Chapter 260

“This is the place.”

“What?”

Grid didn’t know exactly what type of treatment Piaro was receiving. He vaguely thought that Piaro would be well respected and comfortable because he was so talented. But it turned out he was mistaken.

‘I never thought he would live in a place like this.’

[Farmer’s House]

A large-scale accommodation where widowers or single farmers lived together.

A great swordsman was staying in a shabby place like this? Grid was baffled.

“Isn’t Reidan wide? Why is it so hard to give him a house?"

A great swordsman who was soon to become a sword saint. Wasn’t he a good mentor to everyone? Lauel explained to Grid, who was looking at them with rebuke in his eyes. “Piaro himself didn’t want to stay anywhere else. He said that he doesn’t deserve to live a comfortable life.”

Grid’s expression became dark.

‘It’s because of guilt.’

He felt guilty for the family members and colleagues who died because he was falsely accused. Maybe Piaro hadn’t slept well for a single day in the last few years.

‘On the surface, he acts brightly.’

Recently, Grid thought Piaro had overcome most of the wounds in his heart, but that was a misunderstanding.

“Duke Grid came...”

“That’s okay.” Grid restrained Lauel from shouting loudly and asked Asmophel. “Are you ready?”

Asmophel, who had been silent since arriving in Reidan, opened his mouth for the first time. "I have been prepared to die for a long time.”

"Don’t talk about dying so easily.”

The reward of the hidden quest ‘Hidden Story’ was that Asmophel’s affinity would rise to the maximum along with Piaro. Grid hoped that the named NPC, Asmophel, wouldn’t die. But the problem was that his survival depended on Piaro, not Grid.

‘I am shaking.’

Grid took a deep breath and entered the house. Among the farmers who were exhausted by deep labor, the mediating Piaro was sitting alone. The moment that Piaro’s eyes opened and made contact with him, Grid instinctively realized.

‘He has become stronger.’

Piaro was originally strong. However, Grid fought against Piaro and was confident of winning. Their skill with the sword might be different, but Grid believed he could defeat Piaro if he summoned Noe and Randy.

But he was wrong. Grid’s high insight warned that Piaro was a monster that couldn’t be predicted. He was completely different from five years ago.

'It’s more than Hell Gao’s presence...’

Surely he didn’t achieve the status of sword saint while Grid was gone?

Duguen! Duguen! Duguen!

Grid’s heart started to thump wildly. He imagined Piaro becoming a sword saint and his excitement heightened.

“You have become stronger, Duke Grid.”

Piaro stood up and faced Grid. His eyes gazed deeply into Grid.

‘I want to fight.’

Grid wanted to test his skills against the current Piaro. Grid was filled with an extreme fighting spirit. But now wasn’t the time. The quest came first.

“Did you kill Asmophel?”

Piaro’s eyes filled with deep emotions. It was a glimpse of his hatred towards Asmophel.

Grid replied.

“I didn’t kill him.”

"You didn’t?" He wasn’t that weak, was he? "What does this mean?"

Piaro made a confused expression and Grid pointed to the doorway.

"I brought him to see you.”

“What?”

The culprit of everything! If that guy came here, Piaro would tear off his limbs and grind up his bones! Piaro rushed out of the room right away. His face looked like a scary demon as he saw his enemy. Damian and all of the Overgeared members, except for Grid, were overpowered by his pressure.

“Asmophel!”

“...Piaro.”

A street where darkness descended. The two friends who hadn’t reunited in three years, the distance between them was quickly narrowed down.

Kwack!

Piaro’s hand grabbed Asmophel’s neck. Asmophel’s pale face twisted. But it wasn't due to physical pain. It was because all his emotions burst out when he saw Piaro and he wanted to cry. Piaro, who had pulled out his sword, paused when he saw Asmophel’s face.

“You..! Why is a shameful person like you shedding tears?"

“I’m...sorry...”

Despite his constricted neck, Asmophel succeeded in spitting out the words that he had cried many times over the years. At that moment, Piaro’s heart thumped. He sensed something.. Maybe the atrocities committed by Asmophel were against his will.

However, that wasn’t an important issue right now. No matter the hidden story, Asmophel’s sin couldn’t be rationalized.

“You!”

Piaro shook off his curiosity and tightened his grip around Asmophel’s neck. Asmophel didn’t resist at all. He just repeated his apologies while being suffocated. He had long been determined to atone with his death.

‘Kill me. Brutally tear me apart, burn my body and drop my filthy soul into hell. It doesn’t matter as long as your grudge is resolved.’

Piaro read Asmophel’s heart through his eyes. He had been friends with Asmophel for 25 years. This meant that Piaro could read his mind through his eyes. That’s why the sense of betrayal was more prevalent.

"This awful bastard!"

The sword flew towards Asmophel’s neck. Grid saw this and turned his head away.

‘I failed to get Asmophel.’

Asmophel would die like this. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a situation he could intervene in. Grid judged this and was about to retreat.

“Shit!” Piaro cursed. Grid turned his head again to see that the sword was stopped underneath Asmophel’s jaws. "Dammit!"

Piaro threw Asmophel away. Then he sat down. His noble friend, Asmophel. A great man and friend until the day of betrayal. Piaro was the person who knew him better than anyone.

"Let me hear your story."

He wasn’t about to forgive Asmophel. He had just been curious since a long time ago. Why their relationship ended in such a catastrophic manner, Piaro wanted to know it.

"...”

Asmophel didn’t say anything. He knew there was no excuse for what he did. Piaro roughly grabbed his collar. “Say something!”

He had lost everything. Ironically, the only friend left was this enemy. He was sorry to his dead family and colleagues, but he wanted to hear the story. Asmophel read Piaro’s feelings and painfully managed to open his mouth. He spoke the truth that he had buried in his heart for as long as he could.

"...”

Piaro’s murderous expression became distressed as he heard the story. The biggest victim of this story was Asmophel. Asmophel didn’t try to justify himself. He described himself as weak and the worst trash. But it wasn’t a position accepted by the listeners at all.

"...”

Asmophel tried to speak as calmly as possible. He constantly listed why he should die. He kept emphasizing his sins. However, Piaro’s hatred towards Asmophel lessened.

“Dammit!”

He slammed his fist into the ground after losing the target of his anger. Tears flowed down from Piaro’s eyes. He was confused after knowing the whole truth. Piaro couldn’t kill Asmophel. But it was right to kill Asmophel in order to appease the souls of Piaro’s family and colleagues.

As he was wondering what to do, Grid approached him. "I know that it is hard to forgive. However, now that you have learned the truth, isn’t it foolish to kill him?”

"...”

“Isn’t there a separate target for revenge?”

Empress Marie. The woman who took away the happiness of countless people due to her greed.

"Kill her.”

Grid said bluntly. Lauel had a headache.

‘Couldn’t you phrase it in a nicer way?’

‘Become my person. Increase my strength with your abilities and become a weapon against the empress. I will be your sword and strike down your true enemy’ etc etc.

Weren’t they great lines? As Lauel was filled with regret, Piaro was forgiving Asmophel.

"I can no longer resent you after finding out that you were used in Marie’s wicked schemes.”

Asmophel wept. He could only repeat his apologies. It was the end Grid wanted. He smiled as he watched them.

[The hidden quest ‘Hidden Story’ has been completed.]

[The relationship between Piaro and Asmophel has improved.]

[The affinity with the two people has risen to the maximum.]

[If you recruit Piaro, there will be a 20% increase in the effect of the barracks and a 100% increase in the chance of getting a good harvest. In addition, you can create a ‘knights division.’]

[If you recruit Asmophel, the effect of the techniques research institutes will increase by 20%. In addition, you can create a ‘knights division.’]

[Knights Division]

You can have a group of knights.

The buff effect will depend on the person appointed as the captain.

[Barracks Effect]

Affects the training speed of the soldiers.

The soldiers will gain new tactics as their level and abilities increase, and the number of weapons that can be used will increase as well.

[Techniques Research Institute Effect]

Affects the speed at which soldiers and people gain skill experience.

The higher the skill level, the greater the variety of skills available to soldiers and also increases the power of the skill.

The reward of the hidden quest was more than Grid imagined.

‘Amazing.’

It was a big hit. This was an exorbitant level that couldn’t be easily expressed. Grid felt like he owned the world. He clenched his fists tightly as he felt a thrill.

‘Then...’

Now he had a question.

‘What is the 100% increase in the chance of a good harvest?’

What relationship did that have with a sword saint? Grid was puzzled until he suddenly recalled the notification window that appeared when he was in Titan.

[A legendary farmer has been born!]

‘Perhaps...’ No. It couldn’t be. ‘It can’t be.’

He tried to shake off his sinister imagination.