Michael and Gaya finished planning for the day and exited the room. Prince Davarius needed rest and a good meal after being tortured by the thusians. Michael stayed in King Gunner’s castle. After the meeting, Gaya finally left for the Kane castle. Michael teleported to the Royal Land. He himself was about to leave for the floating mountain given to him by Eve’s father when he heard a melodious thunderclap reverberate throughout the castle.

“My Lord, Lady Alden and her sister Edith want to meet you,” Michael heard Azazel’s voice in his head. Lailah was still wearing the Spyder pendant Michael gave her. Therefore, Azazel was able to see everything Lailah saw.

“She is here,” Michael said. He calmly walked out of the castle to see several soldiers gathered in the front yard. They all mistook Lailah for an intruder.

General Bryce stood in front of the guards, fully armed to the teeth.

“Master Ghost, did you hear that?” asked General Bryce.

Michael nodded.

General Bryce and the soldiers became a bit relieved after they saw Michael. He waited for Lailah to appear before him. To his surprise, only a golden parchment appeared in the air. It slowly floated down to Michael and landed straight in his hands.

“General Bryce, do you know where this charming shrimp restaurant is?” Michael’s question slightly surprised General Bryce.,. This place was very famous for seafood. Granted this place served delicious food, but he doubted this was the right time to satiate Ghost’s hunger for seafood.

“It’s a few blocks away from the castle,” Nonetheless, General Bryce answered him truthfully. After all, Ghost was a Half Immortal.

“Show me the way. Someone wants to meet me,”

General Bryce personally led the way to the restaurant. The place was closed due to the recent war between Suven and Thusia. When Michael reached the place, he sensed the presence of Lailah and Edith.

“You can go now, General Bryce. You have nothing to worry about,” Michael dismissed General Bryce with a pat on his back. Afterward, Michael descended to the ground. The people on the streets immediately stopped murmuring. Many looked at Michael with eyes full of fear and reverence. Ignoring the gazes, Michael opened the wooden door. As he entered the restaurant, he was welcomed by a clean, tidy restaurant. The place was nothing like Hades in terms of grandeur. It had several round oak tables clothed in white sheets. The chairs looked comfy enough.

At the corner of the restaurant, Michael saw Lailah. Images of their last meeting in the rain flashed across Michael’s eyes. When she saw Michael, her eyes glimmered with a mix of joy, sorrow, and shock. A gentle smile emerged on Michael’s face. But the smile disappeared when he saw Edith. She reminded Michael of Victoria. Michael slowly made his way to their table. Except for a young girl, the restaurant looked empty.

Michael slid into his chair and leaned back against the wall. He signaled the young girl to come to them.

“Just hot water for me,” said Michael.

“Nothing for us, thank you,” Edith dismissed the girl. Michael wondered why Lailah was here to meet him with Edith. But they didn’t utter a word. Instead, they waited for the young girl to come to their table with Michael’s hot water. Michael noticed Edith glancing at him with mixed emotions. Fear and anger glimmered in her eyes.

“My lord,” Finally, the young girl brought a glass of hot water. She broke the silence that enveloped them.

“Thank you dear,” Michael gave the young girl a gold coin before dismissing her. After she left the place, Michael turned his gaze toward Lailah and Edith.

“How are you, Lailah?” asked Michael.

“Doing well. What about you?”

“Never been better,” Michael winked.

“So tell me, why did you want to meet me? I don’t have all day, you know. I have a war to fight,” Michael took a small sip of the hot water.

“I want you to stop what you’re doing,” Michael almost spurted out the water in his mouth when he heard Edith.

“Excuse me,” Michael placed the glass down with an amused smile.

“I want you to stop killing Thusians,” said Edith.

Michael glanced at Lailah for a moment. Judging by the look on her face, this wasn’t her idea. That was sure. Lailah even looked a bit embarrassed of Edith’s naivety.

“So it’s okay for the thusians to kill the soldiers of Zulon, Suven, and Northguard?” Michael tilted his head.

“No. But it’s between those kingdoms. None of them put the mutilated bodies in wooden crates and sent them to Thusia. You paraded their bodies through the cities,” Edith growled.

However, Michael responded with a slight smile.

“Let me get this straight,” Michael chuckled.

“You’re saying it’s okay for Thusia to slaughter all those soldiers, take away their homeland and hang those who resist but I cannot help them retake what they lost?”

“We both know you are not helping. You’re using them. I know what happened between you and Thusia, Ghost. I know,”

The smile on Michael’s face disappeared almost immediately. Instead, a murdering cold look glistened in his eyes. The temperature in the place dropped by several degrees. Lailah could feel the killing radiating from his body. She had never felt such killing intent ever before in her life.

“Listen to me. King Maxim Barnes and Victoria didn’t have a choice. I am not defending them for what they did, but they were desperate. If they didn’t take it, the thusians would have gone extinct. As a king and a princess, they did what they had to,” Michael’s hands shivered. The veins in his eyes popped, making his eyes bloodshot red. His gaze slowly turned to Lailah.

“Do you know what the thusians did to me, Lailah?” His voice was cold.

Lailah shook her head.

“No. And I am not here to broker peace between you and Thusia. I am here to protect my little sister,”

Michael was somewhat calmed by her response. If Lailah knew what the thusians did to him and came here to ask him to forgive the thusians, this meeting would have gone in another way.

“Have you lost anyone you loved and cared for, Edith?” asked Michael.

Edith felt lucky that she didn’t. But she didn’t dare to say that.

“Hundred and thirty-five,” said Michael.

“Not all of them were grown up. You said they had no choice right? Do you know who else didn’t have a choice? A six-month-old infant. I can still hear its cries. They slaughtered everyone, but their deaths weren’t quick. The thusians took their time,” Lailah noticed Ghost’s eyes welling up.

“Twelve hours. They killed my people one by one. Their blades didn’t discriminate between children and women. They made a bonfire and threw the bodies into it one by one. Are you telling me the thusians did that because they had no choice? Look me in the eyes and tell me your friend didn’t have a choice to spare the infants,” Edith was speechless.

“Every time I close my eyes, I hear their screams, and I see the elders who raised me burning alive. But it’s not their fault. It’s mine. I fell in love with a conniving snake. When she stabbed me in the heart, she would have gone deeper, ending my life then and there,” He became colder. Lailah always preferred peace over war and violence. After hearing what the thusians did to Ghost and his people, she didn’t think the thusians deserved peace.

“You are no different than the soldiers who massacred my people. In fact, you’re the worst,”

Michael’s words were as cold as a dagger. For the first time, Michael felt disgusted just by looking at Edith.

“You knew everything, and you still think Thusia is better. If I am evil for killing scum like thusians, what should I call you for sympathizing and supporting mass murderers?”

“You can call me whatever you want. But this war will only lead to the destruction of countless lives,”

Michael burst into laughter.

“In my life, I have never met such a hypocritical girl like you. Did you bother to tell your friend this? Are you kidding me right now?” But suddenly, his smile disappeared. He slightly leaned forward.

“The reason you’re not dead is because of her,” Michael pointed at Lailah.

“As much as I want to end your life, I am not going. As long as you don’t get in my way, I will ignore your existence. I don’t give a flying fuck about what the reason behind what they did to my people was. This war will happen. And when I am done, Thusia will become history, a dark page in the history,”

Edith shivered, listening to him. Even Lailah felt a chill running down her spine. Any oblivious man could tell there was no stopping Ghost from fighting Thusia. The battle between Thusia and Ghost could end only in one way, death of one. Without the Council of Immortals or any Rogue immortals of the great eight clans to stop him, he was nearly unstoppable.

“What about the people in Thusia? Are you going to kill them too?” asked Edith.

“If they stand in my way, I will slaughter them in a heartbeat. So you better make sure they don’t,” Edith and Lailah were speechless. Lailah knew Ghost was not a goody two shoes, but she also never expected him to slaughter innocent people to get his revenge. Judging by his tone, he wasn’t lying. He was willing to kill anyone without exception. His hatred toward Thusia ran deep, Lailah finally realized that.

“Tell that bitch her downfall is here,” Michael rose from his chair. He didn’t want to meet Lailah again like this, but her naive sister made it this way.  Without bothering to spend any second in their presence, Michael turned around to leave.

“I will stop you from hurting Vikki and her family, Ghost. One way or another,”

Michael heard Edith’s words when he turned around.

“Humph,” Michael snickered.

“I can kill you with a snap of my finger. So try to save yourself first,”

Michael walked away from them, snapping his fingers continuously. Every time he snapped, Lailah’s heart skipped a beat. She was afraid one of them could end Edith’s life.

Edith and Lailah remained still. Eventually, Edith snapped out of her deep train of thought.

“There is only one way to stop him,” said Edith as Lailah slowly turned her head toward her.

“I am going to brand him as the Dark Lord and let the Guardian guild take care of him,”

The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!