Anbaixiu wasn't particularly keen on meddling in someone else's domestic affairs, but Headless Bro was here as a guest, so reason and courtesy dictated that he offer a few words of caution. Once the patrons were happily sipping their free drinks, Anbaixiu finally pushed through the crowd to Headless Bro's side.
"Yo, Brother Tiga! You here for a drink too?" Headless Bro enthusiastically slung an arm around Anbaixiu's shoulders and introduced him to the lion-like female orc beside them. "This is my brother."
The female orc assumed a bashful expression and said to Anbaixiu, "Master Tiga Ultraman, I've heard your name. Last time you were here, you swindled several thousand gold coins from a Ryan Empire paladin in just three sentences. Such skill is truly admirable. I'm the owner of this tavern, Ona Hellfire."
*Hellfire*—Anbaixiu seemed to have heard the surname before; it was likely a rather renowned clan among the orcs.
*Sure enough, another wealthy lady.*
Anbaixiu politely greeted the tavern owner, then pulled Headless Bro aside to sit down, asking in a low voice, "Big Brother, what have you been up to these past few days? You're a married man!"
Headless Bro let out a liquor-scented burp and said nonchalantly, "What of it? I didn't do anything. I just came for a drink. Can't a married man go out for a drink? By the God of Undead, I don't even have a head—do I not even have the right to have a drink?"
"Just a drink? You've had drinks with that female orc until her eyes are practically dripping honey at you!"
Anbaixiu didn't believe for a second it was just drinking. Anyone who wasn't blind could tell that Lady Ona Hellfire wanted nothing more than to devour Headless Bro whole.
"Ona... she's a good woman, but I only see her as a sister."
What a classic scumbag line. Back before Anbaixiu transmigrated, anyone who said something like that would easily end up stabbed to death with a kitchen knife.
"Gareth, I have no problem with your love life, but consider this: if your wife finds out, it could very well provoke a war."
Dealing with the wrath of the bone dragon heiress would require the City of Alchemy's full effort. With the slightest misstep, half the city would be reduced to ruins, and Anbaixiu's own territory might go up in ashes along with it.
Hearing Anbaixiu bring up his wife, Headless Bro poured himself another cup of liquor and sighed with emotion. "I'm starting to think this marriage might have been a mistake."
Anbaixiu offered no reply. This was simply not a subject he could weigh in on.
After transforming into a lich, Anbaixiu's heart had ceased to beat, let alone secrete the kinds of hormones that influenced thought. Under the erosion of centuries, his past romantic experiences had faded into faint impressions. Forsaking joy, anger, sorrow, and delight in exchange for lonely immortality was not necessarily a bad trade, but Anbaixiu was gradually feeling its side effects. Just like right now, he could only stand as an onlooker, analyzing everything purely through logic.
Anbaixiu couldn't even comprehend the dynamic between Headless Bro and his bone dragon wife. Not only were they both undead, but the disparity in species and physical size was enormous. For them to get married—one could only say love truly worked in mysterious ways.
Perhaps there was an untold story between the two of them.
Before Headless Bro could complain about his married life to Anbaixiu, however, the tavern door was suddenly pushed open. A man clad in a gold-and-red robe walked in, followed by two all-metal constructs—golem puppets of the City of Alchemy.
At the sight of the man's attire, everyone in the tavern set down their cups and stared at him nervously.
That gold-and-red robe belonged to an administrator of the City of Alchemy.
Thanks to the Alchemists' Council's dedication to academic pursuits, the administrative structure of the City of Alchemy was remarkably simple. From top to bottom, there were only two ranks: Council members and administrators, all of whom were alchemists.
Administrators oversaw all practical affairs—civilian livelihoods, administration, military matters, the law, and everything in between. Only their insiders could likely tell who managed which division; to outsiders, they all looked the same, with no discernible difference whatsoever. Yet the people of the City of Alchemy shared a common consensus about administrators: their appearance was never a good sign.
Alchemists preferred hiding in their laboratories, tinkering with their bottles and jars. Whenever they went out on official business, they wore stiff scowls, looking as if the entire world owed them millions of gold coins. Unless forced by absolute necessity, administrators would rather operate golem puppets remotely than show their faces in public.
Now, this administrator had strode into the tavern with a sullen, dark face. Clearly, a matter of great trouble required his personal intervention.
Ninety percent of the patrons present were adventurers, and ninety percent of adventurers had broken rules and laws at some point. Thus, seeing an administrator appear, everyone grew tense, terrified that he was coming after them. Two drow had already quietly edged toward a window upon spotting him, preparing to climb out.
With his chin held high, the administrator paid no mind to the patrons' gazes. He marched straight to the bar, produced two bottles of magical potions, and said to the orc bartender, "I am here today to investigate a disappearance. The bottle on the left is a potent truth serum; drinking it may cause brain damage and turn you into an idiot. The bottle on the right is a lie-detector potion; after drinking it, if you lie, your internal organs will be corroded away. Pick one and drink it down."
The orc bartender looked at the two strangely colored potions and turned to his boss for help.
Ona Hellfire stood up, walked over to the administrator, and said in a placating tone, "My lord, we have always run a legitimate business. Whatever you wish to investigate, simply ask and we will surely cooperate. There is no need for such extreme interrogation methods."
The administrator only reached Ona's shoulders, yet facing this lion-like female orc, he remained completely indifferent.
"This is a diplomatic matter formally raised by the Ryan Empire, concerning diplomatic relations between our two nations. There is no room for leniency. Choose one and drink, or I will throw you all into prison on charges of failing to cooperate with an administrator's investigation."
The administrator spoke with absolute finality, making Ona's ferocious face scowl tightly.
Headless Bro set down his cup and asked the tavern owner, "Ona, need a hand?"
Ona offered Headless Bro a gentle smile and said, "It's fine, Gareth. I can handle it."
Headless Bro gave a helpless shrug, while Anbaixiu breathed a sigh of relief.
This administrator was quite lucky; he had come within an inch of being hammered into meat paste.
Ona said to the orc bartender, "Speak the truth. Hide nothing." That was her telling him to pick the lie-detector potion—so long as he didn't lie, nothing should go wrong.
The bartender felt helpless, but he could only grit his teeth and drink down the lie-detector potion.
Only after he finished it did the administrator speak up to ask, "A few days ago, did a paladin named Alan Watson come here?"
Hearing this question, Anbaixiu set down his drink as well.
*Diplomatic maneuvers? So that's how you want to play it?*
Chapter 44