Even though Farlow said that he wanted to go into the forest himself, the chances of him getting killed out there were very high since he would have to fight against multiple deadly Spirits before even reaching the Valkan. But Farlow’s hand tightened as he thought about this properly! Who cares if he was going to die? Wouldn’t the risk of death be worth it if it meant that he could get his wife back? Farlow had many children, and if he ever died, he had already placed his firstborn son as the next ruler of the kingdom, so there was nothing stopping him from risking his life!
Farlow turned to Gina, and he bowed his head to her thankfully!
"I know that my words alone will never be enough to thank you for what you’ve done. But your willingness to consider my wife’s life is something I will never forget. If there is ever a time when you need the help of the elves, then we will not hesitate to help you. I swear it on my children’s lives. Please just wait for a few days, I will personally go to retrieve the fruit at once."
Gina hummed curiously before speaking with a raised brow.
"What are you talking about? I’m coming with you."
Farlow’s eyes widened in shock, and he spoke up quickly.
"But the forest is teeming with danger. I don’t even know if I can guarantee my own life, so –"
"And that’s enough reason for me to come along. One Sage might not be able to make the journey, but two Sages definitely will. And besides, I have this sassy little brat here with me. Her presence allows me to sense other spirits around me, so we won’t have to fight too much."
Gina spoke with a small frown on her face while glancing towards where her spirit had just vanished from a few minutes ago, and Farlow felt an intense feeling of gratitude suddenly rising from deep inside his heart! Farlow knew that Gina did not have to risk her life like this, but the fact that she was willing to go out of her way to help him even after hearing about how dangerous things were was almost too much for him to bear! Even as a King, Farlow understood that this was a kindness that went beyond what was normal, and he bowed his head thankfully and spoke in a low voice filled with gratitude!
"Thank you, your highness. Thank you."
Gina grabbed Farlow’s shoulder and brought him up while telling him that it was fine! Gina was just paying Farlow back for saving her life when Hesbeath’s Bias went out of control. But Stella did not think it was fine at all!
"Your highness, is this really a good idea? I mean, you’re pregnant, and you have no idea what you’ll find in that forest! The prince will not be happy about this."
Stella had tried her best not to say anything all this time because she didn’t want it to seem like she didn’t care about Farlow’s wife, but she could no longer hold herself back since it looked like Gina was willingly putting herself in harm’s way! Gina turned to Stella with a small glare when Stella spoke up, but Stella did not back down at all! Stella’s primary responsibility as a servant of the Marc family was to ensure Gina’s safety, and she did not think walking into a dangerous forest filled with spirits was a good idea at all!
But Stella was shocked when Gina’s glare hardened and Gina spoke in an authoritative voice.
"Firstly, it is not your place to tell me what my future husband would or would not like, Stella. Do not forget that I have known him for longer than you’ve known he was alive. Secondly, I am not a child who doesn’t understand the dangers she is walking into. I care about my child far more than you ever will, and I would not be doing this if I didn’t think I could handle it. And thirdly, the Spirit Queen explicitly stated that I should retrieve the fruit and bring it to her, so I have no choice in this matter. Do not talk to me like I am stupid, Stella."
Stella felt her heart shake with fear as she saw the intensity in Gina’s eyes, and she realised in that moment that she had truly pissed Gina off! Stella had only been trying to look out for Gina, but Gina did not see it in the same way, and Stella realised that she was still thinking of Gina as the weak woman who was only an SSS Rank. Gina was now a TITAN, as well as a fully fledged Sage and a Spirit Arts user. Stella had no right to look down on Gina! Stella still had a lot of arguments she wanted to make, but she knew better than to question the princess’ decision more than once, and Stella immediately bowed to Gina and spoke in a remorseful tone.
"I apologise for overstepping, your highness. I was only worried about you."
Gina sighed calmly once she saw that Stella finally understood where she was coming from, and she stepped forward and pulled Stella into a hug while telling her that it was alright. Gina knew that Stella was only trying to look out for her, but Stella had to stop treating her like she was made of glass. Once they were done with their conversation, they all made their way back to the castle, and Farlow immediately called a meeting of all his elders to speak about Gina’s discovery and their upcoming mission.
The elders immediately suggested that they form an army to aid in fighting against the spirits in the Hidden Wind Forest, but Farlow immediately turned it down since he already knew how that mission would end. Gina and Farlow were the only Sages in this world, and that meant that they were the only ones who could see and interact with spirits. Anyone else who ran into a spirit would be killed without even knowing how they died! That meant that Farlow and Gina had to go on this mission on their own. The Hidden Wind Forest was located in the northeastern region of Arandelle. It was surrounded on the east and north by a wide ocean, and on the west by a mountain range covered in fog, and this meant that there was only one way in and out of the forest. The forest covered more than a thousand miles of landscape, and it was filled with exotic plants and wild animals that would have easily killed any creature weaker than SS Rank! But thankfully, both Farlow and Gina were TITANs, so the only things they had to worry about were the aggressive spirits they would meet in there.
Since Farlow was not willing to waste any time at all, he decided that they would be going into the forest on the very next day. Gina got a standard military uniform from the army. It consisted of a pair of green trousers and a green shirt that allowed the elves to blend in well with the forest around them. She also had on a pair of black boots, black gloves, and a black nose mask that was also an artefact meant to help with any toxins or poison released by the plants and animals in the forest. Farlow wore something similar, but he also had a long silver sword on his back that had various runes carved into it and looked like something made for royalty. The elven army was going to escort Gina and Farlow all the way to the entrance of the forest, and then they would wait out there until they were done with their mission. Stella was also going to be waiting outside since she couldn’t see Spirits either, but Stella secretly placed a rune on Gina that would allow her to teleport to Gina’s location if Gina ever got into any serious trouble.