Chapter 016: Garfield

Thinking of these things, Du Fan felt a surge of anger. Yet after going through so much, he no longer had the impulsiveness of before. Calmly, he picked up the red tea on one side and took a few sips before saying, “Uncle Christopher, this red tea is top-quality, directly imported from the Lanny Empire. It hasn’t been air-dried, so its flavor is truly extraordinary… Why don’t you give it a try?”
Count Christopher couldn’t quite figure out Du Fan’s intentions, but he didn’t dare ask too much. He simply picked up the red tea beside him and took a sip before sighing and saying, “It is indeed good tea. Du Fan, you really know how to enjoy things!”
Du Fan snorted, set down his teacup, and suddenly threw it aside, creating a soundproof barrier. Then he said indifferently, “Well, Uncle Christopher, let’s stop wasting words. By setting up this soundproof barrier, I ensure that our conversation remains between us alone—only heaven, earth, you, and I know about it. I believe you understand better than I do what this means… I’m being sincere, after all, we still have many opportunities to work together in the future… So, as for whether it’s war or peace this time, based on your observations in the capital these days, do you have a clear idea in mind?”
Seeing Du Fan’s behavior, Count Christopher realized that the young duke was likely angry. If he continued to act like this, the other party might really lose patience.
At that moment, Count Christopher also set down his teacup, smiled at Du Fan, and said, “Du Fan, you’re a bit too hasty… But since you asked me…”
At this point, Count Christopher suddenly stroked his curved beard for a moment before continuing, “In my opinion, we still can’t fight this time… But we also can’t easily reach an agreement. We must secure as much benefit as possible before giving Lord Fischer an explanation!”
Du Fan nodded, still staring at him, and asked, “How so?”

Seeing Du Fan’s expression, Count Christopher also understood clearly that if he didn’t come up with an explanation today, Du Fan would surely not spare him. He sighed and said, “As for what I’m about to say, let’s talk about it privately. Du Fan, you must not spread this news… If I were to speak, your sudden attack on the Laney Empire without any reason, though you may have won, isn’t really beneficial for you… It’s hard to say what His Highness truly thinks, even though he might appear happy on the surface… But from observing his attitude lately, he’s extremely dissatisfied with your decision to launch an attack without notifying him. Du Fan, you should know that with so much power in your hands and leading troops abroad, acting so arbitrarily—any king would not tolerate such a subordinate. It’s only because His Highness Fish has great tolerance. If the old king were still alive, after such reckless actions, the court magicians would have come for you by the next day.”

Du Fan frowned and asked, “I understand that. So, according to you, we definitely can’t win this time?”

Christopher shook his head and said, “It’s not exactly that. Over the years, the Lionheart Family’s southern armies have suffered crushing defeats in battles. By winning this battle, you’ve restored some face for His Highness Fish, and he’s aware of that. That’s why he hasn’t blamed you for launching the attack without permission… But just because he doesn’t blame you doesn’t mean he’s happy. After all, he’s the future ruler—how can we possibly guess what he’s thinking? For example, can we really guess what he intends from this authorization letter?”

Du Fan pondered for a moment before asking, “So, Uncle Christopher, what do you mean… should we win or not?”

Count Christopher sighed. “If you’re simply asking for my opinion, I personally think it’s better not to fight this battle at all. In fact, I’d prefer you never had fought it in the first place.”

“How so?”

“Prince Fischer has not yet ascended to the throne. Although his power base is stable, the complex struggles among various forces within the empire have not yet been resolved,” Count Christopher frowned. “Meanwhile, due to the coup, more than half of the empire’s elite military forces have been lost, and the southern legions have already been severely weakened by the Lani Empire. To put it bluntly, given the empire’s current military strength, it likely cannot afford a full-scale war. In short, the empire is extremely weak on the inside despite appearing strong on the outside… As the Minister of Finance, I am even more aware that over the years, the empire’s finances have been thrown into disarray by that damned Belinger, with deficits growing larger and larger. If another war breaks out, not even the Lani Empire will be necessary—just the financial deficit alone could bring down our empire… Lastly, Prince Fischer has risen too quickly. Not all of the noble families in the empire will necessarily pledge loyalty to him. If war breaks out and a few of them collude with the Lani Empire, things could get very bad… So, not only should we not continue fighting, but in my opinion, it would be better if we avoid war for the next three to five years. Only by surviving this period, with Prince Fischer ascending to the throne, the legions stabilized, and finances under control, will we have the strength and resources to fight!”
Du Fan smiled and said, “So, Uncle Christopher, are you saying that I was reckless this time?”
Count Christopher shook his head and replied, “It’s not exactly that. You’re in the Siluo Province, and if you don’t take a firmer stance, everyone will likely start bullying you… So it’s not your fault… Therefore, my advice is to avoid war if possible, but as for how to do that, it depends on you… After all, you’re the main negotiator this time, and it’s still up to you to decide everything!”
Du Fan smiled and said, “What’s the use of me deciding? Even if I want to avoid war, the Lani Empire has to agree first!”

Count Christopher suddenly wore a strange smile and said calmly, “I heard that Prince Quested, who negotiated with us last time, suddenly disappeared. The first prince of the Lani Empire has lost his right-hand man, so things don’t seem to be going well for him either. So, if I’m right, the one leading the troops in Odinburg is most likely this first prince, along with Prince Leopold. Only in this way can the Lani Empire remain inactive… I suspect both the first prince and the fifth prince are preoccupied with fighting over the throne in the future, so they probably don’t have the heart to continue fighting.”

Du Fan felt a slight shock upon seeing Count Christopher’s expression. He had guessed that he had taken action against Quested, and this cunning finance minister was likely already aware of it. As for Prince Fischer, he probably knew as well, but they were just pretending not to. On the side of the Lani Empire, they were likely holding back due to Leopold…

But what exactly did Count Christopher mean by bringing this up suddenly? Du Fan was extremely puzzled, yet he kept a calm expression and simply said, “Prince Quested has disappeared? That’s a pity. I was thinking of going after him someday… As for the one leading the troops this time, besides Leopold, who is this first prince?”

Christopher was momentarily stunned. He glanced at Du Fan and thought to himself whether the boy truly didn’t know or was pretending not to know. But since Du Fan had asked, he couldn’t just ignore it. He quickly replied, “This first prince’s name is Garfield. It is said that although he’s only a little older than Leopold, his skills are truly remarkable. Legend has it that he has mastered a type of ice and frost combat energy passed down in the Lani Empire’s royal family. Though he hasn’t reached the Saint rank yet, he’s already someone ordinary can’t afford to provoke… To put it bluntly, Du Fan, though you’re strong, you probably won’t stand a chance against Garfield… Moreover, Garfield has a dark personality and is extremely difficult to deal with. His troops are the black-armored soldiers trained by Quested over the years. Now that Quested is missing, all military power lies in his hands, making him even more formidable… But fortunately, no matter how difficult he is, it’s likely Leopold who’s struggling right now, not us…”

Du Fan remained silent after hearing this.

Due to various reasons, he had never paid much attention to the situation in the Lanny Empire. Hearing Christopher say this, he couldn’t help but have some thoughts. That Prince Leoport seemed ordinary, but in reality, he was a very difficult opponent. Although he had suffered losses at his hands, who knew whether that was intentional or not? And this First Prince Gaffield, who had managed to suppress Prince Leoport for so many years, must surely also be no ordinary person… Fortunately, the other side didn’t want to fight this time; otherwise, with his own army, he might really have been utterly defeated… After all, he was still too young and hadn’t thought this through carefully…