Chapter 005: Friends or Enemies?

Though this attempt failed, Garfield didn’t take it too seriously. His various arrangements today were merely to test Du Fan and see what kind of person he really was. Although nothing concrete was uncovered through these tests, Du Fan’s calm demeanor alone ruined all of Garfield’s plans, proving he was no ordinary person.

Garfield became somewhat convinced and laughed at Du Fan, saying, “Duke, that desert woman just ruined your mood. How about I find someone else to keep you company?”

Du Fan shook his head and replied, “It’s fine. I’m not that particular. I’m actually uncomfortable having someone keep me company.”

Garfield nodded and didn’t insist. He then shifted the conversation to the romantic affairs of the Roland Continent, avoiding any talk of peace negotiations. Seeing that Garfield wouldn’t bring it up, Du Fan pretended to know nothing and simply agreed when Garfield talked about matters on the Roland Continent. The atmosphere at the banquet was lively and cheerful.

The banquet lasted until sunset. After agreeing to discuss matters again the next day, Du Fan and Garfield bid each other farewell with a bow.

Du Fan and his group were then escorted by Leopold’s Blood Armor soldiers to a large mansion far from the city lord’s residence. Du Fan’s personal guards had already been brought there. It seemed Garfield was aware that Du Fan was wary of him, so there wasn’t a single person from the Lanxi Empire in the mansion. The defense had already been taken care of by Du Fan’s guards.

After personally escorting Du Fan to the entrance of the mansion, Leopold hesitated for a moment before the cold-hearted fifth prince suddenly said in a low voice, “Duke, in Odinburg, it’s better not to wander around at night… Here, I can protect you, but once you leave this place, things become uncertain.”

Without waiting for Du Fan’s reaction, he simply bowed slightly and left. However, hundreds of the Blood Armor knights behind him stayed behind, quietly guarding the sides of the mansion.

Watching him walk away, Du Fan smiled slightly and said, “It seems Prince Leopold is worried about what Garfield might do here… It seems our situation isn’t as safe as we thought, right? Count Christopher!?”

Christopher stood behind Du Fan, still showing traces of his drunken state from the banquet. He frowned slightly before saying, “My lord, it’s better not to say this here.”
Du Fan nodded and glanced at Randy nearby, then suddenly wore a strange smile as he said softly, “Then, my lord Count, let’s go inside and have a proper talk.”
The two entered the mansion’s hall, closed the doors, and found guards from the Divine Might Prison stationed everywhere. After Du Fan set up a soundproof barrier, he began to discuss things in detail with Count Christopher.
“Uncle Christopher, what do you think are our chances of success in these negotiations, given Gaffield’s attitude today?” Du Fan looked at Count Christopher, believing that with the old fox’s cunning, he would surely see more than he could.
“It’s hard to say,” Christopher shook his head. “I observed Gaffield carefully today, but I noticed something… He’s completely different from what the reports described, making it impossible for me to figure him out.”
“How so?”
“The reports said that because of his cultivation of Frost Combat Qi, Gaffield is extremely cold-hearted and seems unapproachable. But today, he didn’t resemble the description at all—it’s as if he’s not the same person as in the reports… Yet I know for sure that the reports can’t be wrong… That’s why I’m even more puzzled. Though I tried my best today, I still can’t tell whether he wants peace or war… But…”
“But what?” Du Fan frowned.
“Well,” Count Christopher sighed bitterly, “Du Fan, don’t laugh at me when I say this, but I think since he’s willing to let us enter the city, he must have some intention of peace. And from Leoport’s attitude, it seems he’s in favor of peace… So…”
At this point, Christopher couldn’t continue. He shook his head again before adding, “Also, he tested you repeatedly today, which shows he’s very wary of you. Du Fan, I feel it’s not safe for us to venture deep into Odinburg alone… Perhaps we should propose peace tomorrow, if they still refuse. If we reach an agreement, we can just leave… I always feel uneasy here in Odinburg…”

Du Fan smiled slightly and said, “Uncle Christopher, you’re wrong on that point. Doesn’t the other party understand our purpose for coming here? In matters like this, whoever speaks first is likely to suffer a great loss… We’ve already won this battle, and we’re expected to gain quite a lot from it. But if we speak first, we’ll probably get much less… So, Uncle Christopher, in my opinion, we’d better wait patiently. After all, since we’re already here, there’s no need to rush… Besides, it’s said that the Empress of the Sha tribe doesn’t have much time left. Wouldn’t those two princes care about the situation in their capital? In any case, they’ll be even more anxious than us. What do we have to fear?”
Hearing Du Fan’s words, Christopher wanted to say something else, but before he could speak, Du Fan coughed, shifting the topic to something else.
“Uncle Christopher, what do you think of the skills of Lord Randy from the Lionheart family?”
Christopher seemed unprepared for Du Fan to bring up this topic suddenly, but he nodded anyway. After a moment, he said, “Du Fan, you know I’m just a noble, not some expert… So I can’t see much. But since that Lord Randy was able to defeat a general from the Lanii Empire, his skills must be quite strong. What’s the problem with that?”
Du Fan wore a half-smile and said after a pause, “Uncle Christopher, since only the two of us are here right now, if you keep pretending, it won’t work… Can’t you tell what I mean by my question?”
Christopher smiled awkwardly and said, “Well… this…”
Du Fan waved his hand and said after a while, “In my judgment, Lord Randy’s skills are probably on par with, if not better than, Aldas back then… If I’m not mistaken, his skills are even a bit higher than mine.”
Count Christopher was taken aback and said, “How is that possible!?”

Du Fan did not answer immediately. After pondering for a moment, he said calmly, “Back then, Aldas was known as the genius of the imperial capital. As an eighth-level warrior, he could be considered the best of his generation… But that’s how things are in this world—things that are too rigid often break easily. Aldas had too much fame and arrogance, yet his skills were average. That’s why, when he was in the North, he fell into my hands and eventually lost his life… But this young master Randy is completely different. Adrian, who fought against him today, is at least a sixth-level warrior. Yet, without using any combat energy, he controlled the situation solely with his swordsmanship. Even I can’t claim to do that… So, just based on this, I’m sure his skills are even greater than mine.”

“In that case, that’s great,” Count Christopher said with a hint of joy. “Your skills are already among the best in the continent. With Randy added to the mix, even if the Laney Empire has any plans, they likely won’t succeed.”

“Uncle Christopher, it’s a pity things aren’t as simple as you think,” Du Fan sighed. “At first, I thought the same… But upon further reflection, both of us are probably thorns in the Lionheart Family’s side, right? Given Duke Wade’s personality, it’s already good that he hasn’t sent people to assassinate us… As for him sending his beloved son, the heir to the family, to protect us two political rivals… Do you think that’s possible?”

Christopher was stunned and didn’t know what to say for a moment.

Du Fan gave a bitter smile and shook his head. “Uncle Christopher, many things are probably not as simple as you imagine. You don’t know the reasons behind them, which is why you have such a superficial view. Right now, we’re on the same side, so I don’t mind explaining many things to you… On my way to Silo Province, the Lionheart Family had already allied with Gaffield to take my life. But unexpectedly, it led to me joining forces with Leopold, causing them a huge loss… So, whether it’s Gaffield or the Lionheart Family, they’re likely enemies rather than friends to us… Considering this, maybe you’re right—we should leave right away… But, Uncle Christopher, are you really willing to do that?”