Mr. Thebes then invited us inside and to sit in the living room. I immediately gave him the gift as a token of gratitude for helping me before and also as a farewell since he was no longer working at the archive center. Mr. Thebes was very happy when he received it and also served us drinks and snacks.
"Johann, it seems you are with a new friend, huh? It is rare for me to see a friend with a form like this..."
"Let me introduce myself, sir. My name is Mendicore..."
Mendicore then explained how it could come along with Johann here. Mr. Thebes simply listened attentively. He already knew about the news of the successful infiltration of the hell portal on Planet Grohn.
"Actually, the purpose of our visit here is that Johann wants to ask more deeply about the history of Grivendal here, Mr. Thebes." said Mendicore.
"Ohhh... I remember when I said there were some parts of Grivendal's history that perhaps only I knew. It seems you are very curious about what really happened, right? I feel Miss Mendicore should know this first before me. But since I was the one who mentioned it and I am no longer serving at the archive center, I will tell the truth. What do you want to ask, Johann?"
"I want to know the true history between Archangel Marsiel, Ghremolus, and Ghremus, Mr. Thebes."
"Alright Johann. I will tell you this directly. The twin brothers Ghremolus and Ghremus are the children of Archangel Marsiel..." said Mr. Thebes.
I was immediately shocked hearing that first fact. I glanced at Mendicore and it immediately confirmed the former archivist's statement.
Mr. Thebes then told the true beginning of the Grivendal empire. The explanation that the people of Grivendal were once tribes constantly at war was indeed as written in the manuscripts.
At one time in a certain tribe, there was a group of people who offered a sacrifice to a ruler of hell in the form of a young adult woman. The account of a tribe that worshipped demons was also true.
In one story, the young adult woman was thrown into the realm of hell and survived there alone. At that time, Archangel Marsiel was fighting against demon forces and saw the woman running alone being chased by hellish monsters. Marsiel immediately saved her.
Mr. Thebes said Marsiel was the archangel who always led battles alongside angel troops to prevent the expansion of hell. He was the archangel who embodied absolute might.
Mendicore confirmed this.
Marsiel brought that young woman back to the world of Grivendal and fell in love with her. The reason was because she was able to survive in hell, something impossible for any ordinary humans.
From her relationship with Marsiel, that young woman gave birth to twins named Ghremolus and Ghremus.
However, tragically, not long after giving birth, the woman died. Mr. Thebes speculated that the dreadful aura from hell had slowly eroded her body.
Marsiel could not raise his human children and entrusted them to a pair of farmers to be cared for and raised. He promised that if they succeeded, they would be granted fertile and prosperous land.
The twin brothers Ghremolus and Ghremus grew into mighty warriors and leaders because Marsiel's blood flowed within them. Their story of building the Grivendal empire and the first massive invasion from hell that caused Ghremus's death matched what was written in the archive.
"The one responsible for that invasion was the demon king Azkerath." added Mendicore.
I was not too surprised because that fact was indeed caused by him according to game lore.
"This is the important part deliberately hidden by the Grivendal authority, regarding the death of Emperor Ghremolus." said Mr. Thebes.
"Please continue, Mr. Thebes..." I said with great curiosity.
Mr. Thebes continued that after the death of Ghremus, Ghremolus began to show severe mental deterioration. He frequently hallucinated about his brother being tortured by demon rulers in hell or seeing his entire people slaughtered by hellish monsters.
All kinds of methods were attempted to restore Ghremolus's mental condition, even by summoning angels from High Heaven. However, everything failed and the emperor's condition worsened. Many assumed this was due to a curse from the demon king he faced during the invasion.
"That is correct. Azkerath has the ability to 'curse' every kind of his victims, except archangels, with extreme hallucinations that cannot be cured by any means." added Mendicore.
I shuddered hearing that fact about Azkerath. I could not imagine facing him when I was in hell. I would not have survived.
The peak was the darkest tragedy in Grivendal's history that had been tightly concealed. That night, Ghremolus suddenly appeared normal but did not respond to anyone. He walked to the center of the throne room carrying his spear Grunginus.
Unexpectedly, he stabbed himself directly in the left chest and collapsed.
Those who witnessed the event saw a horrifying and strange sight where Ghremolus's blood that had spilled on the floor seemed to be absorbed into the Grunginus spear, changing its color from golden yellow to blood red. The spear could never be removed from his chest, so he was buried deep in an underground tomb without a coffin lid.
Once again I was stunned after learning this dark history of Grivendal. So the red color on the spear I saw in the stained glass mosaic was actually Ghremolus's own blood. Once again, what existed in The Mayhem game was only the tip of the iceberg compared to what lay beneath.
"That is the truth they have hidden all this time, Johann. I truly hope you will keep this to yourself." said Mr. Thebes.
"I want to ask one more thing, Mr. Thebes. If Emperor Ghremolus is the biological son of Archangel Marsiel, why did he not descend to Grivendal to save his son?" I asked.
However, he suddenly fell silent and seemed to be thinking. I wondered whether there was something in the story that had no known answer.
"I will explain this part. It seems no one on this planet knows the last condition of Lord Marsiel." said Mendicore.
Mr. Thebes and I were shocked again hearing that statement. I felt something was not right about what I was about to hear.
Mendicore stated that the last time it saw Marsiel, the archangel was already weakened and his entire body was torn apart.
My bad feeling instantly became reality.
"H-How could the Almighty Marsiel end up like that???" said Mr. Thebes with a trembling voice and teary eyes.
Mendicore referred again to the endless war between Marsiel and the legions of hell, especially his confrontation with Azkerath.
Continuous physical assaults over a long period from Azkerath eventually reached a peak where Marsiel's power drastically weakened and his body began to collapse little by little. The worst part was that his condition could not be restored by any means.
Finally, Geriel took the step of putting Marsiel's body into permanent rest in one of the chambers in the center of High Heaven. Although physically powerless, Marsiel remained conscious and continued to watch over his two sons on planet Grivendal.
However, after Azkerath killed Ghremus and Ghremolus's mental condition could not be restored, Marsiel was deeply shaken. That climax came when Ghremolus stabbed himself with the Grunginus spear, Marsiel then took a final step by sealing his son's blood into the spear. Mendicore saw this as Marsiel's last attempt not to completely lose him.
"That is the final state of Lord Marsiel. He can no longer lead the war against the realm of terror. That is why he didn't help his sons during the first invasion and why you didn't see him in hell before. Lord Marsiel now depends heavily on The Graendall to finish his war against the demons, even though he knows this is extremely difficult because they are only humans." Mendicore concluded.
Suddenly, Mr. Thebes began to cry.
"W-What if they invade our home again...??? W-Who will save all of us...???"
Mendicore seemed unsure how to calm him. I took several deep breaths.
Then suddenly, I remembered someone who could save everyone if this truly happened...
None other than Hellraider himself.
He seemed destined for this scenario just like in The Mayhem storyline.
I then told Mendicore and Mr. Thebes about the possibility that Hellraider, who was now on Grivendal's side, would become the savior if disaster struck.
Mr. Thebes's crying immediately stopped. He already knew who Hellraider was and his achievements so far.
"I... I believe he will save us all when no one else can, Johann..." said Mr. Thebes with a smile again.
After some time, I decided to end our visit to Mr. Thebes's house. He gave me a pray so I could remain safe until all this terror truly ended. I smiled and thanked him.
"So where shall we go now, Johann? It seems we can return home..." asked Mendicore.
"Let's go to Sir Hellraider's house. I must convey this important matter immediately." I said.
"Eh... are you sure, Johann? Is it okay to tell him this so early?" asked Mendicore hesitantly.
"This is exactly the right time so he can become aware and alert earlier..." I said seriously.
Mendicore immediately created a portal and we entered it. Upon arrival, we were already in the front yard of his house.
I immediately saw Hellraider sitting on the porch bench, holding and observing an object that looked like a thick black fur. He seemed confused about its presence.
When we approached him, he immediately looked toward us with a curious expression.