"It's not about indulgence. I just believe we shouldn't stifle a child's nature. Instead, we should guide it appropriately. Suppressing it blindly will only lead to uncontrollable outbursts, which could put the child in even greater danger…"
Azik shook his head, speaking slowly. "Of course, as guardians, it's our duty to protect them during their adventures and educate them afterward about the importance of restraint."
He paused, looking at Alaric. "And I believe Jack is a child who knows his limits."
"I hope so too." Alaric sighed, exchanging a few more words with Azik about parenting before turning to Klein. "What do you think?"
"Huh?" Klein felt the question was a bit out of his league. A guy who hadn't even had a first love was now discussing child-rearing with two seniors?
But with the spotlight on him, he had no choice but to respond. "Jack does have a bit of a self-destructive streak, which leads him to do dangerous things sometimes. As his friend, I won't crush his spirit, but I'll try to talk him out of it when he's about to do something reckless…"
Though it started off awkwardly, Klein found his stride by the end. He'd long since resolved to keep an eye on Jack Jones, ensuring his thrill-seeking friend didn't pull off something so big it got him killed.
Even if, sometimes, stopping him was easier said than done… Thinking of Jack's latest stunt, Klein sighed inwardly.
Alaric listened quietly, then gave a small smile without commenting further. "It's getting late. Come on, help me set up my room."
"Oh, sure." Klein wasn't sure how the topic had shifted so quickly, but he wasn't about to refuse.
While Klein and "Lucifer" Tidied the room, back in the now-closed study, Medici appeared by the window. He eyed "Jack Jones." who was cleaning up, and snapped his fingers to ensure no sound would leak out before speaking. "So, you've made yourself an avatar?"
Alaric, in his "Jack Jones" Persona, glanced up without denying it, nodding with a smile. "Since Jack and Lucifer never appear together, it might raise suspicions, don't you think?"
"Tch, what's with you guys and living under different identities? Where's the fun in that?" Medici scoffed, though he didn't seem bothered by Alaric's newfound avatar ability. In his mind, if Alaric could wield something as unique as the Shadow of Time, an avatar ability was hardly surprising.
Alaric chuckled, sidestepping the question. He briskly finished tidying, then looked at Medici. "What's the word from Intis?"
If you asked what Medici had been up to lately, the list would be long. But the main task was securing resources from Intis through deception.
The matters with the Numinous Episcopate could wait until Azik regained his memories, and defrauding the Loen royal family wasn't urgent. That left the revolution-related tasks: quietly spreading ideology in the chosen starting point and negotiating with Intis, leveraging the Loen royal family's "Black Emperor" Plan to secure aid. Those had kept Medici busy.
On top of that, Medici was learning to cook under Alaric's guidance, wishing he could stretch a 24-hour day into 48.
"What do you think? With me handling it, fooling them was a piece of cake." Medici said, arms crossed, a smug grin on his face. "The first batch of supplies will arrive at the Loen border next month."
"Impressive! Truly the greatest conspirator, the pride of the Hunter Pathway!" Alaric gave Medici a thumbs-up, lavish with his praise.
Medici's grin widened for a moment before he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What's your game?"
Flattery without reason usually meant trouble.
"I'm just genuinely praising you." Alaric said, feigning a hurt expression before smiling again. "Of course, I also want to lend you a little help."
Medici's guard went up instantly. He'd gotten to know Alaric's personality well enough. The guy was a textbook slacker... never taking on extra work unless it was fun for him.
"I'm warning you, don't mess around. The revolution's no joke. If you screw this up, The Ancient Sun God will have your head, and I won't be able to stop him."
Medici's warning came sharp. Lately, at Alaric's suggestion, he'd stopped calling the Ancient Sun God "Lord," opting for "Sun God" or "Creator" instead.
"What are you thinking? Do I seem like someone who'd mess around with something this serious?" Alaric shot him an exasperated look, then said confidently, "I really just want to help out a bit."
"Cut to the chase. What do you want?" Medici wasn't easily swayed, though he relaxed slightly, curious.
"Maybe you could use a speaker?" Alaric smiled at Medici. "The Hunter Pathway's abilities can stir people up, sure, but they lean toward war. My skills are different... more direct, better at igniting rebellion and hope for a better life in people's hearts."
Medici squinted, studying Alaric as if trying to guess his motives. After a few seconds, he said, "You're trying to steal faith from the Sun God?"
"You could say that." Alaric replied, not denying it, his smile unwavering.
While Alaric was indeed preparing to solidify "Lucifer." if he could snag some faith in the process, why not? He had to plan for his eventual ascent to Angel or True God, after all.
"Even if my essence is Nyarlathotep… maybe that's exactly why I need anchors to hold onto my humanity." Alaric mused to himself before looking at Medici. "So, need my help?"
Medici gave him a long look, then flashed a bold grin. "Sure, why not?"
Alaric wanting to compete with The Ancient Sun God for faith? In the past, Medici would've shut it down. But now? Let them sort it out themselves.
***
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