72. Guess, just guess

Just as I had thought: until Adeve’s Prussian Kingdom forces completely took over the rural areas of the old elven nobility and began their investigation, there were no signs of any ‘white-haired elves’ like Ludwig or fairies like Magnus.

Thus, identifying the elders who had interacted with Ludwig, especially Elder Feng No. 2, became our only lead in tracking down Ludwig. We dared not hesitate and immediately caught up with the escorting team the next day, following them back to the capital of the Prussian Kingdom.

By the time we returned, it was already night. The task of “interrogating” those elders about Ludwig’s actions was imminent, so there was naturally no time to waste. However, compared to the physical exhaustion, Kephiel had been remarkably spirited throughout the journey, no, one could say she was very “alert.”

As for the object of her vigilance…

“Miss Adeve, are you… alright?”

On the other side of me, Adeve leaned forward, revealing a meaningful smile: “What do you mean by ‘alright’?”

Kephiel blinked, probably thinking there was “no evidence,” and since the topic was rather frivolous, her gaze could only drift briefly to Adeve’s lower half before retracting.

Yet, while Kephiel appeared calm, in my script, her thoughts were tumultuous.

[Kephiel suspects that Adeve is no longer a maiden.]

Oh, dear, your suspicion is so straightforward and unpretentious, not hiding at all your doubts about my relationship with Adeve…

Doubts aside, when Kephiel noticed that Adeve’s “steps” were still so light, without any sign of “pain” as she clutched her stomach or twisted her waist, Kephiel finally let out a small sigh of relief.

Moreover, we were about to start questioning the old elven nobility elders, and now… it truly wasn’t the time for a battlefield of emotions.

“After I brought those old elven nobles back, they were separated and imprisoned. What charges they should face still needs to be judged, but I think… finding clues about Ludwig is the priority. Please, this is the holding area.”

Adeve led us into a sealed room. As “honored guests,” these elders, especially Elder Feng No. 2, were indeed given a corresponding level of “treatment”: she had arranged for him to sit in a chair, and since he was tightly bound, he couldn’t even stand up to stretch his legs. His backside was probably going numb, not to mention the blinding light from a lamp in front of him…

By the time I saw him, this elder had long lost the smugness he had when he was pressuring Adeve. Just the thought of not only failing to seize the Prussian Kingdom but also losing his own home seemed to have left him dejected and listless. It took Adeve calling out to him before he realized we were there.

“Elder, our judgment regarding you from the Prussian Kingdom has been made.”

Dealing with such an obstinate old fool, Adeve clearly had her methods.

She first kicked Elder Feng No. 2 awake, deliberately adopting a serious tone as she warned, “The other elders might be considered accomplices at most, but you are the main culprit who directly interacted with Ludwig. Theoretically… you should be facing the death penalty.”

Upon hearing “death penalty,” Elder Feng No. 2 perked up, nearly bouncing out of his chair.

“Adeve, don’t be too cruel…”

“To avoid a suspended sentence, just be honest and tell me about Ludwig. With your status, it wouldn’t be a problem for you to go somewhere else to live out your days. Otherwise, I could easily take you out here without anyone knowing. Two choices—what do you think?”

The bottom line kept getting pushed lower. As soon as he heard that he could live if he confessed, the elder wasted no time and spoke up.

“I-I didn’t find Ludwig! Of course, I know she’s an enemy of the Elves! But this time, she clearly came looking for me herself!”

[Ludwig found Elder Feng No. 2.]

The script was unfolding, and I could tell that Elder Feng No. 2 wasn’t lying at this moment.

“When she found me, she came with news! I… what could I do at that time!? You know how powerful Ludwig is, Adéle, don’t you!?”

“Hey? Are you saying you accepted the information under pressure from Ludwig? Well, thank you very much! Would you like to experience some of my ‘pressure’?”

I quickly grabbed Adéle, who was ready to draw her gun.

Ludwig had contacted Elder Feng No. 2 and provided evidence regarding Adéle’s interactions with the Orcs. Then, Elder Feng No. 2’s greed flared up, and he colluded with other Elves to set a trap for Adéle. Up to this point, everything was as we understood.

But the key question was…

“Where did Ludwig go in the end?”

Ludwig wasn’t even in Prulus anymore. It was clearly her scheme, yet she didn’t seem to care at all about the outcome. Was it successful? Or was it that this was just a casual act for her, merely to “add trouble” for us!?

The actions of an Elf who seemed completely oblivious to her own thoughts were the hardest to judge!

Elder Feng No. 2 glanced at me. “I-I don’t know! That woman just said she would ‘cooperate’ with us and then left! I-I regret it now! Alright, I’ve said what I needed to say. Can I go now!?”

Go? Hmph, you can tell that to Adéle. What good is it to come to me for leniency?

Besides, I didn’t have time to care about the outcome for Elder Feng No. 2, because all my focus was on Ludwig’s actions.

I definitely didn’t miss it earlier—Elder Feng No. 2 mentioned the word “cooperate.” Simply put, while the elders were taking action, Ludwig was doing something else, and it was related to Adéle! If I remembered correctly, in the previous dangerous script, aside from the danger to Adéle, there was another person spreading out…

It was the little fox, Zelus!

What kind of troublesome relationship did she have with Ludwig? No, wait! Thinking carefully, there was indeed a dangerous situation on Zelus’s side! That was her hidden identity as the chief of the Austro-Hungarian tribe, which was completely inconsistent with her subhuman status!

It couldn’t be…

A sense of foreboding flickered in my heart, and just then, the script’s revelation truly shattered my hopes!

【Ludwig has discovered Zelus’s identity!】

There was no need for more details in the script; recalling Ludwig’s actions this time, I immediately realized: why Ludwig was no longer in Prussia, and… what that sprite intended to do next!

Without a second thought, I grabbed Kephiel and Adev and rushed outside, leaving Elder Feng, who was still causing a ruckus, behind!

“Adev, contact Icarus for me, quickly!”

Icarus and Zelus were left behind in the Kingdom of Prussia to keep watch. When we had just returned to Prussia today, we hadn’t seen that little fox, Zelus. Now I realized: it might not be as simple as that fox being too lazy to show up!

In the next moment, Adev’s connection went through, and sure enough, I heard the worst news I could have imagined from Icarus.

“Icarus, where has Zelus gone!?”

【…To-Do Item 1: Zelus left the Kingdom of Prussia after you all, and has returned to the Austro-Hungarian Tribe!】