Meanwhile, having finished tidying the room, Klein was about to take his leave when "Lucifer" Suddenly spoke up.
"What do you think of City of Silver?"
Klein froze, glancing at "Lucifer" with mild surprise. Then it hit him... with "Lucifer's" mysterious nature, knowing about the Forsaken Land of the Gods and City of Silver wasn't exactly shocking.
After a moment's thought, Klein answered, "City of Silver's perseverance in the darkness is moving, but also tragic. I'd love to help them, but I don't have the means."
"Quite the diplomatic response." Alaric said with a faint smile. He casually pulled a chair over and sat, gesturing to another chair in the room. "Take a seat. Relax... I'm not going to kill you. At worst, I'd just toss you in a sack and rough you up a bit."
Klein's mouth twitched at the bluntness, but he sat as directed. "Mr. Lucifer, why do you ask?"
"Curious about them?" Alaric countered, ignoring Klein's reaction. He opened the blank book he always carried, placing it on his knee and flipping to a specific page before continuing. "City of Silver, once called the Kingdom of Silver, followed the Giant King in the Second Epoch. Later, they pledged faith to the Ancient Sun God, a belief they've held unwaveringly even after The Ancient Sun God's fall."
He looked up at Klein, smiling. "Guess whether they'll keep holding on in the future?"
The "holding on" clearly referred to their faith in the Ancient Sun God.
The question was simple, but Klein sensed an undercurrent. Swallowing, he cautiously replied, "Will they switch to worshipping The Fool in the future?"
"Not entirely clueless." Alaric said with a chuckle, eyeing Klein. "Got any questions?"
"Since City of Silver was fated to worship The Fool, does that mean they were saved?" Despite his nerves, with "Lucifer" Prompting him, Klein couldn't resist asking.
"In the original course of fate, about two and a half years from now, you'd open the seal between the Forsaken Land of the Gods and the outside world, allowing City of Silver's people to migrate." Alaric answered with a smile, not hiding anything.
Klein let out a breath of relief, then frowned, puzzled. "Two and a half years? What sequence would I be then?"
"Sequence 3 before opening the seal, Sequence 2 after." Alaric replied, still smiling.
Klein's expression froze. He already knew he was a "destined" Savior, so his advancement would be fast, but this fast? Under normal circumstances, climbing from Sequence 7 to Sequence 2 in two and a half years was unheard of... reaching Sequence 5 would already mark someone as a genius, like Lady Daly.
"That's nothing." Alaric added, clearly enjoying the moment. "If your fate hadn't changed, in three years, you'd be Quasi-Lord of Mysteries." He grinned. "Why else would I call you the protagonist of this era?"
Klein was floored. After a few seconds of hesitation, he asked, "Was I cheating?"
"Well, why not?" Alaric didn't deny it, chuckling. "But now, who knows? The moment I interfered with your fate, the original path got scrambled. You might not pull that off anymore."
To his surprise, Klein didn't look disappointed. After a moment's thought, he said, "That's not so bad. Replacing the Celestial Worthy in three years… that's terrifying. Just thinking about it, I can imagine how exhausting it would've been."
Advancement wasn't simple, especially with the madness tied to Beyonder pathways. The higher you climbed, the harder you had to fight that madness. Klein couldn't even fathom what state he'd have been in to replace the Celestial Worthy in the original timeline.
Still… if there was no other way, he probably would've done it.
Klein sighed inwardly.
"You were exhausted back then, and terrified. Your face was pale before facing the Celestial Worthy." Alaric teased, then lowered his gaze. "That's the one thing I can't bring myself to dislike about you."
"…You could try not disliking me in other ways too." Klein muttered under his breath.
"Not a chance." Alaric said, raising an eyebrow with brutal honesty before steering the conversation back. "Enough of that. Let's get back to City of Silver."
He looked at Klein, closing the book on his knee. "You asked what I'm planning. I'll tell you now... I can help City of Silver change their situation early. But in return, I need their faith."
Did Alaric have the power to change City of Silver's fate? Of course. Even if he couldn't, the Ancient Sun God certainly could. Whether it was opening the seal early to let City of Silver's people leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods or altering their surroundings, The Ancient Sun God's abilities likely made it possible.
As for convincing the Ancient Sun God to act, Alaric had his ways.
Klein froze at the words, initially thrilled for City of Silver, then hesitant. "Mr. Lucifer, are you asking for my opinion?"
"Why else?" Alaric glanced at him, smiling. "They're practically The Fool's future followers, after all."
Klein's expression grew complicated. He studied Alaric, then said carefully, "I think I understand your intentions, Mr. Lucifer. In the original fate, City of Silver might've turned to The Fool, but that's just the old timeline. They don't belong to The Fool now, and I wouldn't assume they're my followers."
"If you're willing to save City of Silver early, I'd only be happy for them." Klein said, then, thinking of City of Silver's millennia-long devotion to the Creator, added, "Of course, if possible, I hope you'd respect their wishes and not force them to change their faith."
"I don't do charity." Alaric said with a smile.
Klein felt a bit helpless but couldn't argue. Lucifer had no obligation to save City of Silver, and asking for their faith in return was reasonable... generous, even, compared to the act of salvation.
So, Klein let the topic slide. "Mr. Lucifer, besides seeking my opinion, are you suggesting I contact City of Silver ahead of time?"
"I am." Alaric admitted with a nod and a smile. "Even for me, getting to the Forsaken Land of the Gods isn't easy. Making contact in advance would save a lot of trouble."
***
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