"…Did I say something wrong?" Herabergen asked, meeting Alaric's gaze, which held a mix of respect and surprise. He was clearly unaccustomed to such a look and pressed forward despite his unease.
He couldn't fathom why Alaric was suddenly staring at him like this. The reverence some held for scholars, especially those steeped in academic rigor, was beyond his grasp.
"No, I'm just surprised," Alaric said, shaking his head with a smile. "Compared to Stiano, you feel like a true scholar among knowledge gods."
Stiano was the true name of the God of Steam and Machinery.
Herabergen blinked, his expression turning odd for a moment, as if suppressing a laugh. He quickly composed himself and said, "We simply excel in different domains. When it comes to mechanical creations, Stiano is far more specialized."
Alaric fell silent for a second, recalling his recent visit to the mechanical lab. Diplomatically, he replied, "I think knowing the 'how' without the 'why' doesn't count as true expertise."
He wasn't trying to disparage Stiano. Though he wasn't fond of the old god, Stiano was technically under his employ now, and Alaric treated his subordinates well. The issue was Stiano's lack of initiative. It wasn't that Stiano slacked off in the lab, but he'd entirely surrendered his own judgment, following Roselle's every directive without question.
Much like how Roselle drove the Industrial Revolution over a century ago, Stiano's avatar in the lab relied entirely on Roselle to push experiments forward. Stiano's role was reduced to a simulator, using his extraordinary abilities to test Roselle's ideas... a case of "the kid doesn't get it, but he's got the strength."
Honestly, after observing, Alaric wanted to say, "Why don't you two swap pathways?" Roselle should be the God of Steam, while Stiano was practically a fool who'd trade an empire for a pretty face!
Admittedly, the idea of Roselle as "Roselina" wasn't entirely unappealing… Alaric's thoughts wandered briefly, recalling Roselle's cross-dressing card collection from certain Blasphemy Cards. Snapping back, he looked at Herabergen, whose expression was hard to read, and smiled. "Sorry, I got distracted."
"No worries," Herabergen said, shaking his head. He didn't admit he'd also been momentarily lost in thought, recalling Stiano's various displays upon ascending to Sequence 0.
Even Herabergen couldn't, in good conscience, claim the God of Steam was adept in his domain. If Stiano were truly skilled, he wouldn't have failed to advance mechanical technology before Roselle's meteoric arrival, nor would he have stalled progress entirely after Roselle's fall, producing flashy but ultimately hollow creations.
Herabergen hadn't dwelled on this before, assuming all Sequence 0s had their strengths. Now, he wondered if some were just coasting.
"Not quite. We don't call such people slackers... we call them fated prodigies. Perhaps Stiano would've thrived more on the Fate pathway," Alaric said with a smile, as if reading Herabergen's thoughts.
Herabergen fell silent, unable to argue.
"Alright, since we've settled the matter of the two thousand assistants, it's time for a reunion!" Alaric said, gleefully pushing the silent Sun God toward Herabergen. "It's been ages. Don't you two have anything to say? Don't mind me... pretend I'm air. I swear I won't blab or spread rumors."
His eyes sparkled with a hunger for gossip, his love for drama practically on display.
The Ancient Sun God gave a helpless smile, stepping forward without resistance. His gaze settled on Herabergen, free of resentment or rejection, carrying only a faint warmth.
"While I should say 'long time no see,' it feels odd. In my time, we'd only just met," He said.
Herabergen's eyes flickered, perhaps recalling something... or nothing at all. He met The Ancient Sun God's gaze, those eyes so like the sun yet warm rather than searing, and pursed his lips. "For me, it's been a very long time, Your Excellency Sun God."
The Ancient Sun God paused at the title, then smiled nostalgically. "It's been a while since you called me that. Last time was probably in the Second Epoch."
"Back when I was still a subordinate god serving the Dragon of Imagination," Herabergen said, following The Ancient Sun God's lead. "I saw your potential and chose to reach out. Facts proved my choice right. You were truly worth following, in every way."
"Can I take that as a compliment?" The Ancient Sun God asked with a smile.
"More precisely, a compliment to my own foresight," Herabergen replied, neither confirming nor denying.
The Ancient Sun God blinked, then laughed and nodded. "Your foresight is indeed impressive."
They shared a glance, and Herabergen finally let out a chuckle. "I've wanted to joke with you like this for a long time, but it never felt right. After all, our relationship wasn't as close as yours with others."
The Ancient Sun God frowned, a rare expression. "Maybe we weren't as close as I was with others, but I never thought we were so distant that a joke was off-limits."
He wouldn't pretend their bond was as tight as with others, but he genuinely saw no barrier to jesting with Herabergen. He wasn't a strict boss. As long as principles weren't at stake, his demeanor was usually warm.
***
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