Marriage

Era of Chaos, Year 1819.

The wheels creaked monotonously over the gravel road, and the carriage swayed gently with every bump, like a clumsy cradle.

The carriage carried five people as it rattled along.

The driver was Mu Sen, a fearsome bald man whose very presence made any ill-intentioned bandits think twice.

Inside the carriage, a gold coin flipped up and down between Mo Ke's fingers, while Li Ya Na across from him stared without blinking.

"Smack—"

A crisp clap broke the rhythm. Mo Ke's fists were clenched, held out left and right in front of Li Ya Na.

"Which hand?"

Li Ya Na raised an eyebrow. "What's the bet?"

Mo Ke smirked. "Ten gold coins?"

"Left hand!" Li Ya Na pointed at Mo Ke's left hand, then suddenly grabbed his wrist. "Don't you dare move... I know your little tricks, you sneaky thief..."

Li Ya Na pried open Mo Ke's fingers one by one—the palm was empty. Only the calluses from years of practicing with daggers and lockpicking remained.

"How is that possible? I saw it clearly! It was in the left hand!" Li Ya Na clawed at her golden hair in frustration.

Then, like a drowning woman grasping at straws, she seized Mo Ke's right wrist. "Don't you try to cheat! If this hand's empty too..." Her threat sounded somewhat unconvincing.

Mo Ke sneered disdainfully. With the calm of a victor, he slowly unclenched his right fingers.

"Ding—"

A gold coin landed on the wooden floor of the carriage, bounced once, then spun in a circle, rolling to a stop at the feet of Xia Lun, who sat in the corner.

"Pay up, loser. Hand it over." Mo Ke helped himself without hesitation to the coin purse hanging from Li Ya Na's belt, took his winnings, and tossed the purse back to her.

"That was a feint to trick you. You're way too gullible." Mo Ke shook his head, as if teaching her to be more careful.

"Tch... you bastard..." A loss was a loss. Li Ya Na could only grind her teeth.

"Actually, I lost on purpose because I know you're saving up for your girl," Li Ya Na said, trying to save face. "Why would I deliberately win your money?"

She snorted and put on an expression of magnanimity.

"Heh."

Mo Ke replied with two flat, emotionless laughs. If anyone else had said that, he might have paused for a moment, but this was Li Ya Na.

Besides, who would claim so loudly that they'd lost on purpose?

Well... maybe Li Ya Na.

Mo Ke froze, and the coin nearly slipped from his hand. For a single moment, he doubted whether what Li Ya Na had said was true or false.

In the corner, Xia Lun and Aina sat side by side. Xia Lun bent down slowly, silently picked up the still-warm coin, and tossed it back to Mo Ke.

"Ah, thanks." Mo Ke caught it casually and resumed flipping it between his fingers, starting a new round with Li Ya Na.

Xia Lun leaned in and whispered with Aina beside him.

Aina was cold by nature. Xia Lun mostly initiated the conversation, and Aina responded occasionally.

Xia Lun's voice was low and serious. "In the town earlier, I heard there was another clash on the border between the demon clan and the human race. A lot of people died on both sides."

"Mm." Aina uttered a single syllable, her expression unchanged, though her interlaced fingers tightened unconsciously.

"I wonder how things will develop," Xia Lun sighed, his gaze fixed on the barren wilderness passing by outside the window, a shadow of worry on his brow.

"Are you worried?"

"Of course. If war really breaks out, it's the innocent civilians who'll suffer in the end." Xia Lun's eyes dimmed.

Aina was silent. Her slender fingers lightly twisted the hem of her black skirt.

She didn't quite understand why Xia Lun cared so much about the lives of people who had nothing to do with him.

"Don't worry, Xia Lun... You and Aina are so strong. If war does happen, all you have to do is kill the Demon King," Li Ya Na chimed in with a laugh.

"Hey, Aina's a vampire. Watch your mouth!" Mo Ke didn't hesitate to kick Li Ya Na, who immediately started cursing Mo Ke's parents.

But since Mo Ke's parents were one and the same person (referring to his father and mother as the same entity? unclear), her insults bounced off him completely. Mo Ke just found it amusing.

After some chaos, Li Ya Na's train of thought jumped unpredictably again.

"Hey, Xia Lun, Aina, when are you two planning to get married?"

Li Ya Na suddenly looked up, her voice full of pure curiosity.

Both Xia Lun and Aina were stunned by her question.

"Well," Li Ya Na scratched her hair, as if the question was only natural, "you've been together for so long, haven't you? Seems like you were together ever since our team first formed. Adventuring together all these years, going through so much—still not planning to tie the knot?"

"Hmm... Xia Lun, you really should think about it," Mo Ke said after a moment's thought. "Actually, when I wrote to Xi La before, she mentioned marriage too... Maybe we could even have a joint wedding."

"No! Mo Ke, no!" Li Ya Na suddenly shouted. "You can't have a joint wedding with Xia Lun!"

"Why not?" Li Ya Na's outburst startled Mo Ke.

"Because I want to attend two weddings and eat at two banquets!" Li Ya Na declared loudly. "Mo Ke! Save up a bit more! The desolate plains are tough! You've got to be prepared!"

"Uh... alright, got it..."

Since Li Ya Na was speaking the truth, Mo Ke didn't fault her.

Marriage?

Xia Lun thought it over seriously.

He'd never really considered it before.

Now that Li Ya Na brought it up... it did seem like something they should think about.

Xia Lun felt they couldn't live without each other anymore.

"Aina... what do you think?" Xia Lun leaned closer and asked softly.

"What?"

"What Li Ya Na said... about marriage?" Xia Lun swallowed nervously.

Marriage...

She hadn't forgotten her original purpose for joining this hero's party as a mage—to infiltrate, assess the hero's strength and weaknesses, and clear the way for the demon race's future.

Later, she discovered a more effective method: using the hero's deepening feelings for her to achieve victory without bloodshed.

As for now...

If the two of them got married, it would certainly create an even tighter bond and allow her to control the hero on a deeper level.

A cold smile curled at the corner of the Demon King's lips.

"Fine. Let's get married."