Chapter 166 - New mission

After Fujiwara, I had a good time with Saemi and Aoi. Although both seemed strangely more clingy than usual, I didn't really mind. I mean, who wouldn't want to cuddle with two beautiful girls like Aoi and Saemi? The way they both acted whenever I petted them was really cute.

In the end, after we finished, both the girls and I got out of the bath and went to our rooms to dress up. After I finished dressing, I headed to the dining room, where I found everyone already seated and talking. It seemed I was the last to arrive.

"Sorry for the delay" 

I murmured as I settled into the chair. Upon hearing my words, Sylvia nodded her head with a friendly smile.

"We all just got here too" 

Said Sylvia. I responded with a small smile. I didn't know if what she was saying was true, but I liked this accommodating side of Sylvia, who seemed to accept almost everything. After that, some maids arrived with carts carrying our dinner. The menu was quite balanced, and the food was incredibly delicious, so we had no reason to complain.

While we were dining, I wondered if Sylvia was curious about what happened during the time we were away. Actually, I wouldn't mind telling her if she asked, but the strange thing was that she didn't seem really interested. It made me a bit hesitant about whether I should share with her everything that happened or not.

"Sylvia, I know it might sound strange for me to ask this, but... aren't you curious about what happened while we were out?"

Upon hearing my question, Sylvia stopped eating for a moment, her gaze distant as she seemed to ponder what the best response would be.

"I am genuinely curious; you are all my precious friends, so naturally, I would be concerned about you. However, if you haven't shared it with me, it must mean it's something I shouldn't know, right?"

Hearing Sylvia's words, my first thought was that she was right. From an outsider's perspective, that's probably what it would seem like.

"Well, I can't really deny your logic, but it's not like we didn't want to tell you or anything. In fact, this is something you probably should know since it's related to your kingdom" 

I explained, trying to find the right words to convey the situation. After that, I recounted everything to Sylvia about what happened while we were in the dungeon, the cemetery, the castle, and finally, the Lich who was conducting experiments on people who ended up wandering around the dungeon's vicinity.

Initially, Sylvia was surprised to learn about the existence of such a place so close to the kingdom, especially finding out that a Lich was behind it all.

"Are Liches very rare?"

Upon hearing my question, Sylvia nodded affirmatively.

"I wouldn't say rare, but they usually don't reveal themselves. Liches are ancient mages who got lost in their pursuit of magical power. They are extremely powerful monsters, requiring at least an entire army to stop them. And even then, we'd have to consider the damage they would cause to the kingdom" 

Explained Sylvia, her face assuming a serious expression as she absorbed the gravity of the situation.

"Still... I'm a bit surprised to know that you managed to defeat it"

Continued Sylvia, maintaining a surprised look on her face. As we continued our dinner, I noticed that Sylvia would occasionally glance at me, as if she wanted to share something with me, but also seemed hesitant to do so.

"Sylvia, is something bothering you?"

My question caught Sylvia off guard for a moment.

"Sylvia-sama"

Rena intervened beside Sylvia.

"I understand"

Sylvia sighed and then cast a determined look in my direction.

"I know you're about to leave for Anima soon, but we've recently received reports that a Wyvern has settled on a small mountain near a village. What do you think about taking on the task of defeating it? Of course, you will be adequately rewarded for it"

Upon hearing Sylvia's words, Saemi, Ana, Aoi, and Fujiwara seemed to have their own opinions on the matter. However, they all looked in my direction, indicating that I would have the final say.

"Alright, we can do it before we go" 

I said, looking at Sylvia with a smile. 

"Besides, consider it a thank-you from a friend. You've really helped us a lot since we arrived in Arclight"

Hearing my words, Sylvia's expression seemed to ease a bit. It was evident that this issue had been weighing on her mind.

"I'm glad to hear that" 

Replied Sylvia with a sincere smile on her face. 

"So... where exactly is this village?" 

I asked. Sylvia briefly looked at Rena, who, with a nod, left for a while before returning with a map. As soon as Rena placed the map on the table, Sylvia pointed to a specific location. Next to it was the name of a city, making it easy to identify the place.

"As you may have already noticed, the location is near the city of Guinovam, where we parted ways earlier" 

Explained Sylvia, moving her finger across the map, indicating the exact place. 

"More precisely, the location is right here" 

She pointed on the map. Observing the map, I realized the location was close to the forest where we found Sylvia being attacked for the first time. Moreover, unlike in the past, the forest was now partially surrounded by mountains at the back. If we took into consideration what Sylvia had said, the Wyvern was probably somewhere in those mountains.

After that, Sylvia provided some additional information. Overall, I felt confident about defeating the Wyvern. Unlike last time, I now had Shade by my side, and my companions were also much stronger. I believed we would be able to defeat it quickly this time.

With these thoughts in mind, the next day arrived. Both I and the girls were at the gate, bidding farewell to Sylvia, who kindly lent us a royal carriage to go to the location where we would face the Wyvern.