Lich for Hire-Chapter 52: The Final Bargaining Chip

"As for Allen Watson," Gustavo Flynn said slowly, "I still need you to cooperate with us in staging a little performance."

Ambrose didn't even hesitate. "A performance? That's going to cost extra."

Flynn forced down his anger. "You haven't even asked what kind of performance."

"Any performance costs extra. That's not aimed at you. It's a principle that I live by."

Flynn sneered. "Liches have principles?"

Ambrose chuckled. "Racial discrimination? In that case, we'll have to renegotiate the price."

Grinding his teeth, Gustavo Flynn had no choice but to continue bargaining with him.

The Alchemists' Council had made Flynn aware of their final decision even before he set out: no matter the cost, Allen Watson had to be secured. He could not be returned to the Lyon Empire too easily.

The City of Alchemists needed the Lyon Empire's help, but simply returning the High Arbiter's son would create an ambiguous debt, neither a small nor overwhelming favor. At best, it might earn them the man's personal goodwill; it likely wouldn't be enough to push him into advancing an alliance between the two nations.

After all, the High Inquisitor had chosen a hardline response to his son's capture. That alone made it clear he did not place much weight on Allen Watson's death.

Under such circumstances, Allen Watson's value clearly had to be discounted.

This was why the City of Alchemists needed Ambrose to help stir the waters.

Hadn't the Lyon Empire dispatched ten members of the Knights Penitent to rescue him? The Knights Penitent were a force second only to the Lyon Imperial Guard, a corps whose members could all be considered the future pillars of the empire.

If those Knights Penitent were also captured, and if the City of Alchemists then stepped in to ransom them, that favor would multiply several times over. If James Watson ignored his son's fate, people might praise him for lofty impartiality. But if he remained unmoved when ten brilliant young paladins were at stake, public opinion would tear him apart.

Ambrose flatly refused. "It's a clever scheme, I'll give you that. But you want me to take on ten paladins by myself? You think far too highly of me. The Knights Penitent were formed specifically to counter undead. They definitely have methods that can completely suppress us. I don't think I'm their match, castle or not."

"You think they won't come after you if you refuse?" Flynn said, convinced he'd found Ambrose's weakness.

The Knights Penitent had come for Allen Watson. Ambrose couldn't escape them no matter what. Trying to use this as leverage to raise the price was out of the question.

Ambrose merely laughed and replied, "In the worst case, I'd tie Allen Watson to the gates of my castle and run off. The world's a large place. Do you really think a legendary lich can't find somewhere else to run experiments? It'd be a lose-lose situation. I don't get the formulas, and you lose your chance to ally with the Lyon Empire."

Flynn shot back, "You wouldn't dare. Thirty-two formulas and schematics—do you know how much that's worth?"

"Of course I do," Ambrose said calmly. "But if my phylactery were to shatter, those formulas would be meaningless. If you want me to take risks, then offer a price worth risking my existence for. You know me as well as I know you. The fact that you're standing here means the Council has already reached a decision. There's no point dancing around it. Show me your final offer."

Ambrose was supremely confident. The fragments of the prophecy he had seen proved that the Alchemists' Council was incapable of controlling the crisis in the sewers. They were cornered, not him.

The City of Alchemists had roots too deep to abandon. Ambrose, on the other hand, only had to draw a teleportation circle, pack up the valuables in his castle, and vanish.

He had an escape. They did not. That alone guaranteed his upper hand in the negotiation.

Gustavo Flynn was no fool, but Ambrose saw through his bluffs. This had never been a fair trade. In the end, Flynn was forced to turn over his trump card ahead of schedule.

"This is what I can promise," Flynn said at last. "If you cooperate and play your part well, the Council will allow you to use the Wish Engine once."

After saying it, Flynn visibly relaxed. That was his final offer. The ball was in Ambrose's court now.

Ambrose's eyes widened. "You actually succeeded in building that thing?"

Years ago, before the mysterious head of the Alchemists' Council had retreated behind the scenes, there had been a persistent rumor circulating about the City of Alchemists. The Alchemists' Council was intending to imbue the spell Wish into a magical device, a Wish Engine that would be capable of granting desires.

Wish was the most powerful non-divine spell in existence. In theory, as long as the wish was described with sufficient precision—and as long as it lay within what the gods themselves could accomplish—it could be fulfilled.

It could turn a lich back into a human. It could resurrect the dead even after their souls had dispersed.

That was the most common application of Wish. Reviving beloved family and friends was a dream held by many.

Those who sought personal power could even use Wish to elevate themselves into legends.

Unfortunately, not even legendary spellcasters were necessarily able to cast Wish. Its difficulty was extreme. Talent, effort, and luck all had to line up just right.

Had these mad alchemists really succeeded in imbuing Wish into a magic device?

Wouldn't that allow Wish to be used limitlessly?

After only a moment's thought, Ambrose scoffed. "I may be undead, but do you take me for a fool? If you truly had a Wish Engine, why would you still need me?"

Flynn explained patiently, "The Wish Engine exists, but it cannot cast a perfect Wish. After many years of work, we've managed to get it to the point where it can illuminate a path to success. I know you encountered an accident during your ascension to a legend. You abandoned the field of divination entirely. As far as legends go, you're... at the bottom of the ladder."

"Insult me again and I'll raise my prices," Ambrose said coldly.

Flynn rolled his eyes and changed his phrasing.

"As you know, having abandoned the school of divination, you're not at the level of most legends. The Wish Engine can help you find a way to resolve that flaw. It will guide you toward a new source of power. And if that wish doesn't satisfy you, you can ask other questions as well. The Wish Engine will provide the most accurate and comprehensive answers possible."

Ambrose studied Flynn's expression closely. His instincts told him the man wasn't lying.

After a long silence, Ambrose finally spoke. "Deal. I'll hand over the Knights Penitent, along with Allen Watson."