Anbaixiu departed the chaotic battlefield.
At the cost of quite a few Dice of Fate, Anbaixiu had barely pried open the hem of the Goddess of Fate's skirt, catching a fleeting glimpse into the past.
The Gate of Hell had been prepared by members of the Cerberus family, who had begun their preparations on the very day the City of Alchemy was destroyed.
What Anbaixiu found troublesome was that several lords of Hell seemed to have taken part in this ambush.
They were all monstrous powerhouses of quasi-divine stature, possessing might bordering on that of deities. Furthermore, because their ambush had targeted the elves rather than Anbaixiu himself, it had failed to trigger his premonition of danger.
The fall of a kingdom inevitably drew the attention of gods, but this time was truly far too chaotic.
Vying for faith was second nature to deities. The collapse of the City of Alchemy had plunged hundreds of millions of citizens into disarray, creating the prime opportunity for missionary work.
Few gods could resist such an opening.
It was equally understandable that the lords of Hell grew restless. After all, the more people died in war, the more souls tumbled down into Hell. To them, it was like picking up money from the street—everyone wanted to pocket as much as possible.
Anbaixiu began to reflect critically on himself. "A miscalculation on my part. I never anticipated the City of Alchemy holding such immense allure for these lesser deities."
Though he had lived for many years, he had never truly witnessed the sudden collapse of an entire kingdom before. Past dynastic transitions had always undergone a process from peak to decline, with warning signs surfacing long before the realm had rotted to its core.
To see a realm like the City of Alchemy toy with an "Apotheosis Project" and implode overnight was truly a first. Combined with the city's longstanding tradition of "freedom of faith," Anbaixiu had simply failed to consider the perils of fiendish cults.
"The Cerberus family, is it? Since you love Hell so much, I'll let you see what true hell looks like."
Anbaixiu summoned his Golden Throne, now shrunken to less than half its former size, and wove strands of crimson thread through midair with both hands.
This was not magic, but something far more esoteric. The threads did not trace any magical pattern; rather, their vibrations rippled through the ambient currents of air.
The disturbed air spawned several inconspicuous vortexes, deflecting the flowing breeze.
As the breeze swept across the ground, a patch of wild weeds trembled slightly. A drop of fiendish blood clinging to a blade trickled down, landing upon a tiny insect.
Drawn by the rotting flesh, the bug began to mutate under the influence of the hellish blood.
Within minutes, the insect swelled twice its original size and began ravenously devouring demon flesh until its body ruptured and burst. Soon, however, several scavenging crows descended.
Most of the crows that gorged on demon flesh fell into madness, dying in agonizing torment.
Yet one lucky crow swallowed the remains of the mutated bug. Having been filtered through a preliminary digestion, the demonic energy seemed to have lost much of its corrosive virulence; it did not kill the bird, but instead caused a second, featherless and bloody head to sprout from its neck.
Spreading its wings, the two-headed crow took flight, vanishing wildly into the night toward parts unknown.
The threads of destiny quivered gently, their subtle ripples spreading outward, growing larger and larger.
This was the first time Anbaixiu had ever used the power of Destiny Weaving. Tainted by Loviatar's influence, he could weave only painful futures for others.
This time, he would show the Cerberus family the true meaning of cruel fate.
With his vengeance set in motion, Anbaixiu headed back, well pleased with himself.
Yet tonight had been quite an ordeal. By the time Anbaixiu returned to the castle, Isabel was already dozing off before a towering stack of papers.
Anbaixiu did not disturb the exhausted young girl, casually draping a cloak over her shoulders.
The weather was far too cold; sleeping like this would give her a chill. Putting a cloak over her meant she could wake up tomorrow and get right back to work.
Having tended to that, Anbaixiu prepared to have a chat with the Elven Queen.
She must have already seen what he had arranged. Good things couldn't be kept hidden forever; sometimes, you had to intentionally dangle a glimpse of them to get wealthy tycoons to shower you with gold.
He had not expected Queen Catherine to be so impatient. Just as Anbaixiu finished covering Isabel, the queen appeared outside his workshop door.
Catherine remarked in surprise, "So it really is true. You treat humans quite well."
The Elven Queen had watched Anbaixiu gently drape the clothes over Isabel, and the sight truly made her look at him in a new light. To think a benevolent lich could actually exist in this world.
Anbaixiu replied casually, "If she falls ill, I won't have anyone to order around."
Catherine smiled faintly. The lich's stubborn refusal to admit his soft side was rather amusing; the more she watched him, the more he seemed like a genuine person rather than a cold, cruel undead.
With a lich who possessed such humanity, perhaps there was hope for progress in the coming negotiations.
The moment she recalled the magical seals placed on the elven prisoners, Catherine could not suppress her excitement. Though she did not yet understand how the seal worked, this was the first real opportunity she had found to cure the affliction of mana addiction. Suppressing their power meant nothing as long as her elves could survive in peace.
"Master Ultraman, before the new negotiations begin, there is something I would like to discuss with you." Catherine did her best to control her expression, not wanting Anbaixiu to see through her intentions.
Anbaixiu feigned ignorance as well, asking in apparent perplexity, "As the mediator between the dwarves and elves, communicating with you in private would hardly be fair to the dwarves, would it? Is there anything that cannot be discussed at the negotiation table?"
Catherine naturally could not discuss the magical seal during the negotiations, as that would only heighten the risk of exposing the secret of mana addiction. She did not even want Anbaixiu to learn about mana addiction; her only desire was to pry out the principles behind the seal through indirect probing.
Seeing Anbaixiu's reluctant expression, Catherine hastened to say, "I am certain that while shuttling about to arrange these talks, you have had no small amount of contact with the desert dwarves. As it stands, unfairness was already introduced long ago, and it was our elven race that drew the short straw. Master Ultraman, you ought to seize this chance to make it up to us elves."
Her reply was adroitly phrased, prompting Anbaixiu to view Queen Catherine with newfound respect.
No one capable of attaining the legendary realm was a fool. In the past imagery, Catherine had appeared frantic and indecisive solely because the crushing pressure had overwhelmed her.
Now that she had found a ray of hope for the elven race, the burden weighing upon her heart had lightened slightly, restoring much of her composure and spirit.
"Your Majesty's words leave me thoroughly ashamed. It was indeed my oversight. In that case, let us sit down and have a proper talk."
Anbaixiu invited Catherine to the highest point of the castle. This was where he usually organized his research notes and experimental data, and numerous rough drafts were still scattered across the tables.
Catherine glanced over and immediately spotted familiar diagrams—weren't those the exact seals etched onto the elven prisoners?
Anbaixiu gestured politely and said to Catherine, "Please be seated, Your Majesty. Forgive me, for as an impoverished lich, I have little with which to entertain such an esteemed guest."
Suppressing the urge to snatch up the drafts, Catherine looked toward Anbaixiu with feigned indifference. "You saved my kin today; how could I possibly take offense at such a minor matter? I have not had the chance to offer a proper formal thanks, so allow me now, on behalf of the elven race, to express our gratitude for your aid."
"Your Majesty is too kind. But surely gratitude is not what you came to discuss. Dawn is fast approaching—shall we cut straight to the chase?"
Catherine replied, "Indeed. What I wish to discuss concerns my people. You previously captured several Twilight Guards. I hope you will release them; the elven race is willing to pay a ransom. This transaction has nothing to do with the dwarves, so discussing it privately will not interfere with the peace talks, would it?"
"Ah, so that is what Your Majesty wished to speak about. It is true that the elven prisoners have little to do with the dwarves. However, during my previous exchanges with the dwarves, they showed tremendous interest in these Twilight Guards. After all, the elven maneuvers have been rather bizarre, and we are all very curious about your strategic plans. The dwarves are willing to pay an enormous sum of gold coins to purchase these captives. If Your Majesty wishes to buy them back, I can share the price the dwarves offered me."
Catherine sensed something amiss, but maintained her composure as best she could. "And just how much are my people worth to the dwarves?"
"A mere five million gold coins per elf."
Anbaixiu smoothly quoted an utterly outrageous figure.
Hearing this, Catherine could not help but say, "Master Ultraman, that joke is not funny."
"It is no joke. Or does Your Majesty believe these Twilight Guards aren't worth the price?" Anbaixiu countered.
Catherine replied with absolute gravity, "My people are priceless, but that does not mean the outside world values them with such absurdity. Moreover, the dwarves have been battered by the Laun Empire to the point where they can scarcely fight back. Could they possibly produce so much gold? Even if they could, why would they pay such an astronomical price for a handful of prisoners? Master Ultraman, I came to discuss ransoms in good faith. Please do not make such pointless jokes."
Five million gold coins was enough to outfit an entire legion of dwarf iron guards. Elite elven warriors though Cicero and the others might be, how could each of them possibly be worth five million? All of them combined, even factoring in the so-called "strategic intelligence," would hardly fetch that sum.
"How could this be a joke? If you don't believe me, I can show you proof."
Anbaixiu produced several magical letters and handed them to Catherine.
The letters bore the seal of the Dwarf Kingdom, authentic official documents beyond any doubt. The contents were crystal clear: the Dwarf Kingdom was willing to purchase all the elven prisoners at a rate of five million gold coins per person. Naturally, Anbaixiu had obtained these through Heji Stone; since the dwarves would never help Catherine expose him anyway, he could fill in whatever numbers he pleased.
Catherine frowned. "How could they possibly come up with so much money? It defies reason. I cannot help but question the authenticity of this official document."
Anbaixiu replied nonchalantly, "We can leave that for the official negotiations, then; you may verify it with the dwarves to their faces. As for their finances, truth be told, they just happened to unearth an immense underground city filled to the brim with gold. I don't know the exact amount, but it's easily several times the Dwarf Kingdom's original gold reserves."
Catherine was left speechless; she had no way to verify whether Anbaixiu was telling the truth or lying.
However, her true goal lay elsewhere.
"The ransom amount can be negotiated further; it is not as though our elven race cannot afford it. However, I need to ensure my people's safety. I met with them just now and discovered you placed a magical seal upon each of them. This seal will not have any adverse effects on them, will it?" Catherine asked.
Anbaixiu smiled slightly. "Ah, you mean that? Rest assured, it won't cause any harm whatsoever."
Catherine said, "No, Master Ultraman, you might not understand the elven race as well as you think. We are exceptionally sensitive to magic. If possible, I would like to understand the specific effects of this seal. If I can confirm it causes no harm to my people, then I may not necessarily refuse that five-million price tag."
Looking at Catherine feigning composure, Anbaixiu could practically feel her heart leaping out of her chest. No matter how much she tried to suppress it, she couldn't entirely control her expressions.
With a warm smile, Anbaixiu said to Catherine, "Your Majesty, the five million was the offer from the dwarves. If I sell the prisoners to you, I would be in breach of contract. And the penalty for breach is three times the deposit plus a full refund! Surely I can't be expected to pay that out of pocket, right? As for the seal, as long as you pay the gold, I'll remove it on the spot. Should there be any lingering aftereffects, feel free to come to me, and I guarantee a full recovery. How does that sound?"
Catherine clenched her fists beneath the table. Only now was she certain that Gustavo Fring had lied to her.
How could this lich possibly just like gold coins? What he liked was clearly a mountain of gold!
Chapter 124