Gossiping about someone in their presence and getting caught would embarrass most people.
Not Alaric. He didn't care about the opinions of those he deemed unimportant, only feeling embarrassment around those he knew well. The God of Steam and Machinery, so far, fell into the former category.
So, Alaric turned to Stiano with unabashed enthusiasm. "We were discussing the possibility of you turning into Steam Girl."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The room fell into a deathly silence.
"I knew it... this guy has no normal emotional responses…" Roselle muttered, covering his face. Even he would've been mortified in this situation.
Bornova's calm expression cracked slightly.
Amon adjusted his monocle, looking at Alaric with genuine curiosity. "You really don't feel embarrassed? I may not have much normal humanity, but even I know humans would feel awkward here."
"Hm…" Alaric blinked, scanning the room before breaking into a grin. "It's simple: if I'm not embarrassed, everyone else is."
Amon's expression turned thoughtful.
"Hey, don't teach him weird stuff! Amon's already shady enough... don't make him evolve!" Roselle blurted, unable to hold back.
"Weird? This is a survival philosophy." Alaric retorted, unfazed, his tone righteous.
"You… do you never feel inner conflict?" Roselle asked, his expression a mix of exasperation and disbelief.
"Most of the time, no." Alaric admitted openly. "I think my mental health is pretty solid... unlike you lunatics."
Yes, despite accepting his identity as a mini Nyarlathotep, Alaric still considered himself mentally sound. Maybe not entirely normal, but he never agonized over decisions.
Roselle was so dumbfounded he didn't know what to say. After two seconds of silence, he managed, "You're invincible, boss!"
Someone who never second-guessed and wielded immense power was, in a way, untouchable.
The God of Steam and Machinery finally coughed lightly, his gaze flickering oddly at Alaric. Opting to skip the awkward topic, he addressed him politely. "First meeting, Your Excellency Helel. Amanises mentioned you. I didn't expect we'd meet like this."
"First meeting, God of Steam and Machinery." Alaric replied, smiling. "I'm curious... what did the Evernight Goddess say about me?"
He knew Amanises shared information with Lilith, but he was genuinely unsure how she'd described him to Stiano.
"She said you're someone worth noting." Stiano replied calmly, not hiding anything. "If you sought cooperation with me, she urged me to consider it seriously."
Oh?
Alaric raised an eyebrow. As a master of psychology, he could tell Stiano was being truthful, which confirmed something: the Evernight Goddess hadn't revealed his true nature.
This wasn't surprising. Though both were major churches in Loen, Amanises was closer to Leodero, likely due to their shared base. Stiano's primary influence was in Intis, aligned with the Eternal Blazing Sun. Given the war looming in the original story, Evernight's caution toward Stiano made sense.
"Consider it seriously, huh?" Alaric chuckled, his tone laced with meaning. He wondered if Amanises meant not to refuse him outright or to carefully weigh whether to cooperate at all.
Perhaps both.
Alaric knew that, much like the Ancient Sun God's wary collaboration, the Evernight Goddess... an old schemer on par with the Sun God... would be even more cautious.
"Is there an issue with her words?" Stiano asked, his gaze probing.
"No issue." Alaric said, shaking his head with a cryptic smile. "Just very much her style."
Stiano's eyes grew more scrutinizing.
He didn't know Alaric's full significance, but he wasn't foolish. Amanises's specific mention of him was enough to mark the young man as extraordinary, especially…
Stiano's gaze shifted to Roselle. "Long time no see, Roselle."
His expression was complex... nostalgia, resentment, joy, and conflict intertwined.
Stiano's feelings toward Roselle were tangled. He resented Roselle's betrayal and stubbornness but couldn't forget his aid or the times before their falling out.
Roselle, a disruptive force, had left an indelible mark on Stiano's life. He'd helped Stiano, a Sequence 0 limited to King of Angels' strength due to potion digestion issues, fully assimilate his potion and become a true Sequence 0.
He'd elevated the Church of Steam, long overshadowed by the Eternal Blazing Sun, to rival other orthodox churches.
Roselle was like a hero from a story, swooping in during a crisis, facing trials alongside Stiano, only to betray him in the end. Had Roselle not turned away, he might have overshadowed or diminished Stiano. Their split at their peak ensured Roselle remained an unerasable scar in Stiano's life.
***
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