Chapter 43: I Can Do Anything
Princess Helen was displeased by Abyss’s blunt statement. She took a sip of her wine and said, “I’ll find my own way. You needn’t worry, sir.”
Abyss smiled. “I know you’re determined to succeed. How about a wager? If you go back and implement your plan today, you’ll fail miserably. If I win, you come back to this tavern and buy us another round.”
“And if you lose?” Princess Helen’s alcohol tolerance was clearly not very high. Half a glass of the relatively light wine had already brought a flush to her cheeks. She stared intently at Abyss’s turquoise eyes.
“If I lose, I’ll do anything you ask. How’s that for fair?” Abyss said, tucking the notebook into his breast pocket. “Anything you ask, I’ll do it.”
“Alright, I accept your wager,” Princess Helen said, finishing her drink in one gulp. She suppressed the urge to grimace as the alcohol stung her taste buds and stood up. “My interview is over. I’m going back to solve the problem now.”
Princess Helen left in a huff, without even paying for her own drink, seemingly unfamiliar with the concept of paying for things outside the palace.
“Sir, her drink?” Dar asked with a fawning smile. “Although I don’t know what you were whispering about, I assume Abyss will pay for her, right?”
The dwarf was cunning. He could tell that the girl who just left wasn’t a penniless freeloader, likely a noble lady, so he didn’t chase after her, opting to ask the more familiar Abyss for the money.
“Of course, put her drink on my tab. Money is no object,” Abyss said casually, pulling out a handful of imperial coins from his pocket. Dar beamed with delight.
“You kidney-deficient man, why did you make her leave?” Leona complained about Abyss’s earlier statement, jumping off her stool and tugging at his sleeve. “We weren’t even at the interesting part of our conversation!”
“I want to help her,” Abyss said, looking at Leona.
“Hmm? How?” Leona slowly released his sleeve.
“Abyss probably already knows she’ll fail,” Flora said from the side. “When it comes to conflicts of interest, things can get very messy—especially for those without power.”
Flora had the most experience with this issue among the three. In her previous life, as a Saint with no real authority, she supported the Pope’s policies but ended up being forcibly poisoned by assassins from the opposing faction. She still vividly remembered the feeling of helplessness as her limbs were pinned down by high-ranking Dou Warriors and the burning sensation of poison coursing down her throat.
“Hmm, that’s true,” Leona said, thinking it over. Although she didn’t like to think too hard, she wasn’t a fool. As a princess, she was familiar with the power struggles within the court. “Things that benefit the common people are too distant for nobles. Even if there are benefits, they’re collective and long-term.”
“Exactly. In my experience, nobles prefer personal gain over collective benefit,” Abyss said, nodding in agreement.
“As if you know anything about nobles. You’re just a poor, wandering mage without even a proper home,” Leona said scornfully.
“I’ve chatted with more nobles than you’ve ever met,” Abyss said, a mysterious smile appearing on his face. He pointed at the ground.
Leona immediately understood he was referring to talking to the dead and shuddered in disgust. But then she remembered she was also dead now and turned away, ignoring him.
“Abyss, do you have any good ideas for helping her achieve her goal?” Flora asked curiously. “We don’t have noble status now. We can’t interfere in their affairs, can we? Are you going to resort to underhanded methods?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything bad,” Abyss said, stroking Flora’s golden hair. “I’m quite good at dealing with nobles. After all, I have several of them as advisors.”
“Just how many undead have you collected?” Leona asked, turning back to him curiously, her voice low.
“I’ll let you inspect them sometime, alright?” Abyss reached out and patted Leona’s head, even though Flora was in the way. “We’ll probably have a chance in the next few days.”
Leona, her hair messed up by Abyss, grumbled and turned away.
“Damn it… That felt kinda good… Damn it!”
…
As the sun began to set, the trio left the tavern. They casually bought some food for Abyss to replenish his energy and some junk food for the two girls, who no longer needed to eat, to indulge in. Then they returned to their campsite outside the city.
They rekindled the bonfire. It was already dark, and by the time they finished dinner and were ready to rest, it was eight or nine o’clock in the evening.
“Abyss, don’t you have some kind of portable house?” Leona asked, lying directly on the snow, looking up at the starry sky. “Although I’m not afraid of the cold now, isn’t it a bit undignified to lie here like this? Don’t high-ranking mages have those pocket mage towers that expand when you infuse them with mana?”
“Those things are too expensive. I’ve never bought one,” Abyss shrugged. “I don’t even have a job. I just wander around all day. How could I afford a pocket mage tower?”
“So useless! Go earn some money! Or make one yourself. You’re so good at necromancy, why not learn some Transformation magic?” Leona pointed to the distance. “We’re exposed here in the snow, being watched by strange people.”
“I told you, don’t mind them. Can they withstand one of your punches or survive Flora’s Divine Retribution?” Abyss lay down casually. His cold resistance was also incredibly high due to years of practicing necromancy. “Those people are as useless as a goblin’s appendix.”
Flora didn’t lie down but sat by the bonfire. She looked around for a while and said, “I still feel uneasy.”
She was right. Ever since they rekindled the bonfire at their campsite, a group of strange people had silently surrounded them. Leona had noticed them early on and informed Abyss and Flora. With their excellent night vision, they also quickly spotted these lurking figures.
There were about a dozen of them, both men and women, dressed in dark blue robes, with aged faces and round, bulging fish-like eyes. They hid behind trees and rocks, staring intently at the trio.
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