"Yes, we're Mr. Azik's friends." Klein and Alaric both nodded.
"Then can I ask you both to look after my father?" The girl clasped her hands together, her expression earnest. "Please, it means a lot to me." Her gaze lingered primarily on Alaric.
As the summoned, she could sense who had called her forth.
"I will." Klein said, unable to refuse such a heartfelt request. He nodded firmly.
"I'll take good care of Mr. Azik." Alaric added with a nod.
"That's wonderful. Thank you both!" The girl beamed brightly.
Alaric sighed, glancing at her. "You've got about thirty seconds left."
"Got it. Thanks for the heads-up, Uncle... you're a good person." The girl said, turning back to Azik. Her face showed reluctance, but she quickly smiled again, throwing her arms around him. "Alright, Father, I have to go back. The past version of you still needs me!"
"But if I could, I'd love to come to this era again and see you."
"Goodbye!"
"Goodbye!"
As Azik stood in silence, grappling with his daughter's disappearance, Alaric refrained from interrupting, instead quietly sensing the digestion progress of his Joker potion.
Moments ago, his Joker potion had surged forward, nearly matching the boost he'd gained from startling Pallez. It was completely unexpected.
But Alaric wasn't clueless. He quickly pieced it together, musing to himself, "So, it's not just about causing others trouble for my own amusement that digests the Joker potion. Bringing joy to others while pleasing myself works too… Is this a two-way acting method?"
A realization hit him. His preconceived notions about Nyarlathotep had led him to equate Joker acting with malicious pranks. Now, he saw that a Joker wasn't just about sowing chaos for personal glee... it also included spreading happiness, thereby finding joy oneself.
"I was too narrow-minded. A Joker is about fun, plain and simple. As long as it brings me joy, it counts as acting. Limiting it to harming others was too restrictive." This insight deepened his understanding of his pathway, and he let out a relieved breath.
While Alaric pondered the essence of being a Joker, Azik finally stood, turning to the concerned Klein and Alaric. He managed a faint smile. "Sorry for worrying you."
"Mr. Azik, are you alright?" Klein asked, eyeing Azik's clearly strained state.
"Don't be sad, Mr. Azik. You can see your daughter again. I can ask my teacher for another Time Gem. He dotes on me... he'll give me one, maybe scold me a bit…" Alaric said, feigning worry.
"I'm fine, don't worry." Azik replied, warmed by their concern. He looked at Alaric, shaking his head. "Thank you, Jack, but no need…"
Alaric blinked, adopting a confused expression. "Mr. Azik, don't you want to see your daughter again?"
"Of course I do, but this is my burden to bear." Azik said gently. Though his recovered memories were limited, they were enough for him to grasp how precious the Time Gem was.
Alaric's teacher clearly cherished him, entrusting him with such an item for protection. But that didn't mean Alaric could squander it. Once or twice was fine, but repeatedly asking might strain his teacher's regard for him.
Azik longed to see his daughter again, but not at the cost of deceiving Alaric or exploiting his naivety, risking his teacher's disapproval.
So, he looked at Alaric kindly. "Jack, I'd like to meet your teacher."
He wanted to discuss the Time Gem directly with Alaric's mentor.
"Huh?" Alaric feigned surprise, as if caught off guard by Azik's change of heart, but quickly nodded eagerly. "Sure, I'll write to him right away."
He paused, then added hesitantly, "But my teacher's been really busy lately. I'm not sure if he can make time to meet you."
"That's fine. I don't mind waiting." Azik said with a gentle smile, then added earnestly, "Jack, thank you."
"I owe you one. If you ever need help with something I can manage, I'll do my utmost." His sincerity left no doubt of his commitment.
"Oh, uh… I didn't do much. You're too kind, Mr. Azik." Alaric said, adopting an embarrassed look. While maintaining his persona, he was inwardly elated.
His maneuvers had skyrocketed Azik's favor toward him. Now, he could borrow power up to Sequence 3 Ferryman level.
Family ties really are Azik's weak spot… Alaric thought gleefully, unsurprised that he hadn't maxed out Azik's favor. Building rapport was easy at first, but deeper bonds... close friends, lifelong allies... grew exponentially harder. Crossing from the high nineties to a perfect hundred was a monumental leap.
Alaric hadn't expected to fully win Azik over so soon. Reaching the high eighties was already excellent progress, easing his mind considerably.
Since arriving in this mysterious world, Alaric had been on edge, given its dangers. Now, with access to Ferryman-level power... not quite angelic, but enough to face most threats with confidence... he felt more secure.
"With Ferryman power at my disposal, it's time to meet Medici. My Joker potion is nearly digested. I should start seeking high-sequence Hunter pathway items." Alaric planned, plotting how to build rapport with Medici.
For starters, summoning a Shadow of Time of the Ancient Sun God should earn him plenty of favor.
As for whether Medici, upon learning the truth about being "cooked" in the past, might turn against Adam in the future? That was none of Alaric's concern. He wasn't close to the Ancient Sun God, had never met Adam, and his alliance with the True Creator was flimsy at best. He had no part in the "incident" and no reason to know its truth.
So, what did Medici's potential feud with Adam have to do with him?
***
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