This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 377 - 350 Legacy

Chapter 377: Chapter 350 Legacy

The grand battle between the Kingdom of Impure Hymns and Laine came to an even more imposing end.

No one could have foreseen that the outcome would be the disappearance of an entire kingdom.

The Laine People retreated to Flow Flame City, with over twenty thousand dead or injured, a defeat so brutal in the history of Laine that it’s beyond compare. This time, it wasn’t just a failure; due to the cowardly behavior of the Emperor of Laine, it led to the first-ever collapse of morale in Laine’s history.

In the past, it was the generals who led the charge, fighting against all manner of demons and spirits to the very last man.

But this Young Emperor led his troops then fled first, directly causing the collapse of those auxiliary corps. In the end, only the Paladin Legion managed to salvage the situation, otherwise, they feared a total annihilation was certain.

The Githyanki brought with them an army of 130,000 people and more than sixty Red Dragons. If it hadn’t been for the spatial chaos caused by the ascension of the Kingdom of Impure Hymns that blew up the Star Realm portal along the way, the Githyanki could have brought millions.

But even with the Star Realm portal destroyed, those 130,000 Githyanki were still enough to wage a war of kingdom destruction.

After retreating to Flow Flame City, the Githyanki began to set up camp and then started logging and building ships.

Then, guarded by Red Dragons, they began migrating overseas in groups.

"According to the latest news, the Githyanki have all relocated overseas, and Laine shows no signs of sending troops for retribution, just watching these Githyanki leave."

Harvey reported to Amberser with caution. He felt nervous because ever since Amberser returned from there, he had locked himself in the lab for more than two months. In Harvey’s view, Amberser was in poor spirits due to Mr. Misfortune’s departure, leading him to shut himself away.

Now, even coming to report the latest intelligence required the utmost care to avoid upsetting his teacher.

Amberser asked oddly, "What’s the matter, why are you acting so timid? Did we lose money in business recently?"

Harvey hastily replied, "No, no. The sales of everyday goods have been fairly stable. The Impure Hymns market isn’t ours, so the impact isn’t significant. And because of this major event, sales of the Fountain of Youth have even increased. Now that everyone is for their own safety, even the small Lords who didn’t have much money are purchasing a bottle just in case."

The Fountain of Youth can restore the youth of an experienced warrior for a short period, which becomes a lifesaving card at critical moments. The Fountain of Youth was almost becoming a piece of war supplies.

"Hmm, make sure you keep the accounts correctly. Oh right, you just said that the Githyanki have taken to the sea? That’s strange, isn’t it said that most of this race can’t swim? To go to sea? Could they be seeking out other Giant Dragons?"

Harvey said puzzled, "Seek out other Giant Dragons, do they intend to cooperate with the Dragon Race?"

Amberser nodded, "We cannot dismiss this possibility. After all, they do have dozens of Red Dragons. Dragons of different types originally had significant conflicts, only united in the face of the Magic Dragon Tyrant. But even then, every dragon acted independently, claiming to be ’one city, one dragon.’ Later, after being decimated by Arthur Laine and the heroes, the remaining Giant Dragons could only band together to flee. Since then, the Dragon Race began living in groups, and the rifts between different types of Giant Dragons have diminished a lot.

"Now, a group of foreign Red Dragons are seeking the Overseas Dragon Clan; it’s possible those Giant Dragons really will accept these distant kin... Wait, something’s not right."

Amberser suddenly stood up, took his Necromancy Codex, and sent a message to Miss Bone Dragon.

After a moment, her reply came, "I cannot say."

Amberser fell silent because he had asked Miss Bone Dragon, "Is Goddess Tiamat planning to help your Dragon Race break the contract made with Arthur Laine all those years ago?"

Although she said nothing, her answer had already explained everything.

Amberser closed the Necromancy Codex and then said to Harvey, "I have been deceived by Goddess Tiamat. No wonder Her behavior was so strange before; the Evil Dragon Goddess wouldn’t intentionally break the Devil’s rules. It turns out, it was all to divert my attention, making me believe She truly lost. In reality, the moment these Red Dragons arrived, Her plan was already half-complete.

"She isn’t intending to use these Red Dragons and Githyanki to claim territories; She is trying to help the Dragon Race break free from the prohibition of entering the mainland."

Harvey was also shocked to hear this. This wasn’t a matter to be taken lightly; if the Dragon Race could return, wouldn’t the world be thrown into chaos?

Harvey quickly asked, "Teacher, how could this be accomplished? Can we stop it?"

Amberser replied with a sense of helplessness, "How would I know? Unless we know the main content of the contract, it’s impossible to deduce how to break it, let alone find a way to prevent it. But who would know what the contract’s content is now?

"Those Red Dragons must be the key. The Astral Red Dragons are not affected by the contract. All Goddess Tiamat needs to do is replicate this trait onto the other Giant Dragons. How exactly does She plan to do it? Maybe a blood exchange or breeding the next generation, or perhaps some other more complex methods; it shouldn’t be difficult for the Evil Dragon Goddess."

"No matter which kind it is, Goddess Tiamat was likely prepared long ago. Unless we can kill all the Astral Red Dragons right now, nothing we do will be of any use."

Harvey said anxiously, "But if the Dragon Race returns to the mainland, everyone’s in trouble."

Amberser reassured him, "What’s the rush? If Laine isn’t panicking, do we need to worry? Don’t be nervous. You and I are just part of this world. Don’t always act like the main character. When big trouble comes, those big shots will step up first."

A person should know their own limitations. An event that could destroy the world couldn’t be solved by two Diviner Mages. When the time came, it would be up to the kings to gather heroes from all over to fight against the Dragon Race.

Although Harvey didn’t receive any useful advice, seeing Amberser so calm settled his own heart quite a bit. The teacher was right; if the sky fell, the big shots would hold it up. And wasn’t his own teacher one of those big shots? He’d worry about it if and when his teacher couldn’t handle it anymore.

Amberser was unaware of the rebellious thoughts in Harvey’s mind and continued to inquire, "Is there any other significant news?"

Harvey hurriedly said, "Oh, the Emperor of Laine has returned to the Imperial Capital. I heard that some people are demanding the emperor take responsibility for the disastrous defeat. Right now, the Laine people are in total uproar."

"Impeaching the emperor? That’s bold. Who did it?" asked Amberser.

"William Garrison, the leader of the Paladin Legion at the time, a Legendary Holy Warrior who is a hundred and three years old this year. He was once the closest leader to the Royal Family and is now semi-retired. It was only because the Emperor of Laine personally led the expedition that this old general was called upon. No one expected that this die-hard Imperial Loyalist would one day impeach the emperor for incompetence."

"William Garrison." Amberser had no particular recollection of that name, perhaps he was one of the legendary figures who kept a low profile. However, Amberser did remember that in battle, this legendary figure’s Holy Light shield was incredibly powerful, blocking a majority of the Githyanki’s attacks single-handedly, acting as a true iron wall.

Amberser remarked sentimentally, "Even the Imperial Loyalist Faction has turned against him. It seems this time Laine has indeed suffered a crushing defeat."

Harvey agreed, "Yes, I heard that Allen Watson’s speech on the battlefield was recorded and is being quietly circulated within the Laine territory. This kind of news has even spread to the deserts among the adventurers. It looks like Laine is on the verge of breaking apart internally."

But Amberser shook his head, "It’s not that simple. This news could just be something those adventurers made up."

"Huh? Why do you say that, teacher?" Harvey asked curiously.

"I’ve been an adventurer for hundreds of years. How could I not know what they’re like? If some noble gets a wife, then the news that comes back is that the heirs are fighting each other, tearing the family apart. Ninety-nine percent of adventurers love to embellish real news, creating a whole narrative in their heads.

"Allen’s speech sprang up unexpectedly. Who would have a Memory Crystal ready to record it? The only possibility is that the Young Emperor was also giving a speech, and those Laine people intended to capture the Young Emperor’s stirring words so they accidentally recorded Allen’s speech as well.

"But that crystal would have been destroyed or secretly kept by the Royal Family of Ryan. Who could copy it and let it circulate? The number of hands it passed through would be few, easy to trace. I suspect that Allen’s speech can no longer be kept secret, and everyone knows about it. The first person who spread the rumor imagined that someone recorded it, the second person imagined this Memory Crystal being circulated, and the third person imagined that the entire Laine received a copy."

Harvey looked at Amberser in astonishment. So that’s how it was? He really had a long way to go compared to his teacher, in every aspect.

Thereafter, there wasn’t any news that could be considered significant. At most, it was that the Dwarf Kingdom heard Laine had suffered a defeat, and the Dwarf King happily announced a fifty percent tax reduction for the year, earning the gratitude of the entire kingdom.

After discussing recent affairs, Amberser took out a thick notebook and said to Harvey solemnly, "Take this, read it carefully, and learn."

Harvey flipped through the notebook and saw detailed accounts of Mr. Misfortune’s use of the Power of Destiny during the ascension event of Impure Chant, comprehensive to an extreme. Just a few glimpses made Harvey feel immensely enlightened.

Harvey exclaimed in surprise, "Teacher, this... is too precious, isn’t it?!"

"This was Uradimir’s wish. In his last days, the only thing he couldn’t let go of was his lifetime of research. So I tried my best to record this information for him. Over the last two months, I’ve reorganized it. Uradimir progressed farther on the path of Diviner Mage than I did; the things he understood weren’t just a single path. I can’t learn it, so I’m passing it to you."

Harvey suddenly felt the notebook in his hands turn incredibly heavy and hesitantly said, "Teacher, I’m afraid I can’t manage it."

Amberser walked over to him, patted his shoulder, and said, "Don’t underestimate yourself. Harvey, your talent is far greater than mine. Not to be humble, but combined, Uradimir’s and my talents don’t measure up to yours. It took me a lifetime to master the Dice of Destiny, and Uradimir spent centuries controlling Destiny’s threads.

"And you, you barely flipped through a book and became a Diviner Mage. Uradimir taught you just once, and you were already touching Destiny’s threads. You have a talent and flair that we both envy. So, cherish your gifts, don’t make me deal with the nonsense of a prodigy dying young. Even if you accomplish nothing in this lifetime, make sure you pass on Uradimir’s knowledge. Understood?"

"Teacher, I understand, I will give it my all," said Harvey, then he sighed with relief and added, "So for these past two months you weren’t grieving excessively, but organizing notes. I was nearly worried to death."

Amberser scoffed disdainfully, "Nerves. I am a Lich. I don’t indulge in sentiment."

Harvey looked silently at the shining jar on Amberser’s desk, where Mr. Misfortune’s soul fragment was carefully preserved.