Making Arrangements (Part 2)

"My dear Finley, I am Elan, the Adventurer who helped you win the Knight's Duel and gain the territory of White Flower Territory."

"I recently heard some big news— the Duke Theodore's affairs may not be going so smoothly, which might have some impact on you."

"I think you must be feeling the pressure from both sides by now, or you've been cornered and are stuck, not knowing what to do."

"But don't worry, I have good news for you. If you're willing to accept it, then all of this will be taken care of."

Finley saw this, his grip on the letter tightened, and he looked up at the subordinate who had handed him the letter, casually asking:

"Where did this come from? Did anyone see who delivered it?"

The servant hesitated for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly:

"My lord, the person who delivered the letter to me was riding a Dire Wolf. He looks like someone from the Northern Territory, but there's a mark on his thick robe that I can't understand."

People from the Northern Territory? Finley remembered that when "Elan" left, he said he was going to the Northern Territory. So it's normal for people from the Northern Territory to come here.

He lowered his head, looked at the letter in his hand, and asked again:

"What does that mark look like?"

"Um..." The servant thought for a moment, then organized his thoughts before continuing:

"It looks like a slanted wooden stick with a rolled-up circle at the top, leaving a hollow space in the middle..."

"What did you say?!" Finley suddenly raised his head and roared at the servant, startling him.

He repeated the pattern he had seen, making Finley almost certain that it was the one he recognized.

"The Alliance's symbol..." Finley uttered the message behind the symbol, his hand trembling slightly as he held the letter, as if he knew what it was about to say.

He swallowed hard, then waved for the servant to step back and not disturb him while he read the letter.

Finley calmed himself, knowing this letter could directly determine his future. He composed himself before continuing to read the letter.

"As you know, I went to the Northern Territory, and there's a place there that the Alliance has occupied— the Northern Lands Society."

"I entered it, and with my abilities, I quickly gained the favor of a mage..."

Then Fran fabricated a story about her development at the Northern Lands Society after gaining the mage's favor, including learning Arts, completing tasks assigned by the mage, and then advancing to Formal Rank...

Fran wrote this passage on a whim, a mere two hundred words, but Finley read it very carefully.

Then Fran changed the subject and got to the key point of the letter.

"That mage intends to use the population of a territory to conduct an experiment, one that won't cause large-scale casualties..."

"And after the experiment is completed, she will not claim that territory, and of course, she will not pay any money for this experiment..."

"But she can register this territory with the Alliance, making it an the Alliance registration site, and then you can become the lord of the Alliance..."

"I think you know that the Northern Lands Society was once the territory of a lord. Even if you didn't manage to obtain a sum of money and the Alliance citizenship like that lord, and live under the Floating City..."

"As long as you are a lord of the Alliance, no other lord will dare to attack you, because if they do, they will be going against the Alliance..."

"The sorcerer's men will arrive in about ten days. One of them will be wearing a white robe; he will be the sorcerer's assistant in conducting the experiments..."

"I believe you can make a wise decision, my friend."

Fran didn't reveal her true identity in the letter, because that would only make Finley think someone was lying to him, and the reason for the deception was too absurd—who would believe an Adventurer suddenly turning into a mage?!

Fran did not indicate in her letter that she intended to take action against the entire Antir Region, because she did not trust Finley.

She was the biggest helper in Finley's acquisition of the position of lord of this land, and Finley doesn't seem to be the kind of person who forgets old friendships.

She used the identity of ' Elan ' to get closer to Finley so that she could make her move, but she didn't expect anything more.

Since Finley is ultimately a subordinate of Duke Theodore, a Territory Knight, if Fran says in her letter that she wants to conquer the entire Antir Region, Finley will most likely side with Duke Theodore, or even the prince of Antir.

Because it's unrealistic. Anyone with any power in the Antir Region knows the Alliance is right next door, and they haven't made a move for years, only for a mage to suddenly appear...

If Fran had told them everything, their friendship would never have supported Finley's decision to side with Fran; anyone who did so would be incredibly foolish.

So Fran took a roundabout approach, using the identity of ' Elan ' and fabricating the identity of another mage, thus making it more likely that Finley would accept her choice.

She had helped Finley earlier so that she would have a good foothold when she took over the entire Antir Region; she certainly didn't do it for nothing.

Finley, of course, fell for this rhetoric. He knew he had a brother who had done him a great favor, and he hadn't given ' Elan ' anything...

This made him feel somewhat ashamed, because when he received Elan's letter, he had simply agreed to whatever Elan needed.

Moreover, Fran has even dragged herself into the Alliance's fold—no, she's already donned the Alliance's fold.

This skin suggests a mage looking for a place to conduct experiments, which fits the stereotype of mages in the Antir Region.

It's quite normal for these monks to frequently mention conducting an experiment.

Furthermore, Finley even felt that the reward proposed by the 'mage' in the letter was something his brother had negotiated for him.

In reality, Fran needs some people to help her manage the Antir Region.

Just like if Duke Theodore conquered the Royal Capital, he would be the lord of the entire Antir Region Antir Region, which naturally includes White Flower Territory.

Finley was a lord under Duke Theodore, and there could be a hierarchy among lords.

By then, Fran will really need some people to help her manage things; she can't possibly spend all her energy on this.

Finley was someone she valued; she felt he deserved it.

After reading the letter, Finley read it again from top to bottom. He was deeply moved and his mind remained unsettled for a long time afterward.

He knew this was an opportunity, and he really needed it right now. He put the letter away and then gave instructions to his men.

"Bring me paper and pen, I need to write a reply..."

The reply he was about to write was to the envoy from the Northern Territory, and he had decided to accept the offer.

As for Duke Theodore and the Prince of Antir, he tapped his armrest.

Regardless of the circumstances, Duke Theodore currently holds the advantage. The Kingdom of Lorinvik has not yet clashed with Duke Theodore and is unaware of the strength of his army.

In any case, the Prince of Antir could not leave the Royal Capital.

The area outside was no longer his territory; Duke Theodore's men had almost completely surrounded it.

He absolutely cannot openly pledge allegiance to the Prince of Antir now, because if he does so, other lords will take this opportunity to attack him.

Even if he wrote a letter secretly pledging allegiance to Prince Antir, it would be useless, because he had not yet gained the recognition of the territory and had not yet become a true lord.

While outwardly supporting Duke Theodore, they secretly claim to be loyal to Prince Antir, waiting for the opportune moment...

However, he also believed that the Prince of Antir was not stupid and knew that he was a fence-sitter who needed lords from other places to cheer him on.

If Prince Antir does ultimately win the war, he will be the first to suffer.

Finley will only escape being purged if the situation improves slightly but hasn't completely overwhelmed Duke Theodore's forces after the enemy's ultimate victory.

This is also why he is in a dilemma. After all, there are too many knights like him who do not have territory, and the other party's confidants may also need territory to be rewarded.

If someone truly acts like a fence-sitter, they'll be the first to perish.

Finley stroked his chin, then made his decision. After finishing his letter to the Northlands messenger, he began writing his letter to Duke Theodore.

"My lord, the White Flower Territory has always stood by your side."

Then he picked up a new letter, addressed to the Prince of Antir.

"I apologize, Your Highness, I have only recently become the lord of White Flower Territory. Those defeated knights still harbor resentment towards me, along with the nobles within the city, leaving me with almost no time to act..."

"Furthermore, I haven't yet gained the territory's recognition. At this time, if I were to offer assistance, those forces wouldn't be able to cause any trouble at all."

"But I can shift the focus to the territory. Once I gain the White Flower Territory's recognition and become its de facto lord, I can naturally provide you with more power to help you reclaim lost lands and quell the rebellion..."

After Finley finished writing, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. In fact, if it weren't for Elan's letter that interrupted him, he would most likely have chosen Duke Theodore anyway.

The reason this force is so difficult to project is simply because Lorinvik's army is located southwest of Antir, while White Flower Territory is to the north of Antir...

At that point, he could only pray that Duke Theodore could withstand the attack and then deal with the prince.

However, now he may have a better solution: to join the Alliance.

He placed his hand on his chest, his heart pounding. If White Flower Territory could become the Alliance territory, he would never have to worry about this again.