Henwell’s expnation piques the curiosity of the young man from the caravan.

  His name is Papaste, and his caravan has an unusual name—“Cheerful Camel.”

  Camels are a bit rger than horses, known for their impressive load capacity and endurance.

  In the Duchy of Lumir, these animals are commonly used by caravans for transport.

  The Cheerful Camel caravan isn’t small either; it belongs to the Rich Trading Group, one of Lumir’s major merchant factions.

  “Rich” is just Henwell’s transtion; the original name is quite a mouthful.

  Henwell simply prefers the name Rich—otherwise, Fortune Rush Trade Guild would also work.

  Like the Mountain Antelope Trade Caravan Henwell encountered earlier, Cheerful Camel is one of the twelve main members of Lumir’s Trade Alliance.

  Henwell quickly notices that Papaste is under twenty and is accompanied by two knight-ranked guards.

  The steward of the Cheerful Camel caravan shows considerable respect to Papaste, albeit subtly, something Henwell easily picks up on.

  Henwell suspects this young man is likely a scion of the Rich Trading Group’s leadership, here to gain experience.

  Merchant guilds in Lumir have strict rules, especially the Trade Alliance, one of the duchy’s rgest powers.

  The twelve top guilds each boast assets exceeding ten million gold coins.

  Heirs to these guilds undergo rigorous training, and traveling with caravans is a key part of that.

  Among this massive caravan, besides Cheerful Camel, there are two other guilds—a rge one and a small one—quietly protecting Papaste.

  Heirship training involves facing many dangers, not just the usual hazards on the road.

  Sabotage from rivals and power struggles among kin are constant threats.

  Where there are people, there’s always intrigue.

  Nobles have their political games; merchants have tangled interests.

  Even common folk get caught up in petty disputes.

  None of this concerns Henwell, nor does he want to get involved.

  At least for now, he pns to keep his distance.

  Henwell doesn’t want to get involved, but Papaste’s natural friendliness makes it hard to avoid.

  Papaste is very curious about this man cd head to toe in bck armor.

  Especially after his guards tell him Henwell is a skilled fighter.

  He’s eager to know why a lone knight is traveling on his own.

  After asking Henwell a few questions, Papaste gets sharply warned by the caravan steward.

  Henwell just smiles and shakes his head at the steward’s repeated apologies, signaling it’s no big deal.

  Young people, after all!

  Their curiosity is boundless.

  Out here, with friend and foe unclear, no one knows anyone’s true background.

  Henwell probably understands the risks of talking too much but hasn’t suffered losses yet.

  Once Papaste experiences a setback, he’ll realize that some lessons only come at a price.

  Since they set off early in the morning, the heat isn’t too bad at first.

  But as they dive deeper into the desert, the sun climbs higher and the temperature rises rapidly.

  Soon, everyone understands why this pce is called the Scorching Sand Sea.

  The bzing sun, reflecting off the sand, surrounds them with relentless heat from every angle.

  The heat stirs irritability and thirst; no one feels like chatting anymore.

  By noon, Papaste is nearly fainting from the sun, drenched in sweat.

  He looks at Henwell on horseback in surprise. “Buddy, aren’t you hot? Why are you still wearing such heavy armor?”

  As the temperature soars, many caravan guards have already loosened or removed their leather armor to stay cooler.

  Watching Papaste in just a thin shirt, Henwell calmly replies, “Of course it’s hot! But I suggest you keep your clothes on. In this heat, exposing your skin not only risks sunburn but also speeds up water loss.”

  Papaste protests, “We’ll reach Life Lake by afternoon. We won’t run out of water. No need to be so cautious, right?”

  Guide Mbatu can’t stay silent. “Young master, you’d better listen to this knight. Wearing clothes will make you sweat and feel uncomfortable, but it helps prevent excessive water loss. As for Life Lake, yes, it exists.”

  ”But we’re in the bzing sand sea, a dangerous pce. Anything can happen. Keeping enough water is the first rule of survival!”

  Though Papaste grumbles a bit, he obediently puts his clothes back on.

  Mbatu has been watching Henwell closely. Despite Henwell being cd in full bck armor with a cloak draped behind him—a color known for absorbing heat, there’s never a bead of sweat on his forehead. Even Henwell’s two warhorses show no signs of sweating.

  The horses, once curious about their surroundings, now occasionally snap at each other.

  Mbatu knows these two fiery steeds are actually exceptional.

  As for Henwell himself, he’s the most formidable person Mbatu has ever encountered.

  Henwell isn’t feeling much heat, either. Having reached the Iron Knight rank, his control over his body is impressive.

  Without activating his Blood Will, he can keep himself cool.

  Plus, his gear is the Padin set, an advanced extraordinary set from the Holy Spirit Church.

  The clothing bears extraordinary runes that adapt to the environment, making desert travel comfortable for Henwell.

  At noon, under the scorching sun, everyone feels drowsy from the heat.

  Suddenly, Henwell on horseback pulls out a telescope, extends it, and scans the distance.

  Mbatu and the others around him freeze for a moment, then immediately become alert.

  Papaste, however, is too curious to grasp the situation and eyes Henwell’s telescope eagerly.

  “Hey! That’s a telescope, right? I heard it was invented by the Lord of Blood Hill from Peace Haven! Yours is made in Peace Haven? It must be expensive!”

  Henwell ignores him and hands the telescope to Mbatu, pointing toward a direction.

  “Look over there. Doesn’t something seem off?”

  Mbatu, using such a device for the first time, fumbles a bit before getting the hang of it.

  Just as he marvels at how useful it is, his body stiffens, he’s clearly spotted the abnormality Henwell mentioned.

  Lowering the telescope, Mbatu tells Henwell, “Sir, may I borrow this treasure? I need to confirm with the other guides.”

  Henwell nods gently in agreement.

  After Mbatu rides off on his camel, Henwell dismounts from Night Charger, removes a quiver of arrows, and retrieves the Bow of Retribution from behind Windchaser.