...that priest has a pretty long tongue, doesn't he? The emperor clearly told him "I WON'T SEND MY CHILD THERE!" while glaring and even pulverizing a glass, and there he goes off telling everyone that the emperor is going to send Estrellita to that, literally, curse land... If I were the emperor I would request specifically for that priest to go before sending her to scout or something (yeah, I have a very dark intention behind that proposal)
And why did Jeren forget about the spirit? To be honest I don't know what to make out of him: he could have protected Estrella for his own interests or he really cares about her, but... I don't know...