"Worried?" Alaric noticed Klein's mood and raised an eyebrow.
Klein didn't hide it, nodding frankly. "I was once a Nighthawk, so I know what being a Nightwatcher means… But I respect Melissa's choice."
While Nightwatcher weren't identical to Nighthawks, the similarities were clear.
Nighthawks were admirable, but their work kept them constantly on the edge of danger.
"Understandable," Alaric nodded, then smiled. "But Nightwatcher are safer than you might think. Compared to the churches, we won't lack basic Beyonders. More manpower means greater safety when handling supernatural incidents."
"Plus, we're setting up a dedicated rapid-response team with Travelers to ensure that local Beyonder squads can call for backup instantly if they face something they can't handle," Alaric added, pausing with a teasing tone. "Speaking of which, we owe thanks to Roselle's recent efforts. With him at the core, the new communication system is coming together and should soon cover the entire Republic."
"…That sounds solid," Klein exhaled, a smile breaking through. Sufficient manpower, reliable communication, and swift Traveler support would indeed boost safety significantly.
If the Nightwatcher faced something like 0-08, they could summon heavyweights for support before the True Creator's spawn even arrived.
It was an advantage other churches lacked... none could match the Door pathway's speed for rapid response.
Bethel, listening in, caught the gist and smiled at Klein. "Need me to prepare a protective charm for her? I don't know her connection to you, but she must be important."
Bethel wasn't privy to the Moretti family's details. Klein kept his family out of supernatural affairs to avoid danger, rarely mentioning them around Bethel's people.
"Thank you, Mr. Bethel," Klein said quickly, a bit embarrassed but not rejecting the offer.
Even with safer conditions, Nightwatcher were on the front lines against danger, and precautions were wise.
"No need to be so formal. You're practically my student," Bethel said warmly, then turned to Alaric. "I suspect you didn't come here just for these promising youths."
Alaric chuckled, setting down a test paper he'd been flipping through. "I'm here to fix your last little… furry problem."
Bethel froze, then realized what he meant, his expression turning serious. With a tone somewhere between teasing and wistful, he said, "I thought I'd have to wait longer."
"You're doubting my efficiency," Alaric said with a grin. "But besides dealing with your fuzzy issue, I also want to talk about the Lord of Mysteries."
"Bethel…" Alaric's expression grew earnest. "I may not be able to help much with you becoming the Lord of Mysteries."
Bethel wasn't surprised or disappointed. He nodded, smiling. "I know, but that's fine. Some things I need to face myself. I trust in my ability, and I hope you'll trust me too, Your Majesty."
…
Alaric pursed his lips, then said, "Adam told me the same thing. He said to trust you, that you can become the Lord of Mysteries and defeat the Celestial Worthy without my help. Seems he knows you better than I do."
"You're just too worried, Your Majesty. I know you're cold toward most, but you're soft on those you care about. You have so little, so you fear losing anyone dear to you. You're afraid I can't overcome the Celestial Worthy, that I'll perish," Bethel said, sighing. He looked at Alaric earnestly. "But don't be afraid. Even if I lose to the Celestial Worthy, the old me will still be by your side. You won't lose me or anyone else. You have the power to keep everyone you care about."
The "old" Here referred to Bethel's past self.
"…If Roselle heard that, he'd say you're seeing me through eighteen layers of rose-tinted filters," Alaric said after a few seconds of silence, his tone lightly teasing.
"I'm not exaggerating. I'm just describing the Majesty I see," Bethel replied with a smile, his demeanor open and sincere.
"Your next line wouldn't be that I'm a child too, would it?" Alaric quipped, then laughed. "Too bad I'm long past being a kid."
"I don't think of Your Majesty as a child," Bethel said, shaking his head with a smile. "After all, you always want to be everyone's father."
"Hm, isn't that only natural?" Alaric chuckled confidently, then added, "But you're right. I do have the power to keep everyone. Though maybe not quite the way you think…"
He suddenly extended a hand to Bethel. "Give me your hand."
Bethel raised an eyebrow but complied.
Alaric took his hand, drawing a few symbols in his palm. An invisible force enveloped Bethel, and for a moment, he glimpsed countless overlapping shadows wandering through the river of time. One shadow solidified... the Bethel of a second ago.
The dreamlike vision faded, and Bethel, snapping back to reality, looked at Alaric tentatively. "What was that?"
"Memory of Time, my ability," Alaric explained with a smile, not hiding it. "Think of it like the Fate pathway's restart ability. It records your state just now. If needed in the future, I can reset you to this moment, even if you die or turn into a monster."
Memory of Time didn't work on Great Old Ones, but since Bethel wasn't one yet, it was effective on him, even if he later became the Lord of Mysteries.
It was almost like exploiting a loophole, but it worked.
"Remarkable. You always seem to have these incredible powers," Bethel said with a sigh, then hesitated, adding, "But why not wait until my furry problem is resolved before recording?"
***
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