This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 731 - 612 Harvey’s Malicious Thoughts_2

Hircine smiled and said, "If this is truly your teacher’s castle, we Elf Tribe don’t have a habit of seizing other people’s property. However, with the Royal Capital now in chaos, I’m afraid it’s going to be difficult to verify this at the Goblin Bank. If you don’t mind, you’re welcome to stay and have a cup of tea.

"Rebellions, whether successful or failures, tend to be resolved quickly. Perhaps by waiting a day, calm will be restored."

Harvey thought the elf made a lot of sense. Since destiny had guided him here, there must be a reason, and he shouldn’t just turn around and leave. Perhaps this unfamiliar elf was the key to his ascent to legendary status?

With that thought, Harvey asked, "Thank you for your understanding. My name is William Harvy, a common mage. May I ask your name?"

Hircine bowed slightly, speaking elegantly, "Hircine. You can call me Hircine. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about magic. I’m just an ordinary elf with a little money who likes to travel."

"Hircine..."

The name carried a peculiar magic power, inducing a familiar feeling in Harvey as if he had heard it somewhere before. People tend to relax around what they find familiar, and this inexplicable sense of familiarity made Harvey feel a stronger fondness for the elf.

Hircine led Harvey into a small parlor of the castle and personally brewed him a pot of fragrant black tea. Harvey tasted it lightly and immediately felt refreshed, the flavor surprisingly delightful.

Hircine, while changing the tea leaves, placed a "Shire Scripture" within Harvey’s line of sight. The book had a strong allure to mortals; even a glimpse of the cover would make them eager to flip through it and become Hircine’s devout follower.

Unfortunately, this tactic was not very effective.

Harvey indeed saw the book but merely glanced at it casually, completely unaffected.

Hircine frowned imperceptibly, knowing that the boy must have read "Shire True Transmission" written by Ogma, as only those who had read that book were immune to the hypnotic effects of "Shire Scripture."

That damned Lich really covered all his bases, ensuring that everyone around him was immune to the hypnotic effects of "Shire Scripture."

However, it didn’t matter. Hircine was well-prepared for this.

After all, recognized as the deceiver by many worlds, if Amberser had left such a significant loophole, Hircine would have to consider whether he had fallen into a trap.

Although he couldn’t control Harvey with "Shire Scripture," Hircine had other methods.

As the Prince of Lies, Hircine only needed to exert a little effort to have a very pleasant conversation with anyone. Harvey soon felt that this elf was a very nice friend, lacking the arrogance of the other elves of the Silvermoon Tribunal, knowledgeable, and particularly witty and humorous.

Hircine’s stories of his travels around the world felt fresh to Harvey, a young man who had once roamed everywhere. Though Harvey had been to those places himself, why hadn’t he discovered the beauty described by the elf?

"Mr. Harvy, although you haven’t spoken much about your past, it’s clear to see that you’re a young man who has suffered a lot. To achieve what you have today, you must have worked very hard."

Harvey nearly cried at those words. After all these years, someone finally understood his hardships.

His life had indeed been harsh—since childhood, he had wandered, struggling to find enough to eat. He was duped into joining a cult and even learned to read from the cult’s Magic Book. Before long, he caught the attention of Dimogorgen. After several years of a miserable existence as an Evil Sorcerer, he was deceived by a Necromancer into becoming a sacrifice. Had it not been for the grace of the Goddess of Fate, enabling him to change his profession to Diviner Mage just in time, he might have ended up as a zombie.

But even after becoming a Diviner Mage, life didn’t get any easier. The life of an Adventurer was dreadful—as those who had been one knew—all too well as they were only slightly better off than slaves, living on the edge of a knife. That wasn’t enough; after barely making it as a Mage advisor to a small Lord, he then encountered Amberser.

He thought he had reached a turning point when he met a master teacher, but after just a few days of reading, he was off to a desert carrying his teacher’s Life Casket, wandering with hardship. He was then captured and brutalized by a mixed-blood Orc, and by the time he saw his teacher again, the end was near, with only a few days left in life.

In those few days, he had been thoroughly deceived by two of his teacher’s subordinates, once again experiencing the cruelty of human hearts.

Having escaped his doomed fate, his latter days were somewhat more comfortable, but under Amberser, there was no leisure to be had. Harvey, who knew nothing of business, was driven by Amberser to manage accounts worth tens of millions of Gold Coins, losing countless strands of hair in the process.

Just when he finally met another teacher who seemed more reliable, Mr. Misfortune disappeared after meeting him just once. Then, his first teacher quickly went to Hell, and Harvey had no choice but to suppress his grief and sustain the entire industry...

Remembering his past, Harvey was truly overwhelmed with emotional, tears welling up in his eyes. What kind of life was this?

His teacher always said he was Favored by the Goddess of Destiny, but given how his life turned out, Harvey couldn’t imagine how those not favored by her managed to survive.

Hircine could sense Harvey’s emotional changes, thinking the mood was ripe, it was time to strike decisively.