Chapter 294: News of the Dragon Tyrant
The safety of the airship was indeed a serious problem. It had disintegrated even faster than Ambrose had expected.
There was no helping it. The materials were subpar, and the design was flawed.
Even if he could copy the general shape of aircraft from his previous life, all the internal details still had to be figured out from scratch.
Still, whether Catherine agreed or not, this business had to be done, and the drow had to be the ones to run it.
Ambrose held overwhelming advantages in terms of connections. He could turn this into a monopoly backed by both influence and technology. Add in a workforce of drow who didn't need wages, and the profits were guaranteed.
If the drow dared to demand pay, then he'd send them to the Umbral Depths to reform themselves through menial labor.
A bunch of criminals who were fussy and picky even when given a chance at redemption might as well not live.
Ambrose didn't bother building another airship. Instead, he summoned Naomi and had her transform into a dragon to carry them home.
Milena and Ambrose rode on the dragon's back, while Catherine summoned her giant eagle. Together, they flew back to Ambrose's desert factory.
Catherine had been away for some time. Looking at the drastically transformed underground complex, she sighed in admiration. "You really did turn this place into an alchemical factory."
"Of course," Ambrose replied. "Unlike you, I don't get to live off a whole kingdom's support. Every coin I have, I earn myself."
Catherine shot back, "You're a lich. You don't even need to eat or drink. You could lie on the ground for a hundred years without consuming anything. Isn't all this just your greed?"
Instead of being annoyed, Ambrose smiled. "Not bad. You're improving. In that case, the next task I assign you shouldn't be too difficult."
Catherine eyed him warily. What was he scheming now?
Ambrose led her into his library, selected over a dozen thick tomes, and placed them in front of her.
Catherine glanced at the titles and frowned. "These are all historical records. What do you want me to do with them?"
"Read them," Ambrose said. "They don't just cover the era after the Dragon Tyrant, but also ancient dynasties. Study them carefully. Take notes. Compile the lives of rulers across every era. Analyze their actions, categorize them as good or bad, and identify the causes behind each kingdom's destruction. When you're done, report back to me."
Catherine understood immediately. He wanted her to learn from history to become a better ruler.
But she simply smiled, pointed at the first book, and began reciting, "This is the history of the Kingdom of Gor from 5,700 years ago. Its first king was born in the desert, orphaned at a young age..."
She continued without pause, reciting the contents word for word.
Ambrose flipped the book open. Catherine hadn't made a single mistake.
"You've read this before?"
"Not just this one, but all the books here. The Court of the Silver Moon has even more detailed tomes. Did you really think I knew nothing? I've lived for centuries! I might even have read more books than you."
Glancing at her smug expression, Ambrose realized he had underestimated her.
It wasn't that she lacked knowledge. She was just... genuinely naïve.
"Fine. Then we'll skip the basics."
Ambrose took out his Necromantic Codex and sent a message to Black Rose: [Megaman Tiga: Last time, you mentioned sending me some drow. Is now a good time? Can you send ten over?]
The reply came quickly. [Black Rose: I'll send you twenty drow beauties. Prepare your teleportation array.]
As expected of Black Rose, she was exceedingly generous. Drow slaves fetched extremely high prices, even more so than high elves.
Twenty drow beauties could easily be worth hundreds of thousands of gold.
Soon, the teleportation array flashed. A group of dark-skinned elven maidens appeared. Each one was stunning, with perfect features and flawless figures.
But on each of their foreheads was a distinct mark.
Ambrose recognized it immediately as an undead imprint. Their souls had been branded by Black Rose, rendering them completely docile and obedient.
He led the twenty drow before Catherine and said, "Since you know so much about rulers, use that knowledge. Make these twenty drow yours."
Catherine hadn't expected him to jump straight into practice, but she wasn't afraid. If anything, she felt eager.
Reintegrating the drow into elven society was a great cause. She would give it her all.
What she didn't know was that, during his inspection, Ambrose had quietly erased the soul imprints on five of them.
In other words, those five drow were now free.
Ambrose considered Catherine's enthusiasm and thought to himself, "If she can identify even one of those drow, I'll pass her."
While Catherine busied herself with sincerely winning over her new "sisters," Ambrose wasted no time. He took Milena and headed straight for the Umbral Depths.
With the divine domains still in his possession, teleportation was impossible. They had to travel on foot.
Fortunately, there was a passage from the desert leading directly into the Umbral Depths. After two days of travel, they returned to the City of Mercury.
When Milena handed over the tiny box to Black Rose, the queen barely glanced at it. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Ambrose. "There's something I need to discuss with you."
Noticing her expression, Ambrose asked, "What happened?"
"Recently, Lyon held a grand celebration."
Ambrose considered the timing. "Ah, the birthday of Arthur Lyon, and the day of the empire's founding. It's their most important festival of the year."
"Exactly. Normally, the celebrations are nothing unusual. But this time, something changed. The young emperor was wearing the Draconic Armaments."
Her voice turned heavy, and her body trembled slightly.
Ambrose's eyes widened. "Wore it? You don't mean just putting it on... Was he actually able to use its power?"
"Yes. During the ceremony, he reversed time, turning every citizen present one year younger."
"You're kidding."
He knew the armor was powerful, but this was on another level entirely. Millions had attended the celebration. Reversing time for all of them by a full year was nothing short of a miracle. It was no different from divine power.
He knew the artifact was strong enough to be considered Lyon's imperial treasure, but this was ridiculous.
If such power were used against him, he might be erased from existence entirely.
"Didn't you say the royal Lyon bloodline has thinned to the point the royals can't use it anymore?" Ambrose pressed.
Black Rose clenched her teeth. "I don't know. Something must have changed, something I wasn't aware of. Those old zombies beneath the capital must have done something."
"Old zombies?"
"A group of elders from the royal line. They extend their lives through suspended animation, and some can live up to two hundred years that way. The price is that they remain sealed in coffin-like chambers most of the time, so we call them zombies.
"They rarely act, but at critical moments, they can awaken and shape the fate of Lyon through their decisions."
Ambrose chuckled. "Traditionalists, huh? Refusing even Potions of Youth..."
"That's about the only thing worth praising. Otherwise, they're all monsters. Everything they do is for the continuation of the royal bloodline. They're the reason Lyon's obsession with lineage has become so twisted."
Ambrose agreed. The influence of the Dragon Tyrant's blood had likely pushed them into extremism.
But that wasn't the immediate concern. If the current emperor could use the power of the Draconic Armaments, that would make him even more terrifying than the Silvermoon Knight.
Seeing how shaken Black Rose was, Ambrose couldn't help but reassure her. "I'll investigate. That old man James Watson might know something. There's no need to rush. Lyon's fragmentation is inevitable. We can wait three years, ten years, even fifty years. When the time comes, the armor won't be aimed at us, but at fragments of their own empire."
Black Rose leaned against his shoulder, her voice soft. "Thank you... I'm glad you're around."
This matter intersected with the core of her obsession. Just moments ago, she had been on the verge of losing control.
The return of the Draconic Armaments meant Lyon might once again become unstoppable. The thought filled her with both rage and fear.
Without Ambrose's reassurance, she might have done something reckless.
She had chosen well. With his help, the destruction of Lyon would still be within reach.
Meanwhile, sensing her instability, Ambrose changed the subject. "This is Loss's divine domain over corruption. Which god are you planning to trade it to?"
Black Rose steadied herself and replied, "Shara, the Dark Goddess. Any thoughts?"
Comments