They returned to the palace because Sylvia insisted on having a pajama party in her room. Still, it was limited to the girls only.
Sea God, Sea God's little avatar, Gio, and Theo were in the guest room as a result.
"Sylvia, I want to talk to you for a moment. Come with me now." Dylan ordered as if he didn't want to hear a no in response. He then walked away as if he already knew his daughter would follow him.
"Ah, um, okay. Looks like my father has something important to talk about. Please wait in my room for a moment. Also, don't sleep before I get back." Sylvia waved her hand and immediately followed her father.
"Mm, please don't take too long then." Elysia waved her hand back. She then looked at the other girls, and they entered Sylvia's room and closed the door.
"Hou, so this is the room of a Devil Princess? This bedroom looks like a normal room, but only spacious. Ely's bedroom is still much tidier and more elegant than this." Yuuki checked around the room and made a short comment.
"Uhm, this is a bit weird... I was sleepy earlier, but my drowsiness surprisingly disappeared when we got here." Ella rubbed her eyes gently.
"Is it because we're inside the devli's den?" Evelyn went to sit on the sofa.
Elysia looked at the one wide mattress in the middle of the room, but it clearly couldn't accommodate everyone. She then took out several bundles of folding beds from her Space Bag. "Let's roll out some futons."
"I'll help!" Yuuki raised her hand to volunteer.
"Would you like a cup of hot sugar-free tea?" Lynn offered the Goddesses politely.
"Sure. Please brew some for everyone." Elena just gave her approval without much consideration.
Elysia and the others prepared the futons for everyone, and they changed into their pajamas shortly after. Meanwhile, Sylvia had just entered her father's room and waited for what he wanted to talk about.
However, her father just went to a bookshelf and pulled out some books. A hexagram and other mechanisms magically appeared.
"???" Sylvia looked at her father with a curious look. Was he solving a puzzle?
Before Sylvia decided to ask, a mini secret door suddenly opened, and her father pulled a hidden trigger there.
*Rubble*
A shiny black metal podium suddenly popped out from the floor, right in the center of the room.
"Father, what are you-" Sylvia couldn't help but ask. However, her father replied with a raised palm, indicating that please be quiet.
Dylan looked at the podium in front of him with a look of longing and nostalgia. It was one of the relics of his late wife. To be more precise, to something that was stored inside the podium.
He took a deep breath and put his palm on the podium. Dozens of circuit lines instantly turn blue to scan him as a whole.
*Clack*
A hidden slot suddenly opened, and Dylan took a dark blue-black Space Bag. He stared at it for a few moments of silence before he turned around to look at his daughter.
"This is a legacy from your mother which should be given to you when you are able to use your half-dragon form. I give this to you." Dylan handed the Space Bag to his daughter.
"Hmm?" Sylvia accepted that with many question marks in her mind. She then peeked at the contents inside the Space Bag. As she looked at all the treasures inside, her eyes widened in surprise.
There were some mysterious resources, unique crystals, and much more. However, despite the sheer amount of sparkle, the two sets of battlesuits on the dark red altar caught Sylvia's attention very much.
"Father... Is this possible-" Sylvia looked at her father with a hopeful gaze.
"It's a legacy from your late mother. Everything in there belongs to her. I kept my promise to her to give it to our daughter when our baby has reached the adult stage. You must take good care of it for your mother and myself." Dylan looked up at the night sky outside the window with a distant gaze.
"..." Sylvia paused for a moment to follow the silence that fell into the room. "No pictures or photos?"
"A-um..." Dylan was feeling a bit stuck in his mind. His daughter really spoiled the mood.
Even so, he remained silent because he also did not have a photo of himself and his late wife. Many mementos were destroyed with the tragedy and only left in the memory.
"Nee, father... I know that you never showed me what a mother looks like because you probably don't have a picture of her. But, I know that you still remember her presence in your memory. This is just a small request, can you draw mother on paper for me?" Sylvia fiddled with the Space Bag.
Dylan was silent for a few seconds, but Sylvia continued to wait until she got an answer.
Until finally, Dylan answered in a low voice. "I can't draw very well."
"Eh?" Sylvia was somewhat surprised to hear that. But, it was only for a moment because she was reminded of her friend's superb drawing skills.
"Then I have a solution. You only need to meet with Ely because she has a very good imagination. All you need to do is describe the mother's appearance in detail and we will get an accurate picture!" Sylvia put her hands together with a brilliant expression.
"Hmm..." Dylan responded passively, but his mind was starting to take things seriously. "I'll see her tomorrow morning. I hope she doesn't disappoint me."
"???" Sylvia tilted her head slightly. She didn't understand why her father said that in a heavy tone as if something had happened in the past.
"Now, you may go. Your new friends may be waiting for you." Dylan sighed and looked up at the moon. However, a warm hug suddenly came from behind. His daughter suddenly hugged him.
"I know the word thank you is not enough to express my gratitude to you, but please accept my gratitude. Despite all the reasons, I know you care for me and love me. I know that I often trouble you and sometimes become selfish, but please forgive your daughter, father." Sylvia leaned her head against her father's back.
"Why do you say that as if you are going to leave me?" Dylan furrowed his brows because he could interpret something between the lines.
"I have no intention of leaving you. It's just that, your baby daughter is all grown up now. She also has friends she can rely on. I hope you will give me the blessing to go on an adventure with Ely and her master. I won't bother you too much anymore. and I will not stand in your way if you want to find a new wife. One day, I will come back and make you feel proud to say that 'she is my daughter'." Sylvia expressed her aim somewhat emotionally.
She just wanted to find what she truly wanted to achieve in life. In her lifetime, what did she really pursue and seek? Questions like that sometimes haunted her because she felt that she only lived to live without thinking much about this and that.
"I see... So, you'd rather trouble your friends than me? Your presence doesn't bother me at all. But, if that's your decision, then go and spread your wings to see this wide world. That human friend and Goddess friend of yours can protect you far better than I can. One thing I expect from you, please come home to see me at least once a month. It's fine if you want to bring all your friends over for a week or two." Dylan looked at his daughter's hands on his stomach and looked back up.
He spoke too many words now because he was starting to feel lonely if his daughter would leave him to see the big, wide world.
Not to mention, he was not sure if he could protect his daughter during the upcoming great war. So, the best solution was to let his daughter stay with the Goddesses' care.
"Thank you, I love you, father." Sylvia tiptoed and kissed her father's cheek before she left the room.
Silence once again enveloped the room. Dylan took out a red box from his Space Bag. A pair of beautiful black, blue combination colored rings made him smile a little just to stare at them. Those rings reminded him of the good memories of the past.
"That seems to be true. A daughter will grow up and leave her father when she grows up, Illia. I hope, I can still see our daughter living her dream life in the future before I will return to your side in the afterlife." Dylan sighed and closed his eyes.
Meanwhile, Sylvia was hopped in joy while humming her way back to her room. Her mood changed from emotional to happy because her father surprisingly satisfied her heart.
Plus, her father finally gave memories of the high mother in the form of a legacy. Although there was an implied message to this, it kind of made her feel complicated.
"Nevermind, father knows what he needs to do. The Evil God and the Goddess of Blessings have also given us some help." Sylvia put her thoughts aside and entered her room with a cheerful smile. "I'm back! Oh, you all started your pajama party without me yet?"
"You're taking too long. Quickly change your clothes and join us." Yuuki shooed Sylvia and pointed to the changing room. After that, she asked Elysia to continue the fairy tale about a princess in the land of darkness.
"You guys even opened a storytelling session without me? Meanie, I'll be right back!" Sylvia ran into the changing room and was back in her pajamas in just a few seconds.. She also wanted to hear exciting stories.