The Demon King's Treasury

"Aina... this..."

Xia Lun stared blankly at the ring Aina had placed on his finger.

This ring... looked somewhat familiar.

What surprised Xia Lun even more was that Aina had handed over all her possessions to him.

"Don’t worry about it, Xia Lun. Just take it... after all, even you belong to me." Aina’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Then, she raised her own ring-adorned finger and added, "These two rings lead to the same space. Don’t worry—I can retrieve anything from it whenever I need to."

It finally dawned on Xia Lun.

"This is... our wedding ring?" he asked incredulously.

"That’s right. I made some modifications to it. I’m surprised you recognized it." Aina covered her mouth as she laughed.

Indeed, as Aina had said, the ring had undergone significant changes.

Originally, it was just an ordinary platinum band Xia Lun had bought from a jewelry store—platinum wasn’t even a suitable material for crafting spatial rings. Aina must have carefully infused it with other elements.

What truly sent shivers down Xia Lun’s spine were the intricate magic circuits and interwoven spell formations engraved on the ring, finer than a strand of hair by a hundredfold.

Clearly, this ring wasn’t just for storage. Xia Lun could feel a warm current emanating from it, slowly nourishing his soul.

"Still... Xia Lun, you didn’t even notice the ring was missing after your resurrection." Aina sighed softly. "I was waiting for you to ask about it before deciding whether to give it back."

Xia Lun stiffened.

After all, that was a thousand years ago. Since waking up, he hadn’t paid attention to such things.

"Sorry... Aina," he muttered, ashamed.

"Hmph. Mister Hero, do you think an apology is just empty words?" Aina didn’t hold back her sarcasm.

Xia Lun pressed a light kiss to her lips. "Tonight, I’m at your mercy, Your Majesty the Demon King."

Only then did Aina nod in satisfaction.

The beast merchant soon finished his work, handing the reins of the drake to Xia Lun.

The merchant seemed puzzled—today, the usually unruly drake was oddly docile. Normally, fitting it with a saddle would have been a struggle.

Meanwhile, Liyana and the spiky-haired shopkeeper wheeled out the carriage.

Mo Lini huffed and puffed as she tried to steady the vehicle, though her efforts didn’t make much difference.

Once everything was ready, Liyana replenished their supplies of fresh water and food before setting off.

"Whew—this thing is fast!" Liyana exclaimed excitedly as she drove the drake-drawn carriage. Over the past millennium, she hadn’t exactly lived in poverty, but such luxury was rare for her.

"Xia Lun, should we give this guy a name?" Liyana turned back to ask Xia Lun inside the carriage.

No response.

She smacked her forehead—she’d forgotten the carriage had top-notch soundproofing.

Knocking on the door, Mo Lini peeked out.

"Xia Lun, should we name the drake? The new one we just bought." Liyana repeated the question, though her gaze shifted to Aina.

She remembered Xia Lun’s questionable naming sense.

And, as always, Aina had the final say.

"No need. Naming it might make us grow attached," Aina said flatly. "We’ll replace it eventually. Drakes only live about twenty years—it’s not worth it."

"Oh, alright." Liyana shrugged.

Mo Lini closed the door.

Inside the carriage, despite the drake’s speed, the ride was smooth—the suspension was remarkably well-crafted.

Aina sat in Xia Lun’s lap, while Mo Lini took the seat across from them.

By now, Mo Lini had grown accustomed to their closeness. As long as things didn’t get too indecent, she no longer felt awkward.

Aina wasn’t idle either. Her fingers traced intricate patterns in the air, weaving spell formations that gradually merged into the carriage walls.

Any high-tier or above mage specializing in spell formations would’ve been stunned—drawing formations barehanded, without any medium, was something most wouldn’t dare imagine.

Mo Lini, unfamiliar with such magic, simply admired Aina’s skill. The glowing formations looked beautiful as they fused into the carriage.

"Aina, what kind of spells are these?" Mo Lini asked curiously.

"Defensive and offensive formations," Aina replied matter-of-factly. "Safety comes first."

Mo Lini felt like she’d asked but learned nothing.

But even if Aina explained in detail, she probably wouldn’t understand. Mo Lini gave up trying.

Meanwhile, Xia Lun’s mind was elsewhere.

His consciousness had momentarily blanked out.

Before him lay a mountain of gold coins and jewels—yet these were the least valuable items in sight.

The coins bore various imprints—a familiar bearded man, animals, flowers, portraits—each from a different era and kingdom.

They couldn’t be used as-is, but if melted down, their worth would be astronomical.

Their historical value alone could fetch a fortune from collectors or scholars.

And these were mere decorations in the corner of the Demon King’s treasury.

What truly stunned Xia Lun were the bizarre magical materials, gleaming legendary equipment, and cores and stones pulsating with terrifying mana—all arranged like common goods on shelves, as if in a general store.

Rows of neatly organized bookshelves held apocalyptic-level forbidden spells and grimoires...

Xia Lun swallowed hard.

He didn’t know how much of this Aina had acquired in the thousand years since his death—or whether she’d already possessed them when he was alive.

One thing was certain: had she wielded even a few of these artifacts during their past battles, he’d have stood no chance.

Aina’s hand rested lightly on Xia Lun’s thigh.

"See anything you like? Take it," she whispered. "You prefer swords, right? There are a few here that rival the Holy Sword the Goddess gave you. Want to pick one?"

He... was being utterly spoiled.

Yet Xia Lun found himself unable to refuse.

Though not a sword fanatic, every adventurer longed for a worthy weapon.

Xia Lun took a deep breath.

"No need for a sword right now. Let’s leave them be."

"Oh? Don’t like them?" A small question mark seemed to float above Aina’s head.

"I... I can’t bear to use them."

Like a penniless boy suddenly handed a fortune, he didn’t know where to begin.

Aina blinked, then chuckled, leaning close to his ear.

"How adorable, my little hero."