My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

Inside the inn's restaurant, Leon and Elina sat down to enjoy their lunch.

After having to settle for bland and boring meals on the ship, they truly savored the dishes now laid out before them.

"Young master, this grilled fish is delicious! It's sweet, savory, and just a little spicy!" Elina exclaimed with a big smile, happily munching on a piece of fish from the plate in front of her.

Leon chuckled at her adorable reaction.

"Yes, the fried fish is amazing too. The seasoning is strong but not overpowering—you can still taste the freshness of the meat," he said, stabbing a fillet and popping it into his mouth.

The rich flavor spread across his tongue, making him nod in satisfaction.

They ate with gusto, exchanging only a few words here and there.

Most of their focus—eighty percent of it—was on the food, not the conversation.

Twenty minutes later, they had finally finished everything. The whole fish that had once been served were now picked clean, leaving behind only bones—a clear sign of how delicious the meal had been.

"Phew! I'm so full," Elina said, leaning back in her chair and patting her slightly distended stomach.

Back in the Elven territories, she rarely ate fish. And when she did, it was usually river fish—never sea fish.

The taste, texture, and aroma were entirely different. In fact, this was the first time she'd ever truly experienced seafood, especially sea fish.

Leon simply smiled at her, saying nothing.

Shortly after they finished eating, two waiters came to clear the plates from the table.

Moments later, they returned with a cup of coffee for Leon and a pot of tea for Elina.

Leon lifted his cup and took a slow sip.

It was bitter, but the touch of sugar and honey added just the right amount of sweetness, creating a perfect balance of flavors.

"By the way, Young Master, I have something to ask you," Elina said, straightening up.

She opened her palm, and suddenly, a slightly worn-out chocolate roll appeared.

Unfolding it revealed a map of a vast landmass.

Judging by the script and the material, it was clearly an ancient map.

Leon looked at it in surprise, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Isn't this the First Elder's map? How do you have it?" he asked, puzzled.

Like the Dragon Ancestor, the First Elder had a map of her own—but hers was much clearer and far more accurate than most.

Back when he, Miranda, and the First Elder discussed which race's territory he should visit next, they had used this very map.

It was during that conversation that the First Elder suggested he begin with the Dwarven territory.

So when Elina suddenly brought it out, his confusion made perfect sense.

"Hehehe..." Elina chuckled smugly, rubbing her nose. "I know you probably don't believe me, Young Master. But the First Elder seemed to know I'd be traveling with you, so she gave me this map to help out."

Of course, that was a lie. In truth, she had stolen the map from the First Elder's house.

She had originally gone there to discuss something important regarding Leon's departure. But when she arrived, the old woman wasn't home.

By chance, she noticed a brown scroll on the living room table. A closer look revealed it was a map.

With only two days left before her journey with Leon, she quietly took it and returned to the Emerald Palace without hesitation.

If Leon had known what the mischievous girl was thinking at that moment, he would've stepped in himself and taken over Zelda's job of teaching her a lesson.

"Since it's from the First Elder, I won't question it," Leon said with a small nod, seemingly convinced.

Elina felt a twinge of guilt at his reaction, but she quickly pushed it aside.

She was doing this for Leon's sake too—so there was no reason to feel guilty... right?

"So, what did you want to ask?" Leon said, taking another sip of his coffee.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Elina looked at the map and pointed to a mountain at the edge of the landmass. "Our destination is here, right?"

Leon glanced at where she was pointing and nodded slowly. "Yes, you're right. That's where we're going."

Her finger then slowly moved toward a large island nestled between two vast landmasses, separated by the surrounding ocean.

"And this... is where the city of Nerivale should be, right?" she asked again.

Although slightly confused, Leon nodded. "Yes, that's where Nerivale is located."

In truth, when this map was created—around seven thousand years ago—the city of Nerivale didn't exist yet.

Back then, the island was nothing more than an uncharted wasteland. It wasn't until five thousand five hundred years later that sailors from the Holy Orthodoxy arrived and founded a small settlement—one that would eventually grow into the city of Nerivale.

Elina slid her finger to the right side of the map, indicating the point where the mainland connected directly to the region they were heading to.

"Why don't we take this route instead?" she asked. "Wouldn't it be safer to go by land than sail through that city?"

Leon fell silent, looking at her with a strange expression.

However, he held back the spontaneous remark that had almost slipped out.

He reminded himself that Elina was still a young Elf girl with little experience of the outside world.

Although she had once lived in human territory, she had only operated a small divination stall to make ends meet and had little interaction with others.

By Elven standards, she was still quite young, and her way of thinking hadn't fully matured.

Leon set down his coffee cup, smiled, and gently patted her head.

"All right, let me explain," he said softly.

He pointed first to the land where the Holy Orthodoxy was located, then to the neighboring region—no longer under Holy Orthodox control—before continuing.

"If we travel by land, the journey will take a long time. Just crossing that area alone could take anywhere from a year to a year and a half."

"Also, the geography is terrible. You might not know this, but the Holy Orthodoxy's outermost border is a volcanic mountain range—active, no less. The terrain is extremely dangerous, and crossing it could easily turn into a life-or-death situation."

He then moved his finger to the right, toward the area where the Holy Orthodoxy landmass was separated from the next by a wide, perilous strait.

That was the Horizon Strait—the sea passage they had just crossed. At its center lay a large island, home to the city of Nerivale.

In a calm tone, he continued, "That's why the sea route is the safer option. Sure, there are sea monsters along the strait, but it's still far less dangerous than getting lost in those volcanic mountains. Do you understand now?"

"Oh! So that's how it is! I get it now! Thank you, Young Master!" Elina's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Leon chuckled and gave a small nod. Just as he was about to speak again, a voice suddenly rose from behind him.

"Hey! Did you hear? That sea monster showed up again!"