The following morning, after a long night of planning with Arthur, Alexis, and the "Abel" who was actually Baalbel, Ard and his friends prepared to depart for the elven forest. They stood before the palace gates, ready to board the royal carriage, with Abel standing by to see them off.

"Safe travels, Your Majesty," Abel whispered to Ard.

"Hey, you're playing the part of my brother right now. Don't call me Your Majesty," Ard whispered back.

"Right... ahem... safe travels, Ard," Abel corrected himself.

"Yeah, thanks, Brother," Ard replied with a smile.

Suddenly, with a quick "hug," a girl lunged forward and threw her arms around Ard. He was startled to find Adeline clinging to him, but what shocked him more was her outfit—she was dressed for the road and carrying her own dimensional rucksack.

"I'm coming too, hehe," Adeline chirped.

"Wait... why? This isn't some playground field trip, you know," Ard replied, sounding confused.

"Let her go with you, Ard," a man's voice called out from behind.

Ard saw Arthur and Alexis standing there to see them off. He looked back at Adeline, who was already starting to pout. Alexis stepped forward and placed a hand on the girl's head.

"She's safer with you. Like we discussed last night, the situation has become critical. Once Ateras falls, we're next. I don't want her here when that happens," Alexis said, gently stroking her hair.

"Hey, get your hands off my head, Alexis!" Adeline shouted, trying to wiggle away.

Seeing the serious look on his father's and brother's faces, Ard could see how much they were counting on him. He finally nodded and helped Adeline into the carriage with the others. Then, Ard turned back to Arthur, Alexis, and Abel, pulling all three of them into a group hug.

"I'm heading out, Papa, Alexis, Abel," Ard said.

"Yes. Be careful and fight hard. I'm so proud of you," Arthur said, hugging his son tightly.

"Finally, my most brutal and reckless little brother has grown up. It's good to see. We'll be waiting for you, so make sure you come back to us," Alexis added, pulling Ard into a hug.

"Take good care of yourself, Ard. Like Alexis said, we'll all be waiting for you right here. Don't worry about us; we're going to get through this together," Abel added, embracing him. Even though Ard knew exactly who "Abel" really was, the sentiment felt real.

"Thank you. One last time... goodbye, Papa, Alexis, Abel. I'll see you soon, because I am definitely coming back," Ard promised.

Arthur, Alexis, and Abel all smiled and nodded, their eyes filled with hope and the absolute certainty that Ard would succeed. Without looking back again, Ard turned and climbed into the long noble carriage drawn by four horses. As it began to roll away, Ard leaned out and waved. Adeline did the same, waving goodbye to her father and brothers. They waved back until the carriage disappeared from view.

As they drove through the capital toward the main city gate, Ard looked over at Adeline. She was nestled between Eva, Alicia, Milia, Mirea, Patricia, Beatrice, Rosalind, and Claudia. He smiled, seeing her looking so cheerful, even if there were still a few lingering tears in the corners of her eyes. He noticed Geoffrey looking relaxed with his eyes closed, Ainsley enjoying his seat, and Irwin staring out the window with an unreadable expression.

Eva, noticing Ard watching them, stood up and moved to sit right beside him.

"I spoke with Patricia. To break the curse, we need to get a seed from the Great Tree. It's a massive tree over 3,000 years old deep inside the forest—the origin of the entire elven race," Eva whispered.

"Hmm... I see. Do we need permission to go there? We both know how much Elidyr used to nag about that place back then," Ard asked.

"Yes, but according to Patricia, we shouldn't worry about permission. She can handle it. The main thing is that we don't wake the ancient dragon inside that forest," Eva replied.

"Ancient dragon?" Ard asked.

"The one we sealed away with Elidyr, remember?" Eva asked.

"Ah... you mean Qoaldriog?"

"Exactly. As long as we don't wake that dragon, we'll be fine," Eva answered.

"Oh, if that's all, then no problem. I actually want to see Elidyr again. He's still alive, right?" Ard replied.

"According to Patricia, he is. But he's probably very old by now," Eva said.

"Definitely. He's over 3,000 years old... he might even be senile and have no idea who we are," Ard remarked.

"Well, maybe... it's hard to believe, isn't it? 3,000 years have passed, and now we're finally going back," Eva mused.

"That's just how it is. But it's the only way to cure the Goddess Ophelia's curse. Like it or not, we have to do this," Ard replied seriously.

"You're right, Ard," Eva agreed.

The carriage continued its steady pace across the vast grasslands. Ahead, a dark line of trees appeared on the horizon. Even at their high speed, it would likely take a full day to reach it. As they drew closer, Patricia began briefing the group on their entry into the elven defense perimeter—a place known as the Forest of Illusory Mists. Its sole purpose was to mislead outsiders, ensuring they never found the elven village and instead wandered back out or stumbled out the opposite side of the woods.

"I've read about that place in books, but I've never actually been there. What are the illusions like?" Mirea asked.

"It's hard to put into words... the illusions are based on your heart's deepest desires. When you think you've reached your goal by grabbing what you want, you realize you've actually just walked right out of the forest. It isn't physically dangerous, but it can be mentally draining if you aren't strong... and all your buried secrets could be exposed," Patricia explained.

"But aren't we taking the carriage in?" Milia asked.

"You can't use a carriage to reach the elven village," Patricia replied.

"Well, you should be able to show us the way, right? Otherwise, what's the point of having an elf with us?" Geoffrey added.

"I can lead you straight to the village, but I can't turn off the forest's magic. I'm just warning you to stay strong. Don't let your eyes deceive you, and whatever happens, keep following me," Patricia said.

"Hmm... I don't think I'll have a problem. I don't really want for anything," Claudia remarked.

"Everyone says that. But once you step inside, your deepest cravings are laid bare, and that's the part that is hard to overcome," Patricia countered.

"This is so overcomplicated. I know where the village is; there are elves all over the capital of Rellios," Beatrice interjected.

"Princess, you've never even left the palace, so please just stay quiet and keep your comments to yourself," Rosalind snapped.

"Uuugh... you are so incredibly annoying," Beatrice huffed.

"I'm actually getting excited! I only have one wish anyway—to be with my big brother forever," Adeline said cheerfully.

"It's good if that's really your only desire. Personally, I'm starting to have my doubts about myself," Alicia muttered from beside her.

"Huh... why ? what kind of desires do you even have, Alicia?" Milia asked, turning to look at her.

"That's exactly the problem. I don't know. If something hidden inside me gets exposed, I might just break down or die of embarrassment. This is actually terrifying," Alicia replied.

"You're overthinking it," Milia said, leaning back into her seat again.

"How are you two so calm?" Ainsley asked, glancing at Ard and Eva while adjusting his glasses.

"We've been there before and already passed through that forest," Ard said.

"Yep, 3,000 years ago," Eva added.

"Must be nice being you guys," Irwin grumbled.

"Sounds like you have a lot of desires," Ard said to Irwin.

"Of course I do. Unlike you, Prince, I'm just a slave and a servant. I have a mountain of hidden desires piled up inside me," Irwin replied.

"At least you're honest enough to admit it. I think you'll be fine. I'm more worried about the others, especially Beatrice," Patricia said, glancing at the princess.

"Wait... why me?" Beatrice asked, confused.

"Because you're the most spoiled one here and your demands are usually pretty nonsensical, Princess," Rosalind answered with a cynical smirk.

"You are really trying to pick a fight with me, aren't you?" Beatrice snapped.

"No, Princess. I'm your guardian; it's my job to look out for your best interests. I'm just reminding you not to harbor too many impossible dreams. You'll only end up disappointed, and when you're disappointed, you don't leave your room for a month," Rosalind said.

"Grr... stop talking nonsense and airing my business!" Beatrice growled, her face turning bright red.

The carriage rolled on toward the horizon. Patricia continued to warn everyone to be cautious when they finally entered the woods. Everyone listened intently to the elf's advice—everyone except Ard and Eva. They had been there before and were perfectly relaxed; the illusions couldn't touch them because their power far exceeded the forest's ancient magic.

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