"It's Lil Klein Moretti." Big Klein corrected, looking at Alaric, now Lil Klein. "You promised to be my family... you can't back out."
Lil Klein's expression was complex but not pained. He smiled and said, "I won't back out."
…
"This is the standard happy ending, isn't it?"
Alaric, who had left the room after summoning Big Klein, watched the scene unfold. He turned to Amon beside him, smiling.
"You foresaw this?" Amon asked, glancing at him.
"I just knew Big Klein and Lil Klein are cut from the same cloth." Alaric replied, smiling at Amon. "Are you satisfied with this lesson?"
Amon was silent for a moment before saying, "Klein's choice to accept Alaric as family was largely for Benson and Melissa. He wanted someone to care for them after he was gone, and Alaric was the best choice."
"I don't deny that." Alaric nodded, still smiling. "But you can't deny that Big Klein accepted Lil Klein not just for practical reasons. He saw Alaric's love for the Moretti family and Benson and Melissa's attitudes. He loves his family and didn't want to hurt Lil Klein or reject someone like him, so he chose to embrace him."
Amon fell silent again, quietly observing the scene inside the house. After a long pause, he spoke, "Isn't he afraid of being replaced?"
"He won't be replaced." Alaric said, shaking his head as he watched the room. "Just as you'd never let the True Creator or Adam replace the Sun God."
Amon lowered his eyes and said, "So this is humanity."
"It's part of humanity." Alaric replied, then added, "Later, I'll take you to witness another kind of humanity."
Amon looked up. "Who?"
"Someone you may not know well but are acquainted with." Alaric said, smiling. "Roselle."
Amon didn't seem too surprised, but his gaze turned meaningful. "It seems the Mother Goddess of Depravity poaching you really got under your skin."
"I'm a petty guy, after all." Alaric admitted candidly.
"…You can completely remove the Mother Goddess of Depravity's corruption now?" Amon asked, studying Alaric closely.
"Sorry, I can't quite do that yet." Alaric said, shaking his head with a smile. "I'm just planning a procedure... a balance of corruption to let Roselle move freely."
Amon's expression grew complex, a mix of relief and disappointment. He gave Alaric a deep look. "If I'm not mistaken, a successful procedure would mean Bethel doesn't need to stay sealed either."
"Exactly!" Alaric nodded openly, smiling at Amon. "What, worried Bethel will come back and slap you silly? Or that his return means you're out of the running?"
The "out of the running" referred, of course, to becoming the Lord of the Mysteries.
Amon adjusted his monocle, looking at Alaric. "No, I'm not worried about his return. On the contrary, I look forward to it. Otherwise, this game would be too dull."
Alaric chuckled, glancing at him. "Sounds like you two get along well."
Amon lowered his eyes.
Did they?
Amon thought back to the Fourth Epoch. Whether out of necessity or circumstance, he and Bethel had been colleagues for a long time, and over those years, he'd come to admire the other.
Mr. Door was, so far, the only opponent Amon truly respected.
As for Antigonus or Pallez, they were mere playthings to him.
"Perhaps." Amon said, touching his monocle. "Though that doesn't stop us from killing each other when the chance arises."
…
The Moretti household enjoyed a joyful day.
After that brief day, Big Klein returned to the past, awaiting his next reunion with his family. Lil Klein, meanwhile, was whisked away by Alaric to a border city.
For convenience, Mingrui would simply be called Lil Klein from now on.
"So this is all the work I'll be handling for a while?"
Now donning the Medici persona, Lil Klein stared at the mountain of documents before him, swallowing hard and looking at Alaric with a dazed expression.
"Correction: this is the work you'll handle in the next week." Alaric said, shaking his head with a smile. "Good luck. I'll be rooting for you in spirit."
Lil Klein opened his mouth, then hesitated, finally blurting out, "Really, is this okay? I don't mind the work, but what if I mess it up?"
"No worries. The most critical tasks have already been handled by Medici. The rest is trivial. Even if you slip up, it won't cause much trouble, so you can relax." Alaric said, smiling.
Lil Klein wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or not.
Alaric patted his shoulder. "This is also training for your skills. And…"
He snapped his fingers.
Snap...
The door next room swung open, and a sharply dressed middle-aged man stepped out.
"This is Alfred, your assistant for the time being. If you have questions, ask him." Alaric explained with a smile.
Alfred, full name Alfred, was once a butler for a wealthy merchant in the border city. Inspired by the revolution, he joined Medici and, due to his exceptional abilities, became Medici's secretary. His contributions were crucial to Medici's ability to multitask.
Alaric had been astounded upon learning of Alfred and, after meeting him, decided he'd be perfect to assist Lil Klein in playing Medici... after all, while acting was one thing, the cause couldn't afford mistakes.
Relieved, Lil Klein gave Alaric a curious glance, muttering, "Mr. Lucifer really loves Batman, doesn't he?"
He turned to Alfred, his eyes now filled with anticipation and curiosity.
Everyone knew the butler was all-powerful. Though this Alfred wasn't that Alfred, being handpicked by Alaric meant he was likely no slouch.
***
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