61. Liang Jingru Gave Me Courage
Ever since our return journey reminded us of the methods we would use to negotiate with the Moon Fairy Elise, Ludwig, the Sword Saint, had entered a “lazy state.” Not only did she fail to act in accordance with her maid outfit, but she even required others to serve her meals.
Naturally, regarding Kephir and the queen’s questions about her intentions, Ludwig’s only response was a yawn, followed by, “What a hassle.”
Since we couldn’t extract any information, we might as well stop asking. There was no need for us to appear overly anxious; after all, the queen beside me was the genuine queen of the Great Yng Empire!
After that, our convoy secretly returned. We couldn’t let outsiders discover the troublesome question of “Why are there two queens!?” So, on a certain night, we quietly entered the royal city of the Great Yng Empire. Then, under Ludwig’s guidance, we sought out the Moon Fairy Elise to fulfill my purpose of risking my life to escape with Kephir and the queen—negotiation.
At this moment, the crescent moon rose, casting its light upon the palace garden, coating the red roses in a hue called “moonlight.” Just as when the Moon Fairy first disguised herself as the queen of the Great Yng Empire before us, she was once again sitting at the table in the center of the garden, idly passing the time. This made me realize once more how foolish I was without a script; if I paid close attention to every detail, the differences between the Moon Fairy and the queen were quite significant.
Perhaps sensing an unnecessary presence, Elise set down her cup.
“Ludwig, have you resolved it?”
From her words, I could roughly guess what she had originally commanded Ludwig to do, but… she might be disappointed this time. Not only did Ludwig not stab me through the heart, but here I was, lively and back to find her!
Sure enough, the next moment, Elise sensed something was off. As she turned to scan us, her previously relaxed demeanor vanished, and the atmosphere became tense.
“Hmm? Not only did you fail to handle it, but you even brought them back?”
She then fixed her gaze on the leading Ludwig.
“Sword Saint, have you defected?”
The Moon Fairy’s ability to pry into others’ thoughts could only target one person at a time, which was why I dared to cautiously glance at my script.
【The Moon Fairy is aware of Ludwig’s thoughts!】
—
Indeed!
However, even when faced with the situation of having his innermost thoughts brazenly scrutinized, Ludwig’s reaction remained so carefree, as if he didn’t care at all.
[Ludwig is distracting the Moon Fairy.]
Is this sword saint of the elves helping us!? But even so, it’s useless; the negotiations were decisions we made together, and the methods were proposed by you. Just now, the Moon Fairy has already seen your thoughts, which means our plans this time cannot be concealed at all!
[The Moon Fairy knows Ludwig’s intentions!]
In the next moment, the script unfolded, and Iris returned to her usual composure and calm. Facing such a dangerous fairy, we were never on equal footing from the very beginning!
“Because it’s a hassle, Iris.”
Yet, in the next moment, Ludwig demonstrated through action and fact what it meant to be the sword saint of the Great Yng Empire, and what conveniences such strength could bring.
“Anyway, you already know our decision, and I don’t want to repeat it…”
Even at this point, he remained lazy; by now, I couldn’t tell whether this sword saint truly lacked a sense of crisis or if she was already on the fifth layer.
“You’d better accept my request, Iris; otherwise, I’ll find it increasingly troublesome…”
This negotiation probably began the moment Iris discovered Ludwig’s presence. Aware of our plans; understanding our conditions; clear about our objectives—right from the start, we had no room for bargaining.
Perhaps Ludwig’s seemingly simple negotiation, born from a desire to avoid trouble, was the most effective because it couldn’t be manipulated by Iris, being straightforward and direct! As for us, aside from being cautious about what Iris might do if she refused, we had no other options.
Fortunately, as the queen had said earlier, the deterrent power brought by the identity and strength of the Great Yng Empire’s “Sword Saint” seemed to be even greater than I had imagined. Although I could clearly see Iris’s dissatisfaction with Ludwig, in the end, Iris still compromised after a cold laugh.
“Hmph, hahaha—how dare you do this, Ludwig!”
“Hmm… I dare to do it, so please don’t add any unnecessary burdens and troubles for me; otherwise, you can solve it yourself. I don’t want to waste time getting involved.”
“…Then I’ll agree to your terms; otherwise, you’ll just do something unnecessary again. Coincidentally… I’ll give you all another chance.”
With that, Iris looked at me, “Don’t give me that look as if you want to kill me. You should be grateful to me for not holding too much against you and giving you a chance to make amends. You can set the time for Ludwig to duel with Kephir; take your time to grasp this final opportunity.”
[The Moon Fairy Iris agrees to resolve it in Ludwig’s way!]
It worked, it worked!
Though this was just the first step, more importantly… especially for Kephir’s trial, this was only the beginning. Should I be happy? But to be honest, I had sensed various abnormalities from the very start, making it impossible for me to secretly “sigh in relief” like the queen.
“Louise, take your people and leave here; I don’t want to see any disturbances in the royal city.”
“I know without you saying.”
After expressing her hostility towards the Moon Fairy once more, the queen hinted for us to leave.
Knowing when to stop is the way of the king. The longer we stayed here, the easier it would be for the Moon Fairy to see the more weaknesses we harbored in our hearts, and that was not wrong.
However, while I also wanted to slip away and then comfort and encourage Kephir in the following time, preparing her well for the duel with Ludwig, there were some matters I had to address first, regarding… the Moon Fairy Iris.
“Your Majesty, Kephir, and if possible, Miss Ludwig, please step outside and wait for me.”
I stood firm, directing my gaze at the Moon Fairy, “I have some words to discuss with Miss Iris; I’ll join you shortly, no problem.”
Then, after the worried Kephir, the puzzled queen, and the yawning Ludwig hesitated to leave one after another, I finally steadied my mind and focused on the script.
—
【Around Oujilide and Elisse…】
“No one, go ahead.”
The Moon Fairy chuckled lightly, hmph, such an unlikable ability. However, even if you might already know what I’m thinking, I still need to say it out loud to feel better, to vent my displeasure towards you!
I slowly opened my mouth.
“Moon Fairy, have you finished your little act in front of us?”
—