Chapter 282: Rescuing Eris' Parents

In order to allow Philip and Hilda to contact someone from the Boreas family, the bandits decided to spare their lives for now and planned to take them to the nearest town.

Since Philip claimed to be a noble of the Asura Kingdom, the bandits figured there might still be people in the Holy Kingdom of Millis who could recognize him.

On top of that, once they learned how valuable the Light of Dawn was, they became eager to sell it, as it was essentially worthless to them.

Usually, only corrupt nobles would be willing to pay such high prices for an ornamental item like that.

After hearing that some wealthy nobles in the capital of Millis, who were devout followers of the Millis Church, had a penchant for flowers symbolizing light and hope, the bandits decided to disguise themselves as merchants and head to the capital.

Their plan had two purposes: to sell the Light of Dawn and to verify Philip's identity.

If Philip had lied to them, they had no qualms about killing him.

As for Hilda, because of her beauty and curvaceous figure, they figured she would fetch a good price in the capital as well.

In short, whether or not Philip was truly a noble, the bandits felt they had nothing to lose.

With this "sure-win" mentality, the bandit group took Philip and Hilda with them and began their journey toward the capital.

For the bandits, this was nothing new. They were well-practiced in smuggling and disguising themselves as merchants to enter cities.

Unfortunately for them, fate wasn't on their side. While traveling to the capital, they crossed paths with Wood and his group.

At first, it didn't seem like a big deal. Wood appeared to be someone not to be trifled with, so the bandits kept their distance.

However, both Wood and Zenith caught a glimpse of Hilda among the group.

It couldn't be helped—despite their disguise, the bandit group consisted entirely of men, making Hilda stand out. Since they had known her for some time, it wasn't hard for Wood and Zenith to recognize their old acquaintance.

"Thank goodness, Lady Hilda, I'm so relieved to see you're alright," Wood exclaimed.

When Wood and Zenith spotted Hilda, she too had noticed them.

Wood, now bald and covered in burn scars, wasn't immediately recognized by Hilda, but she quickly recognized Zenith.

When the Greyrat family had first moved to Roa, Hilda had visited them a few times. She had always admired Zenith, not only for her beauty but also for her skills as a high-level mage.

As a fellow mother, Hilda had often felt inferior. While she couldn't even raise her own child, Zenith had two well-mannered and talented sons, Wood and Rudy.

Hilda had even secretly sought advice from Zenith on how to raise children properly.

Looking at Wood and Rudy, who were polite and brilliant, and then looking at her own daughter, Eris... Hilda often wondered if Eris was even her biological child.

The moment she saw Zenith, Hilda wanted to call for help, but the bandit standing next to her shot her a menacing look, silently warning her to keep quiet.

Fortunately, not only had she spotted Zenith, but Zenith had also noticed her. And when Zenith began walking toward them, Hilda knew she was saved!

As Zenith approached with the enormous Demon Wolf King by her side, the bandits quickly realized things were about to go south.

It was clear to anyone with half a brain that Zenith knew Hilda. They didn't know how powerful Zenith was, but the sight of that massive wolf beast was enough to terrify them.

At this level of strength, there was no way they could fight off that beast. They wouldn't stand a chance—there weren't enough of them to even slow it down.

Realizing that they were doomed, the bandit leader made a desperate move. He pulled out a dagger, intending to stab Hilda and give the order for his men to scatter.

But before he could act, a fireball shot past Hilda's shoulder and hit the leader squarely in the head, killing him instantly.

"Careful! These people aren't merchants. Philip and Lady Hilda have likely been taken hostage," Wood shouted.

It was Wood who had cast the fireball from the carriage. As an experienced warrior, Wood could immediately tell from the way these men moved, with their steady steps and fierce gazes, that they weren't ordinary merchants.

Besides, they were in the territory of the Holy Kingdom of Millis. Philip and Hilda, as nobles of the Asura Kingdom, wouldn't need this many guards while traveling here.

When the other bandits saw their leader fall, they knew things had taken a turn for the worse. They tried to flee in all directions.

"Awhooooooo!"

But the Demon Wolf King let out a deafening howl that reverberated through the area, stunning several bandits where they stood. Its pack immediately pounced on the dazed men.

What followed was a one-sided massacre.

Hilda, who had spent most of her life in the comfort of her estate, had never witnessed anything like this. She nearly collapsed at the sight of the bloodbath in front of her, but Zenith was quick to catch and steady her.

"Life as an adventurer is like this. If it's not hunting magical beasts, it's being hunted by them. And sometimes it's civil war. It's a profession where you constantly walk the line between life and death," Zenith explained.

Hilda had once expressed her envy of the freedom adventurers had, but Zenith's words and the scene before her made it clear that the life of an adventurer was far from the carefree lifestyle Hilda had imagined.

Meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land is a joyous occasion, especially when that acquaintance rescues you from a dire situation. For Hilda and Philip, their relief was palpable.

After sharing their experiences over the past few months, Hilda realized how lucky they had been.

Had they been transported to the Moving Labyrinth, like Wood and Zenith, they wouldn't have survived a day, let alone made it out.

Looking at Wood now, with his bald head and burn scars, Hilda couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.

"Thank you, Lady Hilda, for your concern," Wood said, noting her worried expression. "My burns should be fully healed in a few days.

But what do you and Philip plan to do next? We're headed to the capital of Millis to gather information on our missing family members. Will you be traveling with us, or do you plan to stop at the next town?"

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 400+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a