"You heard about the caravan, right?"
Lucien nodded.
"You probably heard that we were performers."
Seran looked toward Aurelia briefly.
"That was true."
Then he looked back at Lucien.
"It just was not the whole truth."
Lucien remained silent.
Seran leaned against a crate.
"Most of them were retired mercenaries."
Lucien's expression sharpened.
That changed everything.
"They stopped taking contracts years ago," Seran continued. "Some were too old. Some were tired of killing. Others simply wanted something different."
His mouth curved faintly.
"So they became performers."
Lucien understood immediately.
A traveling troupe made sense.
People who already knew how to move across dangerous roads, protect supplies, fight bandits, and survive in unfamiliar territory could travel more safely than ordinary entertainers.
"They taught you?" Lucien asked.
Seran nodded.
"Everything useful."
His fingers tightened slightly around the blade.
