"No, my Queen, I apologize for not thinking that far ahead," Elder Hale replied, bowing his head even lower as a clear display of his apologetic demeanour.
Queen Selene nodded sternly at him before scanning the assembly once more. She asked, "Does anyone else have any objections?" Her gaze swept across the room, awaiting their responses.
One by one, they all shook their heads in agreement, including Elder Hale, who reluctantly joined the agreement.
Queen Selene was about to proceed with the next matter when the throne room's grand doors swung open.
King Brylon entered with a contingent of guards in tow, ascending the platform and taking his seat on the royal throne.
His gaze locked with Queen Selene's, and a silent exchange passed between them. He then turned his attention back to the council of elders seated before him.
Observing that her husband had seemingly recovered from the shock he had endured during the previous day's incident, Queen Selene nodded in acknowledgement.
She returned her focus to the elders, saying, "Now, for the next matter, we will need to assemble several qualified and trained groups to explore the upper regions of the mountain, alongside the foreigner..."
The elders all perked up, surprised that the Queen was suggesting a scout mission during such a crucial time.
"This approach can help us determine if we can truly leave this mountain," Queen Selene continued. "If it's possible, we can use it as leverage during the war, ultimately leading the Prismerian Kingdom out of this mountain. However, if it's not feasible, we must ensure that we don't prolong the conflict and risk the power shifting away from the hands of the five major clans."
While Queen Selene planned to end the Gemheart Clan's enmity, she was cautious not to disrupt the kingdom's power balance.
She saw this as an opportunity to replace the Gemheart Clan and their supporters with one of the smaller clans under their influence, ensuring a smooth transition in the hierarchy and preventing future conflicts of this magnitude.
And even if they couldn't claim the throne for themselves when the time came, they would remain in control, with their authority over the Prismerian Kingdom unchallenged.
"My Queen, will the Princess and that child be among the scouts?" Elder Auli suddenly asked.
It was widely known in the kingdom that the Princess and her personal guard had received a special blessing from the Guardians of the Garden, granting them the power to defeat the White Flame.
However, even though they had been too weak to fully receive the blessing, that hadn't stopped the Princess and her personal guard from venturing alone into the upper region of the mountain.
Their safe returns, and the fact that they had been the ones to bring the foreigner into the kingdom, led them to believe that even a fraction of the Guardian of the Garden's blessing could enhance the chances of the scouts' success.
"It's too dangerous for them to join the scouts," Queen Selene responded, shaking her head.
"But, Your Majesty, considering that they are the only ones who have received the blessings of the Guardians, whether it was a mistake or not, I don't think the scouts will feel determined or not feel like they're being sent to their deaths if they are not accompanied by Princess Crystalia and her personal guard," Elder Auli replied, disagreeing with Queen Selene's words.
Queen Selene frowned at her words. She was about to respond when a voice interrupted.
"Yes, Elder Auli is right. Although the Princess might be extremely weak when compared to the White Flame, however, when compared to her peers, she and that boy are definitely above them in a way that could only be called a monstrosity."
"And since the foreigner would accompany them in looking for a way out of this mountain, considering the strength that he had displayed, I don't believe it would be dangerous for them to go with the scouts," Elder Caz interrupted, "Besides, if it goes well, then it would be easy for us to secure the throne for the Princess and retain our authority over the Prismerian Kingdom."
"And what if they fail?" King Brylon asked, staring at Elder Caz intently. He did not like the idea of sending his daughter to the upper region of the mountain.
Elder Caz turned to look at the king before he shook his head in response and replied, "We can only hope that they don't," with a tired sigh escaping his lips.
King Brylon wanted to open his mouth and respond, however, he kept his words to himself.
After all, this was a very delicate situation, and he could not let his emotions decide for him in such a crucial matter. That would be unbecoming of him as the King of the Prismerian Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Queen Selene was deep in thought, considering the elders' opinions before she heaved a weary sigh.
"Alright," Queen Selene said, nodding her head as she displayed a faint smile, "I will arrange for the princess and the boy to participate in the scout mission. However, before that, I will also have to speak with the Princess of the Garden about this and see if there is any way that they can both retake the trial to receive the blessings of the Guardians completely."
"Will they allow it?" Elder Cailan suddenly asked.
"Of course, I am sure they will," Queen Selene responded.
Although she wasn't overly confident, there was no harm in trying to see if her plan would work. If it didn't, then all they could do was hope that the scouting mission would be successful.
"I will go to the Garden and speak with the Guardians, and hear their response. The rest of you may leave and rest in the rooms that have been prepared for you while we await their reply, along with responses from the other major clans," Queen Selene declared.
She rose from her throne, with her husband by her side, and the guards around the platform began to disperse, escorting them out of the throne room.
