That casual yet arrogant confidence made Hastur think of the Son of Chaos.
When He first came to the Hall of Stars for a meeting, He had been just as relaxed and unrestrained, putting His two long legs up on the table.
"I really didn't come here with any goodwill. At first, I only thought the aura here was strange. I didn't expect the person here to be strange both inside and out as well."
From that frivolous tone, it was obvious Medici was the one speaking.
Hastur merely smiled faintly. "Since you've come to visit, shouldn't you have prepared a gift in advance?"
"Tsk, I don't have the habit of preparing gifts for others." Sauron-Einhorn-Medici shook His head. The face on His left cheek said, "Which old friend are you, exactly?"
"Friend? For you, isn't the word 'friend' far too extravagant?" Hastur's tone carried unconcealed mockery.
"We do have many enemies, but if they were really here, they definitely wouldn't waste so much breath." This time, it was the face on the right cheek that spoke.
"That depends on how you intend to resolve today's matter."
Hastur circled the topic back again. This fine desk was worth at least a hundred gold pounds no matter how one looked at it. At the very least, They had to pay some price before this could be brushed aside.
"What do you want from us?"
"Heh, do you still have anything valuable on you?"
Hastur's slight brow raise made Sauron-Einhorn-Medici sneer.
"Sheep always want to disguise themselves as lions to frighten predators."
"Whether I'm a sheep or a lion, would you like to test it again?" There was not the slightest trace of panic in Hastur's eyes. His absolute confidence made Sauron-Einhorn-Medici uncertain.
As beings of the Hunter pathway, They were inherently suspicious by nature. When They had no certainty, They would not easily make a move against their prey.
"You want this Blasphemy Card?" A Red Priest card floated above the fingertip of Sauron-Einhorn-Medici's right hand.
On this Blasphemy Card, Roselle stood atop a chariot in black-red armor, holding a shield in one hand and a spear in the other, his gaze cast toward the battlefield ahead where fierce fighting was taking place.
It had to be said, Roselle on this Red Priest card looked rather handsome.
Hastur only glanced at it. "Barely acceptable."
"Heh heh, acceptable?" Sauron-Einhorn-Medici laughed.
Three faces, three pairs of eyes, all stared closely at Hastur, as if trying to observe Hastur's truest thoughts from the slightest changes in his facial expression.
Unfortunately, They saw nothing. As for managing his own expressions, Hastur believed he had already reached a level where even he himself could not see through it.
At the gathering of the Stars, acting as the Stars before a group of Great Old Ones was far more difficult and stressful than the current situation.
"Meow."
Ariella suddenly cried out, jumping from the windowsill onto Hastur's lap. Its gaze swept over Sauron-Einhorn-Medici with scrutiny.
Just that one glance made Sauron-Einhorn-Medici's expression turn slightly solemn.
Hastur lowered his head slightly and stroked Ariella's fur, saying calmly, "Today, whether your identity is that of guests or evil spirits, it is time you made a decision."
"Heh, a threat? Even if Adam were sitting here today, He wouldn't dare speak to me like that." Sauron-Einhorn-Medici's expression turned completely cold. His whole body exuded an iron-blooded killing aura, like the opening of a war.
Hastur curled his lips slightly. "If Adam were truly sitting here today, you probably wouldn't even be able to leave through that door. Ah, a sheep trying to scare away a predator with empty bravado."
"You think you have us completely under control?"
Sauron-Einhorn-Medici lowered His long legs from where they had been crossed, leaned slightly forward, and fixed a chilling, oppressive gaze on Hastur. An iron-blooded killing aura surged toward Hastur like billowing smoke from a battlefield.
"Achoo." Ariella wrinkled its nose and sneezed. The warlike aura that had been rushing straight toward them vanished into nothing.
Hastur lowered his head and rubbed Ariella's head. "Does this aura disgust you?"
"Meow." Ariella answered, then lay down on Hastur's lap and slowly closed its eyes.
"This cat is quite interesting." Sauron-Einhorn-Medici's gaze once again fell on Ariella. This time, They looked at it for a little longer.
Hastur said nothing, merely watching Them.
"Who exactly are you?" This was the second time Sauron-Einhorn-Medici had asked this question.
No matter how They observed him, They could not see Hastur's true origins clearly. Even the cat was somewhat unfathomable to Them.
"If you settle matters here quickly, you can still make it in time for the last ferry leaving Puning Harbor today."
"Heh, my things are not so easy to take." Sauron-Einhorn-Medici chuckled and flicked the Red Priest card from His fingertips toward Hastur.
Ariella opened its eyes in a daze and instinctively stretched out a front paw. Like catching a small dried fish, it caught the Red Priest card, even taking a bite out of it. Feeling that the taste was a bit off, it spat and looked full of disgust.
"..." Sauron-Einhorn-Medici was also somewhat speechless. This cat was really stealing too much of the spotlight.
The face on the left cheek spoke: "Are there still other survivors of the Solomon Empire alive?"
Tsk, did They take him for a descendant of Solomon? They must have sensed the aura of the Black Emperor on him.
Hastur's thoughts stirred, and an elegant, composed smile appeared on his face. "History has never truly been severed."
Medici sneered. "Even if he really is a descendant of Solomon, are you two planning to rush forward and declare your loyalty?"
The faces on the left and right cheeks said nothing, as if recalling the era of the Solomon Empire.
The two of Them had originally been loyal to the Black Emperor Solomon.
Later, after the Black Emperor Solomon fell due to the joint efforts of the six gods, They turned to follow the Night Emperor Trunsoest. Unfortunately, the Night Emperor also fell during the War of the Four Emperors.
The insane Blood Emperor Alista Tudor successfully advanced to Sequence 0, Red Priest.
They had played a crucial role in that.
Yet even someone as insane as the Blood Emperor Alista Tudor ultimately lost. Only the Underworld Emperor became the greatest winner of the War of the Four Emperors.
That magnificent, turbulent era was far beyond anything the present age could compare with.
"Speaking of loyalty, your loyalty is the firmest of all." Hastur said this sincerely.
A Hunter dying because of loyalty, this referred precisely to the Red Angel Medici.
"Heh heh, does the Black Emperor Solomon deserve to be compared with my Lord?" Medici raised His head slightly, appearing very proud, while not forgetting to belittle the Black Emperor Solomon.
After all, belittling one's lord was the same as belittling that lord's followers.
Sure enough, Sauron and Einhorn began cursing. Hastur looked deeply at Medici and said nothing.
The Black Emperor Solomon indeed could not be compared with the True Creator. After all, the Black Emperor had not sacrificed his loyal subordinate.
In this world, speaking of loyalty without speaking of benefits was a very laughable thing. That was why Medici's loyalty left such a deep impression.
"If there is nothing else, you may leave."
Somewhat annoyed by the three people arguing across from him, Hastur issued an order to leave.
Sauron-Einhorn-Medici's visit today had never been something he looked forward to, and he did not want to have too many entanglements with Them.
He merely wanted to pluck a feather from a passing goose. Taking the chance to keep a Red Priest card was not bad either.
He just so happened to need this Red Priest card to learn about the Red Priest pathway and provide himself with options for the future.
As for imprisoning the evil spirit Sauron-Einhorn-Medici, Madam Lisa alone did not have that ability.
If Ouroboros had not been on the ship watching the vessel of the Stars, then there might have been some chance.
The key point was that the Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic on Sauron-Einhorn-Medici was already gone.
Even if another hotpot were cooked now, it would be impossible to successfully advance to Red Priest.
Not to mention, he was still far from being able to cook that hotpot.
Sauron-Einhorn-Medici chuckled and showed no intention of getting up to leave. Instead, He said lightly, "A broken desk isn't worth this Red Priest card. If you want to keep it, you'll need more bargaining chips."
As He spoke, Sauron-Einhorn-Medici gently crooked the index finger of His right hand. The Red Priest card, which had originally been held by Ariella, once again returned to His hand.
Ariella instantly woke up, its eyes widening as it looked at its now-empty little paw. Then its gaze turned toward the Red Priest card, gradually becoming deep and obscure.
The atmosphere inside the study turned completely cold in an instant. Sauron-Einhorn-Medici's eyelids twitched slightly, revealing a hint of surprise and suspicion.
Hastur gently stroked Ariella's head, glanced at Them, and said calmly, "Besides raising a cat, I also raised a little bird. It really likes eating worms, especially three worms mixed together. The texture should be even richer."
Sauron-Einhorn-Medici frowned slightly, thinking over the meaning behind Hastur's words.
Just then, a rift to the spirit world silently opened in one corner of the study. A small firebird, only the size of a palm, flew out and landed on Hastur's shoulder.
Though the little firebird did not appear large, the moment it came out, it fixed its gaze on Sauron-Einhorn-Medici sitting on the sofa. Its eyes were bright like flames and carried a hint of longing, as if it had encountered some kind of feast it could not afford to miss.
Sauron-Einhorn-Medici's body trembled involuntarily.
"That little bird..."
"Leave!"
Sauron-Einhorn-Medici's expression changed. He threw the Red Priest card to Hastur and then quickly left the place.
"Chirp." The little firebird raised its head to look at Hastur, as if asking whether it should chase after Them.
"No need to rush. Eating random things can easily cause indigestion."
"Chirp." The little firebird lowered its head and used its beak to preen its feathers.
"Meow?" Ariella raised its head and looked at the little firebird. Then its entire body shivered, and its originally deep eyes returned to their usual clear stupidity.
"Meow?" Ariella looked at Hastur with confusion in its eyes. Hastur did not speak, merely gently rubbing its little head.