Atmosphere

Yueno City.

Thanks to the student ID from Olifendor, Xia Lun and his group entered the city without any trouble. The guards wisely refrained from stopping them or asking unnecessary questions.

"This is so convenient," Liyana remarked with a sigh.

Now she understood why Aina had insisted on taking them to Olifendor first. With such credentials, they could indeed avoid a lot of hassles.

Inside the city, the streets were paved with smooth stone slabs, ensuring a ride without the bone-jarring bumps that might scramble one's brains. Gone were the days of foul-smelling horse manure—compared to a thousand years ago, the urban environment had improved beyond recognition.

Mo Lini leaned out curiously, taking in the sights of the unfamiliar city.

Yueno City wasn’t one of the major city-states, but since it was still called a city, its scale wasn’t small either.

Shops lined both sides of the street, with jewelry stores and material ore shops being particularly abundant due to the nearby mines.

Those mines were assets within the Norman Family’s territory, and Yueno City had gradually risen around them. What was once a small town had slowly developed into a city…

Initially, the Norman Family had managed affairs here, but as the family declined, Elesha, the current head, no longer had the capacity to do so.

However, soon enough, Elesha would reclaim control here with swift and decisive action—but that was a story for later.

Being unfamiliar with the area, they wandered around the city for quite some time, even stopping for a meal, before finally finding a place that sold carriages.

The shopkeeper was a young man with a shock of red, broom-like hair, giving off the vibe of a street punk.

"Miss Elf, sixty gold coins is far too little. The lowest I can go is eighty… Just look at the space, the comfort, and these seat cushions—they’re made from the hide of a mid-tier magical beast, the Crimson Serpent…" The broom-haired shopkeeper sighed helplessly at Liyana.

Suddenly, Liyana grabbed Mo Lini’s shoulders and pushed her forward.

"This is Mo Lini. She’s adorable. Give us a discount, boss."

"Eh… Huh? Liyana, what are you—? I… Huh?" Mo Lini was utterly bewildered, stumbling over her words in panic.

"Ah… Fine, you’ve got me. Sixty gold coins it is." Perhaps unable to bear Mo Lini’s near-tearful distress, the shopkeeper reluctantly accepted Liyana’s haggling.

"Perfect! Mo Lini, you’re amazing!" Liyana patted Mo Lini’s head.

"Ugh…" Mo Lini didn’t feel the slightest bit proud—instead, she looked like she was about to cry.

While Liyana and Mo Lini were busy purchasing the carriage, Xia Lun and Aina stepped into another shop.

"Shop" might have been too generous a term—it was more like a large shed.

The moment they entered, a pungent, beastly stench assaulted their senses.

Sturdy iron fences divided the shed into several sections, each containing various wild beasts and low-tier magical creatures that growled and screeched.

Yet, the moment Xia Lun stepped inside, all the magical beasts fell eerily silent. They lifted their heads, glancing around with fearful and confused expressions.

Xia Lun was here to buy a drake for pulling the carriage.

Drakes came in many varieties—some were massive, four-legged behemoths with strength rivaling true dragons, while others were smaller, bipedal creatures no larger than horses. The latter, domesticated for labor, made excellent draft animals.

"How may I assist you two?"

A pot-bellied beast merchant approached, his thick, dark mustache twitching noticeably above his lips.

"We need a drake for pulling a carriage—the highest quality available," Xia Lun said flatly.

The merchant’s eyes lit up. This was a big client.

Drakes weren’t cheap. With their draconic bloodline, they were inherently wild and ferocious, making domestication no easy feat.

An ordinary steed might cost between ten to twenty gold coins, but a drake of similar size could easily cost thirty times that.

Of course, a drake’s stamina and endurance far surpassed that of a horse.

"The finest drake we have… would be this one. Not only is it obedient and intelligent, but its endurance is top-notch—it can even use magic…"

The merchant led Xia Lun to a pen.

Inside, a grayish-brown drake lounged lazily on a pile of hay, looking utterly indifferent—until Xia Lun approached.

The creature immediately stood up, its eyes flickering with unease.

Even if this drake possessed human-like intelligence and the ability to speak, it couldn’t articulate the sensation it felt now. It was as if it had sensed the arrival of something incomprehensible—like animals sensing an impending natural disaster.

"What do you think?"

The merchant flashed a practiced smile, completely oblivious to the drake’s strange behavior.

Xia Lun asked, "How much?"

To Xia Lun’s eyes, this drake wasn’t particularly impressive, but among the options here, it was the best of a mediocre bunch.

"Seven hundred gold coins," the merchant replied.

Xia Lun’s lips twitched. That was steep.

But judging by the merchant’s grin, there was clearly room for negotiation.

Aina didn’t hesitate. A pouch of gold coins materialized in her hand, which she handed directly to the merchant.

The merchant blinked in surprise—he hadn’t expected her to pay without haggling. Recovering quickly, he beamed. "The drake is yours, madam. Would you like us to deliver it somewhere for you?"

"Just to the entrance. We’ve already prepared the carriage," Xia Lun replied. "Also, throw in a saddle and a whip."

"Of course! I’ll provide our finest, custom-made drake saddle—something we’d never give to just any customer…" The merchant’s smile widened into genuine delight.

He called over a few young assistants, who promptly climbed into the pen and began outfitting the drake.

"If Liyana finds out you spent money like this, she’ll call you wasteful," Xia Lun said, taking Aina’s hand.

"Oh? And what about you, Xia Lun?"

Xia Lun smiled. "You’re my wife. You can do as you please."

Aina produced a ring and slipped it onto Xia Lun’s finger.

The silver band was engraved with intricate patterns. The moment Xia Lun touched it, he felt as though he stood before a colossal gate, beyond which lay boundless space.

This was a spatial ring with unimaginable capacity—as for what lay inside, Xia Lun hadn’t yet probed with his consciousness.

"This is…" Xia Lun swallowed.

"The Demon King’s treasury. The spoils a hero deserves after conquering the Demon King." Aina looped her arm through his, clearly pleased by his stunned expression.

With a light laugh, she added, "From now on, the husband will handle the payments."