Chapter 98: Friends of Life and Death
But when Amber Xiu claimed to have brought information from the Kingdom of Gold, the elf staring at Amber Xiu changed his expression. Even though he was standing far away, Amber Xiu's soul could "see" the change in his expression as long as it could sense him.
The man from the Lightman family in front of Amber also showed a surprised expression.
"The Kingdom of Gold? A message from the Dwarf King? This is no joke."
"Go ahead and report. You will know whether it is a joke or not soon. Of course, you can also expel me now, but before the war comes, before signing a contract with the elves, aren't you prepared to listen to the Dwarf King's offer?"
Amber smiled confidently, without any flaws.
The expression of the dead is the expression they want to show you, and no matter who it is, it would be hard to tell whether it is real or fake.
The Lightman family member pondered for a moment, then said to Amber, "I understand. My dear guest, please follow me."
The elf that Amber was staring at quickly disappeared into the distance, probably because he went to report to their leader.
Amber followed the nobleman into the carriage and passed through the satellite town outside the main city.
Inside the carriage, the young noble who led the way tried to get information indirectly, wanting to know about Amber's origins and the so-called information about the dwarf king. Amber just talked around with him politely, saying nothing except his name.
While dealing with the other party's inquiries, Amber took out the Code of the Undead and sent a message to Hecky Stone.
[Ultraman Tiga: Senior, can you contact the desert dwarf royal family now? ]
This vampire senior seemed to be free and sent a reply immediately.
[I don't like humans: I talked to them before, but the response was not that fast. What's wrong? Have you caught a new Pokémon? ]
[Ultraman Tiga: We didn't catch them, but we encountered new elf Twilight Guards. They targeted my friend, Viscount Lightman. Silvermoon High Court has put a lot of pressure on my friend. I am discussing with Viscount Lightman whether we can use the power of the desert dwarves. I don't need you to send troops to help immediately, but a verbal promise can give him some confidence to continue dealing with the elves.]
[Doesn't like humans: Oh, brother, you have a wide range of friends. OK, I will contact the royal family now. ]
[Ultraman Tiga: Please, Viscount Lightman is my long-time friend, and I can entrust him with my life box. Viscount Lightman is a great lord with tens of thousands of people. If he surrenders to the elves, it may not be a good thing for the Kingdom of Gold. I hope the dwarves can pay attention to this.]
[I don't like humans: Don't worry, I will convey it accurately. 】
Amber was writing magical words on the Codex of the Dead that no one else could see. The little noble from the Lightman family asked curiously, "Master Ultraman, what are you writing?"
Amber Xiu said seriously: "I am reporting to the Dwarf King. The Dwarf King attaches great importance to my mission, so he asked me to report to him anytime and anywhere. Alas, it's a pity that the task is heavy, otherwise I really want to go back early to enjoy the date honey wine specially provided by the royal family."
"Report at any time? The Dwarf King values us so much?" The young noble found it incredible.
"Let me correct you. The Dwarf King values me. It was me who suggested to him that he communicate with the lords of Alchemy City in advance. I think you all understand that with the disappearance of that group of alchemists, this land will sooner or later welcome a new king. The elves of Silvermoon High Court have set their sights on this land, but everyone knows that the elves are xenophobic. On the contrary, the Kingdom of Gold is the most inclusive country, and its policies are no different from those of Alchemy City. I believe you can make the right choice."
Amber Xiu's words frightened the young nobleman.
The carriage quickly passed through the town and entered Viscount Lightman's main city through the tall city gate. As soon as he entered the gate, Amber saw the tall statue of Thanos in the center of the city.
As expected, they were madmen who believed in Thanos. Then Amber was relieved. It would not be so easy for the Lightman family to agree to sign a contract with the elves.
The carriage entered the rough-shaped castle, and Amber was arranged to wait in an empty room.
On the other side, the young noble who led the way had already run to Viscount Letterman's room and reported to him in detail everything he knew.
Viscount Lightman looked to be in his forties or fifties, tall and strong, with patterns resembling thunder and storms tattooed on his bald head. He wore silver-white chain mail and had a big beard that covered the entire area below his nose.
He seemed to always have an angry expression. Even without frowning, the wrinkles between his eyebrows were still very obvious.
This is the most typical Storm Priest look, always angry and always ready to destroy everything.
Viscount Lightman said to the tribesmen in front of him, "Is it really possible that he is the envoy of the Dwarf King?"
The tribesman replied: "It looks like it, I don't see any trace of lying on his face."
"Silvermoon High Court, the Kingdom of Gold, do they really regard this land as a no-man's land? Humph, how arrogant they are."
Viscount Letterman hammered the table in front of him hard, and the thick marble table top was shattered directly. Thunder had already gathered in his body, and tiny electric sparks kept flashing in his beard.
His people dared not speak and could only bow their heads in humility.
Viscount Lightman took a few deep breaths, retracted the leaked lightning, and then ordered: "Let me go meet the envoy of the Dwarf King."
In another room, Amber was checking Hecky Stone's response.
[I don't like humans: I found the King's Hand. He is the cousin of the Dwarf King. He is in charge of almost all the administrative, military and diplomatic affairs of the Kingdom of Gold.]
【Ultraman Tiga: Okay, please wait for a moment, Hand of the King, because the elves are lobbying my friend Viscount Lightman again, hoping that he will sign the contract. I am not very clear about the terms of the contract for now, but I think it will not be much different from the previous ones. Senior, I will be more direct. What conditions can the Kingdom of Gold provide so that I can persuade Viscount Lightman to reject the contract of Silver Moon High Court? 】
[Dislikes humans: He said that he could let Viscount Lightman keep his original fiefdom, as long as he nominally submitted to the Kingdom of Gold. The policies of the Kingdom of Gold and the Alchemy City are not much different, and people of different races and beliefs can live freely.]
[Ultraman Tiga: This is too insincere. This territory originally belonged to my friend. If you desert dwarves want to occupy it, you must at least send troops to attack. You know, my friend believes in Thanos, the Lord of Storms. Whoever wants to occupy his land will pay the price in blood.]
The Codex of the Dead was silent for a long time before sending new information.
[So what exactly does Viscount Lightman need? ]
Amber smiled slightly and began to write quickly.
【First, a large amount of gold is needed. The Alchemy City is not short of basic materials. Food and daily necessities are sufficient, but because of an economic crisis, the prices here have become very chaotic. Whether it is Viscount Lightman or other lords, they all need a large amount of gold coins to balance the prices in the war zone. I know that the economic pillar of the Kingdom of Gold is archaeological excavation, so the economic crisis caused by the Silver Moon Court has little impact on you. You definitely have no shortage of gold.】
[Secondly, the Dusk Guards sent by the elves are all experts in assassination. Many lords signed the contract under the threat of force. Even if they want to resist, they need to have the capital to save their lives. I believe that the Kingdom of Gold can use some of its strength to protect these lords.]
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
【The last point, in addition to ensuring that the original territories of these lords remain unchanged, I believe you also need some "empty" territories. The Golden Kingdom needs this land entirely for strategic transfer, so you will definitely carry out immigration, which naturally requires a lot of land. I can help you identify which lords have completely surrendered to the elves, and the territories of these lords can be used as immigration targets. But if you want to conquer these territories, you will definitely need the help of local people. You might as well use the method of hiring to achieve early cooperation...】
Amberxiu's fingers kept writing, and soon he listed many vague but comprehensive clauses.
It was unknown what kind of heated discussion the other party had. Before the servant knocked on the door and asked Amber to meet with Viscount Lightman, Hecky Stone finally sent a new message: [The Hand of the King agreed with your suggestion in principle, but the specific details still need to be discussed.]
Amber Xiu swiped his fingers and replied: [Of course, I will now express the Dwarf King's sincerity to my life-long friend, Viscount Lightman. ]
After closing the Codex of the Undead, Amberxiu walked out of the small reception room with satisfaction.
After following the servants for a few circles, Amberxiu came to the top of the castle's tower and met Viscount Lightman, his "friend to whom he could entrust his life box."
Viscount Lightman maintained a serious expression and said to Amber when they met: "Master Ultraman, you said you brought a message from the Dwarf King?"
"That's right, but Viscount Letterman, aren't you going to buy me a drink first so we can talk slowly?"
Viscount Letterman said impatiently: "My time is too precious to be wasted on such useless politeness."
Amber Xiu said to him calmly, "I know you are anxious, but impulsiveness cannot solve the problem, not to mention that this is a matter of life and death for your territory. Viscount Lightman, tell me first, have you signed a contract with those elves?"
Viscount Lightman frowned and lied, “What elf? I don’t know what you are talking about.”
"The first thing needed for negotiations is sincerity, Viscount Lightman. I know that Silvermoon High Court has sent out their Twilight Guards to make contacts everywhere. Every lord is their target, and someone has unfortunately been deceived by these elves and signed a contract. If you have already signed the contract, then we are going to discuss another kind of deal."
Viscount Lightman stared at Amberxiu carefully, but found that he could not tell anything from his expression. He could only nod and admit, "The elves have indeed made their offer, but I have not agreed to it yet."
Amber said happily, "Very good, it seems that the task entrusted to me by the Dwarf King can be accomplished. Since Viscount Lightman is so straightforward, I will not beat around the bush. This land must have a new king, and the Dwarf King of the Kingdom of Gold is the best choice. He is a friend I can trust with my life. He promised me that as long as you submit to the rule of the Kingdom of Gold, everything will remain the same, your territory will not change at all, and we will not drive you out of your homeland like the elves did."
Viscount Lightman frowned and said, "That's all? You want me to surrender with just one sentence without giving me anything?"
Amber Xiu smiled and said, "My Lord Viscount, you may not have seen the situation clearly. There are only two buyers now, one wants your territory and the other doesn't. I believe that with your wisdom you can definitely see which side is the best price."
"Your suggestion is meaningless. Agreeing to the Kingdom of Gold would mean falling out with Silvermoon High Court. My territory would be plunged into war immediately, which would mean I would be using my own flesh and blood to help the Dwarf King weaken his enemies, and you actually said there is no benefit at all?!" Viscount Lightman sneered, "Do you think I'm a fool?"
Amber praised, "My Lord Viscount, I admire your wisdom, and your reason is very convincing. Let me assure you that the Golden Country will give you real military assistance. However, you should also understand that the Ryan Empire and the Golden Country are at war now, and it is not so easy to withdraw troops. And here in Alchemy City, we need to cooperate with more than just you."
"What do you mean? There are different levels of cooperation?!" Viscount Letterman said angrily.
"Of course, nobles have different ranks, such as duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron. How can the partners we cooperate with not have ranks? However, the Dwarf King is sincere in cooperating with you. He just needs Viscount Lightman to give him a reason to give priority to assisting you."
Amber Xiu said in an inducing tone: "For example, we can give you some gold and minerals as the cost of employment. As long as we have this amount of materials, it is reasonable for the Dwarf King to give priority to assisting you. No one else can find fault with it, don't you think? I swear as a close friend of the Dwarf King that this amount of materials is definitely within your acceptable range."
Sorry, I’m still dizzy and have a stuffy nose, so I can only write 6,000 words today.
(End of this chapter)