This Lich is a Better Landlord Chapter 40

Ambrose was surprised to see the message. Hadn't the Headless Knight's wife said he wouldn't be allowed out for several years? How could he be sending him private messages?

Ambrose quickly replied: [Headless Bro? Weren't you grounded by your wife?!]

[Crown of the Headless Knight: Grounded? Don't spread rumors. It was just a small disagreement.]

[Tiga Ultraman: You can try to fool your brother, but don't fool yourself.]

[Crown of the Headless Knight: Cut the crap. I'm planning to get out and clear my head. Just tell me, is it convenient for me to stay a few days?]

Sigh. Seeing his pitiful state, Ambrose didn't have the heart to bring up the issue of rent. For once, he was generous. It was just a spare room, after all, and the undead didn't need to eat or drink.

[Tiga Ultraman: Fine, stay as long as you like.]

[Crown of the Headless Knight: Good brother. I'm on my way.]

Ambrose felt something was off, and suddenly, a flash of light appeared in the center of his laboratory.

It was the teleportation circle Ambrose had used to send the Living Quicksilver sample to the Headless Knight. This madman was planning to teleport directly here?

Ambrose hastily channeled his magic to lift the circle's restrictions.

The original circle was fine for transporting a glass bottle, but transferring a legendary powerhouse was not so simple. A miscalculation could cause the circle to explode.

After frantically lifting the restrictions, a tall figure stepped out from a great wash of deep light.

It was a giant clad in black heavy armor, several meters tall. He had to stoop to avoid breaking through the ceiling.

"Quick, Brother Ultraman, shut down the teleportation circle… no, just destroy it!" the headless giant boomed in a voice like a bronze bell. He then slammed a fist onto the circle. The impact was like an earthquake, nearly bringing Ambrose's laboratory down around him. The intricate teleportation circle was smashed to pieces, rendered completely useless.

Ambrose said, his heart aching, "Brother, calm down! My place can't handle this kind of abuse."

The Headless Knight said nonchalantly, "Brother Ultraman, your place is a bit shabby. It doesn't befit the status of a legendary lich."

Ambrose instantly cast aside the sliver of pity he had felt. "Don't compare this place to a dragon's tomb. If you don't like it, go back. Also, that teleportation circle was very expensive!"

Ambrose secretly decided to charge the Headless Knight a daily rent of two hundred gold coins to cover the repair costs.

"Don't worry, I'll pay you back double."

After saying this, the Headless Knight's giant body began to shrink, soon returning to a normal height.

Not only that, but he also produced a helmet from somewhere and fastened it onto his neck. It was clearly custom-made. Not only did it fit seamlessly with his expensive-looking enchanted breastplate, but after it was attached, the eye slits automatically lit up, as if there were eyes inside.

With the helmet on, the Headless Knight transformed into a Death Knight, with no visible flaws.

Ambrose couldn't help but say, "Isn't this a bit much? You have to wear a disguise just to run away from home? Is your wife hunting you down?"

The Headless Knight took out a small pouch, pressed it into Ambrose's hand, and said, "I left in a hurry and didn't bring a gift. Just a little something. Take it, brother."

Ambrose took a look. The pouch wasn't filled with gold coins, but with high-grade magical materials, most of which were specialties of a dragon's tomb—rare items that were priceless on the open market.

Ambrose estimated the value to be at least two to three hundred thousand gold coins.

"Brother, what are you saying? There's no need for such formalities between us. Come, let me show you around my humble abode. If you need anything at all, just say the word."

Ambrose's attitude had done a complete one-eighty. Just for these three hundred thousand gold coins' worth of magical materials, he wanted to become sworn brothers with the Headless Knight.

Fortunately, the Headless Knight wasn't picky. After a brief look at the room, he said to Ambrose, "This place isn't far from the City of Alchemy, right? I heard they have all sorts of races there, and even the undead won't be hunted if they enter the city?"

"That's right. As long as you don't start any trouble, any race can enter the City of Alchemy safely. You want to take a look around the city, brother?"

Ambrose hesitated. For the sake of several hundred thousand gold coins, he really should take the Headless Knight into the city to unwind and be a good host. But he was in the middle of a business discussion with Withered Rose. If he missed a message from his wealthy client, it would be a disaster. This was a major deal that would sustain him for years to come, worth far more than a few hundred thousand gold coins.

The Headless Knight noticed Ambrose's hesitation and didn't press him. He said magnanimously, "Don't worry about me. I'm just going for a drink, a casual stroll. You go ahead and do your thing."

What a great brother. Not only generous but also considerate. But how did a headless knight drink? Pry open the wound on his neck and pour it in?

"It's no problem for you to go to the City of Alchemy, brother. However, I suggest you change your appearance. The city doesn't refuse the undead, but if you go in looking like that, I'm afraid the entire city will go on high alert."

The Headless Knight wasn't a half-baked powerhouse like Ambrose. Every part of him radiated the aura of a true expert. And that suit of enchanted armor—even a blind man could feel the intense magical power emanating from it. It was probably an artifact-level item.

Appearing in the City of Alchemy armed to the teeth like that, he could easily be mistaken for an undead invasion force.

"Oh, that's a fair point."

The Headless Knight fiddled with a ring on his finger, and his body rapidly changed, transforming from a powerful Death Knight into an ordinary, burly human.

A ring with a permanent Polymorph spell. An incredibly extravagant piece of equipment.

It wasn't that Polymorph was a powerful spell; on the contrary, it was quite common. But the materials for enchanting items with permanent spells were very expensive. Using them for a simple Polymorph spell was, in Ambrose's opinion, as extravagant as making an ashtray out of solid gold.

Even with all his private funds gone, this Headless Knight still exuded an enviable air of wealth.

After transforming, the Headless Knight looked very ordinary, like a down-on-his-luck middle-aged adventurer. But upon closer observation, one could detect the aura of a hardened warrior that he occasionally let slip.

As expected of someone who could fight his way out of an encirclement of several thousand Ryan Empire paladins.

"Alright, I'm going for a drink by myself. Don't mind me."

The Headless Knight had probably been cooped up for too long. After saying this, he eagerly rushed out, moving so fast Ambrose didn't even have time to react.

"Just how repressed was he, to be in such a hurry for a drink? Sigh, a legendary powerhouse afraid of his wife. Marriage truly is the ultimate tomb."

Ambrose mused for only a moment before he no longer had time to worry about the Headless Knight's affairs. Withered Rose had sent a message.

[Withered Rose: I must say, the design of your Effigy is very creative. If my teacher were still here, he would be very pleased. Thank you.]

Ambrose could read a hint of sadness in her words.

[Tiga Ultraman: I'm glad you're satisfied.]

[Withered Rose: Although there are a few things that could be adjusted, I'm very satisfied with the overall design. It almost perfectly meets my requirements. However, you don't have a way to produce the Living Quicksilver Solution yourself, do you? If you want to mass-produce these Quicksilver Effigies, you'll need to order a large quantity of Living Quicksilver Solution from the City of Alchemy.]

[Tiga Ultraman: Correct. But don't worry about the cost. The City of Alchemy has counterfeit Living Quicksilver Solution that is much cheaper.]

[Withered Rose: No, you underestimate the quantity I require. I need at least one hundred thousand Quicksilver Effigies. Once you start purchasing such a large volume of Living Quicksilver Solution, the City of Alchemy will certainly notice. They could easily investigate and uncover our deal, and then the Ryan Empire would likely be forewarned.]

One hundred thousand?!

Ambrose was stunned by the number. He was planning to sell these Quicksilver Effigies for fifty thousand gold each. If he sold them all without a discount, that would be fifty billion gold coins. If the money-crazed alchemists of the City of Alchemy found out, there's no telling what they would do. That sum would be enough for the city to ignore any contract and dismantle Ambrose's castle directly.

And with that many Quicksilver Effigies, was Withered Rose actually planning to go to war with the Ryan Empire? That would be a war she was destined to lose.

[Tiga Ultraman: Then it's indeed impossible. I can't order that much Living Quicksilver. I'll have to try breeding them myself. The Quicksilver Effigy is a complete species with the ability to reproduce on its own, though it will take a long time and require a large amount of metal.]

[Withered Rose: Correct. That's what I was thinking as well. Time is not an issue. I will help you solve the problem of their metal feed.]

[Tiga Ultraman: Using teleportation circles to move a low-value commodity like metal would be very costly. And ordering large quantities of ore would also be easily noticed by the City of Alchemy.]

Magic was omnipotent in some ways, but cost could not be ignored. It was fine for valuable items, but using a teleportation circle for large quantities of low-value goods was excessively extravagant.

[Withered Rose: That won't be necessary. I will drive down the price of ore in the short term. Some mining operations should go bankrupt. I'll then give you the funds to buy up the mines.]

Ambrose: ...

Just how rich are you, lady?

Crashing the entire regional ore market... was this the realm of the truly rich?