This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 394 - 366 Turning Point at the Edge of Collapse

Chapter 394: Chapter 366 Turning Point at the Edge of Collapse

The Laine Empire should indeed have crumbled.

Many thought so, especially after the devastating defeat in the battle of the Impure Chant, where Laine suffered a crushing loss for the first time on the battlefield.

This empire that had been so arrogant for over a thousand years, even if it worshipped the Lord of the Dawn, it was time for its sunset.

That’s what everyone thought, including the Laine people themselves.

After all, the more confident and proud one is, the harder it is for them to accept defeat. This loss was more than just a blow to Laine; it struck at their very confidence.

The claim that Laine was finished persisted among the common folk.

Although the situation had not deteriorated into nationwide chaos, it had indeed affected the operation of the entire empire.

But at this time, the one who had started it all stepped forward.

The Young Emperor, with tears in his voice, read out the sincerest apology. He shirked no responsibility, admitting that it was his first time on a battlefield, so upon seeing the Red Dragons from the Star Realm, he became so scared that he lost his courage, leading to Laine’s great defeat in the ensuing panic. He took all the blame upon himself.

This apology quelled the anger of many.

When had the Emperor of Laine ever been so humble? And he did not shy away from admitting his mistakes; for a child not yet eighteen, it was not surprising to be frightened in his first battle, was it?

But if it had only been an admission of error, many of the Laine people would have struggled to forgive him. After all, this Young Emperor’s fall had killed a large number of Laine soldiers, more terrifying than the Biggs Yankee People and the Red Dragons.

The families of those soldiers were unlikely to forgive him so easily.

It was just that no one expected that the apology was only part of what was to come.

Price Lein released a second piece of momentous news: the entire Ryan Royalty would pay the price for this defeat. They had failed the expectations of Saint King Arthur · Ryan and tarnished the name of Laine, so Price Lein would be the last Emperor of Laine.

To prove this was not an empty lie, the Ryan Royalty had already committed suicide in shame. They chose to kill themselves and fall into Hell to accept punishment rather than further tarnish the name of Laine.

This news was too shocking.

The number of the Laine Royalty was astonishing, with the total exceeding ten thousand if you included all the members, from the youngest to the oldest, living inside and outside of the Royal Palace.

And this was just counting the blood relatives living in the Royal Palace and not including those distant relatives who had married out over the years.

This declaration clearly referred only to the members within the Royal Palace, so did it mean everyone in the palace was dead? The bloodline left by the Holy King only had Price Lein left?

After this message was released, everyone was shocked. The elders who had long retired from worldly affairs emerged once again, gathered at the Imperial Palace to confirm this.

And there they saw Price Lein, tears streaming, confessing his failings and stating that he would also not sire any offspring. The next Emperor of Laine would be chosen from among the other nobles.

This explosive news hit everyone like a club, leaving them dazed.

But that wasn’t all. Although the Young Emperor had done something stupid that led to heavy losses for Laine, it was surely not enough for the entire Laine Imperial Family to be buried with him. The number of deaths exceeded those on the battlefield.

But regardless of whether such an apology was too extreme, by using the lives of the entire Laine Imperial Family as the price, all dissatisfaction was finally quelled. There were even those who urged Price Lein not to give up the throne and to quickly father children while he was still young.

How could the name of the Laine Empire not be known to everyone? If Laine stopped being Emperor, who would dare to be? Who had the credentials to sit on that throne, who could achieve deeds comparable to Arthur Laine?

However, all these people were stopped by William Garrison, the Shield of the Empire. The reason given was that the Emperor had suffered a major blow and needed time to calm down, so he would not meet anyone for the time being.

With the old general speaking, no one dared to ask any more questions.

Right, with such a significant event occurring within a few days, it was indeed essential for the Emperor to calm down. These old fellows didn’t emerge from retirement to spectate; they came for the sake of the Laine Empire.

Each elder, whether from a military background or a former governor of a province, and even one who was so old he could barely walk, a previous Supreme Decree, carry insufficient vigor but their prestige lies there. If they exerted their influence together, they could swiftly stabilize the entire Empire.

Thus, Laine moved towards stability amidst turmoil, and the hearts of the people began slowly to re-converge.

With a group of Imperial Family members willing to sacrifice themselves for the glory of the Empire, what more could they complain about?

Price Laine hid within the Royal Palace, surrounded by a faint smell of blood lingering in the air—a subtle scent left behind after a mass cleansing following numerous deaths.

Though he hadn’t seen anyone for several days, he did not feel the slightest bit of boredom, but instead, a smile played incessantly at his lips.

In his mind, Price Laine said to Atros the Eternal, "Impressive, indeed. You truly deserve your reputation as the monarch who once ruled the entire continent. It doesn’t surprise me that you can trace memories so accurately, but with just a slight intervention, you managed to get old William Garrison to stand by my side.

"If it hadn’t been for him covering for me, we wouldn’t have had the time to suppress all the news in these days."

It was impossible to slaughter the entire Ryan Royalty within a mere half day; the Magic Dragon Armament couldn’t keep reversing time in the Laine Imperial Capital to allow Price Laine to revel in a massacre.

Therefore, the actual time of death for many members of the Imperial Family was after Price Laine declared all the Royalty dead.

At that moment, time became a toy in the hands of Atros the Eternal. Those who died days later appeared in others’ memories as long gone.

Such tactics ensured that no member of the Ryan Royalty could escape or send out any messages.

As they died, they couldn’t even discern what timeline they were in. Many people became mad upon witnessing their own corpses, then turned into instruments of slaughter against others, and ultimately died due to their insanity.

The key to this plan was William Garrison, who kept all the significant figures out of the Royal Palace. These old men, if not Legendary, were High-order Holy Warriors, far stronger than the brood inside the palace who only knew how to procreate.

Thus, someone had to help cover.

The Power of Time made William Garrison forget the moment the Young Emperor courted death on the battlefield.

William Garrison only remembered the Young Emperor being beaten by Red Dragons in the sky, and the memories that followed became a blur.

Atros the Eternal said calmly, "Memories are very important, as emotions stem from them. This old man was originally a firm supporter of the Imperial Family; just make him forget your most foolish behavior. Even if he hears about the crimes you committed from others, his resentment towards you will diminish a lot. The stories heard can never be as profound as what one witnesses with their own eyes.

"As long as this old man is no longer staunchly opposed to you, playing the cards of repentance and self-punishment will be enough to make him work for you again. This approach works well against such self-righteous old men."

Price Laine then asked, "But he will feel that something is wrong, won’t he? The absence of memory is always a flaw."

Atros the Eternal said confidently, "Don’t worry, he’s too busy now. As I said, he’s a good old man, and for the sake of stabilizing the Laine Empire, he won’t bother with such trivial matters for now, focusing instead on restoring peace to the Empire. When he has time to ponder this issue, I will help him regain his memories gradually, as if he is recalling them bit by bit himself. By doing so, he will just assume it’s due to his failing memory because of old age."

"But if he remembers, won’t he oppose me just the same?" Price Laine’s expression turned sinister as he asked, "Should we take the opportunity to get rid of him?!"

Atros the Eternal was silent for a long while before saying, "Do you really have no confidence in yourself? With such an extended buffer period, can’t you win back an old man who previously supported you? Even if you can’t, you should have thoroughly grasped the power of the Empire by now. Why would you still fear a mere Legendary Holy Warrior?"

Price Laine argued, "But wouldn’t it be simpler to just kill him? We possess this invincible power!"

Atros the Eternal shook his head and said, "Young one, the Power of Time is strong but not omnipotent. Do you think how I was killed by Arthur Laine? Even Deities can be slain by mortals. If you keep thinking that the Power of Time can solve everything, you might as well leave early. Otherwise, you will soon end up like the Magic Dragon of old, decapitated by a Paladin."

Price Laine furrowed his brow, and although reluctant, he still asked, "Then what should I do?"

"Be the Emperor you should be. The lives of all Imperial Family have bought you this respite. Become a qualified Emperor, regain the trust of your subjects, rally all the powerhouses of Laine around you, and become the next Arthur Laine. I, the Magic Dragon Tyrant, need not teach you how to be a Holy King, right?"