This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 509 - 468: Reminiscing the Past

Chapter 509: Chapter 468: Reminiscing the Past

Having obtained what he most desired, Amberser had no intention of lingering in this barren place.

Amberser looked at these Githyanki, calculating whether to kill this group of toads or not. But on second thought, what good would slaughtering these Githyanki do for him?

This trip, aside from obtaining the desired intelligence, all other expenses had exceeded the budget. Having received a reward of Divine Arts, he found it was of no immediate use and would require a significant amount of time and material costs to experiment before it might be turned from waste to treasure.

In other words, he had taken a loss on this trip.

This was a reality Amberser found difficult to accept; he had to find a way to make it back from somewhere else, otherwise that crawling ant sensation on his skin wouldn’t subside until he had earned the money back.

Amberser watched the Githyanki until their heads started taking the shape of Gold Coins, and then he spoke, "Life must be hard for you here, right? Githyanki have strong Life Force, but a diet of just fish is hardly enough to maintain your combat strength, and there isn’t enough food here to begin with. Supporting the current population is already at its limit, isn’t it?"

The leader of the Githyanki squinted his eyes; he truly couldn’t fathom the intentions of these three people.

After much difficulty tracking them to this place, was it all just to ask about some Heart-stealing Demon intelligence? Such a premise sounded absurd.

If it weren’t for the fact that the fallen Githyanki were merely unconscious, there would likely be no peaceable conversation between them.

Now, was this Necromancer known as Kel’Thuzad finally going to state his true intentions?

"What exactly are you getting at? We Githyanki don’t like to beat around the bush. Speak directly, if you have something to say."

Amberser listened, didn’t bother with pleasantries, and stated bluntly, "What else do you Githyanki have to be proud of? Isn’t it your aggressiveness and formidable combat strength? For a Race where everyone is a soldier, not going to war is a waste.

"I have a channel that can help you participate in wars as mercenaries. In return, you will be rewarded with food, weapons, Alchemical Potions, and other materials. As a sign of goodwill, I can aid in your free passage in and out of this place enveloped by Thunder."

This sea area is shrouded in storms, and the only way out is through the ocean depths, but the Undersea Labyrinth teems with Sea Beasts, and it’s uncertain how many casualties there would be in an exit attempt.

But Amberser, blessed by Talos, could avoid Sea Beast attacks, leading them out without any issues.

This proposition actually excited the Githyanki.

This Race’s temperament was not to be docile and compliant. They were Plunderers from the Star Realm, entering Plane after Plane, slaughtering and enslaving the beings within just like the Heart-stealing Demons, continually absorbing nourishment, and discarding their conquests once they were done.

Even at the cost of heavy losses, the Githyanki’s genetic makeup was still filled with violence.

They were bound to leave this place and rejoin the battle. If they could freely come and go, then this would be the best secret base.

"Can you truly come and go freely?"

"Of course, you may verify anytime. The Laine People and the Orcs are at war; there should be many places for you to demonstrate your strengths. You already have a score to settle with the Laine, getting paid and leveraging the strength of Orcs for revenge should be a good deal for you, shouldn’t it?"

Previously, he had wanted to form the Valiant Corps and deploy them as mercenaries on the battlefield to profit from the war heavily.

Now, it was the same. The Githyanki were also high-quality mercenaries. If used properly, this group of toads could completely replace the Valiant Corps and work for him, saving on maintenance. The Githyanki could take care of themselves.

Amberser discussed with the Githyanki leader for a while, then brought him underwater to prove he could dispel the Sea Beasts, and finally, they tentatively settled on an intent to cooperate.

Amberser left behind a Magic Mirror as a means of communication and then departed this dreadful sea area with Airel and Arthur.

All the while, Amberser was pondering how much of a margin he should take as the middleman.

The Githyanki had an awful reputation; I was vouching for them, so taking a seventy percent cut was the least I should do; otherwise, it would be working for nothing.

Amberser was so engrossed in his calculations that he failed to notice Airel watching him the entire way.

For Airel, that indescribable sense of familiarity was becoming increasingly pronounced.

This Lich was exceedingly odd; the way he effortlessly lied was so similar to Monger Greyriver. Could it be an illusion of mine?

Airel couldn’t be certain because, upon careful comparison, there didn’t seem to be any similarities at all.

The tone, cadence, and speed of speech were utterly different; word choice habits were distinct, and Monger Greyriver often used Fury Tide Kingdom’s proverbs to enhance persuasion.

This Lich didn’t; his accent was more like that of someone from the continent, and his behavior and actions resembled that of a scholar more than a general who led troops at sea.

Yet for some reason, Airel still felt they were alike, as if two brothers raised in different places had different habits, but still resembled each other.

Not spotting flaws doesn’t mean there won’t be suspicions. Women are much more emotional than men, and although Airel couldn’t find any evidence, she instinctively felt something was amiss.

Therefore, when the two of them returned to the Gray River, Airel couldn’t help but ask, "Master Ultraman, do you have any brothers or sisters? Or other blood relatives?"

Amberser was stunned, not knowing why Airel would ask such a question.

But it was an easy question to answer.

"I’m afraid I’m not too sure either, after all, I have lived for several hundred years. Before I turned into a lich, I had some romantic encounters, so I can’t be certain if I have any blood descendants. However, if you’re talking about siblings, that I definitely do not have. Her Royal Highness the Princess, why do you suddenly ask this?"

Airel felt a little embarrassed. It was rather impolite to probe into personal matters, but she honestly said, "I once knew a friend who was nothing like you in any way, but I just feel that you two are very similar. I really don’t understand why, so I felt the need to ask, I’m truly sorry."

The soul fire within Amberser flickered secretly.

Could it be, this girl could make such an association with himself? Amberser could say with certainty that there was no flaw in his acting.

The more aliases he had, the more diligently Amberser played each role, striving for authenticity in every detail; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to trick an entire major clan into ruin among the orcs.

Therefore, Amberser was supremely confident that there wouldn’t be any trace of Monger Greyriver left on him. Regarding the issue of "smart people," most intelligent individuals in the world are similar, polite in speech and hitting the nail on the head — these were all common traits that could not possibly be used as evidence.

How on earth did this girl make the connection to him?

Amberser dared not make a scene and could only pretend to respond casually, "Oh, the friend Her Royal Highness speaks of, that would be General Monger Greyriver, right? I’ve heard of his great achievements, and Your Highness even named this spaceship after him, truly someone who cherishes past memories."

Airel seemed to drift into recollection and slowly said, "Actually, I only really knew him for a few days. Before that, I just thought he was a man of flattery with no real talent, but then I discovered he was the only one who could understand me..."

Airel continued to tell the story of how they first met.

The Fury Tide Kingdom, influenced by the faith of the Lord of the Storm, had its upper echelons filled with battle frenzies, completely oblivious to themselves.

Excessive militarism was the biggest problem of the Fury Tide Kingdom, and unfortunately, it was surrounded by formidable opponents.

Airel grew up in such an environment yet was the first in the kingdom to recognize the issues.

However, even as a princess, her suggestions were met with skepticism from everyone.

You propose peace? Then how will you face the Lord of the Storm?

How can a cowardly survivor inherit this kingdom?

Thus, Airel had more than one intense argument with her father regarding the Silent Pirate Group. Even her own father couldn’t understand her, leaving Airel feeling incredibly lonely.

And Monger Greyriver was the first to support her.

More than that, facing the pressure of the entire kingdom, Monger Greyriver managed to make the impossible possible, and Airel watched from the sidelines as this man helped realize her dreams.

The kingdom no longer needed to sacrifice lives, no longer needed to mobilize everyone to fight desperately against the undead. The people of the Fury Tide Kingdom could finally live peacefully for a while, without fearing starvation.

Airel couldn’t describe her feelings — apart from shock and gratitude, there were many other emotions.

Unfortunately, before Airel could understand her own thoughts, Monger Greyriver died without warning, leaving nothing but ashes behind.

Airel desperately sought the truth, but all her efforts were in vain.

The heavy responsibilities of the kingdom fell upon her shoulders because only she and Monger Greyriver had firmly pursued a cooperative path. Now that Monger Greyriver was dead, Airel had to persevere alone.

Then came the overwhelming workload that numbed her senses. For a long time, Airel forgot about Monger Greyriver, forget about herself even.

But when she finally had some idle time, those few days of interaction would vividly come back to her.

Now that Amberser had brought it up, Airel even felt a little like crying, but she hadn’t cried since she was four years old.

The Dwarf Vampire who had been slacking off in the spaceship finally seized the opportunity, and the feather pen began to spin again: "Her Royal Highness the Princess, with a soft and tender voice, shares her endless longing. Her eyes shimmer with the glow of memories. as if she could see through the mists of time and touch those warm moments once more. At this moment, she is not a princess, but a girl immersed in the joys and sorrows of the past. It’s just a pity that she doesn’t know the cold lich before her is the very passerby from back then. Beneath that rigid skeleton, has the soul fire ever flickered for this..."

Amberser watched Airel, who was on the verge of tears, feeling rather awkward. It seemed he might have touched a nerve. Were feelings this deep after just days of being together? Her Royal Highness the Princess has probably been single all her life without ever being in love; her resistance in this regard must be in the negatives.

Continuing like this wouldn’t do. Airel’s intuition was a bit terrifying, and he had to find a way to divert her attention.

Amberser said to Airel, "Her Royal Highness, you just said that General Monger Greyriver left behind ashes and a message, claiming he would eventually return?"