"You’re thinking about this the wrong way," Fang Zhen said, shaking his head.

"The wrong way?" Matthew was taken aback. Dalia looked over as well.

"If you don’t act, you’ll always find excuses. If you do act, all you’ll think of are solutions," Fang Zhen said. "Stop thinking of all the reasons why it’s impossible. I’m making the call on this. It’s settled."

"We are going to take Count Henry’s territory—at least part of it. That much is certain. Now is not the time to look for excuses. It’s time to put your clever minds to work and figure out what conditions we need to make this happen, what aid we can find, and how we can pull it off without too much fallout."

In a sense, words carry power.

Or rather, asking the right questions leads to a different way of thinking, and that thinking brings results.

For a moment, neither Dalia nor Matthew felt there was anything wrong with Fang Zhen taking charge.

Every group needs a leader, and that leader is usually the strongest one.

Fang Zhen had just killed Count Henry with some unfathomable, mysterious method. His image loomed large in Dalia and Matthew’s minds, and his authority was at its peak.

Now that Fang Zhen had set the tone, Matthew and Dalia felt a strange shift. It was as if they had been pulled from their indecision and fearful hesitation. They found themselves unconsciously thinking along the lines of the questions Fang Zhen had posed.

"Taking over Earl Henry’s Territory... it’s not impossible," Dalia said, her ability to think clearly returning. She considered it seriously. "Although our forces are insufficient, we have the advantage of being the first to know."

"If we can control the soldiers within our own territory, perhaps even absorb them into our ranks, we can find a pretext to enter Earl Henry’s Territory. By seizing its main city first, we can establish a de facto occupation. Even if it skirts the law, it’s not undoable."

Seeing this, Matthew also grew serious. "Our lack of strength can be compensated for. We could strike deals with other neighboring nobles, offering them a share of the spoils from Earl Henry’s Territory."

"Also, I suggest we communicate with the Church. The Church is very interested in land... that is, in protecting the safety of its followers."

As he said this, Matthew grew a little excited, as if realizing this might actually be possible. He had almost let the truth slip.

"The Church will agree," Agatha said suddenly, her words brief and to the point.

All eyes turned to her, but Agatha offered no explanation.

"If the Tade Church is willing to participate in... protecting the safety of its followers, I am willing to offer one-fourth of the tax revenue from the parts of Henry’s territory we occupy. I will also grant the Tade Church all ecclesiastical rights permitted by the Kingdom." Dalia, though just recovered from a great illness, still possessed her noble instincts. She keenly sensed the attitude of the Tade Church, which Agatha represented, and immediately made a promise.

’Besides, I’m promising taxes from Henry’s territory, not from the Ashton Territory.’

’If we take Henry’s land, the Tade Church gets its taxes. If we don’t, they get nothing. It’s an empty promise anyway, so there’s no harm in making it.’

"I will convey the Countess’s wishes to the Church. I hope you will remember your promise," Agatha said.

"Of course. I am a woman of my word. The Cristin Clan has always honored its commitments." Dalia reinforced the partnership, using her family name as an endorsement.

A smile appeared on Fang Zhen’s face as he watched.

Dalia had simply been in shock earlier. In reality, she was quite ambitious and driven, just lacking in confidence.

And Fang Zhen could give Dalia the solid support and confidence she needed.

’Fang Zhen wasn’t surprised by the Tade Church’s involvement. He could sense that this religious order was also trying to expand its power. The Kingdom’s laws placed certain restrictions on the church, so if they wanted to grow their influence—especially their financial power and influence over land—they needed to cooperate with the nobility.’

’Dalia, on the other hand, needed the Church’s backing and, if necessary, its military support.’

’Agatha’s presence here already indicated a basis for cooperation. Now, it was a perfect match.’

"I trust Dalia’s word, and I know of the Church’s favor toward its noble followers, but we still face two major problems. One is imminent, and the other is like a mountain blocking our path—we can’t go around it," Matthew said, perhaps feeling Dalia was being too optimistic.

Matthew continued, "Count Henry may be dead, but his army still has Knights and a Mage Corps. These people have minds of their own. It will be difficult to make them submit to the Countess."

"And there is an even bigger problem: Grand Duke Tarrenno."

"Count Henry was one of Grand Duke Tarrenno’s more powerful vassals. According to normal procedure, the Grand Duke should be the one to inherit the majority of the benefits left behind by Count Henry’s death. We, on the other hand, are trying to snatch those benefits from the Grand Duke."

"As you can imagine, the Grand Duke will compete with us. And our military strength... setting aside the Grand Duke’s own status, martial prowess, and influence, just in terms of military might, it’s a few hundred soldiers against tens of thousands. We have no chance of winning. It will be nearly impossible to succeed in this struggle."

"Not a problem," Fang Zhen said at this moment.

"Not a problem?" Matthew couldn’t help but look over. "Are you... underestimating Grand Duke Tarrenno? In terms of both personal power and political standing, he is a formidable figure. He’s an obstacle we can’t simply bypass."

Fang Zhen smiled faintly. "I will take care of both of those things."

’He already had a plan in mind.’

’His current mission included an optional quest to raise the status of the Ashton Territory. This was the perfect time to complete it.’

’As for Grand Duke Tarrenno’s power... ’

’Fang Zhen already suspected that Grand Duke Tarrenno was a demon in disguise.’

’If so, then killing Grand Duke Tarrenno was a mandatory objective.’

’And Fang Zhen had no doubt he could do it.’