"I will," Bethel said without standing on ceremony with Klein. He continued, "Although I will assimilate the Sefirah Castle, even if I become the Lord of Mysteries, you will still be able to use it. That is your rightful privilege."
Klein was momentarily stunned, unable to find words. He couldn't help but laugh, and after a few seconds, he said, "I was about to ask you, Mr. Bethel, if I could borrow the Sefirah Castle to hold the Tarot Gathering. I didn't expect you to beat me to it... and be so… generous."
"Isn't the more generous one you?" Bethel asked with a smile, then, as if recalling something, he sighed. "I once imagined how I might claim the Sefirah Castle. In my original vision, it would have been a thrilling battle. I never expected…"
Bethel paused, looking at Klein before continuing, "You're truly remarkable, Klein. Not everyone can relinquish power within their grasp like you. If it were Amon, we'd probably already be fighting to the death."
"I just don't crave such things. You're the remarkable one, Mr. Bethel," Klein replied, shaking his head with a hint of embarrassment.
"Honestly, yeah, the original Amon is just that kind of thief," Lil' Amon chimed in, agreeing with Bethel's words.
As they exchanged compliments and casually threw shade at Amon, Alaric was mentally planning the matters he needed to focus on in the coming period.
Aside from his own advancement, Alaric's primary concern was naturally Medici's ascension to Sequence 0. Given the existence of the Primordial Demoness, Alaric felt it necessary to keep a close eye on that situation, ready to intervene if the Demoness made any moves.
Next was Bethel's ascension to Lord of Mysteries. Alaric couldn't assist directly with this, but he needed to stay vigilant, ensuring he could rewind time if anything went wrong.
Finally, there was the matter of The Ancient Sun God's resurrection. Alaric was confident in his preparations and only awaited his own advancement to Sequence 2 Fictionist to proceed.
"Once I ascend to Lord of Chaos, The Ancient Sun God is resurrected, and Bethel becomes the Lord of Mysteries, we can consider confronting the Outer Deities," Alaric thought, a flicker of excitement stirring within him. Deep down, he had a strong desire for control, and he had long been irritated by the Outer Deities lurking beyond Earth, watching with predatory intent.
Dealing with those entities sooner rather than later would benefit everyone.
…
"So this is your excuse for coming here to mooch food and drink?"
Medici spoke with exasperation, glaring at Alaric. In his left hand, he held a skewer, while his right hand glowed with red flames, clearly grilling meat on the spot.
"You have to believe me... I'm really here to protect you," Alaric said earnestly, though his eyes remained fixed on the skewer in Medici's hand.
"I'd believe you if you didn't start ordering food the moment you arrived," Medici retorted, rolling his eyes. He picked up a seasoning box and asked with practiced ease, "Medium spice?"
"Exactly!" Alaric nodded, then added matter-of-factly, "But seriously, the meat grilled with your flames is delicious. It has this… catastrophic flavor. Very unique."
"Hmph!" Medici scoffed, tossing the seasoned skewer to Alaric. He wiped his hands with a cloth before continuing, "The Primordial Demoness has been making moves lately. It seems she's trying to contact the long-dormant Dark Side of The Universe, possibly to form an alliance."
"Uh, Farbauti?" Alaric's expression turned slightly peculiar. He took a bite of the skewer, swallowed, and then said, "She's got a knack for picking allies, doesn't she?"
The Dark Side of The Universe, Farbauti, is a True God of the Abyss Pathway, symbolizing catastrophe in the eyes of many. Revered by countless demons, Farbauti is considered by followers to be the master of the Abyss, destined to devour the world as an apocalyptic force.
From this perspective, the Primordial Demoness's choice seemed reasonable. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence could deduce Alaric and his allies' stance based on the Republic's recent actions. Aligning with the Dark Side of The Universe, an entity opposed to order, made perfect sense.
The only issue was that Farbauti, beyond being a True God of the Abyss Pathway and an ancient deity surviving from the Second Epoch, had another identity... a remnant of the Pre-Epoch, tirelessly preparing to confront the apocalypse.
Farbauti had indeed committed many wrongs and sins, but in the original story, this Devil Monarch had dealt a heavy blow to an Outer Deity at the cost of their own life.
In short, Farbauti was nothing like the Primordial Demoness, who seemed intent on dragging the entire world down with her in her madness.
"What, you know them?" Medici asked, picking up on the teasing tone in Alaric's voice.
"Not exactly, just vaguely aware of their situation," Alaric replied, shaking his head. His attitude toward Farbauti was similar to his view of Roselle... impossible to like, but not quite detestable either.
At the very least, anyone willing to sacrifice themselves to save the world was, in Alaric's eyes, redeemable.
Maybe I could try to pull them in? I recall Farbauti was corrupted by the Mother Tree of Desire… Alaric mused, lost in thought.
Medici glanced at him but didn't interrupt, turning his attention to some military affairs.
…
Alaric's arrival didn't drastically alter Medici's routine. Medici continued methodically advancing the front lines, liberating cities one by one while remaining vigilant against the Primordial Demoness's actions.
Meanwhile, aside from his usual mooching, Alaric occasionally helped with paperwork and continued crafting tales of Medici's past, aiming to ensure everyone saw Medici as a tragically heroic figure.
By the time Medici noticed the medical corps' medics gazing at him with a mix of admiration and pity, the Republic had already gained a legion of "War Angel" fangirls.
"Enough already!" Medici slammed the table, interrupting someone scribbling furiously. He snapped, "What nonsense are you writing now?"
"Oh, just something about an inhumane father, a gravely ill mother, a dim-witted brother, and a broken you," Alaric said, blinking innocently as he spoke unhurriedly.
"…"
Medici took a deep breath, grinding his teeth. "What is wrong with you?"
"Ahem, isn't this tragic-hero archetype more relatable?" Alaric said, growing more confident. "And honestly, your real story isn't far off. I just… embellished a little. Your father was pretty monstrous, and your mother's madness counts as a serious illness, doesn't it?"
"So the dim-witted brother is supposed to be the big serpent? Does He know you're slandering Him like this?" Medici was almost laughing in frustration, his tone dripping with exasperation.
***
The story has officially concluded with Chapter 491 on Patron, so if you want to read the ending early, feel free to check it out on Patron.
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