Faced with Abner's question, Amon replied with a smile:
"Better to have one more ally than one more enemy, isn't it?"
Fair point, but the Amon from the original story would never think that way... Did having his own father stop looking after him force him to fend for himself? And after suffering a setback at my hands, has he grown a little?
As Abner pondered this, the "girl" across from him continued, "And from what I've found, this avatar's appearance fits your criteria for choosing an 'ally' very well."
What exactly did you investigate? Do I choose allies based on their looks? That's slander, you know! Though Abner complained inwardly, he considered it for a moment before looking Amon in the eye and saying, "I don't trust you."
"We're only 'allies.' Why would we need to trust each other?" Amon looked extravagantly surprised. "Be honest. Do you really trust Evernight and Lilith that much?"
Whatever their faults, those two goddesses are far more reliable than you, and they have far more scruples! Despite his thoughts, Abner deliberately hesitated for a while. Then he offered Amon the rose he had picked and said solemnly, "Here's to a pleasant partnership."
"To a pleasant partnership!" Amon's lips curved upward as he exchanged his flower for Abner's.
Their "alliance" was established without any binding terms or Notarization. Both knew the other had countless ways to circumvent a Contract, so there was no point.
Still, the verbal alliance was not without force. Abner knew that, until Amon grew bored or completed his Fraud, he would honor their agreement to some extent, just as he had when playing games with Klein in the Forsaken Land of the Gods in the original story.
Amon, in turn, knew that Alvin and Abner had always maintained a reputation