"You ate half a jar of honey yesterday and had a stomachache all night." Alaric said, glancing at Lil' Amon, stating the fact calmly.
"Uh, that was an accident, really! I just wanted a taste, but then…" Lil' Amon's face flushed as he scrambled to explain, fumbling for a good excuse and coming up short.
"Accident or not, it shows your self-control hasn't improved since you were a kid... nor has your constitution." Alaric said, smiling at Lil' Amon.
Unable to counter, Lil' Amon mumbled after a long pause, "I'm only a few weeks old…"
"Exactly, you're still a child. Act like one and stay out of adult business, alright?" Alaric ruffled Lil' Amon's hair, dismissing him before turning to Will, awaiting his response.
"A week is too short! At least twenty days!" Will protested loudly.
"Ten days." Alaric said, still smiling.
"Half a month." Will countered.
"Seven days." Alaric replied without blinking.
"Wait, how'd we go back to the start?" Will looked baffled, then, fearing Alaric would lower it further, quickly said, "Fine, ten days, but I pick the flavors."
"Deal." Alaric nodded, satisfied.
He wasn't truly worried about Lil' Amon getting sick from ice cream or unwilling to make it... he just enjoyed the thrill of haggling.
It might sound boring, but Alaric was that kind of guy.
"Wait, doesn't anyone care about my opinion? I'm the one making the ice cream!" Jack Jones piped up again.
"Sorry, Jack, your boss sold you out." Will said, knowing Jack's true nature but playing along with the act, respecting his ally's penchant for role-playing.
Alaric, in his Lucifer persona, glanced at Jack Jones with a smile. "You're grown now. Time to do something useful instead of hanging out with your shady friends all day."
"But making ice cream isn't useful!" Jack Jones grumbled.
Klein, nearby, stared intently at his teacup, thinking, What a fine teacup! Speaking up now would only draw everyone's fire, as one of those "shady friends."
After sorting out the adults, Alaric turned to the three youngsters, thought for a moment, and said, "You're coming along to gain experience, especially you, Jack. Klein's about to advance to Faceless. What about you? When will you become a Faceless?"
"Always rushing me! Advancing is hard, you know... not everyone's got cheats…" Jack Jones muttered, though his heart sparked with curiosity and anticipation.
Alaric was mainly curious if a persona like Jack Jones could advance like a normal person.
If not, what would happen when he took a potion?
He wasn't worried about breaking the persona... a low-sequence one could be easily replaced.
Still in his Lucifer persona, Alaric looked at Klein, smiling. "After this Numinous Episcopate operation, you should be ready to advance to Faceless. Are you prepared?"
Klein perked up at the mention of his name, nodding. "I'm ready... for advancing to Faceless and… going there."
"Good. I look forward to your performance." Alaric said, nodding with a smile.
"What about me? Doesn't Uncle Lucifer have anything to say to me?" Lil' Amon raised his hand, rubbing them together eagerly. "Actually, I want to go with Klein to that place."
Lil' Amon had heard Alaric and the others talk about that place and knew almost everyone in the family was involved in the reform cause. As possibly the only one left out, he was itching to join.
"You?" Alaric raised an eyebrow, then smiled and nodded meaningfully. "Alright, you can go with Klein. I'll arrange an identity for you."
"Thank you, Uncle Lucifer!" Lil' Amon's eyes lit up.
"No need to thank me. I just hope you'll gain some insight." Alaric said, smiling at him. "Lil' Amon, we all hope you can find true humanity."
Lil' Amon blinked, looking half-confused.
Alaric smiled, saying no more.
Did Lil' Amon have humanity? From his daily behavior, he seemed normal... crying, throwing tantrums, getting sick, having likes and dislikes.
In that sense, he had some humanity, at least some emotions, which made sense. Even the original Amon, for all his mischief, had deep feelings for his "father."
But beyond that?
Lil' Amon still lacked empathy for mortals, his core still that of a lofty Angel of Time.
Alaric understood... a seedling twisted from the root wasn't easily fixed. It would take time.
He didn't expect Lil' Amon to become a saint overnight. He just hoped for basic empathy and boundaries... knowing what to do, what not to do, and what was permissible.
His expectations for Lil' Amon were honestly quite low.
After arranging everyone, Alaric checked his pocket watch, stood, and smiled. "Time's up. Let's move out!"
Sia's eyelid twitched violently.
The world didn't originally have sayings like "left eye twitches for wealth, right for disaster." but a certain famous emperor had introduced this occult knowledge, often scoffed at by mystical experts.
Sia was one such skeptic. She pressed her right eyelid, feeling increasingly frustrated.
Since the divine punishment incident, the Numinous Episcopate's stance toward the "returned" God of Death had shifted dramatically. Not only had wavering minor factions rushed to join the Artificial Death faction overnight, treating its once-mocked new rules as gospel, but even the Royal Family Faction was in turmoil.
Sia had been exhausted trying to stabilize the Royal Family Faction, using threats and bribes alike. Yet, she'd only managed surface-level calm... beneath it, doubts still festered.
***
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