This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 442 - 414 Dealing with Smart People

Chapter 442: Chapter 414 Dealing with Smart People

Amberser and Aige were respectfully welcomed by the mermaids.

The coral reef where the mermaids lived was not a natural formation, but rather a cultivated creation built over many years, coupled with the unique magic of the mermaids.

As soon as Amberser entered, he could sense the water teeming with various kinds of magic power, and those colossal coral reefs that measured in tons could move freely under the control of the mermaids.

The coral reef, which originally resembled a closed bud, now bloomed into a flower right in front of everyone. It was unclear whether it was the algae or fish that were glowing, but in any case, the scene was quite beautiful.

Aige couldn’t help but remark, "I’ve long heard that mermaids are the elves of the sea, and their artistic attainment is high — these coral clusters are indeed beautiful."

Amberser nodded, conceding that even without any particular talent for aesthetics, one could see that much care had been put into this place.

This was even better — being able to afford such a beautiful place to live meant that this mermaid tribe was large, and as a priest within it, even if Nepreis himself couldn’t communicate with the deities, it was much more convenient to find someone who could, compared to smaller tribes.

That was the difference in connections.

Nepreis respectfully led Aige and Amberser to an open platform that was also colorful and spectacular. The tables and chairs made from reefs and corals looked artistically beautiful.

Nepreis asked the two to sit and then ordered someone to bring in two conch-like cups.

Amberser was a bit surprised; it seemed that the conches contained a pool of crystal-clear spring water.

This was interesting. The surrounding water was all seawater, so why wouldn’t the liquid in the sea mix with it?

Nepreis enthusiastically explained, "The area near the Blue Algae Tribe is as barren as the Dead Sea, and there really isn’t much to offer our esteemed guests. This is Pearl Dew, a magic beverage crafted from pearls that has a slight nourishing effect on souls. Please, have a taste."

Amberser exclaimed in surprise, "It affects the soul?"

Aige was also astonished. She had roamed the seas for many years but had never heard of anything that could benefit the soul. The most common thing known to affect the soul was the deadly poison of the Yixi Manta Ray, but that was harmful. Even if it was brewed into a special wine for undead, it worked by getting the undead drunk on its mild toxicity; it wasn’t something good.

Amberser took a small sip. It looked like water but felt more like a kind of melted jelly. It probably didn’t dissolve in water, which explained why it could be contained in a conch.

As for the taste, Amberser couldn’t discern it, but he could feel the substance quickly integrating with his soul upon entering his mouth, forming a thin protective film and giving him the sensation of enjoying a soul massage.

"I have never heard of the mermaids possessing such a treasure. Mr. Nepreis, you truly don’t treat us as outsiders," Amberser mused.

Nepreis smiled and said, "When facing enemies, you must present the sharpest harpoon; when hosting guests, of course, you should offer the most succulent fish. That is our merfolk custom. Since the two of you are undead, I fear our finest sea cucumber sashimi would not suit you, so we had to use this Pearl Dew to serve our guests instead."

Amberser understood Nepreis’s meaning. If they were here as guests, then the Pearl Dew was a gift of hospitality, but if they had come with ill intentions, then Nepreis would be ready to stab them with his harpoon.

Amberser especially enjoyed dealing with smart, restrained people who knew how to speak, because they saved him time, and their logic was predictable.

The worst was dealing with fools and lunatics because rational people had a unified logic, but each fool and lunatic had their own chaos. You could never use the same standard to deal with all of them.

Nepreis was the archetype of a clever person who was calculating yet proper, and who conducted himself in a leak-proof manner. And to deal with such people was simple: you had to make them understand who was the smartest at the negotiation table.

After finishing the Pearl Dew, Amberser remarked, "So the mermaids have already developed a special magic potion targeted at the Yixi Manta Ray. It seems you are seriously prepared to contend for this new territory in the Volcanic Ocean Region."

Nepreis’s face stiffened a bit. How could the lich guess so much from a cup of tea, and spot on at that?

The mermaids consistently upheld neutrality, belonging to those who just cared for their own territory, usually avoiding involvement in other races’ conflicts.

But this time, the mermaids decided to take the offensive.

The reason was straightforward: their sole archenemy, the Yixi Manta Ray, was moving on a large scale, seemingly intending to turn this sea area into their breeding ground.

If the Yixi Manta Ray really took over a territory as vast as a kingdom, it would spell disaster for the mermaids.

This was a battle they could not afford to lose.

But staying at home, they could still use various magic arrays to resist the Yixi Manta Ray’s toxins. Going on the offensive would mean significant casualties, so upon learning about the movements of the Yixi Manta Ray, the Grand Priest of the mermaids prayed to Goddess Yizhuoluo for help.

The Goddess blessed them with this formula, allowing them to create Pearl Dew using pearls, which could resist the toxins of the Yixi Manta Ray.

Nepreis also couldn’t think of anything suitable for a Lich to drink on the spur of the moment, so he brought out the Pearl Dew. Who could have expected the Lich to make such connections and guess so accurately?

But that didn’t make sense, right? Had someone tipped him off about this information beforehand?

Unable to help himself, Nepreis glanced toward Captain Aige. In his heart, the Lord of the Silent Night Sea was the real guest, and this Lich was probably just a strategist or something within the Silent Night Pirate Group. Since the Lich had said this, could it mean that the Silent Night Pirates had some designs on this war?

Were they here to negotiate or to show force?

Amberser saw all of Nepreis’s subtle facial expressions and was thankful that a mermaid’s face was similar to a human’s, which meant he could still make use of his ability to read expressions.

Therefore, Amberser had guessed what Nepreis was thinking with nearly perfect accuracy. Just like he had said before, he loved dealing with smart people the most. They would think a lot and would follow along with whatever he presented to them.

And now, since Nepreis was overthinking, he was more likely to fall into a trap.

Seizing the moment, Amberser said, "What, did I guess wrong?"

Nepreis showed a bitter smile. There wasn’t much choice but to admit it; they were on the verge of war, and deceiving the Silent Night Pirates would do nothing but offend them and serve no other purpose.

"The guest has guessed correctly, but this matter is still confidential. If possible, please don’t spread this news." After saying this, Nepreis couldn’t help but ask, "Where did the guest hear such information? If you could tell me the source of the leak, my Blue Algae Tribe would be most grateful."

"Grateful? Can you give me some Pearl Dew?" Amberser asked.

Nepreis generously said, "Of course, no problem at all. I’ll have someone send over ten conchs of Pearl Dew immediately."

Amberser thought to himself that this was just enough to appease a small fry, but he still kept his manners and said to Nepreis, "Just kidding. I didn’t hear about it from anywhere; I just guessed it on the spot. I really can’t accept your gift."

Nepreis slightly furrowed his brow and pressed on, "Guessed? But how can one guess from Pearl Dew that the mermaids are preparing for war? Is there any necessary connection between the two?"

With a chuckle, Amberser said, "Does Mr. Nepreis want to hear the truth or a lie?"

"Can I hear both?" Nepreis asked.

"Haha, of course," Amberser responded cheerfully. "This Pearl Dew, even our Captain Aige has never seen before, so it must not be something that has always existed. Otherwise, a magic potion beneficial to the Undead like this would certainly not be unheard of by the Silent Night Pirates; it must be a new product. Then there’s the fact that this stuff is too specific. Yixi Manta Ray poison harms the soul, Pearl Dew repairs the soul—the effect is like an antidote developed specifically for it.

"I’m an alchemist myself, and I’m well aware of how high the cost of developing such targeted magic potions can be. If it’s just for the occasional poisoned casualty, your mermaid priests’ Divine Arts would be more effective and a better cost-performance. To specifically develop a magic potion, it must be to handle situations where a large number of mermaids are poisoned and the priests are overwhelmed.

"Mermaids usually live within their own territories, and it would be difficult for Yixi Manta Rays to breach your magic defenses, so large-scale poisonings are rare. Thus, it has no doubt been prepared for external warfare. Then think about the Volcanic Ocean Region that suddenly appeared—it makes the reason quite obvious. It’s about competing against the Yixi Manta Rays for territory. The lie you were hoping to hear ends with this."

Nepreis nodded continuously, finding the logic quite unassailable... Wait, what did the Lich just say? Was this a lie?

Quickly, Nepreis asked, "Hold on, did you say that the explanation you just gave was false? Then what is the truth?"

Amberser calmly said, "The truth is that I guessed based on instinct, without any reason at all."

Nepreis said in dismay, "That joke isn’t funny. How could such meticulous reasoning be false, and a wild guess based on intuition be true?"

Amberser spread his hands and said, "Because I’m a Diviner Mage. I tend to trust my own instincts more than reasoning. The Goddess of Fate sometimes plays pranks on us diviners to see if we truly believe in fate. If we don’t, then severe punishment follows. Shooting the arrow before drawing the target—that’s the daily life of us Diviner Mages."

"Diviner Mage?" Nepreis paused, as the profession was quite rare, and he had only heard about it recently.

"Wait, may I ask your name?"

Nepreis had always assumed that Amberser was just a puppet of Aige. In the hierarchy among the Undead, all subordinates were "tools" rather than beings with individual personalities to those above them.

So, Nepreis always thought he was communicating with Aige, and the Lich was merely a messenger. He had never even asked for a name and had focused all his attention on Aige.

But now, something seemed off.

A very terrifying name emerged in Nepreis’s mind—that of a notable figure who had banished an entire kingdom and created the Volcanic Ocean Region.

Seeing the unmistakable panic on Nepreis’s face, Amberser smiled and said, "Yes, the name you’re thinking of is the right one."

Upon hearing this, Nepreis coughed up a string of bubbles, and once he had caught his breath, his first words were, "Master Ultraman, it’s my eyes that have been clouded by the seabed silt. In order to apologize, I am willing to offer you three hundred conchs of Pearl Dew as a token of my regret for the disrespect I have shown."

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