This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 237 - 218: The Choices Given by Destiny

Chapter 237: Chapter 218: The Choices Given by Destiny

Although Amberser said he was close to success, Katherine sensed something was wrong and asked, "Is there a problem? You seem to be under a lot of pressure."

Amberser said in surprise, "You can tell?"

Liches don’t display emotions, whether they have a skeleton framework or a mechanical body; they should be expressionless. Amberser had transformed into human form, but he hadn’t shown any changes in expression. How did this girl figure it out?

Katherine said, "You don’t talk like this normally. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I just feel your emotions are off."

Amberser remarked in admiration, "Impressive, Katherine. You’ve grown, even learning to discern other people’s emotions."

The sweet and naive Elf Queen was starting to become more intelligent, indeed a case of proximity to red makes you red. Spending time with Amberser made most people smarter.

It was the same for Katherine, and the same for Harvey.

Amberser only hoped that in the future, the people around him could all improve their intelligence to such an extent—it would save him a lot of trouble.

"So, what exactly is going on?" Katherine asked curiously.

Amberser could only explain, "So far, everything has been going too smoothly. I have a bad feeling."

"Smoothly? We’ve taken such a roundabout route, and you call that smooth?"

Katherine looked puzzled. How could this trip back to the past be considered smooth at all?

In the beginning, they were trapped in an underground ruin with no way out, then they encountered a bunch of disgusting toads, and after finally finding an exit, it led to a trash heap where gods exiled aberrations. Amberser had spent so much effort; it had been quite difficult to finally get back to the desert.

Is this what you call smooth?

What would be considered not smooth then?

Yet, Amberser said, "At least, we haven’t encountered any problems we couldn’t solve. You have to realize, we’re actually exploiting a loophole in fate. Based on my understanding of the Goddess of Fate... she is not usually so generous. She wouldn’t let me off so easily."

"Could it be that you’re overthinking things?" Katherine said very tactfully, though what she really thought was that Amberser was being too pessimistic.

Ever since she met the lich, Katherine felt not only was he greedy, he seemed to have a bit of a persecution complex, almost always assuming the worst in every situation.

She didn’t quite understand the habits of liches, but she didn’t approve of this way of life either.

"Of course, I’m not overthinking it. In fact, I already feel that a major event is going to happen. The only pity is that I still don’t know what it is," Amberser said.

"Can’t you use your abilities to divine it?" Katherine asked.

Amberser shook his head and said, "The time isn’t right just yet. The real key is to create a false prophecy for Harvey. I haven’t finished that task yet, so the subsequent effects won’t appear, making divination meaningless. This warning is really an opportunity given by fate. If I stick to the original plan, big trouble is inevitable, but if I turn back now and give up on Harvey, the misfortune won’t befall us."

Having dealt with the Goddess of Fate for a long time, Amberser understood her "character" well.

The Goddess of Fate, who seemed quite the schemer, was actually quite concerned with fairness in some respects. Thinking of exploiting a loophole by altering prophecies, Amberser was granted this opportunity by the Goddess of Fate, but deceiving fate would definitely come with a corresponding price.

What that price was, remained unclear, but it surely wouldn’t be something easy for Amberser to handle.

However, since he had committed to this path already, it was not like Amberser to give up now.

"Prepare yourself. If things don’t go well this time, we might truly die," Amberser said.

Katherine grew tense after Amberser’s words, but she didn’t panic. Since leaving the Silvermoon Tribunal, Katherine has broadened her perspective, and her numerous adventures had matured her significantly. No matter the danger, she believed she could face it with confidence.

Katherine said, "Unless a deity intervenes, what danger could there be when you and I join forces?"

Amberser felt there was reason in Katherine’s words. With the power of the Golden Throne augmenting him, he was among the most powerful of the legendary ones, and together with Katherine, the Elf Queen adorned with Divine Artifacts, the odds of not being able to fight off a threat were slim, and they could always escape if necessary.

But despite that, the necessary preparations still had to be made.

"These next few days, don’t follow me around. Prepare yourself, and try praying to the Elven Gods," he said.

"Ah?" Katherine replied in confusion, "But the gods have not answered me for a long time, it seems they haven’t forgiven my mistake yet."

Katherine’s expression faded to one of sadness, a wallflower look that made even Amberser feel the need to comfort her: "Time is an interesting thing. The Elven Gods may not know that you have returned to the past, so if you pray to them now, you might just pique their curiosity."

Apart from Aeo, there are no gods who are omniscient and omnipotent. Some gods have powers resembling omniscience and omnipotence, but even these are confined to their domains.

Take the Magic Goddess, for example, her omniscience is confined to the domain of magic, while Ogma, the master of knowledge, is closer to the domain of creativity. Among the Elven Gods, there doesn’t seem to be any domain associated with time, so they are unlikely to detect Katherine’s journey to the past.

In other words, if Katherine prays to the Elven Gods now, it will cause them to sense the existence of two Katherines.

Once the Deity became curious, they naturally responded to Katherine’s prayers.

Between the Deity and the believers, as long as there is communication, everything is negotiable. Perhaps Katherine could regain the favor of the Gods.

Amberser explained this to Katherine, but she shook her head and said, "It is true sacrilege to pray with such a mentality. The Elven Gods have blessed the elves with all that is good. As elves, we have nothing but heartfelt gratitude. How can I use such petty schemes to deceive the Gods? If I did that, it would surely lead to even greater disappointment."

Amberser: ...

As a Lich with little faith, Amberser had never considered this perspective. However, he had little say in matters of faith, and since Katherine felt it was wrong, it was best to listen to her.

What Amberser didn’t expect was that just as Katherine had rebutted his suggestion, she suddenly became transfixed.

"What’s wrong?" Amberser asked with concern, hoping she had not actually committed a sacrilege and been punished.

Katherine was enveloped in a layer of silvery white light, as if bathing in moonlight.

Fortunately, they had already returned to the inn. Otherwise, the people of Dew City would surely have gathered around to watch.

After a while, the silvery moonlight flowed into Katherine’s body like water, and then the Elf Queen opened her eyes.

"Katherine, what just happened?" Amberser inquired.

Katherine said excitedly, "It was the Moon Goddess. She said the Elven Gods have forgiven my transgressions. She has granted me the Moonlight Blessing; under the moon’s glow, I shall no longer suffer any harm."

"Heh, that’s really... congratulations," Amberser said through gritted teeth.

Envy boiled within Amberser’s soul. Wasn’t this blessing a bit too much? Katherine had committed a serious error before, and even if her recent words pleased the Gods, the fact that the Elven Gods had not only forgiven here but also bestowed a blessing was staggering.

Looking at the delighted Katherine, Amberser couldn’t help but ask, "Could you ask the Moon Goddess if I can be her follower too?"

Katherine rolled her eyes at Amberser and said, "You’re trying to make me blaspheme, aren’t you? Don’t you know in your heart whether you truly worship the Gods?"

Amberser: ...

Damn it, what’s wrong with being a nominal believer? If the Elven Gods offered more benefits, he wasn’t against believing a little more.

He was genuinely envious. All the Gods that Amberser had encountered previously had merely talked about choosing him but offered no benefits. Look at the Elf God, how generous they were.

Helplessly, Amberser said, "Let’s rest; I’m tired."

Back in his own room, Amberser momentarily forgot the recent vexation and began preparing for any unexpected encounters that might arise. Although he didn’t yet know what it might be, he was certain that it would require his utmost effort to resolve.

Naomi had been sleeping in his private space for so long; she should have mostly recovered by now. Plus, it was time to sort out those miscellaneous materials and perhaps make something useful.

While Amberser was busy at his end, Harvey had also nearly finished his business.

Harvey lay on the bed with an expression of utter dejection, while "Sawtooth Blade" sitting at the bedside said with satisfaction, "I didn’t expect that you, a frail-looking human, could last so long. You clearly lack experience, but don’t worry, I’ll teach you slowly."

Harvey sighed. He wasn’t sure whether he should feel resentful.

At first, he resisted, but then he realized that if one looked closely, this female Orc was actually quite beautiful.

Her dark skin was like satin, and even the shallow scars didn’t detract from her appearance but added a wild beauty. Though she had the sharp teeth typical of Orcs, her facial features were closer to those of an Elf, only her lips were fuller.

Harvey wasn’t some naive youth, and upon reflection, he realized that he hadn’t really lost anything.

However, as attractive as the Orc might be, a one-night stand he could handle, but he couldn’t spend a lifetime as her consort.

He still needed to find a way to escape, but it was crucial to wait for the right opportunity and to disguise his intentions well, not making the foolish mistake of telling her outright.

After much thought, a vague plan began to take shape in Harvey’s mind.

Harvey said to "Sawtooth Blade," "How much is still needed for the tribe? Didn’t you say you wanted to get new weapons for everyone?"

"I guess we’re short by four or five hundred Gold Coins. This time I want to get some enchanted weapons. Why suddenly ask about this?" she replied.

"I was thinking, let’s go back to the tavern tomorrow. Together, we can win back all those Gold Coins," Harvey suggested tentatively.

"Sure, I’ve always said it’s better to win enough in one go. Going several times is more likely to cause trouble." Sawtooth Blade happily held Harvey’s face and then suggested, "Or, shall we have another round now?"

Harvey’s face was filled with a bitter smile. His back was nearly broken.

But in order to lower her guard... Harvey could only respond with a smile, "Alright, just let me drink a Vitality Potion first."