This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 365 - 338: The War As Usual_2

Chapter 365: Chapter 338: The War As Usual_2

But no matter how elegantly these superficial matters were resolved, the Young Emperor still had to face a significant issue.

Rachel Angelo was dead. How should the war against the Kingdom of Impure Hymns be handled?

A ceasefire? This seemed to be a very correct choice.

But with a ceasefire this time, who knew when the next assault on the Kingdom of Impure Hymns would come. Once everyone calmed down and forgot about James Watson, the scapegoat, they might start to associate it with the Young Emperor himself.

By then, it was very likely that discordant notes would appear amidst the songs of praise.

Faced with such a major issue, the Young Emperor wanted to discuss it with someone, but to his stark realization, he found that he had no one to consult.

When James Watson was around, the Young Emperor didn’t mind having a chat with him.

The old man was stubborn, but the Young Emperor also believed that his advice was selfless. In fact, the entire Laine People knew that this Supreme Decree had served for many years without a single blemish that could be questioned, except for his son.

Even if he might receive a mocking answer, the Young Emperor didn’t mind listening to the old man’s words. At least they could serve as a reference.

But now that James Watson was gone, the Young Emperor realized that he did not have a single confidante.

Having been the emperor for too long, and always a puppet at that, it was not easy to find someone to discuss serious matters with.

After much thought, the Young Emperor could only delve once more into the Royal Palace’s basement, finding those old men lying in their coffins.

They had all entered into deep slumbers, reducing all bodily consumption to barely survive, yet maintaining clear thinking.

The Ryan Royal Family could not prolong life, so the elderly could only cling on to existence in this manner. Previously, the Young Emperor had also received their permission, which allowed him to use the Magic Dragon Armament.

Although he did not know why this group of old men suddenly agreed to let him use the Magic Dragon Armament, it at least gave him the power to step into the limelight.

Now, as the Empire was about to undergo a great transformation, the Young Emperor could only once again pose his questions to this group of old men.

There were specialized servants who delivered the Young Emperor’s questions into the dreamscape. These servants were actually of royal descent, all having once tested the affinity with the Magic Dragon Armament and, after failing, dedicated themselves to studying spells for communicating with dreams, taking care of these elderly zombies here.

Before long, the old men gave a simple reply—continue the war against the Kingdom of Impure Hymns.

The Young Emperor wanted to ask for the rationale, but the servant refused him.

Every response to questions from the real world was a burden on these old men, and to ask again might be too much for them to bear.

The Young Emperor, with no other choice, left the basement clenching his teeth in frustration.

These old coots always treated him like a puppet, one that only followed orders.

"Once I have regained control of the Empire, I will dig all of you old coots out. I want to see if you dare to be so disrespectful to me when you wake up!"

Although he had only obtained a conclusion without reasons, for the time being, the Young Emperor could only follow these orders.

Continuing the attack on the Kingdom of Impure Hymns was not a big problem; they were just short of a general, after all. He could simply appoint another from elsewhere, and when he wielded the Magic Dragon Armament himself, the battle would surely be won.

Laine began to redeploy its forces. Such large-scale troop movements could not be concealed.

The Kingdom of Impure Hymns quickly received news, but the Tiflin were probably too occupied to care about this matter.

In the Royal Capital, where the singing never ceased, Domino Lauri and the twelve other Impure Ones watched reports with sullen faces.

Written on them were not the troop movements of the Laine People, but rather the recent rumors popping up in the Kingdom of Impure Hymns.

The Council of Injustice had signed a pact with the Hell Lords, trading the entire kingdom as a price to spare them from torment and become nobility in Hell.

There were no details to these messages; they seemed like unsubstantiated rumors.

But all members of the Council of Injustice understood that it was no lie.

Domino Lauri stood up in anger, and with a punch, shattered the table before him to pieces.

"Who exactly leaked the information!"

Domino Lauri looked sharply at the other twelve of the Impure, but none of them cowered; instead, they were contemplative, surprised, and above all, anxious.

These reactions were quite normal, given that their greatest secret had been uncovered.

Domino Lauri could not spot any giveaway on their faces, causing her brow to furrow deeply.

An elderly Tiflin beside Domino Lauri said, "Domino, we are all part of the plan; we wouldn’t leak the information prematurely, that would just send us to Hell in advance. Now is not the time to pursue this matter; let’s think about how we are going to deal with it."

Domino Lauri fell silent for a moment, then said, "You are right, but how do we resolve this issue?"

The rumor was only spreading among a few high-ranking officials and nobles—though not widespread, it fit perfectly with the current state of the war.

The Laine People were eyeing aggressively, ready to invade at any time, and within the kingdom, there were numerous traces of Hell; anyone who investigated a bit would quickly find clues. Even if they could not prove the rumor, it would deepen their suspicions.

How to deal with such a truthful rumor?

Someone suggested, "Let’s issue a statement, regardless of whether it works or not, to announce that nothing happened."

Domino Lauri shook her head and said, "Useless, they are not commoners; those who know this news are nobles, mostly Lords from different cities."

"We stall if we can; after all, the Laine invasion is imminent. Once the war starts, everything will be set in stone. By then, it will be too late for them to ask."

This was a feasible suggestion, just to keep it hidden for a while. But when exactly would the Laine invade? It was said that they had just lost a general—if they abandoned the war, then delaying tactics would be of no use.

These Impure were sacrificing the entire kingdom to allow a few to be exempt and avoid torture in Hell; if this were known, the tables could turn, the Gates of Hell could be destroyed, and they, the privileged, could be the ones descending to Hell.

Never mind that an invasion by the Laine would mean death; most people do not think so far ahead and would choose to rebel first.

"We need to act in three parts: not only do we need to declare that nothing happened, but we also need to investigate the exact situation with the Laine, and lastly... find the person who spread the news!"

Domino Lauri now detested the person who started the rumor, wishing she could turn them into a specimen right then and there.

The meeting concluded quickly, and Domino Lauri, massaging her tired head, returned to her room.

But as soon as she entered, she saw an elderly man with white hair.

Domino Lauri exclaimed in surprise, "Misfortune, is it you?"

This old man, Mr. Misfortune, who had been waiting here early, looked at the lady before him, still charming in her own right, and smiled, "Domino, it’s been a long time."

Domino Lauri took a nervous step back, ready to call for her guards at any moment.

Though she was once Legendary, she had lived in luxury for many years and had not fought anyone in a long time. Now she was an Alchemist, a leader of an Empire, and not the Hell Knight she once was.

Mr. Misfortune, having clashed over their beliefs and having disrupted their plans to create the Gates of Hell, had been branded a traitor and placed on a wanted list.

His sudden appearance now was very unsettling to Domino Lauri.

However, no matter how much she signalled to the guards outside the door, they paid no attention, as if they could not see her.

Mr. Misfortune said softly, "Don’t be nervous, Domino. I’m not here to assassinate you, and don’t bother trying, no one is going to see me and you today."

Domino Lauri refused to believe, attempting to flee, but found that no matter how hard she tried, she could not leave the room.

"I told you, it’s useless. Domino, I’m here to tell you just one thing," Mr. Misfortune approached her and said, "I am the one who spread the news, I am fully aware of your dealings with Hell."

Domino Lauri’s eyes widened in astonishment, "How did you find out?!"

Mr. Misfortune shook his head, "That’s not important, I just want to tell you that I am going to save this kingdom, but I can’t save you. Domino, I once loved you; to me, you were as dazzling as the sun in the sky. But now, I must destroy everything you have planned. The Kingdom of Impure Hymns will not fall into Hell, but you will. You and your despicable associates will descend to Hell."

"Now, I can offer you a chance; out of your descendants, you can choose one to stay. That’s the only thing I can do for you. Choose one, Domino."