"By your will." Ilidian smiled faintly and issued orders to his demons: save the two humans, but remain unseen.

He’d been watching Rogue’s expression since spotting them. As fellow humans, he wondered if Rogue would intervene.

If not, they’d move on. If yes, it’d earn Rogue a favor. Either way, these two were already dead in Ilidian’s eyes once they joined the group.

Driving off the monsters without revealing identities was tricky, but the demons’ physical prowess—combined with Rogue’s healing arrays and Higor’s eighth-tier strength—made quick work of the horde.

Monsters fell or fled in droves, leaving the two onlookers wide-eyed.

The violet-haired girl swallowed hard and tugged her red-haired companion’s sleeve. "Morihui… let’s just leave. These people don’t seem trustworthy."

A merchant caravan in this danger zone? Hooded figures radiating power? Anyone would sense something off.

Morihui waved her off, chiding gently, "They saved us. We can’t just vanish. Gratitude demands repayment. And with their strength… if they’d give us passage, we could escape this place."

Before the girl could protest, Rogue approached. She flinched, muscles tensing.

Rogue lowered his hood, revealing a smile that seemed "sincere" with concern. "Are you two alright? What brought you here?"

Hearing his flawless human speech—tinged with a Gracy Kingdom accent—the violet-haired girl exhaled quietly.

Morihui offered a small noble’s bow. "Thank you for rescuing us, sir. I’m Morihui, and this is my sister Lucici. We’re adventurers from the nearby Steven Family."

After introducing themselves, he explained: they’d been training near the Swampy Wasteland’s edge when they spotted a gravely wounded fifth-tier rare monster crashing into the forest. Hoping for an easy hunt, they’d wandered in—only to be surrounded by monsters.

"Had it not been for you, we’d have perished here. Please, let us properly thank you!"

Morihui’s easy grin naturally won goodwill. Through his divine blessing, Rogue sensed his sincerity. What you saw was what you got with this boy.

Once he finished, Rogue introduced himself. "Call me Rogue. Our caravan travels from the south, bound for the Steven Family’s territory. We took this risky shortcut and… well, meeting you feels like fate."

He’d hoped to see recognition at his name. None came.

*Rogue* likely wasn’t his true name.

Lucici’s curious gaze flickered to him. "Uncle, what’s your caravan’s name?"

"*Uncle*?" Rogue blinked.

Was he really that old? He couldn’t be thirty yet…

Shrugging it off, he replied, "Bert Caravan."

"Eh? That’s the caravan Father said would arrive at our territory these days!" Morihui’s last trace of wariness vanished. "What a coincidence!"

Noticing Lucici’s lingering suspicion, Rogue glanced at the black-cloth-covered wagons—some hiding prison carts, others disguised as grain carriers. He tugged his own robe. "These hoods bear perception-blocking enchantments. With so many monsters here, precautions prevent… accidents."

Lucici ducked her head, embarrassed. Compared to these green adventurers, Rogue’s seasoned logic eased her doubts.

"Travel with us," Rogue invited. "We’ll see you home."

"Okay!"

He waved to Ilidian, shouting in human tongue to rally the demons. The caravan resumed its orderly march.

Along the way, Morihui bombarded Rogue with adventure questions. His family had sheltered him from the outside world, fueling his yearning for glory. Becoming a high-tier adventurer to vanquish evil was his dream.

Rogue chatted casually, steering the conversation until Morihui blurted out: "I envy your adventures, Uncle Rogue! If I had your strength, I’d join the Hero Squad and slay the Demon King like the Heroes!"

A flicker of calculation crossed Rogue’s eyes before he shook his head with a wry smile. "My ‘adventures’ aren’t worth envying. Just surviving by risking our lives daily. And the Heroes… it’s a shame they failed three years ago."

Morihui’s curiosity flared. He grabbed Rogue’s arm. "Uncle Rogue! You know about the Final Battle? Tell me everything!"

"Morihui! That’s rude!" Lucici pulled his hand away, apologizing. "Forgive him. He’s always been obsessed with Heroes."

"Hah! Youthful passion—I remember it well." Rogue chuckled, then sighed. "Sadly, I know little of that battle. Just rumors heard on the road."

"I’ll never understand how the Heroes lost," Morihui muttered. "They were unstoppable! Beyond the armies, their Hero Squad alone had over twenty Legendary warriors! The Demon King only had four or five—how could they lose?"

"*Twenty*?" Rogue raised a skeptical brow.

Morihui insisted, "Yes! Beyond the seven Heroes, their retainers were immensely powerful. But the *real* key—the strongest of them all—do you know who it was?"

"Who?" Rogue played along, hooked.

"Zoss! The Hero Squad’s captain!" Morihui’s hands swept wide, gesturing wildly. "When he visited Gracy Kingdom, fiery meteors rained from the sky! One colossal rock blotted out the sun over the capital—about to crush everything—yet Zoss shattered it with an Overlord Magic spell as easily as breathing!"

He mimed the explosion dramatically. "This Swampy Wasteland? It was a lush forest before those meteors struck!"

"Some even whisper…" Morihui leaned in, voice hushed with awe, "…that Zoss is a child of a Deity!"