"Of course, other things might be fake, but my desire to fish out Bethel is real," Evah said, nodding with a dead-serious expression.
"Tch!" Medici clicked his tongue, saying nothing more. He wasn't close with Bethel, but they weren't enemies either. By the time Bethel followed Tudor, Medici was already dead.
And now, as Medici roamed the world again, Bethel had long been locked in subspace, corrupted by outer gods for who-knows-how-long.
Hard to say which of them had it worse.
Still, Medici had a sense of Bethel's character. Compared to Amon, he'd rather see Bethel become the Lord of Mysteries.
Evah briefly explained how to use the badge, then added, "Oh, while you're working for me, do you want me to cover room and board, or are you sticking with the True Creator's side?"
Medici glanced at him, a sly grin spreading across his face. "I'd think a boss providing room and board is basic employee treatment."
Evah wasn't surprised. He knew Medici wanted to stick close to spy on him and gather intel.
He didn't mind. With Adam already lurking nearby, and maybe even some Amons hiding in the air, one more Red Angel was no big deal.
In fact, having a Red Angel who clashed with Adam alongside him could help keep things balanced.
That's why Evah asked in the first place.
"Gotta say, though, now I've got God (Adam), Mysteries (Klein), and Calamity Hunter (Medici) around me. Add a Demoness, and I could whip up an Original Creator myself," Evah mused inwardly, then thought seriously, "But for real, should I get a bigger house? I've got a bit of a Pokémon collector vibe. I'm definitely roping in more people to work for me, and a small place won't cut it!"
Sure, being in the same group didn't mean living together, but they'd need a headquarters for members to rest and regroup.
"No rush, though. The current place is fine for now. I'll scout a bigger one when the crew grows…" Evah thought, sizing up Medici. "If you're living with me, you'll need a disguise and a rundown of my usual alias."
This was a test. Evah was curious how much Adam had shared with the True Creator's side.
"You mean that alias you use to play dumb?" Medici said, clearly in the know. "I don't get your twisted taste. You're as bad as Amon."
"Looks like Adam's shared quite a bit with you guys," Evah said, smiling. Then he looked at Medici seriously. "Memorize my alias's setup. Don't let me get exposed, or…"
He paused, then grinned. "No need to wait for the Primordial Demoness to cook up a mini Original Creator. I'll invite the real Original Creator over for a tea party with you all."
"Maybe you're looking forward to it?"
Medici's pupils contracted. He instinctively tried to tell if Evah was bluffing, but the answer was clear: this guy could summon the Original Creator and wouldn't hesitate.
"You're a lunatic!" Medici hissed through gritted teeth.
"Thanks for the compliment," Evah said, smiling. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Oh, almost forgot. Adam made a deal with me. He wants the Ancient Sun God to see the world, understand its full scope, and make a choice."
"What choice?" Medici asked, visibly confused.
Evah didn't elaborate, just said, "Not important. Let's talk about your new persona, Mr. Red Angel."
…
Though reluctant to leave his friends and family in Tingen, Klein didn't linger long. After the Nighthawks approved his three-year leave and he used his merits to exchange for a potion to advance to Magician, Klein settled Benson and Melissa, then boarded a steam train to Backlund under his new alias.
"Sherlock Moriarty, detective from Intis County…" Klein sat in the train, mentally rehearsing his new identity.
To avoid endangering his family, Klein couldn't use his real name in Backlund. With Jack's advice and help, he'd secured a new identity. Now, he was Sherlock Moriarty, a detective heading to Backlund to try his luck.
He chose this identity because detectives could mingle with all sorts, fitting in anywhere, making it easier for Klein to network and hunt for Seer pathway clues.
"Sherlock, I'm so bored. Wanna hear a joke?" a familiar voice piped up beside him.
Klein glanced at his seatmate, unsurprised to see Jack, face screaming boredom.
Why was Evah here? Because his Jack alias had quit his job, so he was tagging along to Backlund with Klein.
Recalling Jack's terrible pun-based cold jokes, Klein shivered and quickly said, "No jokes, please. We're almost at Backlund. Tell me more about Little Red instead."
"Little Red," full name unknown, was someone Jack mentioned three days ago. Apparently, when Jack told his teacher, Lucifer, about heading to Backlund, Lucifer sent a friend to join them. This friend was already at Jack's place in Backlund, so they'd likely be roommates for a while.
"My place is pretty big, though. One more person's no issue. He can take the second floor, and we'll stay on the third!" Jack had said, unbothered, though he griped, "But seriously, that old guy has friends? With his personality, I thought he'd only have enemies!"
Klein wouldn't join in mocking Mr. Lucifer, but deep down, he kind of agreed.
Given Mr. Lucifer's character, it was hard to imagine him having friends.
And… would an angel's friend be ordinary?
Thinking this, Klein grew curious about "Little Red," whom he'd soon meet, his mood tinged with nervous anticipation.
(End of Chapter)