Medici didn't respond to the praise, though the corners of his mouth twitched upward slightly. Feeling an intense gaze, he turned to see a young man, Dixie, staring at him with fervor.
Medici vaguely recalled Dixie... a down-on-his-luck guy who, after losing his job and getting drunk, stumbled into a Beyonder incident and was saved by Medici passing by. Dixie later joined their cause. Though barely literate, he was sharp and showed potential, earning a spot on Medici's list for cultivation.
"Well, look at that, you've got a fanboy!" Alaric noticed Dixie too, flashing a polite smile before teasing Medici.
"I've got fans aplenty. Unlike you, always rubbing people the wrong way." Medici shot back, throwing Dixie a glance before smirking at Alaric with a sarcastic jab.
"Fool your brothers if you must, but don't fool yourself." Alaric said, patting Medici's shoulder with a grin. "When it comes to being annoying, we're neck and neck."
Medici choked, torn between marveling at Alaric's self-awareness and telling him to get lost.
"Speaking of, have you designed the uniforms for after the uprising? A righteous revolutionary army needs its own style, right?" Alaric asked eagerly, his mind flashing to classic designs, like those from a certain historical revolution. Say what you will about a certain moustache man, but his aesthetic was impeccable.
"The Serpent will handle the designs." Medici replied, eyeing Alaric. "So, what are you really here for?"
"As your boss, I'm here to check on your progress, obviously!" Alaric said matter-of-factly. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "By the way, have you picked a date to kick things off?"
"Before the year ends." Medici said, arms crossed. He glanced at Alaric. "Got any bright ideas?"
"My thoughts align with yours. I say we launch on New Year's Day. The Loen royals have big plans that day. We hit them with a double strike... start the uprising here, disrupt their schemes there, pull off the scam, and tip off the authorities." Alaric said with a sly smile. "The three major Churches will keep the royals tied up, leaving us with less resistance."
Medici gave him a look, thought for a few seconds, and nodded. "Fine, New Year's Day it is."
"Oh, and one more thing." Alaric said, beckoning Medici closer. "Besides targeting nobles and capitalists, there's something else…"
Medici leaned in, puzzled, and listened as Alaric spoke. He raised an eyebrow. "You've got time for that?"
Alaric had asked Medici to clear out Red Street during the purge of nobles and tycoons, rescuing the women trapped there.
"They're victims too. Some systems shouldn't exist and need to be abolished." Alaric said, as if it were obvious.
"Alright, since you're set on it, I'll arrange to save those girls." Medici said, nodding. He had no objections. Saving one or two was no different from saving more. They were already planning to upend the current order and rebuild Loen... rescuing those women alongside the workers and farmers was no trouble.
When Lent returned home, he was still reeling. The day's events... losing his job, everything he'd seen with Dixie... were beyond his expectations. He pulled a few folded papers from his pocket. Illiterate, he didn't know what they said, only that it was a contract.
It was a labor contract with Dixie's factory, promising an eight-hour workday, meals, lodging, and weekends off... things Lent had never dared dream of. He recalled signing it with a polite, refined clerk. When he'd asked if signing meant he'd have to fight, the young woman laughed.
"Sir, what are you thinking? This is just a work contract. We don't force anyone to enlist." She said, then added with a hint of longing, "But if you're interested, you can sign up next door…"
"Don't you worry no one will join?" Lent had asked, unable to stop himself.
She paused, then smiled. "I don't know about others, but I've signed up. The boss is right... happiness must be fought for. Only by making those wolves and jackals feel pain will they give back what they've taken from us."
"What if you die? War kills people." Lent pressed.
"Then at least I'd die fighting for my happiness, not starving in some corner." She said firmly.
Lent's memory of what followed was hazy. He'd signed the contract and somehow made it home.
"Daddy!"
His youngest daughter's voice snapped him back. She wore faded, over-washed clothes from church school, her frame thinner than her peers from lack of meat.
"Daddy, what's wrong?" She asked, confused.
"Sally…" Lent knelt, hugging her tightly. A thought struck him. His life was what it was, but did Sally and her sisters have to repeat it?
Alaric didn't linger long at Medici's base. He stayed one night, helped with some tasks, and even gave a guest speech. Satisfied with the progress, he left the border city.
On his way out, he sent "Jack Jones" Home to avoid raising suspicions, while, as Lucifer, he returned to the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
The sun above City of Silver was the same as when he'd left. Passing a ruined building, Alaric paused, glancing up at someone sitting on a half-collapsed wall. He grinned. "Lil' Raven, planning to build a nest here?"
"I'm just thinking about something." Amon said, looking down at Alaric, his expression pensive.
"What's on your mind?" Alaric asked, curious.
"I'm wondering whether to call Adam brother or father." Amon said, adjusting his monocle with a serious tone, though his words sounded like a jest.
***
Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well and staying healthy. I want to let you know that right now I'm working on one of the best fanfics you might ever read.
If you're curious about this fanfic, don't hesitate to check it out.
[Mangaka? Nah, I'm Voice Actor!]
Synopsis:
I was a corporate slave with a normal outlook on life, values, and romance.
My worldview shattered after I get isekai'd, and through a twist of fate, I went with the flow, unexpectedly accepting my new reality in the role closest to the anime world... that's right, I became a voice actor.
---
Yes, just as you read, it's true that this fanfic will tell the story of a main character who enters the world of voice acting in Japan. This fanfic will portray the life of voice actors behind the Japanese anime and games you've been listening to all this time, spiced up with a bit of romance for those of you who enjoy it.
So if you're curious, don't hesitate to read it and show your support.