Going to the Mines  

"Huh?"

A collective gasp echoed through the group as Isolde and the others expressed their shock.

"Huh? Split up?" Isolde questioned, clearly not enthusiastic about the idea.

"Yes," Ren answered. It was to save time. He didn't know how long the quest would last, but he only had one day in real time to finish this whole thing.

He could just explore the Fey Realm to his heart's content after the Fey Realm became accessible and all his problems were solved.

"Then I will go with Ren," Elena declared and grabbed Ren's arm.

Isolde's eyes narrowed, noticing the touch between Elena and Ren, prompting Ren to quickly withdraw his hand.

Unfazed, Elena smiled suggestively, "I see. I understand. You prefer privacy. We can continue later when we're alone."

No. You don't understand. Ren wanted to say. The words were on his lips, but instead, he changed the topic to avoid any further misunderstandings.