Azik's sudden appearance caught everyone off guard.
Even Alaric hadn't expected to see Azik under these circumstances. His gaze swept over the man, and he frowned. "Azik, those wounds aren't light. Let's treat them first."
Azik himself seemed surprised to find himself here. His brow furrowed, and the colors around him began to distort, signaling his intent to leave.
"Wait, Mr. Azik, don't rush off! This place is safe. Even if a Sequence 0 god descends, I can call for backup. Have you forgotten my teacher?" Alaric swiftly grabbed Azik's arm, speaking rapidly.
Azik paused, likely thinking of the mysterious Lucifer, and seemed to relax slightly.
Klein stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the alarming wounds on Azik's body. Instinctively, he tried to use his damage transfer ability to shift the critical injuries to less severe areas, but it failed.
This deepened Klein's worry. "Mr. Azik, what happened to you? These wounds…" He said urgently.
"I'm fine, don't worry." Azik reassured them with a smile, about to say more when Alaric cut him off. With a glance at Klein, the two seamlessly guided Azik to a nearby sofa.
Alaric beckoned to Medici. "Come check his wounds. I'm not as good with injuries caused by Beyonder powers as you are."
Though Alaric had some medical skills, they were limited to mundane healing. When it came to Beyonder-related wounds, Medici was the expert.
After all, Alaric rarely got injured himself.
"You don't even say 'please' when bossing people around. Black-hearted guys like you deserve to be strung up!" Medici grumbled, but he moved forward to inspect Azik's wounds. His brow rose. "The power of the Hand of Order. Did you cross paths with the Augustus family?"
Azik gave Medici a surprised look, hesitating before nodding. "And you are…?"
"He's Medici. You can call him Red. Not a big deal, don't mind him." Alaric said with a wave, slipping in a playful jab.
Medici shot him an annoyed glance but didn't bother introducing himself further. Those who knew him didn't need an introduction, and those who didn't weren't worth the effort.
The Red Angel had his pride and wasn't about to announce himself to strangers.
"Medici…" Azik paused, as if recalling something. "The Red Angel?"
"You know him?" Alaric looked at Azik, surprised.
"I have some memories." Azik said, glancing at Medici again, clearly not expecting to encounter him here.
Medici didn't mind the scrutiny and seemed pleased Azik recognized his name. His usual sharpness softened. "These wounds are infused with the power of Order, preventing normal healing. But it's an easy fix. Get the big snake to reset this guy's time."
"Then why aren't you calling him?" Alaric shot back.
"Tch! Did someone forget I've cut ties with my old group?" Medici snapped.
"You don't have to be with the True Creator to be buddies with Ouroboros. Plus, we're allies, aren't we?" Alaric said, softening his tone. "Besides, I'm not as close to Ouroboros as you are. If I call, he might not show. So, please, great Red Angel, help me out!"
"…Cough, fine. I'll grudgingly make the call." Medici said, caught off guard by Alaric's shamelessness but clearly swayed by it.
"So, Mr. Azik, what did you do? How'd you end up clashing with the Augustus family?" Alaric turned to Azik the moment Medici took the bait, dropping the act instantly.
"Tch!" Medici clicked his tongue at the performance but didn't back out, beginning to contact a certain Angel of Fate remotely.
Azik recounted what had happened. After parting ways with Klein, he'd been wandering Backlund, searching for clues about his past. A few days ago, he stumbled upon a human trafficking operation.
In his days as a Death Consul, he might've ignored it, but the current Azik couldn't stand by. He intervened, saved the victims, and followed the trail, which led to the Loen royalty. He also discovered they were building a strange underground palace.
"I was spotted while infiltrating the palace and encountered the Hand of Order…" Azik sighed. "I was no match for them, but they didn't seem intent on killing me. After a fight, I escaped, instinctively seeking a safe place. I didn't expect to end up here. Good thing the Hand of Order didn't follow, or I'd have worried about dragging you into this."
"If they had followed, it'd be even better…" Alaric muttered, rubbing his chin. He hadn't anticipated this turn of events for Azik, but it made sense. Having directly altered Azik's fate, Alaric had restored more of his power compared to the original story, so it was natural his knack for trouble had grown.
Still… "They dared to attack you, Mr. Azik? The Loen royalty has chosen the path to ruin! Why don't we rally the troops today, storm the palace, and seize the emperor's throne? Medici, if you chip in fifty, I'll name you the new era's grand general!" Alaric clapped his hands, spouting nonsense.
"Huh?" Azik, missing the joke, widened his eyes in shock. He glanced between Alaric and Klein, unsure whether to speak.
"Jack's just talking nonsense, don't mind him, Mr. Azik." Klein said, patting Azik's shoulder with a mix of resignation and numbness.
"Er…" Azik didn't know what to say.
Alaric didn't contradict Klein... he was joking. But that didn't mean he hadn't considered toppling the Augustus family. Just not now.
For one, doing so might provoke the gods watching from the sidelines, potentially sparking a world war. For another, it'd paint them as villains. And finally, with the Augustus family running Loen into the ground, taking their place now would mean inheriting their mess and getting tangled in the chaos of nobles and tycoons. Why bother?
Alaric preferred to play the long game, waiting for the flames of reform to ignite before rightfully overthrowing the Augustus family and building a new order on the ruins. Much better.
That said, Azik's injuries still irritated him, and he wasn't about to do nothing.
***
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