Chapter 398: Candidate for the Umbrella

“Who is it?”

“Julian Fantali, second son of the Grand Duke of Fantali.”

“Julian?”

Wu Qingsong certainly remembered this elf. He hadn’t interacted with many elves face-to-face, but this young elf had once tried to recruit him—and been rejected.

“I don’t think he’s a good choice,” Wu Qingsong said.

“So many years have passed. I believe he’s long since forgotten the unpleasantness,” Mystic Moon replied. “If he bore a grudge against you, you wouldn’t have slipped past him so easily back then.”

“Why do you think he’s suitable?” Wu Qingsong asked.

“How long has it been since you met him? Eight years? Nine? At the time, he claimed he was about to be granted his own fief. But do you think he got his wish?”

“He’s still a sub-noble?” Wu Qingsong was somewhat surprised.

“He’s a favored son of the Grand Duke of Fantali. If he were willing to accept a titular title like the elves of the Sentalus family and devote himself to self-improvement and serving his house, he would have become a baron long ago. But he doesn’t get along with the duke’s eldest son and refuses to be subordinate to him. He insists on becoming a merit-based noble with actual land.”

“The Grand Duke of Fantali has no fief to grant him?” Wu Qingsong was starting to understand.

“There have been no unclaimed lands within the empire for decades,” Mystic Moon said. “The Grand Duke’s personal domains are already quite limited. There’s no way he could carve out another portion. And the powerful nobles won’t give up a piece of their own land to him either. When the Esola swarm broke out, Marquis Osaga was actually working on this for him—hoping to draw a portion from the northern parts of Riniconia, Osaga, and Fadial to form a new barony. But the Marquis of Riniconia demanded too high a price, and the Marquis of Fadial firmly opposed it. Julian himself felt the land was too barren, and after the swarm broke out, he completely lost interest.”

“And then?”

“Then he began planning to seize a piece of land from the southern part of the Stampede Plateau for his own fief. But the duke’s eldest son doesn’t want to see him succeed, and the Duke of Lapusia doesn’t want his nephew blocking his expansion northward. With those two interfering, even with Marquis Osaga’s support, Julian never secured enough military force to back such a claim.”

Mystic Moon shook his head. “These past few years haven’t gone well for him. Do you understand? Especially after Marquis Osaga was imprisoned and his lands confiscated, things became even worse for Julian. I believe he’s now in urgent need of funds to go to the imperial capital and try to clear Osaga’s name. But very few people are willing to help him.”

Wu Qingsong asked, “If he’s in such a bad state, wouldn’t approaching him bring even more trouble?”

“The appearance of the Gate of the Abyss has affected the Fantali Grand Duchy far more than you think. The Riniconia and Osaga marquisates have been essentially destroyed, worthless even if not officially reclaimed. The remaining forces and finances of Nisair, Fadial, Lapusia, and Etruria have all been heavily depleted by years of war; expenses exceed income. At such a time, do you think they still have the strength for political maneuvering? If not for the fact that Lapusia’s elite troops were reassigned to guard the passages near the Gate of the Abyss, Wu, do you think they would have let you farm peacefully in Nagrand? Do you think they wouldn’t have taken the opportunity to interfere while the plateau fell into chaos?

“Julian is still young, which means he lacks political cunning and experience. He’s easier to deceive. He’s in desperate need of a large sum of money, his weakest point. Once he receives that money, he’ll be eager to travel to the capital to help Osaga, meaning he won’t have time to inspect his own territory or manage its affairs in the near term. Most importantly, his noble status as the Grand Duke’s son makes him a strong enough shield, at least enough to buy you some time.”

Wu Qingsong shook his head. “But it’s very likely he’ll send representatives to assert his rights. And those who oppose him may use that as an excuse to expose Nagrand sooner.”

“You’re not wrong,” Mystic Moon nodded. “But no matter who you choose as your shield, these problems will exist. Given Nagrand’s location, whoever you choose, you’ll still have to deal with the influence of the Duke of Lapusia. And compared to him, no other patron is necessarily more effective than Julian.”

“What about the Duke of Lapusia?”

“If you’ve asked the beastfolk of the Stampede Plateau about him, you wouldn’t ask that question. Grand Duke Sentalus may be a monster, but compared to the Duke of Lapusia, he’s practically a saint. Greedy, bloodthirsty, deceitful, and utterly ruthless. If you get involved with him, you’re paving yourself a road straight to hell.”

“I need to think about it.”

This matter was too complicated, with too many interconnected aspects. Wu Qingsong couldn’t make a decision right away.

“Of course,” Mystic Moon said. “But you must understand, using elves as a shield will always be a temporary measure. Sooner or later, you’ll face the same problem. Once the elves realize your true nature and that you may pose a threat to them, there’s only one outcome. Instead of wasting time and effort on a doomed path, why not make the right choice while you still can? That would be better not just for you, but for your wives, your subordinates, even for the people of Nagrand.”

“I will seriously consider your suggestion,” Wu Qingsong said with a nod. “Thank you.”

“No need. There’s no place for such formalities between us,” said Mystic Moon.

He walked Wu Qingsong to the door. Wu Qingsong finally asked his last question, “Why is Julian so eager to clear Marquis Osaga’s name? Is there some special relationship between them?”

“Julian’s mother was Marquis Osaga’s sister, but she died many years ago.”

“I see.” Wu Qingsong nodded, bid farewell to Mystic Moon, and left the place.

“What do you think he’ll choose?” When Mystic Moon returned to the room, Red Mood was already seated in the spot where Wu Qingsong had just been.

“I think he’ll choose Julian,” Mystic Moon said. “His arrogance is even more stubborn than I imagined. Unless he crashes headlong into a wall, he won’t see clearly what he’s truly facing.”

“But are we doing nothing?”

“You know Nagrand’s situation better than I do. If we act now, it will only backfire. When the elves destroy Nagrand and kill the people he cares about, who else will he have to turn to besides us?”