One of the borders of the Great Velmora Empire—the Dragon’s Foot Border...

The Dragon’s Foot Border was one of the most vulnerable frontiers in the empire.

It directly bordered a region controlled by the demon race.

The border was called "Dragon’s Foot" because of its unique terrain, which resembled the footprint of a gigantic dragon.

About fifteen kilometers from the border, thousands of tents stood neatly arranged.

Soldiers patrolled around them, as if maintaining strict surveillance.

"Hero Rei, are you all right?"

A woman ran toward one of the tents and stepped inside, her expression filled with worry.

She was exceptionally beautiful, with long white hair flowing down her back.

She wore silver armor, and a sword hung at her waist.

Her eyes were red like pomegranates, and tears welled in the corners.

She hurried to the bedside, where a handsome man lay pale and motionless.

Hearing her voice, the man slowly opened his eyes and met her gaze.

"Ahem! Your Highness," he said with a small cough. "I... I’m fine."

He tried to sit up but failed. Pain surged through his entire body.

"Don’t move!" the woman rushed to stop him, her voice trembling with panic. "Y-Your wounds haven’t healed yet. You’ll only make it worse!"

Though reluctant, the man finally obeyed and lay back down.

He lowered his head slightly and apologized. "I’m sorry. I can’t properly welcome you."

The woman let out a sigh of relief and smiled gently.

"It’s alright. How are you feeling? Does anything hurt in particular?" she asked anxiously, her eyes scanning him from head to toe.

The man’s body looked fine. However, the woman knew his wounds weren’t external—they were internal.

And that was the most dangerous kind. External wounds could be treated by mages, but internal injuries were far harder to heal.

They required proper diagnosis and special potions, which would take time and effort.

"I’m sorry, Your Highness. I’ve caused you worry," the man replied respectfully. "I was injured when one of the Demon Generals attacked me. But you don’t need to worry—I’m fine. In a few days, I’ll recover and return to the battlefield!"

Seeing his stubborn expression, the woman’s face grew complicated.

Rei was the Hero of Light, someone summoned from another world. He shouldn’t have had to sacrifice everything for this world.

Yet he did it anyway. It made the woman feel grateful and deeply moved, but also saddened and weighed down.

"I understand," she murmured with a long sigh. "Just rest. I’ll stay here and watch over you. If you need anything, call me, alright?"

"Alright. Thank you for your concern." Rei smiled and nodded weakly.

The woman’s sorrowful expression slowly softened into a smile—one so beautiful that it left Rei spellbound.

Before he realized it, his face had flushed slightly, and he quickly looked away.

"By the way, I’ll prepare some food for you. Wait here," the woman said cheerfully.

Rei tried to stop her, but it was too late. She had already run off.

"Hah..." Rei exhaled deeply, a wry smile forming on his lips. "She’s a princess, yet she doesn’t hesitate to do things a servant should do. Princess Roseline really is extraordinary."

"Tsk! She’s clearly fallen for you. Aren’t you picking up on it?"

The teasing voice came from beside him.

Rei chuckled softly. He turned toward the source of the voice and saw a golden sword leaning against the nightstand.

"You’re overthinking it, Luminus. There’s no way Princess Roseline could like me." Rei shook his head slightly. "It’s impossible, considering the gap in status between us. Besides, His Majesty the Emperor would never approve."

Imagining the emperor’s stern face, Rei shuddered and quickly pushed away those reckless thoughts about Roseline.

If he dared to reach for a precious gem of the Great Velmora Empire, he would surely be imprisoned and tortured by the emperor.

"Pfft!" Luminus snorted in amusement but said nothing more.

Even though it was only a sword, it could clearly see Roseline’s feelings. Yet that dense man continued to deny them.

Still, Luminus wasn’t angry. It let everything flow like a river. Sooner or later, Rei would realize the princess’s heart.

"By the way, your wound is quite serious. Don’t you want to tell the princess? At the very least, with her help, I’m sure the imperial palace will send assistance as soon as possible," Luminus suggested.

But Rei shook his head and refused.

"No. I don’t want to trouble her any further. The imperial palace is already in financial straits and facing a food crisis. If they knew I needed help, unrest would surely follow, and even more chaos might break out. I don’t want that to happen."

He had lied to Roseline. His injury was severe—no, it was life-threatening.

He couldn’t move freely, because pain constantly gnawed at him from within.

Rei glanced at his arm, which was beginning to turn black, and his expression darkened.

"Hah..." Luminus let out a long sigh. "You really are stubborn. I’m starting to doubt whether you’ll be able to defeat the Demon Emperor later."

At the same time, however, Luminus felt proud. Its master had a pure heart, far different from the cunning master of the Eclipse Dark Sword.

"Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll win this battle!" Rei declared with a broad smile.

Luminus remained silent, only hoping those words would truly come true.

...

"So, how are we going to get to the Dragon’s Foot Border?" Evalyn asked curiously.

Nolan rubbed his chin, glancing left and right, then suggested, "We’d better just buy horses. It’s not too far—only a day’s journey."

Evalyn agreed, and the two immediately began looking for a horse seller nearby.

After searching for fifteen minutes, they finally found one and started choosing their horses.

"I’ll take this one," Evalyn said, patting the sturdy-looking white horse.

"Oh! That’s an excellent choice, young lady!" the seller said, his eyes sparkling. "That’s a warhorse, so the price is a bit higher."

However, Evalyn was by no means short on money. She immediately took Nolan’s gold coins and handed them to the seller.

The moment he saw the five gold coins, the seller’s smile widened.

"Hahaha! It’s a pleasure doing business with you! The horse is yours!" he said cheerfully.

Evalyn smiled and climbed onto its back. At first, the horse bucked wildly, trying to throw her off.

But with a gentle touch, it gradually calmed down. The seller could only stare in amazement.

That horse was extremely unruly and had never been tamed by anyone—not even trained soldiers.

Although it was high-quality, it was useless if no one could ride it.

"I’ve made my choice."

Nolan’s voice came from behind her. He was mounting a black horse, one just as fine as Evalyn’s.

Nolan tossed eight gold coins to the seller and led the horse away.

Evalyn followed after him, leaving the seller with a confused and stunned expression.

He stared at the pile of gold coins in his hand and muttered, "Is that it? Is this how rich people live?"