I Married the Beautiful Female Protagonist In Order To Survive

10. Oh, look who it is, my old friend Ludwig

Time congealed, the scene froze. After all… the sight before me forced me to hit “pause,” to step outside the chessboard, back into the faerie realm of hope.

Because…

“Ludwig? What’s she doing here?”

Ludwig, one of the three Saintess Elves, hadn’t been seen since I successfully brought “Order” back to this era, just like her sisters. I’d even considered finding them to explain that the current “Order” wasn’t the same reckless, dangerous one from before. But it proved impossible.

If it weren’t for the constant appearances of fae beings similar to “Order,” I might have actively sought out the three sisters. I certainly never expected to see Ludwig in a place like this, at a time like this, and in this manner!

The next moment, Horus’s “innocent” query reached me: “You know her?”

“Are you playing dumb? You can’t possibly be unaware of this elf’s connection to my side?”

“Hee hee hee, no need to be tense. Ludwig has indeed shown up in this era; I’m not just arbitrarily rewriting history, you know~”

Horus’s smile still made me want to deliver a solid punch to her little head. Yet, despite my annoyance, there wasn’t much I could do. After all… that’s how the script went.

[Moriarty is familiar with Ludwig.]

That alone was enough to confirm that Ludwig had indeed attended the Royal Academy of the Great British Empire back then. Moreover, at least from this vantage point, Ludwig seemed to be a typical student. Her behavior and attitude were no different from the lazy maid I remembered.

“One mustn’t be so chatty during a chess match~ Silence lends an air of profundity, you see. No need to fuss; let us continue~”

—

This elf called Ludwig… is peculiar.

That was Zerola’s “intuition”—not merely referring to danger, or some other “feeling,” and certainly unrelated to whether the elf was a “beauty.” “Peculiar” was a difficult notion to articulate.

Therefore, Zerola had no intention of letting Philora actually accept the elf’s challenge in her fit of pique. If someone had to do it, it would be him.

Naturally, Ludwig agreed to his request.

Soon, the “interview” venue shifted from a typical indoor setting to the outdoors—the group arrived at one of the academy’s training grounds for students. Mel dismissed the onlookers eager for a spectacle, while Zerola engaged in some final “warm-up exercises.”

This elf wanted to “witness” the academy’s “level.” While it seemed like a haughty challenge of strength, Zerola didn’t want to take it lightly. As for whether twisting and jumping around in front of a beauty would be awkward?

Zerola didn’t find it awkward at all. As long as he acted sincerely, Philora, watching from the sidelines, certainly wouldn’t find it “corny.”

“Flora, is there nothing you wished to say to me?”

“!”

The addressed girl flinched, her body trembling, but this hesitation and delay had clearly backfired. Just as Flora was gathering herself to speak, Mael, who had just driven away the “onlookers,” sauntered over, her ample assets swaying.

Then, without a moment’s pause, she blurted out everything Flora had been about to say.

“Zerora, this is just a formality, you know? Miss Ludovica merely wishes to assess the level of the academy’s students, so there’s no need to be so tense.”

After that platitude, the elf lowered her voice.

Which made Flora once again begin to wonder: was she truly so unappealing? Her personality that poor?

“Even so, you should be careful. How should I put it? I find this Miss Ludovica… rather strange.”

“The President thinks so too?”

“Of course! We’re practically telepathic.”

President Mael! How can you bring Zerora into absolutely everything!?

Watching that mass swaying back and forth in front of Zerora, Flora felt a surge of irritation, but she couldn’t show it. Moreover, that elf Ludovica seemed ready, leaving her no choice but to play the villain once more—otherwise, there would be no testing, only the two of them being sickeningly sweet!

“Zerora, Miss Ludovica is ready.”

“Oh!” Zerora immediately put some distance between herself and Mael, crisp and efficient. “Then allow me to examine this ‘newcomer’s’ physical development.”

“Watch out for s*xual harassment! Give her a normal test!”

Though she shouted that…

Zerora’s sudden departure from Mael just now, it actually made Flora…

Feel somewhat better.

However, she couldn’t allow that emotion to show, because, as far as she could see, the two of them had already moved to the center of the grounds.

“Moriarty, seal the entrance, prevent any stray magic. My instincts tell me… this elf is a bit different.”

Meanwhile, Zerora finally had an opportunity to scrutinize this “student candidate” “alone” and “up close”.

If it wasn’t dyed, a white-haired elf was practically unheard of. Her appearance…uh, best not to let Flora catch her thoughts, but in short…everything about her seemed to possess an “inner” quality that did not match her outward appearance. Zerora even had the vague feeling that the white-haired elf before her had actually lived longer than Mael herself.

An elf like this, coming to the academy to “study”? Zerora couldn’t believe it for a second, her actual age probably qualifying her to be the ancestor of most of the teachers at the academy. So why was she here? For the “strong”?

Regardless, Zerora had no interest in the elf before her, not even a simple “admiring” glance, let alone the undercurrent of tension she felt whenever Ludovica mentioned Flora.

“Beauty, what kind of weapon do you use? I’ll let you choose first.”

“Ah? How troublesome, anything is fine I suppose, it’s not as if it’s real, just child’s play.”

Zerora frowned: “If you’re so unhappy, why enroll?”

“Explaining it sounds like a pain so nevermind, um…Zerora…”

As she spoke, the elf walked over to the weapon rack… glanced at it, and then…

Squatted down, picking up a… small twig from the ground!

Seeing all of this, even Zeluo La, normally so unbothered, couldn’t help but feel a flicker of “displeasure”. Was this not a blatant underestimation of him!?

Yet, in the next instant, all that displeasure dissolved into tension, and a fleeting moment of genuine “fear.” Indeed, the “test” had begun, but this elf…

Was truly swift, simple, and brutal!

In the blink of an eye, she was already almost upon him, the object in her hand resembling not a small branch, but rather… a heavy and oversized bludgeon!

“Zeluo La, don’t disappoint me~”

“!”

It wasn’t just a feeling! This elf wasn’t just “putting on airs” or “posturing”!

She really was strong!

——

The February prizes will include New Year’s gift boxes for everyone.

The specific contents will be revealed during the event on the evening of February 1st. I bought a whole box of gift boxes and am just waiting to fill and wrap them.

After all, the New Year is approaching, so I have to make some New Year’s gifts.