"Kept you waiting, huh?" Vincent said as he and Rykard emerged from their passage into the crossroads chamber.

  The Hero, already standing in the center, turned to face them. A faint smirk tugged at her lips. "You were quicker than I expected. I've only been here a few minutes myself."

  "That so?"

  She nodded toward the other passages. "Meryl hasn't arrived yet."

  "That's to be expected," Rykard said, leaning against the wall.

  Vincent glanced at him. "How so?"

  "Because she's a mage. Can't use big spells since she needs to conserve her mana in case something goes wrong. And since she's physically weaker than us, she has to be methodical. Pick them off slowly. Carefully."

  The Hero's gaze swept over them both. "Speaking of quick... how did you two finish so fast?"

  "Vincent gathered them all in one spot and handled the heavy lifting," Rykard said with a shrug. "I just made sure none escaped."

  The Hero raised an eyebrow, then let out a small exhale. "I guess I worried for nothing. Maybe I should have sent you with Meryl instead."

  "No need," Rykard said, pushing off the wall. "She'll be fine."

  "Still." The Hero straightened. "I'll go help her. You two stay here—make sure no stragglers try to warn the main chamber."

  "Alright." Vincent's agreement came almost instantly.

  Rykard nodded a beat later. "Alright."

  The Hero gave them a final look, then disappeared into the rightmost passage.

  After the Hero disappeared into the passage, Rykard settled onto a stone, stretching his legs. He looked at Vincent. "Since we'll be waiting, why not get acquainted? Properly, I mean."

  "I thought we were acquainted."

  "Properly acquainted."

  "What?"

  Rykard rolled his eyes. "Can you stop pretending I'm an idiot for one minute?"

  "No."

  Rykard blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

  "What?" Vincent's expression didn't change.

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  "I swear you just said no."

  "Did I?"

  Rykard pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fuck. Do you actually think people won't find it suspicious? 'V.' A single letter?"

  "Does it matter?"

  Rykard just stared at him.

  "...Fine." Vincent relented. "Ask whatever's bothering you. I'll try to answer."

  "Thank you." Rykard leaned forward. "Why do you both hide and not hide who you are at the same time?"

  "What?"

  "You hide your real name and your background. But you don't hesitate to show off your abilities—right in front of us."

  "I don't know."

  Rykard's voice climbed. "You're telling me you have no reason for this elaborate act?"

  "I have a reason for hiding my name." Vincent met his gaze. "Everything else is just... because."

  "Because?" Confusion creased Rykard's brow.

  "Yeah. Just because." Vincent shrugged. "I felt like it. Like an irresistible urge."

  "You want to know what I think?"

  "What?"

  "You're lying." A smirk played at Rykard's lips. "You saw the Hero, fell in love, and now you don't want to hide who you're and are showing off your abilities."

  Vincent stared at him for a long moment. "You really think so?"

  "I believe so."

  Silence stretched between them.

  "I don't think so," Vincent finally said.

  "Why not?"

  "I'd know if I were in love."

  Rykard chuckled. "Your expressions when you speak to her—when you even think about her—say otherwise."

  Vincent's brow furrowed. "Really?"

  "Yeah. The way you hold yourself, the smiles, the way you speak. Everything changes with her." Rykard tilted his head. "You're seriously telling me you've never been in love?"

  "I guess not."

  "You look thirty-something—"

  "Twenty-four. I'm twenty-four."

  "—and you've never been in love?"

  "Not that I can remember." Vincent's voice softened, just slightly. "And I don't think I'm in love now. I think you're just trying to convince me to stay with this group."

  Rykard raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

  "Unfortunately," Vincent continued, "I want to travel. See the world. For now, at least."

  Rykard leaned back, a knowing look still lingering on his face. "Whatever you say, V."

  The next few minutes leading to the return of the Hero and Meryl passed in silence.

  "Fortunately, I worried for nothing," the Hero announced as she and Meryl emerged into the chamber. She looked at Vincent. "Did anything happen while I was away?"

  "Nothing worth mentioning."

  Seeing that Meryl appeared uninjured and not even winded, Vincent pressed forward. "Shall we continue?"

  "We need to rethink the plan first." Meryl's voice cut through, drawing all eyes to her.

  "She's right," the Hero added. "I felt it too."

  Rykard's expression shifted to one of grim understanding.

  Vincent looked between them. "Felt what?"

  Meryl studied him. "I take it you haven't fought goblins before?"

  "No. Why?"

  "Initially, we believed only the leader was intelligent—simply commanding the others well. But we were wrong. These goblins..." She paused. "They shouldn't be able to learn anything beyond basic combat. Yet they're using second-tier magic. Intermediate weapon techniques. This isn't natural."

  "The demon king," Rykard muttered. "His influence is spreading faster than we thought."

  Vincent shrugged. "So? Goblins are still weak. What's the concern?"

  The three of them stared at him.

  "They're not weak," Meryl said slowly, as if stating an obvious fact.

  "They're strong enough to throw entire nations into chaos," Rykard added.

  Vincent's brow furrowed. "How? They're goblins."

  Meryl tilted her head. "How exactly did you gain your strength, V?"

  "I don't see how that matters."

  "You said you're a sorcerer. Self-taught, correct?" At his nod, she continued. "Then it makes sense you're unaware of how we measure strength. You have nothing to compare others to. I suspect you're severely overestimating the average person simply because you share their form."

  She held up a hand, ticking off points. "The average man—no education in scholarship or combat—would struggle to kill a single goblin alone. Those with talent and the financial means to train are categorized into ranks. Even then, a typical soldier or D-rank adventurer would find a small group of normal goblins a genuine threat."

  Her voice grew heavier. "But these goblins? A single one could match an average soldier in combat."

  Vincent's expression finally shifted. He looked at the Hero, then back at Meryl. "But the four of us can still handle the rest, right?"

  "That's not what worries us," the Hero replied quietly.

  "We're concerned about what this means going forward," Meryl explained. "If the demon king can enhance goblins like this—the weakest of demonkind—then what happens when he does the same to stronger demons? He could thin our forces, wear us down, turn every skirmish into a battle. Eventually, we become easy prey."

  Silence hung in the chamber.

  Vincent absorbed the weight of her words. The threat wasn't just this cave. It was the future those goblins represented.

  Finally, he spoke. "So what's the plan?"

  "Well, our priority remains the hostages. But we also need to kill most goblin here and look for any clues about the demon king's influence. Here's what I'm thinking."

  She looked at Vincent. "V, you'll stay with Rykard and search for the hostages. After hearing what you're capable of, I'm comfortable leaving you two alone."

  Vincent nodded.

  "Meryl and I will create a disturbance—draw their attention, kill as many as we can. We'll leave the leader and a few others alive for... research."

  "Alright," Vincent replied.

  Rykard shifted. "What if the goblin leader is in the hostage room?"

  The Hero's gaze didn't waver. "Then I hope V can handle him."

  Silence. Then Vincent gave a single, curt nod.

  "Let's move."