This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 259 - 240: The Prosperous Business of Amberser

Chapter 259: Chapter 240: The Prosperous Business of Amberser

Late at night, the candlelight in the castle’s laboratory was bright, and Isabel was buried in organizing a whole day’s worth of experimental data.

Before Amberser returned, Isabel didn’t have this much data to organize.

It wasn’t because Isabel wasn’t diligent enough, but rather because her speed in conducting experiments was far slower than Amberser’s.

This Lich Teacher could control more than a dozen Mage Hands at the same time, operating like an entire production line by himself.

Not only that, but Amberser also had a much more solid foundation in alchemy than Isabel, instantly thinking of several different formulas as well as their related preparation processes.

Although he couldn’t infer the final outcome of the potions out of thin air, every adjustment he made was targeted, so the experimental results Amberser obtained in a day were astonishing.

Isabel might not have this much data to record even over half a month.

And it wasn’t just about recording, it was also about sorting everything into different categories.

To confirm the final effect, Amberser spent half an hour teaching Isabel how to create tables for statistical analysis, how to make bar charts, pie charts, and so on.

Isabel said she had never heard of this method of statistics from her previous teacher, or perhaps the teacher had always kept it hidden and never taught her.

In any case, after pondering over it for a while, Isabel found this method of statistics much clearer and more concise, and even as she was compiling the tables, she gained a more definite understanding of the differences in the quantities of the materials used.

"Indeed, the gap with the teacher is still too big," Isabel felt some emotion; had Amberser discovered those slimes, he would have probably already created even more and better potions.

The enthusiasm for learning surged like never before, and even staying up late didn’t seem like a problem.

However, her maid Cardina watching by her side, felt a bit heartbroken and advised Isabel, "Miss, aren’t you going to rest yet? Can’t these things wait until tomorrow?"

Isabel, without lifting her head, replied, "That won’t do, the teacher asked me to finish this tonight and deliver it to him; go get me another bottle of Vitality Potion."

"But..." Cardina couldn’t help but complain, "Ah, your teacher is too harsh."

Isabel, who had been looking down at her data, immediately looked up and warned very seriously when she heard Cardina say this, "Cardina, never say a bad word about the teacher, absolutely not, do you understand?!"

Cardina had been with Isabel for some time, but she had never heard her miss speak with such a stern tone. Cardina realized she had said something foolish; it seemed that the young teacher had a closer relationship with Miss Isabel than she had imagined, to the point that not a single unkind word could be said.

Could it be that these two... Cardina thought it over and found nothing inappropriate; Isabel was very beautiful, and that person looked young and handsome as well. Both of them seemed quite a match from the outside, it was just that Miss Isabel was too nice, and that person was so harsh that it didn’t seem like he was a good person at all.

While Cardina was worried that Isabel was being deceived by a bad man, Isabel was more worried than her maid, concerned that Amberser had heard what Cardina had just said. After all, the teacher was a Lich!

Isabel had seen with her own eyes how Amberser had eviscerated two adventurers who had invaded the castle, turned them into undead, and felt involved in cleaning the laboratory afterwards.

Although Amberser was not bad to her, Isabel constantly reminded herself not to anger him. Cardina was a nice person, and Isabel didn’t want to see her corpse freshly laid out on the dissection table tomorrow.

With entirely different thoughts in their minds, the two began their overtime work for the night, while Amberser lay in a long-missed chair, chatting with friends from the Elegy Poetry Society.

The previous journey through time, though costly, also brought great rewards.

To say nothing of the rest, just the Heroic Spirit of Arthur Laine was already an earth-shattering gain.

Withered Rose had been quietly gathering materials in the Orc Mountains, so she hadn’t had time to attend to Amberser. Now that the orcs had ceased hostilities, Withered Rose had returned to Gloomyland, and it was time to discuss the matter of Arthur Laine.

[Withered Rose: Can you confirm that this is the Heroic Spirit of Arthur Laine?]

[Diga Ultraman: I can’t, so I’ve already sent a message to the Elf Tribe. The previous Elven King was a companion who adventured with Arthur Laine for many years. I believe he can make an accurate judgment. According to Katherine’s message, the Elven King should come to find me in half a month.]

According to Katherine’s reply, the old elf took this matter very seriously. If it weren’t for the many troubles the Elf Tribe was still dealing with, he would have flown to Amberser’s side immediately to meet his old friend.

[Withered Rose: Then let’s talk about it after confirmation.]

Withered Rose didn’t seem to care too much, and Amberser had thought she would be keen to meet the old ancestor, or eager to turn the Heroic Spirit of Arthur Laine into a ghost.

This business could be discussed; if it came down to it, Amberser could even lend her the Heroic Spirit for a few days to let her bash Arthur Laine relentlessly – he guessed she would be willing to pay for that.

However, Withered Rose was indifferent, making Amberser curious enough to ask: [You don’t seem interested in Arthur Laine, but he’s your ancestor, the Founding Emperor of Laine. Even if there’s animosity, you should care, right?]

[Withered Rose: Why should I care? It wasn’t Arthur Laine that turned the nation into what it is today.]

Huh, it seems there’s a story here, if it wasn’t Arthur Laine who turned the Laine Empire into what it is now, who did?

Amberser didn’t beat around the bush with Withered Rose and asked directly, "Do you have any special intelligence to share?"

"Withered Rose: Nothing special, I haven’t studied these in detail myself, I only know that when Arthur Laine was alive, the Laine Empire didn’t discriminate or even persecute different races like it does now."

When Withered Rose was young, she was from a collateral branch of the Imperial Family until one day her father became the emperor, and for an outrageous reason, because his Laine bloodline was purer. The previous emperor had to pass on the crown to Withered Rose’s father because he couldn’t produce a more suitable heir.

Then, Withered Rose was in luck, she too could control the Magic Dragon Armament, and so became the next heir to the throne.

After that, it was Withered Rose not wanting to be locked in the Royal Palace as a breeding machine, choosing to flee Laine.

One could say that Withered Rose didn’t know much about the real secrets of the royal family, or perhaps even many generations of emperors before had already lost most of the secrets.

Many people didn’t even understand why they had to strive generation after generation for the royal bloodline; after all, that Magic Dragon Armament was just placed in the treasury, untapped for over a thousand years.

Even without using the Magic Dragon Armament, Laine was still the number one powerhouse on the continent.

Inside the imperial family, many believed it unnecessary to go through such ordeals, as this would not only cause many tragedies but would also result in an inferior lineage with each passing generation.

Reliance on bloodline alone is not enough to manage an empire; it requires meticulous training from a young age, not just randomly placing someone on the throne.

But now, anyone who makes the white Silver armor in the treasury shine a little can become the emperor, so hasn’t Laine declined generation after generation?

Seeing that he couldn’t get much information out of her, Amberser started discussing other collaborations.

"Diga Ultraman: I’ve settled under the desert, in a huge underground ruin, big enough for us to carry out our cultivation. You know the Mercury Avatar I mentioned before? Now we can attempt to cultivate them on a large scale."

"Withered Rose: Great, tell me whatever you need. How about this, I’ll have someone dig an underground passage to connect Gloomyland with your Underground City, that would make transportation of various materials more convenient."

Amberser hesitated for a moment, somewhat reluctant to agree.

Sharing resources with Withered Rose was definitely a good thing; it would drastically reduce trade costs. But once this passage was opened, it would be like handing over the keys to his home to Withered Rose. Another point was that Mercury Avatars could self-replicate as long as there was enough metal, something Amberser didn’t want Withered Rose to know. If she discovered this, just taking away one or two Mercury Avatars would allow her to cultivate them herself, so how would Amberser collect the final payment?

But if he refused, could it arouse suspicion in Withered Rose?

After a moment of thought, Amberser replied with these words, "It would be good to open up a passage, but I’m afraid it won’t be that easy. I don’t even know which civilization left behind this underground ruin, and the building materials are so tough it’s unbelievable. Katherine and I tried, and after half a day’s effort, we only managed to leave a shallow scratch on the city gate."

"Withered Rose: How is that possible? You and the Elf Queen together couldn’t damage it?"

Amberser took out a Memory Crystal, which he had recorded previously while in the Underground City, and had been planning to find someone to inquire about the material of the city gates. Now he sent it over to Withered Rose.

After viewing the contents of the Memory Crystal, Withered Rose replied, "That’s outrageous. How could there be materials so strong in this world, and how did a civilization that possessed such materials perish?"

"Diga Ultraman: Who knows? I’m also curious. Let’s forget about digging tunnels; let’s stick to the usual practice and construct a stable Teleportation Circle. The cost is higher, but it’s more convenient this way."

"Withered Rose: Okay, let’s settle on that. When the Teleportation Circle is ready, I’ll come see your new home. By the way, I told you I robbed an orc of a Legendary corpse, I’ll send you the specific requirements, and please make the Soul as soon as possible, I need it urgently."

Urgently?

Amberser was curious; could it be that the Undead Queen wanted to attack Laine now?

Although the Silvermoon Knight had died, Laine still had the most Legendary warriors and the strongest military power on the continent.

Amberser didn’t feel it was his place to ask more, so he merely suggested, "Well, if there’s a real need, you can ask others for help as well, I’m sure Gareth and the rest would be delighted to assist."

"Withered Rose: Heh, don’t worry, I’m not going to battle with Laine just yet. I’ve waited so many years; there’s no rush. The trouble in Gloomyland requires some urgent attention."

Only then did Amberser feel relieved and replied, "Then rest assured, I promise to do a good job for you. Speaking of which, the cost won’t be low."

"Withered Rose: Name your price."

"Diga Ultraman: While the Soul’s rank can’t possibly be Legendary, to control a body of Legendary Rank Undead, that will be at least ten million Gold Coins."

"Withered Rose: I’ll give you twenty million, do the best job you can."

Amberser marveled, truly worthy of a queen—subtracting the costs, this business would net at least eighteen million profit.