Amon and Medici's brawl didn't last long. Before Alaric declared the dinner party over, the two returned from the Spirit World, one after the other, with a little tagalong in tow.
"Who won?" Alaric's gaze flicked to the returning pair. Neither Amon nor Medici showed obvious signs of defeat, though their clothes were new, and their hairstyles slightly altered... Medici's hair was a touch shorter at the ends, while Amon's seemed longer than before.
"I've got two Sequence 1 characteristics, after all," Amon said, adjusting his monocle with a smile.
"Hmph!" Medici scoffed, shooting Amon a glance. In a lazy drawl, he said, "Sure, I just singed you into a bald raven and left you with a few lumps. Hardly counts as losing."
"Hope someone remembers they brought this on themselves," Amon replied, maintaining his smiling expression.
The two traded barbs back and forth, letting Alaric, who was eagerly watching the drama, piece together what happened. In terms of raw strength, Medici, a 1+1 King of Angels, was outmatched by Amon's 2+1. But the Error Pathway wasn't known for direct combat, and the gap between them wasn't insurmountable. Though Medici lost, he landed some solid hits with the Red Priest Pathway's formidable firepower.
In short, Medici may have lost the fight but achieved his goal, while Amon won but didn't come out unscathed.
Alaric wasn't surprised by the outcome. His gaze then fell on the little tagalong they'd brought back... no stranger, but an old acquaintance.
"Good evening, Will!" Alaric greeted with a smile.
"Bad evening, Lucifer," Will retorted, puffing up his cheeks like a squirrel. In his eight-year-old shell, Will had no qualms acting like a child, glaring at Alaric with a pout. "I heard you threw a party? But it seems no one bothered to invite me. Am I not part of this family?"
Alaric blinked, finally realizing what he'd forgotten.
He'd overlooked inviting Will to the dinner!
This celebratory gathering was meant for the core members who'd lived in the villa together. Even Bethel and Sasrir hadn't been invited... it was a private "family" affair.
Will should've been included, but his presence had been so low lately that Alaric genuinely forgot.
"Ahem…" Facing Will's accusing stare, Alaric shifted his eyes guiltily for all of a second before laughing. "Of course I didn't forget you! It's just that with Azik and Medici both ascending to King of Angels, I was worried it might dent your confidence…"
Will's expression froze. He stared at Alaric for several seconds before grumbling, "Not inviting me and rubbing it in? Doesn't your conscience hurt?"
"Sorry, I don't have one of those," Alaric replied shamelessly. Before Will could protest further, he smiled and said, "You're still young, not suited for drinking. How about I whip up some fruit juice? What flavor do you want?"
"…I'm not that easy to bribe," Will huffed, his indignation fading. After a moment's thought, he listed a few fruits, adding firmly, "Lots of sugar!"
"Got it, I know you love sweets," Alaric nodded, heading to the kitchen to prepare Will's juice. While he was at it, he made portions for the Little Trio too... Klein, Lil' Amon, and Jack... since they'd all suffered the vegetable juice earlier.
As for Medici, he was a big boy. A little bitterness wouldn't kill him.
"Here you go, young master Will," Alaric said, handing over the juice with a teasing tone.
Will took a sip, his face lighting up with satisfaction.
Alaric distributed the other three glasses to Klein, Lil' Amon, and Jack.
Thanks to his true self, Lil' Amon had shaken off his drunkenness and was whispering with Klein and Jack.
Faced with Alaric's offered juice, Klein and Lil' Amon were visibly touched. Jack accepted his calmly but still thanked his "teacher" respectfully.
After the juice interlude, the party regained its lively atmosphere. Once everyone had downed a few more rounds of drinks... some already passed out, others close to it... Alaric declared the gathering over.
Yawning, Alaric headed to his room to rest.
…
A few days later, in the Five Seas...
"Gehrman, look! Mermaids!"
On the ship's deck, Alaric, in his Jack persona, pointed excitedly at the distant ocean, tugging at Klein's sleeve to direct his attention.
Several days had passed since the "family gathering." Klein had finished handing off his duties to Sasrir and embarked on a journey across the Five Seas.
Eager to advance to Sequence 5 Marionettist, Klein weighed his options among allied factions and chose to contact Admiral of Stars, Cattleya, through her connections, asking her to guide him to mermaid-inhabited waters.
He hadn't chosen the closer acquaintance, Miss Sharron, because he'd heard Cattleya was more familiar with mermaid territories. While Sharron had taken over the Rose School of Thought's maritime forces, she was still new to seafaring. She might be formidable in a fight, but navigation was another matter.
Plus, honestly, due to a certain someone's fanfiction stories, Klein felt a bit awkward facing Miss Sharron.
Since Klein was heading to sea, Jack and Lil' Amon naturally tagged along.
"I see them. Don't get too excited, Jack," Klein said, spotting the mermaids on the nearby sea. Maintaining Gehrman Sparrow's cool demeanor, he couldn't hide a spark of excitement in his eyes.
Finding mermaids meant he could finally ascend to Sequence 5 Marionettist.
"I feel like those mermaids are trying to swim away," Lil' Amon said, gazing at the distant figures after a few seconds.
"Probably sensed a threat?" Alaric replied, flipping his hand to reveal several charms clearly tied to the Storm Pathway. Grinning, he said, "Good thing I came prepared."
He handed the charms to Klein, urging, "Go get 'em, Gehrman!"
***
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