[Pagma's Descendant, the fact that you received this message means that you've defeated my golem army? This is a simple warning. Gain the blessings of the four gods and make the Vessel of the Soul! Then resurrect my body! If you keep delaying, then you will suffer a disaster!]
Grid swallowed hard, his voice low. "This… this is from Braham…?"
"Yes," Michael said calmly, his gaze steady on Grid. "Now think... what will happen if the King sees this message?"
Grid froze. His gut clenched at the thought.
'If the King sees this... then we'd be branded as threats. Wanted across the kingdom. Maybe even across all nations, fearing we'd bring a catastrophe with us,' Grid realized, sweat forming on his brow.
Without hesitation, Grid opened a private channel and urgently messaged Lauel, explaining the situation in detail. He sought help, knowing Lauel's sharp mind could surely find a way out of this mess.
Lauel's expression darkened as he read the message. He and few of Overgeared members, who were also present in the hall, had just been granted the titles of Viscount, while Grid himself had been promoted to Count—thanks to their assistance in helping Michael defeat the Last Ancient Weapon.
Lauel's response was swift and serious.
"For now, fulfill all of Michael's demands. Otherwise, we may have to flee to the East Continent altogether," he said through the chat, already spinning ideas on how to handle this sudden crisis.
In his mind, Lauel considered the only two options.
"Either we find a way to kill Michael before he spreads that Braham message..." he thought grimly, "or we obey him until we grow strong enough to establish our own kingdom."
Both paths were dangerous. And neither came easy.
Grid read the message and sighed inwardly. Still, he understood—Lauel was right.
"What do you want?" Grid asked, trying to stay calm.
Michael looked at him, his eyes sharp.
"Nothing much. Only two things," he said flatly.
Grid's expression soured. He could already tell he wouldn't like where this was going.
"First, you'll fight me. A duel to the death. One of us dies in that match," Michael stated coldly.
Grid twitched, clenching his jaw. He couldn't believe this guy—he really was a battle maniac.
"Second, you'll make equipment for me whenever I ask for it," Michael continued.
This time, Grid's face turned fully sour.
"I'm even giving you a break here," Michael said, voice calm but firm. "Think of it as atonement—for all the innocent NPCs who would suffer just because you ignored Braham's warnings. You brought this on yourself by ignoring Braham Quest, and now he wants revenge for being forgotten."
Grid grit his teeth. He couldn't deny it. The whole mess had started when he chose to ignore Braham after getting quest from him.
"Fine," Grid said at last. "But only you. No one else knows about this."
Michael smirked slightly.
"Are you sure you're in a position to make demands?"
Grid paused. He hated this.
'My status… I'm being humiliated', he thought bitterly.
"This guy's a tyrant. A bully… but worse, he's right." Grid thought bitterly, unable to shake the images of thousands of innocent NPCs—people like Khan—who had died because of his choices.
Meanwhile, Michael stood silently, his mind already moving several steps ahead.
"Good. Now I can complete the Demon Slayer questline… and I've also got myself a personal blacksmith too," Michael mused with satisfaction as he watched Grid walk away, unaware of the storm he was about to invite into his life.
With the Demon Slayer quest progression tied to both Grid and Braham, Michael knew the decision he had to make. Among the two ominous choices—destroy a fragment of Braham's soul or kill Grid once—he picked the more practical one.
Kill Grid.
It wasn't out of spite, but logic.
He also knew something most didn't: Braham would eventually take over Grid's body. When that happened, Braham's power would reach level 600+, easily placing him among the most dangerous beings alive. If, at that point, Braham sought vengeance on Michael for destroying one of his Soul fragment, Michael would be powerless. He'd be slaughtered like an insect.
So, he made the choice now—to kill Grid once—to complete the Quest and get the reward of one of Demon Slayer class exclusive skill.
The celebration continued well into the night, filled with music, wine, and laughter echoing through the grand halls of the palace. As the festivities came to an end, the King personally invited Michael to stay at the palace for the night—and Michael accepted.
That night, he and Violet shared a moment of intimacy, deepening the bond between them. Whatever had begun as a political marriage was now slowly shifting into something more. As dawn broke, Michael noticed a new notification.
[Affinity with Violet has increased by +10 points]
[Current Affinity: 90]
A warm smile played on his lips.
The next morning, after a quiet breakfast together, Michael and Violet prepared to depart. The royal carriage stood ready at the gates, headed toward Reidan City—the territory granted to Michael.
As they set off, Violet leaned gently against his shoulder.
"So… Reidan, huh? I've heard it's wild and barren."
Michael smirked.
"Then it's a good place to build something great from nothing."
She chuckled softly and leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder. The road was quiet, save for the rhythmic clatter of hooves and the occasional rustle of wind across the plains.
The journey to Reidan was long—taking several days across dry lands and crumbling roads. When they finally arrived, Michael pulled the curtain aside to get his first proper look… and even with his expectations low, the sight surprised him.
Reidan was barren.
What once was a grand city capable of housing over a hundred thousand citizens now barely clung to life with just a few thousand residents remaining. Many of them looked malnourished, their clothing tattered, and their expressions hollow. The streets were dusty, buildings cracked or collapsed, and not a single market stall was open.
"The city is in an even worse state than I imagined," Violet said softly as she looked around, her expression grave.
Michael nodded, his gaze sweeping over the skeletal remains of what was once a thriving stronghold.
"Well…" he muttered under his breath, "Guess this is where we start rebuilding."