Overgeared

The key word running through Mercedes’ mental world was regret. The sights reenacted here were ‘moments I want to take back’ for her. It was quite unexpected that she picked the day she first met Grid as one of them, but... in any case, Grid wanted to respect Mercedes’ tastes.

‘One day, when I gather all my energy and get to sleep with them again...’

On that night, he would put a crown on Mercedes’ head and practice a master-servant reversal relationship. There wasn’t the dignity of the Only One God. Mercedes’s voice permeated Grid’s ears as he made a sincere promise. It was a calm voice without trembling.

“Thank you. Thanks to My Liege, I was able to develop further.”

The image of Mercedes forcing Grid, who was on his knees and looking like a puppy, to kiss her instep, ankle, calf, thigh, and even higher was gone. Mercedes had smashed it.

Was that why? The scene from just before seemed to have been deleted from her memory. The evidence was that she spoke calmly, without the slightest sign of embarrassment.

‘Is it a good thing...?’

Grid’s expression was subtle as he looked at Mercedes, who had regained her composure. He felt both relieved and sorry. He was willing to match Mercedes’ tastes. In fact, it was a reward for him. He always thought that Mercedes’ slender white feet and ankles were pretty...

‘...Stop.’

Grid barely blocked his stream of consciousness that kept going astray. He shook off his idle thoughts and spoke calmly, “I haven’t done anything. As always, I admire you for pioneering a new field on your own, Mers. Congratulations.”

Grid didn’t bother to mention the scene that Mercedes had seemed to have forgotten about. He acted casually as if he hadn’t seen anything.

“Yes...”

A shadow briefly fell over Mercedes’ face. She couldn’t be happy. Her memories with Grid... no. One delusion was gone forever. It was sad. At best, a new regret was about to grow in the mental world that had erased one regret.

Grid could feel it. Weren’t they a couple? They always had a rapport and this was Mercedes’ mental world. If Grid couldn’t read her feelings and thoughts in this place, then it would be a disease beyond the level of tactlessness.

“I’ll do it myself next time.”

“......?”

Mercedes was puzzled by the words, only to soon turn pale. It was the aftermath of reading the meaning in Grid’s words. It had been devastating that her bad taste was exposed to the person she loved the most in the world.

Grid felt Mercedes’ mental world shake and urgently continued, “I’ve wanted to try it for a long time. That... a kiss on the back of your foot.”

It was only then—

“...Really?” Mercedes’ stiff expression relaxed.

“Of course. Why would I lie to you?”

“I’m glad.”

Sharing that went beyond a respect for her taste. Wasn’t this a match made in heaven? Mercedes was really glad that she fell in love with Grid.

[The ‘Sanctuary of Metal’ has assimilated with Mercedes’ mental world, ‘Frozen World.’]

The unity of their mental worlds was reached.

What was in the hot spring? It happened while he was trying to identify the picturesque things that could be glimpsed through the thick steam...

Mercedes was still a bit hesitant to show it, even if they were a match made in heaven. Therefore, she shifted Grid’s attention. “Are we starting now?”

“Uh...? Y-Yes. By the way, what is behind that thick...”

“A weapon that unites me with My Liege. I’m very happy and excited. It's just like the first night we spent in the mountain range stained with the blood of monsters.”

“So am I. Like that night, I won’t let you down.”

The two of them started to concentrate fully. He activated Intent Production and started the production of a new dragon weapon. At the same time, a miraculous scene was created. The surface of the flames in the furnace repeatedly froze and melted.

It was a cold that froze even the flames. It went against providence. It was a sight that reminded him that the mental world was a space disconnected from reality.

Taang, taang, taang! Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

The chill of Mercedes’ mental world continued to influence Grid’s production. It wasn’t in a positive way. Repeatedly cooling the heated bones and scales of Trauka damaged the surface.

“Am I just getting in the way?” In the end, Mercedes looked worried because she saw it was worse off.

“That isn’t the case. Look at this. Isn’t it as beautiful as a snowflake?”

Grid’s expression brightened. He was deciding that he had to accept this whole situation fully.

‘This is a result that came from the unity of our mental worlds. This phenomena must be natural and beneficial.’

In fact, it was hard to see Trauka’s bones and scales that he was tempering as a failure. It was because the form was as beautiful as a work of art. The cracks that occurred on the surface of the bones and the scales every time it was damaged by the cold were like snowflakes and they even contained a very strong energy. Of course, if he had to make a weapon in this state, then it should be a mace that smashed enemies, not a sword that cut enemies...

‘Mers and a mace. They match well.’

The legendary knight Mercedes was good at handling all types of weapons. It was different from the swordsmen who were bound by the sword.

“......”

Grid suddenly felt his face become itchy and looked away.

Mercedes was staring at him with solemn eyes. “Why do I go well with the mace?”

He forgot they were in a state where their mental worlds were united. Currently, Grid and Mercedes were deeply connected. It was to the point where they could read each other’s minds without having to say anything.

Grid explained calmly, “Look, look. How beautiful would the mace made in this state be? It must feel like holding a pillar of red and transparent snowflakes in your hands. It will really match Mers’ fair skin.”

“In... deed.” Mercedes didn’t bother to imagine herself holding the mace. Grid himself said it would suit her, thus she just nodded in satisfaction. In fact, she thought a mace was good. Most of the other apostles used the sword as their main weapon, so it was necessary to be mindful of cases where they would confront a being who couldn’t be harmed with a sword.

Grid read her thoughts and nodded. “That’s right. In particular, Baal is likely to have achieved becoming immune to sword damage.”

Baal had already suffered several deaths to Grid. Of course, Grid’s death toll was higher, but Baal was properly hit by Twilight. He wouldn’t want to be cut again. He would properly defend against it.

“It is safe to say that he must be searching the souls of the dead again and again to be immune to the sword... Huh?” Grid explained while tapping on the hammer. Then he stopped talking in a confused manner.

It was because the fragments of snowflakes were being separated from Trauka’s bones and scales as it was being forged into a single weapon. The sharp particles fell off and the weapon being forged had a smooth surface.

“...In the end, it is more of a sword than a mace.”

It was the moment when Grid corrected his words. The fragments of red snowflakes separated from the dragon’s bones and scales and flew toward Mercedes. They slowly rotated and resembled the rings orbiting Saturn.

“Ah...” Mercedes’ eyes, which had been filled with deep lust, suddenly became clear as she communicated with Grid. The look in the eyes of a noble knight. She seemed to have gained a new enlightenment and the rings rotated, united, and scattered repeatedly while following her movements in the air. They flew to the ‘sword’ that was placed on the anvil that Grid had stopped hammering. They clung to it like the beginning and took the shape of a mace.

‘It is a bit like Defying the Natural Order in that it can change its shape.’

It happened as Grid was thinking this...

Every time a fragment of a red snowflake moved, an unexpected object reacted to the rapidly cooled temperature. It was the Heart of the Frost Queen. It started to emanate an unparalleled chill and showed signs of merging with Mercedes’ mental world.

‘Where is it going?’

Grid naturally blocked it. The Heart of the Frost Queen had a fatal disadvantage in return for its terribly powerful functions. It always radiated a chill that ‘can’t distinguish between allies and enemies.’ It was a chill that created an ice kingdom that no one else could survive in. To borrow the words of Peak Sword, the Heart of the Frost Queen was the ultimate elixir for making a boss monster.

This was why it had been sealed in Grid’s inventory, which was currently considered the safest vault in the world. Grid had no intention of allowing this cursed object to invade Mercedes...

“...Mercedes?”

Grid was heating up the furnace to suppress the Heart of the Frost Queen, only to become flustered. It was because the ring of red snowflakes wrapped around the furnace and lowered the heat. As a result, the Heart of the Frost Queen started to beat again.

Mercedes spoke in a calm tone as if to calm Grid, “This thing. I think I can control it. No, I can digest it.”

The declaration that she would control the Heart of the Frost Queen, which even the Red Phoenix was reluctant to do, was great. It could seem very arrogant. However, Mercedes vowed that she would go beyond the level of control and would digest it.

Could he trust her? If it was someone else, then he naturally wouldn’t have believed it so easily. However, the other person was Mercedes. Grid trusted her unconditionally. It had nothing to do with his feelings for her. She had Keen Insight that even the gods were wary of. A person who could call Grid’s divinity without the permission of Only One God Grid to achieve God's Descent.

Mercedes was a woman with somewhat lewd tastes and used the mental world as an outlet for her desires. She was very capable regardless of her taste. Of course, there was no choice but to trust her.

“Okay. Try it.”

The moment Grid gave his permission...

Duguen!

The Heart of the Frost Queen pulse and released the chill that had been lost. It was a chill that stretched throughout Mercedes’ mental world. It had the momentum to dominate Mercedes’ mental world. The momentum didn’t last long.

Mercedes wrapped the red frost shards in her hands and grabbed the Heart of the Frost Queen. Then the cold air that filled the mental world started to be sucked into Mercedes’ heart.

It was just like when Grid embraced the Heart of the Red Phoenix.

Mercedes embraced the Heart of the Frost Queen.

“...With this.” Mercedes’ appearance changed as she let out a cold breath. Her dark blue hair was dyed a clear sky blue and her fair skin became whiter than snow. “My heart also hasn’t stopped.”

[Your Apostle, Mercedes, has absorbed the ‘Heart of the Frost Queen.’]

[The forced option effect generated by the ‘Heart of the Frost Queen’ is controlled according to Mercedes’ will.]

[She has a heart that can be restored even if broken. Therefore, she will be resurrected again even if she dies.]

“We will be together forever.”

A blush spread across Mercedes’ face as she whispered with an ecstatic expression. It was a deep flush with lips that looked particularly red because her skin was too white. Grid got a chill for some reason, but he ignored it. Right now, his joy was the greatest.