Chapter 020: Lost in Thought

Soon, the food and drinks were served.
Du Fan casually picked up the red wine in front of him, smiled slightly, and said, “Lord Oscar, please.”
Oscar, without hesitation at this point, thanked him briefly before pouncing on the exquisite dishes on the table with great enthusiasm.
Du Fan simply watched quietly, saying little. Only after Oscar finished eating did he call over a waiter and order another serving.
The waiter’s gaze toward Oscar carried clear disdain, as if he regarded him as a down-and-out nobleman relying on others for support.
Du Fan was well aware that the waiters here had sharp eyes—they had a clear idea of what each person deserved.
Although he wore a simple robe that was less valuable than Oscar’s formal attire, they could still discern the difference between the two from subtle details.
Finally, the meal came to an end.
The waiter cleared the dishes and brought over a pot of high-quality black tea.
Slowly swirling his teacup, Du Fan smiled at Oscar and asked, “Lord Oscar, are you satisfied with today’s hospitality?”
Oscar gave an awkward smile and replied, “Young Master Du Fan, you’re too kind. I, Oscar, have nothing to be unsatisfied about… To be honest, I haven’t eaten anything all day, so it’s understandable that I’m a bit…”
Du Fan waved his hand and said, “Enough. Since we met today, let’s not talk about such things… By the way, I’ve been wondering—haven’t you been traveling in the North all this time? Why have you suddenly come to the capital?”
A glint flashed in Oscar’s eyes. For a moment, the dashing man from the North seemed to reappear. He glanced at Du Fan and suddenly smiled oddly, saying, “Young Master Du Fan, don’t tell me you don’t know anything?”
Du Fan was stunned and asked, “Don’t know what?”
Oscar looked out the window for a while before saying, “Why pretend, Young Master Du Fan… If you really knew nothing, why would you bring so many guards with you when leaving? As far as I know, even when he used to go out, the old Young Master Du Fan would only travel in an old carriage, without any guards or servants…”
Du Fan stared at Oscar intently, frowned, and said, “Lord Oscar, I indeed don’t know certain things. As for the guards, it’s because I encountered some trouble on my way back to the capital, and my family, worried, insisted on assigning them to me.”

Oskar laughed and said, “I see. It seems Young Master Du Fan really knows nothing after all… Well, I have nothing to offer in return to him today… Let me tell you why I came to the capital.”
Du Fan looked at Oskar with a mysterious expression and merely nodded slightly.
Oskar glanced around several times, ensuring no one else was nearby, before leaning in close to Du Fan’s ear and whispering, “The old emperor is on his last legs!”
“Clang—”
The teacup in Du Fan’s hand shattered on the ground, but he seemed unaware of it, only frowning slightly.
The servant who came over after hearing the noise didn’t dare say much upon seeing Du Fan’s expression and obediently stepped back.
After pondering for a long time, Du Fan finally looked at Oskar and asked, “Is this information true?”
Oskar smiled mysteriously and said, “Of course it’s 100% true. Young Master Du Fan must know that times of imperial succession are always the most turbulent. How many poems have been written about emperors ascending to the throne throughout history? Although I, Oskar, am but a humble bard, after learning this, I realized that the capital is now in a state of upheaval. It’s dangerous, but full of opportunities… I’m just a small figure, but even small figures don’t want to remain small their whole lives. I certainly don’t want to be a bard forever, so that’s why I came to the capital to seize this opportunity… But then again…”
A strange look appeared on Oskar’s face. “Even I, a mere bard, know this, yet the nobles in the capital don’t… Young Master Du Fan, you’re really a poor ruler!”
Du Fan smiled without saying a word. He had already guessed most of this from Duke Green’s hints, but hearing it from Oskar truly surprised him.
He clearly understood that Oskar was by no means an ordinary person. Since he had said such things, it seemed that Emperor Austin III’s days were numbered… But it seemed he had never heard that Emperor Austin III had chosen an heir. No wonder his father had returned to the capital—with the old emperor dead and a new one on the throne, the four army commanders naturally had to return to assess the situation.
It seemed he should find Princess Nina to chat and gauge the situation. He should also head to the Mage Guild as soon as possible. In such times, the strength of a single family meant little; only by forming an alliance with various parties could one find a way forward.

Originally, there was no need for him to worry about these things, but since he had already killed Aldas, it would be truly strange if the Beringer family didn’t take this opportunity to deal with him. As the saying goes, it’s a good time to fish in troubled waters—right now, the waters in the capital are extremely turbulent. Although he was just a small fish, there was already a big fish eyeing him closely. He would likely have to work hard if he wanted to survive.

Although his father said nothing, by allowing him to continue interacting with the Holy Church, it seemed he was somewhat on the same side as them. It was just unclear which prince his father had chosen among them.

Watching Du Fan’s changing expressions, Oscar seemed very pleased. He smiled slightly, stood up, and said, “Well, Young Master Du Fan, I think after hearing what I said, you’re not interested in chatting here any longer, are you? I, Oscar, know my own limitations, so I’ll take my leave now… As for lunch today… thank you very much.”

Without waiting for Du Fan to respond, Oscar slowly headed toward the door. Normally, this would be highly impolite, but Du Fan didn’t mind much at the moment. He watched Oscar’s retreating figure and couldn’t help frowning…

If Oscar would resort to asking for a meal from him in such a desperate situation, Du Fan would never believe it. Oscar’s identity was mysterious, and his skills were excellent—how could he have fallen to such a state?

Could it be that the only reason Oscar went through such trouble to ask for a meal was to tell him… that the old emperor, Austin III, was dying?

If that were true, what was his motive? Moreover, how could someone in his position know such an important matter about the old emperor’s health? Even his own father might not be sure whether the old emperor was about to die.

Something didn’t add up… It simply didn’t make sense.

The most suspicious part was that such an important matter was being shared with someone as insignificant as him. Du Fan rubbed his forehead, growing even more puzzled. In just a few days in the capital, the Holy Church and the Mage Guild had already shown him favor, and now even the mysterious Oscar had come to tell him this…

Though their methods varied, they all seemed to aim at winning him over.

But it seems I don’t have that much value to warrant being courted, right? Even if I wanted to win over thethe Green family, I should start by dealing with my own father. This kind of indirect approach won’t work on me! Or maybe everyone values me so much just for who I am? Although I’m proficient in both magic and martial arts, having reached the fifth level in both, there aren’t many saints on the continent, but there are plenty of strong warriors above the fifth level… Why go through such trouble to court me? The more he thought about it, the more puzzled Du Fan became. Finally, he slammed the table. It seemed he had to visit the Mage Guild today no matter what. If the old emperor was falling ill, then his death would lead to chaos in the capital. And which of the empire’s princes was simple? Without further hesitation, Du Fan signaled the waiter to bring the bill so he could leave quickly. But the waiter said that Du Fan’s bill had already been waived by their boss. Du Fan was slightly surprised. Though he understood the boss’s intentions, logically speaking, he should have gone over to meet them and find out what their gesture meant. But Du Fan was in a hurry to get to the Mage Guild, so he simply smiled at the waiter and said, “In that case, I won’t be rude. Please thank your boss for me… and tell them I’ll visit them someday.” How could the waiter dare refuse? After saying that, Du Fan left the hotel, got into his carriage, and rushed toward the Mage Guild. Anyway, he had to find out what the Mage Guild meant by inviting him to meet… Book 18: The Mage Guild