Leon's hand moved naturally to rest atop Seraphine's purple hair, his fingers gently patting her head in a gesture of genuine appreciation. The moment his touch made contact, her entire body trembled with an intensity that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with the overwhelming rush of emotion that surged through her.

Her knees nearly buckled beneath her as warmth spread from where his hand rested, cascading down through her entire being like liquid fire. Her breath caught in her throat, and her amethyst eyes fluttered closed for just a moment, savoring the simple yet profound intimacy of the gesture. Even through her armor, she could feel her skin tingling, every nerve ending suddenly hyperaware of his proximity.

He's praising me… touching me…

The thought sent another shiver through her frame, and she had to consciously focus on remaining upright. Her fingers clenched and unclenched at her sides as she fought to maintain some semblance of composure, though the bright flush spreading across her cheeks betrayed her completely.

"You did well, Seraphine," Leon said softly, his voice carrying that particular warmth he reserved for her alone.

Those simple words, combined with his touch, nearly undid her completely. Her heart hammered against her ribs with such force she was sure he must be able to hear it. This wasn't the composed Lightning Commander of the West—this was a woman utterly and hopelessly consumed by love, trembling under the gentle affection of the man who owned her heart entirely.

Leon, seemingly unaware of the full extent of the effect he was having on her, withdrew his hand and turned his attention back to the supplies. "We should start storing what we can carry ourselves first," he said practically. "My inventory has limits, and we'll need to transport the rest through the portal."

Her love for him was getting deeper and deeper by the day.

I love him so much!

Seraphine nodded quickly, still trying to regain her equilibrium after that devastating head pat. She watched as Leon began systematically storing items into his personal inventory, the supplies vanishing into that mysterious space that only he could access. Seeds disappeared first, followed by tools, then carefully selected construction materials—each chosen for its immediate utility rather than bulk.

"Use your spatial pouch for the lighter but essential items," Leon instructed, glancing back at her. "Medical supplies, specialized seeds, anything that needs more care while moving them."

She moved to comply, her hands still slightly unsteady as she began filling her spatial pouch. The enchanted container could hold far more than its size suggested, though nowhere near the capacity of Leon's inventory. She focused on gathering the most valuable and portable items—rare seeds that could grow in darkness, healing herbs, precision tools for delicate work.

As they worked, Leon found himself reaching the limits of what his inventory could accommodate. The space was already cluttered with far too much treasure he'd accumulated from his various conquests—gold, jewels, magical artifacts, enchanted weapons. All of it was looted from nobles of the Kingdom of Shampain and stuffed into his inventory with little organization.

I really need to sort through all of this properly, he thought with mild annoyance. The inventory is becoming more of a hoard than a functional storage space.

Once they had taken what they could personally carry, Leon stepped back and began channeling his mana. The air around him grew heavy with power, reality itself seeming to bend and warp as he focused his energy. Seraphine watched with fascination as threads of silver-white light began to coalesce before them, spinning and weaving into an increasingly complex pattern.

The portal materialized slowly at first, a mere shimmer in the air like heat waves rising from sunbaked stone. Then, with a sound like tearing silk, it expanded rapidly into a perfect oval of swirling silver-white energy. The edges crackled with barely contained power, and through its surface, they could glimpse another world entirely.

"Follow me," Leon said, though the instruction was unnecessary. Seraphine would have followed him through the gates of hell itself without hesitation.

They stepped through together, the sensation of transition washing over them like diving through calm water. One moment, they were in the merchant's tent surrounded by supplies, and the next, they emerged into a world of endless possibilities.

The dimensional space stretched out before them in breathtaking simplicity. An infinite expanse of grass spread in every direction, each blade a perfect emerald green that swayed gently in a breeze that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. Above them, the sky was an unblemished canvas of pure blue, without a single cloud to mar its perfection. There was no sun visible, yet light seemed to emanate from the very air itself, casting no shadows and creating an atmosphere of perpetual, gentle afternoon.

In the distance, perhaps a few hundred meters away, a river wound its way through the grassland like a ribbon of liquid crystal. Its waters sparkled with an almost supernatural clarity, the sound of its flow carrying faintly on the wind. The river's presence added life to what might otherwise have felt sterile, its gentle babbling providing a soothing backdrop to the surreal landscape.

Much further away—several kilometers at least—Leon could make out the clustered shapes of structures. Even from this distance, he could identify them as simple houses made from clay and other basic materials. The refugees had clearly been busy, creating a rudimentary settlement in this strange new world. The distance was sufficient that the refugees wouldn't notice their arrival, which was precisely as Leon intended.

"This place still amazes me every time," Seraphine breathed, her eyes wide as she took in the endless vista. "It defies everything I thought I knew about magic and space."

Leon nodded absently, already focused on his next task. With a thought, he began assessing his inventory, preparing to dump out the excess treasure that had been cluttering his storage space for far too long.

Items began materializing in the air before him and falling to the grass with various sounds—the clink of gold coins, the heavier thud of weapons, the crystalline chime of magical gems. The pile grew rapidly as Leon systematically emptied sections of his inventory, keeping only the supplies they had just collected and a few essential items he couldn't bear to part with.

Gold coins formed gleaming hills that caught the dimensionless light. Jewels of every color imaginable created a rainbow cascade across the grass—rubies like drops of blood, sapphires as deep as the ocean, emeralds that outshone the surrounding grass. Weapons emerged next—swords with elaborate engravings, axes that hummed with barely contained enchantments, spears that seemed to thirst for battle even in their dormant state.

Magical artifacts tumbled out in a seemingly endless stream. Rings that granted their wearers enhanced strength, amulets that protected against specific types of magic, and bracers that increased casting speed. Books bound in exotic leathers, their pages filled with forgotten knowledge and ancient history.

Even countless ordinary weapons could be used to form an army.

The pile grew and grew, becoming a small mountain of wealth that would have made even the greediest merchant envious. Each item represented a victory, a conquered foe, a challenge overcome. Together, they formed a testament to Leon's journey and power.

Yet, they had become more of a burden than a benefit; most of the items were useless to him personally, clogging his inventory when he needed space for practical supplies.

Seraphine watched with a mixture of awe and amusement as the treasure pile continued to grow. She had known Leon was wealthy—his reputation and power naturally attracted such rewards—but seeing it all materialize at once was something else entirely.

"You've been quite the collector," she observed with a slight smile, watching as a particularly ornate crown tumbled down the side of the golden hill.

"More like a hoarder," Leon admitted with a self-deprecating chuckle. "Half of these things I don't even remember acquiring. They just... accumulated."

The process continued for several more minutes, the pile growing ever larger until finally, Leon's inventory was cleared of everything except the supplies they had just gathered and his most essential personal items. The mountain of treasure sat incongruously in the endless grassland, a monument to excess that seemed almost absurd in the pristine simplicity of the dimensional space.

The silver-white portal continued to shimmer behind them, its edges crackling with sustained energy. Leon had made the calculated decision to keep it open—the initial mana cost of tearing through dimensional barriers was enormous, while maintaining an existing portal required only a steady trickle of power. It was like the difference between breaking down a wall versus keeping a door propped open.

"We'll keep the portal active," Leon explained to Seraphine as they prepared to step back through the portal. "Opening it repeatedly would drain far more mana than simply maintaining the connection."

They moved through the swirling gateway together, the familiar sensation of transition washing over them as they emerged back into the merchant's tent. The contrast was immediate—from the serene endlessness of the dimensional space to the crowded, organized chaos of stacked supplies.

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