This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 292 - 270 The Supreme Decree with Clear Public-Private Distinction

Chapter 292: Chapter 270 The Supreme Decree with Clear Public-Private Distinction

Politics is all about probing, and by the time of the last meeting, many things have already been agreed upon beforehand; formal negotiations often just require a signature or a final hammering out of details.

This arrangement has its merits, as it allows for amicable interactions on the surface and avoids public unpleasantness or face-off.

However, there’s a catch: it requires a certain level of consensus between the parties. If they are complete adversaries, early discussions might as well lead to an early fallout.

And that was precisely the situation now. Aldalian was originally helping Amberser to negotiate with James Watson.

But this young Elven King, bearing a grudge, very "accidentally" let slip the information that Amberser had come to Silvermoon Tribunal.

James Watson immediately declared that he would not deal with a Lich, advising Amberser to keep holding Arthur Laine’s Heroic Spirit and to wait for the Paladin to show up at his doorstep.

No matter how vast the desert, the Laine would search inch by inch until they found Amberser.

When Aldalian returned to convey the Supreme Decree’s intentions, Amberser stared at the young Elven King and asked, "Did you do this on purpose or was it an accident?"

"It was clearly an accident," Aldalian replied, smiling like an innocent child.

"Heh."

Amberser was not phased by such a minor issue and calmly said to Aldalian, "I’ve been a Lich for many years. Do you think this is my first encounter with the Supreme Decree? I have also heard the Laine’s refusal to deal with Liches more than once."

Aldalian’s smile vanished as he responded to Amberser, "Boasting about non-existent things does not prove your capabilities."

"Why not wager a bet, then? If I can get James Watson to sit down with me and discuss a price, I win. Of course, whatever the price, it’s fine, as it’s the Laine who will pay me, and that would mean you’ve lost," Amberser suggested.

"Okay, what’s the wager?" Aldalian quickly asked.

Amberser pulled out a dark dagger and placed it in Aldalian’s hand, then stated, "This is a Divine Artifact given to me by Shael; this is my stake."

"A Divine Artifact?!"

Aldalian scrutinized the dagger in his hand, sensing the aura of evil and dark divine power. It was indeed real; he’d assumed the Lich would try to deceive him with a fake.

"What, the mighty Elven King has no Divine Artifact?" taunted Amberser.

Aldalian’s expression changed—he truly had no Divine Artifact.

The Elven Gods had bestowed all their favor upon Katherine, be it blessings or Divine Artifacts, all were hers.

As for Aldalian, who had taken the throne under exceptional circumstances, he hadn’t received a Divine Artifact from the gods.

True, the treasury of Silvermoon Tribunal contained some inherited Divine Artifacts, but those could not be staked as wagers.

Seeing Aldalian’s expression, Amberser said in surprise, "So you really don’t have one. Forget I said anything. Out of consideration for Katherine, I won’t press the issue."

Amberser took back the dagger and turned to leave, but Aldalian hastily stopped him.

"Choose another wager. You like money, don’t you? I’ll bet three hundred thousand Gold Coins against you!"

How could he allow this Lich to jest using Sister Katherine’s reputation? This could not stand. Aldalian planned not just to wager with Amberser but also to win a significant amount of money from him.

"Tsk, I’m not interested in wagers that are not Divine Artifacts. I was mistaken in thinking that because the Elf Tribe is favored by the Deity, you would have plenty of Divine Artifacts. To my surprise, neither an old nor a young Elven King can produce even a single Divine Artifact. Sigh, I, a Lich, possess three Divine Artifacts. The Elf Tribe really disappoints me," Amberser mocked.

Grinding his teeth, Aldalian said, "I know you’re deliberately provoking me! You want to force me to gamble with you."

"Yes, that’s right. I am provoking you on purpose. But knowing that, does it make you feel any better? This is your last chance in four hundred years to win something back. After today, I might never come to Silvermoon Tribunal again. If you lose, you’ve just lost to me twice, no change for you. But if you win, you’ve had your revenge," exhorted Amberser.

That was Amberser’s greatest advantage over Aldalian. When a person seeks vengeance, hate can drown out their reason. Aldalian knew Amberser was laying a trap, but he still wanted to gamble for a chance at victory.

Four hundred years of loathing erupted after seeing Amberser again that day. Aldalian desperately wanted to win.

He clenched and unclenched his fists multiple times before finally calming down. Then he smiled and said to Amberser, "No matter. If you don’t come to Silvermoon Tribunal, I’ll just find you with the Dusk Guard. I don’t need to fall into your carefully laid trap. Your life may be eternal, but I’m not living just for these few years.

"Just wait, Lich. Having an Elven King constantly plotting your downfall should feel quite unpleasant."

Having delivered this threat, Aldalian decisively turned and left without giving Amberser a chance to retort.

Amberser hadn’t expected the young sovereign to be so tolerant. Indeed, worthy of the new Elven King—neither the old nor the young were easy to deceive.

"Damn it, why hasn’t there been a fool lately for me to make a good profit off?" he cursed.

Filled with irritation, Amberser went to find James Watson, intent on gaining some benefits from his visit to Silvermoon Tribunal.

After passing through the opulent corridor, Amberser entered another reception room. As he walked in, he saw James Watson standing by a floor-to-ceiling window, apparently admiring the Elf Tribe’s unique artistic window panes.

But as Amberser approached, the Supreme Decree of the Laine said, "Don’t come any closer, Lich. I might not be able to resist purifying you."

Amberser chuckled, saying carelessly, "Talking with your back turned might seem authoritative, but it’s quite impolite."

James Watson turned around, looking at Amberser with undisguised anger on his face.

"Lich, this is the kingdom of elves, and I don’t want to fight with you here, but if you think you can provoke me without limit, then I’ll make sure you taste the power of Holy Light."

When doing business, the last thing you need is to bring emotions into it. James Watson’s disgust with Amberser was completely blatant, making it difficult to reach a cooperative intention without a calm and peaceful conversation.

Amberser, keeping a distance from James Watson, said, "Old friend, we have known each other for a long time, but this is the first time we meet formally, isn’t it? I heard that it was you who issued my special pardon. Why do you still act like we are irreconcilable?"

James Watson explained coldly, "The pardon was given because you eliminated the war and saved many humans; thus, by the law, this pardon is warranted. As the Supreme Decree of Laine, it was naturally my responsibility to issue it. But this is the law of the Empire, not representative of my personal feelings. By your deeds, you have done a great service, but I know your character—surely you have reaped a substantial benefit from it. In your eyes, there are only interests, and we are completely different kinds of people."

"Quite the separation of personal and public matters, but why was my paper rejected for no good reason? Ask your conscience, was my paper not worthy of publication? If you were really so fair and impartial, why reject my submission?"

This was something that Amberser had held a grudge about for quite some time.

James Watson said indifferently, "Hmph, I am the Supreme Decree of Laine, and I just need to be fair in things related to Laine. Editing work for "Legendary Spells" is merely a hobby, and personal interests obviously depend on personal preferences."

Amberser shouted, "How shameless can you be? Doesn’t such double standards amount to a profanation of Holy Light?"

James Watson didn’t answer, only looking at Amberser with a cold laugh, his arrogant expression as if he held the ultimate interpretative power.

Amberser silently vowed that if he didn’t make this old man spit blood, his centuries would have been lived in vain.

"Fine, since you are so clear about the situation, tell me whether the matter of Arthur Laine’s Heroic Spirit is official or personal?"

James Watson wasn’t going to fall into that verbal trap. He countered directly, "It hasn’t even been confirmed as true or false yet. Discussing public or private matters is meaningless."

"Alright, let’s assume it’s fake. There’s nothing good to talk about between us, I’m leaving."

Amberser turned around and left, leaving James Watson puzzled.

James Watson knew that Amberser had come to ask for an exorbitant price, so why would he leave so easily?

"What exactly are you playing at?" James Watson exclaimed loudly.

Amberser stopped but didn’t turn around, saying over his shoulder, "No tricks, I’ve already said it, the Heroic Spirit is a fake, and it has nothing to do with your Laine People. So, how to deal with this Heroic Spirit is my business and irrelevant to the Laine People. I suppose, many Evil Gods would be interested in this Heroic Spirit. Even if it is not Arthur Laine, the Heroic Spirit itself is quite valuable, isn’t it?"

James Watson watched Amberser walk away briskly, and in the end, he couldn’t help calling out, "Wait, I said that the truth about the Heroic Spirit is unknown; if by chance it’s real, you’re seriously provoking Laine. Are you ready to make enemies of all Laine People?"

"What are you implying, that Laine isn’t already my enemy? I am, after all, a lich," said Amberser.

"After the warrant for your arrest was rescinded, you were no longer an enemy of Laine. As I said before, my issue with you is merely a personal vendetta. But if you act in a way that provokes Laine again, I can’t guarantee that your name won’t be added back to that warrant," replied James Watson.

Amberser, looking at James Watson’s face, said with a smile, "It seems you’re now willing to discuss this Heroic Spirit with me?"

"A trade is out of the question. I will not compromise with the undead nor engage in any trades with them, that is a Laine ironclad rule, and I will never break it," James Watson emphasized.

"So what are you suggesting? That I should simply give it away for nothing?" asked Amberser.

James Watson immediately affirmed, "That would be best, and Laine will remember this favor."

"Can favors be exchanged for money?" asked Amberser.

"This ..." James Watson hesitated for a moment, then said, "If it’s a friend in trouble, then offering some help is only right."

Is this open for negotiation? Although framed differently, it seemed he was still willing to pay. The threat of sacrificing the Heroic Spirit to an Evil God seemed to have worked exceptionally well.

Despite James Watson’s softened tone, Amberser didn’t press his advantage. Instead, he remarked with a hint of nostalgia, "Old friend, knowing you as I do, you would not approve of such self-deception. It seems the problems within Laine must be very serious if even your principles have been compromised."

James Watson finally fell silent.

"In that case, why not speak with your Holy King first? I believe after talking with him, you might be able to make a more accurate judgment."

Amberser’s words truly struck at the heart of James Watson.

Before, he was the kind of person who could disregard even his own son’s life. Allen was captured by Amberser, and James Watson flatly refused to pay the ransom, even sending Paladins to chase after Amberser.

In the end, it was Alchemy City that intervened, saving the lives of those Paladins.

Indeed, this time they could conduct a transaction through the Elf Tribe—Laine could pay the elves, and the elves could then pay Amberser. That would not be classified as Laine doing business with the undead.

But this suggestion shouldn’t come from James Watson.

The decision to bend the rules shouldn’t be made by the Supreme Decree himself.

It might seem like a subtle difference, but the moment James Watson thought he could play the game like this, his stance had already changed.

Others might resort to it, but he was a Light Priest blessed by Holy Light. The outcome for those who deceive themselves is usually quite bleak.

Amberser was no longer interested in James Watson’s offer. He was more curious to know just how chaotic the internal situation of Laine was.