My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

There is a legend well-known among both the demon race and mankind—the legend of the City of Gold.

It is said that this legend began with a human explorer who lived a thousand years ago. He traveled across the world and discovered a mysterious place.

It was an ancient city hidden deep within a massive mountain in an unknown land.

The city was vast and advanced in appearance, filled with intricate tools unlike anything he had ever seen.

Even more surprising, the city's inhabitants were short beings, no more than a meter tall.

Though their appearance wasn't too different from humans or demons, their noses and ears were noticeably larger.

But the most astonishing fact was this—much of the city was built from gold.

Gold, being the rarest of materials, is regarded as a symbol of luxury by humans, demons, and even dragons.

Naturally, the legend of a golden city quickly captured widespread attention.

Many have searched for it, but all expeditions ended in failure. To this day, no one has been able to confirm whether the legend is true.

According to the tales, the city of gold is called Durnhak.

Comparing the legend to what he saw on the map, Leon took a deep breath and clutched his pounding chest.

"This city... it really exists," he whispered with a faint smile.

The short beings described by the ancient explorer turned out to be dwarves—and the hidden city inside the mountain was exactly as the map had shown.

"Interesting... What a wonderful coincidence," he muttered softly, letting out a chuckle.

Truthfully, the legend of the golden city had fascinated him since childhood.

He had often imagined what it would be like to see a city where most of the buildings were made of solid gold.

Even so, he had always assumed it was just a fairy tale—or if it did exist, its location was likely lost to time.

But now, he had finally found it on the map in front of him. That alone was enough to make his heart race.

"Leon, why do you look so happy? Are you thinking about something pleasant?"

Athena's suspicious voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

He turned to see the dragon ancestor, along with Athena and Miranda, watching him with puzzled expressions.

"Ahem!" Realizing how strange he must've looked, Leon quickly replied, "It's nothing. I just thought of the legend after seeing the name Durnhak."

"Legend?" Miranda blinked in surprise. "What legend, Master?"

Leon smiled faintly and began to explain. "A thousand years ago..."

Moments later, after finishing his story, the three of them stood in stunned silence.

"Oh! I remember hearing that legend before." Athena gazed intently at the city marked as Durnhak. "If I'm not mistaken, it was called the Legend of the City of Gold, right?"

"Yep, you're right." Leon gave a small nod, arms crossed over his chest.

"City of Gold, huh?" The dragon ancestor looked slightly surprised, then smiled. "The legend is entirely true. Durnhak really is a city where every building is covered in gold. Well, considering that dwarves are a race known for forging powerful weapons, it's only natural that their lives revolve around precious materials like gold."

With the dragon ancestor's confirmation, the lingering doubt in Leon's heart finally disappeared.

The legend was real, and the city of Durnhak marked on the map matched it perfectly.

The dragon ancestor turned his gaze back to the map and pointed to a valley located twenty thousand kilometers south of Eryuentium.

The valley was shaded in gray, and beneath it was a name—The Valley of the Mist of a Thousand Whispers.

"This place is the Valley of the Mist of a Thousand Whispers. It's where the spirit race resides," he explained calmly. "Among all the territories of the hidden races, this one is by far the most dangerous."

"The most dangerous place?" Leon and Athena exchanged surprised glances.

"Yeah." The dragon ancestor crossed his arms, his expression turning serious. "The reason it's called the 'Mist of a Thousand Whispers' is because of the eternal mist said to have existed since the creation of the world."

"This mist has the power to cloud the mind by showing illusions tied to regret, hatred, and other deep emotions. Under its influence, people might see those they love, hate, or mourn."

"The most terrifying part is that this mist affects everyone. No matter how strong they are, they can't escape its effects."

He could say that with confidence because he had experienced the mist's effects firsthand in the past.

Back then, illusions of his comrades—and the people he cared about—had appeared one by one before him.

Even though he knew they weren't real, he was still trapped within the illusion.

If the spirit race leader hadn't come to his aid, he might never have made it out.

Hearing this explanation, Leon's expression instantly turned serious.

"I understand, Dragon Ancestor. I'll be cautious," he said solemnly.

If even someone as powerful as the Dragon Ancestor acknowledged the danger of the mist, then there was no reason for Leon to let his guard down.

"Good!" The Dragon Ancestor gave a satisfied nod.

He then began pointing out several other locations inhabited by hidden races.

He also described a number of routes that were once considered faster and safer.

However, since thousands of years had passed, those paths had likely changed drastically from what was shown on the map.

Roads that were once safe might now be the most dangerous. For that reason, they prepared several backup routes as alternatives.

Before they realized it, four hours had already passed since they began discussing the locations of the hidden races.

"Alright, Fated One. That's all I can offer. The rest is up to you," the Dragon Ancestor said, signaling the end of their discussion.

"Thank you, Dragon Ancestor." Leon bowed respectfully, hands clasped in front of his chest.

The Dragon Ancestor smiled and waved a hand. "You're welcome, Fated One. May your journey be smooth."

Leon straightened and gave a firm nod. "Don't worry—I'll do my best to ensure everything goes as planned."

Miranda and Athena smiled at his response.

"By the way, Master," Miranda asked curiously, "when are we departing?"

Leon paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, then gave a small smile.

"We'll leave in two days..."