Herag's arrival drew their attention; several people in charge of vigilance approached, holding weapons.

"Who are you?" a red-haired man holding a broad long blade asked.

Herag said, "Adventurer, heading to Red Leaf County."

Red Leaf County is a medium-sized city ahead, quite well-known in the vicinity.

This is also a necessary stop to reach Red Leaf County, so Herag's words made sense.

This group of people were experienced adventurers, familiar with the surroundings, and knew Herag's words posed no issue.

The red-haired man said, "Sorry, we don't allow outsiders to camp here, so you'll need to find a place some distance away for the night."

These people remained highly cautious of Herag, their tense muscles indicating they were prepared to act at any moment.

Anyone able to travel alone in the wild is not an ordinary person.

They understood this well, so they dared not take any action against Herag, only keeping vigilant.

Herag nodded slightly, "I'll head forward, won't disturb you."

He had no intention of staying with this group; with the Fallen Wings, it's much safer alone.

Herag had just taken a few steps when a man's voice called from behind, "It's fine, friend, stay with us; safety in numbers. There are demons everywhere now, being alone is too dangerous."

"Chief, this guy..."

"It's okay, with so many of us, what do we have to fear? Adventurers out here have it tough, and we definitely need to help each other."

...

Herag heard the dialogue behind him, finding the voice both familiar and unfamiliar.

He turned his head to see a scruffy, thirty-something man discussing with the red-haired man.

Looking at the scruffy man, Herag felt he looked familiar, then suddenly realized, isn't this Lins, Asuna's brother?

Compared to the first time they met, Lins' face completely lacked the youthfulness of back then and was filled with signs of hardship, with a long scar on his left cheek.

Lins' appearance had changed significantly compared to before, especially his whole demeanor was completely different, no longer the kid he used to be.

Herag didn't recognize him at first, only realizing after a moment.

Lins noticed Herag looking at him and smiled, "Brother, if you don't mind, join us, it's livelier with more people."

Herag was in the Thousand-Change Potion state, so Lins did not recognize him.

Although Herag initially planned to leave, upon seeing Lins, he reconsidered and decided to stay.

He spoke, "Thank you!"

Lins smiled, "No worries, by the way, my name is Lins, and I'm the leader of the Earth Adventurer Group. These are our members."

"Earth Adventurer Group..."

Herag murmured this name, remembering the Earth Breathing Technique he once gave Lins.

This kid now had the aura of a Great Knight; his presence was quite remarkable.

Most importantly, Herag noticed some earth element particles floating around Lins.

Normally, only wizards would exhibit such phenomena.

Herag recalled that the Light Knight he met before showed similar signs.

Herag wasn't familiar with the Knight's path, but he knew that its potential far exceeded the Great Knight; there are stronger realms beyond.

But these were insignificant compared to wizards, the disparity was too great, so Herag naturally wasn't concerned.

Now it seemed, Lins was somewhat like the Light Knight he met before; he had likely had some adventures throughout the years.

Herag remembered, Lins's talent was poor at that time, with very little chance of becoming a knight.

Even with the improved Earth Breathing Technique, the knight's path was an arduous one for Lins to tread.

Reaching his current level must have involved numerous ordeals.

"Thank you for providing a safe camp, my name is Shane," Herag expressed gratitude.

Lins said, "Mr. Shane, do you have a tent? If not, we have an extra you can use for the night."

He noted that Herag almost didn't have any baggage and thus asked.

Herag shook his head, "Thanks for your kindness, but it doesn't look like it'll rain today, so I'll just make do and find a spot."

Lins nodded and didn't insist; after arranging for Herag, he went on to handle other matters.

Apart from Lins, the others were seemingly not fond of Herag.

They remained highly cautious of Herag, and some even quietly complained about Lins.

Although their voices were low and they were in the distant woods.

With Herag's sharp ears, he heard it clearly.

"The chief's old habit's at it again!"

"You'll get used to it; that's just how he is, always likes to help others, but it brings him quite a lot of trouble too."

"This guy doesn't seem very strong, should be fine."

"Who knows, never underestimate anyone these days; I'll have Old Seven keep an eye on him, don't worry."

...

Herag listened and roughly understood; it seemed Lins often did such things.

He remembered the first encounter with Lins when he was being hunted for freeing captured women.

After all these years, maintaining such a heart isn't easy.

Especially being able to survive while holding onto that heart of goodwill.

With nothing better to do, Herag collected a pile of dry grass nearby, then found a spot to lay down for the night.

He lay on the ground seemingly resting his eyes, but secretly observing Lins.

Herag noticed, Lins's aura was powerful, with an earth affinity energy circulating within him.

He figured that although he couldn't become a knight himself, the improved Earth Breathing Technique was proving to be beneficial for Lins.

But Lins's internal condition wasn't great, with multiple hidden injuries and even an arrowhead within his chest that fused with surrounding tissue.

Given the medical conditions of the era, removing the arrowhead would likely be impossible.

Seeing the injuries on Lins, Herag roughly understood how hard these years had been for him.

Lins, without any natural talent for becoming a knight, persisted on this path, destined to exert a hundred times more effort than ordinary people for the faintest hope.

Red Leaf County is located in the northern part of the Noen Kingdom, quite a distance from Oberstein.

Lins operating in this area indicated he no longer intended to rescue Asuna from the mountains.

He once thought that upon becoming a Great Knight, he would be able to rescue Asuna.

Now, after truly understanding the power of wizards, he realized he had no hope.

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