My Love Debts Are Everywhere!-Chapter 700: Getting to the Bottom of Mount Durnhak Crater - Part 1

Seeing the pain-filled expressions of the dwarf soldiers, Leon merely smiled—cold and indifferent.

He stared at the black token in his hand with a look of awe.

"Tsk. This token is terrifying. No wonder the Dragon Ancestor said I'd be fine, even without power, when entering the territory of the hidden races," he muttered under his breath.

It was his first time using the token, and he hadn't been sure how it worked. But as it turned out, it didn't disappoint.

It had the power to suppress—and even destroy—members of the hidden races who dared to defy him.

"Fated One, can you let them go? They're not guilty. They were only following Milda's orders. I beg you."

Morgrim's timid voice came from behind. Leon turned and saw the pleading expression on his face.

A faint smile curved Leon's lips as he slowly nodded. "Alright. I'll let them go."

Of course, he had no intention of killing the soldiers or torturing them further. He wasn't a heartless man.

He had only punished them so they'd stop acting tough or trying to defy him again.

Without saying another word, Leon deactivated the token. In an instant, all the soldiers—including Milda—who had been screaming in agony finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But their condition was far from good. They were pale, panting heavily, and clutching their temples.

The pain hadn't just struck their chests—it had pierced their heads, as if two invisible hands had been squeezing and crushing their skulls.

It was so overwhelming that they wanted to faint—but couldn't.

"Thank you, Fated One," Morgrim said with a relieved sigh.

He then walked over to Milda and stopped directly in front of her. "So? Do you believe me now?"

Milda panted, her eyes locked on Morgrim's with a complicated expression. The stern, resolute demeanor she had shown before was gone—replaced by confusion and… despair.

"Your Highness, I—" She tried to speak, but Morgrim raised a hand to stop her.

"I know you were only following my father's orders. But there's one bitter truth you need to hear, Milda," he said with a wry smile. "My father… is already dead."

The moment the words left his mouth, Milda's eyes widened in horror and disbelief. But within seconds, her gaze sharpened. She gritted her teeth and snapped, "Your Highness, watch your words! What you're saying is no different from cursing His Majesty!"

But Morgrim remained calm. He crouched in front of her and met her eyes with a steady gaze.

"Now I ask you—what happened to the hundreds of soldiers my father sent to investigate the bottom of Mount Durnhak's crater back then?"

The question shook Milda to her core. Memories of her fallen comrades resurfaced, and her body trembled slightly.

"They all died," Morgrim continued, his voice calm but firm. "And you have to accept that fact. Meanwhile, my father—who went there alone—returned without a single scratch. Are you really so blind that you can't see the signs?"

Milda's heart pounded. A sinister thought crept into her mind, but she kept shaking her head, refusing to believe it.

Morgrim gave her a small, mocking smile. "I know you're loyal to my father, Milda—and I respect that. But here's the truth: my father died a long time ago. What stands in his place now… is something else entirely. And the reason I was imprisoned… was because I knew that secret."

"A rebellion for the throne? What a ridiculous accusation. Even if I refused it, the throne would still end up in my hands. I am the crown prince of the Dwarven race, and my father had already declared that I would succeed him."

He let out a quiet sigh and slowly stood up, his gaze still locked on Milda—who now stared blankly, as if her soul had left her body.

"Whether you believe me or not is up to you. But I hope you stop letting yourself be deceived by the thing pretending to be my father. If my real father is watching from heaven… he'd probably be heartbroken to see you like this."

After saying that, Morgrim turned to Leon and Elina and said, "Fated One, Elina—let's go."

The two said nothing, simply giving a small nod before walking with him toward the staircase at the far end. Without hesitation, they began to ascend.

Not a single soldier dared to stop them. With Leon's overwhelming power looming over them, no one was foolish enough to risk their life.

Even so, Morgrim's earlier words lingered in their minds.

"Could what Prince Morgrim said be true? Could His Majesty no longer be himself, but someone—or something—pretending to be him?"

It sounded absurd and unthinkable… yet not entirely impossible. As Morgrim pointed out, he had no reason to stage a rebellion. The throne would have come to him naturally.

The soldiers were left in a haze of confusion, unable to make sense of what they had just witnessed—or what they should believe.

***

"Hahaha! I'm finally free! This feels way better than that damn prison!"

Outside the royal palace, Morgrim shouted with a wide grin stretched across his face.

For years, he had been locked away in the underground prison, enduring endless suffering.

To make matters worse, he had endured daily torture at the hands of the guards—naturally, all under the orders of the one pretending to be his father.

Beside him, Leon and Elina exchanged glances and smiled faintly.

"By the way, Prince," Leon said, "can you show us the way to the bottom of Mount Durnhak's crater? The sooner, the better."

Morgrim turned and gave a small nod. "Of course, Fated One. As it happens, it's not far from here. Come on—follow me."

Leon smiled and nodded in return. Under Morgrim's guidance, he and Elina made their way toward the southern side of the Royal Palace.

Roughly four hundred meters beyond the palace walls, they came upon a lush artificial forest.

The trees weren't very tall—only about four to five meters high.

Naturally, since they were still underground, it would have been impossible for trees of great height to grow here.

They continued deeper into the forest until they finally reached a large cave, concealed behind thick trees and dense shrubs.

"Inside this cave lies a path leading to the bottom of the mountain crater," Morgrim explained, his expression heavy with unease. "Many have tried to enter, but in the end, none of them returned. They all died."

Leon rubbed his chin as he studied the mouth of the cave. For some reason, he could sense a dangerous presence—like something powerful was waiting for him inside.

He took a deep breath, then turned to Elina. "Wait here. I'll go in alone."

Elina pursed her lips, clearly wanting to protest—but in the end, she held herself back and gave a reluctant nod.

Leon handed her the black token. "If anyone tries anything, use this. I've infused a bit of my holy power into it. It'll protect you."

It wasn't that he didn't trust Morgrim or the dwarves—but caution was always wise.

"Thank you, Young Master!" Elina replied with a bright smile.

Leon simply gave a small nod. Then he looked at Morgrim and exchanged a meaningful glance—one the prince immediately understood.

Without another word, Leon stepped into the cave and vanished from sight.

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