"It's not exactly a shady potion. I followed the recipe from an ancient text…" "Jack Jones" mumbled in defense.
"You'd trust some random book? Have I not taught you enough about safety?" Alaric, in his Lucifer persona, fixed "Jack Jones" with a stare. Though he was still smiling, the room's temperature seemed to drop, an instinctive sense of danger rippling through the air.
Klein's heart skipped a beat. He felt both exasperation at his friend's recklessness and an urge to shield Jack from Lucifer's wrath.
But "Jack Jones" Showed no fear, instead meeting "Lucifer's" gaze with bold defiance. "This is all your fault!"
"If you weren't such an absent teacher, always off somewhere and leaving me to be taught by others, would I have resorted to studying potion-making from old books? So, it's on you for being an irresponsible mentor." "Jack Jones'" words rang with conviction.
Klein was stunned. For half a second, he was almost swayed by Jack's audacity, thinking he had a point. But then reality hit, and he braced himself, stealing a cautious glance at "Lucifer."
To his surprise, "Lucifer" didn't seem angry. Instead, his eyes lowered, a mix of helplessness and guilt flickering across his face.
No way, big shot, you're actually feeling guilty?
Come on, Mr. Lucifer, where's that effortless confidence you had with me and Mr. Azik?
But confidence was nowhere to be found. Klein watched as "Lucifer" Sighed and said, "You're right, Jack. It's my fault. I haven't been there for you lately. Can you forgive your teacher?"
"I can, but you've got to show some sincerity!" "Jack Jones" tilted his chin up, a touch of haughtiness in his demeanor.
"What do you want?" Alaric asked, playing the part of an indulgent parent.
"Jack Jones" didn't answer right away. Instead, he pursed his lips, then tugged at Lucifer's hem. "I want you to act like a proper teacher. It's been… forever since I last saw you. You're always so busy, barely answering my letters. Does that sound like a teacher to you?"
"Lucifer" Seemed to pause, then sighed again, ruffling "Jack Jones'" Hair. "I'm sorry, Jack. For the foreseeable future, I'm not going anywhere."
"Jack Jones" broke into a grin.
Having staged this little performance, Alaric, still in his Lucifer persona, turned to Klein with a smile. "I hope you don't mind me staying under the same roof for a while."
The first step to turning the Lucifer persona from fiction to reality was to make it a constant presence, not just a cameo.
It just so happened that "Lucifer" Had plenty to do in the coming days.
This performance served two purposes: fleshing out the personas of both Jack and Lucifer to reduce the risk of exposure, and ensuring "Lucifer" could naturally become a regular fixture, giving the persona more depth through increased appearances.
Faced with this development, Klein didn't know what to say. He glanced at "Jack Jones." Then at "Lucifer." Suddenly feeling his life was about to get very interesting.
But what could Klein do? He could only accept it.
So, he forced a smile. "Of course I don't mind. In fact, I'm glad to have you here, Mr. Lucifer." By the end, his words carried a hint of genuine warmth.
Despite Lucifer's personality and apparent dislike for him, to Klein, Lucifer was a fellow transmigrator... a kindred spirit in this unfamiliar era, someone willing to defy fate and grant him the freedom to choose.
In truth, Klein was deeply grateful to Lucifer, holding a fair amount of fondness for him.
Alaric, of course, knew exactly what Klein was thinking. Still in his Lucifer shell, he gave a small smile. "Unfortunately, I do mind."
"..."
For once, Klein felt a pang of dejection.
Did he really dislike him that much?
"Jack Jones" Shoved "Lucifer" with a huff. "Sorry, but your opinion doesn't matter here. This is my house. Go clean up your room... it's late, and if you don't, there'll be no place to sleep. You're not expecting me to do it, are you, old man? Don't push it."
"You're getting ruder by the day." "Lucifer" Said with a helpless smile, glancing at "Jack Jones" before shooting Klein a fleeting look.
That single glance sent chills down Klein's spine, as if he'd been plunged into a frozen wasteland.
"I'll help Mr. Lucifer tidy up. I'm great at organizing rooms." Klein blurted out instinctively.
"Really?" "Jack Jones" eyed him skeptically.
"Absolutely. Mr. Lucifer's helped me a ton, so I'm happy to do what I can for him." Klein said hurriedly.
The tension around "Lucifer" eased slightly. He glanced at Klein. "Come on, my room's on the third floor." With that, he headed upstairs.
Klein quickly followed.
At the corridor, they found Azik standing by the guest room door, looking like he wanted to speak but hesitated.
"We meet again, Azik! I thought our next encounter would be tomorrow, but it seems the world favors unexpected scenes." Alaric said, flashing a very "Lucifer" Smile.
"Good evening, Your Excellency Lucifer. Is Jack alright?" Azik's gaze flicked toward the study before settling on Alaric.
The study door had been left open, so Azik had naturally overheard everything.
"He's fine, don't worry." Alaric said with a smile, fully aware Azik had heard it all... exactly as he'd intended.
With a sigh, Alaric gave a slightly troubled smile. "Jack's always getting into dangerous situations. Sometimes I wonder if I've failed as a teacher, raising him to be like this."
"Some children are just born to chase adventure. Jack's probably one of them. I once had a child like that, always seeking out dangerous places to explore…" Azik, clearly experienced in parenting, began to share, a nostalgic look in his eyes.
Alaric listened quietly before asking, "So, in your view, Azik, should we indulge this kind of behavior?"
***
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