Chapter 013: Disturbed Mind

No one dared answer Prince Fischer’s words. In fact, not only those present but even the nobles from the imperial capital would never dare to respond.

Yet it seemed Prince Fischer wasn’t expecting an answer from them. Frowning, he gazed at the aerial garden before him, his eyes flickering. After a moment, he continued, “It’s a pity… My great-grandfather, despite putting so much effort into creating this place, passed away from illness less than half a year after its completion… And Miss Chenchen vanished without a trace. This aerial garden, built at great expense, became nothing but a decoration, as its owner never lived here even for a single day…”

Sighing slightly, Prince Fischer added, “After my great-grandfather died, aside from leaving the empire in disarray and a huge financial shortfall, all that remained was this place… But successive emperors never liked it, which is why it has remained abandoned…”

At this point, Prince Fischer took on a thoughtful expression before stepping onto the arch bridge first. As he walked, he said, “Since this is such a rare opportunity, everyone should come and take a look.”

The nobles behind him all showed strange expressions. Though they were all direct descendants of Prince Fischer’s line, they never understood his intentions. For example, now that he had dismissed the servants and brought them here, it was clear he had some secret to share. Yet his behavior was baffling.

Count Christopher, being somewhat shrewd, said nothing and quickly followed.

The aerial garden indeed lived up to its reputation as a paradise on earth. Every corner was exquisite, with ingenious design in every detail, even the placement of each plant. Clearly, this place, built at the empire’s expense, had its merits.

It was just that the nobles were uneasy, unsure of Prince Fischer’s true intentions… Who could appreciate the beauty in such a situation? A few astute ones were already speculating in secret…

After the battle report from Duke Du Fan in the south arrived, Prince Fischer has been acting rather strangely…
Normally, according to imperial customs, since Duke Du Fan had rendered great services, he should naturally be rewarded…
However, in the communications between the empire and the south, there was not a single mention of rewards; instead, only information that could be obtained through other channels was discussed…
Could it be that Prince Fischer and Duke Du Fan are arguing with each other?
Of course, such a rebellious thought would never be voiced by a noble; it was merely a guess in their minds.
Finally, after walking around several times in the aerial garden, the group reached the top floor.
This so-called aerial garden was actually a structure similar to an attic, with various plants planted on each floor. On the top floor, there was even a rather dilapidated palace.
But the group did not go there instead heading to the rooftop terrace, where they admired the beautiful surroundings. Only then did Prince Fischer, leaning on the white marble railing, say softly, “Well? What do you think of this aerial garden?”
The nobles exchanged glances and replied in unison, “A paradise on earth! A paradise on earth!”
Prince Fischer smiled slightly but did not dwell on the topic. With his sharpness, how could he not notice that these subjects were somewhat distracted?
Sighing, he pointed around and said, “I’ve talked so much about this aerial garden just now, but I forgot to mention the most important thing… That is, to ensure peace here, the massive magic arrays scattered throughout serve primarily to muffle sound… In other words, no sound from inside can escape, and no sound from outside can enter… Perhaps this is the greatest value of this place?”
The nobles were slightly stunned, but under such circumstances, none dared ask further questions.
Prince Fischer simply smiled nonchalantly before suddenly turning to Count Christopher and saying softly, “Christopher, I asked you just now… When I sent you to the peace talks last time, did you resent me for that?”
Christopher felt a slight stir inside; he already had some idea why Prince Fischer brought up this topic again. He quickly replied respectfully, “My answer remains the same as before.”

“Is that so?” Prince Fischer wore a peculiar smile on his face. After pondering for a moment, he stared at Count Christopher and said, “Then, if I asked you to go for peace talks again… would you be willing or not?”
Christopher’s expression turned solemn. “Your Highness, what do you mean…?”
“Don’t you understand what I mean?” Prince Fischer sneered. Then, after fumbling in his sleeve for a while, he took out several scrolls and threw them in front of Count Christopher. “Even if I didn’t show you these, you must have guessed what they are, right?”
Christopher could sense the dissatisfaction in Prince Fischer’s tone, but he still forced himself to pick up one of the scrolls. After taking a quick glance, his eyes lit up immediately. He knelt down and said respectfully, “Your Highness, I am willing to go again! This time, I will surely restore all the honor lost to the empire!”
Prince Fischer nodded slightly and glanced at the other nobles. “You all should take a look too!”
The remaining nobles were confused, but they still took the scrolls and glanced at them. After a moment, one of them exclaimed joyfully, “Your Highness, this is an incredible fortune! The Laney Empire is seeking peace! This is a joyous event the empire hasn’t seen in decades! Your Highness truly is a natural leader. Having ruled the empire for less than half a year, you’ve already achieved such results—truly remarkable!”
“Is that so?” Yet, not the slightest trace of joy appeared on Prince Fischer’s face. He turned to look toward the south for a moment before saying indifferently, “This peace treaty comes a bit too conveniently, doesn’t it? We’ve just agreed to a century of peace with the Laney Empire, but in less than half a year, our Gavin Empire has already attacked them, capturing seven cities. Now they’re forced to send a treaty asking for peace… Is this really a good thing?”
As soon as Prince Fischer said this, the nobles present exchanged bewildered looks…
After all, after such peace treaties, promises of years of harmony were usually just empty words. Whether it was the Laney Empire or the Gavin Empire, once they had enough strength, they would never let go of each other. After all, the land on the Roland Continent was limited—being enemies meant one of them would die…
Historically, there had been eighty or even a hundred such peace treaties between the two nations… Who really took them seriously?
As soon as one side was ready, that false mask would be torn off instantly.

Moreover, over the past few decades, due to various factors, the Imperial Army had become corrupt and suffered successive defeats at the hands of the Lani Empire. Now, almost the entire southern plains were in the hands of the Lani Empire. It was such a rare great victory for the south—surely it should be a cause for celebration…
Yet Prince Fische’s attitude…
With such a peculiar attitude from the future sovereign, those beneath him naturally became terrified and dared not speak a word.
After all, Duke Du Fan in the south was also one of Prince Fische’s direct subordinates. It was he who shone brightly during the coup, helping Prince Fische secure his position as the future sovereign…
But now, Prince Fische’s attitude…
It seemed, just as the legends said, discord had arisen between this future sovereign and that young duke?
Exceeding one’s authority! Exceeding one’s authority!
Originally, a few nobles had envied Du Fan’s power, but after understanding Prince Fische’s thoughts, that envy turned into mockery.
Seeming to notice the strange thoughts of his direct subordinates, Prince Fische suddenly smiled slightly and said, “Enough, stop guessing… What annoys me isn’t anything else—it’s that Du Fan has been acting too recklessly. I’m not angry about him attacking the Lani Empire; I’m angry that he didn’t inform me in advance. You see, if things go wrong, this could escalate into a war. With the empire’s current finances, we simply can’t afford another war… Du Fan, Du Fan… you’re still too impulsive…”
No one dared to respond. Only Count Christopher felt a slight stir in his heart and quickly interjected, “Your Highness, although Duke Du Fan is impulsive, he is clearly acting for the good of the empire. He just wants to reclaim the lost territories as soon as possible… In my opinion, this isn’t a big deal. Besides, he chose a clever timing for the attack, knowing that the Lani Empire wouldn’t be able to fight back. I think you should issue another order for him to continue attacking and see what happens!”