"I'll make sure to end this quickly," Fifi declared as she descended down the ropes before letting go, free-falling towards the ground.
Orion observed her descent and watched as she joined the others in battling the Vylkr vines.
With their combined efforts, the battle lasted for about two minutes before coming to an end.
Contrary to Orion's expectations, every time they spotted a three-star Vylkr vine or a group of them, Seth would order the Orion's skies to descend, and the warriors would climb down from the ropes to engage them.
Initially, Orion understood the strategic reasons behind Seth's decisions, relieving the burden on the warriors protecting the Village and the forest. However, as it continued, Orion couldn't help but feel a twitch in his brows when he heard Seth's loud voice again.
"If things continue like this, it might take days before we even arrive at the mountains," Orion muttered under his breath as he observed Fifi and the other warriors descending the ropes again.
Before he knew it, the sun had already begun to set.
"Boom!" Another sound resonated in the distance below them.
"EVERYONE, LOWER YOUR ORION'S SKIE…."
Orion didn't need to look down to guess who was speaking or what the voice wanted to convey before he immediately grasped onto Fifi's arm to stop her from lowering the ropes.
"Orion, what is it?" Fifi asked with a raised brow, wondering why Orion had stopped her.
Instead of answering immediately, Orion however, turned to look at the other two warriors, "You two should stay behind this time around," he then focused his attention back on Fifi, "That includes you too."
Fifi and the rest of the warriors beside her couldn't help but frown at Orion's words.
Nonetheless, Fifi recognized that Orion would not say such a thing without reason, so she stared at him with a serious expression and said with a raised brow, "Orion, if you are thinking about my health, then I understand your concerns. However, I don't think that the others would understand..."
"Although I am concerned about your health, that wasn't what I meant," Orion interjected, shaking his head as he looked at the warriors in the other Orion's sky climbing down the ropes.
He refocused his gaze back at Fifi and continued, "We are running on a limited amount of time that we can't afford to waste, so if we want to reach the mountains as soon as possible, then we can't afford to continue like this."
"What do you suggest we do?" Fifi asked, curiously. She understood Orion's concerns, having experienced similar frustration when they first set out to find him.
Despite her initial inclination to leave the group and search on her own, she suppressed her anger. Nevertheless, having ultimately found Orion, she harboured no lasting resentment.
"I'll talk to him once he's finished, let him know we can't afford to waste time like this if we want to save Saria," Orion said, refocusing his attention on Seth and the other warriors dealing with the three-star Vylkr vine below.
Fifi's eyes widened at Orion's words, but she quickly composed herself, shaking her head vehemently.
"No. If you want to talk to him, tell me what you want to say, and I'll do it myself," Fifi insisted.
She had observed Seth's eyes at Orion and sensed that initiating their first proper conversation in this manner might not be the best idea.
Orion frowned at Fifi's words. While he appreciated her concern for his safety, he didn't want her to feel the need to shield him all the time outside the Village.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it myself," Orion reassured her, shaking his head firmly.
"But—"
"No buts. Or are you telling me that you don't believe I can handle this?" Orion asked, raising a brow as he looked at Fifi.
"I... I..." Fifi stammered, finding herself at a loss after hearing Orion's words.
She faced a dilemma. On one hand, she didn't want Orion to think she doubted his capabilities, but on the other hand, she didn't want him to get into trouble with Seth, especially considering this was their first mission together.
Seth, being one of the strongest warriors in the Village and the son of the Village Chief, possibly the next Rightward Stronghold Leader, validated her concerns.
Meanwhile, observing Fifi's conflicted expression, Orion sighed inwardly and shook his head. If only she knew the significant contributions he had made to the Village, she would understand that he wasn't afraid of getting on Seth's bad side or being intimidated by him.
While Seth might be physically stronger, Orion recognized his own value to the Village, making him less concerned about angering the Village Chief's son.
"They are almost done," Orion remarked, refocusing his attention on the defeated Vylkr vine.
He then turned to Fifi and said earnestly, "Fifi, if you trust me, I want you to stay out of this and allow me to handle it."
After deep contemplation, Fifi sighed heavily and nodded in relief.
If Seth became angry or refused to listen, she could leverage their connections to the Caretaker and the Village Chief as a means to resolve the issue and prevent any escalation.
Despite her strength, she knew that none of them were foolish enough to escalate to physical confrontation, especially given the nature of their mission.
The battle soon concluded, and the warriors promptly climbed back into the baskets of their respective Orion's sky.
Orion, however, kept his gaze fixed on Seth, who reciprocated the stare until he climbed back into the flying contraption.
Seth's gaze lingered on Orion for a few seconds before shifting his attention toward Fifi and the rest of the warriors standing behind him.
"What is the meaning?! Didn't you hear my orders?!" he bellowed loudly.
Fifi was about to respond when Orion immediately interrupted, "I told them not to go, so they can conserve their strength for when we reach the mountain!" he said, ensuring that his words reverberated through the air.
