"Hm, so you don't see as clearly as the Evernight Goddess and the others," Alaric said, understanding. The God of Steam and Machinery had clearly sensed something... at the very least, like Bethel, he had detected the fragment of Nyarlathotep within Alaric.
But the God of Steam and Machinery evidently didn't grasp what that meant. Otherwise, he wouldn't be bowing in reverence, but he'd at least be far more cautious.
Why the difference? Was it due to their pathways?
That was certainly possible. Bethel, after all, had sensed something unusual because of his sealing authority… Alaric mused, then suddenly asked the God of Steam and Machinery a seemingly unrelated question: "Do you know Grisha?"
"Who?" The God of Steam and Machinery looked puzzled.
"He was once revered as the Creator, also known as the Ancient Sun God," Alaric said with a smile, offering a gentle reminder.
At that, the God of Steam and Machinery's expression cleared, and he nodded. "I've had a few encounters with that Sun God, but we were never close."
The God of Steam and Machinery wasn't some young angel. Though he had ascended to godhood relatively late, he had been active during the Third Epoch.
He had been fortunate enough to meet the Ancient Sun God back then, though his Sequence wasn't particularly high at the time, so he and the Ancient Sun God were hardly well-acquainted.
Still, the God of Steam and Machinery felt he could never forget the Ancient Sun God. The figure was simply too legendary... anyone who had seen him could never easily forget his presence.
"Then you can get to know each other today. After all, you're both on the same side now," Alaric said with a cheerful grin.
What?
The God of Steam and Machinery froze, momentarily failing to process Alaric's words. Then his movements halted, and his eyes widened as he stared at the figure materializing beside Alaric.
That figure wasn't entirely familiar, yet it wasn't wholly unfamiliar either... it matched his memory of the Ancient Sun God exactly.
"…The Ancient Sun God? How is that possible?" For a moment, the God of Steam and Machinery wondered if he was under an illusion. He carefully examined himself, confirming there were no traces of any illusory effects.
So this wasn't an illusion?
At that moment, the Ancient Sun God opened his eyes. Already accustomed to the summoning process, he scanned the room, his expression turning peculiar. After glancing at Amon, he looked at Alaric and asked, "What did Amon do this time?"
Amon, whose lips had curled into a smirk the moment the Ancient Sun God appeared, now flattened his expression. He adjusted his monocle and looked at the Ancient Sun God with a faintly resentful tone. "Father, I thought there should be more trust between parent and child. For your information, I've been diligently studying humanity under Lucifer's guidance lately. Say what you will, but he's truly an excellent teacher."
Despite his many grievances with Alaric, even Amon had to admit that Alaric was a remarkable teacher. The time spent learning from him had begun to show Amon, who had once dismissed and failed to comprehend humanity, why the Ancient Sun God valued it so highly... and even helped him start to understand what humanity meant.
The Ancient Sun God didn't seem embarrassed by Amon's complaint. Instead, he smiled with genuine relief and said, "I'm glad you're taking your study of humanity seriously, Amon. You really are a good child."
Amon froze. He hadn't expected such straightforward praise from the Ancient Sun God, and for a moment, his hand adjusting his monocle stiffened.
"Pfft, talk about an eight-hundred-layer filter!" Roselle, standing nearby, felt goosebumps rise on his arms. He shot the Ancient Sun God a strange look, never expecting his fellow "savior" To be this doting of a parent.
"And you've got any right to talk?" Alaric glanced at Roselle, baffled by where he got the nerve to critique the Ancient Sun God. When it came to spoiling their children, weren't Roselle and the Ancient Sun God cut from the same cloth?
"Nonsense! At least I don't see my kids through an eight-hundred-layer filter," Roselle retorted, refusing to accept Alaric's accusation.
"Then tell me, do you think your children are good kids?" Alaric asked abruptly.
"Of course! Whether it's Bernadette, Bornova, or even Ciel, they're all great kids," Roselle replied without a moment's hesitation.
"So how are you any different from the Ancient Sun God?" Alaric asked, his tone earnest.
"There's a huge difference! I'm stating facts. Don't you think Bernadette's a good kid?" Roselle shot back confidently.
"They are indeed good kids," Alaric nodded, not disputing it. But before Roselle could preen, Alaric added coolly, "Too bad you're not a good father."
Roselle deflated, running a hand through his hair. "Why do you have to change the subject like that?"
"I'm just stating a fact," Alaric said with a playful grin, glancing at him.
Then Alaric turned to the Ancient Sun God. "Grisha, let me introduce you. This is Roselle, the fellow transmigrator I mentioned before. And this is the God of Steam and Machinery... you should know who he is."
Alaric had previously told the Ancient Sun God about "transmigrators" from later eras, including Roselle.
As for the God of Steam and Machinery, he was no mystery to the Ancient Sun God. Whether through information shared with Adam and the True Creator or his own observations of this era, the Ancient Sun God had enough knowledge to understand the God of Steam and Machinery to some extent.
So the Ancient Sun God first turned to Roselle, smiling. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Roselle. I'm Grisha. It's great to make your acquaintance."
He paused, studying Roselle with a meaningful look. "And congratulations on freeing yourself from the corruption of the Outer Deities."
"I've heard much about you, Mr. Grisha. If you don't mind, can I call you Big G from now on?" Roselle replied, sizing up the Ancient Sun God with curiosity. At the latter half of the statement, his expression stiffened, his mind suddenly flooded with unpleasant memories... vivid, as if they had just happened…
Damn it, they had just happened!
Why did it feel like it was ages ago?
In that moment, Roselle fully understood the meaning of "a day feeling like a year," those heart-wrenching memories were only hours old, yet they felt like years had passed.
"My apologies... did I say something I shouldn't have?" The Ancient Sun God noticed the change in Roselle's expression and spoke with a hint of regret, tinged with curiosity.
He was genuinely intrigued by the state of Roselle's corruption. The Outer Deity's influence hadn't vanished, yet it had achieved a perfect balance with another form of corruption... an astonishing feat.
***
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