A Cold Alliance

This time, I was grateful for the man’s doll-like treatment.

If I had to walk like this, the space between my legs would have chafed, and it would have been painful.

Crunch, crunch.
As we walked through the forest, the gaze that landed on me was strange.
I wondered why he was looking at me like that, and then I remembered.

“Ah.”

I must have unconsciously stroked the ponytail that came down the back of the man’s neck.

“…Sorry.”

My embarrassed face was soon engulfed in a thick mist.
It was a movement skill like the one I had seen when I was drunk.
We hadn’t even walked a few steps, but the surrounding air had changed.

The place the man arrived at, holding me, was a natural hot spring.

‘No, wait. Should I call it lava water?’
The sound of it bubbling, and every time a snowball that had accumulated on a nearby tree fell, it would sizzle and emit a thick steam.

“A-are you going in there? I don’t want to be shabu-shabu!”

“……”

“It looks like it’s over a hundred degrees! You’re crazy! Let me go!”

Terrified, I clutched the man’s neck, almost strangling him.

Karvan, who had sighed softly, adjusted me so he could hold me with one hand, then created a few ice spears and threw them in.

[<Karvan Baharga> casts ‘Freeze Spinel.’]

Sizzle, with a loud noise, steam erupted.

An indifferent gesture, as if he were adding ingredients.
After throwing in about a dozen.
The boiling sound subsided.

“…Is it not hot?”

As he looked at me as if to say, ‘Is it okay now,’ I cautiously asked.

The man made a ‘you’re something else’ face, then kicked the water’s edge with the tip of his foot.
A few drops of water that shot up from the wave splashed onto my shoulder.

It seemed to be moderately warm, so as I nodded, he finally entered the water, holding me.

“Haa.”

‘An outdoor hot spring in the middle of a snowy winter.’
‘Something you can’t buy with money.’
A pleasant sigh naturally escaped me.

“Ack! Wh-what are you…! Sob, aah!”
“You said it stings. This should be better than frowning all the time.”

Before that, there was a small incident where the man sat me down by the water and licked me there, but I tried hard to forget it.

As I was trying to catch the falling sleet, I glanced up at the man who was standing with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, and asked.

“You know. Do you really become mates if you do that kind of thing?”

“What kind of thing.”

“Being pierced together. I’ve never heard of a custom where you become mates by blocking the opening with the root of a c*ck.”

My crooked answer must have been funny, as Karvan chuckled.
The corners of his lips curved up as if drawn with a brush.

‘…He’s so handsome.’
It was annoying to think such a thing in the middle of this, but it was true.

A face that a hundred out of a hundred people would praise, saying the creator had poured their soul into it.

A jawline and nose bridge as if sculpted, and even the scar across his right eye was just an ornament that enhanced his charm.
If it weren’t for this ill-fated relationship, we could have had a good one.

“But, why are you doing this?”

‘…Whatever.’
‘He’s still a bastard who’s always looking for a chance to kill me.’
I shook my head and asked, pressing him.

“You said I’d be the official Valtael if we did the full moon ceremony? But there’s no need for that. You said I just had to act as your mate, so why.”

“The imprint sickness will continue if we don’t perform the ceremony. Then, are you going to live by drinking that bitter decoction?”

“…If I do this, the imprint sickness will disappear?”

‘Ah, if that’s the case.’
I was immediately convinced.

He must have forced the ceremony because he felt sorry for me drinking that bitter decoction three times a day.
If I could suffer for one night and not have to drink the decoction anymore, it was a very profitable deal for me.

‘…But what about this man?’
‘He didn’t have to go that far.’

‘On the contrary, his personality must have found it a nuisance, but did he force the ceremony for my sake?’

When my thoughts reached that point, my heart felt soft and fuzzy.
The sprouts of hope were trying to sprout on their own at the man’s occasional consideration.

‘…Perhaps, his intention to kill me has disappeared?’

‘Even though I’m a Destroyer, did he think I was useful?’

“What are we going to do, from now on?”

At my cautious question, the man looked at me.
It was a look that said, ‘What do you mean?’

“I’m talking about pretending to be mates. After the ceremony, the imprint sickness will disappear, and the Maha seem to have stopped being suspicious.”

“……”

“So, I was thinking, we don’t have to, sleep together anymore.”

My voice gradually trailed off at his cool gaze.
Wondering what I had said wrong, I was mulling over my words, but the man just looked at me with an expressionless face.
Then he quietly asked back.

“You seem to quite dislike sleeping with me.”

It wasn’t that I disliked it, but I was afraid that my body was gradually being tamed by him.

I had even felt self-loathing at my body that would get wet at just Karvan’s touch.
It would be better if it were painful or agonizing, but I’m afraid I’ll get addicted to this.

That even if I escape from him someday, even if I return to my place, I won’t be able to forget this taste.

“I don’t dislike it or like it.”

“……”

“Y-you’re the same, right? You’re just doing it because it’s a contract…”

I answered evasively, afraid that my shameless thoughts would be revealed, but the man just looked at me without a word.

“By the way, then I have something I want to ask too.”

As if trying to dig into my inner thoughts, I hastily changed the subject at his persistent gaze.

“What if they find out that I’m a Destroyer. What will you do?”

I asked cautiously, watching his expression.
It didn’t matter if he treated me like a part, or if he hated me for being a Destroyer.
If he just promised not to kill me, I was willing to continue this relationship.

I thought this contract wasn’t bad.

“…You.”

But, it seems this man was different.

His already cool eyes hardened as if an invisible wall had been put up.

“Is that all that’s on your mind?”

“It’s not that, if they find out I’m a Destroyer, it’s all over.”

The piercing gaze was like the ice spear the man had created a little while ago.

“I know you hate me, I know. But, we’re officially mates now, right?”

His gaze, as if to see how far I would go, was unusual, but I felt like I wouldn’t be able to say it if not now.

“Then, since we’re beings who have to protect each other, we shouldn’t harm each other…”

“What do you want to say.”

“…You won’t let me, die, will you?”

I hoped my words wouldn’t sound too servile.

‘Just promise me you won’t kill me.’

‘Then, I’ll have no reason to go back to Midvalen either.’

I swallowed my desperate words and looked at the man anxiously.

“What if, they find out I’m a Destroyer and your clan tries to kill me.”

“……”

“Like in the Forest of Trials, will you… protect me?”

He raised an eyebrow as if he had heard something strange.
A look that said, ‘Why should I?’

“I don’t think there was such a condition in the contract.”

“O-of course there wasn’t such a thing, but! If I die, your mate will disappear.”

“I’ve been fine without one until now. Will anything change if I don’t have one again?”

I was at a loss for words.
I didn’t expect him to act like he was in a thousand-year love just because we had imprinted and slept together a few times.
But, I didn’t expect him to answer without a moment’s hesitation like that.

“…Then I’ll ask you one thing.”

The man, who was looking at me, who had become a mute who had eaten honey, asked.

“I heard you were collecting Nemean claws. What do you plan to do with them?”

“I promised to get them for someone. I was imprisoned while trying to get them.”

‘Baalzeph will probably think I’m dead. Since I haven’t been back for several weeks now. No. He might even be praying for my death.’

“…Is there a reason for me, to protect you?”

As I was lost in my reluctant thoughts, I heard a dumbfounded laugh.

“It seems you’re just thinking of leaving as soon as you’re found out.”

“If I say I’m leaving, will you help me?”

At my courageous question, Karvan twisted his head instead of answering.
As if he didn’t know why I was asking such a question.

“Do you think I would let you?”

A sliver of hope cooled down.

‘Right. The contract was to keep it a secret that I’m a Destroyer in the first place, there was no treaty for after I was found out.’

‘But if I’m found out, it’s the end for me that day.’
‘They acted like they would eat me alive just for the smell of a human, so what if they find out I’m a Destroyer?’
‘Not even my bone powder would be left.’

The water, which had been pleasantly warm until a little while ago, felt like a pot to boil me in.

‘…I walked into the beast’s mouth on my own two feet.’

At Karvan’s side profile, which no longer looked at my eyes, I realized as if I had been hit.

“Is there a reason for me to protect you?”

‘This man had never seen me as anything more than a useful part in the first place.’

‘Just as he said he used himself as a tool, I was also his tool. A disposable item to be used and then thrown away when it wore out. That was the extent of my existence’s value.’

‘Stupidly, I only realized that now.’

‘…Who’s going to be thrown away so easily.’
I ground my teeth as I looked at the man’s cold side profile.

‘It’s so dirty and cheap that I’ll be the one to throw you away first.’

Karvan was not seen for several days again.
The imprint sickness also disappeared as if it were a lie.

“The imprint vein has settled well, but please let me know immediately if the pain recurs.”

“Yes. Thank you, Mashak.”

“I’m the one who should be thankful, Valtael. I was so worried that the ceremony would go wrong.”

I looked at Mashak, who was organizing his medical tools, intently.

If it weren’t for him, I would have died from the illness.
I knew that he had worked hard, checking my pulse and taking blood samples frequently to make a decoction that suited my body, which was different from the Varg.

So, I wanted to thank him.

I asked Tegen for a nicely wrapped item in a cloth and handed it to him.

“This, it’s not much, but it’s a gift. It will be useful when you’re examining.”

Mashak, who was embarrassed, saying how could he receive this, carefully unwrapped the bundle.

It was a penlight, a stethoscope, and a doctor’s gown.

It was an item from the ‘Doctor Play Set’ that I had kept because I liked to buy useless coordination items.

Mashak looked at them intently.

“…It’s a Destroyer’s item.”

“Yes. Uh, I happened to pick it up before and kept it as a trophy. I thought it might be useful to Mashak.”

“Thank you.”

After a moment of a complicated expression, Mashak smiled and readily accepted the gift.
I was worried that he might be offended because it was an Awakener’s item, but I was relieved.

“…You two seem to be quite close.”

As we were smiling at each other, I was startled by the voice from behind.