This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 309 - 287 The Needs of the Dragon Race

Chapter 309: Chapter 287 The Needs of the Dragon Race

Flower Grace Town has inns specially prepared for outsiders, but they are all elf-operated, and outsiders are not allowed to set up shop here.

Therefore, even taverns crowded with adventurers are hardly seen with that rowdy atmosphere found elsewhere. However, there are advantages—the taverns run by the Elf Tribe won’t stink when there are too many orcs, nor will one accidentally step on disgusting vomit.

But the Elves can only maintain the appearance and cleanliness of the taverns; as for the patrons inside, well, that’s simply beyond their control.

Amberser chose the liveliest tavern and was blasted by the noisy sounds as soon as he pushed the door open.

"Is this the ’secluded place’ you spoke of?" Gareth’s voice came from inside the helmet, the echo betraying the emptiness within.

Amberser looked down on Gareth with contempt and then said, "As an Undead, do you really have to speak out loud?"

Upon hearing this, Gareth felt Amberser initiating a soul connection with him.

This was considered a unique ability of the Undead, as lower-tier Skeleton Zombies couldn’t speak at all, and their movements were very sluggish, thus requiring this form of communication.

Gareth was not afraid that Amberser would harm him, and he agreed to the soul connection without hesitation.

Not only Gareth and Amberser were connected, but also Melina, forming a small group for exchanging information.

Amberser communicated through thought to the two, "The tavern is crowded, so we won’t stick out too much. If we were to rent a room in an inn and hide there to talk in secret, that would actually attract more attention. Later, we’ll drink and bicker as needed, and we’ll exchange key information through our souls."

Actually, the best choice would have been Amberser’s private space, but since the Divine Duty Box couldn’t be placed in a private space, Amberser had no choice but to blend into this tavern.

The tavern was bustling, and finding an empty table was a challenge. Amberser had no choice but to cast a few Sleep Spells, causing several drinking adventurers to slump over.

Soon, people were carrying out their "passed out" companions, cursing their tolerance all the while.

Amberser promptly took a table, then sent Gareth to buy a few bottles of wine.

Wine brewed by the Elves was outrageously expensive. It made more sense for Gareth, the Son-in-law of the Dragon Race, to spend the money; Amberser himself was not willing to squander it, plus the Undead couldn’t appreciate the taste anyway.

Gareth, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to Amberser’s little scheming. To this Dragon Race Son-in-law, his private stash was measured in tens of millions, so a few bottles of wine really didn’t matter to him at all.

Thus, Gareth’s opening order was "Bring out three of the most expensive ones."

The beautiful barmaid was startled for a moment, scrutinizing this strange person enveloped entirely in armor. The armor was clearly high-end, likely not the garb of a drunkard looking for trouble.

The barmaid quickly presented Gareth with three bottles of wine with exquisitely designed exteriors.

"This is our finest wine, made from..."

She was about to explain when Gareth threw down a Magic Moneybag and then left the bar with the three bottles in hand.

The Elf beauty opened the moneybag and was almost blinded by the gleam of gold—it held enough Gold Coins to buy thirty bottles!

How could there be such a generous customer?!

The Elf beauty watched Gareth’s retreating figure, feeling that such a man was truly charming. He wasn’t pretending to be generous in front of her; he genuinely considered wealth to be as worthless as dung.

Alas, the style of that armor was evidently not that of the Elves; otherwise, she would have been very interested in getting to know him better.

Amberser saw all this and began to understand why Gareth was so popular with women. Generosity was part of it, after all, wealth is one of the charms of a man, but what was truly impressive was his demeanor.

Beauty is most appealing in unawareness. A stunning beauty appears more attractive when acting naturally; intentional seduction often reduces that appeal.

It’s similar with men—never try to flaunt your wealth or power deliberately. Instead, the inadvertent exposure of such qualities from time to time is more alluring and likely to win favor with the opposite sex.

However...

"We came here to discuss secrets, so why are you buying the most expensive wine to show off? Isn’t that going to draw attention?!"

Amberser roared inside Gareth’s soul, but Gareth, entirely unconcerned, replied, "It’s only a bit of money, and that’s enough to attract attention? The Elf Tribe isn’t that poor."

Amberser quickly warned Melina, "Don’t you learn from him, understand?!"

Melina nodded in confusion. Having been born not long ago, she only knew what money was, but had no concept of how much was a lot or a little. After all, she was the Princess of Gloomyland who never needed to spend money.

Melina didn’t understand what was wrong with Gareth’s spending, but what her father said must be right, so she remembered it.

With the wine bottles open, the three Undead sloppily poured it straight into their mouths, showing no intention of savoring the wine.

This made many patrons lament the waste, but since the buyers were wealthy, they could only bitterly mutter "Such a waste of good stuff."

The three of them drank silently, as if no one else was there, while their souls communicated without pause.

"Gareth, I plan to give you the spider clergy. Do you have any issues with that?" Amberser asked.

When it came to serious matters, Gareth became very earnest and asked Amberser, "Among the four clergies, there should be one for the Drow Race, right?"

Amberser didn’t hide anything and admitted frankly, "Indeed, there is such a clergy. Do you think this allocation is unreasonable?"

"You initiated this crusade, so it’s reasonable for you to distribute the clergies. Therefore, we have no problem with whichever one you give us. However, the Drow Race clergy is very special, and the Dragon Race wants it. Why don’t you name a price, and we can make up the difference?"

Gareth was well aware that he had simply accompanied his wife on a trip to the underground and had a delightful romp. He hadn’t faced any deadly dangers, nor had he encountered any noteworthy opponents, and hardly felt that he had exerted much effort. To get a clergy for such an effort—even Miss Bone Dragon found it very satisfactory, to the point of feeling slightly embarrassed.

Therefore, Gareth wasn’t forcing his choice of the Drow Race clergy; instead, he was discussing it with Amberser.

"The Dragon Race wanting the Drow Race clergy... Could it be that you intend to use the power of these dark elves to return to the mainland?" Amberser inquired.

However, Gareth said, "No, the Dragon Race won’t be able to return on a large scale due to the contracts signed before the gods, the consequences of violating them being too grave. But if we obtain this clergy, the Drow Elves could act as our spokespeople. The produce of the overseas islands isn’t abundant, and while the Dragon Race can’t return, we often long for everything on the mainland."

Amberser hesitated for a moment. He didn’t immediately agree or lay out terms, but instead turned to Melina and asked, "Did your mother mention which clergy she wanted?"

Melina shook her head.

"Mother said to listen to you."

Amberser was very pleased; Withered Rose indeed was the best partner.

"In that case, I’ll give you the corruption clergy," he said.

Corruption might sound narrower than darkness, but with Shael’s presence, the power of the dark clergy was very limited. Even if used in trade with other deities, darkness was the least valuable.

In business, it’s all about reciprocity; Withered Rose had been so good to Amberser that he felt obliged to reciprocate whenever possible.

Melina nodded obediently and then took the small box that Amberser handed over.

"Keep it safe. Once you have this, you can’t teleport and must walk back. Are you sure that’s okay?" Amberser asked.

"It should be fine. There are entrances to Gloomyland everywhere. Once I get underground, there shouldn’t be any problems."

Amberser looked at Melina’s simple manner and felt it unreliable.

Amberser wasn’t worried about Melina’s combat abilities; with the Whispering Barrier up, even he couldn’t defeat her. His concern was her being deceived. With her intelligence, if someone sold her, she’d probably help them count the money without even realizing it.

This matter was too important; he decided to wait until everything was settled before escorting her back himself.

Melina was also happy to hear that; she liked being around Amberser for a little longer. Compared to her majestic mother, she preferred the company of her father, who seemed capable of anything.

Having resolved Melina’s issue, Amberser finally said to Gareth, "I was originally planning to sell the Drow Race clergy to the Elf Tribe, otherwise, I wouldn’t have arranged to meet you here. Gareth, you should know what the Drow Elves mean to the Elf Tribe. I’m afraid the Dragon Race won’t be able to offer a matching price."

In business terms, a friendship discount was conceivable, but given the particular nature of this clergy, the Dragon Race’s determination surely couldn’t match that of the Elf Tribe, and Amberser couldn’t afford to undersell it.

Gareth replied generously, "Just name a price, and I’ll ask the Dragon Race. Whether a deal is made or not, it won’t affect our relationship."

Amberser was very candid, stating directly, "I originally planned to use this clergy to join the Elf God pantheon, since I’ve offended too many deities. Once I become a deity, I’m sure to be hunted by those gods, so I hope to use this clergy to gain the Elf Tribe’s protection. If the Dragon Race can promise the same, then of course I will prioritize selling to you."

Gareth was straightforward as well and took out the Necromancy Codex to message Miss Bone Dragon.

Amberser expected that it would take a long time for the Dragon Race to come to a decision, but Gareth received a reply within minutes.

"Sorry, the Dragon Race isn’t prepared to pay that sum."

Amberser was a little disappointed, but not overly surprised.

The Lord of the Dawn had agreements with the deities of the Dragon Race, and the conflict between the Magic Dragon and Laine was not yet fully resolved. The gods of the Dragon Race likely had many restrictions.

Gareth also felt somewhat sentimental.

"It seems the luxury items of the Dragon Race are not so vital. At the end of the day, it’s mostly about keeping the younger hatchlings quiet with materials from the mainland."

Curious, Amberser asked, "Young hatchlings?"

"Yes, as you know, dragons like to collect treasured luxury goods. But those born overseas in the last thousand years have had a hard time collecting such things; it’s simply too poor out there. And there’s also the food—can’t keep eating fish forever."

After some thought, Amberser then said, "But then you wouldn’t need the Drow Elves. I can solve the issue of luxury goods and various foods for you."