"Nonsense! If you went through all that, wouldn't you be furious? William I's just unlucky, but since he's an enemy, it doesn't matter." Medici said, shooting Alaric a glance, barely holding back an eye roll.
"Fair point. If it were me, I might've dragged the whole world down with me." Alaric nodded understandingly, shaking his head at the projection. Then, with a serious expression, he clasped his hands in a mock prayer. "Let's hope William I comes out unscathed."
"Hmph!" Medici let out a derisive laugh at Alaric's crocodile tears, his gaze returning to the projection of the War Angel, a hint of distraction in his eyes.
That was a younger him, brimming with ambition and vigor. Back then, the War Angel hadn't faced the trials to come... no bitter death, no forced fusion with two detestable beings, no wasting half his life in that despairing underground structure.
Yet Medici knew clearly that this was temporary. Soon, he would fall from the skies into an endless abyss.
It was hard to pinpoint Medici's emotions in that moment.
He silently watched the War Angel in the projection, effortlessly overpowering William I. Suddenly, he turned to Alaric. "You're really not afraid he'll change history after learning all this?"
"Afraid of what?" Alaric glanced at him, puzzled, then smiled. "Medici, have you forgotten? I've said before, I'd welcome you all changing history. Unfortunately, no one's managed to do what I'm hoping for yet."
"Ugh…" Alaric sighed, then continued, "I'm honestly curious what would happen if a key historical moment like this were altered."
Medici studied him, confirming the genuine anticipation in Alaric's eyes, then scoffed. "…You lunatic. You haven't changed a bit."
He knew Alaric was serious, even if no one could predict whether altering a pivotal moment in the past might trigger a catastrophe.
"Thanks for the compliment." Alaric said with a cheeky grin, then looked at Medici. "Don't you want that too?"
Did he?
Medici ground his teeth, staring at the War Angel battling the Hand of Order in the projection, but he didn't answer.
Because he didn't know the answer.
Of course, he wanted to change his doomed past, but a flicker of doubt lingered. If he altered the fact of his fall, what would become of this world?
It was almost laughable. As an angelic mythical creature, he was the last being who should care about humanity's fate. Yet, perhaps from following the Creator too long, Medici harbored a ridiculous affection for this world and its people.
This affection was usually imperceptible, but it surged to the forefront whenever the world's survival was at stake, much to Medici's annoyance.
"And yet you can't abandon it. Poor Red. That past shaped you, molded you into who you are now. It might not be your nature, but it's become part of your instincts." Alaric said, his gaze tinged with pity, as if looking at a lost lamb.
"Don't try that manipulation nonsense on me. I don't need your pity." Medici scoffed, glaring at Alaric.
"I'm not manipulating you... just stating facts." Alaric shrugged, smiling. "As for pity…"
He paused, then chuckled. "It's just normal concern. After all, you're one of the few good friends I have in this world!"
"…That's disgusting." Medici said, stunned for a moment before making a face.
"Uh-huh, sure, sure." Alaric nodded dismissively, then turned back to the projection with a grin. "Don't worry. I'm not sure if your past self can change history, but one thing I am certain of."
"What?" Medici asked instinctively.
Alaric smiled. "Even if your past self does change history, it won't cause a real catastrophe. You can only affect the fates of those directly involved in your changes. So, relax... unless your past self merges with the Primordial Demoness and destroys the world, it's not a big deal."
Medici froze, instinctively relieved, then looked at Alaric with suspicion. "You knew?"
"Just basic knowledge." Alaric said, glancing at him with a smile. "I've been digging into my memories lately. Not much luck, but I've picked up some bits of knowledge."
Though Alaric wasn't particularly interested in his past as Nyarlathotep, he was very curious about the powers of a minor Nyarlathotep. Even if self-examination yielded no new abilities, he occasionally probed his memories to see if he could uncover something useful.
Knowledge about changing history was one such discovery.
Medici let out a breath of relief, then caught himself. "Wait, if you knew, then just now…"
"I just wanted to see your reaction. Didn't expect our great Red Angel to buy into the whole 'God loves humanity' shtick. Quite surprising." Alaric said with a cheeky grin.
"Tch!" Medici's expression turned irritable, but a closer look revealed a rare hint of unease. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "Is it that strange?"
"Maybe because you don't seem like the 'God loves humanity' type?" Alaric replied, smiling. "I thought you wouldn't care about mere humans. Does the proud Red Angel really have a soft spot for those insignificant humans?"
"And you?" Medici didn't answer, instead scoffing and fixing his ruby-like eyes on Alaric with a sharp gaze. "You're doing all this 'God loves humanity' stuff, but do you love them?"
"Nope, not at all!" Alaric shook his head candidly, smiling at Medici. "I thought you knew. I've never loved humanity."
"Yet you're still choosing to save them, these people you don't love." Medici said, unsurprised.
"Because it benefits me a lot. Plus… even if I don't love them, like a gamer chasing a good ending, I'd naturally want my game to have a good outcome." Alaric said with a smile, pausing before adding thoughtfully, "Hm, from that angle, doesn't that count as a kind of love?"
***
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)