Antigonus fell silent at Amon's words. He did need information about Alaric... not for any ulterior motive, but because he'd be working under him. Not knowing his boss's quirks could lead to accidentally crossing some forbidden line, and that would be disastrous.
But… Antigonus eyed Amon suspiciously. "Since when are you so generous?"
He wasn't some naive fool who'd never dealt with Amon. As a former colleague, Antigonus knew all too well how wicked Amon could be. Would such a being suddenly offer help out of kindness? Others might buy it, but Antigonus wasn't convinced.
"You wound me with your suspicion," Amon said, though his expression showed no trace of hurt. Adjusting his monocle, he continued, "In this case, I've got no ulterior motives. I just want to help you out."
Amon wasn't lying. This time, he truly had no tricks up his sleeve. His reason for helping Antigonus was simple... not for the sake of this foolish wolf, but for his father.
Amon knew the Sun God was working to create anchors for Alaric. For whatever reason, Antigonus had caught Alaric's eye, even if only as a pet. So why not give a little push to strengthen that master-pet bond?
"You… who are you? You're not Amon!" Antigonus, unaware of Amon's motives, stared at the Error's Uniqueness incarnate with a mix of disbelief and unease.
Amon's hand paused on his monocle. He turned to Antigonus with a smile, then chuckled. "Antigonus, I'm genuinely curious. Do you have any dignity left as a King of Angels? I can't fathom how an angel could so willingly play the obedient dog."
His tone was a blend of astonishment, pity, disdain, and mockery... complex enough to chart on a pie graph.
"..."
If he'd had any doubts about Amon's identity moments ago, they were gone now.
Gritting his teeth, Antigonus snapped, "I am a dog... tch, I mean, a demon wolf. As for a King of Angels' dignity?" He gave Amon an odd look. "Isn't submitting to the strong just natural? Especially when he saved me and my sister."
Antigonus genuinely saw no shame in serving Alaric. In his worldview, the weak submitting to the strong was a given. Sure, he was mildly annoyed at being treated like a dog despite being a demon wolf, but he didn't feel insulted.
Of course, there was some discomfort. It had been ages since he'd been in such a position. Even under Tudor, the half-mad Blood Emperor might've thrown punches, but he never treated a King of Angels like a pet.
Still, Tudor's power paled compared to Alaric's, so Antigonus was mostly fine with his current role... a bit reluctant, but not overly so.
Amon could see Antigonus's matter-of-fact attitude, which left him silent for a few seconds before he said, "No wonder you're a pet. Heh, such a lucky dog."
"..."
I feel like you're insulting me, but I've got no proof!
"Hahahaha!" Amon laughed suddenly, then added, "Friendly tip: your new master doesn't like being called 'Him.' Lucifer prefers 'he' when people refer to him."
…
While Amon was schooling Antigonus on "how to get along with Lucifer," Alaric had gone back to catch some sleep.
Treating Aucuses and Antigonus back-to-back had taken a mental toll, and he needed rest to recharge.
When Alaric woke, it was the next morning. After freshening up and having a simple breakfast, he began planning his next steps.
"Besides balancing the corruption in Mr. Door, the urgent tasks are rescuing Tolzna, digesting the Playwright potion, and gathering materials for the next one. Azik's soul fusion can wait for now," Alaric mused, pinching his chin.
His gaze fell on a novel on the coffee table... Fors's latest masterpiece, The Elite Detective, also known as Does Detective Gentleman Dream of a Marionette Maiden?
Having read it, Alaric deemed it a stellar work, especially the tension-filled romance between Detective Sherlock and the marionette maiden Sharron. His relentless urging for drafts had been well worth it.
"Those tasks aren't pressing. I should go see Klein first, check how he's adjusting," Alaric decided, stretching lazily. He planned to visit as "Jack," catch up with his friend, and share his latest ship.
Work-life balance was key. After all his recent efforts, he deserved some fun.
No need to rush things in the next day or two.
With that, Alaric headed to the border city. As "Jack" was tied to "Lucifer," no one dared block his path, and he smoothly reached Klein's office.
To his surprise, the office wasn't just occupied by Klein and Lil' Amon. There were unexpected guests.
"Antigonus, Amon... what are you doing here?"
Wearing his Lucifer guise, Alaric's eyes narrowed as they landed on the duo. He addressed Antigonus first, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like you're not valuing the vacation I gave you."
"No, no, I didn't mean... ! I was just… curious," Antigonus stammered, offering a sheepish grin. He'd shifted from his demon wolf state to the human form he once used as Duke Antigonus.
"Curious?" Alaric prompted, gesturing for him to explain.
Under Alaric's gaze, Antigonus grew increasingly nervous, his form flickering before reverting to his demon wolf shape. Noticing Alaric's expression soften slightly, he relaxed a bit and said, "Amon told me about Klein, and I got curious, so I came to see. I swear, I have no intention of harming him. You know I wouldn't dare!"
"I know you wouldn't," Alaric said, shifting his attention to Amon. "What about you, Amon? Got anything to say?"
***
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