In everyone's mind, Nausicaä is no longer the inexperienced young clan leader she once was.
Now, she has become a true messenger of the gods under one person (or rather, one tree), a position that no one can replace.
As the first child of the Erdtree, she is undoubtedly the person in the entire Valley of the Wind who most needs to be protected.
However, when the issue involved her personally leading the team to the rally, no one voiced any objection.
The reason is simple: Joint Gathering have always been a formal stage for high-level consultations and trade negotiations, attended by representatives of kings, crown princes, princesses, and other heirs from various countries.
Besides Nausicaä, no one else in Valley of the Wind is qualified for this job.
Eliana's expression changed slightly; she had indeed overlooked this point before.
"Then we'll only need one-third, plus twenty militiamen, and the rest of the Blessed Warrior must accompany Her Highness Nausicaä to ensure her safety."
Fearing that she would displease the princess, she immediately revised her suggestion.
"No need."
At this moment, Nausicaä spoke.
"I only need five Blessed Warrior; the remaining fifteen can all come with you to receive the refugees."
Nausicaä calmly finalized the team selection, as if she herself were not the one heading to a place of trouble.
"Your Highness! Please reconsider!" Mito, the "head steward," immediately spoke up to dissuade him.
"Other countries appear to get along well on the surface, but in reality, they are all engaging in underhanded tactics, especially the organizer Pejite, who has no integrity whatsoever."
"Last time we gave so much grain, and all we got in return were two broken machine tools, which is nothing like what was promised!"
"What if they see you here in person and try to pull some wicked tricks..."
" Mito," Yupa interrupted Mito, "You're overreacting a bit."
" Nausicaä is no longer a child. With her fighting prowess, as long as she doesn't encounter a regular army or a barrage of modern weaponry, no one can harm her."
He had recently witnessed firsthand the terrifying destructive power that Nausicaä could unleash when she practiced Incantations.
Honestly, if I were to spar with her, who had mastered combat-style Incantations, I doubt I could even last two moves.
Even if Yupa incredibly strong, he couldn't possibly punch through a steel plate!
Speaking of which... should I also receive a blessing and satisfy my curiosity?
Yupa shook off these distracting thoughts and continued his analysis:
" Nausicaä, along with the five Blessed Warrior, is more than enough to handle the risks at the gathering. I know their fighting capabilities."
Nausicaä gave Yupa a grateful look; some things were better left unsaid.
"Grandpa Mito, if we detain most of the Blessed Warrior because of my safety, it will be very difficult to carry out the work of receiving refugees."
"As the chieftain of the Valley of the Wind, if I don't even dare to take this small risk, how can I lead everyone forward?"
"Moreover, I also have the protection of the Erdtree," Nausicaä said firmly.
Mito sighed, "Then... let's do as Your Highness says."
Ultimately, with Nausicaä's approval, the members of the second rescue team and the third Joint Gathering were selected.
The refugee reception team was led by Kamlin, a calm, meticulous man with successful escort experience.
Fifteen Blessed Warrior, along with twenty new recruits, headed towards Pejite under Meila's leadership.
Their main task was to search along the way, help and guide refugees safely to the Valley of the Wind, and incidentally, to find an opportunity to investigate the Pejite.
The Joint Gathering caravan, in addition to Nausicaä and twenty other caravan members, was accompanied by a guard composed of Por, Elphias Doge, and three other Blessed Warrior for protection.
The mission is to carry goods to the Mining Town to attend the gathering, and to bring back the technology and supplies that the Valley of the Wind urgently needs.
In addition, these two teams have another important task.
That is, to spread faith.
Mu En believes that since the Valley of the Wind cannot be developed quickly in a short period of time, using past experiences and miracles to spread faith may be a viable path.
In the desolate and barren post-apocalyptic world, people always need a little faith and hope to survive.
Then why can't the object of our longing be Him, the true God?
After the clerk copied down all the decisions and distributed them to the elders, the meeting concluded successfully, and everyone rose to leave.
As Gol walked, he and Trudeau discussed which goods to bring. Eliana quickly caught up with Mito and asked about the details of the militia mobilization.
The great-grandmother stood up from the corner, leaned on her cane, and came to Nausicaä's side, gently patting the girl's shoulder with her withered hand.
"Child, be careful on the road."
The old man didn't offer any further advice and walked away unsteadily.
Young people have their own paths to follow, and since they have made their choices, they should be the ones to forge their own way.
Night fell.
Nausicaä came to the Erdtree alone.
The soft light enveloped the clearing, and the leaves rustled, as if the whole forest were breathing.
Nausicaä sat under the tree and began to recount the results of today's meeting.
In addition to the selection of the three teams and their tasks, the departure time has also been finalized, set for tomorrow morning.
After her departure, the affairs of the valley will be temporarily managed by Mito and Eliana, two capable individuals.
Nausicaä even mentioned a backup plan: if the Sea of Corruption reacts abnormally, the exploration team will retreat to the uninhabited area to the north to avoid bringing the threat to the Valley of the Wind or other countries.
Everything has been arranged.
In fact, Mu En had been observing the entire meeting process for some time.
His consciousness could connect with all the Blessed; he could "see" clearly the arguments, compromises, and anxieties in the castle hall.
But hearing Nausicaä recount all of this in a clear and organized manner made me feel even more at ease.
"Well done, even more thoughtful than I expected."
Mu En was genuinely satisfied with this loyal and capable subject.
In order to complete the various plans set by Mu En, the girl traveled around the valley every day.
He gets up before dawn and reviews reports by candlelight late at night, and discusses matters with the elders even during meals.
Nausicaä had already arranged things for him that he hadn't even thought about in detail.
Hearing Mu En's praise, Nausicaä's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"So, as recognition of your excellent work, is there any reward you would like?" Mu En asked.
Nausicaä is about to lead a delegation on a long journey, and given the resource shortages in various countries, this gathering is unlikely to be peaceful.
He also said that he would focus his energy on another crucial matter and would not pay attention to her all the time.
In the Valley of the Wind, the Golden Folk may be powerful enough, but they are still no match for a true war machine.
Perhaps I should lend a hand and help Nausicaä better protect herself?
Moreover, the difficulty of breaking through to become Golden Knight is higher than Mu En had imagined.
A month ago, Nausicaä was already standing on the threshold.
A month later, there was still no sign of a breakthrough.
He could sense that the Rune energy within the girl's body was saturated, but it was just a little short of the right opportunity.
In any case, Rune currently has ample reserves, enough even for him to forcibly create dozens of " Golden Folk ".
Moreover, Mu En herself was curious.
Just how powerful could that " Golden Knight " level Blessed, who only exists in imagination and has never actually appeared in this world, really be?
He had a vague premonition that it would be a qualitative change.
Nausicaä remained silent for a moment, without making any requests regarding increasing her power.
She looked up at the treetops and whispered:
"May I... hold you for a little while? Just for a moment."