The ego in the God Hands wasn’t a magical creation. It was a physical result of beating the soul of another into it. Grid faced this truth and was greatly abhorred by it. The appearance of the sword and the coffin, which held the souls of the old popes, overlapped with the God Hands and made Grid feel disgusted. 

‘Pagma, how many people have you sacrificed?’ 

Was his definition of justice really correct? The condition to trigger the skill Granting an Ego was the ‘other person’s consent.’ Grid speculated on the relationship between Pagma and the empress and his disappointment toward Pagma was beyond description. Pagma wasn’t a brat in his teens and the belief Grid had in him was reaching a fragile point.  

‘Did he betray friends other than Braham?’ 

Grid recalled a certain memory and his expression relaxed—it was the image of Pagma, who died alone on the Behen Archipelago while stopping the invasion of the great demons. Yes, Pagma had already tasted enough pain. It was cruel for Grid to blame him even now. At this conclusion, Grid put down all the emotions and thoughts that messed up his mind. He chose not to think too deeply about Pagma. He decided to only focus on the situation in front of him. 

‘I accept the quest.’

He understood, sympathized with, and respected Pagma, but he didn’t honor Pagma. In order...