60. What are you being timid for? You need to stand tall!
Whether it was due to this sudden appearance or the earlier meeting with the kingdom’s little princess, the attitude I unconsciously displayed—disguised as a “normal elven maid” using fairy magic, quietly observing everything from behind the little princess—now made sense to me.
Even now, this Silver Knight, who was unleashing his fury in front of the little princess, was like a mad dog looking for someone to bite. It wasn’t that he was overly anxious; his sudden intrusion and loud outburst towards the princess were anything but polite. The reason for his behavior was much simpler and more straightforward than I initially thought.
He simply didn’t regard the genuine elven princess before him at all. If it were merely because the princess was young and he saw her as a child, that would be one thing, but the Silver Knight’s attitude seemed more like… he didn’t take the little princess seriously at all.
This surprised me!
Although Izalis had hinted to me earlier that the youngest princess, Ilushir, was not favored by her two elder sisters due to her lack of ability, I hadn’t expected that among other elves of comparable status, she could be regarded as a mere ornament to such an extent!
I didn’t have time to dwell on my thoughts; after all, the imposing Silver Knight had come looking for trouble, and the little princess had to handle it alone. If I followed the advice I had given her earlier, she should be able to cover up the situation regarding the Elven Saintess and our presence to some extent. However, ideals are often abundant while reality is stark. It was no wonder the other party didn’t take the little princess seriously, because “in this era,” even this princess, when faced with a Silver Knight of considerable status and aggression, appeared somewhat nervous.
“Sir, Silver Knight, the Saintess… is there something wrong? I don’t know anything…”
Not only had she forgotten most of what I had just taught her before the Silver Knight arrived, but even her instinctive response sounded awkward and a bit insincere, like a “there’s no silver here” kind of act.
With such a nervous attitude, it’s no wonder this flashy man wouldn’t take a step back, little princess.
“Humph, I didn’t expect you to know anything from the princess.”
The Silver Knight snorted disdainfully, but perhaps realizing that he was speaking to a princess, he restrained his arrogance just enough not to utter any outright mockery. Instead, he began issuing orders as if assigning tasks to the princess before him, his demeanor brazen.
“Princess Ilushir, all you need to do is assist and cooperate with my investigation. The Holy Elf Maiden, along with her few guards, won’t be able to run far; she’s definitely hiding somewhere within your territory right now.”
Pausing, the Silver Knight’s scrutinizing gaze fell upon the small princess, who was already so nervous she seemed at a loss. It was both a warning and a threat.
“By the way, Princess Ilushir, if you have any clues, you must inform me in advance. I am here on the orders of the Long Princess, and whether it’s to find the Holy Elf Maiden quickly or to clear my own name, I will be bringing people to search your residence afterward.”
“!”
In the next moment, I clearly saw the small princess’s long ears twitch behind her. Thankfully, this guilty reaction was subtle enough; otherwise, the Silver Knight would have surely caught on to something.
After all, although this Silver Knight was currently like a rabid dog eager to find the Holy Elf Maiden, he still had enough sense to make the situation quite tricky.
“Princess Ilushir, you probably don’t know what’s happening with the Holy Elf Maiden, do you? It’s possible she has concocted some excuse to deceive you. To put it simply: she has betrayed the entire Rodland Kingdom. If you’ve been fooled by her words and are hiding her, then… before your two sisters get angry, it would be better to quickly apologize and admit your mistake, and hand over the Holy Elf Maiden.”
“……”
What I was worried about was this: would Ilushir crumble under the pressure and directly expose us? This was also why I insisted on disguising myself and following Ilushir to face the pursuers! While it was indeed to support her, it was also to keep an eye on her, to see if the small princess would reveal our whereabouts!
If she couldn’t withstand the Silver Knight’s threats and temptations and blurted it out… then I would act immediately to “eliminate” the evidence and make a quick escape with the Holy Elf Maiden! Moreover, if such a situation truly occurred, it would actually put my mind at ease, because in the script, the Elf Princess could be considered my enemy.
Yet up until now, she hadn’t done anything that could be deemed “malicious.” How could that not puzzle me!?
Then, something even more bewildering happened!
“I… I have no clues, haha…”
Forcing a smile, the small princess responded.
Clearly, the other party had already “tempted” her to this extent, and in a sense, they were right: the Holy Elf Maiden was indeed a traitor, yet the small princess still hadn’t immediately exposed us. At the same time, the script emerged, eliminating another possibility.
【Ilushir decides to conceal the whereabouts of the Holy Elf Maiden!】
The content indicated that the small princess wasn’t lying out of fear of me; she genuinely wanted to keep it hidden! This left me both surprised and slightly troubled. But putting that aside, since this small princess had expressed such an attitude, I could no longer just stand behind her like a wooden post.
After all, this Silver Knight, relying on his backing and looking down on the vase-like princess before him, had grown increasingly arrogant and overbearing.
“If you have no leads, then I ask you, Princess, to temporarily leave your residence. No one is allowed to take anything with you. Next, I will bring in the White Knights to search your residence thoroughly.”
“W-wait!? This is my residence! I told you I haven’t seen anything, so why are you…”
This time, the Silver Knight didn’t even want to acknowledge the little princess. He waved his hand dismissively, as if brushing aside a servant, scaring the little princess back towards me, while he arrogantly “declared”:
“What’s there to explain! This is the command of the Grand Princess, and orders take precedence! Princess Ilushir, you merely manage this town; when faced with the Grand Princess’s orders, it’s not your place to meddle! If you dare to obstruct us…”
As he spoke, the elven man tapped the hilt of the large sword at his waist with the back of his hand.
“Don’t blame me for overstepping!”
…What a pompous fool; your attitude has been overstepping from the very beginning.
I furrowed my brow, feeling a bit displeased with the Silver Knight’s arrogant demeanor, but more than that…
It was the distress over the script that was about to unfold.
【The Silver Knight has found the Elven Saintess!】
The script appeared, clearly informing me: if I didn’t stop this Silver Knight in front of me, the dangerous script would soon descend upon Izalis!