Chapter 158 - Virginia’s Scheme

"No problem," Virginia agreed readily.It was unclear whether it was confidence in the strength of Spring Bud Fortress or trust in Gaven.

Gaven believed more in the former, even though they were still a bunch of Gnolls with wings; Yaling’s arrows were useless against Carrier Bugs but were excessively effective against Erde.

"And this Armor..." Gaven touched the breastplate on his body, wanting to return it, but was reluctant to part with it because it fit so well and was very useful.

"It seems Stelina has talked to you about this piece of Armor," Virginia glanced over a half-Dwarves Elf with a hint of reproach, "I’ve said before, only Armor that serves a purpose is good Armor. Your ability to use it to slay Carrier Bugs fully proves its value. I believe you also won’t let it go to waste in the future. Even if I were to lend you the Armor, please return it here when you no longer need it."

"Then I thank you again, my Lord. I will cherish and make good use of this Armor," Gaven stopped being falsely modest, "If there’s nothing else, I will go back and gather the Erde."

"To avoid any misunderstanding, Stelina will be waiting for you behind the curtains," Virginia arranged everything with great care and consideration.

"Thank you, my Lord," Gaven said, taking Aivensa with him as he hurriedly left. He had a daunting task ahead—using a group of Erde to dismantle and air transport a massive object, weighed in tons, back to his territory.

Calculating that one Erde could carry twenty kilograms per trip, two hundred Erde could only transport four tons in one trip.

This calculation didn’t even account for the dismantling process, which couldn’t be so fragmented, and some things would probably have to be dealt with on the spot. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novᴇl(ꜰ)ire.ɴet

There should be some Gnoll craftsmen at Eagle Cliff Burrow who are skilled in this area since they themselves kept Fire Beetles and had the habit of using their shells to create Chitin Armor.

After watching Gaven leave, Virginia turned to Stelina and said, "When you’re done with the Dragon Scale Oak’s business, hand over your urgent affairs to General Colin. You will go to Chief Gaven’s side and serve as his personal guard for a while."

"My Lord..." Stelina was taken aback by the command, which clearly surprised her. "Why should we be responsible for his safety? Is he really that important to us?"

"This mission is more significant than you think," Virginia’s graceful and stunning face shimmered with wisdom, "You should be aware of the situation in Spring Bud Forest. Whether it’s the Ghost Witches or the Foul Giants, their petty actions have been increasing over the past few years, especially with the Foul Giants, a new king has emerged, looking to expand his influence and even considering an alliance with the Ghost Witches.

Once they join forces, the pressure on us will be tremendous, and no one knows how long we can ward off their encroachment with our own strength alone."

"Are you suggesting that we want to borrow strength from him?" Stelina pondered.

"It’s not impossible, provided that he has the strength," Virginia nodded and then shook her head, "What I’m interested in is this curtain of reality. With it, we have an additional escape route. However, we must ensure this escape route is safe.

We must understand the temperament of our neighbor from the Material Plane. Lord Gaven is far more hidden than you or I can imagine. Though I haven’t sensed much evil in him, I can feel the darkness in the depths of his soul. He has hidden a lot from us.

This is just one part of the mission.

The second part is to gather as much information about the Material Plane as possible, especially about the Santarin Association."

Lord Gaven had agreed to help us find our missing clansmen, but we must ensure that he himself is not a member of the Santarin Association, and also that he brings these tasks to fruition."

At this moment, Stelina had come to understand Virginia’s well-intentioned efforts.

Virginia’s ability to prophesy was quite accurate in the Spring Bud Forest because she was the Guardian of this forest; the forest was her source of strength.

However, once it involved matters outside the Spring Bud Forest, the accuracy would be greatly reduced. One could not entirely rely on this ability and would need to send trusted individuals to confirm and collect the corresponding intelligence.

"Actually, this task isn’t something only you can do. The reason I assigned you to it also involves a bit of a personal motive..." Virginia hesitated to continue.

"A personal motive?" Stelina raised an eyebrow, "I would ask that you please enlighten me, my Lord."

Virginia thought carefully and decided to be forthright, "It concerns your private matters. If you were to follow your destiny, you would never be able to return home in this lifetime. However, if you were to follow him, with his chaotic destiny, perhaps there is a glimmer of hope..."

Stelina’s cool gaze instantly became blazingly intense as she said, "Does Lord Virginia mean that as long as I can persuade him to help me, I might be able to reclaim the Golden Apple Garden?"

"That’s merely a possibility. With something as uncertain as destiny, even the gods cannot clarify it, let alone me, a mere voyeur, who can only catch glimpses of it. I hope you take action according to your abilities, without forcing the issue. Even a Fate Reshaper is not omnipotent; a slight carelessness and you could be overwhelmed by fate," Virginia sighed, unsure whether telling Stelina this was a blessing or a curse.

This matter was a knot in Stelina’s heart, a dead knot.

If this knot were not untied, she might follow in her own footsteps and shut herself away.

But untangling this knot was anything but easy.

Her homeland, the Golden Apple Garden, was not currently occupied by Dwarves Elves but in the hands of a powerful Green Dragon, who had turned it into his new lair.

"If I don’t attempt it, there will never be a chance of success," Stelina said solemnly to the Yaling Lord, bowing deeply, "Thank you, Aunt. I won’t let hatred blind me. At the very least, I won’t die easily before I take vengeance on that loathsome wretch and reclaim my homeland."

That was, after all, your mother.

Virginia’s words reached her lips, but ultimately, she swallowed them back. This was not the time to argue these points with Stelina.

Besides, that person’s actions did not deserve to be called motherly.

After Gaven returned with the Erde Flight Squadron from the Eagle Cliff Burrow.

Stelina’s attitude towards him had undergone a subtle change, even giving Gaven the creeps somewhat. He always felt that she wasn’t looking at a person, but rather eyeing a rare tool.

It wasn’t until they had returned to the side of the dead Carrier Bug, and Erde began the disassembly, up and down the flight, under the direction of those professional Gnolls.

Gaven took a moment to ask Stelina in confusion, "General, is there something wrong with me?"

"No," Stelina said with a smile, shaking her head. "I’m just curious where your ability to change fate comes from."

"Fate is very mysterious; how could it possibly be seen by the naked eye?" Gaven replied helplessly.

"Indeed, Lord Gaven has already informed me about the close guard matter. Starting today, I am no longer the general of Spring Bud Fortress, but your personal guard, specifically responsible for your safety. You can call me Lina or Stelina, either is fine." Stelina extended her hand to Gaven, "I look forward to your guidance in the future."

"It is I who should be asking you to take care of me from now on," Gaven said joyfully as he shook hands with Stelina. The mission of this trip could be considered perfectly completed; no, it was beyond perfect.

In fact, with the combat armor gifted by Virginia and the new skill acquired from the Milestone of Destiny—the Dragon Scale Oak’s Flawless Teleportation—Gaven’s need for a personal guard was not as urgent.

But no one would complain about having an extra layer of safety, especially when it comes in the form of a powerful Transcendent being by one’s side.

With Stelina by his side, he could move forward some plans that he previously couldn’t execute.

Moreover, having Stelina by his side had another deeper meaning.

It was like voluntarily placing an eye of the Yalings right by his side.

One shouldn’t associate an eye with surveillance and think it a bad thing.

In special circumstances, it could also be a good thing.

Especially when one’s side is embracing a sincere attitude of cooperation.

Only by thoroughly understanding each other can the two sides talk about further cooperation more easily.

After a brief exchange, Stelina had somewhat restrained herself, but Gaven was certain that there were deeper reasons on her part.

At this moment, Gaven envied those Mind Transmitters or enchanters who had the means to read others’ thoughts; sometimes, those methods were indeed very useful.

Gaven walked back to the Carrier Bug’s carcass and asked Captain Bark, who was directing the operation, "How is it going, Captain Bark? Besides a large amount of rope, do you have any other needs?"

"It would be best to leave the Keen Edge Longspear behind. In many places, we must use it to cut through," replied Captain Bark without hesitation.

"Okay," Gaven cheerfully pulled out the Keen Edge Longspear and handed it to Bark.

As Bark took the long spear, he swallowed and asked in a low voice, "Leader, how did you kill this big fellow? Just with this spear?"

Comparing the size of the Keen Edge Longspear to the immense body of the Carrier Bug, it seemed almost insignificant; one would have to stab it how many times to kill it.

"I can’t take all the credit for myself. I just took advantage of the weapon and put in more effort. Killing this creature was the result of a collective effort," Gaven said modestly. "Later on, disassemble everything that can be disassembled and transport it all back without leaving anything behind, including the meat from its body."

Gaven had no plans to eat the meat of the Carrier Bug himself, but the Gnolls were not fussy about raw and cold meat.

From the Carrier Bug’s body, at least five or six tons of pure meat could be harvested, enough for the entire Eagle Cliff Burrow to feast on for several meals.

Toxins, parasites, and the like were not a worry. Among the Gnoll cooks, there were Dragon Seekers specially tasked with purifying dubious foods, capable of eliminating most harmful substances.

Safety measures such as testing and taste trials would, of course, still be there.

Who knows, the flesh stripped from the body of a Transcendent monster might also be a useful delicacy.

"Rest assured," promised Captain Bark, patting his chest. "This is our specialty. We guarantee there will be no waste."

"You guys keep at it; I’ll go get the ropes for you."

The Carrier Bug’s body certainly wouldn’t be disassembled too finely. Particularly its giant pincers and claws would need to be bound with ropes and lifted back by everyone’s combined effort.

Gaven’s target for collecting ropes was naturally Nectar Village.

To call Nectar Village a village was less accurate than describing it as a collection of lanterns.

The exquisite small houses of the Pikespirits were neither hollowed out in the Dragon Scale Oaks nor built on top of them, but instead hung in mid-air by a series of vines and ropes.

The advantage of these lantern houses was evident, as they avoided various small creeping insects and non-flying predators.

Although the lantern houses were small, they were fully furnished, with windows, doors, chimneys, and balconies—all accounted for.

The decoration style also closely resembled that of the Pikespirits, full of bright colors, with rooftops covered in blooming flowers.

Some lantern houses appeared to grow directly from the vines, obviously the work of the Druid’s Wood Shaping.

Gaven and his companions had no chance of visiting the inside of a Pikespirit house. An unusual banquet was being prepared underneath the main pole of the lantern houses.

The food prepared by the Pikespirits was eighty percent identical to that prepared in the Yaling Castle, consisting largely of vegetables and fruits.

The only difference was that these vegetables and fruits were cut into small pieces and smeared with various jams and honey, especially the honey, which was a distinctive dark red. Gaven tried a taste: not only was it surprisingly sweet and fragrant, but upon entering the body, there seemed to be a faint magic power reverberating within.