I’ve probably been too influenced by the mystical side of this world, Eros thought. I didn't even consider things like suppressive fire or saturation strikes. This method had almost no drawbacks—except, of course, for how expensive it was.
On the other side, Saliba seemed to have noticed the change in Eros’s expression, and a smug smile immediately spread across his face. It was safe to say he was the student who had brought the most supplies for this assessment. He had two entire crates of purification and exorcism bullets alone, along with various other weapons. Of course, as a noble prince, he certainly wouldn't carry them himself; his lackeys lugged all the gear. That was precisely why Eros hadn't noticed Saliba was packing a machine gun earlier.
Once the battle concluded, Saliba’s followers swiftly cleared the battlefield, harvesting every usable material from the fallen spirits. Shortly after, the group set off again. They encountered several more skirmishes along the way, all of which were easily resolved under Saliba’s overwhelming firepower.
Eventually, the group halted on a flat plain to prepare for rest. The reason was simple: the sky of the Sin Realm had darkened. A crimson half-moon hung at the edge of the horizon, casting a scarlet hue over the desolate world and making the already foul, twisted space feel even more bizarre. Under the red moon's glow, the Sin Realm at night was far more dangerous than during the day; even the whispers echoing in their ears became noticeably clearer.
Watching the other students skillfully pitch their tents, Eros thought for a moment, pulled a seed from his pocket, and planted it in the clearing. In the next second, a burst of green broke through the soil, growing into a vine as thick as a man’s wrist in the blink of an eye. The vines continued to grow and intertwine, eventually forming a small hut made entirely of greenery.
The others looked on with a hint of envy. A hut made of vines was bound to be safer than their tents. Seeing the hut complete, Undine stopped Joanie from pitching her tent and pulled her inside.
Meanwhile, Eros plucked a "sneaky" Ayesha from the side and then, under Baron Larrywatt’s stunned and furious gaze, led Syphreya away as well. Seeing Syphreya follow him without the slightest resistance, Baron Larrywatt shouted:
"Syphreya! Come pitch your tent near His Highness the Prince; it’s the safest spot!"
Syphreya pursed her lips, her beautiful eyes curving into crescents. "Lord Eros will protect me."
Baron Larrywatt’s face turned green. Fortunately, Syphreya wasn't alone with Eros; there were two other girls and another male, "Thomas," in the vine hut. Under these circumstances, nothing untoward could happen between Eros and Syphreya. With that thought, the Baron found a small measure of comfort.
Inside the hut, once Eros brought Syphreya and Ayesha in, Undine’s eyes immediately turned wary. Joanie, on the other hand, felt a bit uncomfortable—not because of Syphreya, but because of Ayesha. In her eyes, Ayesha was a man. Though they saw each other often at meals and were familiar, that didn't mean she was okay with sleeping in the same room as him.
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Eros noticed Joanie’s discomfort and quickly realized the cause. After a brief thought, he planted another seed inside the hut, creating a partition.
"Thomas and I will sleep in the inner room tonight!" Eros announced.
Ayesha’s pupils dilated. She was about to protest this terrifying decision, but before she could speak, Undine voiced her opposition without a second thought.
"No!"
Undine knew that beneath "Thomas's" male exterior was a girl—and a very cute one at that. How could she feel safe letting that "dog-thing" sleep alone with her, even if they were separated by a vine wall?
Ultimately, Undine made the decision: Ayesha would sleep in the inner room alone, and Eros would sleep in the outer area with them. The arrangement was for her and Joanie to sleep on either side of Eros, with Syphreya on the other side of Joanie. Joanie kept her head down, her face flushed pink, yet surprisingly, she didn't object to this arrangement, even though Eros was also a man.
Just as Undine was inwardly gnashing her teeth over the "huge sacrifice" she was making, Saliba’s voice rang out from outside:
"Eros, come take the first watch with me tonight."
Eros was surprised. He hadn't expected the future heir of the Empire to pull guard duty personally. However, he had no objection. Moreover, Saliba calling him out specifically surely meant he had another agenda. Eros decided to listen.
Night fell, and with the red moon hanging high, the entire Sin Realm was draped in a scarlet veil. Saliba gazed into the distance, ignoring the whispers in his ears, and spoke directly:
"Do you know about the recent nighttime events in Indiles?"
"I do," Eros replied flatly.
Saliba smiled, then said as if casually, "A few days ago, the Empire discovered that Grand Duke Roffee was linked to those incidents. My father ordered the troops to reclaim two million square kilometers of his territory and executed the Grand Duke along with his direct bloodline. Throughout this, the Church did not intervene."
Eros raised an eyebrow. Why was this blue-haired guy telling him this? Was it a threat? He had heard of Grand Duke Roffee; his family’s territory was nearly double that of Eros’s own, and their overt strength was supposedly superior. Yet such a family was simply wiped out by the Imperial Family. It seemed the Crown’s power was far deeper than it appeared on the surface.
Seeing Eros remain silent, Saliba continued to himself, "You aren't like the Elves in the historical records. You actually sacrifice to the Evil Gods in the Abyss—and you even sacrificed your own sister. I reported you to the Church previously, but they didn't believe me."
Eros had a strange expression. "Why are you telling me this?" Reporting someone behind their back and then admitting it to their face—was that really the way to do things?
Saliba didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "I'm curious—why didn't you report me to the Church?"
Eros made up an answer on the spot. "Since you dared to expose your possible connection to an Evil God in front of me, you—or rather, your family—must have prepared for a Church investigation. Why would I bother reporting you if it’s just a waste of time?"
A smile of approval appeared on Saliba’s face. "Correct. A smart move."
"So, is the Imperial Family really involved with an Evil God?" Eros asked, curious.
Saliba laughed. "How could that be? My Imperial Family are sincere believers in the Lord. How could we be linked to Evil Gods? My previous desire to obtain Undine was simply because I was influenced by the 'Original Sin of Greed.' I went to the Cathedral afterward to accept purification."
Eros curled his lip, though he hadn't expected to get much out of such a blunt question. Saliba didn't mind the lack of trust and continued:
"I don't think we need to let previous conflicts affect the relationship between the Imperial Family and your clan. Let’s be direct. What is your purpose?" Eros cut to the chase, done with the games.
The smile faded from Saliba’s face, and his tone turned meaningful.
"Your blood crystals."