Chapter 011: Each Lost in Thought

The sun shone brightly outside the window, and the surroundings were filled with noise, but in this small hall of the elves, there were only two people facing each other. Du Fan looked into Prince Fischer’s meaningful gaze, pretended to ponder for a moment, before saying, “Your Highness Fischer, why?”
Prince Fischer smiled lightly and said, “Du Fan, you are intelligent and bold. I’ve had detailed reports sent to me about everything you’ve done these days. Every time I read these reports, I can’t help but wonder what kind of brilliant person you are to accomplish such things, and what kind of courage you possess to do them without hesitation. Especially since you returned to the capital, both the Holy Church and the Mage Guild’s attitude toward you has piqued my interest… Du Fan, with your natural talent, it would be a waste if you spent your entire life in the Holy Church… I’m 24 years old now, and I also want to achieve great things in the future. I can’t do it without a capable assistant by my side! It’s a pity that after observing the capital for years, although various noble families have some decent people, how could such people possibly be loyal to the royal family? And those who are loyal to the royal family are usually good-for-nothing! But now I’ve taken a liking to you… Du Fan, I don’t want to let away a talent like you!”
Du Fan smiled slightly and said, “Your Highness… Do you really think that I, Du Fan, am not a good-for-nothing and will definitely be loyal to the royal family?”
Prince Fischer gave Du Fan a half-smiling look before saying, “Most naturally talented people are confined to the interests of their own families. All they see is their family, and even their actions are for the family, not for themselves… This is understandable, but you, Du Fan, are different! With your talent, if you wanted to serve your family, you definitely wouldn’t have spent six years as a white-robed priest in the cathedral. If you wanted to enter politics, I’m sure your future status wouldn’t be lower than that of your two brothers… But you didn’t do that, so I’m sure you’re not someone who craves power! Only such a person is the talent I’ve been searching for!”
Du Fan sighed inwardly, gave Prince Fischer a somewhat amused look, and couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Who said I, Du Fan, don’t crave power? Wasn’t it all for survival before? If I had had such abilities back then, I wouldn’t have been so honest!

But though he wanted to think that way, Du Fan still glanced at Prince Fischer and said, “But I’m only sixteen this year, Your Highness!”
“Didn’t the founding emperor of the Gavin Empire, that great man, also start waging wars at the tender age of eighteen before eventually conquering such a vast territory?” Prince Fischer smiled.
Du Fan frowned. It seemed this Prince Fischer wanted to become emperor!
But then he remembered his father’s instructions…
The current situation was indeed difficult to handle!
Prince Fischer put it so nicely, saying he wanted Du Fan to pledge loyalty to him, but if Du Fan really did so, even his father wouldn’t dare side with the crown prince, no matter how thick-skinned he was!
Moreover, if he agreed now, it would at most be adding icing on the cake… Any benefits in the future would be limited… Besides, without his father’s approval, he wouldn’t dare act on his own!
Perhaps the only way was to use the tactic of feigning ignorance—neither agreeing nor refusing…
What Du Fan couldn’t understand was why Prince Fischer was so openly trying to win him over in such a place… It seemed unworthy of his intelligence!
At this thought, Du Fan suddenly had an idea and remembered what Prince Fischer had said earlier: When that emperor made up his mind, it was the time when chaos would erupt in the capital… Could it be that Prince Fischer wanted to assassinate his father and seize the throne!?
Du Fan broke out in cold sweat. If that were the case, he absolutely couldn’t agree—only delay things…
Presumably, Prince Fischer also guessed he wouldn’t agree so quickly and gave him time to consider…
With this thought, Du Fan became calm. He said not a word, acting as if he hadn’t heard anything, sitting quietly with a smile on his face.
Fortunately, Prince Fischer showed no signs of pressing him. Seeing Du Fan remain silent, he simply smiled lightly and changed the subject, and the two began chatting about love and romance.
As a member of the royal family, Prince Fischer had received strict training in royal etiquette since childhood and was proficient in all forms of arts and crafts. Du Fan, having lived two lives and studied extensively in the Holy Church, naturally had unique insights into various matters.

The two talked for a while, and Prince Fischer grew increasingly surprised. He felt that his thoughts were random and spontaneous, yet Young Master Du Fan handled them with ease. For someone of his age, he was truly a rare genius. This only deepened Prince Fischer’s admiration for talent, and he longed to hear Du Fan pledge loyalty.

The more they talked, the more astonished Du Fan became. Prince Fischer was indeed no ordinary person. He, Du Fan, had acquired his knowledge through reading countless books, yet Prince Fischer was proficient in everything. It seemed the royal education had its unique advantages—indeed, the title of “Son of God” was well-deserved, and the emperor’s tutoring also had its merits.

At this thought, Du Fan harbored a peculiar idea. He had once said that his goal in life was to become the greatest person on this continent. It seemed now that Prince Fischer would truly be his main rival in the future! He needed to find an opportunity to outmaneuver him—otherwise, it would be a waste of his efforts!

Thus, one was focused on winning over others, while the other was full of schemes. Yet on the surface, both wore smiles, acting like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years, relaxed and cheerful, which gave their interaction a unique charm.

They talked all afternoon until sunset and the moon rose, then they exchanged smiles.

Since arriving in this world, Du Fan had rarely found someone to talk to so pleasantly, so his mood was naturally excellent. He thought it would be a good way to pass the time to chat casually with Prince Fischer.

As they spoke, they heard footsteps approaching. Alex entered from the main door of the hall. Upon seeing Prince Fischer and Du Fan, his face showed slight surprise, but he quickly bowed as a knight should.

Prince Fischer and Du Fan exchanged a glance before Prince Fischer asked calmly, “Alex, how did you handle the task I assigned you today?”

Alex nodded and replied, “Your Highness, I came up with an explanation for everything. Though they may not believe it, it managed to cover things up somewhat. But later I heard that Prince Leopold was cursing all the way back… It seems the emperor already knows about this. If the emperor blames us… Young Master Du Fan might be in trouble.”

Prince Fischer pondered for a moment before saying calmly, “My father probably won’t pursue this. By embarrassing that Leopold, we’ve actually given him some face. But most likely, he’ll still…”

Thinking of this, Prince Fische smiled and said, “Never mind, let’s not talk about these matters for now… Du Fan, don’t worry. Even if my father has anything to say, I’ll take care of it all for you.”
Du Fan smiled in return and said, “In that case, I must thank Prince Fische!”
It was already night, and the Elven Residence was bustling with activity. Prince Fische stood up, walked to the window, and glanced outside. Suddenly seeming to remember something, he turned to Du Fan with a gentle smile and said, “Lord Du Fan, we were so engrossed in chatting that we forgot one thing… You have an appointment with a lady today. We can’t keep her waiting any longer. She’s been waiting all afternoon—given her temperament, she must be furious by now!”
With that, Prince Fische clapped his hands, and two maids came out from the side door. They approached Du Fan and gestured for him to follow.
Du Fan couldn’t help but frown, but Prince Fische laughed heartily and said, “Lord Du Fan, you’d better go quickly… I think Miss Eileen has been waiting for a long time… As for us, we’ll figure something out!”
With another gesture from Prince Fische, the two maids pulled Du Fan toward the side door, ignoring his dazed state.
Soon, guided by the maids, Du Fan passed through long corridors and arrived in front of a separate tall building. He climbed a few more floors up the stairs until he reached the door of the most luxurious room on top. Only then did the maids quickly push the door open.
Du Fan couldn’t help but take a deep breath. He wasn’t some chaste gentleman… Though Miss Eileen spoke rudely, she was indeed a rare beauty… With such an opportunity, how could he refuse?
He wasn’t the kind to pretend to be a hypocrite!
Thinking of this, a strange smile appeared on Du Fan’s face…