Lil' Amon seemed to remember something. He looked at Alaric in confusion and asked, "Uncle Lucifer, isn't your trusted confidant supposed to be Bethel?"
Alaric didn't even raise an eyebrow. With full confidence he replied, "Is it not possible that I could have more than one trusted confidant? They are all trusted confidants of mine."
"You might as well say your heart is a durian, with your confidants standing on every point of its spike," Medici sneered, full of her usual sarcastic tones.
"What is a durian?" Azik, clearly unfamiliar with Alaric's analogies, had not been around him enough to pick up such references, and looked puzzled.
At that, Klein hurriedly lowered his voice to explain to Azik what a durian was, while his eyes furtively flickered toward Amanises.
This was the first time he had seen this legendary transmigrator, and his curiosity was naturally piqued. Beyond that curiosity, Klein also felt a bit uneasy... after all, he technically still carried the identity of Nighthawk, though he was currently on leave.
Amanises clearly sensed Klein's gaze. She inclined her head and looked over at the young man before her, sizing him up.
This was a candidate for the Lord of Mysteries... someone she had considered before. Though she admitted that before the other hadn't shown potential, she had merely placed her pieces; she never truly expected Klein to rise to become the Lord of Mysteries within just over a decade before the apocalypse.
Ultimately, she wouldn't simply accept Amon becoming the Lord of Mysteries. Amon hadn't been someone trustworthy enough to entrust the world's future to. She and Amon had been adversarial throughout the Fourth Epoch. Given her nature, she would never willingly allow a hostile Lord of Mysteries to arise.
Now, through Alaric's stance, she had roughly guessed that this seemingly ordinary countryman had in his original fate performed miracles and become that great existence... and with Alaric's involvement now, Klein might no longer follow his original path.
She was not disappointed. After all, Bethel truly was a strong candidate. If he hadn't previously been tainted by an Outer Deity, she likely would have decisively supported Bethel's ascension.
She simply looked at Klein and suddenly said: "I'm very sorry."
"…Huh?" Klein blinked, clearly taken aback.
"I'm sorry for burdening you with responsibilities that were never yours to bear in the original fate... but at that time I had no alternative." Her voice was gentle, evoking the serenity of a quiet night.
Klein pursed his lips. After a moment to gather his words, he looked at her and said, "You don't have to apologize for what you didn't do. On the contrary, I should express my gratitude."
He spoke earnestly, "Thank you, Your Excellency the Evernight Goddess. Without you, I might have been sacrificed immediately upon transmigrating, for the awakening of the Celestial Worthy. Because of your intervention, I'm able to stand here today."
Amanises seemed to smile at that, her voice still soft: "I only didn't want the Celestial Worthy to awaken. If you truly feel uneasy, consider it a favor owed to me!"
She didn't wait to see how Klein would react, turning instead to Azik: "Long time no see, Azik. You're in better shape than I expected."
"…Long time no see, Your Excellency. Thank you so much for offering your assistance," Azik replied. He had interacted with Amanises before; though during his time as Death Consul his stance had been antagonistic.
"You're welcome... but I only made a deal with Lucifer. The one you should truly thank is him." Her tone twinged with amusement.
Azik looked to Alaric reflexively.
Alaric replied with a smile: "No need for thanks; friends don't need to be so formal. More than words of thanks, I hope to see you here as a whole and authentic self."
"If unfortunate fate befalls you and divinity overwhelms you, I promise I'll remember to write on your epitaph 'He was once a good father'."
"…Maybe we can add 'He lived'?" Azik paused, then answered with a gentle smile and earnest expression.
"Sounds good." Alaric pensively considered for a second, then nodded in approval of Azik's suggestion for the epitaph.
They continued discussing the epitaph inscription... Azik himself finally deciding on the third line.
This wasn't to say that Alaric intended to kill him if he lost to divinity... but if the merged existence truly became the divine construct and Azik's thousand-year soul-personality was gone, then in a sense he would have died.
Azik was Death Consul, but Death Consul was not identical to Azik. The former encompassed the latter, just as one's present encompasses their past... but the past is never the present. Maybe the divine vessel in the future might regain humanity, but no one could promise it would still be Azik.
Just like a soul with different experiences may not grow into the same person again.
So if Azik truly vanished, Alaric would erect a tombstone for him.
"…Lucifer, if I truly fail to overcome divinity, and all these thousand-plus years become but an illusion, and I become nothing but that divine construct…" Azik's expression turned thoughtful as he continued, "Then please convey one message to it."
A soft relief mingled with his warmth as he said, "Even an empty construct can have a heart. Perhaps it won't be me again... but it can have a new self."
Azik did not hate his former self as Death Consul. Perhaps he once rejected that cold, merciless version of himself, but having truly faced it, Azik accepted that it was his past. Though their thousand years differed, he still hoped that former self could truly live.
Alaric listened silently, his expression unusually serious. He nodded and said, "Understood. I will relay it."
The atmosphere felt heavy in that moment... but because Azik himself was at peace with it, it did not feel oppressive.
***
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