Lord of Caldera

Ulrich stepped forward, passing Sylas, who was studying the saintess closely.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Ulrich Corleone. You seem very exhausted, are you all right?" Ulrich expressed his concern while introducing himself, as the saintess clearly appeared to be in poor condition. He wondered if she would even be able to fight the demon properly in this state.

Noticing his concern, the saintess gave a weary smile and responded with a hint of bitterness.

"To be honest, I haven't been able to sleep for the past three days."

"Is it because of the demon?" Ulrich asked.

"Yes, whenever I fall asleep, the demon targets the people."

The saintess sighed deeply and cast a glance at the dark energy outside—the same black mist that had attacked Sylas's group earlier. Although it hadn't reached this far yet, it seemed as though it would storm in at any moment if given the chance.

"This is the only place in the city that remains unaffected by the succubus's influence, thanks to me and the holy knights, I assume," she explained.

The demon could reach out to people through their dreams, but in the central district, people were able to sleep without being plagued by nightmares. The demon refrained from invading the saintess's proximity, as holy power would cause it pain if it attempted to connect with someone mentally. Worse, the demon's true form could be exposed.

"The issue arises when I fall asleep. During those times, the people are tormented by nightmares," she continued.

Whenever the saintess slept, the mist would spread and cover half of the residential areas, plunging the people into terror. As a result, people would wake her up whenever she fell asleep, preventing her from getting any real rest.

"We tried to deceive the demon, but being a succubus, it immediately knows when I'm asleep."

"Pardon me, but how many hours of sleep have you had in the last three days?" Ulrich asked, worried.

"It's hard to say," the saintess replied, rubbing her eyes in exhaustion. Seeing this, Sylas's expression darkened. He had hoped to join forces with the saintess to defeat the demon, but in her current condition, she was practically immobilized.

'She's like a totem pinned to the ground,' Sylas thought.

For the demon to be defeated, the saintess needed to be mobile. But if she moved, the mist would engulf the remaining residents. The entire population of the city was effectively the demon's hostages, and her collapsing due to exhaustion would only lead to chaos.

"Are the holy knights unable to stop the mist?" Sylas asked.

"They can only protect those directly around them," the saintess answered, implying that while they could fight the demon, they couldn't shield the entire city from its influence.

"Is there really no other way to resolve this?" Ulrich asked, his voice filled with desperation.

"There is," Sylas replied calmly.

"What!?" Ulrich's surprised outburst drew everyone's attention. All eyes were on Sylas as he continued in a composed tone.

"The most urgent matters are ensuring the saintess gets some rest and protecting the people from the demon's reach, right?"

"Y-Yes, that's correct," Ulrich stammered.

"I learned a recipe from my maternal grandfather, who was from the north. It's a potion that protects the mind. According to records, it's effective even against demons," Sylas explained.

"…!" Everyone's eyes widened. It was exactly the solution they needed.

"However, it's toxic, so it can't be used frequently," Sylas added.

"Toxic? How dangerous is it?" Ulrich asked, concerned.

"It can't be taken more than three times in a few days. After that, it requires a rest period of at least three months."

"That's more than enough!" Ulrich exclaimed. Just one day of rest would be a blessing in this situation, and three doses sounded like a miracle.

"You can really make this?" the saintess asked, her voice filled with hope.

"Yes, and that's why I brought Max with me," Sylas said confidently.

"Huh? Me?" Max, startled at hearing his name, asked in confusion.

Ignoring Max, Sylas addressed the others, "If we can gather the necessary herbs, it won't take long. I can begin right away."

"Oh, thank you! Truly, thank you!" The saintess and her companions clasped Sylas's hands in gratitude, attributing their good fortune to the goddess's guidance.

Feigning humility, Sylas accepted their thanks and led Max outside. Claiming they needed privacy to discuss the secret potion, Sylas placed a hand on Max's shoulder and spoke in a serious tone.

"Max, this is why I brought you along."

"So there was a reason for me after all," Max replied, a mixture of anxiety and anticipation in his voice.

"Yes. To save this city and the saintess, I need your help. Only you can do this," Sylas said.

Max swallowed nervously. Could it really be that he was the key to rescuing everyone in such a dire situation? His heart raced with excitement.

"What do you need me to do?" Max asked eagerly.

Sylas, gripping Max's shoulders firmly, smiled brightly and said, "We need to make some feel-good drugs."

"…What?" Max blinked, sure he had misheard.

Sylas grinned. "You know, the stuff you learned to make with the Black Moon."

"For who exactly?" Max asked, his face pale.

"For the saintess."

Max seriously considered tearing his own ears off.

A little while later, Sylas and Max made their way through the black mist, heading toward the herbalist's shop. Since the evacuation had been rushed, the shop's supplies had been left behind. As Sylas packed herbs into bundles, Max pulled at his hair in frustration.

"This is insane! Are you out of your mind?!" Max ranted.

"I'm perfectly sane. Stop freaking out," Sylas replied calmly.

"Drugging the saintess? That's not something a sane person would do!" Max argued.

"It's not just for her. The survivors need it, too," Sylas said.

"That makes it even worse!" Max exclaimed. If they got caught, it wouldn't just end in execution—there was a very real chance the church would pin the blame entirely on him.
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"The Church wouldn't want to provoke a noble family like the Corleones, so I'd end up being the scapegoat!" Max continued, panicking.

"Why did you lie about it being a protective potion?" Max asked, exasperated.

"I didn't lie. It is a protective potion," Sylas replied matter-of-factly.

"…What?" Max stared at him, dumbfounded.