2 million gold coins!

"Alright, we're done here. Let's go," Xenon said as the Shadow Legion began to appear. They were the ones responsible for keeping the fiery horses under control while chaos unfolded.

When Iris saw them and the fiery horses, she was once again shocked. She had seen a fiery horse before—her father used one—but she never expected to see so many at once.

If she wasn't mistaken, a single fiery horse could be sold for 100,000 gold coins, and now there were ten of them here.

After briefly admiring the majestic creatures and wondering about Xenon's identity, reality pulled her back. She turned to look at her carriage and saw that both of her horses had died in the attack.

Now, with no guardian to protect her, even a single Tier 1 demonic beast or a group of bandits could easily kill her—she wasn't a martial practitioner.

Without her horses, how was she supposed to get back now?

Panic surged through her as she turned her gaze to Xenon, who was now mounted on a fiery horse, preparing to leave.

"Sir, wait a moment!" Iris called out.

Xenon glanced back. "What is it, Miss Iris?"

He already knew her name and that she was from the Narhan Clan in Stone City—she had introduced herself earlier. However, since Xenon had yet to introduce himself, Iris still didn't know who he was.

"I... I don't have a horse anymore," she admitted hesitantly.

"You want me to escort you out of here?" Xenon asked.

"Yes, if it's okay, I will make sure to pay you," Iris said.

"Sure, but that'll be another 1 million gold coins, bringing your total debt to me to 2 million," Xenon said with a smirk.

Iris couldn't believe what she was hearing. Another 1 milliom gold coins!?

"If it's just to a nearby town, does the price still stay at 1 million?" she asked, finding the amount absurd.

"Yes, whether it's near or far, you'll need to pay another 1 million gold coins," Xenon replied.

Iris felt her heart sink. She was now 2 million gold coins in debt. She had no idea if her father could even afford to pay it.

"Well? Are you coming or not?" Xenon asked.

"...Alright, I'll accept it," Iris said softly.

With that, Xenon instructed Venom Fang to mount 2 of the fiery horses to the carriage. He planned to ride inside and sit next to Iris.

Venom Fang quickly followed the order, and soon, they were on the move again.

Inside the carriage, Iris could feel the incredible speed of the fiery horse. She couldn't help but be amazed. If they had a horse like this earlier, they could have outrun the Tier 1 demonic beast, avoided countless problems, and reached Tazar City much faster.

She glanced at Xenon, who was seated beside her.

"Do you have a question?" Xenon asked, noticing that she kept staring at him before quickly looking away whenever he met her gaze.

"Uhmm... who are you, really?" Iris finally asked.

"Who am I?" Xenon repeated. A confident smirk played on his lips. "I am Xenon Invictus, the chosen one—the strongest in this world."

Iris didn't respond. She simply nodded and turned her gaze toward the passing scenery outside the window.

No one knew what she was thinking.