The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 723 Journey to the Border

Two horses galloped swiftly across the rugged mountain terrain. The Dragon's Foot Border lay two hundred kilometers from the town of Norham.

If they were riding ordinary horses, the journey would take up to three days.

However, with the help of Nolan's magic, their journey had been reduced to just one day.

After three hours, they decided to take a break. As it happened, they were in a forest, and not far away was a medium-sized lake.

Nolan and Evalyn led their horses to drink, then sat down nearby to rest.

"How much longer until we get there?" Evalyn asked.

Nolan pulled a golden scroll from thin air. Since Evalyn already knew he could use magic, he no longer bothered hiding it from her.

He opened it, and instantly a map of their location appeared, marking a place called the "Lush Raindrop Forest."

"The Lush Raindrop Forest?" Evalyn furrowed her brow. "What a strange name."

Nolan smiled and explained, "It comes from the rain that falls endlessly in that forest. The droplets form a beautiful layer of dew."

Evalyn looked surprised. She stared at Nolan curiously and asked, "How do you know that?"

"The man at the tavern told me," Nolan replied with a small chuckle. "At first, I thought the name was strange too, so I ended up asking about it without even realizing it."

"Pfft!" Evalyn laughed. "So we're on the same page, huh?"

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Evalyn then shifted her gaze back to the map and asked again, "So there are still twelve hours of travel left, right? That's pretty long, but still better than three days."

She then lay down lazily on the ground. Although they had only been traveling for three hours, she already felt a bit tired.

Moreover, Evalyn rarely rode horses. As far as she could remember, the last time she had ridden one was when she and Nolan had just arrived in the eastern region after a long journey from the Eastern Empire of Izanagi.

Nolan folded the map and put it back into his magic storage.

"Relax. Time flies—you won't even notice when we arrive," he said soothingly.

Evalyn nodded in agreement. The two of them rested for a few more minutes before finally deciding to continue their journey.

However, after only a hundred meters, the once-bright forest suddenly darkened.

Black clouds filled the sky, accompanied by the occasional rumble of thunder.

Evalyn looked up and muttered, 'Rain, huh? Nolan just said it always rains in this forest, which is why it has such a unique name. Who would've thought it would start raining right after that?'

Still, Evalyn wasn't worried. The rain wouldn't affect their journey.

Nolan had cast a spell that protected them from the raindrops, and their horses' speed did not slow at all.

Suddenly, a tree trunk toppled and fell right in front of them.

Both of them were startled and quickly reined in their horses.

"What happened? Why did that tree suddenly fall? Could it be a storm?" Evalyn asked warily.

But that didn't make sense. Trees usually fell for two reasons: strong storms or because they were already weakened and on the verge of collapse.

The rain was heavy, but this was still a forest. Unless it was a severe storm, it was unlikely for a deep-forest tree to simply fall like that.

After all, the trees in the forest were intertwined with one another, forming an extremely strong foundation.

And Evalyn was certain the tree had been standing upright moments ago. So she ruled out both possibilities.

"It seems we have visitors."

Nolan's words startled Evalyn. She followed his gaze and saw three black creatures emerging from the right side.

All three had terrifying appearances. They were humanoid in form, but faceless except for small mouths that emitted faint groans, sending chills down one's spine.

"Demons…"

The word slipped from Evalyn's lips. They were demons, and their forms resembled those that had appeared in the imperial palace banquet hall before.

"Nolan, be careful! Let me handle them!" Evalyn said coldly.

She dismounted her horse and summoned the Divine Sword of Luminus.

Without hesitation, she charged at the demons and severed their heads at the neck.

Not stopping there, she also pierced through their hearts, driving the blade all the way through their backs.

Once she was certain they were dead, she returned to her spot and smiled.

"All done!"

"Good." Nolan merely gave a brief nod, which left Evalyn unsatisfied.

"Is that all you have to say?" she asked irritably.

It took a few seconds before Nolan finally understood what she meant.

He smiled helplessly and praised her. "You're amazing! Thank you for your hard work."

"Hehehe…" Evalyn flashed a happy smile.

Nolan rolled his eyes, thinking how this woman, despite being a year his senior, occasionally behaved like a child.

With that thought, the pair continued their journey. Initially, Evalyn presumed no further demonic encounters would occur.

However, unexpectedly, more demons materialized along their path.

Despite this, Evalyn remained unfazed; her sword made short work of them.

Before they realized it, a full day had elapsed. As dawn approached, just before the sun's ascent, they reached a location approximately two kilometers from the Dragon's Foot Border.

"Nolan, I'm utterly exhausted," Evalyn exclaimed, letting out a long sigh.

"Would you like to rest for a while?" Nolan inquired.

Evalyn nodded immediately. They then proceeded towards a nearby stream.

After securing their horses to a tree by the water's edge, they moved to another tree, leaning against it together.

"Let me use your thigh. Please wake me in two hours."

Without awaiting his consent, she lay down on her side, her head finding a resting place on Nolan's right thigh.

She settled into a more comfortable position, then closed her eyes, a serene smile gracing her lips.

Nolan bore no annoyance. Instead, he gently stroked her soft hair, murmuring, "This woman truly lets her guard down around me."

He mused that any other man would likely seize such an opportunity in her vulnerable state.

Yet, he knew that was out of the question. Evalyn's unguardedness stemmed from her trust in him, Nolan—her childhood friend, the person she relied on the most.

…

"Hmm? What troubles you, Luminus?"

Rei, who had been lounging against his bed, jumped slightly and turned his gaze toward the sword beside him.

Luminus remained silent for a moment before responding, "I am detecting something drawing near you."

"Something?" Rei's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "What is it?"

"I cannot be certain. What is definite is that it possesses an aura akin to mine... and also yours."

"An aura similar to mine and yours?" Rei repeated, visibly startled once more. He peered in the direction Luminus indicated, his mind immersed in contemplation.

"I wonder who Luminus could be referring to?"