This Lich Requests More Remuneration-Chapter 191 - 178 Believe in the Guidance of Fate
Chapter 191: Chapter 178 Believe in the Guidance of Fate
Chapter 191 -178 Believe in the Guidance of Fate
“You’re just shirking responsibility, for the sake of your own future you push the kingdom into the abyss. I ask you, with just this bit of strength we have now, can we truly win?” Airel said angrily.
“How do we know if we don’t fight? The Deity grants us strength and courage. Are we supposed to hide them away, like tender flesh inside a shell?!” Monger Greyriver retorted with no less fervor.
The unmasked roaring from inside startled the guards outside, who quietly shuffled their feet away.
This was a quarrel between the kingdom’s general and princess; they felt it safer to keep their distance.
Every nation has its own problems, each with different solutions.
Airel believed that pirates were but a minor itch, with few in number and modest demands, akin to natural disasters that did not warrant constant allocation of resources.
After every tsunami and storm, the people of Fury Tide Kingdom still lived on just the same.
If every day were spent battling against natural disasters, who would fish, who would farm, who would build ships, who would forge iron?
But Monger didn’t see it that way. To a military man like him, the enemy was there, how could they pretend not to see, how could they pay tribute to the adversary?
The teachings of the Lord of the Storm were not like this; they were to destroy everything with thunder and storm.
The two stood on completely different grounds, arguing to no end.
Airel realized she couldn’t persuade the other party, and in the end, she could only pull out her storm hammer and smash it hard onto the table.
The wild force of the lightning turned the wide desk into splinters, with charred ashes spreading everywhere.
Monger Greyriver was startled, saying excitedly, “What are you trying to do?! Princess, are you planning to murder a general of the kingdom?!”
Airel replied disdainfully, “Didn’t you say it? The Deity has given us courage and strength to defeat our powerful enemies with force. Now, I challenge you—whoever wins will take command! If you lose, you meekly apologize to my father the King and have him retract the national war preparation orders!”
Monger Greyriver said in anger, “Have you lost your mind? Can the kingdom’s major affairs be decided by a duel?!”
What was he thinking? He was just a leading officer; Airel was a Legendary Rank Storm Priest. Wasn’t this fight a certain death for him?!
“Just now you didn’t say that. Courage and strength, you always emphasize these, as if with just these two things you could certainly succeed. Why are you scared now? Where is your courage? You dare not accept a woman’s challenge; do you still deserve to be a general of Fury Tide Kingdom?!”
Airel wouldn’t give him any chance to retort, promptly throwing down her glove.
This was the signal for a duel. If Monger Greyriver refused, he would become a laughingstock once word got out.
Of course, mockery wouldn’t shake his position; however, in Fury Tide Kingdom, being labeled a coward could make many things troublesome.
Princess Airel had truly hit his sore spot.
A duel was out of the question. Monger Greyriver didn’t want to be hammered to death by Airel’s weapon, so he had no choice but to negotiate, “What exactly do you want?!”
“Have my father rescind the orders! Nationwide mobilization will only impoverish us further. Do you realize how many people will starve because of this?”
Airel had come for this purpose from the start. Constant military campaigns were not suitable for Fury Tide Kingdom; what they needed most was recuperation. Since the kingdom’s foundation, the population had scarcely grown—a major failure of the successive Kings of the Fury Tide.
Without a vast populace, where does national strength come from? Without national strength, where does combat power come from?
The overseas islands were inhospitable environments with tsunamis, earthquakes, and storms. Fury Tide Kingdom had no policies benefiting the people, relying solely on military oppression to subdue them—a path leading to eventual collapse.
Airel didn’t want to inherit a kingdom on the brink of destruction. She believed they should learn more from Laine’s policies, be better to the lower classes, only then could they endure these hardships.
Airel’s ideas might differ from those of previous Fury Tide kings, but her method of action was just as straightforward and brusque.
If things didn’t go her way, then let a duel decide; the victor would be obeyed.
Monger Greyriver really had no option but to suggest, “It’s impossible to cancel the plan entirely; the Fury Tide Legion has already begun preparing their magic. Even if we stop now, they will still need to rest for half a year.”
“I don’t care about the legion, the martial law order must be lifted, allowing fishermen free access. Are you afraid the Undead will disguise themselves as people and infiltrate? Have you ever seen this Pirate Gang employ cunning in the many years they’ve surfaced? It’s been straightforward combat; what’s the point in blockading the fishing ports?!”
“Fine, I will suggest to the King that the blockade be lifted, all as you wish, Princess. Can you let me be now?”
Monger Greyriver was quite helpless, but in Fury Tide Kingdom, might is right—Princess Airel was chosen as the heir precisely because she was a Legendary powerhouse, wasn’t she?
Yet, the request wasn’t too unreasonable; the Undead had indeed never resorted to treachery or deception. There was little point in martial law, just waiting for an assault would suffice.
With Monger Greyriver’s cooperation, Airel smoothly convinced the King to retract the martial law orders.
However, the army was still in a state of wartime readiness, prepared to face a decisive battle against the Undead at any moment.
Little did Airel guess that soon after lifting the martial law, Amberser, disguised, arrived outside the capital of Fury Tide Kingdom, Seven Seas City, accompanied by Aige the Demigod.
“This is Fury Tide Kingdom’s capital, Seven Seas City.”
Transformed into an elderly fisherwoman, Aige pointed to the large city ahead, speaking to Amberser beside her.
Amberser also transformed into an elderly fisherman, his face weathered by the elements, and as the two of them walked along the bustling dock, they didn’t look any different from the other filthy fishermen.
Fishermen who lived off the sea bore the brunt of the elements, battered by the sea wind, soaked with seawater, as well as scorched by the sun and drenched by rain, which is why they generally aged quickly.
The two did not seem different from other fishermen, the only possible distinction being their somewhat leisurely demeanor. The others were all in a hurry, busy setting out to sea, busy docking, and busy with arranging nets and handling their catch.
Amberser and Aige walked slowly amidst the crowd, appearing to have too much free time.
But no one paid them any mind. The King’s edicts changed from one moment to the next, having just declared the port closed and now reopened it. This back and forth had delayed things too much, and everyone was eager to make up for lost time, lest their families go hungry.
Amberser and Aige passed through the dirty, fishy-smelling port, blending into the throng of people and heading towards the city of Seven Seas City.
At the city gate, the soldiers could not be bothered to inspect these stinking fishermen and simply let them through.
After entering the city gate, the two found a hidden corner to revert back to their true appearances.
“Without my main body, I can’t exert all my power. I really don’t understand why you insisted on sneaking in,” Aige asked curiously.
Originally, Aige’s plan was to directly lead her Pirate Gang in an attack on Seven Seas City, entering from an underwater entrance to the city’s inner sea, then directly assault the Royal Palace. Once the palace of the Fury Tide Kingdom was subdued, they could slowly search for the Divine Artifact that Amberser needed.
But Amberser offered another suggestion, which was to infiltrate without making a sound.
Amberser explained, “Captain Aige, your true form is the Ghost Ship, and you can only exert your full power at sea. Even if we manage to get into the Inner Sea, as long as they hold their ground on land, it would restrict your power just the same. Instead of a head-on and exhausting fight, it would be better to spend some time and steal out the Divine Artifact. Unnecessary casualties are just pure waste.”
Even though the undead’s lives weren’t worth much, Amberser didn’t want Aige’s Pirate Gang to suffer heavy losses here.
Many signs indicated that something big was about to happen. Aige was a member of the Elegy Poetry Society and a natural ally to Amberser, so he must consider his allies.
He was here to find the Divine Artifact, not to wage war.
If they could quietly get their hands on the Divine Artifact, why have a head-on clash with the Fury Tide Kingdom?
No matter how weak the kingdom, it’s still a gigantic entity formed by millions of people and possessed some ace up its sleeve.
Amberser was a businessman, and he definitely couldn’t engage in loss-making deals.
“So, what do you plan to do next? Let’s be clear, the Elf Tribe’s location information is quite vague after too much time has passed. We can only roughly confirm it’s near the inner sea of the Royal Palace. If we want to sneak in there, it won’t be possible simply by disguising ourselves as fishermen.”
“No problem, I have a way,” Amberser replied.
Amberser brought Aige along mainly hoping that this Demigod would give him a hand at the critical moment if discovered by the Fury Tide Kingdom, and could take him through the escape. As for the task of finding the item, he didn’t need to trouble Aige.
Amberser walked to the wall, plucked a withered leaf from the vines, and casually tossed it away.
The Dice of Destiny manifested around him, striking the withered leaf.
The intangible force of destiny could not disturb a single leaf, but it could stir a breeze, carrying the leaflet off into the distance.
Amberser said to Aige, “Follow it. This leaf will lead us to the location of the Divine Artifact.”
“Is this the power of prophecy? Mages sure have a variety of tricks,” Aige said enviously. Even as a Demigod who could easily defeat Amberser, when it came to the application of Magic, she couldn’t compare to Amberser, the Legendary Mage.
“Having a variety of tricks is useless at times. Sometimes I wish I were more focused.”
These words too came from the heart. If he had concentrated on Alchemy, he might have become the God of Alchemy, without being such an inferior substitute for so long.
Now that he had strayed off the path, he could only continue on.
The withered leaf drifted forward, and the old fishermen they had turned into followed behind, walking down the main streets and through the alleys until they soon arrived at a bustling area.
It looked like an open square with many people working hard under the lash of whips.
They were carrying stones, placing them in designated spots as instructed, and a delay would mean a whipping.
“Is this where the Divine Artifact is located?” Aige asked, surprised.
“I don’t know, but destiny shouldn’t deceive me,” Amberser said while still keeping an eye on the leaf. It hadn’t landed yet and continued to drift forward, eventually flying toward the center of the square.
However, the leaf did not fall to the ground but landed on a burly man with a full beard.
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Aige chuckled and asked Amberser, “So now, does destiny point to this man or to the place where he stands?”
Amberser hesitated for a moment, then said, “Let’s tie up the man first and then see.”
