Royal Capital, Noble District.
Deep within the aristocratic streets of the upper layer of the Royal Capital, there stands a mansion as luxurious as a castle.
This mansion occupies an absolutely prime location within the entire noble district. At first glance, it looks like a vacation resort— beautiful surroundings, massive in scale. In the modern world, it could even pass for a resort.
Before this opulent mansion, a Dragon Carriage slowly approached.
Driving the Dragon Carriage was Rem.
So, the next moment, Fang Li and Emilia stepped out of the carriage.
"Phew!"
The Knight's cloak billowed in the whistling wind.
Fang Li stepped down from the Dragon Carriage, raised his head, and looked at the mansion before him.
Emilia did the same.
Soon after, Rem, who had descended from the driver's seat of the Dragon Carriage, spoke to the two.
"This is Duke Karsten's estate."
In other words, it was Crusch's estate.
Just like Reinhard, as the preeminent aristocrat in the Kingdom, Crusch also had an estate in the noble district of the Royal Capital, used for handling affairs while in the Royal Capital.
And the reason for coming here was the decision made ten minutes ago in the hotel.
...
It all started with a sentence from Fang Li.
"Since you've decided to form a covenant with the other candidates for the throne, who do you intend to form this covenant with?"
This was the first issue to be addressed.
Roswaal had left everything to Fang Li.
But Fang Li completely ignored it and left the decision to the concerned party, Emilia.
However, Emilia couldn't make up her mind; she weakly said such a line.
"I think... everyone is a good person."
This statement was at least fifty percent water.
At least in Fang Li's view, among the five Royal Selection candidates this time, at least half couldn't be considered good people.
Moreover, whether someone is a good person or not isn't the standard for forming a covenant.
So, Fang Li could only roll his eyes and say to Emilia, "Since you can't decide, let me roughly analyze the situation of your four competitors, and then you can make a decision."
Emilia couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly.
So Fang Li began his explanation.
"First, let's talk about Felt, with whom you've had dealings before."
"Supporting Felt is the Astrea family, known as the Sword Saint Family."
"The Astrea family is a Knight Clan with a long history in the Kingdom. Successive heirs of the family have been able to receive the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint. They are outstanding in strength, especially in this generation's Reinhard. He, the Knight among Knights, is blessed with over forty types of Divine Protection. His strength has long surpassed that of the first generation Sword Saint, and he is hailed as the strongest Sword Saint of all generations, even considered the strongest individual in this world."
"If you form a covenant with Felt, you can gain the support of the Astrea family, and even gain the power of the strongest Sword Saint. This is a huge advantage."
Saying this, Fang Li also pointed out the weaknesses of Felt's camp.
"However, according to my understanding, there seems to be discord within the Astrea family. Apart from Reinhard, the others still have doubts, or even opposition, about supporting a child from the slums. Furthermore, Felt herself has not yet fully learned everything necessary to inherit the throne. Forming a covenant with this camp may be somewhat unstable. If you get involved in the internal strife of the camp, it could be detrimental to you."
Upon hearing Fang Li's words, Emilia was about to say something, but Fang Li preemptively cut her off.
"Don't go saying things like 'if they're in trouble, we have to help.' You haven't even sorted out your own affairs yet, and then you go meddling in other people's business. The result will be both camps getting entangled, benefiting the other candidates. Do you want to see such an outcome?"
Struck at the core, Emilia immediately lowered her head in discouragement.
This girl is always as cute and kind as ever.
Fang Li secretly chuckled and continued his explanation.
"Next is Priscilla's camp."
"I believe you should know that Priscilla's power comes from the inheritance of her deceased husband's estate, namely the Barielle family."
"The Barielle estate is located in the northwest of the Kingdom, like the Mathers estate, it's in a border area. But unlike the Mathers estate, which is solely defended by Roswaal's strength, the Barielle estate often experiences turmoil due to its border proximity to foreign lands. As a result, the former acting lord heavily taxed the populace, leading to misery among the people. It wasn't until Priscilla took over that this situation was completely overturned."
"Though she's such a self-important and arrogant individual, this person indeed enjoys divine favor, as if she's favored by the heavens. You could say she has all the luck, and aligning with her means basking in that luck. No matter how dire the situation, her good fortune will ultimately lead to a favorable outcome."
Fang Li made such an evaluation from an objective standpoint.
"Of course, as you know, Priscilla herself is fickle and sees herself in very high regard. Wanting to form a covenant with her is difficult from the start because she won't feel the need to ally with anyone to win the Royal Selection."
"Moreover, even if she agrees to a covenant due to a momentary whim, who knows if she'll unilaterally break it later? She's just that capricious, even more unstable than Felt's camp."
Hearing this, Emilia nodded in agreement.
She also understood Priscilla's capriciousness.
So, as an ally, Priscilla was definitely not a good choice.
"Next is Anastasia's camp."
Seeing Emilia nod, Fang Li smiled slightly, changed the topic, and abruptly spoke up.
"As you know, Anastasia is a merchant, and she owns the Hoshin Trading Company, hailing from the commoner class in Kararagi."
"However, Anastasia also commands a Mercenary Group, with strength comparable to that of nobles. Coupled with her extensive network in the business world, she firmly controls the flow of goods and profits. Her influence in the Kingdom is exceptionally profound. Currently, she's among the most favored candidates for the throne. Forming a covenant with her would benefit you in terms of manpower and finances."
"The downside is her merchant nature, inherently driven by profit. To sway them, you must first offer tangible benefits, and be wary of them betraying you for higher gains. If you're not confident in holding the reins tight, it will be a risk."
Finishing, Fang Li lifted his gaze and looked directly at Emilia, saying such a line.
"As for Crusch's camp, to be honest, I suggest you form a covenant with her."
...
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