Asking an undead about the situation in the Ryan Empire generally yielded nothing good.
Standing on opposite sides as they were, Ryan in Anbaixiu's eyes was bound to be a pack of cold-blooded religious zealots who howled "Holy Light!" at the mere sight of other races and charged in to hack them to pieces.
Out of respect for Arthur Ryan, however, Anbaixiu did his best to give him an objective overview of the Ryan Empire's basic situation.
There was no need to embellish anything either. Ryan was simply too famous, and centuries of unofficial histories and rumors abounded, leaving no room or need for Anbaixiu to invent details himself.
Having heard a rough summary of the Ryan Empire's history, Arthur Ryan hastily called a halt.
"Wait. You're saying the Ryan Empire is racist? They discriminate against more than just the undead?" Arthur Ryan asked, looking completely astonished.
Anbaixiu replied quizzically, "You look very surprised."
"Of course I am! I don't understand," Arthur Ryan said, growing somewhat agitated. "During the tyrant's reign, every single race suffered terrible oppression. If I founded an empire only to oppress other races the exact same way, then what difference would there be between that tyrant and me?"
"You're not joking with me, are you?" Anbaixiu asked incredulously.
Arthur Ryan replied firmly, "Why would I joke about this? Back then, the companions adventuring alongside me included elves, dwarves, and orcs. We were comrades who trusted one another with our very lives. Why would I establish a country to enslave my friends? Besides, my own mentor was an orc.
"In that era, racial divides didn't even exist. Beneath the dragon race, everyone was an ant; we were nothing more than toys and slaves to dragons. Well, with the exception of the elves—the Silvermoon High Court remained relatively independent and served as an ideal utopia for all."
This reasoning was compelling, entirely reasonable, and logically sound. Arthur Ryan, born a serf in the tyrant's era and raised by an orc, indeed shouldn't have been a racist.
Anbaixiu sank into thought. The revelation he had heard today was frankly explosive.
Could it be that the person who founded the Ryan Empire wasn't Arthur Ryan at all? Surely it couldn't have been the Demonic Dragon Tyrant in disguise?
The thought—wilder than the wildest rumors—flashed through his mind, but Anbaixiu dismissed it almost immediately.
The demonic dragon might fool mortals, but it couldn't fool the Lord of the Dawn. The colossal, unfathomable power of the Holy Light within the Ryan Empire was undeniable.
The Lord of the Dawn wouldn't help a demonic dragon deceive the entire world. Wouldn't He fear His godhead shattering and falling to mortal status?
Deities could speak in riddles, but they could never act contrary to their divine portfolios. If He harbored a tyrant covered in blood who had wreaked havoc for years, what right would the Lord of the Dawn have to command the power of the Holy Light?
The Arthur Ryan who founded the Ryan Empire had to be the genuine article; such an achievement couldn't simply be credited to an impostor. But why, then, had the Ryan Empire become what it was today?
"By the way... the Silvermoon High Court still stands, right?" Arthur Ryan asked with some trepidation.
Over a thousand years had passed, and Arthur Ryan felt estranged from everything. Of the Nine Kingdoms, only the Silvermoon High Court still held any familiar resonance for him.
Knowing what he was thinking, Anbaixiu consoled him, "Not only does the Silvermoon High Court still stand, but your old friend from back then is still alive as well. In fact, it was his guidance that led me to search for the sealed artifact this time. If he knew you were still alive... Wait, no, you can't really be considered the true Arthur Ryan anymore, can you?"
The true Arthur Ryan had died long ago.
The heroic spirit before him had condensed from Arthur Ryan's dying wish. Though he inherited the original's personality and memories, just as Anbaixiu had told Aige, a copy was still a copy. No matter how identical, it wasn't the man himself.
Arthur Ryan said nonchalantly, "Real or fake, it doesn't matter. I've already fulfilled my mission, so it's time to find a new goal in life. Catching up with an old friend sounds like a fine choice. That said, I hope you can help me out. After all, I'm so weak right now that a gust of wind could scatter me."
"That wouldn't be out of the question." Anbaixiu didn't mind doing a favor—not just for this heroic spirit, but for the elves as well.
Seeing the heroic spirit of his old friend, the old elven king would have to offer Anbaixiu some gratitude at the very least.
Speaking of which, Anbaixiu suddenly remembered something and said to Arthur Ryan, "I can't get in touch with your old friend right away, but I do happen to know your great-grandniece, removed by who knows how many generations. Would you like to chat with her?"
"Huh?" Arthur Ryan was completely baffled by Anbaixiu's words. In his memory, he was still an unmarried youth in the prime of his life. How on earth did he suddenly have a great-grandniece separated by countless generations?
Arthur Ryan hesitated, then said, "Maybe... forget it. After all, I'm not the true Arthur Ryan. Springing a family reunion on someone out of nowhere would be rather impolite."
Truly worthy of being the legendary Saint King. The man was actually remarkably decent.
Anbaixiu had originally looked forward to seeing Rose of Decay's shocked reaction as she cried out "Grandfather!", but now he'd have to tell her himself.
Anbaixiu fetched a pile of history books from his private dimensional pocket and dumped them onto Arthur Ryan, letting him catch up on the major events of the past millennium on his own.
Then Anbaixiu picked up his Necrotic Codex and sent a message to the group chat: [Ultraman Tiga: Friends, is anyone here well-versed in Ryan's history? There are a few things I'd like to consult you about.]
A moment later, Heji Stone the vampire replied first as usual. That short dwarf of a vampire was probably idling about every day just waiting for someone to chat with.
[Dislikes Humans: Me! I know Ryan's history inside and out.]
[Ultraman Tiga: I mean real history, not wild rumors and gossip.]
[Dislikes Humans: Bah! You're the one who likes wild rumors! I'm a respectable historian! I've published hundreds of papers in Legendary Spells!]
Anbaixiu was somewhat shocked. You truly couldn't judge a book by its cover. He quickly praised: [Ultraman Tiga: Impressive, truly impressive. A renowned scholar whose published works stand as tall as himself!]
At that moment, Headless Bro jumped in with a string of laughter: [Crown of the Headless Horseman: Hahahahaha! 'Works stand as tall as himself'... Hahaha... Dwarves really do have a unique advantage in that department.]
[Dislikes Humans: *******! Gareth, let's duel! See if I don't slap a pig's head onto your neck!]
[Crown of the Headless Horseman: I wasn't even the one mocking your height. I was merely explaining the punchline.]
[Ultraman Tiga: Gareth, don't go slandering me; I meant nothing of the sort. No joke, I genuinely have some questions to ask.]
[Dislikes Humans: Twenty thousand gold coins per question. That's my standard fee. For a friend, I'll give you a two percent discount.]
[Ultraman Tiga: Too much. Thanks, never mind then, I'll look it up myself.]
[Dislikes Humans: Hey, hey, you just made hundreds of millions off the elves!]
[Ultraman Tiga: Having money doesn't mean squandering it. Besides, how do I know if you're worth that price? How about you give me two free questions so I can test your expertise first?]
[Dislikes Humans: One. One free question.]
Anbaixiu thought for a moment and asked: [Ultraman Tiga: Do you know Arthur Ryan's origins?]
[Dislikes Humans: Haha, you've definitely asked the right person! While rumors in the Ryan Empire claim Arthur Ryan came from noble stock, my research proves that no such noble lineage existed before the founding of the empire. There isn't a shred of evidence supporting their supposed family history before the nation was established. It's guaranteed to be complete fabrication by the Ryan Empire, likely meant to glorify the founding emperor. My assessment is that Arthur Ryan was either a slave or, at best, a commoner.]
Anbaixiu was somewhat surprised. This vampire actually had real substance! Anbaixiu had only learned about the Ryan Empire's historical fabrication directly from Arthur Ryan himself, yet Heji Stone had already deduced it through textual research.
[Ultraman Tiga: You truly do have skill. Then for the second question: Arthur Ryan's mentor was an orc paladin, so why is Ryan's racial discrimination so severe today?]
[Dislikes Humans: First off, this question requires payment. Secondly, who told you Arthur Ryan's mentor was an orc? Where on earth did you get such a rumor? That's beyond wild!]
Anbaixiu chuckled and sent back: [Ultraman Tiga: You don't even know that? Never mind then.]
It seemed the vampire had indeed done research, but only so much; he probably couldn't answer this question either.
Heji Stone was so riled up by Anbaixiu that he scribbled furiously, sending several lines of "*******", before demanding: [Dislikes Humans: Where on earth did you read that wild rumor?!]
[Ultraman Tiga: Arthur Ryan told me himself.]
[Dislikes Humans: *******! Will your bones rust if you don't brag every time you open your mouth?!]
Anbaixiu felt helpless. Heji Stone's misunderstanding of him ran far too deep. When had he ever lied in the group chat? He could only explain: [Ultraman Tiga: Look at you, always holding prejudices against me. Last time, when I said the Elven Queen paid out of her own pocket to work for me, you didn't believe it. The time before that, when I said I went to the Ryan imperial capital and paladins kowtowed and handed over gold, you didn't believe it either. In the end, didn't all of that turn out to be true? I've never lied to you, so why won't you believe me?]
[Dislikes Humans: Everyone, take a look at this! Does anything he says sound like human speech?!]
[Pale Little Skeleton: Are you stupid? He's a lich. Jealousy has turned you ugly beyond recognition.]
[Crown of the Headless Horseman: Exactly! My wife is right!]
Rebuked mercilessly, Heji Stone felt his dignity sorely wounded and raged: [Dislikes Humans: Can't you people look at what he's actually saying?! How many years has Arthur Ryan been dead? He ascended to the divine realm ages ago! Chatting with him? If this turns out to be true, I'll twist off my own head and stick it onto Gareth's neck!]
Anbaixiu was just pondering whether he should record a video with Arthur Ryan and upload it to the group chat so Gareth could get a new head.
Before he could take action, however, the senior veteran who usually lurked in silence, [Mute], came online.
[Mute: I can confirm that what he said is true. This Arthur Ryan was dug out of a seventeen-hundred-year-old seal by us. He is merely a heroic spirit, however.]
An awkward silence fell.
Had anyone else said it, Heji Stone would have dared to argue back, but this Senior Mute was an acquaintance of the President. In all his time in the Elegy Poetry Society, Heji Stone had never even seen the President, only discovering that the President truly existed when he got muted last time.
Still, how could Arthur Ryan have ended up sealed as a heroic spirit? Then what kind of creature was the Arthur Ryan who founded the empire? Heji Stone felt a secret capable of upending the entire continent lying right before his eyes, waiting to be uncovered. Once revealed, the truth would surely stun everyone.
Just then, Gareth struck a follow-up blow: [Crown of the Headless Horseman: Are you delivering your head yourself, or should I come pick it up?]
Heji Stone: ...
Anbaixiu was a decent soul and couldn't bear to watch a fellow group member get tormented: [Ultraman Tiga: Gareth, everyone was joking. How could he actually rip his head off and deliver it to you? The sizes wouldn't even match. Let's get to the point. The Arthur Ryan that Senior Mute and I dug up has incomplete memories, and much of what he told me contradicts Ryan's official history. I can't quite understand when Ryan began degenerating into extreme racism. If we can figure this out, we might be able to take action against Ryan.]
Anbaixiu's words gave Heji Stone a sigh of relief. The lich hadn't kicked him while he was down. Had he misunderstood the fellow earlier? Perhaps this lich didn't show off just to target him every single day after all.
[Dislikes Humans: Good brother, what do you want to do to Ryan?]
Heh, "good brother" already.
Anbaixiu replied: [Ultraman Tiga: Ryan looks poised to unify the continent right now. How could we undead ever live in peace under that? I was wondering if we could get them to reclaim their founding ancestor Arthur Ryan's universal love, so they stop making trouble for us undead every single day.]
The group members all thought Anbaixiu made great sense. Although everyone in the chat could be considered powerful figures in their own right—not the bottom-dwelling undead who hid in basements eating rats—who among them wasn't afraid of Ryan's paladins?
[Dislikes Humans: Don't worry, you have my full support. I remember someone did research on this, documenting the yearly shifts in Ryan's racial policies. I'll go dig it up. Good brother, if there's a chance, could you let me chat with Arthur Ryan's heroic spirit?]
[Ultraman Tiga: Of course, good brother. Two hundred thousand gold coins per question. For a good brother, I'll give you a two percent discount.]
Heji Stone: ...
There was no misunderstanding at all! This lich was deliberately targeting him!
Regardless of what Heji Stone thought, Anbaixiu waited for quite a while without seeing Rose of Decay appear. When it came to topics concerning Ryan, there was no way she wouldn't participate.
He tried sending her a private message, but still received no reply.
Something was wrong. What was keeping her so busy?
Chapter 190