23. Who’s Afraid is a Grandson
Who is superior, who is inferior? In the face of our current situation, the turning point for change arrives in an instant!
The elven sword saint Ludwig, unexpectedly close to the elven princess, has truly appeared in this era! However, her entrance was less about flying in to “protect the princess” and more akin to being “blown in” in a rather disheveled manner, barely maintaining a semblance of her “sword saint image” through sheer will.
Even her voice carried a tension that seemed somewhat mismatched with her identity and reputation.
“Princess, the two guards of the saintess, they are truly…”
Moreover, she didn’t even have time to finish her sentence. After all, this sword saint wouldn’t just “fly in” for no reason. Following closely behind her were two familiar figures—Kefir and Nilu, who had not accompanied me tonight to secretly protect the elven saintess.
I didn’t need to say much; just from their unscathed state and the subsequent content of the unfolding script, I understood the situation with Kefir and Nilu.
[Kefir and Nilu defeated Ludwig.]
Not just me; it seemed that the princess before me also grasped the current situation. At this point, she probably didn’t even have time to question why the kingdom’s esteemed sword saint couldn’t defeat two “small fry.” Instead, she openly voiced her intentions, her tone cold and unyielding!
“These two… Izalis, you colluded with outsiders, and now you still want to argue your intentions with me!?”
[Adrel wants to kill Izalis.]
The death script encountered by the elven saintess once again appeared clearly before me. I had long grown accustomed to such scripts, but if I had to express a thought, it would be this: I felt a bit sorry for the elven saintess for having to bear the brunt of our troubles. After all, before deciding to protect her, we were complete strangers, and how could we be accused of “colluding with outsiders”?
At least from the current perspective, it seemed that Princess Adrel was merely framing the saintess with baseless accusations to eliminate her. This kind of thing was something I had seen many times before. And precisely because I was so familiar with this routine, I could confidently assure the safety of the elven saintess: it was foolproof.
“Izalis, there’s no need to be too anxious; I’m fully prepared.”
In an attempt to reassure her, I intended to remind Izalis to calm down. Little did I know… after such a long time, the usually “elegant and composed” saintess hadn’t snapped back to reality, her gaze fixed on me as if I were the only thing that existed in her world.
Before I could ponder why the elven saintess seemed so “dazed,” the elven princess had already made a move.
Regardless of her intentions, the princess’s reaction was surprisingly calm, leaving me somewhat astonished.
“Teacher, we can’t waste any more time! We must eliminate Izalis here together!”
“But… but the situation isn’t looking good; we should call for other elves…”
“Can you guarantee that those elves, who more or less hold some admiration for this woman, will truly obey afterwards? What are you hesitating for!?”
I no longer needed to confirm the script; in the next moment, the elven princess appeared, sword in hand, followed closely by the elven sword saint, who hesitated for a moment before following suit! However, this time, I had already grasped the script they were conveying, making it even less likely for their intentions to succeed.
Without needing to elaborate, Nilu and Kfir had already positioned themselves in front of me, while I focused on reviewing the content related to Izalis in the script, waiting for a safe opportunity.
“Lord Oqulid, you just…”
“No need to be nervous; tonight, that princess won’t do anything to you.”
I paid little attention to Izalis’s question as I studied the script. Was it a “misconception” or something else? Tonight, my protection of Izalis against the impending death script was indeed thorough, but… was I getting too complacent? It all felt a bit too easy.
Moreover, the elven princess, desperately trying to defeat Kfir and Nilu, along with the elven sword saint, displayed similar performances! The elven princess, Edrel, didn’t seem too out of the ordinary, but in contrast, the elven sword saint, Ludwig, appeared… quite lackluster in my eyes.
Clearly, her identity in the script was genuine, yet in reality, she seemed watered down, completely unable to match Kfir. Even in a straightforward contest of strength, Kfir didn’t even need to use any magic to counter or retaliate; it was a one-sided affair.
Could it be that my wife was getting stronger?
The emergence of a new script interrupted my thoughts, as its content was not particularly optimistic.
[The identity of Oqulid and his party has been discovered.]
From the script, combined with the elven princess’s earlier attitude, I understood: in this kingdom of white-haired elves, there was likely no room for outsiders. Therefore, if the situation continued unchecked, more and more people would learn of our identities. After all, Zelus couldn’t provide disguises for Kfir and Nilu in a combat situation at any moment.
However, while our identities posed a problem, the elven princess’s subtle attempt to “poke” Izalis indicated that she clearly didn’t want things to escalate. Perhaps she was feeling guilty about something.
My goal regarding the three elven princesses of this era was naturally to prevent them from committing certain “bad deeds,” stopping them from gradually transforming into “big bosses” and ultimately becoming the dangerous figures of my time. And at this moment, as long as the script was correct, I had managed to halt this Princess Edrel’s “descent into darkness,” hadn’t I?
Then, there was no need to continue down this path, creating a life-and-death situation. Our party’s “main quest” in this era was not yet complete.
So…
“Your Highness the Princess!”
In the next moment, I called out, and simultaneously, Kfir and Nilu disengaged and returned to my side. Judging by the situation, the two powerhouses were not afraid of this opponent; they had merely been stalling for time, waiting for me.
And I had already formulated my negotiating words.
“I think it’s best we ‘cease hostilities’; otherwise… even if you discover we’re not elves, it won’t matter. You probably wouldn’t want too many outsiders to know about what you plan to do to the saint tonight, would you?”
“!”
I did not misread the script; in the next moment, the elven princess Edraiel indeed stopped her pursuit, wearing an expression of defeat!
“There’s no need for me to elaborate on the terms of exchange. Please, do not entertain any strange thoughts about the Saintess afterward…”
Pausing, I glanced at Izalis beside me.
This esteemed Saintess was still looking at me, troubled by why she could remain in a daze for so long. But at this point, the next part could only be handled by me.
To dispel the death script that Izalis was facing this time, and at the same time…
It was also to completely thwart the dangerous thoughts of one of the elven princesses, Edraiel, to prevent her from “turning bad” from this incident onward. And now, it seemed, this was precisely the “main quest” we needed to accomplish!
For this, I could not afford to appear too “timid.”
“Or do you insist on removing her from our protection for your dark intentions?
I smiled, “【Princess Edraiel, do you think you can manage that?】”
Whether you agree or not, the script will surely provide me with the answer.
——
Today’s points lottery result: bagjacky (1 point)