the waist with her elbow, then used various excuses to brush off what had just happened.
“In any case, shaking Iris is like shaking the very foundation of the Great Yng Empire; I won’t do that. But, at the very least, I can be a bit firmer, so she won’t interfere with my decisions or meddle in my affairs. I just want to return to Glamorgan Castle and enjoy some peace, without her getting involved in my matters…”
—
This statement sounds less like the queen’s thoughts and more like… a child seeking her mother’s affection? I wanted to ask more, but unfortunately, there was no time for me to accompany the queen back.
“Danger” has arrived.
In the next moment, I released my grip on the queen’s hand and stopped in my tracks.
“Euclid?”
Then, facing the queen’s concern, I put on a smile.
“Your Majesty, you should leave first. Follow the road to the Knight Order’s base in Glamorgan; you should be able to meet up with Kephir along the way. She will escort you safely and swiftly back to the Great Yng Empire using the teleportation array. Professor Moriarty will be waiting on the other side, so there won’t be any safety issues.”
“And you…”
“Ah, I just remembered! I was so focused on saving you that I forgot to deal with the aftermath. I need to go back and cover up the scene. I’ll return on my own once I’m done, so don’t wait for me. It’s useless to just stand there, Your Majesty, hurry and go. Hah… don’t tell me the esteemed queen is afraid of walking at night?”
“…”
After a moment of silence, biting her lip, the queen finally turned around.
“Be quick.”
“I’ll do my best~”
【Louise IV departs early!】
The script appeared, and with the queen’s swift footsteps as she left without looking back, I finally let out a sigh of relief. That clumsy lie I just told was probably seen through by the queen right away, but she still chose to follow my words and hurried back to her capital in the Great Yng Empire.
I… truly admire her. Hah~ It seems the queen can still uphold her long-standing principle: the Great Yng Empire comes first. A rational and sensible queen is a good queen. As for the troubles and dangers, they were brought by me, so naturally… I should be the one to “clean up.”
Even if it means risking a death script, I have nothing to complain about.
“…”
After waiting in silence until the queen’s figure completely vanished from sight, I turned and returned to the estate of the Moon Fairy, Iris.
【Euclid is killed by the Moon Fairy.】
Letting the queen leave first was the wisest choice; after all, the queen couldn’t help me resolve the death script, and I didn’t want the death script to involve her. Although I wasn’t sure how the Moon Fairy had arrived, she was clearly waiting for me, so I couldn’t truly escape with the queen.
Rather, the fact that I managed to deceive the Moon Fairy long enough to find a way to save the queen and let her leave now is already a miracle. After all, at any point, if any participant caught the Moon Fairy’s “glance,” my plan would be completely exposed.
Stepping back into Iris’s estate, the silent hall echoed only with the sound of my lonely footsteps. The cold crescent moon hanging outside the window cast reflections in the hall, flickering in and out with my steps, blocked by the walls between the windows.
Here, it was empty.
Then… when I looked ahead again, a figure bathed in moonlight, holding an umbrella, was already waiting for me at the end of the path.
“Euclid, don’t you think it’s quite normal for excellent items to obey a qualified ruler?”
“This ruler, are you referring to Queen Louise IV of the Great Yng Empire?”
I stood firm, unafraid, responding with my most genuine thoughts.
“Louise is merely a substitute, like a doll sewn together by a little girl in a craft class. Why care about an item that can be replaced at any time? If you wish, you could even have a brand new ‘Louise’ that obeys you. All it takes is for you to see your own destiny a little more clearly.”
“…I’m not here for any ‘destiny,’ Moon Fairy!”
My gaze fell upon the Moon Fairy Iris, who looked exactly like Louise, revealing a disdainful and contemptuous pale smile.
I knew this was absolutely not an enemy I could defeat, but at least I could take the initiative to grasp the information about the demon for Kefir’s future counterattack.
Home? I can go to your sister’s place!
【Euklid is currently facing the Moon Demon King El… This kind of question, wouldn’t it be better to ask me directly?】
【Moon Demon King El, as a demon, has already… This kind of question, wouldn’t it be better to ask me directly? You’re not even polite, looking at a girl’s age like that.】
【Moon Demon King El, height 1… body weight… Why do you want to ask such a perverted question, and how could I tell you, Euklid?】
I used to use my script to gather information about my opponents and provide help to Kefir, but this time, it was completely useless in front of El. Not… it’s not even an exaggeration to say it backfired!
Because the Moon Demon King El in front of me didn’t even need to take action, didn’t need to open her mouth, just kept her umbrella-holding pose, with a hint of disdain towards me, and she could completely… grasp my thoughts.
This demon is simply my “natural enemy”!