If you were to ask the survivors from the Fourth Epoch for their opinion on Amon, it's likely that whether they belonged to the Tudor camp like Mr. Door, Antigonus, Jacob, and Tamara, or to the Solomon camp like Pallez and Zaratul, they would all unanimously give a negative review.
The reason is simple: Amon's antics are simply too outrageous.
Even though other survivors may be ruthless to their enemies, they at least treat themselves, their followers, or family members fairly well. For example, Pallez, who follows the Marauder pathway, is exceedingly good to his own.
Amon, however, is different. In his family, there is only Amon. Even if someone inadvertently becomes Amon's follower, they soon become a snack, quickly ascending to Angel-hood and becoming part of Amon.
Given how detestable this mythical being is, it's easy to imagine Amon's attitude towards those in the same or adjacent pathways—it would easily drive anyone to fury.
The only reason Amon hasn't been dealt with yet is due to his formidable power, his equally powerful brother Adam, and the Blood Emperor Tudor suppressing him from above. Thus, those who want to deal with Amon either lack the ability or have reservations.
As for Bethel Abraham, currently the strongest King of Angels among the survivors and an old colleague of Amon, he naturally hasn't had any less contact with this singularity from the Marauder pathway.
Because of this, Bethel has long harbored the desire to deal with Amon. The fact that he has refrained from doing so thus far is a testament to his patience.
"Oh…" Hearing Mr. Door's words, Amon adjusted his crystal monocle and gave Lynn a meaningful look before smiling and saying, "So, Libert, do you mind if I join your tour?"
I mind very much, thank you!
Lynn internally retorted. Looking at Amon, he suddenly smiled and said, "Of course, if Mr. Amon insists on coming along, then by all means, come along!"
He had just used Mr. Door as an excuse to refuse Amon, without actually inviting Mr. Door for a tour. But now, since Mr. Door had implicitly agreed to act as a guide and Amon was insistent, Lynn decided to drop the pretense.
"I believe with Mr. Amon's addition, the journey will be very interesting." Saying this, Lynn suddenly winked at Bethel Abraham and said with a smile, "Right, Mr. Bethel? You also think the journey might be as exciting as your travels in the Cosmos, don't you?"
If Amon dared to be reckless, Lynn would have Mr. Door help him deal with Amon. After all, he had leverage, and Mr. Door was clearly happy to do so.
Of course, this was also a warning to Amon. If he backed off now, Lynn wouldn't mind letting him off this time and dealing with him personally when he recovered.
Even though getting Mr. Door to knock Amon out would use up some favor, it wasn't a favor that Mr. Door was obligated to do but one he was willing to.
And since Mr. Door wasn't yet a god, knocking Amon out wasn't going to be easy. Thus, Lynn would still owe him a favor, maintaining a long-term, balanced relationship.
Hearing this, Bethel understood Lynn's implicit—or rather explicit—message. Having already considered dealing with Amon, Bethel agreed without hesitation, "I also think so."
—They had some camaraderie but not much.
While agreeing to help Libert deal with Amon, Bethel Abraham also reaffirmed his earlier suspicion that Libert's state wasn't good, hence why he couldn't act himself.
Otherwise, with his strength, he wouldn't need his help to deal with Amon.
Watching the two discuss openly in front of him, Amon adjusted his crystal monocle again, his smile not reaching his eyes as he said, "I'm looking forward to it as well." His eyes reflected deep thought.
Cosmos… Amon glanced at Lynn, clearly realizing something.
Lynn wasn't entirely clueless about the thoughts of these two Kings of Angels. He turned to look at the distant port, where buildings were starting to appear, his eyes lighting up. "Oh, we've arrived…"
"Finally…" Bethel Abraham also saw the distant port. While he felt a bit relieved, there was also a tinge of anticipation.
Before deciding to deal with Amon, Bethel Abraham had been quite troubled by the thought of Libert and Amon clashing. But after making up his mind, he felt a sense of clarity.
No matter what happens, he just needs to help Libert deal with Amon.
As long as Amon isn't killed, there's no big problem.
"According to procedure, the Death Consul, a descendant of the God of Death named Azik, should welcome us at the port. He's a Sequence 2 Death Consul and currently also a consul of the Balam Empire, handling various matters on behalf of the God of Death. He's the most capable assistant to the God of Death," Bethel Abraham explained to Lynn.
As for Amon, there was no need for an introduction; he was well aware of such things.
"Oh, sounds like a vice-regent in heaven, another overworked individual…" Lynn muttered, recalling the description of the Death Consul from the original story, and nodding slightly to confirm his thoughts.
The future Azik was a normal person who loved freedom and travel and knew how to relax. The current Death Consul was an old workaholic.
Why do I always encounter workaholics? Mr. Door also seems quite busy… Lynn thought to himself, then curiously asked Bethel Abraham, "Does the God of Death have any other children besides Azik?"
He had been curious about this for a long time.
Bethel Abraham was taken aback, not expecting Lynn's question. After a brief pause, he replied:
"The God of Death has many descendants, but even among them, Azik is the most outstanding and favored by the God of Death, holding a high status in the Balam Empire."
(End of chapter 98)
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Given this situation, it seems the God of Death had long planned for Azik to be a fallback for resurrection... Lynn thought to himself, nodding slightly. "I see..."
He then continued, "What happens next? Do we go directly to meet the God of Death?"
"According to protocol, before discussing official matters, the delegation will first attend a large welcoming banquet at the Balam Empire's palace, where the God of Death will also be present," Bethel Abraham introduced with a serious and meticulous tone. "After the banquet, ordinary members of the delegation will be hosted by corresponding officials from the Balam Empire's to discuss less critical matters related to both nations. Meanwhile, Amon and I will meet the God of Death to discuss more significant issues."
As he spoke, Bethel Abraham had already prepared himself for Lynn to say, "Can I join you in meeting the God of Death?"
"Is that so? Then, when you meet the God of Death, could you arrange for me to have a private conversation with Mr. Azik? I'd like to befriend him."
Lynn's request was unexpected for Mr. Door. Lynn wasn't uninterested in the God of Death but feared that his temper might lead him to offend the deity, which would be troublesome.
Amon hadn't been dealt with yet, and adding a God of Death to the mix seemed overly reckless to Lynn. Such behavior wouldn't end well.
'Better to keep some distance. Once I've recovered, I'll handle the little Raven and then discuss with the Evernight Goddess whether and how to deal with the God of Death...' Lynn muttered inwardly before looking back at Bethel Abraham. "Is that possible?"
"If you just want to get acquainted with Azik, there's no issue," Bethel Abraham nodded despite his surprise.
After all, Azik was only a Sequence 2 Death Consul, even if he was the God of Death's most favored offspring. As the son of Mr. Door, Azik couldn't refuse such a meeting.
However, Bethel Abraham wondered why Lynn was interested in Azik. Was there something special about him?
With such thoughts, the ship finally docked.
The delegation members, who had either been resting in the cabin or elsewhere on deck, appeared, forming an orderly line behind Lynn, Amon, and Mr. Door.
"Let's go!" With Bethel Abraham's command, the delegation disembarked in silence and orderly fashion, exuding confidence from top to bottom.
Lynn, walking beside Mr. Door, curiously observed the port. It had a different style from the Tudor Empire, yet it aligned well with the God of Death cult's characteristics.
Ahead, a welcoming delegation approached, led by a man in a complex, ornate robe. He had bronze skin, soft features, but a stern expression—it was the current Death Consul of the Balam Empire, Azik Eggers.
Unlike the more human-like angels Lynn was familiar with, the current Death Consul Azik Eggers seemed influenced by the God of Death or had an unstable anchor, maintaining less of his humanity and appearing cold overall.
"This Azik is quite different from the one described in the books. I wonder if he would still treat Klein like a child in this state, though he looks rather cool..."
As Lynn compared the two versions of Azik in his mind, various interesting thoughts arose.
"Good day, Prince Bethel, Prince Amon. Welcome. I'm honored to see you both again. The palace has prepared a banquet to welcome you," Azik greeted them according to protocol before his gaze fell on Lynn. Azik then performed a formal greeting typically exchanged between angels of equal status.
"Hello, Prince Libert, nice to meet you. I'm Azik Eggers, you can call me Azik."
Although Lynn, as Mr. Door's unexpected son, had suddenly joined the delegation, his arrival was not unknown to the Balam Empire.
Despite being surprised that Bethel Abraham, seemingly uninterested in women, had a child, they treated Libert Abraham, Bethel Abraham's only son, with great importance.
Given Mr. Door's proximity to godhood, his son's status was not lower than that of the Death Consul Azik, making him a valuable ally.
"Hello, Azik. You can call me Libert," Lynn replied with a smile. He continued to observe Azik before suddenly asking, "Azik, would you mind if I painted a portrait of you?"
There was no special reason, Lynn just thought it would be a shame not to capture this version of Azik.
Moreover, Lynn wanted to test if he could see the portrait in the Fifth Epoch if he painted and preserved it in the Fourth.
Azik was momentarily stunned by the unusual request but agreed after a brief thought, "Of course, but not today. If you don't mind waiting, I can set aside time tomorrow afternoon or the day after to help you complete your painting."
His tone was formal, not particularly cold, but not warm either. However, Lynn could see that Azik was trying to be friendly, though his inherent condition made it sound stiff.
"Pfft..." Lynn couldn't help but laugh, then nodded. "Alright, tomorrow afternoon it is!"
Suddenly, Lynn had another interesting idea. What if he helped Azik remove the God of Death's interference? Could he meet the future Azik sooner?
Lynn was very curious.
(End of Chapter 99)