As Darius and his crew ventured towards Gryndale, Arsen's mind was plagued by conflicting emotions. Her eyes wandered over the unexpected letter from Everfrost, handed to her shortly after the crew had left her office.  Inside was Ophelia's handwriting, stating in the letter that Darius' crew was wanted in the nation for reasons undisclosed.

Her hands on the table, she glanced back at Elysaria. Her right-hand woman just gave her a look and shrugged as if not knowing what to say before drinking a glass of her ale. It seemed that she didn't want to say anything about the letter. In her mind, she shouldn't meddle with any sort of nation-related propositions.

"I never thought I'd be so conflicted," Arsen whispered to herself, clutching the letter tightly in her hands. She remained silent as there was a possibility that Everfrost was lying.

But she also knew that this was Ophelia who contacted her. It wouldn't make sense for her to lie considering Ophelia wasn't the type to do so in the first place. She was very direct to the point the last time they had met.

"It's the first time I've seen you like this," Elysaria commented, pointing out the expression Arsen had. "I didn't want to interrupt your talk with them earlier so I remained silent." 

Arsen looked up at Elysaria, her eyes reflecting mixed emotions within her. "I just don't know what to make of this."

"I gave my trust to Captain Thorren and his crew. They have been nothing but honest during their stay," Arsen shared before she crossed her arms.

"Unfortunately, I also cannot ignore the letter from Everfrost. It could be a misunderstanding between their nation but what if it's not?"

"Part of me wants to ignore the letter and trust in Darius and his crew. They have proven themselves to be trustworthy allies so far. But another part of me can't ignore the fact that this is coming from Ophelia, and she has never been one to deceive," she continued before taking out a pen and holding it tight to her hands.

Elysaria placed a comforting hand on Arsen's shoulder. "It's natural to feel conflicted between the two, General. You have to trust your instincts more this time," she said softly. "If you believe in Darius and his crew, then trust that they have a valid explanation for whatever this is."

"You are one of the people I know that does not make a decision hastily. Whatever your decision may be, general, I'd stand by your side and trust you in this," Elysaria added in as Arsen looked down at the letter in her hands, her mind still racing with uncertainties.

Arsen nodded, grateful for Elysaria's advice. Her voice is genuine. "At this time, I would like to observe. We should be cautious and gather more information. It wouldn't be fair to Darius and his crew to jump to conclusions based on a single letter."

Arsen took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She knew that Elysaria was right. As the leader of Arkenheilm, she had to be strong and decisive. She couldn't make mistakes. She shouldn't let uncertainty cloud her mind.

With a sense of determination, Arsen decided to take matters into her own hands. She knew she had to be discreet in her investigation, as she didn't want to cause unnecessary panic among her crew or strain their alliance with Darius and his crew.

Over the next few days, Arsen discreetly inquired with her contacts in other nations, seeking information about the situation in Everfrost.

She was careful not to reveal too much, simply stating that she had received a letter concerning Darius' crew and wanted to know if there was any truth to the claims.

The responses she received were mixed. Some sources claimed that there were indeed rumors of Darius' crew being wanted in Everfrost, but the reasons remained undisclosed.

It seems that the ministry had not disclosed the information as well and just ordered the guards to capture them for questioning.

Others were trying to decipher whether if there was a warrant to such thing or that it was likely a ploy to tarnish Darius' reputation. It could also be a way for them to prevent Darius' crew to head to their original destination.

A knock quickly interrupted her thoughts regarding the matter. Elysaria and Arsen both shared a look before Arsen ordered the person behind the door to come in.

Calista walked in, a frown plastered on her face and solemnly walking. There was a bit of distance between her and Darius but still remained professional by nodding as a greeting.

Behind her, Darius follows and nods as well before he approached them. Arsen held the letter and hid it on one of the drawers of her desk as the lovers proceed to approach her.

"Is there any matter, Captain Thorren? You look rather troubled," Elysaria pointed out with a look and scanning his expression. Darius only coughed.

"Actually, I wanted to leave Calista in your hands. I couldn't risk her to join this expedition." Calista gave him a look before sighing right beside him. The two already noticed how sad she looked.

Arsen nodded in acknowledgment, her gaze gentle and reassuring. "Rest assured that she's in safe hands."

Darius smiled gratefully at Arsen, leaving a tender kiss on Calista's forehead before excusing himself from the office. The door closed behind him, leaving Calista standing there, still feeling a pang of longing to join the expedition.

As the Medusa approached the shores of Gryndale, Darius couldn't help but feel that something felt wrong as he walked towards Aloysius.

Aloysius noticed the uneased gaze the captain had at the waters of the Regimere."What's bothering you?"

Darius sighed. "I left Calista behind with them. I didn't want to risk her safety on this expedition. But now, I just can't help but worry."

Aloysius nodded understandingly. "It's only natural to worry. But you made the right decision, Darius. Calista is in good hands. They can protect her."

Darius nodded, grateful for Aloysius' reassurance.

"I know," he said before rubbing his nape and hung his head down low. He knew this was for the best but even he felt his heart aching at the distance he and his lover would have from this. "It's just that... I can't shake that feeling that something is off."