Well..it's good to know that Ruti has things planned out
. Pretty sure it's not going to go like she's planning, but it's good to have goals I suppose!
The one good thing is that it seems like this Van is still being built up in terms of power. Makes sense that he's not going to catch up to Ruti that quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some powered down impact thanks to that new blessing she gained. But even if she's not at prime strength she's likely still a good deal more powerful than this guy who is just getting started. But...he's pretty determined to get stronger so it's only a matter of time before he becomes a threat.
No surprise that Red and Rit are happy to stay in Zoltan. They are settled and are comfortable. They'd be treated well with the elves of course. But no point uprooting when they spent a whole season getting settled in and becoming part of the community. Of course that may not be so easy to maintain if threats like the upcoming Hero are dropped on their heads.
That Gem Beast was...well a beast. That's a major threat to deal with. Strong enough to handle this group which is pretty darn capable. They did managed to overcome it, but not easily. Also I'm not sure what Red is talking about regarding not being able to keep up with the hero's party. Seems like he can keep up just fine.