"You're asking me that? Well, I've got quite a tale to tell!" The raven Amon perked up, its tongue no longer lolling, its eyes gleaming with enthusiasm. "I'm the latest model of Raven Amon, a avatar crafted by the original after studying many good people."
"Sounds intriguing." Alaric said, raising an eyebrow.
It seemed Amon's true self had been tinkering with something beyond just Lil' Amon.
"Good people? Pfft! You?" Medici shot the raven a glance, sneering unapologetically. "You think you're a good person?"
"Nope!" Raven Amon shook its head, surprising everyone. "I'm a good raven. The original said turning into a good person outright was too tough, too unrealistic. Animals have smaller brains, less room for complications, so they're easier to control. That's why he made me... a raven."
"But don't let my raven form fool you. My brain's packed with a thousand polite phrases. I'm the most courteous raven in the world!"
As it spoke, Raven Amon seemed to grow excited, puffing out its chest with pride. Being just a raven, the gesture was oddly endearing.
The room fell silent.
Medici's faintly mocking expression twisted into something more contorted, as if he'd seen something filthy. Then he laughed. "Looks like Lil' Raven's finally lost it."
Alaric's gaze on Raven Amon grew more intrigued. He raised an eyebrow. "He's got some creative ideas, I'll give him that."
Klein glanced between Raven Amon and Lil' Amon, then said sincerely, "I know this might sound bad, but Amon's image in my mind has completely shattered."
Once, Amon had been a terrifying, powerful figure in Klein's eyes... a chaotic thrill-seeker, the top enemy to guard against.
Now… hahahaha!
Lil' Amon studied Raven Amon curiously, then said, "So this is another Amon?"
"Yep. Feel any kinship?" Alaric asked with a smile.
"Nope." Lil' Amon replied honestly, lowering his voice. "He seems kind of dumb."
"That's rude. As a raven, I'm plenty smart." Raven Amon huffed indignantly.
"Definitely dumb." Lil' Amon concluded, nodding as if confirming a fact.
"It's just a raven, after all. Don't set the bar too high." Alaric said with a chuckle, turning to Raven Amon. "So, Mr. Raven Amon, why are you here?"
"Well, I'm here because…" Raven Amon trailed off, blinking rapidly and flapping its wings. "Uh, I think I forgot…"
The room went silent again.
The quiet didn't last long. Raven Amon, as if struck by a realization, pulled a note from under its wing, glanced at it, and exclaimed, "I remember now! The original sent me. He said there's been some trouble with the people from the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and you should check it out."
The last part was directed at Alaric.
Alaric raised an eyebrow, looking at Raven Amon. "Do you recall what kind of trouble?"
Raven Amon shook its head earnestly. "No idea."
Alaric wasn't disappointed. He glanced at Medici, then at Klein and Lil' Amon. "In that case, I'll go take a look. Klein, Lil' Amon, start packing. Once I've dealt with things there, I'll send you where you need to go."
Klein and Lil' Amon had no objections. Though Klein was visibly concerned about the situation with City of Silver and Moon City, his trust in Lucifer kept him from insisting on tagging along.
Using his travel ability, Alaric soon arrived at the destination with Raven Amon in tow.
The people of City of Silver and Moon City were no longer staying in the accommodations Amon had provided. Thanks to the small island Alaric and his allies had swindled from the Loen royalty, they'd moved into their new home and were now hard at work... literally laying bricks.
Yes, actual bricklaying. Though Alaric had hired professional builders, the people from the Forsaken Land preferred building their homes themselves. Every one of them was on the construction site, hauling bricks and mixing mortar.
Alaric observed from the sidelines, confirming no one was missing and all seemed fine. He raised an eyebrow and turned to Amon, who was dressed like a foreman. "So, what exactly happened?"
"You've already talked to Raven Amon, right? What do you think of him?" Amon didn't answer directly. Instead, he grabbed the flapping Raven Amon, holding it in his palm as he asked.
Alaric shook his head at Amon's apparent amusement with his own creation, then smiled. "An entertaining little guy. He genuinely seems to think he's a raven."
"I got the idea from Lil' Amon. Got to admit, it's fun to play around like this." Amon said with a grin, flipping over the struggling raven. Pushing up his monocle, he added, "They've been dreaming lately... dreams of some interesting things. If I'm not mistaken, the Mother Goddess has set her sights on them."
Alaric's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing through them.
He knew which Mother Goddess Amon meant... not Lilith, but a certain Outer Deity.
"But no one's reported any anomalies to the Fool or me during this time." Alaric said, glancing at Colin Iliad and the others. "They're not that careless."
Both City of Silver and Moon City's people were battle-hardened. They wouldn't dream strange dreams and remain oblivious.
Under normal circumstances, Colin Iliad or Moon City's leader should have prayed to the Fool or Alaric to report such anomalies. Why was Amon the one bringing it up?
"It's not their fault. They just forgot." Amon said, watching the bricklaying crowd. "The Mother Goddess of Depravity's power made them forget their dreams. If I weren't so attuned to this sort of thing, by the time we noticed, every last one of them would likely be her devotees."
***
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