66. Sudden Reversal
A “duel” between strong opponents would naturally not be affected by trivial matters like “who feels unwell,” but… if some factors large enough to influence the disparity in strength between the two sides were to mix in, then the outcome would no longer be in question.
Kefir has been defeated in her duel with Ludwig!
With the emergence of the script, Ludwig’s actions—“having understood Kefir’s intentions thanks to Iris’s reminder”—became increasingly evident. When Kefir, who originally had the advantage in speed, found her thoughts and plans laid bare, she was forced into a direct confrontation with Ludwig. The threat posed by the enormous sword in his hand, capable of shattering everything in its path, was magnified several times over!
From the very beginning, this duel was never going to be fair. Although Kefir agreed to participate with this understanding, it still left me feeling indignant!
Kefir could not withstand the exaggerated strength of her opponent, nor the sheer size of his weapon!
“Kefir, I think you should look for a more solid defense.”
“!”
Each time the blade came crashing down, Kefir could only barely retreat or expend all her energy to dodge. A moment’s carelessness, and I couldn’t even bear to think of the consequences!
“The defense of Alsace is only relative to magic, but to me, brute force is also a form of strength~ In this regard, Alsace is quite fragile, scurrying around like a rat, unworthy of the title of a strong warrior.”
“T-thank you… for the advice…”
“For example… like this?”
Ludwig raised his heavy sword and swung it down, sending Kefir, who had to brace herself for defense, flying once again from the sheer force. Just as I instinctively prepared to use the script to help Kefir, Iris’s mocking voice echoed once more.
“It’s time for your woman to concede, Eurydice. At this point, I should have given you enough face to avoid embarrassing yourself in front of her.”
This was both a temptation and a threat, but… it was also a reminder to me. I was not Kefir’s caretaker, and she was not my tool; she had her own resolve, and I had my own goals.
“Moon Fairy, I have no right to decide for Kefir. If she wants to concede, she will say so herself.”
“Ha, what a pretense.” Iris sneered, “Then don’t blame me.”
“I merely said a few casual words to Ludwig before. Since you insist on having Kefir concede herself, I suppose I must inform Ludwig of some specifics~”
The Moon Fairy Iris’s reminder injures Kefir!
“Just don’t blame me for not warning you later.”
In the next moment, Iris’s gaze shifted from me to Ludwig, who had just pushed Kefir back.
“Ludwig, make it quick. I have no patience to wait.”
“……”
Their eyes met, but I knew all too well: it could not be as simple as just “exchanging glances”! After all, a more dangerous script was simultaneously emerging, as if foreshadowing the tragic outcome my arrogance would bring to Kefir!
The Moon Fairy Iris is granting power to Ludwig!
In a daze, I saw the crescent glow shining between Iris and Ludwig’s gazes!
I… knew what to do! Because some “doubts” were about to be unveiled!
Ludwig is gaining the power of the Moon Fairy Iris!
Why was it that when Ludwig approached, there was no script threatening my or Kefir’s safety, but merely a suggestion to negotiate with Iris? Why did Ludwig, who clearly stated he would go easy on Kefir, brazenly appear before Iris, exposing our intentions and thoughts to her, transforming the situation into what it was tonight? Why, from the moment the decision was made, had I not shared my thoughts with either the queen or Kefir, but only hoped they would trust me…
All of this would likely find an explanation soon! I would never overlook any point of suspicion in the script, even if it seemed unrelated, like the elves from the Kingdom of Prussia deliberately coming to deliver a lecture to Ludwig.
“The elf sword saint pursuing power,” was enough to put me on guard.
“Ludwig, use my power to… Kefir… huh? Wh-what…”
When I came to my senses, there was already a shift on Elisse’s side. She seemed to want to break off her gaze with Ludwig, but it was as if she were being drawn in, unable to close her eyes or look away!
At the same time, the script had changed once more! The previously vague content was now described with greater clarity and certainty!
【Ludwig is taking the power of the Moon Fairy Elisse!】
“Ludwig! You…”
“Yawn~ What’s wrong, Elisse? Don’t be nervous, just give me a bit more. After all, your kind of fairy power seems pretty nice…”
“You… you… could it be…”
Elisse, no longer composed, stumbled back in panic, but even so, she still couldn’t break her gaze from Ludwig!
【Elisse has seen Ludwig’s thoughts!】
“You… want my power? Why? How come I couldn’t see it before… ah, huh? You… you actually tricked me!!?”
“What do you mean by trick? I wouldn’t do something so troublesome, Elisse. It’s just that your power can only focus on one person at a time, and… even if you look at one person, you can only see ‘one thing,’ right?”
Ludwig’s voice still carried a lazy tone, “So, it’s your own fault for being so focused on the fact that I ‘would let it go’ that you missed other content, leading to this mistake~ And please don’t casually assume that I’m foolish, okay? By age, my time as a fairy might even be a bit longer than yours, little fairy.”
The crescent moon’s light grew more pronounced, and this time, I could clearly see: some brilliance was flowing from Elisse’s eyes towards Ludwig, while Elisse could do nothing at this moment!
“Even though I’m a ‘Sword Saint,’ I’m still a fairy, you know? No matter how much I dislike trouble, I still need to know the magic to obtain power. Don’t worry, I just find your power interesting, so I wanted to try it out. Besides, you’ll be able to slowly recover after a while, right? Don’t be so stingy, Elisse.”
Everything… was all part of Ludwig’s plan! But I had no time to think deeply, for as my gaze fell, it was already too late for Elisse to respond!
The moonlight swirled, and the impact even blew Ludwig’s long hair, which she had tied up, into disarray. She maintained her gaze with Elisse, drawing everything from her!
Then, the lazy voice, along with the cascading hair, gradually faded away.
What came was a laughter that felt “only natural.”
“After all, didn’t I say? There’s only one thing in this world that isn’t troublesome, and that’s matters related to power…”
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