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 memoriesor anyone's memorieswhere 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. Shedidn't want to see the things that had been taken from hernot 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 pointsnot without bragging about how good Michael had been to her and how much she'd warmed up to himAlice felt weird. She was known as the Frozen Duchess, yet someonea young man barely older than her younger brotherwas 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.
"Idon'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.
"Isn't that your room? We can also leave." Alice said, getting up as well.
Michael looked at her and waved dismissively, "There are enough empty rooms for me to stay. I need to check the progress of my territories either way. Don't worry, and stay here." He cursed inwardly but smiled at Alice before he left the room. Once outside, Michael heard Kaleb's voice again.
"Michael spent the last few months tending to you. Without him, you would be dead. Well, to be honest, we would be dead. The Supreme Human Alliance caught me and my friends as well. They manipulated our souls and minds to a terrifying degree. Fortunately, Michael managed to save Zeke, meand last but not least, you as well."
'I'm not sure what to think about that. Kaleb is going to destroy everything we've worked for.' Michael couldn't help but think. Kaleb was much more talkative than he used to be, but that was expected. He'd reunited with his sister after being world apart for so long.
He wanted her to remember who she used to be and how much her character had improved in the years she had now forgotten.
[Stop overthinking and get your work done. You can talk to Alice later, and if she really wants to see the person she used to be in her lost memories, she can approach you. Pressuring someone who has lost her memories won't help you. In fact, it will be ineffective or work against you. She will resent you and never be willing to look at your memories!] Jormungandr added.
The World Serpent was right. Michael was too impatient. He took a deep breath and changed his tactic. Instead of focusing solely on Alice, as he had in the last few months, Michael paid more attention to his subjects and territories.
At this point, the Untamed Jungle was fully regenerated and stronger than it used to be before the Dragys had begun burning everything to ashes. The energy accumulated within the primal root and the flora and fauna was overflowing, spreading enough energy into the surroundings to stimulate the Untamed Jungle and force the plant life to expand outward.
It had only been a few years since the Dragys Lordess died, but Michael's relationship with the Divine Alliances and the other Lords of the Untamed Jungle improved drastically. They were still afraid of him and frightened to death, thinking Michael would get rid of them on a whim, but nothing like that happened. The years passed, and Michael acted the opposite way they had expected. He had helped them move to the Untamed Jungle's outskirts and was willing to help them even more when it came to expanding outside the Untamed Jungle.
Michael was a little bit difficult at times, but his actions made sense most of the timeeven 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?'