That morning, after eating, they resumed their journey.
Inside the carriage, Iris felt lighter than before. Maybe Xenon wasn't as bad as she had thought?
Still, she couldn't stop thinking about the two million gold coins.
"Xenon, what will happen if I can't pay the two million gold coins?" Iris asked without looking at him.
Gazing at the passing scenery, Xenon turned his head toward her.
"If you can't pay it, I will kill your clan," he said coldly.
"Why my clan? You could just kill me," Iris replied.
"Because that would be far more painful."
Hearing this, Iris frowned. Maybe she had been wrong again—Xenon really was a bad guy!
"Well, there's another way you could repay me," Xenon continued. "You could become my maid."
Iris was stunned. "Are you serious?"
"Of course. Your salary would be 10,000 gold coins, but it would go toward your debt, so you wouldn't actually receive anything. If you accept, you'd be debt-free in less than seven months. Plus, you'd have access to high-class food, a home, and plenty of spiritual fruits and herbs if you ever decide to become a practitioner."
Iris looked at Xenon, deep in thought. She felt like he was playing with her, but she couldn't resent him. Without him, she might not even be alive.
However, spiritual fruits and herbs were useless to her. She wasn't a martial practitioner, even though the Narhan clan elders had told her she had exceptional talent—much higher than Katrina's.
Still, she had chosen the path of a scholar. She hated violence and had no desire to hurt others.
"Can I have some time to think about it?" she asked.
"Sure," Xenon said indifferently.
Several hours later, they neared Tazar City. Along the way, they had passed many breathtaking landscapes. Xenon was still amazed by how vast this world was.
Just the low peak mountain, the lowest out of the three mountains of the Tripeak Continent, was the size of ten Earths.
Outside the carriage, Tarra was handling the magic beasts they encountered. With her high realm, the speed of the Fiery Horse felt completely ordinary to her. She could control it with ease, stop when needed, and still catch up to Xenon effortlessly.
At the front of the carriage, Gustav was in charge of guiding the Fiery Horse.
After several more hours, they finally arrived at Tazar City.
The walls were massive—ten times larger than those of Stone City. Towering buildings filled the skyline, and flying ships soared through the air.
"Finally, we're here!" Iris exclaimed, glancing out the window. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Ever since she was a child, she had dreamed of coming to this city and becoming a great scholar.
Meanwhile, Xenon remained motionless, his eyes still closed as if he were asleep. He wasn't the least bit excited.
He only hoped that this city would provide him with more opportunities to grow stronger. And, ideally, that plenty of arrogant fools would cross his path—so he could crush them and wreak havoc.