This Lich is a Better Landlord Chapter 45

When the Justicar uttered Alan's name, Ambrose had a good idea of what had happened.

The Ryan Empire was even more unyielding than he'd imagined. Something that could have been resolved with a bit of money, they had instead chosen the most drastic course of action.

That editor-in-chief, James Watson, truly didn't care one bit about his son's life.

Upon hearing the question, the orc bartender couldn't help but flick his eyes in Ambrose's direction before he could answer.

The young Justicar was exceptionally sharp. He noticed this immediately, turned to Ambrose, and said, "It seems you were involved as well. Here, you drink too."

With that, the Justicar placed two more magical potions on the bar.

The Justicar spoke in a completely commanding tone, leaving no room for discussion.

In the City of Alchemy, a Justicar's word was absolute truth, not to be questioned.

The Headless Knight chuckled and said to Ambrose, "Brother Tiga, need a hand?"

Hearing the Headless Knight's words, the Justicar sneered. "Thinking of resisting arrest? That just saves me the trouble. Once I throw you in a cell, I won't have to interrogate you myself, and I can get back to my experiments."

With a single sentence, he had defined their actions as resisting arrest. The Justicar gave them no chance to explain, immediately ordering the automatons behind him to move toward the Headless Knight and Ambrose.

The massive robots hissed steam as they stomped forward, each step shaking the floorboards, reaching out to grab the Headless Knight.

These automatons possessed immense strength, capable of crushing solid rock.

The other patrons in the bar scrambled to get away, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

The Justicar was pleased with their reaction. In the City of Alchemy, the words of alchemists like them were law. To live in this city, one had to obey their commands unconditionally.

These ordinary people, who lacked even the most basic knowledge of alchemy, were nothing more than parasites in this city. Just as the Ryan Empire discriminated against all heretics, the City of Alchemy discriminated against these "lower-class" individuals who came seeking a livelihood.

In the Justicar's eyes, the Headless Knight was just a shabbily dressed, down-on-his-luck adventurer. The natural consequence for his insolence was a prison cell.

However, the outcome was completely beyond his expectations.

The automaton extended its steel arm and clamped down on the Headless Knight's shoulder, trying to subdue him. But it was like trying to move an unshakeable mountain. The machine's core whined with the strain of overload, yet the Headless Knight didn't budge an inch.

The Headless Knight said contemptuously, "Is that it? Not even strong enough for a massage."

The Justicar's eyes widened. He hadn't seen the Headless Knight use any magic, but this automaton had the strength to twist steel. How could it be unable to move a single person?

Ambrose sighed. He hadn't wanted to escalate things, but since they had laid hands on his guest, there was no possibility of compromise. Otherwise, how could he show his face in the Elegy Society?

Two bolts of lightning shot from Ambrose's hands, striking the two automatons. They convulsed, and thick black smoke billowed from their frames.

Scrapping two automatons in an instant startled the young Justicar.

These were prized products of the City of Alchemy, possessing excellent magical resistance. How could they be turned into scrap metal so easily?

"You actually dare to resist?! This is a flagrant violation of the laws of the City of Alchemy! Cease your illegal activities now, and I may consider leniency. Otherwise, you will face severe punishment. Do you intend to make an enemy of the entire City of Alchemy?!"

Now, only the mighty name of the City of Alchemy could offer him some comfort. He hoped it would be enough to intimidate the two.

But Ambrose calmly produced an emblem and held it before the Justicar's face.

"This... this is..." The Justicar's eyes bulged, and he fell to his knees before Ambrose in terror, stammering, "My deepest apologies! It was my recklessness that offended you, Your Excellency. Please, forgive me."

The Headless Knight said in surprise, "Yo, brother, are you some kind of official in the City of Alchemy?"

Ambrose shook his head. "No, this is a Distinguished Scholar's Emblem. I contributed a few magical potion recipes to the City of Alchemy. It's an honorary title."

The Headless Knight looked confused. "If you're not an official with actual power, what's he so afraid of?"

"In the City of Alchemy, knowledge is valued above race, faith, and law. Apart from the Alchemists' Council itself, no one has the authority to pass judgment on a Distinguished Scholar. And with a single letter, I could ensure he's never accepted into any alchemical laboratory, effectively ending his career. A pity this emblem is just symbolic; it's hard to cash in on."

Hearing Ambrose's explanation, the Headless Knight couldn't help but remark, "That's even more twisted than the values of those religious fanatics in the Ryan Empire."

Ambrose wholeheartedly agreed. Religious discrimination or professional discrimination—it was all equally twisted.

The female orc owner, who had been standing anxiously to the side, rushed to the Headless Knight, her voice filled with concern. "Gareth, is your hand okay?"

Ambrose watched as the female orc squeezed and prodded the Headless Knight's arm, unsure if she was genuinely worried or just taking the opportunity to get a few extra squeezes in.

Ambrose ignored the soap opera unfolding beside him, picked up the lie detection potion, and said to the Justicar, "Drink this. I have some questions for you."

"This..."

The Justicar looked at the potion bottle, his expression hesitant.

"You should be well aware that if I were to kill you right now, all I'd need to do is write a couple of theses for the City of Alchemy to be pardoned," Ambrose stated.

That was a slight exaggeration. It would take at least a thesis worthy of publication in [Legendary Incantations] to offset the crime of killing a Justicar. Unless absolutely necessary, Ambrose wouldn't do it. The data required for a thesis came from experiments, and the cost was high. Giving it away to the City of Alchemy for free would be a bleeding loss.

But the Justicar didn't know that. He only knew that what Ambrose said was true. A thesis from a Distinguished Scholar was indeed far more valuable than the life of a Justicar.

Powerless to resist, he could only drink the lie detection potion. The bitter taste made his entire face scrunch up.

Once Ambrose confirmed the potion had taken effect, he asked, "What official document did the Ryan Empire send that required a Justicar to personally investigate the paladin's whereabouts?"

"I don't know much. I heard this paladin, Alan Watson, is the son of the Ryan Empire's Supreme Adjudicator. That's why the Ryan Empire not only sent a diplomatic request for our assistance in investigating his disappearance but has also dispatched a delegation that is currently en route to the City of Alchemy. Their objective is clear: they must find this Alan Watson, dead or alive."

"A delegation? Is the Supreme Adjudicator coming himself?" Ambrose pressed.

"No, not him, but the delegation is of high status. It's the Knights of Judgment, from the Cardinal Tribunal, second only to the Ryan Emperor's personal guard. The Council members are taking this very seriously and have sent out a large number of Justicars to search everywhere. I'm just one of them."

"The Knights of Judgment? Gareth, have you heard of them?" Ambrose asked the Headless Knight.

The Headless Knight, who was enjoying the female orc's massage, shook his head. "Never heard of them. Back in the day... ahem, anyway, the only ones I know are the Ryan Emperor's personal guard."

"Alright." Ambrose turned back to the Justicar. "You can stop your investigation. Tell the Council that Alan Watson is in my custody. If they want to talk, have them send someone to find me."

Ambrose had no intention of hiding it. He had scammed Alan Watson out of five thousand gold, and the paladin had participated in the previous battle as a mercenary. These facts were impossible to conceal. Since that was the case, he might as well negotiate directly with the City of Alchemy.

That old codger James Watson was determined not to pay, but perhaps Alan Watson could be sold to the City of Alchemy to recoup some of his losses.

The son of the Ryan Empire's Supreme Adjudicator was just an ordinary captive to Ambrose, but to the City of Alchemy, he might be a valuable political bargaining chip.