<Episode 77>
“Huff…!”
Eveline was left alone in the snow, without a single thread of clothing. Her body temperature was plummeting.
Her toes hurt terribly; snow had piled up beneath her bare feet.
And her head quickly grew cold as well. Snow settled on her damp red hair, and soon, it began to freeze.
As she huddled against the cold, a red note appeared before her once more.
With trembling fingers, Eveline forced her painful hands open to pick up the note and read it.
[This is a violation of the rules, so avoid encounters with others. The moment you cross paths, all weapons except firearms will be deactivated.]
The paper ignited and vanished on its own. And then—
“Ha…”
Eveline breathed a sigh of relief as clothing suddenly materialized on her. It was a wedding dress.
But unlike the summer attire she wore upon first arriving on the island, this was a winter wedding dress.
Thick and ornate, as if crafted for a traditional northern wedding. The skirt was lined with wolf fur, and her shoulders were draped with the hide of a white bear.
She felt immediate relief from the cold. Her hands were clad in soft cowhide gloves, and in her right hand, she held a gun.
Lifting her skirt slightly with her left hand, she gave it a gentle shake. Bullets sewn into the hem clinked softly as they jostled together.
Lowering her skirt, Eveline gripped the gun and checked the number of bullets.
Fortunately, the magazine was fully loaded.
As she exhaled with relief, her breath formed a long plume of white in the frigid air. Lowering her head, a hat slid down to cover her ears, a rectangular white fur cap that looked like something a Russian soldier might wear.
Eveline felt as though her attire had been crafted to blend seamlessly into the snow around her.
“A week.”
Elkais was coming to kill her, for a whole week.
Which meant that his memories would return after that week.
Though she hadn’t seen the writing that had appeared behind her, it didn’t take much to deduce the situation.
“Elkais… for an entire week…”
It suddenly struck her just how terrifying it was to have Elkais as her enemy.
He was the continent’s only Swordmaster.
The reason the Cropper Empire had expanded its territories to ten times their original size was thanks to him.
The nations he subjugated through conquest numbered in the dozens. If he hadn’t come here, he might very well have unified the entire continent.
He was not only a brilliant strategist but also a master tactician. A remarkable warrior and a royal alpha, his physical strength was monstrous.
Furthermore, he was neither prone to chasing women nor did he indulge in heavy drinking, which meant he rarely, if ever, let his guard down—a complete and unstoppable force.
“Sigh…”
Eveline let out a sigh, gripping her gun tightly. A long plume of white steam drifted from her breath.
Could she even hit him if she tried?
If her bullet hit, he would die. But could she really pull the trigger? And even if she did, he might just deflect it.
To think of Elkais as an enemy…
‘I don’t want to hold you in a place like this. You mean so much to me.’
The memory of his words made her chest ache unexpectedly.
“I just have to avoid him. It’s only a week.”
Trying to reassure herself, Eveline surveyed her surroundings.
“This is cruel, truly.”
“Huff…!”
Even in this moment, Eveline couldn’t help but smirk as she noticed the massive heels on her fur boots. Without a blade to cut through it, she couldn’t risk damaging her precious fur boots, so she decided she’d just walk instead.
Fortunately, the various patterns on the soles kept her from slipping on the snow.
“Shelter, fire, protein, and body heat.”
Murmuring this, she opened her eyes fully.
To hide for an entire week, she would need all those things.
A cabin was out of the question. If she went there, Elkais would surely track her down.
And since her clothes would be stripped the moment she encountered someone, she absolutely could not let anyone see her.
If she lost her clothes and was left exposed in the snow, she would die in less than an hour. Dying from hypothermia would be far worse than just facing a blade.
Eveline assessed her surroundings calmly.
Below her, snow blanketed everything, turning the world around her into a field of white.
“Shelter first.”
She spoke to herself and then headed into the forest to find a hiding place.
* * *
[If you wish to retrieve your clothes, you must offer something in exchange.]
Elkais, too, found himself alone when he opened his eyes. He scoffed at the words that appeared in the snow before him.
Snow had fallen, but it wasn’t enough to kill him. Oddly enough, he was completely unclothed, though he held his sword in his hand.
The snow piling up on his head was cold, as was the snow underfoot.
But, perhaps because he was an alpha, his high body temperature kept the chill from being too unbearable. As long as he kept moving, he could maintain his body heat.
[If you accept your objective, you will receive clothing.]
“My objective? My objective is to get off this damned island.”
He was suddenly aware of an omega’s pheromone lingering in the air at a distance. This scent belonged to Abellard, back when he had been an omega.
But it also held a trace of Eveline’s scent from their recent encounter.
Could it be that Eveline Wilden had kidnapped him to kill Abellard?
Elkais held no romantic feelings for Abellard. Though the pheromones had piqued his interest, he was well aware that Abellard Wilden had a rough disposition and a manipulative nature.
Even so, he couldn’t let him die so easily.
Especially not hunted down by his own younger brother, who had always targeted him.
[Your objective is to imprint with an omega.]
“My objective is to imprint with an omega? Ridiculous.”
He muttered mockingly as he walked, and more words appeared above him.
[Your true objective is to imprint with the omega you genuinely love.]
Seeing this, his defiance softened.
“Well, that’s true.”
That was something he’d long thought about.
The idea of surrendering to pheromones and embracing someone out of raw instinct was revolting. He’d even envied the betas for that reason.
The words in front of him seemed to be the work of some malicious sorcerer.
But how did they know him so well?
He felt a pang of confusion.
And yet, he knew there was truth in those words. He wanted to imprint with someone he truly loved, not just out of pheromone-driven lust.
“Eveline.”
He was startled by the name that escaped his lips, so much so that a tear trickled down his cheek.
“What… what is this?”
By the time the tear reached his chin, it had turned cold. He scowled and shook his head.
He needed to go toward the source of those pheromones.
As he took a step forward, his clothes changed, transforming into a ceremonial robe draped with a black and red cloak.
With that, he quickened his pace toward the mountaintop, where the omega pheromones were emanating.
* * *
[You must find Eveline Wilden before Elkais de Robein does.]
Abellard stared down at the note in his hand, reading and rereading it.
As long as he kept the note, it would continue to change if the goddess Yulias had more to tell him.
“It’s freezing, goddess. Ah, it’s so cold I can barely feel my face. My toes feel like they’re going to fall off, and my hands ache terribly. I’m getting dizzy.”
[The moment you meet someone, your outer clothing will disappear.]
“Thanks for the violation, goddess.”
Abellard let out a cheerful laugh, and thick fur clothing and gloves appeared around him.
He noticed that the fur on his gloves was white bear fur, stroking it lightly with his hand.
Another slip of paper appeared, and he unfolded it with gloved hands, which let out a faint squeak.
[You may still change your objective.
Current objective: Eveline Wilden’s survival.]
“I’m not changing it.”
[Then, you must uncover Elkais de Robein’s objective.]
“If this is Remeros’s doing, I have no idea what that objective might be.”
Goddess Remeros was Elkais’s patron. Whatever goal she was pursuing through him was bound to be a personal one.
“When am I allowed to kill Elkais de Robein?”
[Eveline Wilden must be the one to kill him. If you do it, her survival cannot be guaranteed.]
“And why is that?”
[If Eveline Wilden does not choose to kill Elkais de Robein herself, she will choose death instead.]
“Just what does that bastard Elkais mean to her?”
Though he grumbled, Abellard understood Yulias’s point, letting out a sigh as he continued walking.
Another note appeared in his hand, and though he didn’t want to read it, he opened it.
[If Eveline Wilden eliminates Elkais de Robein, she will rely on you.]
“Well… that sounds perfect.”
Abellard sighed with satisfaction, recalling Eveline’s scent and even her scornful gaze.
After brushing off the snow gathering on his head, a hat materialized this time.
With firm steps, he began to track the source of the omega pheromones.
The royal omega’s pheromones emanated from the mountaintop. If he kept on walking, he would meet Eveline soon.
Determined to arrive first, Abellard picked up his pace.
Despite sinking into the snow and tripping a few times, he kept running.
After some time, when he finally reached the peak, the snowfall had slowed.
Seeing a silhouette of red hair in the distance, he shouted,
“Eveline!”
