The doctor suffers from amnesia, but not complete amnesia.

"You don't need to worry about that, I've already made all the preparations—once we get there, try to talk as little as possible, and leave the main conversations to me."

Qiao Yelan gave her instructions.

"Okay, teacher."

The girl obediently agreed.

Soon, they arrived at the encampment of Shi Tong's army. The atmosphere between the two sides was quite good. After a brief announcement, the Jin Law Guards escorted Helinmat and Qiao Yelan toward the center of the encampment.

There, they met Werner von Hochberg, the current Elector of St. Tung, the second son of the Hochberg family, who just a month ago was a spoiled brat.

The newly appointed head of the Hochberg family was not in good condition; his neat clothes could not hide his fatigue and haggardness. Fortunately, he still had a warm haven where he could rest for a while.

Qiao Yelan merely glanced at the woman following behind the Elector Marquis, as if he had never seen her face before.

"Your Excellency Herlinmat, welcome to my residence. May I ask what brings you here in person to discuss this matter?"

After a brief, polite greeting, the other party got straight to the point.

"Yes, Your Excellency Hochberg, now that the Witch King is dead, and the former emperor and his forces have vanished, then according to the Golden Law, the new emperor of Letania will be one of the electors who currently occupies the capital."

It turned out to be this.

Volner's expression was very serious. He was well aware of his current situation, but dealing with the legion's military affairs every day was already enough to give him a headache, not to mention the political choices that could lead to an abyss if he made a wrong step.

His early life was filled with art and music, and he never received proper training as a successor. Now, having been forced into this role, he has achieved such a level of succession, which shows that he is not lacking in talent.

"So, you've come to see me because you're determined to seize the throne?"

"Yes, Elector Leopold is dead. The only people qualified to succeed him are my sister and me, and we have also gained the approval of the Golden Musical Orchestra and the loyalty of the Golden Law Guard."

Herlinmatt's voice carried an innate air of authority.

That's true, because Leopold publicly claimed that the twins were his daughters—after all, if he wanted to do nothing but reap the benefits, he needed some legal basis.

Unfortunately, he was killed by the contingency plan prepared by Helhunzoren before his death, and several of his heirs in line to the throne were also killed. As a result, this legal basis became the basis for Helena and Ivignad to inherit the title of Elector of Haydenschwell, and therefore, they had the right to claim the throne.

Werner fell silent.

The Shi Tong army suffered considerable losses in this battle. They had almost single-handedly conquered the entire Tower of Origin. Coupled with the continued decline of the Shi Tong army after the Four Emperors War, they were simply not qualified to compete with the other side.

"Your Highnesses have witnessed Shi Tongling's efforts. After all, we fought side by side before that Tower of Babel. Therefore, Your Highnesses sincerely hope that Lord Hochberg can have a serious talk with him."

Qiao Yelan's voice caught Walner's attention. He had seen Helinmat pushing Qiao Yelan earlier, but the other party had never introduced this seemingly sickly man.

"This is my chief of staff, Dr. Qiao Yelan."

Helena Matt gestured as she introduced the product.

“He can represent me and my sister completely, and we will keep any promises he makes.”

This is not the kind of trust a staff member can get.

Walner's gaze toward Qiao Yelan became serious.

He couldn't help but take it seriously. If the other party could say something like that, it was possible that if the other party got the throne in the future, Qiao Yelan might become a prince.

"Alright then, I also hope to end this situation as soon as possible."

Walner extended his hand, inviting Herlinmat and Joe Yelan.

Soon, the two sides sat down at a long table. Compared to Qiao Yelan and Helinmat, Walner had an elderly man beside him, in addition to the woman who had been following him.

"This is Bradward, the commander of the Shitong Legion."

The other person simply nodded in their direction, without saying anything.

Clearly, this loyal veteran is the reason why the Hochberg family still controls the army.

“Your Highness Helena, I would like to first ascertain your resolve regarding the throne—”

"There is no doubt that we must, and will, take this position."

Without leaving any room for negotiation, Helinmat, still clad in her jet-black armor, spoke with absolute certainty.

Although Qiao Yelan's face was expressionless, he actually wanted to facepalm.

My dear student, what kind of negotiation strategy is it to reveal your bottom line the moment the other party is about to ask about the price?

Chapter Sixteen: The Fastest Negotiation

Qiao Yelan could even see the surprise in Walner's eyes, and even the old general couldn't help but glance at Herlinmat a few more times.

“That’s right, Mr. Werner. Regardless of the final outcome of the negotiations, I think you have seen the princes’ determination.”

The man took the initiative to speak.

Now that we've revealed our bottom line, let's go all the way and negotiate openly, putting immense pressure on the other side.

Especially now that there is a huge gap in strength between the opponent and ourselves.

Walner's expression changed instantly, his tone a mixture of helplessness and warning, clearly indicating that the other party meant the latter.

A long silence fell over the room.

Yes, Helena is not good at negotiating, but she is not the only one in this venue who is not good at negotiating.

Across from them are a noble family head who came to the profession later in life, an old general who was a soldier, and a young girl who was a painter—do they really have much negotiation skill?

In any case, Helinmat still has Qiao Yelan on her side.

Waiting for a response, Qiao Yelan quietly reached out and squeezed Helinmat's hand, signifying that she was handing everything over to him.

Then he realized he couldn't pull his hand back.

Qiao Yelan: ?

At this point, he had to keep watching the other party continue to exert pressure, and he couldn't turn his head to see what was going on with the girl next to him. After a few times of secretly exerting his strength, he had no choice but to accept the situation.

So he also missed Helena's earlobes, which were so red they were almost translucent.

Werner remained silent.

He had never actually considered the option of ascending the throne. His previous collaboration with Leopold was only because Shitongling had been oppressed to the point of no return by the Witch King—they would do anything to kill him.

So while Leopold was still speculating, old Hochberg had already taken his sons into Vidonia, the whole family in one go.

Therefore, let alone him, even if Hochberg were still alive, he would be completely bewildered by this situation.

Some lingering impressions from his past education made him realize that he had to seize this opportunity to fight for something for Shitongling. Otherwise, if he returned with such a broken army, not only would Shitongling's predicament be impossible to improve, but even the Hochberg branch members who remained in the territory would swarm him and tear him to pieces.

Werner didn't care whether he lived or died, but his lover couldn't be harmed—especially now that Dross was pregnant with his child.

When he thought he had lost his lover, she miraculously returned to his side. At that moment, Werner vowed never to let her suffer any more harm.

He had already considered this—he had to go back and face his family's responsibilities, but Droste had to stay and remain under safe protection.

With this in mind, Warner revealed a determined look.

“I can lead my men and leave Vidonia on my own initiative, and as the Elector of Shitong, I will acknowledge Your Majesty the Emperor and swear allegiance. As long as I sit in this position, Shitong will be loyal to you. But you must provide sufficient support—the army, money, connections, anything is fine, as long as you can help me secure this position!”

Now that the other side has revealed their bottom line, and all the red tape and detours have been eliminated, Qiao Yelan is very satisfied with this progress.

I would be even more pleased if Herlin Mat were willing to give me back my right hand.

“That’s no problem. Lord Walner—His Highness will acknowledge your identity after he ascends to the throne and support your position as head of the Hochberg family, preventing opportunists from the branch families from taking advantage of the situation. In this way, other outside forces will naturally have no reason to interfere with Shitong territory.”

Qiao Yelan used his left hand to place the copy of the Golden Melody he had prepared earlier on the table and pushed it toward Walner.

"This is......"

"This is a copy of the Golden Melody. Although it is vastly different from the original in terms of actual ability, it is still quite effective in reducing natural disasters and improving the environment and weather in the core territory of Letania."

Werner almost jumped up in excitement, and even the old general couldn't help but fix his gaze on the document.

Forty-six years have passed since that war.

Everyone only remembers the majestic land battleships of the Dukes of Victoria, the Ursus Crown Prince's unparalleled command abilities, and the Witch King's unparalleled Originium Arts—

They all forgot that the war took place on Shi Tongling's land.

People were displaced by war, the land was contaminated by Originium, and the climate and environment were completely changed by Helhun Zoron's magic. The Cataclysmic Cloud became a mountain pressing down on everyone's heads.

Shi Tongling was transformed from a fertile land into a barren wasteland.

This is why they hate Herhunzoren so much—he just uses his power arbitrarily without caring about the consequences, as if Shitongling should have to bear these things.

Even if the Witch King had simply given them a copy of the Golden Melody, just like Qiao Yelan did today, they wouldn't be so determined to kill him.

However, Herhunzoren never showed any mercy.

Warner suppressed his excitement, took the scroll, and confirmed that it was indeed a genuine copy.

This is enough.

As long as I can bring this copy back, Shi Tongling will have a future again, so any loss will be worth it!

“I…I didn’t expect Your Highness to be willing to give such a reward.”

Walner's voice was a little hoarse, but that couldn't hide his excitement.

"The Hochberg family will never forget the benefactors of the St. Tongling—I will now begin preparations to withdraw the army from Vidonia!"

With the general direction set, Qiao Yelan smiled slightly. What followed were just some minor details.

“Your Highness Helena, you are so generous, I dare not ask for more—but please allow me to make a shameless request.”