Chapter 953 Surplus
Overall, the situation wasn't too bad. A quick check-up showed that Alice was healed. Blood Incursion had been cured and wouldn't bother her again.
That was great, and Michael would have been happy if Alice hadn't rejected talking about their past and the memories she had forgotten. She didn't want to see Michael's memories—or anyone's memories—where she would be able to see herself. While it might be true that she was the same person as in the memories, Alice had forgotten everything. She...didn't want to see the things that had been taken from her—not yet, at least.
[You need to be more understanding. Alice woke up a few minutes ago, several years older than her last memory suggests. She doesn't remember you or anything she has done in the last few years. It's only obvious that she needs time to digest everything. Leave her be and allow Kaleb to reunite with his sister first. Since she is part of your territory now, you will have more than enough time to talk to her.] Jormungandr said, and Michael nodded slowly.
Michael looked up and made eye contact with Alice, who forced herself to smile. After Kaleb clarified a few points—not without bragging about how good Michael had been to her and how much she'd warmed up to him—Alice felt weird. She was known as the Frozen Duchess, yet someone—a young man barely older than her younger brother—was supposed to have melted her frozen heart? That didn't make any sense.
Alice did feel a little bit weird around Michael, almost like she had forgotten something, but the worry and confusion permeating her mind overwhelmed her.
"I...don't want to pressure you in any way," Michael cleared his throat and got up. Maybe it would be best if you and Kaleb talked for a while. He can tell you what happened in the last few years. A lot has changed in the Tritan Alliance, and I'm not sure if you will like everything." He thought about Oliver Zeus' death during the Civil War or that the Blaze family had betrayed the Tritan Alliance. Michael wasn't sure what would hit her deeper, but he was unwilling to tell Alice Zenovia that he'd killed Olivia Blaze. She shouldn't discover that as one of the first things after losing her memories of him.
To Alice, Olivia Blaze was still a great friend, if not her best friend, and Oliver Zeus was still alive.
Michael was a little bit difficult at times, but his actions made sense most of the time—even if it took some time to understand the reasoning at times. He was a good guy who focused on expanding the Grand Region.
The flora and fauna of the Untamed Jungle expanded again. That was great for the Untamed Jungle, but it was certainly not something the Lords and monsters living in the adjacent regions adored.
The Valyr were bothered the most about the Untamed Jungle's expansion. Zira notified Michael that the higher-ups voted to attack the Untamed Jungle, but Michael only scoffed. He deployed some of his stronger Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs to talk to the Valyrs and get rid of them if they were serious about attacking the Untamed Jungle.
At this point, most Untamed Awakened were strong enough to deal with the Valyr Lordess and the entire Savannah Region alone. They didn't need Michael's help to remove the threats in the Savannah Region. Still, Michael hoped the Valyr Lordess would ignore her higher-ups or cut ties with them. He didn't wish to see her or her daughter die.
Other than the Valyrs, Michael clashed a little with the Lords and Native Kingdoms in the plains region. The Zentika Empire had been destroyed a few years ago, but the clashes between the Native Kingdoms and Lords lasted on. Everyone had claimed pieces of land that once belonged to the Zentika Empire, but it wasn't enough. Their uncontrollable greed pushed the Lords and Kingdoms to continue fighting for years. Years of constant battle dwindled their combat forces, which is how Michael's Untamed Awakenend, his military forces, and a massive horde of High Beasts, shrouded by High Elementals and led by Divine Beasts, conquered the lands easily.
The Native Kingdoms and Lords didn't have any Divine Lifeforms. They wouldn't have struggled to defeat the Zentika Empire if they had any Divine Lifeforms. Thus, Michael's forces easily suppressed the Native Kingdoms and Lords, claiming the plains region as well. The Untamed Jungle's surplus energy and nutrients were channeled into the plains region to conquer it and transform it into a part of the Grand Region of the Untamed Jungle.
Michael used his Divinity Fragment, the Nature Heart, to control the energies and lead the nutrients where he needed them the most.
He made sure the Untamed Jungle would expand healthily, creating more space for its flora and fauna.
'The Nature Heart is fine, but why does my heart hurt so much?'