Chapter 147 - The real culprit

After receiving the vial, Eldritch continued to converse with us about less crucial matters. He didn't fail to emphasize the gratitude he felt for the help from the royal family of Arclight, promising to repay this gesture of kindness in the future. As I listened to the conversation in the background, Eldritch suddenly turned towards me.

"Of course, you're included too, Makoto"

Upon hearing these words, I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Me? Are you sure? I don't recall doing anything in particular to deserve a reward" 

I said, pointing to myself. After this question, the response came from Sylvia instead of Eldritch.

"What do you mean, Makoto? If it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead. I really can't thank you enough for saving my life"

After Sylvia uttered these words, I fell momentarily silent. Probably anything I said wouldn't change her perspective, and besides, Sylvia was absolutely right in her words.

"Since you both insist so much..." 

I said, letting out a small sigh of defeat. Upon hearing my words, Sylvia displayed a radiant smile, while Eldritch seemed contemplative. A few seconds later, his voice echoed.

"Regarding your reward... if I remember correctly, you mentioned that you wished to visit Daemon in the future, right?"

Upon hearing Eldritch's words, I nodded in agreement. As soon as he noticed my gesture, Eldritch directed his gaze to the girl beside him and nodded approvingly. Seeing this signal, the girl immediately snapped her fingers, creating a small vortex beside her, followed by the appearance of a small rift.

Though I was impressed by it, Sylvia seemed indifferent. This made me wonder if such a scene was common for her. As I pondered this, the girl reached into the rift and pulled out a small black crystal, handing it to Eldritch immediately afterward.

"Please, take this. When you wish to visit Daemon, all you'll need to do is show this crystal to a ship captain, as long as they're a demon. With this, you'll be able to travel to Daemon without all the bureaucracy involved" 

Eldritch said as he extended the crystal toward me. Although I was initially hesitant, I ended up accepting the gesture, as it would be rude to refuse. Plus, I can't deny that it will be useful in the future. With the crystal, the eastern continent would no longer be an obstacle.

Storing the crystal in the pocket of my clothing, I turned to Eldritch once again.

"Thank you for this, it will certainly be of great help in the future"

Upon hearing my words, Eldritch smiled gently.

"You're welcome"

Saying that, Eldritch rose from the couch, and then his voice resonated.

"Well, I believe it's time to leave. The sooner I return to Daemon, the sooner my mother's illness will be cured"

Afterward, we escorted Eldritch and his companions to the exit of Sylvia's palace. As we said our goodbyes, I still pondered the conversation that had occurred moments before. Somehow, I was curious about the method used to prevent monsters from attacking Arclight, and this curiosity didn't go unnoticed by Sylvia.

"If you want to know, just ask me. I have no intention of hiding it from you, anyway, and it's not such a well-kept secret"

Hearing these words, I was momentarily surprised. Recognizing my expression, Sylvia let out a small laugh.

"Your face makes it quite obvious, ever since we talked about it, you seem quite curious"

Although I didn't believe I was showing so much interest, Sylvia somehow managed to realize that I was interested in the subject. Well, setting aside the fact that Sylvia was much more perceptive than I initially expected, she continued to speak while seeming to enjoy my confusion.

"Underneath the Arclight palace, there is a magic crystal that contains the succubus queen's magic. This crystal emits a special kind of mana that repels monsters, almost like a charm" 

Sylvia said with a gentle smile on her face. Funny enough, this somewhat coincided with what I had been thinking initially. Of course, I didn't expect there to be a crystal under the castle, but I imagined that would be a good location to keep such a treasure.

Afterward, Sylvia and I returned to the room where Ana, Saemi, Fujiwara, and Aoi were waiting for us. It seemed like our conversation with Eldritch had lasted longer than I initially imagined, as the sun was already setting. Actually, there was something else I should do that night, but I thought I could leave that for another time.

"Is something wrong, Makoto? You seem pensive" 

Sylvia asked as she walked by my side.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just remembered something I need to do, but I can do it later" 

I replied. Although she seemed confused, Sylvia seemed to accept my words.

"Is that so? Well, if you say so"

(Yes, I don't need to rush. As the saying goes, the night is when the evils come out of their lairs)

***

"Curse, why won't that idiot die? Even using those disgusting demons, the result didn't turn out the way I wanted" 

In a relatively luxurious room, a chubby-looking young man lamented, pacing back and forth in his chamber.

"Curse, curse, curse, curse! If mom and dad find out I was the one who hired those demons to kill Sylvia, I'll surely be dethroned" 

He said, picking up a glass from the table next to his bed and drinking it quickly.

"Since it's come to this, I'll have to eliminate her with my own hands... Right, I can make it look like an accident... Sylvia attacked me, so I had to defend myself"

The boy had no choice anymore. In the end, the blame fell on his foolish sister. If she just hadn't revealed her abilities and stayed quiet, he could have inherited the throne without any issues. Yes, it was all her fault, and now she would pay with her life. As these thoughts dominated the boy's mind, a voice from behind made him jump in fright from his bed.

"Hmmm... just as I suspected, you were behind this"