Mengge Grayriver was a name that had once merely been notable in the Raging Tide Kingdom, but like most notable figures throughout history, he normally would have been quickly forgotten once dead.
Yet this Mengge Grayriver was different, for the Raging Tide Kingdom had erected a monument in his honor.
This made Melina's inquiries exceedingly easy.
As a man of merit, Mengge Grayriver's life story was carved into the monument's inscription, turning it into something of a local attraction. When Melina pretended to tour Storm City, someone had even taken the initiative to guide her here to view the stele and introduce her to this fallen hero.
Consequently, Melina gathered the crucial information without the slightest effort.
Originally, the king had betrothed Princess Ariel to Mengge Grayriver, but the hero died unexpectedly before the wedding day arrived. According to the traditions of the Raging Tide Kingdom, regardless of whether the ceremony had taken place, so long as Ariel swore an oath to the storm affirming her willingness to marry Mengge Grayriver, she could become his widow—a recognized marital reality under the kingdom's laws.
Thus, all Ariel had to do was nod, and she would be a widow, freed from worrying about Aeolus's proposal.
However, after Mengge Grayriver's death, the king never brought up the marriage decree again, and Ariel never completed the ritual. Many believed she was unwilling to dedicate her entire life to a dead man.
This was only natural. Even if he had been a national hero, the kingdom's sole heir could not remain a widow forever; who would inherit the throne of the Raging Tide Kingdom then?
Yet after Mengge Grayriver died, Ariel threw herself headfirst into an ocean of state affairs, never uttering a word about anything related to marriage. Everyone assumed she was simply overwhelmed with grief and would probably take a few more years to recover. But by then, she would be in her early thirties—an age considered practically ancient for an unwed woman in the Raging Tide Kingdom.
In any case, everyone worried over Princess Ariel's marriage. After all, she was the first royal in the history of the Raging Tide Kingdom who genuinely cared for the common folk, and her prestige now surpassed even that of her father.
This made gathering intelligence just as effortless for Melina; asking a few random people yielded an abundance of gossip about Ariel.
When Melina compiled this information and laid it all before the Rose of Decay, the Undead Queen's brow furrowed tightly.
Melina said worriedly, "Mother, now that Mengge Grayriver is dead, doesn't that make things complicated? Princess Ariel can't marry a dead man, so won't she still be pestered by that Aeolus?"
The Rose of Decay nodded. "There are complications, but not the ones you're thinking of. You might not realize it, but in the eyes of the living, a dead man is often far harder to forget. No matter what Aeolus does, he can never defeat a rival who lives only in memory..."
Human memory was a peculiar thing, constantly and unconsciously embellishing what once existed, romanticizing and perfecting it without realizing it. A hero encountered in one's youth, once dead, remained indelibly etched in the heart.
The Rose of Decay herself had once been an admirer of Holy King Arthur Ryan, until later... Even now, having grown to despise the name Ryan, she still harbored a shred of respect for that ancient ancestor.
Presumably, Ariel was no different. To finally have a hero worthy of being her husband, only for him to die suddenly—the shock would magnify Mengge Grayriver's stature indefinitely, leaving no room for anyone else in her eyes.
That was a good thing in a way; at least Ariel possessed a thick emotional wall that outsiders could hardly breach. But another problem remained: Mengge Grayriver was dead after all, and there was no telling how long that protective shield would last.
The culture of the Raging Tide Kingdom placed little emphasis on lifelong fidelity; widows and widowers remarrying was commonplace. Thus, there was no absolute guarantee that Ariel wouldn't eventually marry Aeolus.
After listening to the Rose of Decay's explanation, Melina said with partial understanding, "So, if Mengge Grayriver could come back to life, the problem would be solved?"
"You want to raise him as undead?" the Rose of Decay replied. "After this long, his soul has either ascended to a divine realm or descended into Hell. It was lost to us long ago."
Melina sighed regretfully. "That's true. Ah, if Father were here, he'd probably have a way, wouldn't he?"
Whenever she encountered a dilemma, Melina subconsciously turned to Anbaixiu; in her heart, he was practically omniscient and omnipotent.
The Rose of Decay was just about to say there was no need to bother that busybody over such a minor matter, when a thought suddenly struck her. She picked up a sheet of documents from the table and examined it closely.
It contained Mengge Grayriver's life history, transcribed in detail from the monument's inscription.
After studying it for a good while, the Rose of Decay murmured in confusion, "Why does this Mengge Grayriver look so much like one of your father's false identities?"
Melina gasped. "Huh?! Mengge Grayriver is Father? But he's dead—wait, did he turn into a lich after dying?"
The Rose of Decay gave Melina a look and sighed. "How long has Mengge Grayriver been dead, and how many years has your father been a lich? The timeline doesn't match at all."
Melina chose to keep her mouth shut. Feeling her brain grinding to a halt, she figured it was best just to listen to her mother.
Pointing at the parchment, the Rose of Decay said, "Look at what's recorded here. Mengge Grayriver was an orphan with unknown parents—that fits your father's habit with fake identities to a tee. Next, he rose to prominence in middle age and climbed through the navy ranks at astonishing speed. Yet according to records, Mengge Grayriver had no real, commendable battle exploits to his name and was no match at all for the Silent Night Pirates.
"Something is very wrong here. How does someone get promoted without merits? Unless, like your father, he possessed a silver tongue blessed by the gods themselves.
"Now look at this final section. Mengge Grayriver reached an understanding with the Silent Night Pirates, resolving a menace that had plagued the Raging Tide Kingdom for years. While I don't know the exact details, your father mentioned that he personally struck a deal with Aige."
Anbaixiu was usually a very low-key individual. Unless he was swindling someone, he never bragged about his great achievements to others, lest it breed wariness and resistance, making it harder to fleece them next time.
Only when he scammed Ryan would he report it to the Rose of Decay as a political accomplishment, ensuring the Undead Queen kept funding him.
Aside from that, Anbaixiu rarely mentioned the specifics regarding the Silent Night Pirates and the Raging Tide Kingdom to unrelated parties. Tricks of deceit were limited in variety; expose too many of them, and it became hard to come up with new ones later.
Because of this, the Rose of Decay hadn't realized at first that Mengge Grayriver was Anbaixiu's disguise. But the more she examined it, the more suspicious it looked—weren't these methods unmistakably that fellow's signature style?
Infiltrate a kingdom, climb into a high-ranking position, package the entire kingdom up for sale, and leave the victims happily counting his money for him.
The Silvermoon High Court had been like this; the Dwarf Kingdom had been like this; and even the Emerald Dream Forest seemed to have fallen prey to his schemes... Such familiar maneuvers, such familiar results. The Rose of Decay did not believe there was a second swindler in this world capable of pulling off such brilliant nation-stealing tricks.
Melina nodded repeatedly. Though she hadn't thought it through deeply, she wholeheartedly agreed with the Rose of Decay's assessment: the greatest swindler in the world was her father, bar none.
To deceive an entire kingdom yet still leave behind the legacy of a revered hero could only be the work of her father. After all, he had repeatedly swindled even goddesses; what was a mere Raging Tide Kingdom compared to that?
Although these were all deductions, verifying them was simple enough. The Rose of Decay opened her portable magic mirror, and Anbaixiu's figure appeared upon its surface.
"Why contact me out of the blue? Did something unexpected happen over in the Raging Tide Kingdom?" Anbaixiu asked curiously.
The Rose of Decay asked, "Is Mengge Grayriver your false identity?"
In the mirror, Anbaixiu fell silent for a good while before saying somewhat awkwardly, "Ah, you found out. My apologies, that indeed happens to be one of my alter egos. I did a bit of business in the Raging Tide Kingdom."
Hearing this, Melina cheered, "Wonderful! Then as long as you keep playing Mengge Grayriver, Father, the problem is solved! Can't Princess Ariel just marry you?"
Anbaixiu stared blankly at Melina. What was this silly girl talking about?
The Rose of Decay also looked at her foolish daughter exasperatedly. Did she have any clue what she was even saying?
Turning back to Anbaixiu, the Rose of Decay said, "Alright, I understand. I'll handle the situation here. Have you and Aige reached your destination?"
Anbaixiu hastily changed the subject and told her, "We were delayed a bit at Gold Coin Island, so I just set off with Aige. Things are looking a bit strange. Aige mentioned that the fighting among the fishmen seems to be intensifying. We can't confirm the cause yet, but we suspect it has to do with the banishment of the Unholy Hymn."
"The banishment of the Kingdom of the Unholy Hymn?" the Rose of Decay asked in puzzlement. "It shouldn't be about the kingdom itself, but rather that once it departed, its territory turned into open sea, right? New waters mean new territory—are these fishmen fighting over new living space?"
Anbaixiu nodded. "That's roughly it, though divine shadows linger behind this conflict. We're currently investigating which specific gods among the sea deities entered the fray. It probably won't be resolved easily."
The Rose of Decay nodded. "Tend to your business. Leave the Raging Tide Kingdom to me."
"Thank you. With you there, my mind is at ease."
Anbaixiu was delighted to partner with someone as sharp as the Rose of Decay. The Elegy Poetry Society was full of either unfathomably enigmatic powerhouses or useless clowns like Heji Stone.
Only the Rose of Decay was a worry-free partner who delivered the greatest returns.
Once the communication was terminated, the Rose of Decay turned to Melina. "Did you forget what I told you? Listen more, think more, speak less."
Melina hastily clamped her mouth shut. Although she had no idea what she had said wrong, she knew better than to upset her mother; the dark magic around her was practically on the verge of erupting.
Having scolded her outspoken daughter, the Rose of Decay pondered how to use the persona of Mengge Grayriver to solve the problem. Was she really going to have to help him take a wife?
Chapter 411