NOVEL WEB Chapter 20: Richie's Will (2)
On the main road, Benedict II raised his hand to stop his subordinates from following him. He sped up to catch up with Yilin, riding alongside. He asked softly, "What's wrong?"
"Don't you think Gray is different today?"
"A little, did you notice something?"
"That's not Gray," Benedict II's eyes widened, and his expression froze for a moment.
"Yes, that's not Gray. I'm more familiar with Gray than anyone." Yilin turned to glance at Benedict II.
Lowering his voice, Benedict II asked, "Then... where is the real Gray?"
"I don't know either."
"Should we do something?" Benedict II's eyes flickered, and he instantly became tense.
"Do nothing."
"Hmm?"
"These Undead Army soldiers are real. Only the White Bone Holy Light Court can summon so many undead creatures in this world. I think someone is impersonating Gray, and the liches must be aware. But their purpose, I am unsure. I have already asked him... this fake Gray to give me an answer. Let's wait and see."
Saying this, Yilin sped up his horse.
Benedict II also silently increased his speed.
...
"The White Bone Holy Light Court is not stable. I don't know how long this situation can last. The liches relied on the initial enthusiasm. Without my father, this enthusiasm will diminish. Maybe one day, they will think it's pointless. Then they will return to the underground world, leaving us to face a group of enemies we can't deal with. Humans are the same. If they know father is no longer here, can they maintain the current unity? If the liches all leave, we will face a doomed situation. Will they still stand by our side? *I think, no one can give me an answer now.*"
"The only path before me is to start a war immediately if I still want to avenge my father and bring comfort to my mother. Yes, immediately, or I might lose the chance for revenge. Not just that, but everyone who supported my father and myself will be in danger. *I must settle everything before the worst case occurs!*"
"But, what should we do? Can we achieve this?" Delia asked.
"I am glad you used the word 'we,' not 'you.' Thank you for standing by my side," Richie continued, "Nothing is impossible, as long as we are determined and willing to pay any price. The liches already know about my father's incident; humans do not. Now, I must find a way to stabilize everyone and steer the situation in my desired direction!"
The lords left.
Leaving the hall, Richie hurriedly walked down the spiral staircase. Delia and Sarina concealed their presence and quietly followed.
Along the way, Richie encountered several liches. Each lich paused upon seeing him, either standing still in confusion or quietly following to observe from a distance.
Richie simply bowed politely and then hurried on his way.
Currently, there were over four hundred liches in the castle, holding the lifeblood of the entire White Bone Holy Light Court. Encounters were extremely common. To the lords, he was "Gray," but to these lich uncles and aunts, he was still Richie.
After all, humans have only five senses, while liches have more than that and can sense auras. Disguising himself as Gray was impossible in front of these liches.
Soon, Richie arrived at the gate to the castle's basement, where two Undead Knights donning Silver Moon Knight Order armor stood guard.
Before Richie could knock, the door quietly opened.
Bruto, who had sensed Richie's arrival, stood inside, looking at him in confusion, "Why have you made yourself look like your father?"
Several liches were already standing outside the door, all staring at Richie.
Entering the dim basement, Richie softly said, "Uncle Bruto, I need to ask you for a favor. There have been unusual movements among the humans."
"Oh?"
All of a sudden, Bruto, along with the liches standing outside the door, were stunned.
Richie spoke earnestly, "Our military maneuvers this time were not reported to them at all, and they have sensed something unusual. You know, humans are cunning creatures, different from us liches. They always like to overthink. Some have even guessed that something happened to my father. This will be a massive blow to our just cause, especially in terms of morale. Humans are one of the creatures most affected by morale."
The liches all stared blankly at Richie.
After a pause, Richie looked around at the liches gathered around him and continued, "We now face a formidable Black Dragon Clan. If there is internal turmoil, those treacherous Black Dragons will certainly exploit it. *In that case, my father's efforts and our long-standing endeavors will all go to waste.*"
One of the liches raised a hand.
"Do you have a question?" Richie asked.
The lich asked in confusion, "I don't understand. Why would our efforts go to waste if the humans have problems? Aren't we the main force against the Black Dragons? What's it got to do with humans? Even if they don't join the battle, we can still defeat the Black Dragons. It's only a matter of time."
"No, it's not that simple," Richie said earnestly. "We've reached this point thanks to the unity of the White Bone Holy Light Court. If we weren't united, let alone the White Bone Holy Light Court, back at Salted Fish Port, we wouldn't even have been able to repel the Angel Army. Do you all agree?"