Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 661 - 612: The Basic Law of Scoundrels

"When I arrived at Hamlet, accompanied by some domestic servants including Knight Matt, the journey from Cassandra to Hamlet had become much more relaxed, but it lacked the sense of adventure we had in the beginning..."

Lyle, brought along by Kevin, pushed open the wooden door of the tavern. The merry atmosphere stiffened for a moment, then burst into an even greater commotion. The lord and his guest seated themselves at the bar, between the Female Tomb Raider and the Crypt Gargoyles. From the vomit on the table, it was clear that the previous occupants of these two seats were none other than the Poisonous Fungus People and the Pig-headed People.

The tavern’s environment wasn’t exactly top-notch, but neither Kevin nor the bartender seemed to care much. The burly bartender raised his leather-bound arm and carelessly wiped the bar, sweeping all the filth to the side towards the customers.

"Damn it!" tentacles stretched out beneath Lyle, dragging himself and the rickety high stool aside to avoid the mess, it’s worth mentioning that, although it was a sweep meant for two, due to the angle of cleaning, it all ended up on Lyle’s side.

Kevin took the mug of frothing yellow liquid that the bartender passed to him, which dribbled down the sides of the mug onto the bar. Smiling, he clinked his mug with the tomb raider’s, then guzzled it down.

"Welcome to my domain, Lyle. Have a drink. The only commendable thing about Mr. Barlock is the taste of his liquor."

The bartender laughed proudly, arms crossed, emitting a hearty, pig-like chuckle. The stoic and tough image of Barlock making such a sound set off another wave of guffaws in the tavern.

Relieved, Lyle edged back to the bar, picked up the mug in front of him, feeling the slimy sensation through his glove. "You’ve changed a lot, my lord Earl."

"If you can’t control life, then you have to adapt to it," said Kevin, spreading his arms just wide enough to prevent his purse from falling prey to the thieves’ hands.

"Kevin, your..."

"Don’t worry, my brother. In Hamlet, petty theft isn’t illegal." Kevin picked up the beautiful purse and showed it to the female thief next to him; it was filled with stones. "My dear, take it. It will just make my belt loose. My tailor has gone home on leave. This is a contingency measure."

Having dispatched the disappointed thief, Kevin turned back to his friend.

"It’s not just you that’s changed; it’s also Hamlet. It’s indeed livelier than its morbid past, though I can’t say that the liveliness is all good."

Kevin patted Lyle on the shoulder and smiled kindly.

"It’s a long story. Should we drink and chat?"

"When in Rome." Lyle downed his fizzy drink. It couldn’t be called delicious, and the more he drank, the more he felt... 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Blargh! Lyle spat it out in one go. Kevin and the bartender Barlock had cunningly dodged to the side. Kevin buried his head in his arms, shaking with laughter.

"What the hell did you put in this drink!"

Barlock was as indifferent as a rock.

"Hamlet special."

"What speciality?!"

"Fishman milk, to make it smoother..."

"And horse piss!" Kevin trembled as he uttered the final revelation, "The Barlock special – every newcomer to the Fallen Horse Tavern gets a drink spiked with horse piss, a little practical joke... pffft...hahahaha! I have been looking forward to this moment!"

"You damn... Kevin!!!"

In the midst of the lively atmosphere, Kevin finally began to recount the changes that had befallen Hamlet.

"When we first came to Hamlet, it was as desolate as it had been at the end of that trip, a barren wasteland, the town reduced to ruins, and the castle pockmarked without a living soul. We did a quick clean-up and spent our first night, and the next day, many of my servants had nightmares, and they said they saw ghosts on the beach by the cliff and within the woods."

"When I made the decision to inherit Hamlet, I was prepared; to be frank, my father sent these servants to be my expendable good luck charm. I had to find the source of Hamlet’s magic before those ghosts and goblins found us. I was confident that luck would favor the prepared."

"But I was wrong."

"The first to find me was Mr. Nameless. He’s from the same Andrei Academy as you, a member of the Advanced Magic Research Society. We became good brothers when we were in Loshutar."

"Mr. Nameless is a kind-hearted gentleman; he helped me a lot in the development of Hamlet and so did his friends from the Advanced Magic Research Society..."

Lyle was stunned for a moment—Had Kevin actually connected with the Advanced Magic Research Society, as a human being?

"How did you manage that?"

Kevin shrugged.

"It seems Mr. Nameless convinced his colleagues under the pretense of wanting to conduct academic experiments in Hamlet. The gentlemen from the Advanced Magic Research Society provided some assistance. However, Mr. Nameless never actually commenced his research project; he spent more time conducting geological surveys in Hamlet than holding a pen."

"A few days later, Mr. Nameless gave me an excellent resource management plan. It detailed the resources available in Hamlet and their optimal use, and all he asked for in return was a nominal advisor position. Mr. Nameless is truly a good man."

There was a problem, a big problem—Nameless was definitely plotting something. Lyle felt anxious and tried to subtly question Kevin.

"Kevin, don’t you think that Mr. Nameless is being a bit too nice to you? The people of Andrei... they’re quite indifferent. To put it bluntly, fool, there’s no such thing as a free lunch."

Kevin’s eyes widened, and his head tilted back slightly.

"There isn’t?! But, I remember having a few..."

"..." Lyle had forgotten about "Owen’s" luck; surely that good fortune could protect Kevin from Nameless. "Please continue your story, how else did Mr. Nameless help you?"

Kevin’s eyes remained wide as he described memories that seemed as though they were still playing out before him, performed by the Liches.

"Mr. Nameless revealed to me the truth about the so-called secret arts of the Hamlet family. It was an ancient magic ritual buried in this territory. For ease of management, these powers were split into countless parts, confined to their respective areas—the beach, the ruins, the wilderness, the dungeons. It appears that the Hamlet ancestors conducted a series of insane magic experiments across this land; those rituals are still operating deep within the earth. My territory often spawns all kinds of monsters; they emerge like weeds. ’An inexhaustible resource,’ those were Mr. Nameless’ exact words."

"In mysticism, I am the lord of these freaks and non-human races, but that doesn’t ensure my safety. Even a house cat can scratch its owner. Hence, Mr. Nameless and the members of the Advanced Magic Research Society helped me strengthen my bond with these non-human races. Mr. Nameless moved earth and rocks, and Mr. Laser buried conduits underground. After about three attempts, we created a confluence of all chaotic powers and evil rituals. This is the new Hamlet town."

"These monsters were no longer confined to their own regions; they could leave their shadowy dens and come up to the town. Over time, this place has become a safe zone for entertainment among all races, nominally managed by me."

Lyle looked around at the man-eating demons and bloodthirsty fanatics in the tavern; their frenzy undiminished, one could imagine the great strength needed to house these madmen under one roof.

"How do you manage these lawless men and monsters?"

"Manage? No, although they’re my subjects, they’re not under my control. They are driven by their own desires, doing whatever they wish. The only law I’ve implemented is that no armed conflicts are to occur in Hamlet; theft, insults, those don’t matter." Kevin blinked, gesturing towards the robbers and frenzied cultists who were staring each other down. "Believe it or not, if they step outside the town even a bit, they would tear each other apart."

"Those who harm others in Hamlet are hanged on the ghost tree and killed; their flesh becomes food for the Half-Orcs, and their bodily fluids go to the beach, absorbed by the wild plants, while their bones become new members of the crypt. This is an agreement discussed and accepted by us all, the only law for all villains."

Listening to Kevin’s description of the bloody scenes, Lyle couldn’t help but worry about his brother, who had little strength to defend himself.

"Kevin, do you live in such an environment, with no respect from them? Maybe someone will want to kill you the next second."

"They’ve tried, my brother. Remember Mr. Nameless’ arrangement? He seems to understand very well when my luck-based talent is triggered. New Hamlet not only serves as a junction for all the chaos, but it has also brought me and my subjects closer together."

"You mean, whatever they are doing?"

"My luck will always consider them my companions."