I am the one running the game

Chapter 898: The Mind Twisted Flanders
The various inventory and warehousing operations were soon completed, and Lu Xingshi treated Gato and Bri to a farewell banquet.

As he was about to leave, the butler seemed to be hesitant to speak.

"What's the matter? Come in and tell me." Lu Xingshi spoke after seeing the other party's situation.

The other party is obviously hesitating whether to say it or not.

"Sir, Flanders wants to see you," said the butler.

When Lu Xingshi heard this, he wondered, who is Flanders?
How come he didn't have the slightest impression of this? After thinking about it for a while, he decided that this person must not be a high-ranking official in the empire.

If it was a high-ranking figure in the Orei Empire, he would definitely not let the butler convey the message, let alone be called by his name.

Then there are the skilled craftsmen in the principality. Even if they wanted to find him, they wouldn't do it now, but would wait until Lu Xingshi was free.

No matter how urgent it is, the butler would not come over to report at this time.

"It's the former Viscount Langton, right? He's not studying art at the Imperial Academy of Art, so why is he back?" Cato interrupted.

He noticed Lu Xingshi's doubts. It was obvious that Grand Duke Lu Xingshi of Landon had long forgotten about the dandy young man who had served him for a long time.

Cato also knew something about this Flanders Landon. After all, the empire once thought of using the former Viscount Landon to deal with Lu Xingshi, but he was eventually abandoned because Flanders was too useless.

After hearing this, Lu Xingshi finally understood who Flanders was. It turned out that he was the "talent" who gave up his title to him and plundered all the money in the territory, even the taxes that could be collected fifty years later.

"No, he gave up the name of Landon and took away all the property in the territory when he left."

"He must have run into some trouble. Give him some gold coins and let him go."

"If he comes again next time, just kick him out." Lu Xingshi told the other party to get lost.

If Gato and Bri were not here, Lu Xingshi would not have planned to pay and would have just fought back.

"I don't think Flanders is necessarily here to ask you for money, Grand Duke Landon. Maybe it has something to do with Princess Lina." Bri chuckled. He knew more about the inside story.

Lu Xingshi signaled the butler to slow down, and then asked, "Why? Is he pursuing Princess Lina?"

"Yes, he is indeed pursuing Princess Lina, and he is the most fanatical pursuer. The behavior of the royal family is no less than..." Bri was speaking, but was interrupted by the noisy sound outside.

"You despicable thief, you stole my title!!!" Flanders roared, and then rushed in angrily, pointing at Lu Xingshi's nose and scolding: "You are just a wandering knight, how can you be qualified to be the Duke of the Empire."

After these two curses, Cato and Bri were a little confused. Lu Xingshi was born a wandering knight, or even a beggar. With the Moonlight Werewolf Troops and his own powerful strength, as well as a stable territory, how could he not be qualified?

"You must be Flanders, right?" Lu Xingshi said calmly, "My title was inherited and promoted through the legal procedures of the Kingdom of Voss and the Aore Empire. How can I be said to have stolen your title?"

"You have already given up the name of the Landon family. The reason you are able to come here and curse at me and not die is simply because you once had the last name of Landon."

"If you want the gold coins, I'll ask the butler to give you a thousand gold coins, and then go back to your art school to study art."

"If you have other ideas, you may not be able to leave the castle."

Since the other party started scolding him as soon as he came, Lu Xingshi naturally wouldn't give Flanders a very good attitude.

Not killing him was good enough.

"You!" Flanders didn't expect Lu Xingshi to be so shameless. He took his things and threatened him.

"Mr. Bri, General Cato, you have also heard the arrogance of this thief. How could the empire..." Flanders turned to Cato and Bri. In his opinion, these two people were his own people and would definitely stand by him.

However, before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Brie.

"Okay, Flanders, Grand Duke Lanton's title has indeed been legally recognized by the Kingdom of Voss and the Aore Empire."

"If you have any demands, you can go to the Imperial Arbitration Court and take legal action." Bri said in a businesslike tone.
If Flanders had only said the first half of the sentence and had not involved the Empire, Bri would have definitely tried to smooth things over. However, Flanders should never, ever break the situation of peaceful coexistence between the Empire and Lu Xingshi.

Nabuli naturally couldn't tolerate that.

Flanders' face darkened. He had deceived himself, but he also understood one thing. Going to the Imperial Arbitration Court to sue Lu Xingshi? The possibility of success was slim.

Because all the evidence shows that he voluntarily gave up the surname of the Langton family and handed over the title of Viscount to Lu Xingshi.

Therefore, if he really went through the formal procedures, he would definitely not be able to obtain the title of Grand Duke of Langton.

Without this title, how can he pursue art and marry Princess Lina?
"If this is just a trick of the royal family, I am really disappointed." Lu Xingshi sighed: "Just relying on this rubbish? You also want to take away my power and title?"

"Even if he becomes Grand Duke of Lanton, do you think anyone in my duchy will listen to him?"

"Are you listening?" Lu Xingshi asked the butler casually.

When Flanders heard this, his eyes were immediately filled with confidence.

If he asked other people, he might not be sure, but if he asked the housekeeper, he would definitely be confident.

After all, the butler had watched him grow up and was his most loyal servant. How could he possibly side with someone else?

"My lord, the loyalty of everyone in the duchy to you is unquestionable." The butler didn't even look at Flanders.

This is a scumbag, how can he be compared to Lu Xingshi. It would have been fine if he had run away with the money, but he is still stingy in his work.

He was nothing like Lu Xingshi, who became a grand duke in just a few years, and even his son was made a knight. The father and son both held considerable power.

It is completely different from the time when we were hanging around in the Black Soil Territory.

"You...how dare you betray your master!" Flanders couldn't believe that the butler would actually pledge allegiance to a man who was born a wandering knight and abandon his master of many years.

"Okay, kick him out."

"Mr. Bri, remember to bring him back to the imperial capital and let him study well at the Imperial Academy of Arts."

"If he doesn't leave, you will cancel Flanders's place of origin in the Aore Empire and his student status in the academy, and he will never be able to enter the empire again in his life."

"I think, with Mr. Bri's ability, he can do it." Lu Xingshi said without any hesitation.

"Grand Duke Lanton, this behavior is against the laws of the empire."

"But as a noble, you have judicial power in your duchy," Bri reminded.

What I mean is that it’s okay for you to kill him directly.

"For a piece of trash? It's not worth it." Lu Xingshi didn't take Flanders seriously at all.

When Flanders heard Lu Xingshi insulting him like that, his eyes turned red and he wished he could bite a piece of flesh off Lu Xingshi's body.

The reason why he didn't do so was not because he held back, but because he was held down by two Moonlight Werewolves.

"Remember to bring that Princess Lina back with you, to avoid those losers getting jealous." Lu Xingshi said.

After Lu Xingshi said this, Flanders suddenly became quieter.

"You are insulting Princess Lina's beauty!" Flanders's brain circuit was unknown, and this time it was even more crazy.

Then he was dragged away, beaten and thrown out.

Gato and Bri looked a little embarrassed.

As for Flanders' situation, it goes without saying that the royal family is behind it.

Lu Xingshi had just joined the empire, and the royal family came to make trouble. It would be a lie to say that he was not angry.

Fortunately, Lu Xingshi was very rational and saw through the royal family's tricks.

"Is this all the ability of the empire's aristocrats and royal family? They used magic weapons and sorcery to influence Flanders, who was not smart to begin with, and turned him into a fool."

"They are not treating Flanders as a fool, they are treating me as a fool." Lu Xingshi will not tolerate them.

Flanders's train of thought may be a little problematic, but how could he be so confused when he was able to travel from the Kingdom of Voss to the Orei Empire, obtain the citizenship of the Orei Empire, and be admitted to the Imperial Academy of Arts?

Without going into too much detail, just the process of going there and obtaining citizenship, if you really have such a weird personality, you would have been deported long ago.

Well, even if there is, it can't reach this level.

Moreover, Lu Xingshi could see the residual traces of the other party's spirit, which obviously changed Flanders' mind.

This mental change is permanent. If he wants to recover, he can only use mental change again, otherwise he will be a confused bootlicker for the rest of his life.

"We don't know about this matter. It was the behavior of the aristocracy and the royal family themselves."

"We will help you solve this small problem as soon as possible. Please give us a favor and spare Flanders' life." Cato said.

Flanders cannot die. With him, the Steam Faction will be able to deal a major blow to the Aristocratic Faction and the Royal Family.

"Okay, but if he causes me trouble again, General Cato, you will lose this face." Lu Xingshi agreed.

Just doing a favor to go with the flow.

"But you still have to give me the explanation I need." Lu Xingshi said, "I don't remember offending the nobles or the royal family."

"They had to resort to such despicable means to insult me."

Lu Xingshi felt that this was not a calculation at all, but an insult.

Even if there is no sign of Flanders' mental condition, his mentally retarded behavior will not only have no effect, but will also arouse Lu Xingshi's vigilance.

"No, Grand Duke Lanton, you actually do." Brie suddenly said, "The nobles in your duchy are also nobles."

At this point, Lu Xingshi narrowed his eyes. He slaughtered nobles to secure his power, which meant that he disliked nobles. Naturally, the nobles in the empire regarded him as an enemy.

The aristocrats are true aristocrats and they do pay attention to these things.

(End of this chapter)