The next morning, as planned, Alius, Riltaine, Serati, Karnak, and his group departed Derath City. They initially split into four groups, heading in different directions—east, west, south, and north—each decked out in highly conspicuous attire: clerical robes for Alius, mage’s robes for Riltaine and Karnak, and armor for Varos and Serati.1

After traveling separately for half a day, they changed course and regrouped at a prearranged location, where they began altering their appearances.0

“Alright, time to go undercover,” Alius announced.0

He swapped his clerical robes for a traveler’s outfit, even adding a rustic touch to his staff with worn carvings to disguise it as an ordinary walking stick. Karnak and Riltaine’s transformations were simpler—they only needed to remove their robes and conceal their wands. Varos and Serati, however, presented a bit more of a challenge.0

For Varos, even without his armor, his hulking frame and well-trained physique were hard to miss. Since shrinking his size wasn’t an option, he instead donned an oversized coat and carried a massive pack, disguising himself as a hired laborer. The issue with Serati was her striking beauty.0

It wasn’t unusual for women to travel with merchant caravans, but someone as stunning as her would inevitably draw attention. Yet, altering her appearance to look plain was also risky. In a place like Trist City, full of criminals...0