This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 515 - 472: Laine People’s Reputation Falls Short of Goblins

Chapter 515: Chapter 472: Laine People’s Reputation Falls Short of Goblins

Laine’s recent situation indeed seemed quite wrong.

Their border city was occupied, facing the orc invaders across the river, and though the Laine people had boats, they did not dare to cross over and reclaim their land.

It was a great humiliation, but after countless defeats, the Laine people understood that courage alone was meaningless.

Orcs feared death less than the Laine people, and when it came to shame, after being bullied by Laine for so many years, it was they who came for revenge.

In terms of battle command, Ange Watson simply was no match for that mysterious general.

After such a long time of inquiring, Ange Watson had also learned the name of this troublesome opponent—Urbano Pacheco.

A weak orc in his early twenties, who had never been to a battlefield before.

Urbano Pacheco was not of noble birth, on the contrary, he was a "criminal" who was slightly better off than a slave.

Punished heavily for theft, he had been serving time in prison.

Urbano Pacheco’s physique was not strong, only at the level of an average orc; he was a qualified fighter with a weapon, and that was all.

What really made him stand out was a battle against demons, where he was used as cannon fodder to lure wild demons as a criminal; the general practice was to serve as bait, and if not killed, one’s crimes would be pardoned.

But Urbano Pacheco did not just rely on luck, instead, he risked being whipped to death by proposing an alternative battle plan to the lord.

The specific details are unknown, but the end result was that Urbano Pacheco’s tactics were a resounding success. And thus, Urbano Pacheco went from a criminal to a retainer of this lord, at that time he was only seventeen years old.

Two years later, following tradition, the Orcs held a national martial exhibition. Urbano Pacheco, with his command abilities, helped his master win the championship, shocking the entire Orc Kingdom.

Keep in mind that this lord didn’t even have a legendary soldier under his command; they were the kind to be cannon fodder simply making up the numbers.

But Urbano Pacheco was somehow able to anticipate all of his opponents’ moves, cleverly enticing those powerful opponents to fight each other.

When the last two legendary orc warriors exhaustedly fell to the ground, Urbano Pacheco appeared as the victor, successfully obtaining the championship.

With that battle, Urbano Pacheco made a name for himself.

Orcs aren’t really brainless; they too hoped for a commander who could lead them to victory in every battle. The previous orc commanders were just the tallest dwarfs—their individual combat strength was strong, but they could only howl and charge forward themselves.

Boosting morale wasn’t a problem, but when it came to large troop operations, the orcs were like a dish of loose sand.

This also had to do with the environment they lived in.

The Orc Kingdom was full of tall mountains and steep ridges, which didn’t lend to large troop battles, but to skirmishes with small elite squads. Under these conditions, it was not hard to produce brave warriors, but difficult to develop strategic minds—there’s no talent without the right environment.

An occasional genius would appear, but it was very hard to turn the tide in the face of stronger enemies.

But it seemed that Urbano Pacheco was an envoy sent by the Divine Nature Geush, Orc God. After winning the martial exhibition championship, many orcs were unconvinced and challenged him, but as long as Urbano Pacheco didn’t enter the duel himself, all challengers lost.

It was only then that the orcs realized Urbano Pacheco truly received the blessing of the Orc God, being able to communicate telepathically with any orc at any distance. Although this blessing did not seem to fit the style of this deity, it was unquestionably powerful.

With Urbano Pacheco’s ability as their focus, the orcs prepared for a long time before launching this counter-offensive.

The results were glorious, leaving the Laine people constantly on the defensive.

The Emerald River might have been wide enough, but how long could it really hold back these orcs?

Inferior in command, lacking in troops, and now, even Laine’s traditionally superior war equipment was no match for the orcs.

Ange Watson stood on the city wall, watching the few black dots constantly circling in the sky, unable to help but punch the battlements.

His fist hurt, but the pain couldn’t mask the anxiety in Ange Watson’s heart.

The things flying in the sky were getting closer and closer, and the true and false inside this city would probably be seen clearly by the enemy.

When the orcs attacked again, Ange Watson really didn’t know if he could hold them off.

This anxiety tormented Ange Watson continuously, until he heard that an image of a Lich appeared on the Magic Mirror reported by his guards.

"Finally, it has come, finally!"

Ange Watson had never thought that one day he would be so concerned about a Lich, let alone that he would heave a sigh of relief at receiving a reply from one.

No matter how ironic it was, Ange Watson still rushed into the Council Hall to face the Magic Mirror.

"Master Ultraman, have you finally found the time?"

Ange Watson’s voice was so excited that it trembled.

"I apologize for my recent absence, I’ve been quite busy. As you know, the Volcanic Ocean Region hasn’t stabilized yet, and with you leaving in the middle of it all, the other commanders who aren’t up to your level make the battles far less smooth."

Ange Watson’s expression changed; he wasn’t as naive as his brother Allen. With just one sentence, the Lich had shifted the blame onto him, and it seemed likely that the next thing he would talk about was compensation.

Although Ange Watson hadn’t been dealing with this Lich for long, he knew all too well that the Lich would never miss an opportunity to ask for a hefty sum.

As expected, Amberser’s next words were, "As for compensation, considering the faces of your brother and father, I’ll let it slide. You’ve sent numerous messages about Laine intending to purchase airships from me?"

Ange Watson’s face looked incredibly sour. The Lich must have factored the "compensation" into the price of the airships; he couldn’t be more certain. But Ange Watson now had no choice but to grit his teeth and ask, "Then, what is your price, Master Ultraman?"

The Magic Mirror’s reflection of Amberser smiled and said, "Let’s not rush to the price just yet, I have a question that needs clarifying. Are you buying on behalf of yourself or on behalf of Laine? Ange, we’re old friends now, and you wouldn’t want to be considered a traitor for making deals with me like your brother, that would be rather embarrassing."

Ange Watson was seething with the desire to execute a Holy Slash. The Lich had barely spoken and had already pinned the crime of treason onto him.

No, that’s not right – he was losing his composure.

Would accusing him of treason benefit this Lich in any way? That wasn’t his point.

Unable to figure out Amberser’s intentions, Ange Watson asked, "Master Ultraman, that shouldn’t matter to you, should it? As long as I can afford the price, the rest should be my concern."

"Oh, Ange, you’re getting ahead of yourself. You’ve used my airships before; they’re a special form of Undead. You’re from Laine, and using Undead for reconnaissance could be more damaging than a loss in battle. I don’t want to be blamed later by the Laine People, accused of bewitching you, and then being saddled with the fault of your defeat."

Ange Watson hastily said, "When has Laine ever done such a thing? Even in the face of the Undead, we never attribute nonexistent crimes to others."

"Haha, your Young Emperor couldn’t beat the Githyanki, who crushed your own soldiers, and what happened? The most wanted list makes it clear that it was all my fault."

"That... that’s a completely different matter!"

Amberser held up a finger and shook it, speaking seriously to Ange Watson, "I see it as the same thing. Ange, no matter what standards of judgment you Laine People have, to me, it’s nothing but outright slander. It was Goddess Tiamat who summoned the Gith, and I was just a victim forced by Her. Yet, you dare not hold the Evil Dragon Goddess accountable and instead put all the blame on my head.

"Let me be frank with you, Ange. Your Laine People have a worse reputation with me than Goblins do. If you can’t provide proof that the Laine Empire authorizes this trade, I will not do business with you, lest I’m cheated and then have you frame me with several crimes."

Ange Watson was almost ready to draw his sword and execute a Holy Slash. It was the first time in his life he’d heard someone speaking of Laine People and Goblins in the same breath, especially in regard to an issue of integrity.

What infuriated Ange Watson even more was that he couldn’t refute it.

Though the Lich was exaggerating, what he said was, in some respects, true.

As a Paladin, Ange Watson couldn’t tell an outright lie with his eyes wide open.

However, Ange Watson was ultimately much more mature than Allen. He quickly composed himself and managed a wry smile at Amberser, "Hehe, is this what my brother felt like before? It’s true, Master Ultraman, even Deities would fear your tongue. But do you truly worry about these matters? Even as the Laine Empire’s most wanted, it hasn’t affected you, has it? As for the payment, there is no need for you to worry at all, as I can pay the full amount upfront."

"Paying the full amount upfront? Are you not afraid that I’ll take the money and not deliver the goods?" Amberser asked.

Ange Watson said, "Even though you, Master Ultraman, may think Laine has no credibility, in my view, you still highly value your own reputation. You wouldn’t destroy the reputation you’ve built for a trivial sum of money; that loss would be too significant."

"Impressive, it turns out Allen is the most foolish of James’s sons."

Amberser indeed had no intention of cheating Laine out of their money because doing so would indeed be counterproductive.

But Amberser wouldn’t agree so easily either.

"Ange, no matter what you promise, I won’t trust you easily. After all, Orcs are my dear friends and kin. Doing business with you is like betraying them. The price won’t just be high; I have one more condition."

Ange Watson quickly asked, "What condition?"

Amberser spoke very seriously, "Have your Emperor talk to me in person. Let him tell me himself that he allows this trade and there will be no turning back or denial. This condition isn’t too much to ask of you, is it?"