Upon reaching the restaurant's entrance, Alaric looked up at the sign adorned with a large monocle, an Intis-style eatery, and raised an eyebrow.
He pushed open the door, and a waiter greeted them. Notably, the waiter wore a white uniform and a monocle, but unlike the temporarily parasitized, this was clearly an Amon Avatar.
Alaric's gaze swept the restaurant. No other diners were present, but several Amon waiters milled about.
"To welcome our guests, we've temporarily closed to others." The first Amon waiter said with a professional smile.
The City of Silver group's expressions turned subtle.
Danitz looked on the verge of fainting.
Alaric, intrigued, eyed the Amon waiter. After being seated, he said, "So this is an Amon-themed restaurant? Who's the chef... another you?"
"We have a dedicated Chef Amon. Rest assured, his culinary skills are top-notch, always well-received, and guaranteed to satisfy." The waiter replied, sounding like a true professional, handing Alaric a menu.
"So you're an king of odd jobs?" Alaric mused, not ordering yet. After a moment's thought, he turned to Amon. "Mail carrier, waiter, chef... what else?"
Though he didn't catch Alaric's reference, Amon grasped the obvious meaning of "king of odd jobs." Unfazed, he said, "I just enjoy trying different lives. You get it... doing the same thing endlessly is boring."
"True, but after all these years, you still haven't grasped humanity. That means your experiences are too shallow, just playing pretend without substance." Alaric critiqued.
Amon glanced at him, pondering. "So you're saying I should be like you?"
"Not quite. Ever thought about really living as an ordinary person?" Alaric suggested, his eyes lighting up with a mischievous idea.
"Tell me more." Amon said, a bad feeling creeping in but indulging Alaric anyway.
"Like sealing your powers and memories, then living as an ordinary person, experiencing the world's joys and sorrows." Alaric said with a sly grin.
Amon considered this for a few seconds, then looked at Alaric sincerely. "I think you just want to mess with me."
"You're right." Alaric admitted, nodding.
"..."
Despite being accustomed to Alaric's bluntness, Amon was momentarily speechless. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I can't let my main body do that. I have too many enemies out there."
"I don't need your main body. A Avatar will do." Alaric said, pausing to sip red tea from the Amon waiter. Smiling at Amon, he continued, "Is there really a difference between your main body and Avatars? They're just a bigger Avatar versus lesser ones. Every Avatar could be the main body."
Unlike The Ancient Sun God's independent Avatar Sasrir, Amon's Avatars shared a unified yet separate consciousness, tied to the Error pathway's mythical creature state... a hive mind akin to Worms of Time, unlike other singular mythical beings.
"You're right. No reason to refuse then." Amon said, eyeing Alaric with interest. "How much should I seal?"
"For Sequence, mid-level. Too ordinary, and you'd miss the fun in this world. As for memories…" Alaric paused, smiling. "Seal them all. I'm curious if a blank-slate you would still be this mischievous."
Amon fell silent, then smiled. "I'm curious too. I'll hold a full Amon vote to pick the unlucky Avatar for this life experience."
"Maybe it's a lucky break for them." Alaric countered, grinning at Amon. "Now, next question: do you want your blank-slate self to go solo, or join us with my student?"
"Both sound intriguing." Amon said, thinking of Alaric's student, "Jack Jones." Something felt off about that guy, but Amon couldn't pinpoint why.
"They do, which is why I can't decide." Alaric sighed sincerely. "Imagine going solo: you'd be a street drifter, scraping by, fumbling with Beyonder powers, stumbling into the mystical world. Bad luck, and the Church's official Beyonders might nab you for a lifetime of free meals and lodging."
"But with my student…" Alaric's smile turned sly. "That'd be really interesting."
His student wasn't "Jack Jones" but his true student, Klein.
Picture it: The Fool, guiding a memory-wiped, blank-slate Amon through the world. How entertaining!
Amon glanced at Alaric, smiling. "Sounds like you're leaning toward me joining your student."
"Because it's so fun." Alaric said cryptically, then added, "Of course, to ensure my student and his allies' safety, if you pick that option, I'll have The Ancient Sun God notarize it."
This meant a contract via the Sun pathway. Though Alaric wasn't worried about Amon's tricks, with Klein involved, he'd play it safe.
"You really care about your student." Amon noted.
"He's my only one." Alaric replied, smiling without denial. "So, your choice?"
"The second one, obviously. As you said, it's fun." Amon said, smiling, curious despite not fully grasping the appeal.
"Can't wait to see it." Alaric said, laughing as he opened the menu to order, then passed it to Danitz.
***
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