This Lich is a Better Landlord Chapter 10

The old City of Alchemy had been the continent's wealthiest metropolis. The people who lived here carried themselves with a certain pride. Even a worker tightening screws on an alchemical factory assembly line would walk with their head held high.

When they encountered an "outsider" like Ambrose, their gaze would invariably hold a hint of arrogance, as if they were looking at a country bumpkin who had come to the great city to mooch.

But today seemed different. The pedestrians on the street walked with their heads slightly bowed. There was no one standing around chatting on the roadside. Everyone hurried along, seemingly without a moment to spare.

The shops on both sides of the street, which should have been bustling with activity, were now mostly shuttered. Many had "For Rent" signs posted on them.

"Is the City of Alchemy really going bankrupt?"

Ambrose thought back. It had been about two years since he became a lich. It was around that time that the prices of various magical materials began to rise sharply, and their export volume plummeted.

In just two years, had the city's economy deteriorated this badly? No wonder they were hiking taxes so heavily. They were probably on the brink of collapse.

Ambrose was in no mood for sightseeing. He headed straight for the tower that looked like a pile of green dung. Due to its resemblance to the byproduct of a failed healing potion, the locals called it the "Tower of Green Healing."

Ugliness was the tower's exterior, but its interior was remarkably stylish.

Unable to change the towers' appearance, the alchemists of Alchemia had poured all their efforts into making the interior decorations understated yet luxurious, filled with elegance and artistry. It had, ironically, turned the seven ugly towers into a unique feature of the city.

But on closer inspection, the service staff inside were mostly listless. Some shops were closed, and there was even trash left in the corners of the floor—a floor they used to keep polished to a mirror shine.

Feeling more and more certain that something was seriously wrong with the city, Ambrose didn't linger. He went directly to the section selling magical seeds.

Ambrose was here to buy seeds today. He needed to prepare crops for his soon-to-arrive subjects. But since this was farming on a lich's land, he needed some special seeds, the kind that could only be found in this dung-heap of a tower.

Humans needed a large amount of food to survive, and farming had always been the most important productive activity. Thus, the City of Alchemy had also developed many enchanted seeds with different effects. There were oats that grew and could be harvested rapidly, beets sweeter than sugarcane, and potatoes so drought-resistant they could be grown even in the desert.

Although most of them could only be planted once, with subsequent harvests rapidly losing their enchanted properties, this was perfect for a dirt-poor lord like Ambrose. He wanted to stabilize his new populace and help them adapt to their new home as quickly as possible. Grains that were easy to plant and quick to mature were the most suitable choice.

Unfortunately, Ambrose knew nothing about farming. Otherwise, he would have just ordered them via a magic crow. It was precisely because of his ignorance that he needed to come in person and consult the staff.

Ambrose browsed for a while and found that no matter the type, every enchanted seed was praised as if it were the best in the world, as if it could yield a bountiful harvest even if planted in mid-air.

This was the trouble with being a layman. Ambrose didn't know any friends who understood farming, so he could only pick a few types to try. But when he asked about the price, the pleasantly smiling attendant quoted him a figure that left him stunned.

"What? A hundred gold coins? That's robbery!"

Two bags of fast-growing enchanted seeds for a hundred gold coins. That amount of money could buy enough of the cheapest low-grade grain to feed several hundred people for a year. The price was nearly five times what it used to be.

The attendant's smile vanished. "How is that expensive?" she said coolly. "It's been this price since last year, and we haven't even raised it this year. Don't make things up."

"Besides, our enchanted seeds aren't made from cheap materials. They're genuine, high-quality goods. This price is already a bargain. If you can't afford it, maybe you should reflect on your own problems."

Ambrose, expressionless, reached out a finger and flicked the magic bell on the counter.

A wisp of smoke emerged from the bell, coalescing into a tiny humanoid figure that spoke in a formulaic tone, "Bell Spirit No. 996 at your service. How may I..."

Before the spirit could finish, Ambrose cut in. "A complaint. Poor attitude."

The attendant heard this and immediately grew agitated, trying to explain herself.

But Ambrose gave her no chance. He turned and walked away, hearing the spirit say behind him, "Customer complaint filed. Resolution not obtained. Thirty percent of this month's wages will be deducted."

Hiss. A thirty percent deduction!

It seemed the City of Alchemy really was desperate.

Ambrose left the tower with a heavy heart. He was starting to worry. The prices in the city had skyrocketed to a terrifying degree. The Living Quicksilver Solution he had ordered earlier probably wouldn't be had for twenty thousand gold coins.

Should he cancel the deposit?

No, absolutely not.

The mere thought of a refund made Ambrose physically ill. He would absolutely not get a refund, and he would absolutely not take a loss.

Ambrose decided not to wait for delivery. He would go pick it up himself.

Leaving the Tower of Green Healing, Ambrose made his way to another tower, a black one that resembled a mangled corpse. This form was the most common result of a failed bio-alchemy experiment, where the test subject would be blown into a charred, indescribable mess.

But because it was so classic, one look was enough to know this was the place for bio-alchemy.

He entered the main doors, went straight to the most luxurious hall, and found an attendant dozing off at the counter.

Ambrose got straight to the point. "I placed an order yesterday. One bottle of Living Quicksilver Solution. I'm here to pick it up."

The attendant checked the records. "Ah, found it. One bottle of Living Quicksilver Solution. The price is thirty thousand gold coins. Will that be cash or a credit note?"

"How much?!" Ambrose asked in disbelief.

"Thirty thousand gold coins," the attendant repeated.

"Wasn't it only eighteen thousand before?"

"That was last year's price," the attendant said flatly. She was beginning to think this customer couldn't afford it, and her attitude soured instantly.

Ambrose had been thinking he could make a small profit. Now he was facing a ten-thousand-gold loss. How could he tolerate that?

"Can't you give me a discount?" Ambrose asked.

"A discount is impossible. The price will probably go up again soon."

Ambrose found this strange. "If you keep raising prices, won't you lose even more money if you can't sell anything?"

Hearing this, the attendant leaned in and said conspiratorially, "It's not that there are no discounts, it's just..."

This piqued Ambrose's interest. "How much with the discount?" he asked eagerly.

"Only five hundred gold coins."

Ambrose was floored. This wasn't a discount, this was selling counterfeit goods, wasn't it?