My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

According to legend, the golden city is a place where every building is made of gold, creating a breathtaking sight.

But the legend is not just a fairy tale. The golden city truly exists—it is the hidden home of the dwarves known as Valgrund.

Nestled deep underground, directly beneath the Mount Durnhak region, Valgrund is the sole dwelling of the Dwarven race, whose population numbers only around eighty thousand.

The city is vast and magnificent, with golden walls covering every building. To prevent the land from collapsing, they constructed towering pillars—also made of gold—that support the city's structure.

The pillars, spaced every nine hundred meters, rise tall and majestic. Despite living underground, the dwarves still needed sunlight to survive.

To solve this, they built several large shafts covered with glass, allowing natural light to filter in and illuminate the city during the day.

They also engineered a network of aqueducts connected throughout the city.

In addition, they manage waste efficiently, repurposing it as fertilizer for the crops they grow within their golden city.

Although they remained hidden from the world for thousands of years, their innate skills and talents allowed them to continue advancing and evolving.

***

Meanwhile, in one of the sewers, Leon and Elina pressed forward, searching for a way out.

The passage was narrow, but still wide enough for them to move without much difficulty. Unfortunately, the pungent stench made the air nearly unbearable.

"Young Master, this place reeks! Huwekk!" Elina gagged, her stomach churning as she nearly threw up.

Leon wasn't faring much better, but he managed to control his breathing, keeping the revolting smell of feces and the black water flowing beneath them from overwhelming him.

"I know, Elina. But hang in there—we're almost out," Leon said, covering half of his face with his hand.

Elina pursed her lips but said nothing. Complaining wouldn't help. It would only make Leon see her as a burden—and she refused to let that happen.

They continued through the foul-smelling tunnel until, about a hundred meters ahead, a shaft of light pierced the darkness from above.

"That must be the way out," Leon said, his voice filled with hope. "Come on, Elina!"

Elina nodded quickly, sharing his excitement. "Let's go, Young Master!"

They quickened their pace and soon arrived at the spot where the light was coming through.

There, they found a round drain cover, dotted with small holes that allowed light to shine into the tunnel.

"Looks like I was right," Leon said with a small smile. "This passage connects directly to the dwarves' territory."

"That's good news! But… will we really be okay if we go out there? What if we get caught?" Elina asked cautiously.

Since the sewer was directly connected to dwarven territory, there was a high chance they would surface in an area where dwarves often passed by.

If that happened, they would almost certainly be spotted—and captured.

Leon didn't respond right away. Instead, he activated the Eye of Chaos in his right eye and peered through the drain cover.

A faint smile appeared on his face as he shook his head.

"We're in luck. This place is far from where the dwarves usually are, so we're safe," he said reassuringly.

"Thank goodness." Elina let out a sigh of relief and patted her chest.

"Alright, I'll go up first. You follow right after me. Got it?" Leon said.

"M-mm! Got it!" Elina clenched her hands with determination.

Without another word, Leon adjusted his crouched posture and turned the drain cover.

Once it opened, he gently pushed it aside and climbed up.

Then, he reached down and helped Elina up as well.

"Huft! We're finally free too, Young Master!" Elina beamed, tightly hugging Leon's arm.

But Leon didn't respond, leaving her confused.

"Young Master?" She called out, glancing at him—only to freeze when she saw Leon's blank expression, his eyes locked straight ahead.

Instinctively, Elina followed his gaze—and her breath caught in her throat.

"What the hell is this!? A-A city of… gold!?" Her eyes widened, her jaw dropping in disbelief.

What lay before her was a sight she had only seen in her wildest dreams—a city made of gold.

And it wasn't just symbolic—it was real, solid gold.

From the towering pillars to the grand buildings, every structure was forged from shimmering gold.

"This is insane! Is this real? Am I dreaming!?" Elina rubbed her eyes frantically, as if trying to wipe away an illusion.

But the scene didn't disappear. It stayed exactly as it was.

She wasn't dreaming.

"Hiss…" Leon exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to his chest to calm his racing heart.

"The legend… it's real. The golden city really exists," he whispered, drawing a deep breath.

The legend of the golden city had existed for ages and was well-known among both humans and demons.

Thousands of expeditions—perhaps even more—had set out in search of it, but every single one ended the same way: in failure.

And now, the city stood before him, proving that he was the second person in history to witness it with his own eyes.

*Sniff! Sniff!*

Elina's nose suddenly twitched as the stench of her own body hit her. Nausea surged up instantly, and she bent over, vomiting on the spot.

"Huwekk!"

Leon snapped out of his daze and quickly shifted to the side. Thankfully, he moved just in time—any slower, and Elina's vomit might've splashed onto him.

"Young Master…" Elina looked up at him with teary eyes, her face pale. "Can we find somewhere to clean up first? I can't take this anymore… Huwekk!"

She vomited again, looking even more miserable than before.

"Alright, let's find a river or spring and clean ourselves up," Leon agreed at once, not even thinking twice.

It wasn't just Elina—he also couldn't stand the lingering stench on their bodies.

As someone who valued cleanliness and pleasant scents, this disgusting odor felt like pure torture.

If there had been any other way out of the treasure hall, he would've never chosen to pass through that filthy sewer.

He raised his head and activated the power of the Eye of Chaos in his right eye, scanning the area for the nearest water source.

Fortunately, about a hundred and fifty meters away, he spotted an underground river that seemed to be part of the dwarves' irrigation system.

"What an advanced race," Leon remarked sincerely. "They even managed to build such a well-structured water system."

Despite their physical limitations, the dwarves were truly remarkable—no less advanced than humans, demons, or dragons.

"I found a river not far from here. Let's go."

Without waiting for Elina's response, Leon lifted her into his arms and vanished from the spot.