"...Alright, I won't stop you."

In the end, Fremay helplessly nodded her head, agreeing to Herbert's willful request.

Since the hero had the confidence and ability to venture into such perilous grounds, there was no reason for her to stand in his way.

"You can enter the Misty Mountains to explore, but you must promise me one thing."

Miss Mermaid looked into Herbert's eyes and said seriously:

"You must promise me this, or else I won't let you take any risks."

She spoke firmly, leaving no room for negotiation or compromise.

"Alright, let's hear it."

Herbert obediently nodded his head, a bit curious to see what kind of condition Fremay would propose.

Seeing his seemingly obedient and understanding demeanor, Miss Mermaid couldn't muster any anger, and sighed helplessly:

"You can't go alone... but don't rush to object, I know I'm not the best travel companion for you."

Fremay had some abilities to conceal herself, but the cost was too high, and it might not really be effective.

This was an extremely dangerous Divine Forbidden Area where no one could afford to be careless, not even the Divine Spirits.

Except for this peculiar anomaly in front of her.

This unique variable.

Someone who could walk freely in the Misty Mountains as if on flat ground, even occupying a territory of his own.

Up until now, even if she didn't want to believe it, she had to admit the truth—Herbert indeed had a special connection with the Misty Mountains.

Is this a good thing?

Given the current situation, perhaps it is.

Only such a person could truly become a part of this mountain range and successfully occupy it.

But in Fremay's heart... she actually hoped that Herbert had nothing to do with such a dangerous place.

Just stay away from it!

That would be best.

This feeling was complex and made her conflicted.

Fremay hoped her hero could overcome obstacles and eventually become a true strongman.

But she also didn't want Herbert to suffer pain during this process; she hoped he could stay by her side safely, sheltered under her wing.

The most painful part was knowing that she couldn't do that.

Fremay understood clearly that such love would do no good for Herbert's growth; it would only keep him forever in a state of comfort, unable to grow.

That would be harming him.

Herbert's destiny wasn't for her, his partner, but for himself alone.

Since this was his choice, she had no reason to stop him.

But compromise like this didn't mean ignoring everything; she would provide help whenever possible.

"Even if you can Spiritualize alone, rushing into the depths of the mountains will still bring risks. You must have someone accompany you to ensure your safety."

After saying this, Fremay reluctantly bit her lip but refrained from insisting on going herself, instead naming the most suitable candidate.

"You must take Sofia with you."

Without allowing Herbert to refuse, Fremay directly summoned the Heroic Spirit Miss hiding behind a tree.

Sofia had actually been watching for a while and jumped out excitedly when she heard the summons, rushing over enthusiastically.

The sound of hooves was crisp, indicating her excited heart.

"My Lord! With me around, you won't encounter any danger!"

Herbert glanced at the overly excited and enthusiastic mare and did not refuse, but turned to Fremay, raising an eyebrow.

Are you sure?

The choice of guardian was not hard to guess.

After all, there were only four living beings in entire Elda right now.

Excluding Steven, who was still in a coma, possibly concussed by a hoof, only Sofia met the criteria.

But what Herbert truly cared about was Fremay's attitude.

Aren't you jealous?

You were the one who asked me to go out with her, remember?

"Hmph."

Fremay saw the playful look in Herbert's eyes and snorted, saying with a straight face: "Don't overthink it, I just believe she's the best choice."

"She is a Heroic Spirit, also from this region, her presence won't attract any discontent or attention."

"With her around, your exploration should come with much less trouble."

Fremay's explanation made Herbert start to ponder.

Thinking about it, what she said did make some sense.

From a guardian's perspective, Sofia was indeed the suitable choice.

More importantly, her aura hasn't been forgotten by this mountain range.

Sofia's appearance won't seem abrupt, and even if noticed by others, they would just think she's patrolling her territory.

And even though Sofia had lost her memory and didn't know where her territory was…

Others didn't know that!

Others wouldn't realize Sofia had been reset to her initial state and would still consider her the powerful Centaur Lord.

Even if she made some excessive trespassing moves, others wouldn't take action first but would issue a warning.

This was the advantage of information disparity.

If Herbert could cleverly utilize this, he could wield Sofia's past prestige to gain more strategic advantages for himself.

"Moreover, Sofia's advantages are not limited to just that."

As Fremay's frown relaxed, she added:

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