Medici's expression softened at Alaric's words, though he clicked his tongue. "So you're just slacking off completely, huh?"
"What else?" Alaric replied, feigning confusion as he looked at Medici. "I've already done my share. You can't expect me to negotiate with the gods and handle all these petty tasks!"
He spread his hands, then grinned. "Of course, I can slack off thanks to everyone's hard work... especially you, Lil' Red. You're my Deputy. What would I do without you?"
His heartfelt tone made Medici roll his eyes. "Enough with the sappy talk! I know you're working hard too. Just make sure you get me twenty assistants. One less, and I'm done... you can do the work yourself!"
"Twenty? Are you eating assistants now?" Alaric said, mock astonishment on his face.
Medici shot him a look, sneering. "You think you know my workload?"
Alaric's mind flashed through Medici's recent tasks, and he instantly fell silent, nodding obediently to signal no issue.
Then, thinking of something, he glanced at the visibly tired Sasrir, a rare pang of conscience hitting him. "Sasrir, how about I get you twenty assistants too?"
Sasrir paused, considering for a few seconds before nodding. "That would help. With capable hands, I can work more efficiently."
Alaric blinked, looking from Sasrir to Medici, who gave him a "what now?" Stare. He sighed, shaking his head.
He said nothing, yet it felt like he'd said everything.
"..."
"..."
Sasrir's smile grew more helpless, tinged with indulgence, radiating a nurturing aura.
Medici sneered, snapping his fingers. The room's colors shifted as he prepared to leave.
"Don't go, Lil' Red! I was joking!" Alaric, quick as a flash, grabbed Medici's arm before he vanished, chuckling awkwardly. "Sasrir's been spoiled by The Ancient Sun God, turned into a 24/7 work machine... not a good look! You're different, a normal guy. I fully support you fighting for your rights. I'm a great boss, you know."
"Let go!" Medici yanked his arm free, eyeing Alaric's rare sincerity. "Having fun messing with me?"
"Of course it's fun," Alaric admitted, releasing him with a grin. He patted Medici's shoulder. "Feeling better now?"
"You serious?" Medici glanced at him.
"Dead serious!" Alaric nodded, smiling. "I know you've been swamped. Once this is over, I'll give you a long vacation!"
"I hope that day comes," Medici muttered, his expression softening. He scanned the room, puzzled. "The Ancient Sun God's not joining?"
"Sasrir will brief him on the plan," Alaric said, nodding toward Sasrir. "Since Sasrir's involved in the follow-up, and I can't have him and The Ancient Sun God coexist yet, he'll represent himself and The Ancient Sun God in this meeting."
"The Ancient Sun God's just there for muscle anyway, so it doesn't matter if he's here," Alaric added, shrugging.
"You make it sound like he's your hired thug," Medici said, giving him a look.
"Isn't he?" Alaric asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Tch!" Medici clicked his tongue but didn't argue. He grabbed a chair, his ruby-like eyes meeting Alaric's. "Sometimes I wonder if you actually respect The Ancient Sun God."
"Of course I do! But that doesn't stop me from using him as muscle. Just like I adore you but still treat you like a workhorse!" Alaric said with a laugh, pulling chairs from a pocket dimension and gesturing to the others. "Almost forgot... sit, no need to stand for this meeting!"
Though their expressions varied, no one refused, each taking a chair.
Once seated, Alaric dropped the banter with Medici and got serious, leading the discussion on rescuing Tolzna.
Interestingly, while the theme was saving Tolzna, the act itself required little debate.
The plan was straightforward: Alaric and The Ancient Sun God would snatch Tolzna back, perform a "surgery" To stabilize his corruption. For others, this might be the hardest part, but for Alaric's crew, it was manageable.
The real discussion centered on two other issues. One was minimizing the impact on ordinary people. Destruction was easier than salvation, and preventing the Mother Tree of Desire or Rose School from lashing out indiscriminately, harming innocents, was a critical concern.
Fortunately, Reinette provided coordinates for Rose School strongholds and member lists, greatly simplifying the task.
This part was assigned to Amon and Bethel. Amon's avatars spanned both continents, allowing quick target identification, while Bethel's mobility ensured rapid response to any surprises.
Amon, hearing his assignment, adjusted his mysteriously reappeared monocle. "Why am I included? I thought I was just here for the show."
Alaric glanced at him, smiling. "A chance to atone for your past sins. Don't you want it?"
"Will atoning mean I stop playing the villain?" Amon countered, sidestepping a direct answer.
"It might make me hesitate before beating you up," Alaric said, still smiling.
"Sounds pretty useless," Amon replied, self-aware as ever. "With my personality, I'll never stop courting trouble."
***
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