Klein was dumbfounded. He glanced at Alaric, then at Medici, and after a long pause, managed to mutter, "No one told me about this."
He noticed that Medici's expression showed no trace of surprise or denial, confirming that Jack's words were true. Mr. Red and his backers were indeed planning a revolution, and Jack was fully aware of it.
Klein suddenly recalled their early days in Backlund. When he'd suggested informing Lucifer about Medici's antagonism toward Jack, Jack had responded by saying Mr. Red was a good person. Now, Klein realized it wasn't just that Backlund was about to face major events. It was likely that Mr. Red and his faction had struck some kind of deal with Lucifer regarding this revolution.
And throughout all this, Klein was probably the only one completely in the dark.
His gaze drifted to Alaric, and he thought back to how Jack had instantly identified Meursault and Ian Wright as spies. Suddenly, his so-called friend felt like a stranger.
Was this really the naive, overly trusting Jack who was always getting into trouble?
"Seriously, what else would I be? A monster in disguise?" Alaric seemed to read his thoughts and rolled his eyes irritably. "What kind of filter have you put on me? I'm the old man's student, traveling the world with him. Did you really think I was some clueless sweetheart?"
"If I were that naive, do you think the old man would let me wander around on my own?"
But Lucifer did say you've got a screw loose… Klein thought to himself, reflecting on their time together. In hindsight, the clues were there.
For one, when they first met, Jack had immediately pegged him as a Seer. That wasn't something a naive sweetheart could pull off.
Jack had never been stupid. His social demeanor just made Klein slap a thick filter on him.
Now that he thought about it, if Jack were truly a pure naive sweetheart, with Lucifer's protective streak, he'd never let him roam free.
And if Jack wasn't as naive as he seemed, had he figured out Klein's identity as a transmigrator?
Klein realized this with a jolt, instinctively looking at Alaric, who winked back at him.
In a flash of insight, Klein knew Alaric was aware.
This triggered a flood of memories about his past behavior, and embarrassment surged from his toes to his head, giving him goosebumps. He wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury himself.
This was mortifying!
"What's with the silent drama you two are playing out?" Medici, who'd been watching the spectacle, cut in with a mocking tone.
"Just some private friend stuff. Mind your own business." Alaric shot back without hesitation, then turned to Medici. "You and I both know that your faction alone can't pull off this revolution. So why not try borrowing the strength of another nation?"
Medici narrowed his eyes, clearly catching on to something.
Alaric continued with a grin, "Intis has been itching to start a war for years. Do you think they'd mind lighting a spark to set Loen ablaze from within?"
"They're not idiots. They'd see the risks of doing something like that." Medici replied, understanding Alaric's plan. He wanted to trick Intis into supporting the revolution, using their resources to fuel it.
But Intis wasn't foolish enough to miss the dangers such a move would pose to themselves.
"This is a world of extraordinary powers. The stronger you are, the more arrogant you become. Do you really think those haughty types would take a revolution without angels seriously?" Alaric said unhurriedly.
Medici caught his meaning. If the True Creator openly pushed for reform, it would face fierce opposition. But if the True Creator stayed in the shadows and framed it as an event involving only those below the angel level, its perceived threat would plummet.
Because in this world, might made right.
"And once that spark is lit, with your involvement, putting it out won't be so easy, will it?" Alaric said, smiling as he clearly guessed Medici's thoughts.
In theory, the Creator's faction, backed by the Ancient Sun God, had the most clout in this world, making reform easiest for them. But the Ancient Sun God's appearances were limited, and he couldn't just eliminate everyone. Alaric also had no interest in being a tool to summon the Ancient Sun God for reform. So, naturally, he had to get creative and find another way.
"Even so, Intis might not be willing to provide aid. This isn't a small matter." Medici said after a few seconds of thought. Though he sounded skeptical, his pensive expression suggested he was already considering the idea and just wanted to hear more of Alaric's plan.
"That depends on your skills... whether you can convince them to provide aid." Alaric said with a smile. While Klein wasn't looking, he silently mouthed "Black Emperor" To Medici.
Medici instantly understood.
Normally, Intis might not go all-in to destabilize Loen. But what if they learned the Loen royal family was pushing for a Black Emperor?
Once they caught wind of that, to ensure their own safety, Intis would spare no expense to prevent a Black Emperor's rise.
Destabilizing Loen internally would be one such tactic.
With Medici pulling strings in the background, he could secure substantial aid without much effort. That aid, once in Loen, would be under his control. As long as Intis saw "results" And the Black Emperor ritual failed, the support would keep flowing.
And in the process, their side would barely have to sacrifice anything. Even if it failed, the cost was minimal, but success would bring rewards for all.
This reinforced Medici's realization that this guy was dangerous... not just because of his mysterious powers, but because of his mind.
Not everyone could pivot from an ambassador to this level of strategic thinking. Alaric's idea had flipped the situation, turning his friend's disadvantage into an advantage, willingly drawing Medici into the plan, and even making the Loen royal family's conspiracy a usable asset.
***
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