The God of Combat… Alaric raised an eyebrow, a thought suddenly striking him.
He had initially assumed the Evernight Goddess's determination to eliminate the God of Combat was solely about achieving Great Old One status, but it was clearly more than that.
Given her perspective, she wasn't the type to pursue vengeance so doggedly.
"So…" Alaric looked at the Evernight Goddess. "It's because of Omebella, isn't it?"
The Harvest Goddess Omebella, once the Giant King's Consort, seemed to have died early... and indeed did... but her identity was far from simple. She was the true eldest daughter of the Sefirot, the Brood Hive, and could even be called the daughter of God Almighty. Though she appeared as a background figure, her bloodline and mystical significance were profound.
Moreover, Omebella was the identity Lilith currently assumed, the mother of the God of Combat.
"You truly know many secrets." The Evernight Goddess said, neither confirming nor denying, her tone tinged with awe.
"Just some gossip I happened to pick up." Alaric replied with a smile, not pressing further. "I can help you take down the God of Combat."
"The Church of Evernight will be your most steadfast ally in this transformation." She responded, unsurprised by his agreement.
Alaric glanced at her, smiling. "Then, to a pleasant partnership!"
"A pleasant partnership!"
…
"The Evernight Goddess… what a formidable figure." Alaric muttered, stretching as he rose from bed, his voice carrying a hint of reflection.
He couldn't help but feel this way. His meeting with the Evernight Goddess had shown him he'd underestimated her.
She was a fearsome being, far more complex than the straightforward saintliness of the Sun God.
"But even the most complex people have weaknesses. At least you genuinely want to save this world." Alaric said with a chuckle, flipping his hand to reveal materials for a ritual.
He promptly set up a summoning ritual, its target straightforward... Arianna, the matron of the Evernight Cloister, head of the Church of Evernight's thirteen archbishops, and a Sequence 2 Servant of Concealment.
Just as in the original story where Arianna was assigned to assist Klein, the Evernight Goddess, upon sealing their partnership, readily declared she would issue an oracle to Arianna, tasking her with handling these matters.
It seemed delegating work to subordinates was a universal trait among leaders, whether it was the Ancient Sun God or the Evernight Goddess.
"Perfectly normal. If bosses did all the work, what would employees be for?" Alaric mumbled, sounding quite justified as he completed the ritual setup. A figure soon appeared before him.
She was a plainly dressed woman with unremarkable features, indistinguishable from any passerby. Yet, looking at her brought an overwhelming sense of calm and serenity, as if all emotions faded away.
"Good evening, Lady Arianna." Alaric greeted with a smile.
"Good evening, Your Excellency Lucifer. You may simply call me Arianna." She replied, her demeanor far more formal as she bowed respectfully.
"Alright, Arianna." Alaric said, adapting easily. He smiled at her. "You've likely received the Evernight Goddess's oracle."
"Yes, Your Excellency. I understand my mission." Arianna nodded, looking at him. "I will assist you in achieving this great transformation. However, please understand that the Church still requires significant manpower to maintain order in the Beyonder domains across various cities, so the personnel available to assist you may be limited for now."
"No problem. I don't mind." Alaric said with a smile, not rushing to issue orders. Instead, he pulled a book from beneath the tea table and handed it to her. "Before you begin work, I'd like you to read this book. It will help you better understand the purpose of our efforts."
Unsurprisingly, the book Alaric offered was a foundational text on societal reform.
A sharpened blade makes for efficient work. Rather than letting Arianna start blindly, understanding the meaning behind her actions would be far more effective.
Alaric trusted that an angel from the Church of Evernight would have the necessary insight.
"Very well. I'll read it as soon as possible." Arianna said, pausing briefly in confusion but nodding nonetheless.
"Additionally, please provide me with a list of the assisting members as soon as possible so I can assign their tasks." Alaric said with a smile.
Arianna wasn't surprised by the request. "Mobilizing personnel will take some time, so you may need to wait a bit."
Unlike the Church of the Earth Mother, which had idle vampires to spare, the Church of Evernight was a massive, active organization. Drawing out a significant portion of its manpower naturally required time.
Alaric wasn't surprised either. He nodded, chatted briefly with Arianna, and then sent her on her way.
"With the Church of Evernight's support, Loen's transformation should face no major issues. Stiano can be handled through Roselle. Based on last time's probing, whatever his stance toward the Creator in the original story, he's clearly less rigid when facing the true Sun God." Alaric mused, counting off on his fingers. "Feysac won't be an issue after the God of Combat's fall. Lenburg and the like worship the God of Combat, so that's no concern either. That leaves Intis as the biggest problem."
Alaric rubbed his chin, glancing up at the sky. No sun was visible at this hour.
"The Eternal Blazing Sun…" He murmured, his gaze deepening.
Truth be told, he didn't dislike the Eternal Blazing Sun. Who could hate a proud sun?
But thinking of the Eternal Blazing Sun led him to God Almighty, the original God who, in the future, nearly sold out the Earth by collaborating with Outer Deities.
The Celestial Worthy was criticized endlessly, but for various reasons, he would never truly ally with Outer Deities... or if he did, it would be a ruse.
God Almighty was different. As the strongest Notary, untainted by enmity with the Outer Deities, his cooperation with them was genuine.
"You're the biggest trouble, tch." Alaric clicked his tongue, lacking any solid plan to deal with him.
"The only option might be to instill some true humanity in the Sun God, so he can suppress God Almighty like Klein does the Celestial Worthy. Reviving the Sun God really is crucial."
***
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