In the Hall, Gorr started laughing. It started as a rumble, then turned into a full-blown, tectonic roar. She slammed her hand on the table, cracking it in half.
"BWAHAHAHA! HE BOUGHT YOU A STATUE! HE PAID FOR YOUR BILLBOARD!"
The Druid looked at Red with genuine terror. "You... you beat his algorithm."
Aurelius turned slowly to look at Red. His face wasn't… red, it was… purple. The veins in his neck bulged. His perfect composure was shattered into a million pieces.
"You..." Aurelius shrieked, pointing a trembling finger. "YOU TRICKED ME!"
Red finally stood up. He buttoned his jacket. Iron-Scale handed him his cane, which Red didn't need, but it looked cool.
Red walked up to Aurelius. He looked up at his own giant statue, then down at the seething Golden King.
"I didn't trick you," Red said calmly.
He leaned in close.
"Thanks for the donation, 'Prodigy'. Your plaza needed a centerpiece."
