Belamus gathered the core members of Beresdral and explained the plan: he would travel to the researcher’s facility to determine whether the power affecting Mimi was truly a blessing.
“I’m coming too!” Delarosa declared the moment he finished, her voice bright with enthusiasm.
In the past, Belamus might have refused her outright; it was too risky, too impulsive. But the years had changed things. Delarosa had grown stronger, faster, sharper. She was no longer the reckless novice she’d once been. Now, she was someone he could rely on.
“All right,” he said with a nod. “Come along.”
“Yess!” she cheered, practically vibrating with excitement.
Navasha and Medello quickly volunteered to join as well, each eager to support the mission.
“I’ll go too,” Liza said calmly, stepping forward. Her skill with a blade made her a valuable addition, and Belamus had no reason to object.
“With five of us, that should be enough,” he said. “Any more, and we’ll start leaving Beresdral vulnerable. The rest of you: hold the town.”
Balbora, Ellency, and Medina each gave firm nods, their expressions resolute.
Then a smaller voice piped up, full of urgency.
“W-Wait! I want to go too!” It was Lilli, the Imp, hands raised high and eyes wide with determination.
“We’ll be fine with five,” Belamus told her gently. “Protecting Beresdral is just as important. I’m counting on you.”
“Y-You’re… counting on me?” she stammered, blinking rapidly. “Understood! I’ll give it everything I’ve got!”
Belamus hid a small smile. He’d gotten much better at handling Lilli over the years. Turning back to Mimi, he asked, “So, where is this research facility located? Is it far from here?”
They needed to know that before preparing, distance would determine how much food and equipment they’d need. Mimi tilted her head, then hesitated.
“Wait… which part of the Great Frazes Forest is Beresdral in, exactly?” Mimi asked hesitantly, glancing around in confusion as she realized she had no sense of where she was.
It was a fair question; if she didn’t know their current location, she couldn’t place her destination. Without missing a beat, Belamus retrieved a detailed map he had personally created of the surrounding region and unrolled it before her.
“The west side, hm…” Mimi murmured, tracing a finger along the edge of the map. “Crystia is north of here, partially beneath the northwestern stretch of the Great Frazes Forest and the underground regions of the Rogas Plains.”
Belamus nodded. “And the research facility?”
“It’s somewhere in a cave in the northwestern woods,” she replied. “The letter said it was about twenty kilometers northeast of the eastern surface gate to Crystia.”
She paused, eyes scanning the map again before glancing up. “Um, do you have paper and something to write with?”
Belamus returned shortly with a parchment sheet and a quill, goods he had bartered from a nearby human settlement. Mimi carefully drew a rough map, sketching the path from Crystia’s eastern gate to the cave where the scholar’s research facility was supposedly hidden.
Belamus studied the lines and distances. “Hmm… It’s farther than I thought. We’ll need to carry more supplies than usual.”
Judging by the terrain and the increasing danger of monsters, the farther north they went, the journey would likely take at least ten days on foot, or possibly more.
“All right,” he said, rolling up the map with a decisive nod. “Let’s begin preparations immediately.”
With their destination now clear, Belamus and the others moved quickly to ready themselves for the long and dangerous road ahead.