Chapter 21: A Lich With Centuries of Schemes
Ambrose counted the gold piece by piece, then pulled out a sheet of parchment, wrote out the contract in full, and nailed it to the tavern's bulletin board for public record.
Only after all these formalities did he turn to the paladin and say, calm as could be, "Go on, then. Cast your Detect Evil."
The paladin warned, "If you use magic to resist detection, that counts as a breach of contract."
Ambrose replied pleasantly, "If it makes you feel better, you may seal my mana first."
The paladin shook his head. There was no need for that—he would know if the spell were tampered with. Truth be told, Ambrose's composure was so perfect that the paladin almost believed he truly had nothing to hide.
The holy light flared and washed over Ambrose.
Detect Evil produced a color. Pure souls glowed in flawless white, while corrupted ones bore dark stains or a faint crimson hue. The more wicked the soul, the darker the light.
For ordinary folk, a few fingertip-sized shadows might appear: greedy thoughts and minor desires, nothing explicit.
Cultists of dark gods, however, would be stained in darkness and steeped in spiritual filth.