Ange Watson opened his eyes and pushed himself up from the bed.
He rubbed his temples, feeling a faint wave of exhaustion. Although the Synesthesia Dreamscape counted as sleep and thinking within it consumed far less mental energy than when awake, it was still exhausting to endure nonstop, high-intensity military exercises.
It felt like an endless dream, taking a heavy toll on his proper rest.
Still, as a paladin, he could withstand it; he would just need to lengthen his afternoon naps during the day.
Yet as he was getting out of bed, a voice of concern came from beside him: "Ange, are you alright?"
Startled, Ange Watson quickly scrambled off the bed and dropped to his knees before the speaker. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am merely a little tired."
Waiting beside Ange Watson was none other than the reigning Ryan Emperor, Price Ryan.
Ange Watson was not currently with his brothers. The Synesthesia Dreamscape could be entered regardless of distance, but neither was Ange in the imperial capital—he was stationed in the small border town where he was originally posted.
Previously, Ange's communications with his brothers had all taken place via the magic mirror Alan had given him. As the eldest brother, Ange had taken the initiative to seek his brother out for a "heart-to-heart," and had subsequently allowed himself to be "persuaded" by Alan.
Ange Watson had expressed his moral support for their cause, promising to offer assistance at crucial junctures.
Delighted, Alan had gifted him a magic mirror to facilitate contact whenever needed.
However, immediately upon receiving the magic mirror, Ange Watson had reported everything in secret to the imperial capital, becoming the emperor's trusted confidant.
As a result, the emperor had kept fully abreast of every detail concerning the subsequent Synesthesia Dreamscape drills and all of Anbaixiu's movements. Even so, this was the first time Price had slipped away from the capital in secret to visit Ange Watson in person.
By unfortunate coincidence, when the emperor arrived, Ange Watson was just about to enter the dreamscape.
The young emperor had courteously instructed Ange to carry out the scheduled exercise first so as not to arouse the lich's suspicion, choosing to wait patiently beside Ange's bed until he woke.
Looking down at the kneeling Ange Watson, Price Ryan said mildly, "There is no need for such tedious formalities. I did not come here to display imperial majesty. There are matters we need to discuss face-to-face."
Ange Watson slowly rose, maintaining an attitude of utmost deference.
"I await Your Majesty's commands at any time."
Price Ryan waved a hand for him to sit, saying warmly, "Truly, there is no need for this, Ange. From the moment you informed me about the magic mirror, I knew your loyalty to the empire. The empire is currently in grave peril. What it requires is not cumbersome, useless etiquette, but loyal and capable men like you.
"I came today to confirm a few matters with you in person. Is that lich truly preparing to seize this sea and aid his undead friend in ascending to godhood?"
Ange Watson nodded. "Your Majesty, that is indeed what the lich stated. From the very beginning, he made no secret of his objective."
Price Ryan mused, "Yet that does not match the lich's usual pattern of behavior. With an endeavor of this magnitude, is he not afraid of word leaking out?"
By now, everyone had heard the lich's name. Jolted by his string of staggering feats, many had begun digging deeply into Anbaixiu's past.
The Ryan Empire was naturally no exception; Anbaixiu was the number-one undead on their wanted list.
Once the investigation began, much of Anbaixiu's history came to light. Though he had employed numerous aliases, clues had still been uncovered.
The young emperor had already verified several identities Anbaixiu had assumed in the past, every one of them renowned. The lich's habit was never to abandon an alias until he had milked it dry.
And from this track record, it was clear that the lich had always acted with great caution, possessing a formidable sense of impending danger.
Would a man with such a temperament reveal a monumental plan to everyone?
The Kingdom of the Unholy Hymn had been exiled, so perhaps they had reasons of their own, but why would the Ryanites and elves keep his secrets?
In other words, from the moment the lich revealed this plan, he had never intended to hide it, and did not even care if others spread the word.
Price Ryan pondered aloud, "If he is merely overconfident, believing his plan cannot fail, that would be one thing. But if he deliberately disseminated this intelligence, there is bound to be a problem."
Ange Watson nodded. "Feigning weakness, or deliberately exposing one's central command to draw the enemy's attack—that is a common tactic in warfare. However, judging from these past days of military drills, I have not detected what his true plan might be. Forgive me, Your Majesty. It is my failing that I cannot relieve your burdens."
Price Ryan waved off the apology. "Think nothing of it. Had you not informed me about the magic mirror, I would never have realized that lich possessed such capability. If anything, I worry for you. Your brothers and your father are sharp men; you may not be able to keep them in the dark for long. If they discover your reports, Ange, have you considered the consequences? Can you bear their fury?"
Yet Ange Watson replied with confidence, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. I prepared for this long ago. In fact, my reporting of this intelligence was done with their approval."
Price Ryan blinked in surprise, then caught on quickly, asking, "You are playing a double agent?"
Ange Watson hastily replied, "Your Majesty, the Holy Light bears witness to my loyalty to you! I am by no means a double agent. I merely deceived Alan, claiming I intended to infiltrate the imperial capital as an undercover mole. Thus, Alan knows full well that I report intelligence, but as to what I actually say and what I leave out, neither Alan nor my father knows the specifics."
"And how much have you kept from me?" Price Ryan asked.
The young emperor looked into Ange Watson's eyes, as if seeking to peer through to his true heart.
Ange Watson answered firmly, "Nothing at all, Your Majesty. My loyalty to the empire is without a single blemish."
Price Ryan smiled. "Be at ease, I trust you. This is our Ryan tradition—we never view others with malicious suspicion. Arthur Ryan was the same in his day, which is why he was always surrounded by companions to whom he could entrust his life, be they orcs or tieflings, humans or undead. And that is precisely what I must learn from him."
Ange Watson gave the young emperor a slightly puzzled look. While the sentiment was sound, speaking the Holy King's name directly? That bordered on irreverence.
Nevertheless, that was the imperial family's private affair. Ange Watson swiftly pushed the thought aside and asked, "Your Majesty, the lich's offensive will begin very soon. If my assessment is correct, his chances of victory in this sea are exceptionally high. Are we simply to stand by and watch him achieve his goal?"
Price Ryan asked, "Oh? You truly think that highly of him? The deep sea is teeming with diverse races. On what basis do you judge that he can triumph?"
"For a very simple reason: the power at his command is simply too formidable. To say nothing of the potent undead from the Elegy Poetry Society, the undead forces he personally created are the bane of every marine race. I have never seen undead so specialized—they seem born solely for war. I dare say he does not even need other undead troops; the sheer quantity of Small Fry Mark Is alone would suffice to sweep across this sea."
During the exercises, Ange Watson had attempted to counter the undead offensives using various aquatic races, but no matter how hard he tried, defeat was almost always the outcome. His victories had been few and far between.
There was only one reason: the undead known as the Small Fry Mark I was simply too terrifying.
A tiny, finger-sized torpedo was nearly impossible to detect under normal swimming conditions, and when accelerating into a charge, it tracked its target with immense kinetic impact. Even if it missed, it could release lethal venom, poisoning living creatures across a wide area.
Worse still was the sheer number. In the drills, Anbaixiu set the count of Small Fry Mark Is in the tens of thousands every time, claiming it was to help them acclimate to real war ahead of time—as though such undead cost practically nothing to make.
If Anbaixiu truly could mass-produce these undead like arrows, what race in the sea could stand against them?
Not to mention two other new types of undead that appeared exceedingly troublesome. Ange Watson had spent days racking his brain without finding a single way to counter them. Without a doubt, the other sea races were doomed to lose.
Price Ryan then inquired, "If these new undead are so powerful, what if the lich turns to attack Ryan? Would you have a way to deal with them?"
Hearing this, Ange Watson blurted out, "Then he is doomed to defeat, Your Majesty! In the sea, individuals capable of wielding the Holy Light are exceedingly rare, leaving them completely unable to counter the power of the undead. But on land, matters are entirely different. For such fragile undead, a single Holy Light spell hurled into their midst could obliterate an entire swarm, and their lethal poison would be purified by the holy power. Even a surprise raid would pose little real threat."
This was the fundamental nature of counters. Even if Anbaixiu prepared tens of millions of Small Fry Mark Is to rain down upon Ryan's cities, it might kill a fair number of people through direct impact, but the undead venom would have little lasting effect.
The Holy Light was remarkably potent at purifying dark magic; any random cleric of light could accomplish the task.
Moreover, every city in Ryan had accumulated an immense reservoir of faith. Once unleashed, that power would form a barrier of Holy Light enveloping the entire city, vaporizing Anbaixiu's frail undead the moment they drew near.
Back when the Rose of Decay launched a surprise assault on the Ryan Imperial Capital through passages in the Underdark, she failed to take the city even at its most vulnerable moment after luring away the vast majority of Ryan's armies—all because the Holy Light was an absolute counter to the undead.
Price Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. "That is well. Our grand ambition cannot be ruined by a lich. Ange, continue keeping an eye on your brother. Alan is one of Ryan's finest talents; I truly do not wish to face him on the battlefield. We should join hands to forge an empire even more perfect than the one built by Holy King Arthur.
"When the Holy King helped the other races establish their kingdoms back then, it seemed to earn their eternal gratitude. In reality, founding independent nations was the very beginning of mutual hatred. Greed in mortal nature never fades; goodwill between nations erodes over time, until nothing remains but raw disputes over interest."
Price Ryan rose, clenching his fists. "I shall create a more perfect empire! All races and all living beings brought together under a single unified rule. From that day forth, there will be no more strife, no more mortal warfare. I will accomplish the great work that Arthur Ryan could not, forging a grand avenue of the Holy Light that reaches far beyond his!"
Ange Watson responded fervently, "Your Majesty, I shall follow you unto death!"
Chapter 433