CHAPTER 237: CHAPTER 236 - THE DATE HAS ENDED.

As the snow settled from Raven’s graceful dismount off the Frostfang Elder’s pinned snout, a soft crunch of boots came from behind.

"We need to have a small chat, Aira," Raven said, as he knew who Aira was.

Aira Elvarine was the third, or maybe fourth—Raven couldn’t remember, as the third and fourth were supposed to meet him simultaneously—heroine of the story.

She was the sheltered child of the Elvarine Family who wanted to live freely.

In the story, she had asked Raven to help her out, and the protagonist, being a woman’s helper, aided her in her escape.

This island, which was later called the moon-reflecting island, was a place Raven only knew about because, in the story, Aira and Raven used it as their hiding spot.

She was one of the few who had their secondary element awakened since birth, but that wasn’t something rare in the Elvarine Family, as everyone in that family is born with ice affinity.

She was special because of her talent.

She was a genius who had reached the fourth circle at such a young age.

A progression speed like that was similar to the Vaise family members, and that was why she was one of the most guarded possessions of the Elvarine Family.

However, her guarded life wasn’t bad in Raven’s eyes.

After all, it was because of her sheltered life that, among all the heroines in the plot, she was one of the few who weren’t already taken away by the demons or possessed by one.

The demons probably never got a chance to meet her, as the only places she had ever been to were the main estate of the Elvarine Family and the academy.

Even in the academy, she was always surrounded by guards.

However, before Raven could speak to Aira—

Selena walked forward through the snowdrift, brushing aside a lock of silver hair as if the cold dared touch her.

Without hesitation, she slid in beside Raven and wrapped an arm around his side, leaning in with a smirk.

"How," she purred, "do you keep getting cooler every time I blink?"

Raven gave a slow shrug, the glow in his eyes fading a bit. "Built different."

Tevin looked like he’d just witnessed a legendary love story mid-action movie.

Lyra opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

But Aira finally snapped out of her stupor.

The cold princess had long lost her calm as she stomped forward, ignoring how her legs were still half-shaking and her eyes were wide with disbelief.

"H-How—how are you both alive?! You’re supposed to be dead! The whole capital has already declared you as heroes!"

Raven’s response was casual, like he was explaining the weather. "Yeah. For... classified reasons, that was necessary."

Tevin immediately raised a hand. "Wait, wait, wait—what reasons? Did you fake your deaths? Was it demon spies? Cloning magic? Or were you abducted by secret squirrel assassins—?"

Raven raised a single hand, silencing him instantly. "Not answering that yet."

"...Squirrel assassins are still on the table," muttered Juno, nodding to herself.

Raven looked around at the group, his tone now calm but firm. "But if you want to stay alive—and trust me, you do—you need to keep our presence here a secret. No one can know. That’s the repayment I’m asking in return for helping you survive."

Silence fell.

The Elvarine Family children exchanged a glance, fidgeting as they realized that they had to listen to Raven.

It was then that Cluckles moved.

The two-foot sage-chicken waddled from behind a boulder with the weight of wisdom in every fluffy step.

Snow clung to his feathers like sacred dust. He bowed low before Raven, wings flaring in reverence.

"Cluckles the Wise swears upon yolk and prophecy—this secret shall be sealed tighter than a dragon’s vault. Meat-giver has Cluckles’s beak, blood, and possibly breakfast."

Raven blinked. "...I didn’t even ask—never mind. Thanks."

Cluckles bowed deeper, but just then—

KR-CHANK—!!

The sword embedded in the wolf’s jaw cracked loose.

No, the sword remained in the spot, but the wolf had pulled its mouth away, not caring if it tore its snout.

The Frostfang Elder howled in pain, wrenching its bleeding snout free, rage blazing in its eyes.

Its breath steamed white, its paws stomped forward—

—And everyone except Raven and Selena screamed.

"IT’S NOT DEAD?!"

"WE FORGOT ABOUT THE ACTUAL MONSTER!"

"AAAAAA—!!"

Tevin dove behind a tree. Juno clutched her staff like a bat. Lyra threw a snowball, which, to her credit, hit the wolf on the nose.

But Raven didn’t move.

Neither did Selena, as she waved her hand.

The Frostfang Elder didn’t get three steps before a darkness shimmered beneath it.

Its own shadow twisted—and from it, a massive jaw of writhing void tendrils burst forth.

CHOMP—!!

One bite.

The Frostfang’s head vanished.

Its body took another step before slumping, blood hissing in the snow.

What was left was absolute silence.

Selena exhaled, brushing snow from her shoulder. "Hmph. Dumb mutt forgot about the shadows."

It was Selena’s devourer beast that killed the beast. She had now learned a way to summon her beasts away from her body.

Raven gave her a side glance. "You didn’t even flinch."

"I knew you’d catch the spotlight," she grinned. "I just cleaned up your leftovers."

Behind them, Cluckles looked deeply moved. "The meat-giver and his mate... are both fearsome. A bond forged not in flame, but frost and feathers."

Tevin, still half-buried behind the tree, whispered in awe, "That chicken is more poetic than I’ll ever be."

Aira looked from the wolf corpse to Raven to the shadow-maw to Selena... then back to Raven.

"...Yeah," she mumbled. "He’s definitely cool."

..............................

A while later.

The air had calmed, save for the slow drip of melted frost from the scorched, headless corpse of the Frostfang Elder.

In the clearing, steam rose gently from the blood-slick snow. Aira and her group stood frozen in a semi-circle, still wide-eyed—more overwhelmed by Raven and Selena than the beast they’d come to slay.

Speaking of those two...

Raven stood before them like a scene out of a painting—except the painting now had extra smug energy.

With Selena in a relaxed princess carry, her arms draped loosely around his neck and a smug grin to match his, he addressed the group again.

"Just to repeat myself—because some people," Raven glanced at Tevin, "look like they might get squirrel-assassin ideas again—you didn’t see me. I was never here. Above all, you will not

breathe a word of this."

Tevin saluted. "Squirrel assassins got nothing on me, sir."

Juno gave a solemn nod, clutching her staff to her chest like it was a sacred vow.

Lyra looked between Selena and Raven with a faint blush and nodded rapidly.

The others in the group also bobbed their heads at Raven.

Finally, Aira met Raven’s gaze and nodded as well—slower, more thoughtful, but resolute.

Only then did Raven glance at Selena.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Always," she said, smug.

Raven’s feet began to glow, sparks of fire and wind spiraling beneath him like the prelude to a storm.

Then, before anyone could even blink—

BOOM—!!

A shockwave erupted from the ground as snow launched in every direction like confetti.

The frozen lake trembled beneath them, and within a blink, Raven and Selena were already hundreds of feet in the air—rising faster and faster, leaving behind a fiery spiral of smoke and ripples that crackled through the sky like a god had kicked a hole into the heavens.

The group could only gape.

"That... was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen," Tevin whispered.

That was when—

"WAAAAIIITTT FOR CLUCKLES!!"

A voice shrieked behind them.

They all spun around.

Cluckles the Wise was sprinting through the snow, wings flapping like broken sails, tripping over a root, and face-planting before scrambling up again.

"Cluckles has not yet repaid the life debt! Cluckles must follow the meat-giver! This chicken has wings of destiny!"

Juno blinked. "Can chickens fly that high?"

"I don’t think chickens should do any of this," Lyra whispered.

Cluckles leapt into the air.

The chicken’s wings flapped gracefully as it launched into the air—

—Only to immediately fall face-first into a pile of snow.

"For a second, it looked like it might work." Tevin shook his head.

"...Cluckles regrets many life choices," came the muffled voice from the snowbank.

Aira slowly dragged a hand down her face.

"...Yes," she sighed, "definitely the weirdest day of my life."