Meanwhile, in the imperial palace of the Leopoldine family...
In this place, Emperor Leopoldine was standing before two of his sons, furious about what he had heard in the last few hours.
From what he had heard, these princes were acting behind his back to harm Lothur for weeks while he was trying to bring his grandson here.
The emperor's goal was not to make Lothur's life difficult because of Daemon's background but to see if this young man was worth caring for and joining the imperial family.
As much as this sovereign had issues with Daemon, many of his decisions contrary to Lothur's father had been to please the people in his family and protect the empire itself.
As a father, he was inclined to put his hand on Daemon's head, considering that he had his share of the blame for how this fellow had grown up.
Therefore, he did not see Lothur as a problem to be avoided, as his sons thought. Instead, he saw his grandson as someone with whom he could make amends for his mistakes with Daemon.
Finding out that these sons of his had tried to eliminate Lothur and send him to the imperial prison angered this man to the core.
Even more so now that Daemon had acted against him just for the sake of it!
"You played your little games against Lothur, and now we've lost the Blood Crystal!" He shouted at those two fools.
"At the same time, we lost relevant family members, and we don't know what happened to Lothur!
Do you understand the trouble you have caused!?"
Those two continued with their heads bowed while one of them, Lars, was sitting in a wheelchair, still too injured to walk by himself.
While Klaus lamented that he was getting this lecture without almost having done anything to Lothur, Lars gathered his strength and answered his father.
"But imperial father, maybe Lothur is a damned hybrid of human and demon! The Church is in pursuit of him!
Perhaps my action was the right one! If he really is this abomination, what could have happened if we hadn't made the Church's work easier?
He could have walked into the family and devoured us!"
"Tsk! Blasphemy!" The emperor did not like what he heard. "How dare you? Daemon may have many faults, but he would never mix our roots with that of demons!
Don't be ridiculous! That was probably something from one of those noble families! They are always trying to strengthen themselves to take our position!"
The emperor believed his words because the idea of a human, especially his son, mating with a demon was simply unpalatable to him.
What kind of being would lie down with a predator? That was madness!
As much as there were such madmen in the world, he preferred to believe that his eldest son had not stooped so low.
It seemed more likely to him that a power-hungry nobleman would do this!
Daemon had never shown any interest in leading the empire, so he didn't have enough to do something so disgusting for power.
Anyway, the people in the surrounding area were silent at his words, feeling that there was reason in them, but unable to conclude anything about it.
Maybe Lothur was not a hybrid, but he had a 33.3% chance of being one!
So until news from the Church assured them that he was not a hybrid, they would keep their doubts in their hearts.
"Now you have made us lose the Blood Crystal! Do you know the danger the empire is in without that item?" The emperor followed with his sermon. "That is one of the 10 Impeccable Jewels, which are only below the 5 Immortal Crystals and the Six Singularities!"
In all of Concordia, there were about 30 items of magnificent properties, which could range from conferring powers to the person who carried them or even being used to make up weapons of the highest level.
These items were practically indestructible and dated back to the origin of the continent. They had passed through the hands of powerful cultivators throughout history and had become sacred amulets or cursed items.
In the case in question, the Blood Crystal was one of the 10 Impeccable Jewels, ranked 21st on the list of 30 items of the top artifacts on this continent.
They were second only to the Immortal Crystals and the Six Singularities, which were necessary to achieve immortality, according to legends.
As such, the value of that item was not small, and the loss of it would be felt!
The Leopoldine family had had this thing secretly for centuries, and even their greatest allies did not know that they had such a thing.
But if the news that they had it with them got out, then even their allies would put pressure on them!
At the moment, that was what bothered the emperor!
And those princes couldn't help but turn pale upon hearing what had been stolen.
"It can't be..."
...
Hours passed, and another night arrived in Peters City...
While most of the people of that city were going back to their residences to have dinner and go to sleep, the local mood was somewhat gloomy.
With each passing day, the situation on the Frost estate had been getting worse, and the members of this family had slowly become more cautious during the nights, even if they still didn't know what was happening.
But while they felt only the most superficial sensations of what was about to happen, in the residence of Simon's former family, things were somewhat different!
There the darkness was much more intense than anywhere else near this estate.
But just on this day, what was developing in this place took a step further towards its emergence.
Suddenly a dark, semi-transparent silhouette appeared from the ground below where Simon had been killed.
If Lothur were there, he would understand immediately what this was.
It was a spectre!
But not only that, this was the spectre of Aiken Frost's own uncle, Simon!
However, as much as he was taking his spectral form, this grotesque-looking spectral being was not yet 100% ready.
He was a chaotic creature who didn't think straight and only had the will to kill in his mind. But still, his instincts were not bad, and when he realized his situation, he quickly hid himself inside that property.
His goal was revenge, but before that, he needed to finish his evolution and leave this place.
'Kill! Kill!'