"He's not an ordinary child. In a few days, he'll be an adult, and even now, his mind is far sharper than most kids his age. That's why we can't indulge him too much, or one misstep could set him on a path we can't correct."
Alaric shook his head, glancing at Lil' Amon with a smile. "But I'm genuinely surprised you're so close to Sherlock. It's great that you want to make him happy, but your approach is off."
"…Then what's the right way?" Lil' Amon lifted his head, looking at Alaric with intense focus, almost stubborn, as if the answer mattered deeply.
"Right and wrong are tricky to define, especially in this case…" Alaric paused, taking a moment to consider how to explain it to Amon. "You can offer Sherlock suggestions, help him do things to improve our relationship, or distract him with other matters so he stops worrying about it."
Lil' Amon's expression turned thoughtful, making him look less like a ten-year-old and more like a small adult.
"So, doing the right thing means not going against someone's will, right?" Amon asked after a moment of reflection.
"That's part of it. As I said, right and wrong are complex. Sometimes, what's right can become wrong depending on perspective, and some wrongs can be right in specific contexts. That's a bit advanced for you right now." Alaric said, nodding, then shaking his head. He smiled. "For now, just keep in mind what you said."
Amon, not fully grasping it, nodded vaguely. After a hesitant pause, he suddenly said, "…I'm sorry."
Alaric blinked, genuinely surprised this time. He smiled, his lips curving. "I forgive you! Lil' Amon's a good kid... owning up to mistakes makes you the best kind." He pulled a candy from his pocket, handed it to Amon, and patted his head. "Go take a break. I need to talk to your teacher Will."
"Oh…" Amon took the candy, stood without hesitation, and scampered off.
"…You're actually teaching a kid?" Will, who'd watched the whole exchange, couldn't help but comment. "I thought with your style, you'd just say your own will matters most, and others' don't."
"That's how I operate." Alaric admitted without a shred of shame, leaving Will momentarily speechless.
Alaric continued, smiling. "But I know what's right, even if I don't always follow it. When teaching Amon, I'll do it properly."
Amon's worldview was already skewed enough. If they didn't steer him right, who knows what he'd turn into?
"You're brutally honest." Will said, unable to hold back a sigh.
Alaric glanced at him, chuckling without responding.
Will, remembering something, asked, "What did you need me for?"
"Here's the thing…" Alaric didn't beat around the bush, quickly explaining the biological laboratory situation. "After thinking it over, I want you to take charge of it."
"Huh?" Will blinked, pointing at himself in shock. "Me? I don't know the first thing about this stuff."
"You don't need to. I'll leave the technical work to experts. You just need to oversee them." Alaric said, shaking his head.
"But why me?" Will asked, still hesitant.
"Because you're the only one I can trust, Will." Alaric said sincerely, looking at him. "The lab is critical... it's about humanity's future. I can't entrust it to just anyone."
"And you're sure you can trust me?" Will pressed his lips together. "We've only known each other a few days."
"But I knew what kind of person you were before we met." Alaric said, smiling. "I trust someone who'd give up having Klein host a uniqueness just because he wasn't in a good state. That's a friend worth believing in."
Will fell silent for a few seconds, then puffed out his cheeks. "Fine, I'll help. I was already working for you anyway… But I'm warning you, I have zero experience with biological experiments. I can manage the lab, but don't expect more."
"That's more than enough." Alaric said, his smile brightening. He paused, then added with a grin, "Even if you know nothing, you might still help with the experiments."
"Huh?" Will looked at him, confused.
"In research, knowledge and skill are vital, but luck is just as crucial…" Alaric began, smiling as he listed several inventions born from fortunate accidents, concluding, "So, Will, if you occasionally sprinkle some luck on the researchers, you'll make a huge difference."
Will raised an eyebrow, then said, "You planned this all along, didn't you?"
"What?" Alaric replied, smiling innocently.
"You definitely planned it…" Will said, reading the answer in Alaric's smile. "No wonder you kept me around despite not needing my luck. You were waiting for this."
"…Are you mad, Will?" Alaric asked, neither confirming nor denying.
"Why would I be mad? We're partners. Helping each other is normal." Will said, giving him a puzzled look before sighing. "I just didn't expect you'd want me for this. I thought you'd need me for a fight… Ugh, this feels like a huge responsibility now."
Will was a good person... at least among angels, he leaned toward the lawful side.
That's why the weight of running the biological lab felt like a mountain on his shoulders.
Alaric could see Will's concern but felt no guilt. If Will weren't reliable, he wouldn't have entrusted him with the lab in the first place.
"Don't stress too much." Alaric said. "You're in charge, but if the lab doesn't produce results, no one's to blame. Life finds a way. If the biological ascension route fails, we'll find another path."
***
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