NOVEL NEXT chapter 33
33. Let’s Face Off
Using the method of “mutual competition,” the unshakeable “victory” will decide who will go to the goddess’s ruins next. Although it seems cliché to me, it shouldn’t cause any controversy.
However, the situation was not as simple as I thought! Not only did the script of Louis IV change abruptly, but at the moment her words fell, Louis XXIII, who had been exuding the confidence of a victor, as if anticipating and waiting for some result to be announced, suddenly turned dark.
A moment later, Louis XXIII mustered her spirit, trying to feign an “unaffected” demeanor, and grabbed Louis IV’s arm to ask.
“Your Majesty, didn’t you say before that I…”
Louis IV shook off Louis XXIII’s hand, took a step back, her smile unchanged, her voice still filled with innocence.
“XXIII, did I ever say ‘I will definitely choose you’?”
“Uh!”
“I am, after all, the Empress of the Empire. Please don’t use strange lies to make my image in front of everyone seem odd~ Right, Twenty-Three?”
Louis IV blinked her eyes, clapped her hands gently, and looked at the other.
Louis XXIII, who had previously struck me with a heavy punch and dared to speak sarcastically to the protagonist Kefir, this time became meek. Her body shuddered for a moment, which to me was definitely a sign of fear, her lips moved unwillingly, but in the end, she acquiesced.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Looking again at Louis XXIII’s script, it had indeed changed.
[Louis XXIII, who originally planned to humiliate Kefir, could only accept the reality of competing again.]
“That’s wonderful~ Actually, I also think it’s better for everyone to compete fairly~”
After receiving an affirmative response, Louis IV’s smile grew even brighter, she clapped her hands to signify the decision was “finalized,” and then turned towards Kefir’s father.
“Zerola, what do you think of my decision?”
“No problem, my queen, I won’t favor my own daughter.”
“Then it’s settled. Let’s give them a week to prepare. In one week, Kefir and Twenty-Three will compete in a comprehensive strength contest right here in the training grounds. I’ll bring a judge too~ The winner will receive my official recognition and go on to explore the ruins, bringing glory to the empire.”
Louis IV waved his hand, and a scribe immediately followed, his pen flying across the paper, recording this decision of Louis IV.
The decision was now in black and white. Even Louis Twenty-Three couldn’t stir up any more trouble. After a somewhat restless Louis Twenty-Three left, Louis IV also dismissed the rows of guards, his voice much softer than before.
“By the way, uncle, may I stay with you for a while? Kefir has been studying abroad for years, and we don’t get many chances to meet~ I’d like to spend the next week getting to know her better.”
The queen’s command was something the uncle couldn’t refuse. As for Kefir, she hadn’t lied to me; it seemed she really did have a good relationship with Louis IV.
“I’ll go prepare a room for you right away, sister. Father, do we have any spare rooms? Let’s not have the princess stay in a too simple guest room.”
Following that, Kefir and Uncle Zerola chatted as they left, probably too concerned about Louis IV’s presence. They left me standing there, temporarily stepping outside to talk.
I was left alone, nervously watching Louis IV. His impeccable appearance, his innocent and cheerful smile, yet… I inexplicably felt tense.
At first, I thought Louis IV was on Louis Twenty-Three’s side, the so-called villain’s protector! I was even prepared to use the script to expose her, to help Kefir secure the spot! But now, it seems the script is becoming… somewhat cliché. What’s going to happen next is just this: Louis Twenty-Three thinks Kefir’s strength has declined recently, so she’s smug. However, Kefir is playing possum, and in the final contest, she’ll send Louis Twenty-Three flying dozens of meters away with a single punch.
Considering Louis IV’s status, her sudden shift to a “judge” role isn’t surprising.
But just as I was thinking this, a sweet voice suddenly reached my ears. I turned to find that Louis IV had somehow come up beside me, maintaining her usual smile as she asked me.
“Mr. Priest, what do you think?”
“What… what!?”
“Aren’t you a priest? Does your prophetic ability let you see anything?”
The script was too vague and distant to “see clearly,” not to mention exposing my abilities in such a situation would be suicidal. I’m the big villain, after all. Even the protagonist has to play possum. If I start boasting that I “know everything,” wouldn’t that be like “a bamboo rat running into a cooking pot—seeking death”?
“Well… I don’t have the ability to judge things that are so far away.”
“Is that so? I was thinking, since you’re Kefir’s priest, maybe your abilities in this area would be exceptionally strong…”
“Ha… haha, you overestimate me.”
As I locked eyes with Louis IV, my hand trembled, but I managed to hold back, discreetly stepping away from Louis IV, and found an excuse to leave, ready to immediately go “cling to” Kefir’s “coattails.”
As for me, the script of Oedipus was all “death, death, death.” It wouldn’t be strange for Louis IV to stab me to death. But just now, out of “professional habit,” I glanced again at the script for Louis IV’s behavior towards me, and the “death ending” for me at Louis IV’s hands had changed once more.
【Louis IV will kill Oedipus.】
【Louis IV will torture Oedipus to death.】
【Louis IV will torment Oedipus to death with cruel dismemberment.】
…
Although I’ve seen many fancy death scripts, but…
What exactly does Louis IV mean with these numerous, malicious, and cruel endings where she wants to kill me in various ways!?
——
Ladies and gentlemen, Happy New Year.
This month, the book will start preparing for the monthly ticket lottery in earnest. For details, please see the separate chapter update. Throw more monthly tickets to this book at the beginning of the month~ Thank you very much!
The winners of last month’s monthly tickets will also be updated in a separate chapter along with this month’s monthly ticket event, so please pay attention.