"Hello, Miss Reinette Tinekerr. Allow me to introduce myself—I'm Lucifer," Evah said, offering an elegant bow before smiling. "I'd like to discuss a partnership, one that benefits us both."
"What…" "…partnership?"
Reinette Tinekerr's four heads turned to Evah in unison, a sight that was, admittedly, a bit unsettling.
"The conversation to follow isn't suitable for our two little Actors, so I'd ask them to step aside for now. Don't go too far—just far enough to ensure you can't hear what's said," Evah said, smiling at Sharron and Maric instead of answering directly.
What he was about to discuss with Reinette Tinekerr involved Outer Gods, so Sharron and Maric couldn't be allowed to overhear.
Evah wasn't worried about them fleeing. With Reinette Tinekerr's Shadow of Time present, they wouldn't run, and as long as they stayed close, the summoned Shadow could be maintained.
"Miss Reinette Tinekerr, what's your view on the Chained God?" Evah asked bluntly once Sharron and Maric reluctantly left the alley.
Reinette Tinekerr seemed caught off guard by the question, pausing briefly before responding:
"He was…" "once good…" "but sadly…" "He fell."
As a former Blessed of the Chained God, Reinette Tinekerr's feelings toward Him were complex. She had once revered this King of Angels, but after He was overtaken by the Mother Tree of Desire, everything changed irreversibly.
"Fell? Perhaps it's better called corruption. The Chained God is merely a toy of the Mother Tree now. How tragic for a King of Angels to lose even his sense of self. Such a tragedy feels absurdly laughable, even in this mad world," Evah said with a smile, correcting Reinette Tinekerr's phrasing with a sigh.
"It seems…" "you know…" "a lot…" "of things."
Reinette Tinekerr knew the truth, of course, but had spoken tentatively to probe Evah's Sequence.
"As a competent Actor, one must know enough of the script to perform well," Evah said with a grin, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. "What if I said I want to invite you, Miss, to help me snatch the Chained God back from the Mother Tree of Desire? What would you think?"
Reinette Tinekerr's four heads snapped up, staring at Evah in disbelief.
"You're…" "insane…" "That's…" "an Outer God."
"Exactly why it'll be a spectacular performance, don't you think?" Evah met Reinette Tinekerr's incredulous gaze with a smile, undeterred. "Of course, I won't deny I'm not entirely confident we can wrest the Chained God from the Mother Tree. I can only offer Him a chance—a chance to save Himself."
"If Miss Reinette Tinekerr is concerned about the risks, you could simply play the role of a key prop," Evah added considerately.
Reinette Tinekerr clearly didn't grasp what "key prop" meant, but she sensed Evah's confidence. Considering her inexplicable summoning here, she hesitated, then asked after a moment's thought:
"What…" "do you plan…" "to do?"
"Allow me to keep that a mystery for now—it's a secret, after all," Evah said, smiling as he pressed a finger to his lips in a gesture of confidentiality. "If Miss Reinette Tinekerr is genuinely interested in cooperating, come meet me in person!"
"I'll be waiting here."
With that, Evah didn't wait for a reply, dissolving the Shadow of Time and standing in the alley to wait.
Why was Evah suddenly set on rescuing the Chained God? Simple—he didn't actually have his heart set on it. After experimenting on Mr. Door, he decided he needed more test subjects to refine his approach before attempting to save Mr. Door. He didn't want to accidentally turn Mr. Door into a dimwit, as he rather admired the guy.
The Chained God, already corrupted by an Outer God and possibly beyond saving, was a perfect test subject.
Of course, if he could save the Chained God from the Mother Tree, Evah wouldn't mind. The Chained God was somewhat of an ally, even if His track record was spotty. If rescued, He'd be a ready-made enforcer. With a bit of goodwill, His abilities could be quite useful.
Plus, this venture could secure the supplementary materials Evah needed for his Mask-maker potion. If he could also earn Reinette Tinekerr's favor, it'd be a double win.
Even if it failed, Evah wouldn't lose much. He couldn't take on an Outer God, but they couldn't corrupt him either.
That's why he was here.
"Of course, there's another prime test subject out there…" Evah mused, rubbing his chin as he thought of a certain pitiful figure who'd been holed up in a mausoleum for over a century: Roselle.
To be honest, Evah wasn't fond of Roselle. He admired good people, and Roselle was undeniably a scoundrel. The guy's laundry list of misdeeds ranked him lower in Evah's eyes than Medici—sure, Little Red wasn't a saint, but he leaned neutral and had once genuinely saved the world.
"Yet even a scoundrel like that sacrificed himself to save the world. Humanity's the strangest thing," Evah thought, recalling Roselle's choices in the original story. He made up his mind with a tsk:
"Fine. At least his Artisan abilities are useful, and Black Emperor's not bad either. An extra test subject will help me study the traits of Nyarlathotep's and Outer God powers."
While Evah's Shadow of Time skill typically borrowed abilities at their target's peak, it didn't limit him to reach their peak strength. With enough goodwill, he could tap into any stage of their powers. For someone like Roselle, who'd switched pathways, Evah could borrow his Artisan-era abilities, Black Emperor-era powers, or even Knowledge Emperor skills.
Say what you will about Roselle being a jerk—his abilities were a steal. One guy, three pathways.
Just then, the colors around Evah warped. Unfazed, he watched calmly.
A second later, Reinette Tinekerr's true form appeared before him.
(End of Chapter)