Chapter 018: Having Dinner Together

This was originally just the most standard daily greeting among nobles, but when said by Austin Fisher, it lacked any pretense, giving people a feeling as gentle as a breeze.
Seeing the smile on his face, Du Fan couldn’t help but marvel inwardly—what a true noble!
However, his name was rather strange… Austin Fisher… Fisher, didn’t that mean fish? Could it be that his mother loved eating fish?
Du Fan’s mind began to wander, but halfway through his thoughts, he froze slightly… Wait… Austin!?
Could that mean…?
Du Fan was stunned. Looking at this noble youth before him, he exclaimed in surprise, “You… are from the royal family?”
The noble youth named Austin Fisher smiled slightly, with a hint of shyness, and said, “That’s right. The current Emperor, Austin III, is my father!”
A prince!?
A prince actually coming out of the cathedral of the Holy Church!?
Du Fan felt dizzy. Although the relationship between the Holy Church and the royal family of the Gavin Empire wasn’t bad, such an event was still quite astonishing!
After all, divine power and imperial power were inherently opposed. The relationship between the Holy Church and the Gavin Empire’s royal family had only developed to counter the Bauhinia Dynasty. By this generation, their relationship had long deteriorated. Even Emperor Austin III had hardly ever entered the cathedral in the capital throughout his life—so how could his son…?
But this question could be put aside for now. No matter how you looked at it, this Prince Fish… no, it should be Prince Fisher, seemed to be only in his twenties. But if Du Fan remembered correctly, Emperor Austin III was already nearly eighty years old.
The current Emperor Austin III was one of the rare wise rulers among past emperors. Though he was somewhat cruel and heartless, he was much better than those tyrannical rulers in history. At least in the wars against the Lanny Empire and the northern barbarians, Austin III never backed down, far surpassing those timid rulers in courage.
Speaking of which, the Austin surname didn’t belong to the legitimate royal family of the Gavin Empire. It originated about two hundred years ago when the royal family had no heirs, forcing them to choose an heir from a collateral branch, thus giving rise to the Austin lineage.

Thus, Emperor Austin I was perhaps the least willing among all past emperors to relinquish power. The vast noble families in the imperial capital had already existed during the previous dynasty. When Emperor Austin I ruled the Gavin Empire, he tried several times to take back control, but failed to do so, leaving the matter unresolved. However, under the rule of Emperor Austin III over the years, most of the imperial power was reclaimed, and the four major armies of the Gavin Empire pledged loyalty. The empire began to show signs of prosperity, a feat undoubtedly attributed to Emperor Austin III. If given another few decades, more powerful noble families in the capital might disappear, as this somewhat cruel and ruthless Emperor Austin III was highly skilled in exercising imperial power. Yet, Emperor Austin III wasn’t without flaws. It was said he married at the age of 20, and by now, at 80, he must have had countless wives… Although he had many daughters, he seemed to have only three sons. Du Fan had heard in the Holy Church that the current crown prince was already around 50, belonging to his father’s generation, while the second prince was also quite old, likely between 35 and 40… In that case, Prince Fisher must be the third son… And judging by Emperor Austin III’s age, it seemed he fathered Prince Fisher in his 60s? That meant Emperor Austin III was still very vigorous in his old age! At this thought, Du Fan suddenly remembered something—could Prince Fisher be the legendary Son of God? It was said that Emperor Austin III led a glorious life. Under his rule, neither the powerful Lani Empire nor the barbaric northern tribes could set foot inside the empire. A dynasty that seemed on the decline was reinvigorated by his military strength. At least among the Austin family over three generations, he was the only emperor who truly possessed imperial power. As for the previous two emperors, their reigns were constantly constrained by powerful noble families, making their rule extremely difficult. From this perspective, Emperor Austin III could indeed be considered a successful emperor.

The eldest son of His Majesty the Emperor seems to be fifty-three years old and has long been designated as the crown prince. It can be said that, barring any accidents, this eldest prince will be the next ruler. Even the second prince is extremely loyal to him. It is rare throughout history for the two princes of the royal family to be so united!

However, after having these two sons, the old emperor had another forty-seven daughters in a row, which deeply saddened him as he had long wished for another son…

To give birth to forty-seven daughters in a row without a single son in between truly shows the old emperor’s remarkable perseverance!

When the old emperor was in his sixties and on the verge of losing certain abilities, he finally received divine blessings and gave birth to another prince. It is said that when this prince was born, even the current Pope traveled a long distance to bless him, declaring him to be the so-called “child of God” who would surely achieve great things in the future!

After having a son in his old age, the old emperor doted on this youngest son immensely. Moreover, while previous emperors had little connection with the Holy See, this third prince was taken as the pope’s adopted son from a young age. It is said that the pope even considered leaving his position to this third prince. This behavior was tacitly approved by the old emperor… Thus, this third prince became the one closest to the Holy See among all emperors throughout history…

There are even rumors in the capital that on Emperor Austin III’s eightieth birthday, he wanted to announce a change in the crown prince, but was unanimously opposed by the nobles present. From this, it is clear that the old emperor truly doted on his youngest son to the extreme…

These thoughts flashed through Du Fan’s mind as he murmured to himself that if his guess was correct, Prince Fischer must be that legendary “child of God.” Compared to him, his own status was nothing at all!

Not only was he a prince of the current dynasty but also the pope’s adopted son—probably even that old monster Anthony wouldn’t dare speak loudly in his presence!

With these thoughts, Du Fan slightly bowed, performing a proper noble gesture.

But this noble prince stopped Du Fan’s movements, smiled slightly, and said, “Lord Du Fan, you are a white-robed priest of the Holy Church. Even though I am of the royal family, you need not bow to me.”
Du Fan did not dare say more and could only nod slightly.
He watched Prince Fischer cautiously, his heart filled with confusion.
At least now he knew that His Majesty Austin III was near death. Then, Prince Fischer must not have come to the cathedral to pray… Perhaps he wanted to seek the support of the Holy Church?
After all, although the crown prince was nominally the heir to the throne, could Prince Fischer really be so willing to accept that?
But if he wanted the support of the Holy Church…
The Holy Church had always adhered to the principle of staying separate from secular affairs and usually did not interfere in royal disputes. Even if the one seeking help was the pope’s protégé, it would likely be no different…
The waters here were very deep…
Vaguely, Du Fan sensed trouble ahead. He was already in trouble, and the last thing he wanted was more. He didn’t even want to go to the cathedral anymore and just wanted to take his leave.
But Prince Fischer seemed to read Du Fan’s thoughts. He walked up to him affectionately, took Du Fan’s hand, and said, “Lord Du Fan, I have been curious about you for a long time… Lords George and Allen of the Green family are both rare talents, but it is only you, Lord Du Fan, who have caught my interest. You know, among all these nobles, you are the first to give up your noble status to become a believer. Your devotion truly inspires me. I am honored to meet you here today. Might I have the privilege of inviting you for dinner?”
Dinner… just dinner?
Was it really that simple?
Du Fan watched Prince Fischer carefully, inwardly smiling bitterly. It seemed trouble had come again. When a prince invites you for dinner, how can you refuse?