Medici raised an eyebrow, a smirk curling his lips as his red eyes flicked to Klein. After a moment, he looked away. "…Fine. If this kid can actually help, I'd even hunt down a Marionettist for him."
"Deal!" Alaric said, grinning at Klein. "Go for it, Sherlock. Impress Red, and you won't have to worry about potions up to demigod."
If Klein's initial motivation was humanitarian, now he was genuinely intrigued. His gaze landed on Medici, who promptly handed over paper and pen.
"Write something, Great Detective. Let's see what you've got." Medici said, his tone half-lazy, half-sarcastic.
"What's the theme? Who's the audience?" Klein asked instinctively, his old work habits kicking in.
Medici laid out the requirements concisely.
Klein listened quietly, a thoughtful look crossing his face. After a few minutes of reflection, he scribbled a title on the paper and began writing furiously.
When the full moon arrived and Mr. Door reconnected with Alaric, the now-lucid Bethel... thanks to recent treatments... saw three people huddled in the small study, whispering intently.
Two were familiar: Alaric and Medici, a colleague from the Solomon era. The third was unfamiliar, but Bethel sensed a familiar aura.
Sefirah Castle? So, Alaric's student was the future Lord of Mysteries?
Bethel had his suspicions. Seeing the trio deep in discussion, oblivious to him, he coughed through the connection.
"Ahem, what are you all doing?" He asked, curiosity piqued.
"We're planning the reform…" Alaric answered absently, then realized the full moon had arrived. He coughed awkwardly. "Bethel, you're here!"
With a snap of his fingers, Alaric pulled Medici and Klein into the channel, forming a temporary group chat.
"Well, if it isn't Bethel. Looking pretty rough after all this time, huh?" Medici opened with his signature snark.
"Long time no see, Medici. I thought you'd be long gone, not even ashes left." Bethel replied calmly, but clearly a master of subtle jabs.
"Hah, thanks to that lunatic you followed. His aim was off, didn't finish me off." Medici sneered, ostensibly mocking Tudor's poor aim but really targeting Bethel's choice to follow the Blood Emperor.
"My judgment's no match for yours, sticking with the True Creator even knowing he's not the Sun God anymore. Talk about self-deception." Bethel said, his voice still calm, tinged with a sigh.
That hit a nerve. If circumstances allowed, Medici might've started a fight.
"Alright, alright, you're both down on your luck, so quit bickering." Alaric interjected, stepping in to mediate. To Bethel: "You got sealed in another dimension, nearly wiped out. The Blood Emperor wasn't exactly reliable."
Then to Medici: "And you? You died once, and you know why better than I do."
"Point is, you're both in rough shape, so why keep poking at each other?"
In one swoop, Alaric struck both their sore spots.
Klein, listening, wanted to speak but held back, then tried again, only to stop. Finally, he decided to divert attention to spare his friend a double beating.
Clearing his throat, he said, "Mr. Bethel, hello. I'm Sherlock Moriarty, Jack's student. I'll be studying with him under you. Please guide me."
Hearing this, Bethel dropped Medici, giving Klein a top-to-bottom scan through the connection. "Hello, Sherlock. May I call you that?"
"Of course!" Klein nodded eagerly, visibly nervous.
Truth be told, studying under Mr. Door filled Klein with both excitement and nerves. This was the Mr. Door!
Sure, Medici was a War Angel, but Klein didn't know much about that, and after living with him for days, he hadn't fully registered Medici's angelic status. Mr. Door was different... the Apprentice pathway's top figure, a near-true god.
"No need to be nervous. Just treat me like a regular teacher." Bethel said, chuckling, likely sensing Klein's tension.
Alaric slapped Klein's shoulder carelessly. "Bethel's right, relax, Sherlock. It's just a King of Angels. You've dealt with them before. Worst case, pretend you're watching a tutorial video."
Klein's mouth twitched, but his nerves dissolved. No one could stay tense in this situation.
Bethel, mildly exasperated, understood that for Alaric, a King of Angels was probably small fry. Only pillar-level beings might be peers to him. Smiling gently, he asked, "Sherlock, I don't know your knowledge level. Is it fine to study alongside Jack?"
Klein had no objections.
Bethel didn't waste time, diving into the lesson: crafting advanced charms.
This was high-level knowledge Klein sorely lacked, and he immediately focused, diving into study mode.
Alaric, for once, quieted down, immersing himself in the lesson.
Medici, watching, scoffed but didn't interrupt, instead reviewing Klein's writing.
Despite earlier doubts, after their discussion and seeing the half-finished draft, Medici had to admit the kid had skill. His ability to stir hearts was a bit green, but his thoughts and frameworks aligned strikingly with the Lord's vision.
Is this guy from the same era as the Lord? Medici wondered but didn't dwell on it.
Time passed quietly. After learning another advanced charm, Alaric, balancing work and rest, decided to have some fun. "Bethel, there's something I've been dying to ask." He said seriously.
"What?" Bethel felt a twinge of unease.
"Did you really stand guard outside when Tudor and Cheek hooked up?" Alaric's eyes gleamed with gossip-fueled mischief.
***
Every 100 Power Stones and 5 Reviews will earn you a Bonus Chapter.
And if you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)