40. The Contrarian Appears
Clearly, these naive elven maidens were about to take the bait, and at this crucial moment, a contrarian had the audacity to speak out! The troubling part was that the tone of this male voice didn’t seem like mere skepticism; it felt as if he had seen through his plan!
This made Louis Ninety-Nine furious: made, since someone was smart enough to see what he was doing, couldn’t the owner of that voice see the elder of their elves standing right beside him? A clever person would immediately recognize the situation and keep quiet, pretending to know nothing, yet here he was stirring up trouble, as if he wanted to play the hero saving the damsel in distress!
Though he was seething inside, wishing he could find this show-off and give him a beating before tossing him out, Louis Ninety-Nine knew he had to keep his intentions hidden until he successfully lured the maidens out of the Kingdom of Prulish.
Faced with the confusion among the maidens caused by that voice, Louis Ninety-Nine quickly put on a formulaic smile, responding while searching the crowd for the contrarian who was ruining his plans.
“How could this be a trick? I represent the Great Yng Empire, and the news I bring is absolutely true and legitimate. I ask this young man not to be jealous; this time we only need elven maidens. We will consider males in the future, so you still have a chance.”
Soft giggles arose among the elven maidens, all laughing at the unintentional remarks of that voice.
“Men should just stay away; they’re such a buzzkill.”
“Hehe, if it really comes to it, just dress as a woman and blend in~”
“But who was it that just spoke? I can’t seem to find him?”
At this point, if that contrarian had any sense, he should have recognized the situation and left quietly, right? However, the next moment, the voice of this “contrarian” made Louis Ninety-Nine feel not just displeased, but… anxious!
It seemed he wasn’t just sticking around; he even unexpectedly blurted out something that made Louis Ninety-Nine’s back break out in a cold sweat!
“All nobles of the Great Yng Empire are not allowed to selfishly use the
The blunt words struck Louis the Ninety-Ninth like a bolt, causing his expression to change instantly, leaving him no time to continue his facade!
This kid… he understands too much, doesn’t he!? How does he know the regulations that bind the nobles of the Great Yng Empire, and can say it outright!
The anticipation and confusion in the eyes of the surrounding elven girls only heightened Louis the Ninety-Ninth’s anxiety. In the next moment, he could only shout angrily, “What I say is legal is legal! You, an elf, don’t understand, so don’t cause trouble here!”
However, it was this very statement that made Louis the Ninety-Ninth realize: this kid knows too clearly, could he… could he really be an elf!?
By the time he realized this, it was too late. As Louis the Ninety-Ninth searched the crowd with his gaze, what emerged from among the elves was not some hero-seeking elven lad, but… a human.
A human that Louis the Ninety-Ninth was not very familiar with, yet one he could never forget—his enemy!
“What do you mean by understanding or not? When it comes to the Great Yng Empire, especially regarding its nobles, I know it all too well~”
The time had come; if I waited any longer, these elven ladies might genuinely leap joyfully into a trap prepared for them, only to be sold and then have to help count the money.
So, the moment Louis the Ninety-Ninth showed a crack, I, who had just arrived in the countryside of the Purus Kingdom, didn’t hesitate to expose his thoughts.
This time, I didn’t even need to lie, because this guy had truly violated the laws of the Great Yng Empire.
Under the scrutiny of astonished gazes around me, I braced myself and spoke, “Don’t be so surprised, ladies. Like this man standing on the stage deceiving you, I also come from the Great Yng Empire, so I naturally know whether what he says is true or false. The regulations regarding nobles in the Great Yng Empire are very strict; unless he can produce the queen’s authorization, everything he does is certainly done without permission, it’s all a lie.”
“Isn’t it better to marry a handsome prince than to be sold off to some old, fat, round man in the human empire? He claims he wants you to sing and dance, but in reality… you’ll be ‘singing and dancing’ for those old, overweight men while lying naked in bed~”
【Louis the Ninety-Ninth is engaged in the business of human trafficking.】
I didn’t even need a script to tell me the truth; just from his actions and motives, I could guess his purpose with near certainty. The previous disappearance of the Austro-Hungarian tribal subhumans was also related to Louis the Ninety-Ninth, and after his collaborator, the “Great Wizard,” was exiled, Louis the Ninety-Ninth came to the elves, teaming up with the old noble elders to start deceiving.
Fortunately, after Adev told me the detailed information, we rushed here immediately. If we had been even a few hours or minutes late, those poor elven ladies might have truly boarded a pirate ship!
However, my boldness in coming here to expose him was not without danger. As I made my decisive statement, the death script also surged forth from Louis the Ninety-Ninth towards me!
“To put it simply: this man is a pimp, and your dear elder has sold you out~”
【Louis the Ninety-Ninth and the elven elder, angered by their motives being exposed, killed Oujilide!】
Amidst the surrounding doubts and noise, Louis the Ninety-Ninth finally lost some of his composure and smugness. He hurriedly exchanged a glance with the elven elder beside him, then immediately began to curse at me!
“Wh-what do you mean I’m a fraud! You’re the one spreading alarmist lies! I am a noble of the Great Yng Empire, what are you!? Elder, quickly have your people arrest this troublemaker in your territory!”
After a flurry of panicked eye exchanges between the two minor villains, the elven elder immediately understood Louis the Ninety-Ninth’s intent, nodded, and roared at his lackeys on either side!
“Y-yes! What are you all waiting for? Arrest this human causing trouble in our territory…”
Arrest him.
The death script compelled him to say such things, and at the same time, I indeed noticed the movements of his lackeys. Amidst the crowd’s commotion, the entire scene descended into chaos!
This was the territory of the elven elder; even escaping wouldn’t be convenient, so… I decided to skip that step. After all, I wasn’t here to steal but to catch thieves. And besides…
I wasn’t alone!
One of
—
As she spoke, she pressed her ear, “Mel, codename ‘For the Princess’ operation, commence!”
Immediately, there was movement all around.
Wait, what was that operation called just now!?