"Hiss…" Alaric hadn't realized the extent until now, and he looked at Medici with newfound admiration, giving a thumbs-up. "Red, you're practically a superhuman."
Medici finally looked up, as if at his limit, and hurled the pen in his hand at Alaric.
"Shut up. Don't let me hear that weird nickname again."
With Alaric's agility, dodging the attack was effortless. He then said earnestly, "It's not a weird nickname. It's proof of everyone's respect for you."
"Hmph!" Medici clearly didn't buy the flattery, letting out a cold laugh and rolling his eyes. "Get to the point. What's the matter? Don't tell me you came just to bicker."
He knew all too well that a certain someone never showed up without a purpose.
"Alright, I'm planning to set up a biological laboratory…" Alaric didn't beat around the bush, quickly explaining the situation.
Medici listened, grinding his teeth. "Is there any chance you've considered that I might actually drop dead from overwork?"
Even as the Red Angel, Medici didn't have 48 hours in a day. Lately, he'd been juggling so many tasks he felt like he was teetering on the edge of collapse. Another laboratory? Even a Red Angel couldn't handle that.
Hearing this, Alaric blinked and said seriously, "Don't worry, I'll assign this to someone else. It won't add to your workload. I came to ask about the progress with the Loen royal family, since we'll need a suitable location for the lab."
Medici raised an eyebrow, understanding the situation. "I've already arranged for Mr. A to represent the Aurora Order in contacting Augustus. We've shared secrets about the Demoness Sect, and now there's a rift in their cooperation with Augustus. Neither side has fully broken ties, but they no longer trust each other…"
"Augustus's people have privately contacted Mr. A. They're inclined to work with us but are still skeptical about the True Creator being sealed. They're worried the True Creator can't provide enough support and suspicious of our motives. But those doubts won't last long…" Medici paused, flashing a confident smile. "I won't give them much time to think."
Clearly, Medici had plans to force the Loen royal family into cooperating with the Aurora Order.
Alaric wasn't surprised and simply asked, "Anything I can help with?"
"You're only this proactive when it suits you." Medici shot him a look but didn't hesitate. "I need the power of my past self. A true War Angel would dispel all of Augustus's doubts."
Augustus's hesitation stemmed from concerns about the sealed True Creator's limited power and suspicions about their intentions. A true Red Angel, a King of Angels of the Red Priest Pathway, was a top-tier force in an era without true gods. The Red Priest's apotheosis ritual could perfectly explain Medici's approach to Augustus.
Medici could even argue, "You become the Black Emperor, I become the Red Priest, and with the True Creator, our trio's alliance would fear no Seven Gods." To convince Augustus for deeper cooperation.
Originally, Medici had planned to address Augustus's doubts another way, but since Alaric offered help, it'd be a shame not to take advantage.
"Sure, no problem." Alaric said, unbothered by Medici's opportunism, and nodded.
"Um… what's the Loen royal family planning?" Bernadette, who had been listening in confusion, finally couldn't hold back her question.
Medici glanced at her, then at Alaric. "Picked up another kid, huh?"
"Not quite. She's the daughter of one of my employees, Bernadette. I'm just looking after her for now. Of course, she might become your colleague later." Alaric said with a smile, then introduced her to Bernadette. "Bernadette, this is Medici. You may have heard of him."
Medici? The Red Angel?
As a Sequence 3 of the Hermit Pathway, Bernadette was well-versed in many secrets and immediately reacted, looking at Medici in surprise.
Alaric continued, "As for Augustus… it's simple. They want to create a new Black Emperor, and they've done some inhumane things to achieve it. To cover their tracks, they've partnered with the Demoness Sect, planning to have a Demoness of Despair unleash a great smog on New Year's Day in two months, using the deaths of hundreds of thousands to hide certain truths…"
He paused, looking at Bernadette. "The disaster you foresaw is this."
Bernadette's pupils constricted. She could hardly believe what she was hearing... how could the Loen royal family be so ruthless?
A moment later, she realized something else. "Wait, if the Loen royal family creates a new Black Emperor, doesn't that mean…"
"Exactly. If a new Black Emperor emerges, your father will perish completely. Even I wouldn't be able to save him then." Alaric nodded, confirming her suspicion.
The Black Emperor has a unique trait: as long as no new Black Emperor arises, the old one never truly dies. Even if their order or traces are erased, a sliver of hope for return remains. But once a new Black Emperor is born, even if the old one's order persists, they're gone for good.
Bernadette's breathing faltered for a moment. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then looked at Alaric. "Your Excellency Lucifer, so your plan is…?"
"We're sowing discord to break the Loen royal family's alliance with the Demoness Sect while posing as allies to gain Augustus's trust, so we can stop them at the critical moment." Alaric said with a smile, demonstrating the art of careful wording.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Bernadette asked, her relief quickly giving way to concern.
This was about her father's life and death... she couldn't afford to stay uninvolved.
"Not yet, but be ready. We might need your help later." Alaric said, shaking his head with a smile.
"Alright." Bernadette nodded, saying no more, though her emotions were clearly in turmoil.
Seeing her distress, Alaric knew today wasn't the right time to push her further into the reform cause. He shook his head and turned to Medici. "When are you planning to act?"
***
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