Pallez's smile faltered abruptly, as if He had suddenly grasped something. The old man, who had always carried himself with a straight back, seemed to slump in that moment, His commanding presence vanishing in an instant.
Even Leonard could sense the weariness and desolation radiating from Pallez. In that moment, He truly seemed like a lonely old man, bereft of family and home.
"…My apologies." Pallez said softly, His voice barely above a whisper.
"There's no need for you to apologize. It's not your fault... only Amon is to blame." Alaric said, shaking his head. A genuine smile spread across his face as he continued sincerely, "In truth, I heard tales of my ancestor long ago and have always wished to meet you. I know that my Lord saved me, perhaps in part because of your existence. For that, I am equally grateful to you."
"I understand that you're wary of me, Ancestor, but please believe me when I say that, at the very least, our goals align in dealing with Amon. If possible, I also hope to one day restore the Zoroast family to its former glory. You and I are not enemies."
Winning over Pallez was a long-term endeavor, and Alaric had prepared accordingly. His first step was to shift the blame for any anomalies onto a scapegoat. The second was to craft an image of himself as someone burdened by a deep vendetta, admiring his ancestor, devoted to reviving the Zoroast family, and even willing to pledge his soul to an evil god.
This wasn't entirely a lie. Alaric had indeed been intrigued by Pallez when reading about Him, and "Alaric Zoroast" genuinely revered the legendary ancestor. If he could successfully gain Pallez's favor, Alaric wouldn't mind helping Him restore the Zoroast family in the future.
After all, he was a Zoroast too, and in a way, it would strengthen his own influence.
Pallez could clearly see the sincerity in Alaric's words, which only made the old man fall silent.
After a long pause, Pallez finally spoke again. "What can you offer me?"
"My Lord still has angels walking the earth. If you have plans to deal with Amon or encounter difficulties, They can act on your behalf." Alaric said earnestly, painting a grand picture. Though the angels were a fabrication, as long as he could gain enough of Pallez's favor, securing angel-level strength was entirely feasible.
Pallez couldn't discern the truth of this claim, but He didn't need to. When the time came for action, an angel's presence couldn't be faked.
After weighing the matter in His mind, Pallez asked one final question. "Who is the Lord of Mysteries you support?"
This time, it was Alaric's turn to fall silent. After a few seconds, he replied, "I'm sorry, Ancestor, I cannot answer that question. I can only tell you that my Lord holds Mr. Door in high esteem."
Pallez was genuinely taken aback.
He knew of the Abraham family's situation. While Mr. Door was, by temperament, an excellent contender for Lord of Mysteries, the Abrahams had suffered contamination from an Outer Deity during the Fourth Epoch. Mr. Door was still imprisoned in some subspace on Earth. Unless the being Alaric served could summon the Abrahams back and cleanse their corruption, it was a futile hope.
Considering Alaric's limited rank, Pallez chose not to press further on the topic. After a few seconds of deliberation, He said, "I am willing to cooperate with the being you serve, but I wish to oversee any actions against Amon."
"I will inform my Lord of your decision and provide a response as soon as possible." Alaric replied, suddenly breaking into a smile. He looked at Pallez and said, "Ancestor, now that we've settled official matters, may we discuss personal ones? In truth, I came to see you not only for my Lord's cooperation but also to acknowledge our kinship."
Pallez froze, a question mark practically forming above His head. To His astonishment, the young man seemed entirely sincere.
The shift in topic was so abrupt that even Pallez struggled to keep up.
Seizing the moment, Alaric pressed on. "So, Ancestor, are you willing to accept this wayward descendant back into the family?"
Pallez was momentarily at a loss for words. He looked at Alaric with a mix of emotions, chuckling wryly. "Return to a family that consists of just this old man?"
The Zoroast family had long since fallen into ruin. Even Pallez wasn't certain how many of its members still lived.
"But didn't the Zoroast family start with just one person?" Alaric said earnestly, his face taking on a bittersweet, forlorn expression. "Besides, you're the only family I have left. If even you reject me, Ancestor, I'll truly be an orphan."
Pallez gazed at Alaric. Despite His lingering doubts about this sudden descendant, He couldn't help but sigh. "As long as you don't mind this old man."
Alaric's eyes lit up instantly. Seizing the opportunity, he exclaimed, "Then can I call you Old Man? I read in the archives that people used to call you that!"
"What kind of nonsense have you been reading…" Pallez muttered, unable to hold back a retort. He was beginning to see that this descendant of His, if nothing else, had a mischievous streak.
Of course, that was only natural for someone from the Marauder pathway family.
"So I can't call you that? I knew it... you were just pretending to accept me…" Alaric's face fell, his expression one of utter dejection, every detail a masterclass in acting.
"Fine, fine, call me whatever you want. I'm used to it." Pallez said, shaking His head helplessly. Though He suspected Alaric's theatrics were exaggerated, the old man couldn't quite bear to see His descendant like this.
"Thank you, Old Man!" Alaric beamed, his joy genuine. He wasn't acting now... he could sense that he could borrow a sliver of Pallez's power.
It wasn't much, roughly equivalent to Sequence 7. For a Sequence 1 like Pallez, it was a mere fraction of His strength, suggesting that Pallez's favor toward him was perhaps only a dozen points out of a hundred. Still, it confirmed that Pallez in His prime was far stronger than Azik, offering a better return on favor.
Alaric was thrilled nonetheless. The first step is always the hardest, especially with someone as cautious as Pallez. Breaking through from zero to one was the true challenge.
Having successfully breached Pallez's wariness and earned a modicum of favor, Alaric knew his strategy... playing the descendant card, invoking Amon, appealing to family ties, and promising to revive the family... had worked. If he kept at it, maxing out Pallez's favor wasn't out of the question.
Moreover, the Marauder pathway's abilities were quite useful and didn't overlap with Mr. A's. For a mere Sequence 9 like Alaric, this was more than satisfactory.
***
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