Chapter 317: Chapter 222: The Path to Self-Destruction
Matthew said, his voice filled with anxiety.
"Yes, please don’t go up against Count Henry for my sake," Dalia said from the bed, also taking Fang Zhen’s hand. "I’m content just to have you here, speaking up for . With you around, I at least won’t be assassinated or killed by so insidious magical curse."
"I despise Count Henry, but I know I’m in no position to make an enemy of him. I heard from the Priest that you’ve already taught him a small lesson. Let’s just leave it at that."
"That’s just how things are. There’s nothing to be done. Count Henry is simply more powerful than we are. Let’s just endure it for the ti being."
Fang Zhen gave Dalia’s hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
But the resolute look in his eyes never wavered.
"Henry deserves to die, and his army can’t stop it," Fang Zhen said.
He also understood why Henry, a Count, had only brought five hundred soldiers with him and hadn’t ford a legion with other nobles—even though a Lord has the right to demand that his vassals provide troops.
The reason was simple: Henry had intended all along to wipe out the family line and seize its assets. Such an act was hardly honorable, and what would the other Viscounts think if they saw it?
It was better for fewer people to know about such a disgraceful affair, which was why Henry had only brought his own private soldiers.
This also proved, indirectly, that Henry had been planning to murder Dalia from the very beginning.
’Henry must die!’
If Fang Zhen wanted Henry dead, no one could stop him.
"You... you aren’t thinking of assassinating Count Henry, are you?" Matthew exclaid, having realized what Fang Zhen intended.
Growing agitated, Matthew began to pace back and forth. "That’s impossible. Truly impossible."
"Count Henry has valiant Warriors around him! He has bodyguards, and he’s backed by the Mage Corps, which includes one High-Level Mage and two Middle-Level Mages."
"My lord, I know you are valiant and your prowess on the battlefield is unparalleled, but Magic is a different kind of power. You might not be able to... to handle it."
Matthew had wanted to say he would lose, but he changed his wording at the last second.
"And another thing, my lord! Even if you successfully assassinate Count Henry, you’re already on their radar. The bla will still fall on the Ashton Territory. If Count Henry dies, Grand Duke Tarrenno will have a pretext to swallow up the Count’s domain. anwhile, other nobles will have an excuse to attack the Ashton Territory, using the cri of assassinating a Count to justify sending their armies."
"We can’t fend them off. Duke Tarrenno might even attack us directly. That would be a violation of the Kingdom’s laws, and the King himself could dispatch a Knight Order to punish us. When that happens, there will be no way out."
"That is precisely why I don’t want you to have a direct confrontation with Count Henry."
"You must think this through carefully, my lord!"
Matthew pleaded.
Upon hearing this, Fang Zhen looked calmly at Matthew and asked, "Matthew, you’re quite intelligent and upright. Your judgnt isn’t bad, either. But have you ever considered why you’re still just in the position you are now?"
"Huh?" Matthew was taken aback for a mont, then shook his head. "I don’t know."
"It’s because you’re too cautious, always worried about every potential pitfall. You overthink everything," Fang Zhen said.
As he spoke, Fang Zhen stood up. He was a good head taller than Matthew, forcing Matthew to look up to et his gaze.
"Your thinking is stuck on analysis and fear, not action," Fang Zhen said. "Often, a path forward isn’t found by thinking—it’s forged by pushing ahead, by taking action!"
"If you let fear rule you, it will rule you for a lifeti."
"I..." Matthew was stunned. He couldn’t help but feel that Fang Zhen had a point.
Fang Zhen calmly announced, "Henry must die."
"As for what cos next, that’s a problem for later. I’ll handle it when the ti cos."
"Besides, while Henry will certainly die, if no one sees who did the deed, it can’t be blad on the Ashton Territory, right?"
"Huh?" Matthew couldn’t follow his line of thought.
"My lord, I can understand why you’re determined to kill Henry, but... if you don’t make an appearance yourself, how do you plan to kill him?" Matthew asked, his face a mask of confusion.
"Heh. In my hotown, we have an old saying: ’Commit enough evil, and you’re dood to destroy yourself,’" Fang Zhen said with a smile. "Henry has done so many unsavory things. If he were to be killed by a teor striking him from the side, that would be perfectly normal, right?"
"A... a teor?" Matthew was dumbfounded. Dalia and her female guard were equally baffled.
’A teor?’
’Struck dead?’
’From the side?’
’How is any of that normal?’
Fang Zhen simply smiled, saying nothing.
He touched the King’s Belt at his waist.
The AWP sniper rifle in his personal storage space was already itching for action.
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