Chapter 39: How about handing over your regent to me?

“So, are you willing to pay the price for rescuing the young Empress and the Chief Justice by serving as the Regent of Caparia?”

Faced with the Elven Queen’s proposal, Yang Hao remained neither impulsive nor overwhelmed by the tragedy of the young Empress.

After all, this was a serious proposal put forth by the Elven Queen, and one of its terms was for him to serve as the Regent of the Elven Kingdom.

This required calm and careful consideration. He couldn’t allow the young Empress to escape one danger only to fall into another. Even though this new danger was much less severe, Yang Hao still needed to understand the full scope of the deal.

After closing his eyes and contemplating the darkness for a while, he calmly said, “Thank you, Your Majesty Fen, for the information and the proposal. But I need to understand the full picture. What exactly does the Elven Kingdom require of me as Regent?

Why did the Elven Kingdom need to do this? 

When would they send people to rescue the young Empress and the chief judge? 

And most importantly… what did they plan to do with them once they were rescued?”

A deal, especially one involving a person, must be scrutinized in detail to understand all its nuances.

This was especially true as it involved not only the young Empress, who was dear to Yang Hao’s heart but also his lifelong trauma—becoming a Regent again.

He needed to understand what exactly he was supposed to do, to what extent he needed to accomplish it, and how the young Empress would be treated once she was rescued. At the very least, these three points had to be clear to him.

For the Elven Queen, she needed to explain everything in detail.

So, she first turned and glanced at Kenna. After Kenna whispered a few words in her ear, reporting the situation along the coast, the Queen felt an even greater sense of urgency. Something significant had happened at sea, and it was certain that this would be related to the elves in the future.

In other words, the position of Regent had to be secured by the elves.

She looked at the Purple Princess beside Yang Hao and, seeing the princess watching her vigilantly, she gave a harmless smile.

“So, where should I begin? Ah—let’s start with the treatment of the young Empress after her rescue.”

Elves were a race that did not lie, at most, they might withhold certain information.

At this moment, Fen naturally did not present any falsehoods.

She explained in a clear and gentle voice how they planned to rescue the Empress, how the young Empress would be treated in the Elven Kingdom, the type of magic they would use to heal her tongue, and how they would restore her freedom. If she wished to live in the Elven Kingdom, she would have the right to permanent residence. If she wanted to return to the Roman Empire, the Elven Kingdom would provide political support.

And so on…

Fen explained everything about the young Empress’s treatment in one breath, with a clear and gentle tone.

Visibly, the man’s serious expression eased a bit. Although the vigilance in his eyes didn’t disappear, at least his gaze toward her carried a hint of softness.

Even the rough hand holding the nun’s loosened its grip slightly. 

Ah, what kind of sensation would such a rough hand cause when it rubbed against the skin?

Fen paused for a moment, took a sip of freshly squeezed sweet and sour juice, then cleared her throat.

“As for the price you must pay in our country. It is to take on the position of Regent of Caparia and lead us through reforms,” Fen said.

“Reforms?”

It seemed to strike a nerve, and a flash of distortion crossed the man’s face. 

Of course, Fen understood.

After all, it was precisely due to being betrayed by the people benefiting from his reforms that this man ended up in such a situation. But Fen didn’t blame him. Any ruler in his position, upon seeing the ironclad ships of a major nation across the sea, would certainly go mad trying to enhance their country’s power.

Faced with immediate death, slow suicide, or gambling everything for a chance at survival, he chose the latter. But ignorant barbarians could never understand his reasoning. The elves could, though.

However, now… she had to consider things from his perspective.

Upon reflection, His Highness the Regent, driven by the necessity to carry out reforms, had become a target for all. If it were in the past, he might have just gritted his teeth and endured it, being somewhat of a loner.

After the previous failure, and now having a companion by his side, he would inevitably consider his her feelings and be unwilling to take risks. After all, this was human nature, so Fen understood very well.

But on the flip side.

As long as the risks he faced were completely eliminated, wouldn’t that mean he would have no choice but to accept?

Fen chuckled softly and threw two swift punches. 

“Yes, reforms. I’ll discuss the details after you accept. Let’s first talk about the conditions for the reforms. It’s very simple. If the reforms fail, Fen will take full responsibility. Even if it fails, you, with the title of Regent, will not be resented by Caparia, because it was Fen who chose you as the Regent. This is Fen’s responsibility for misjudging people and dragging down the entire nation. I will not let my subjects or friends bear this humiliation and pain, and I hope you understand.”

Although Fen couldn’t say she knew Yang Hao very well, through the eyes of the ancient trees in the Elven Forest, she could see that he was a man with the necessary capabilities but not particularly high emotional intelligence.

This man was very afraid of becoming a target and dragging down the nun he cherished as his own heart.

In Fen’s name, he would not be affected by anything resulting from the failure of the reforms, and naturally, he would not be persecuted.

While this might be seen as an empty promise among humans, in the eyes of elves, who value their promises and have accumulated a reputation over millennia, this was a solid fact.

The elves would not resent him for the failure of the reforms. At most, they would blame Fen. This was Fen’s first direct punch.

“And if the reforms succeed, the praise of the bards, the adulation and celebration of our people, and the honor of the entire kingdom will be yours to receive. No need to say more. If you accept our request and become the Regent of Caparia, leading us through reforms, then naturally, you will be the core of these reforms. You are the heart of this reform. Without you, there would be no reform and no future success. The accolades are yours to claim. No matter how humble you are, you should accept them. On the contrary, we will have to worry about how to properly reward you.”

Likewise, although Fen did not know Yang Hao very well and approached this encounter with the intention of getting to know him better in the future. She understood that besides pursuing wealth, humans also greatly value power, honor, stability, and happiness.

The last could be set aside for now, as happiness was fundamentally achieved through the first four.

In simple terms, if Yang Hao could complete the reforms of the Elven Kingdom, wouldn’t the first four naturally come to him effortlessly?

Wealth. If the Regent completed the reforms, then the wealth of the Elven Kingdom would be at his disposal.

After all, ruling the entire Elven Kingdom alone was too exhausting for this young girl, Fen. If the Regent was willing, then after the reforms, becoming the Elven Fen would not be an issue. Naturally, he would then have access to the entire kingdom’s wealth.

Power. Once he accepted this position, the very next day, Fen would announce to the entire Elven Kingdom the need for the citizens to cooperate with the reforms.

She would handle the council, and although the old elves were stubborn, they ultimately desired change and would not hinder the Regent’s work, unless there was a matter of great concern to them. Naturally, he would have power from the moment he takes office.

Honor. Needless to say, once the reforms succeed, the elves would erect statues in his honor, build memorials bearing his name, and use his name for future magnificent landscapes.

Elves were not like the forgetful barbarians of the Roman Empire. Great individuals should be remembered and praised even after thousands of years. This is a rightful honor.

As for Stability…

To be frank, if the elves did not reform and could not withstand this invasion from the diocese or the next demonic disaster, then His Highness the Regent would have no place to live peacefully, except perhaps overseas.

Unless, as the prophecy said the brother nation underground rised again one day, otherwise…

Fen shook her head. This was thinking too far ahead. Although the prophecy mentioned the time point as this November, for the current discussion, it was still too far off.

In summary, as long as His Highness the Regent completed the reforms, wealth, power, honor, and stability would come as promised. He would attain the happiness that countless people desired in the Elven Kingdom.

This was Fen’s second straight punch, her confident and decisive blow.

“So, what is your decision now?”

She gazed directly into the man’s deep brown eyes with her emerald green ones.

To Yang Hao, these were indeed very tempting conditions.

With the elves’ promise, he wouldn’t face any risk. Instead, he would receive countless accolades once everything was accomplished. Most importantly, his goddaughter and his lifesaver—the young Empress and the chief judge—would be able to live safely in the Elven Kingdom after being rescued.

It was truly tempting. If Teresa weren’t by his side, he might have agreed immediately.

But…

He turned to look at Teresa. The nun was also watching him. Their hands were tightly clasped together. He hadn’t forgotten his promise to Teresa, the hope of living a peaceful life together.

Accepting Fen’s conditions would inevitably break his vow. But if he didn’t accept, his goddaughter would continue to suffer endless abuse in the Roman Empire.

One side was his beloved, the other was his cherished goddaughter.

“Uh…” Yang Hao hesitated, wanting to say something, but Teresa spoke first, smiling.

“Isn’t this great? I support you. After all, you said the condition was that we have no attachments outside, right? The young Empress is your concern. I know she isn’t a bad child. She shouldn’t be subjected to such inhumane treatment just because she is from the royal family. Moreover, the chief judge is your lifesaver, so… Yes, I am indeed a bit angry with you. Because I had already planned where we would go on our dates these days, where we would choose a secluded yet comfortable house, and I was even thinking about how every year in this place would be so boring and peaceful for us. But if this is necessary, if this is what you want to do… then go ahead and be brave. I will always support you, my little puppy.”

All of Yang Hao’s words and reasons stopped in his throat, turning into a whimper, and his eyes filled with tears without him knowing when it started.

Teresa… she was indeed angry and disappointed. Her eyes were filled with dissatisfaction as she looked at Yang Hao, but she chose to support him through her actions.

It was a woman like her who had supported Yang Hao through his most difficult times to get to where he was today.

He couldn’t hold back anymore. His eyes red, he reached out and hugged his beloved tightly:

“Thank you, Teresa.”

“Consider your image outside, won’t you?”

The nun complained, wiping the tears from his eyes with her sleeve. Across the table, Fen of the elves watched the scene with some envy.

Then, Yang Hao let go and turned back, speaking seriously, “I am willing to accept this condition, and I am willing to pay the price of becoming Regent to rescue the young Empress and the chief judge for the Elven Kingdom. But Fen, please tell me, why do the elves need reform? From what I know, the elves are a perfect race.”

“Yes, but precisely because we are perfect, we haven’t changed at all. And because there has been no change, we must undergo reforms to face this rapidly changing era, don’t you think? Moreover, there are two urgent prophecies that pose a great danger. We must make changes, and we will do so at any cost.”

Fen’s response made Yang Hao contemplative. He thought they might need to continue discussing important matters for a long time today, so he considered sending Teresa back first.

However, Fen suggested that since His Highness the Regent would be busy with official duties, it would be more practical to temporarily move everyone to the Green Courtyard instead of constantly traveling between two places.

“After all, you have injured people on your side too, don’t you? So please, you and Kenna should go and instruct everyone to come over. As for Sister Teresa, she seems to have something to discuss with me.”

“Teresa?”

Yang Hao turned back, looking worriedly at the nun who had been staring at Fen for some time.

Teresa just smiled and turned back, “It’s fine, I’ll stay here. I’d rather not tire myself out with another trip. Besides, I do have some things to discuss with Fen.”

“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay with you?”

“Elves disdain human court intrigues.” She shrugged, “Besides, men should stay out of women’s conversations. Even I would be embarrassed to talk about underwear in front of you, you know?”

‘So it’s okay to discuss this with a queen you’ve just met for the first time?’

Knowing this might be Teresa’s secret, Yang Hao only grumbled inwardly a bit before standing up and leaving the reception room with Kenna.

Once Yang Hao and Kenna left, leaving only Fen and the smiling nun in the room.

“Purple Princess,” the elf said with a smile, “In exchange for restoring Bayerzost, granting you half of the elves’ wealth and full support, along with part of the population migrating… How about handing over the Regent to me?”