The notion of a benevolent lich has always been a mere fantasy, a fabrication often conjured in stories, especially considering the overwhelming prevalence of malevolent liches. These tales are often crafted by storytellers eager to capture attention, distorting the truth in the process.
The very nature of a lich, tied to their undead existence, makes it impossible for them to ever be accepted by human society. Seven out of ten humans openly disdain liches, while for liches themselves, it is the realization that even a dog may look down upon them.
No matter how much of their humanity remains, the transformation into an undead being subtly, yet inexorably, alters their senses and thoughts. Over time, they lose all human perspective, becoming an entirely different species.
For a lich, who has achieved immortality and wields tremendous magical power, mortals are little more than dogs—creatures of a lower order.
Make no mistake, most liches hold all living beings in equal disdain, including other lowly undead. Skeleton servants, in their eyes, are nothing but tools, scarcely better than dogs.
Only those with wisdom or strength comparable to theirs earn their respect.
Devoid of earthly desires, a lich's thoughts are bound to an absolute rationality, with only the most intense emotions from their previous life lingering. These emotions are like a bright moon in the night sky, a cinnabar mark in a dream, or perhaps the single piece of chocolate that retains flavor amidst a bitter world.
The taste, when recalled, is often a bitter one.
Thus, many liches maintain an appearance of cold, logical detachment, only to descend into madness at critical moments.
Amber Xiu had not been a lich for long, and the remnants of his humanity were still more pronounced. His most intense emotion, one that never faded, was his hatred for poverty.
It was not the love of wealth, but the abhorrence of being impoverished, of that feeling of helplessness when one desires to prolong their life but lacks the funds to do so.
Amber Xiu sought the freedom to buy whatever he wished, not the accumulation of wealth in anticipation of adventurers stealing his gold.
Thus, when withered roses made an outrageous demand, yet truly offered money, Amber Xiu did not hesitate to agree.
"Add more money, no shortage of funds, a deposit in advance..." These terms were like spells cast on Amber Xiu, each one enough to shake his very soul.
Isabelle, however, was unaware of these things, and could only hope for the best, wishing that not all fairy tales were lies.
Amber Xiu sensed Isabelle's changing emotions, but paid them no mind. He had fully immersed himself in his work. First, he began studying the materials sent by Withered Rose. The moment he laid eyes on them, Amber Xiu knew something was off.
It was not that the materials were scant—on the contrary, they were far too detailed. The level of detail suggested these materials had not been gathered from external sources, but rather seemed to have been provided by an insider within the Ryan Empire, someone with a high-ranking position.
The materials listed over three hundred defensive spells, detailing their locations, coverage areas, and even the personnel responsible for maintaining the magical arrays.
If the information was accurate, this alone could be used to expose the Ryan Empire and make a fortune.
"Such extravagance," Amber Xiu murmured.
Though this intelligence was valuable, he had no intention of betraying Withered Rose.
The consequences of doing so would likely result in his own demise; the Ryan Empire would never believe Amber Xiu had not copied the records.
And indeed, he would copy them.
Perhaps, in the future, he could sell them to the High Mountain Dwarves of Thunder Fortress, who loathed the Ryan Empire with a passion.
Amber Xiu carefully examined the magical array information. The more he studied it, the more he realized the immense profit from this deal. Some of the magical structures left him in awe—he had no idea defensive arrays could function in such ways. Once he saved up some money, the magical traps in the castle could be fully upgraded.
Lost in the documents, Amber Xiu lost track of time, until a carriage arrived at the castle gate just before dawn.
He spoke to Isabelle, who was dozing off, "Your brother has returned."
Isabelle was instantly awake. After taking a calming potion the night before, she had relaxed, growing bored and falling asleep at the table.
To sleep in front of a lich—it was surprising even to her.
Hearing the news of her brother's return, Isabelle anxiously asked, "Lich Lord, may I meet Raul?"
"I am letting you meet him; otherwise, why would I have woken you? Wait, what's this?" Amber Xiu waved his hand, and a halo of light emerged from his fingers, projecting an image of the castle gate.
Raul, looking exhausted, was unloading a bloody corpse from the carriage.
Isabelle could not help but scream, then immediately covered her mouth in shock.
She had never seen such a horrifying sight. The carriage was filled with bodies, some disemboweled, others with slit throats or severed heads—each victim had met a gruesome end.
Raul, expressionless, continued to carry the bodies as if numb to the carnage.
"Raul..." Isabelle could hardly believe that her own brother was responsible for such atrocities.
Amber Xiu was equally shocked. He teleported them both to the castle gates.
Raul was still unloading the bodies when he noticed Amber Xiu and Isabelle's arrival. Stunned for a moment, he then excitedly spoke, "I've brought the bodies back—twelve in total, more than you requested! Please, keep your promise and release my sister."
Isabelle wept uncontrollably, realizing her brother had killed twelve people in exchange for her freedom.
She knew she should not blame Raul, but seeing the bodies before her, she could not bring herself to thank him.
Raul, clutching the gemstone controller, stood ready to activate the skeletons if Amber Xiu went back on his word. Even though the chances were slim, he would fight for his sister's life.
But what neither of them expected was Amber Xiu's strange response: "I asked you to bring living people back, not a cart full of corpses. Raul, I told you to bring the fleeing commoners to my land to live, not to gather materials for me."
"What do you mean?" Raul dropped the controller in disbelief.
Amber Xiu shook his head. "What exactly did you think I meant? I clearly told you to bring the fleeing commoners. I even had your sister prepare calming potions, so they wouldn't be too agitated to listen to me."
Raul stammered, "But… but… you gave me tools for killing!"
Amber Xiu replied, "What else could I give you? Without my skeletons protecting you, wouldn't you have been caught by the lord long ago? If you wanted to save others from the lord, would you have done it with your words alone?"
Raul was left speechless, unable to respond.
Amber Xiu continued, "You barged into my land. I've set aside past grudges, healed you, and given you the power to save your people. Yet, in your eyes, I am a monster who slaughters humans. You never bothered to ask the truth because deep down, you never thought this could be a misunderstanding. Racism, humans—it's your original sin."
Raul thought back on everything and realized Amber Xiu was right. From the start, he had never harmed humans, nor had he ever been told to kill anyone. Why did everything now seem to be his fault?
Was it really his own racial prejudice that had led to all of this?
Raul turned to his sister, seeking guidance. Trembling, he asked, "Is this true?"
Isabelle had a faint sense that something was amiss but nodded and confirmed, "Lich Lord, he did prepare a lot of calming potions… for the living."
Undead creatures did not require calming potions, so Amber Xiu was indeed correct.
"Lord Lich, do you truly intend to accept us refugees? Will we be able to live in your domain?" Raul asked.
Amber Xiu nodded. "Of course, as long as you pay taxes."
End of Chapter