Fortunately, Colin Iliad had been preparing since arriving in the outside world. Through Amon's connections, he'd tapped into several Beyonder circles, trading City of Silver's unique resources for a hefty sum of gold pounds and stockpiling food and supplies. Settling a thousand people in the short term would be no issue.
Given the resilience of City of Silver and Moon City's people, once the initial hurdles were cleared, the rest would be straightforward. They weren't delicate flowers; every survivor had fought monsters. After navigating the toughest early days, even their children could fend for themselves.
Alaric smiled, satisfied with Colin's response. He had no intention of coddling them. Helping City of Silver and Moon City escape the Forsaken Land of the Gods and securing a settlement was already his limit. If they needed him to handle every detail, they'd be no better than dead weight.
That didn't mean he'd abandon them entirely, though. "If you run into problems you can't solve, contact me. I'll provide appropriate help." He said with a smile.
Everyday issues were for City of Silver and Moon City to manage, but if something dire arose... like a widespread illness from acclimation... Alaric wouldn't stand by and watch them suffer.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Excellency Lucifer." Colin Iliad said, bowing respectfully.
Alaric pulled out a map, explaining where City of Silver and Moon City would settle. After a pause, he added, "I'm also planning to build a biological laboratory on one of the islands. You might need to assist with that."
The Forsaken Land was a natural treasure trove of unique flora and fauna absent in the outside world. Not studying it for biological research would be a waste.
"Biological laboratory?" Colin Iliad asked, puzzled, unfamiliar with the term.
Alaric gave a brief explanation of the lab's purpose.
"I understand. City of Silver will provide Your Excellency with ample biological samples." Colin said, quickly grasping the concept.
The Moon City representative chimed in, "Moon City will do the same."
"Good. What do you need in return?" Alaric asked, smiling.
"Your Excellency, this is our duty. How could we ask for payment?" Colin said earnestly.
The Moon City representative echoed, "Moon City feels the same."
Alaric glanced at them, not pressing the issue. He knew insisting on compensation would only alarm Colin. For City of Silver and Moon City, who valued equivalent exchange, the settlement itself was a divine gift they felt compelled to repay.
Alaric chatted briefly with Colin about livelihood plans for the settlers, then left to handle the construction team arrangements.
…
By the time Alaric returned home, it was evening. Unlike the quiet daytime, the villa was lively now, with everyone... those working or out... gathered noisily in the living room.
"Good evening, everyone!" Alaric, in his Lucifer persona, greeted the room.
"Good evening, Teacher!" "Jack Jones" responded enthusiastically, fully committed to the act even when playing opposite himself.
Others offered their greetings as well.
After the pleasantries, Alaric turned to Medici. "Make sure to nudge the Loen royal family. I don't want delays on the colonial island handover. Time's not something I want to waste here."
"Tch, relax. I know you're in a rush. The handover will be done in three days." Medici said, clicking his tongue and biting into an apple with a crunch, his words reliably firm.
"Colonial islands?" Klein asked, curious, as were the others.
Alaric blinked, avoiding details about scamming the Loen royal family. "You know I've been setting up a biological laboratory. I managed to secure a few colonial islands from the Loen royals for it. The lab will be built on one, and City of Silver and Moon City's people will settle on the others."
Klein nodded, then hesitated. "What about the islands' original inhabitants?"
Alaric smiled, looking at Klein. "No worries. I chose sparsely populated islands with plenty of undeveloped land. City of Silver and Moon City's people can live there without disrupting the locals."
Klein sighed in relief. He wanted City of Silver and Moon City to escape their plight but not at the cost of harming the Five Seas' natives.
Only then did Alaric recall the Five Seas rebels. A Sequence 3 Sea King wasn't a big deal, but the rebels themselves held potential for recruitment.
Maybe it was worth reaching out… As Alaric mused, he noticed Azik looking like he wanted to speak but holding back. Smiling, he asked, "What's up, Azik? Something on your mind?"
"Lucifer, I think I'm ready for the second phase of treatment." Azik said after a pause. "I've fully processed the memories from the last recovery and stabilized my state... both my humanity and anchors. I should be able to handle more memory integration now."
Alaric raised an eyebrow, sizing Azik up. Confirming he looked in good shape, he smiled. "You're in a hurry, huh?"
"Not exactly. It's just… everyone's been busy with important work, and I'm the only one idle. It's a bit embarrassing." Azik said with a sheepish smile. "If I can recover my strength and consume divinity sooner, I can reclaim the Death Consul and contribute to the cause."
Alaric wasn't surprised. He smiled. "It's great you feel that way, Azik, but it's too late today for something like that. Let's do the second phase of memory recovery tomorrow."
"Alright." Azik agreed, nodding without objection.
***
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