Using Wish to kill someone was among the most common tropes in tales passed down through the ages.
It was also the safest wish the spell could grant.
Many who wished for immense power or other lofty ambitions often found themselves trifled with by the laws of the world—saddled with side effects clinging to them, impossible to discard and impossible to undo.
Death, however, was a clean and straightforward wish. As long as one clearly specified that the target die right here and now, perhaps adding a few specific details about the manner of death, very little was likely to go awry.
The laws of the world were more than happy to resolve such problems for you.
After all, if your hatred ran so deep that you would expend a Wish just to kill someone, paying so steep a price naturally warranted a proportional return.
Yet choosing to kill the dwarf king was something Gustavo Fring simply could not wrap his head around.
What grudge did this man have against the dwarf king? Why kill him, and why rush to do it before the World Council?
"May I know the reason?" Gustavo Fring asked.
Seth Yuri smiled faintly. "Which reason do you mean? The reason Donald is working with me, or the reason I want the dwarf king dead?"
"If possible, I would like to know everything—including your identity, sir."
Gustavo Fring was simply too curious. Who on earth was this dwarf who had appeared out of nowhere, master of nature magic? An exiled scion of royalty? Was this some clichéd prince's quest for vengeance?
Seth Yuri fell silent for a moment before speaking. "It's a long story. Have you ever heard of the mountain dwarves?"
Gustavo Fring searched his memory, then replied, "A branch of ancient dwarves, wasn't it? Though I heard they went extinct long ago."
Seth Yuri shook his head. "Not extinct. I am a descendant of the Mountain Clan. We merely blended into the desert dwarf branch, yet we have always preserved our own heritage and culture. While we have little outward presence on the surface, we care far more about our faith than the desert dwarves ever did.
"We of the Mountain Clan are proud Sons of Moradin, and that has never changed.
"Back when the Dwarf Kingdom was forced by Ryan to open its borders and bring in immigrants from other races, my ancestors fiercely opposed it, only to be bloodily suppressed by the desert dwarves of that era, nearly wiping out our Mountain Clan entirely. Though we failed, we understood it was a desperate expedient for the kingdom. Ryan's threat was truly formidable. Since our resistance failed, we had no choice but to accept reality, remaining hidden within the kingdom and scraping by.
"What we never anticipated was that the Dwarf Kingdom's fall from grace began with the absorption of foreign races. Our faith ceased to be pure; some dwarves even began worshiping the gods of other races. Moradin above! How dare they commit such blasphemy?"
A furious expression came over Seth Yuri's face, making it plain that he harbored deep hatred for the dwarves of today. Faith was a peculiar thing: those who held it lightly, like Anbaixiu, could brush it off with complete indifference, while those who held it dear would readily give their all for their gods.
Seth Yuri could not stomach the defilement of the Dwarf Kingdom's faith, yet he had been too weak, and the Desert Kingdom had been too weak as well.
From the time he was born, the desert dwarves had already seemed half-dead. Seth Yuri had considered acting as an antibody to purge the kingdom's lingering toxins, but he feared that applying even slight force might plunge the realm into civil war and total destruction.
This was no boast. Seth Yuri was the leader of this generation's Mountain Clan. Even though their clan had remained in hiding for years, they could still rally an army and strike a decisive blow at a critical moment—enough to drive a blade straight into the heart of this decrepit kingdom.
Yet Seth Yuri did not seek to destroy the kingdom; he only wanted to guide it back onto the right path. Thus, even when the Dwarf Kingdom was driven out of the desert by Ryan, Seth Yuri had held back his forces.
He had been biding his time, hoping for a turning point, hoping to seize supreme authority over the realm while ensuring the kingdom survived.
Yet events had unfolded far too quickly thereafter. The terminally ill dwarf king had suddenly recovered, seizing the territory of the City of Alchemy without shedding a drop of blood and appearing reborn like a phoenix from the ashes.
Seth Yuri was both pleased and frustrated, left with no choice but to remain in the shadows.
"I originally thought I was still young and time was on my side. But I never imagined that just as I believed the Dwarf Kingdom was heading back in the right direction, I suddenly received an oracle from Moradin." Seth Yuri clenched his fists, struggling to suppress his fury. "The current dwarf king has actually turned into a vampire! To cling to life, he not only abandoned his faith, but even degenerated into an undead! It is a disgrace—the greatest disgrace our dwarf kind has ever known!"
Gustavo Fring's eyelids twitched, but he didn't show much surprise.
Seth Yuri took a deep breath and quickly regained his composure. Seeing Gustavo Fring's reaction, he asked, "It seems you knew about this long ago, Master Flynn."
Gustavo Fring answered, "I guessed as much. I've met the dwarf king a few times; many traits of a vampire are fairly easy to spot. But I have no proof, only suspicions."
Most who became legendary alchemists had worked with alchemical ingredients like 'vampire ash' and 'vampire fangs'—essential components for Invisibility Potions and foundational materials for numerous advanced alchemical concoctions.
Consequently, Gustavo Fring was deeply knowledgeable about the habits of vampires. Nor was he lying: everything prior had merely been speculation; he possessed no evidence and had never attempted to verify it.
Whether the dwarf king was a vampire made little difference to him.
Seth Yuri nodded, understanding Gustavo Fring's stance, and continued, "That is precisely why I must kill him. We cannot allow a vampire to represent dwarves at this council."
"Just for that?" Gustavo Fring was surprised, finding it somewhat baffling.
"This is hardly a trivial matter," Seth Yuri said with utmost gravity. "Imagine if the Undead Queen were to attend the World Council in Ryan's stead, determining Ryan's fate as an undead creature. How would the people of Ryan feel?"
"That's not the same. Ryan and the undead..." Gustavo Fring didn't know quite how to put it. Lacking Anbaixiu's eloquence, he knew it wasn't a fair comparison, yet struggled to encapsulate his feelings with the right words.
Seth Yuri said it for him.
"Ryan's faith is devout, and the Holy Light cannot coexist with the undead. Thus, the Undead Queen cannot represent Ryan; to them, such a thing would be worse than the fall of their kingdom. Is that what you mean?"
Gustavo Fring nodded. That was precisely it—the blood feud between Ryan and the undead was beyond counting.
"And that is precisely why he must die. Once upon a time, our dwarven faith was just as pure, brooking no desecration by foreign races."
Gustavo Fring could not empathize with Seth Yuri's lament. He had never lived through the dwarves' glorious age, nor did he know how noble their supposed faith was. Still, after assimilating multiple races, the Dwarf Kingdom truly rarely held large-scale rituals for the Dwarven Gods anymore. In that light, Seth Yuri's motivation for wanting the dwarf king dead held up.
"Still, your plan can't just be about killing him. If the dwarf king dies, the World Council won't be postponed, and you can't possibly take his throne and become the new dwarf king in a single day."
"Then we simply won't attend. Or they can send any ordinary dwarf as a representative. My only aim is to purify our faith; I don't necessarily have to become the new king. As long as the emissary is a dwarf, nothing else matters."
This approach of Seth Yuri's bore the classic hallmarks of a fanatic—disregarding personal gain purely to please a deity.
Gustavo Fring asked again, "Then why is the Goblin Bank cooperating with you?"
"Because that dwarf king was too greedy, and too cowardly. As you said, a vampire's habits can hardly be hidden completely. President Donald has met the dwarf king many times; he noticed the clues even earlier than you did. Originally, he didn't care whether the dwarf king turned into a vampire, but the dwarf king couldn't accept anyone knowing.
"Furthermore, he has long eyed the mountain of wealth deposited in the Goblin Bank. Once the dwarves withdrew from the desert, they lost their steady source of gold. That dwarf king constantly schemed to squeeze money from every angle to sustain their lavish indulgence. More than once, he has dropped heavy hints and outright demands for the Goblin Bank to surrender vast amounts of gold. If this extortion continues, even the Goblin Bank won't be able to bear it."
In the end, it was a battle over interests.
Seth Yuri fought for the interest of his god, the goblins fought for their purses, and Gustavo Fring fought for his own power and standing.
Having reached this point in the conversation, with all the necessary details laid bare, Gustavo Fring hesitated no further and gave his consent.
"Very well, I accept your invitation. If it's merely a one-time Wish, I am confident I can see it through. However, I disagree with casually sending just anyone to the World Council. This concerns the Dwarf Kingdom's interests for the next century. If you just send any random dwarf, the Alchemy Association's interests will suffer as well."
Seth Yuri furrowed his brow and explained, "Once everything settles, I will compensate you as best I can."
Gustavo Fring shook his head. "Don't tell me about how you'll compensate me after you take the throne; that's meaningless. Compared to carving up the interests of the entire world, whatever compensation the Dwarf Kingdom can offer is practically worthless. Lord Yuri, you may be a genius who commands magic and alchemy with ease, but I'm certain you have never seen mountains of gold and seas of silver.
"That is colossal wealth formed by the destinies and dreams of countless people. The taxes paid by the Alchemy Association account for a fifth of the Dwarf Kingdom's total tax revenue, and that share is constantly expanding. You cannot comprehend how staggering that figure is. Perhaps the goblin president didn't explain the details to you, but the monthly alchemist welfare expenses alone are vast enough to bankrupt the current dwarf king.
"And the World Council will determine whether the Alchemy Association can expand its market and earn even more. If negotiations succeed under optimal projections, the wealth generated by the Alchemy Association alone will surpass that of the current Dwarf Kingdom. If an ignorant dwarf is sent to negotiate and fails... is Lord Yuri prepared to hand over the entire kingdom to compensate me?"
Gustavo Fring's words genuinely took Seth Yuri by surprise.
He knew the Alchemy Association possessed tremendous influence, and that the Dwarf Kingdom's signs of economic recovery were entirely thanks to its presence; the foundation left behind by the City of Alchemy had been so substantial that they had gorged themselves on its spoils.
Yet as an outsider, it was difficult to grasp the concrete scale of the numbers.
He didn't doubt the veracity of that proportion, as any inquiry with the Goblin Bank would confirm it; nobody would lie about such matters. The question now was: how could he satisfy Gustavo Fring?
Seth Yuri was no fool. Quickly realizing what the alchemist was driving at, he asked earnestly, "Master Flynn, since you bring this up, I trust you already have a decision in mind. Why not tell me directly?"
As long as it did not desecrate dwarven faith, everything was negotiable.
Money was not something Seth Yuri cared about in the least, let alone alchemical markets.
"I've only just learned of your plan, and I have a rough idea forming... How about this: give me a few minutes to think it over, and I will tell you what I want."
"A few minutes?" Seth Yuri thought it sounded rather strange.
"Yes. For an alchemist, a few minutes is enough."
Saying that, Gustavo Fring took his leave and stepped out of the room.
Once outside the door, Gustavo Fring found that the goblin bank president was no longer there. The surroundings were silent; he was entirely alone.
Gustavo Fring took a deep breath, retrieved a coin from his magic pouch, and brought out his portable magic mirror.
"Great God of Alchemy, please answer my call. Your humble believer repents before You..."
Murmuring the humblest words of praise, after a good while, the God of Alchemy appeared on the magic mirror's surface, His face filled with perplexity.
"This is the first time you've ever repented to Me. No, wait—the number of alchemists who have ever repented to Me can be counted on one hand."
The God of Alchemy had blessed countless alchemists in His lifetime, yet most of those fellows were an ungrateful lot. They only remembered the towers He had crafted for the City of Alchemy that looked uglier than turds; not a single soul thanked Him for His aid.
For Gustavo Fring to actually repent to Him was novel enough that even the God of Alchemy found it hard to believe.
An epiphany was one thing, but could an awakening be this thorough?
Looking as though he had achieved enlightenment, Gustavo Fring said piously, "The moment I saw that subterranean magic formation, I forgot all about petty intrigues and power struggles. All I could think of was how to refine that circle, how to boost its efficiency. In that instant, I finally understood Your teachings.
"As an alchemist, one truly ought to return to the simplest, purest beginnings. My life should be spent in a laboratory; only there can I feel peace and fulfillment. Therefore, I have seen the light. I wish to dedicate everything to You to express my remorse."
The God of Alchemy said approvingly, "Very good, Flynn. You have not disappointed Me. However, I have no interest in what you possess."
The God of Alchemy held mastery over all alchemy. Stripping that away, all the Alchemy Association had left was material resources, which were useless to Him anyway.
"No, I know You would have no interest in such things, but I believe Your favored one will be deeply interested. I have secured the right to represent the Dwarf Kingdom in demanding reparations from Ryan. If that lich handles it, I believe the Alchemy Association will become an organization that truly shapes the world, and the advancement of alchemy will proceed far more smoothly."
Chapter 608