Chapter 185

Chapter 185: Chapter 184

Mrs. Chester’s maid, Annette and a man, apparently Shahar’s attendant, stood a little far from the table. What was unusual about their presence was that they were ready to write, holding a pen and paper.

Mrs. Chester said, “I really believed this kind of meeting would happen from the moment that the late Duke Hubble presented a sword to your mother Empress Alessa. To be more precise, from the moment that the late Duke Hubble asked you to deliver the sword to Empress Alessa.”

She got down to the point right away instead of beating around the bush.

“Probably the late Duke Hubble asked you to take over the role that Ober was supposed to assume in the future, right?”

Shahar sat arrogantly on the couch and tilted his head slightly. He ostentatiously moved his long twisted legs up and down .

“But does it make sense for Faisal’s proud prince to take over his place? No way. That was really a rude offer,” Mrs Chester said.

“You bet. Wouldn’t there really be a position perfectly suitable for him?” Elias chimed in, trying to support her.

Resting his chin on his hand, Shahar looked at the two alternately and loosened his twisted legs. The heel of his boot made a squeaking noise when it hit the floor.

“Why aren’t you honest with me? Mrs. Chester, you want to tell me your son Ober has an eye on a particular position, right?”

“Of course, that’s true, too. Everyone has a position suitable for them. Don’t you think Ober also has a position suitable for him?”

She retorted with an elegant voice. Chuckling, Shahar turned his eyes at Ober, “Ober, you’re a carbon copy of your mother.”

“I sometimes hear the same thing from many people.”

“Sometimes we can’t believe a man was born to the same parents because of his different looks, but sometimes we can immediately believe a man is a chip off the old block. Isn’t it amazing, Sir Ober?”

Shahar’s next prey was Elias. When he turned his attention to him suddenly, Elias cleared his throat and said, “Oh yes, you’re right. Look at my children. My son takes after me, but my daughter doesn’t. Everybody says she takes after my wife more than me.”

Shahar burst out in laughter at his reply, thinking to himself, ‘How stupid this guy is! I’m mocking your temperament now, man!’

At that moment, Shahar erased the lingering wishes that remained in him. He felt the late Duke Hubble’s forces would switch their loyalty to Ober. Elias was too stupid to rule great power.

While Elias was laughing without knowing which way the wind was blowing, the rest of the people there hid their mockery of him by laughing. Even his wife felt pitiful about her husband.

“Good. We don’t have to beat around the bush as we are in the same boat anyway.”

Shahar leaned forward a bit in the chair.

“If you help me gain the honor I deserve, I will help you take over the position you duly deserve.”

“What a wise decision!” Ober praised him slyly. He bowed to Shahar out of courtesy.

“Would you like to hear my secret plan right away?”

“It looks like you are very well prepared. What would you have done if I had refused your offer? ”

“Well, I thought I didn’t have to worry about that because you are not stupid enough to miss this golden opportunity. ”

“You’re also good at picking up good words to listen to. You are a man of versatile talents, Ober.” Shahar smiled in satisfaction, resting his chin on hand.

Ober pushed the glass in front of him to the edge of the table and unfolded a dark red scroll in the middle of the table.

It was a map drawn on fabric with colorful tassels. The map, which appeared to have enlarged the topography of some of Aslan’s vast land, had the names of the main castles and natural objects clearly engraved. The Castle of Lennox, located at the northernmost of the empire, surrounded by deep and shallow rivers flowing below it and the mountain ridges occupying the edges of the huge Piaget Mountains had several gateways on the borders, including the Euroslaf gateway…

“Ancartium?”

“Yes. It’s a castle that will play a very important role in this strategy.”

Shahar silently glanced at the picture of the castle on the far right of the map. Unlike Aslan’s domestic regions, where the heights, facilities, mountains, and rivers of the terrain were relatively clear, the Ancarthium area was drawn roughly except for the border, with only its name written in both languages. Perhaps it was because they were concerned about the diplomatic problems that could arise when the maps were drawn thoughtlessly and circulated in other countries.

Here was a map that could prevent any possible breach of diplomatic etiquette in a place where they were about to discuss a revolution that would change the owner of the throne at the height of the two empires.

“Did you say that you are the foreign minister?”

“That’s right.”

“Sorry to hear that. It would have been a great advantage for the empire if a talent like you had continued to serve as the foreign minister.”

He laughed sardonically at Ober’s bizarre contradiction. His gaze was still fixed on the map on the table.

Ancartium.

Shahar recited the vivid name of the castle deep down. It was the land between Aslan and the far end of Faisal. It was the sacred land in which Aslan and Faisal formed the fourth peace alliance twenty years ago after the Lennox War. It was a safe zone that had never been invaded by bloody weapons or the hooves of horses for hundreds of years.

And it was Faisal’s largest and safest western road since it became Crown Prince Rashid’s territory.

“I’m going to start here.”

Ober pointed to the middle of the border between Aslan and Faisal.

“Are you going to start a war from the beginning?”

“Well, I’m going to make it look like a war.”

“Your intention to create a loophole by causing turmoil is good, but the alliance between Aslan and Faisal has been established for more than two hundred years. I think it will cost too much for me or you to endure. ”

“Right. Maybe it will cause too much trouble for Ober alone to endure. ”

Mrs. Chester put down the wine glass with an elegant gesture.

“So, I think we have to make those who can and should endure it take responsibility.”

Shahar made eye contact with her. His significant smile quickly gave him a rude awakening.

“For example… Like the owner of Lennox and the head of Ancartium.”

“Duke Kling, the owner of Lennox Castle, is the highest of the few close aides to the emperor. There are several more other than Ancartium ruled by the emperor, but there will be no more important area than that in the event of armed conflict between the two countries. ”

“We have already deployed a number of clever spies in several gateways of Lennox, including the Euroslaf gateway, and in the Astolpf Knights, the northern national knights. If ordered, they would immediately cross the border and invade Faisal’s territory and massacre as needed.”

“Hmmm…”

“As you have come here, I think there will be spies from Faisal who will cross the borders of Aslan and do the same thing,” Ober quickly added.

Shahar could easily discover the meaning in his words. What Ober suggested was that as Aslan’s unilateral aggression was not only disadvantageous to Ober, but also it could be an occasion to develop into a bigger war, he would make both sides responsible for the war..

“Well, I can do that for you. And then?”

“Even if it’s a small conflict, it’s going to spread to Pars, the capital of Faisal soon. But since both sides must take responsibility, and the two empires are so large, they won’t declare a full-scale war. Besides, Aslan has the prince state of Sorman in the south, while Faisal has the prince state of Belasq in the east. Don’t you think you should avoid playing a bad hand in the battle?”

“That’s right. No monarch wants to break the pact that they have been keeping for hundreds of years because of a temporary war and invite the invasion of Sorman or Belasq.”

“In conclusion, the war will end after repeated local conflicts because the residents in Lennox and Ancartium will live under my and your rule anyway. We don’t no need to kill many people. In that case, it is going to be more difficult to take care of the consequences…”

“Ober, your introduction is rather long. In short, you mean there’s something else you have in your mind, right?” Shahar hit the nail on the head, smiling at him brightly.

Oberdo turned up his mouth slightly and replied, “In order to end the fight, we must conclude a new peace treaty customarily. All we need is Eckart and Rashid to come to that place for the treaty.”