Overgeared

『 If Grid was from India, he would've been worshiped as a god in the real world. Additionally, the temple that hosts Grid would have a steady stream of tourists. 』

The world's first and the largest public broadcaster in the UK—the main news anchor of the broadcaster, which had built up the best recognition in the world due to its long history and strong public identity, became a hot topic. It was due to the reference of a god in reality in the closing comments of the main news.

It was shortly after a reporter relayed the scene of Reinhardt. He seemed deeply impressed by the performance of Grid, who corrected the order that Baal had broken and calmed the rampage of the Insane Dragon. He criticized South Korea's passive attitude by openly comparing the treatment Grid received in South Korea with the Indian sports star who had become a Hindu god.

The repercussions were huge. Once again, emergency lights were turned on for the South Korean government, who were trying to give a medal to Grid and win the favor of the people.

"Why did Shin Youngwoo go to the army so quickly? I would've given him a military exemption if he hadn't joined the army yet. Tsk tsk."

"He must be a young man with a great sense of patriotism... Haha, should we build a temple?"

"In South Korea, the government took the initiative to worship an icon? Do you intend to be sworn at by tens of millions of religious people? It might be different if a civic group set it up..."

They were at a loss. Grid's performance in the past few years was incomparable to winning a gold medal in the National Competition. He went beyond simply announcing the name of South Korea to the world. How many times had he protected another world favored by billions of people?

His recognition was unrivaled and no great person in history was comparable to Grid. They wondered if there was a joke that Grid was right after Jesus and Buddha. Every time presidents, prime ministers, and stars from other countries visit South Korea, they earnestly requested to meet Grid.

Grid was the face and the pride of South Korea. He was a tool that the government had to actively use and in order to use him, it was right to give him the proper treatment.

"The medal and foundation named after Shin Youngwoo was created right away. He is also authorized to use the helicopter take-off and landing areas of the government offices at any time... what more than this can we do? What is the gift he desires the most?"

"What about tax exemptions?"

"Give an opinion that the public can understand. Additionally, have you seen his tax records? He is more likely to pay taxes that he doesn't have to pay."

It was a transparent tax history where no effort to save on taxes could be found. Additionally, his donations increased every year. The thing Grid needed wasn't money. In the first place, he would've shot hundreds of commercials if he was the type to care about money. TVs and various platforms around the world would've been plastered with Grid's face.

"I think… we need to move the HID."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, the name of the army's intelligence unit appeared. It felt out of context with the conversation. Operatives secretly dispatched to North Korea were suddenly mentioned as they were discussing what type of gift to give Grid so that the government could establish a side and make Grid a clear ally.

In the midst of the turbulent atmosphere, the chief of staff's words continued, "We need to thoroughly analyze Shin Youngwoo's tastes and figure out what he wants."

"I... see..."

On this day, South Korea's most elite troops were dispatched around Shin Youngwoo's home. It was purely a government effort to analyze Shin Youngwoo's tastes. It was hard to give him a gift.

***

All the incidents that occurred during the Asura Road were broadcast live around the world. It meant people closely watched who, where, and how they played. There were many witnesses who could tell if the ceremony to reward people on their merits was right or wrong.

The empire was obliged to evaluate the performance of the Overgeared members as objectively as possible. There was a risk of unnecessary backlash if they set up the merit ceremony and gave awards based on personal feelings.

"You've worked hard."

This was the result. Not a single player received more than the apostles and tower members. Most were evaluated as having less merits than the kings of the different species. It was only Yura, Jishuka, Euphemina, Ruby, and Kraugel who were recognized for their performance that was above the king of the different species and received the Medal of Honor.

This alone was followed by enormous rewards. They had the right to use the Reidan alchemy facilities privately, the right to use the imperial warehouse, and became the owner of a large territory, which had several large cities.

The viewers were sufficiently convinced. If it wasn't for Jishuka's archery and Euphemina's magic, would the kings of the different species be able to enjoy moving through the enemy camp to their heart's content? It was impossible. Their ability to support from the rear shone at any time and in any situation. It was the same when Zik joined. Thanks to them, Zik's progress became easier.

There was no need to talk about Ruby's support ability. The holder of the percentage heal, who was considered the strongest healer in the worldview, had saved the lives of her allies several times. It was right to assume that the Overgeared members who received her assistance had at least 10 lives.

Yura? Without her, they wouldn't have been able to establish a base at the crystal castle. It was highly likely that all the players who were active in hell would've wandered around without finding a place to escape and would've been brutally wiped out. Her combat power was also comparable to the king of the different species. Her identity was the strongest in hell until the arrival of Grid's group.

Finally, Kraugel cut a dragon's Breath. He performed so well that the Absolute, Hayate, missed him and he astounded the world. Many people believed that their performances were greater than that of the apostles. It was largely because Nefelina brought down the average of the apostles. It was because she didn't really do anything in hell.

If it hadn't been for returning to the surface, putting Grid on her back and becoming the protagonist of Crazy God and Crazy Dragon, there would've been criticisms that she was a pet who only ate food.

Did he still want to be free? Grid stared blankly at Kraugel, who refused to accept a territory. Then he said with a smile, "I hope the banquet ends soon."

He confirmed that Kraugel's sheath was empty. Grid wanted to communicate with Kraugel again, just like when they created the White Tiger Sword. The desire to learn new things through the process of discussing and creating the sword with Kraugel sprang up.

He also understood why Kraugel wanted freedom. Kraugel didn't know his limits yet. He didn't want to settle down in one place until he reached the limit—it was at the time when Grid, who was the one who informed Kraugel of his limitations, was thinking arbitrarily.

"I'm sorry." Kraugel gave an unexpected apology. "I didn't protect the sword you tried your best to make for me."

"......"

Kraugel himself must be having the hardest time. He had lost the sword he had been using for so many years, the sword he had grown from the normal rating to the myth rating. For Kraugel, the White Tiger Sword would've been a precious treasure with all types of memories beyond a simple weapon. Yet he was apologizing to Grid.

'Why are there so many good people around me?'

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Grid smiled and patted Kraugel's shoulder, hitting him with a bit of force. It was often an expression of friendship that a person did to a friend. However, Kraugel reacted with a serious expression. He was almost frightened and dodged Grid's gesture. It was a reflexive action. It was because his Super Sensitivity perceived Grid's light hand gesture as a 'threat.'

Grid didn't know the situation and said with an awkward expression, "The sword... let's create a new one together. Don't take it too seriously."

"...Yes." Kraugel felt a sense of guilt. It was because Grid's expression looked so sad.

***

"Does Kraugel not think of me as a friend?"

It was after the merit ceremony. The atmosphere of the banquet was heating up. Meanwhile, Grid escaped to the terrace and lamented. The rejection of his touch came as a great shock to him.

Yura was beside him. "He thinks of you more as a competitor than a friend."

Coincidentally, Yura also wasn't good at human relationships. She might have a good social life, but she had fewer friends than Grid. This meant she wasn't a person who could give advice on Grid's friendships. This caused Grid to have a bigger misunderstanding of Kraugel and his sigh deepened. It was while peeking at the scene of Kraugel laughing and chatting with Piaro on one side of the banquet hall. It was pleasant to see the older brother and younger brother getting along, but it was also unpleasant. He felt left out.

Just then, Jishuka came up behind Grid, linked her arm with his and told him, "You and Kraugel are peeking at each other a lot ~ Are the two of you the only ones with a flower garden in your hearts?"

"...Did Kraugel keep looking at me?"

"Yes, he kept doing it until just now."

Jishuka looked cute as she puffed up her cheeks like she was jealous. Grid couldn't help touching her cheek. Then he asked for the understanding of the two of them and approached Kraugel. "Let's go to the smithy right now."

"Yes." It was Kraugel who replied like he had been waiting. For the two people who moved non-stop, even one day of peace felt too long. They felt uneasy in their daily life and were busy looking for new tasks.

Grid was about to leave when Irene blocked him. She was smiling, but the twitching of her temples made Grid feel uneasy. "Your Majesty, do you intend to leave them alone?"

Her gaze was in the direction of Mercedes and Basara. Mercedes was uneasy because of how unfamiliar and uncomfortable her dress was. Basara was smiling as usual, but she didn't look happy as she drank alone.

"In particular, Her Majesty Basara took the time to visit us."

"......"

Grid secretly glanced at Kraugel.

Kraugel had already grabbed the drink he had put down. "Family comes first."

"The Sword Saint is indeed as noble as rumored."

Kraugel said the correct answer. Irene's smile while looking at him was bright. Kraugel sighed with relief and signaled for Grid to go ahead. The smile that spread across his face was far from ridicule. He seemed to be advising Grid to enjoy a bit more peace.

Grid smiled widely and turned to his family. He was frightened due to Sua, who followed Lord as a shield, but he had a fun and fulfilling time until the next morning. It was the day when love, not the smell of blood, spread around Grid. It was a day that he wanted to make part of his daily life someday.

***

"Marie Rose ended up helping..."

The next morning.

Grid returned from seeing off Basara and sat face to face with Kraugel. Both of them were haggard. Grid shared too much love and Kraugel was affected by the aftermath of Garion tormenting him all night. Simply put, they were out of energy. Grid was happy, but Kraugel felt somewhat resentful.

Stop splitting apart the land.

He suffered a lot because Garion nagged him to seal the skill he was using. Kraugel tried to turn away from Garion, who was staring at him from a distance, and looked around. It was a smithy inside the Overgeared World. The structure was the same as the smithy during the days with Khan. Grid's longing for his memories with Khan were still intact.

"Khan... is he in heaven?"

Kraugel was the person with the most knowledge after Grid. He understood the principle of the creation of angels and naturally inferred where Khan was.

Grid didn't bother to hide it. "That's right."

"Then heaven is the target after hell."

Grid nodded like it was natural in response and placed Gujel's scale on the anvil. The new dragon weapon. It was the weapon material that would make Kraugel's ideals into a reality. It was also the material that would strengthen Khan's final work.

"Will you help me?"

"Yes."

Grid had seen Kraugel's back and Kraugel had seen Grid's back. They were the right people to trust each other's backs to.

Taang, taang, taang.

Every time they shared their opinions over the hammering, the friendship between the two of them deepened. The same thing came to their minds at the same time during the process.

White Fang—the dragon weapon that had been sleeping for a long time in Kraugel's inventory. The performance itself was of poor quality, but the material was clearly Bunhelier's fang. Meanwhile, the current Grid had the technique to smelt an old dragon's fangs.