CHAPTER 79: WINTER REGION

The Winter Region was unlike any other land in the known world.

It was neutral like the Elven land yet untouchable — it stood as though carved directly from the will of the Ice Goddess herself.

It was a place of perpetual frost, where the sun’s warmth rarely touched the earth and snowflakes blanketed every inch of land without pause.

Temperatures dropped so low that travelers often claimed even their blood slowed in their veins, and when night came, the cold transformed into something cruel, enough to claim lives within hours if one was unprepared.

There was magical equipment to help with that but still, that was how cold this place was.

Yet the most curious thing about the Winter Region wasn’t its climate, nor its natural fortifications.

It was its people.

Every man, woman, and child born there shared a distinct mark of heritage: silver hair that shimmered like spun moonlight.

Across the Empire, silver hair was rare enough to draw whispers, but within the Winter Region it was as ordinary as breathing.

Azel narrowed his eyes at the folded letter in his hand.

The Winters Clan.

The ruler of the Winter Region, Azariah Winters himself, had sent an invitation.

That alone was monumental.

The Winters clan rarely sent invitations to outsiders, let alone to someone who wasn’t already tied to them by blood or marriage.

He had suspicions, of course.

The original owner of this body — whose memories had been wiped might have had ties to this region.

It wasn’t an unreasonable thought.

The silver strands in his own hair, faint though they were, felt almost like a clue deliberately left behind.

And if that wasn’t enough, there was another hint that gnawed at him: his name.

Azel Winters.

That had been his name back on Earth too.

Coincidence? Or fate laughing in his face?

The problem with the Winter Region, however, was simple yet absolute: one could not enter it without permission.

Sneaking in was not only implausible — it was impossible.

Their borders were sealed tight by treaties, runes, and the will of the Ice Goddess herself.

Anyone who attempted to force entry risked igniting a war, and no empire was foolish enough to provoke it.

Why? Because the ruler of the Winter Region wasn’t merely a man.

He was marked.

Blessed directly by divinity of the Ice Goddess.

And no sane ruler wanted to challenge one whom a goddess had chosen.

Azel slowly unfolded the letter, letting his eyes scan the elegant, deliberate script.

To Sir Azel,

May the cold winds of the North carry this message safely into your hands.

I, Azariah Winters, Patriarch of the Winter Clan and steward of the Winter Region, extend to you an invitation most rare.

It is not common that one from the Empire of Starbloom receives word from our house, and rarer still that they are asked to cross our threshold.

Yet your name has reached my ears, carried by sources I trust well.

For reasons both personal and grave, I bid you come to the Winter Region with all haste.

You may bring with you companions of your choosing; our gates shall open for them as they would for you.

I urge you not to delay, for opportunities such as this are seldom given twice.

May the goddess watch over your steps,

Azariah Winters

Azel closed the letter, tucking it carefully away into his ring.

"Am I going?" he murmured under his breath. "Hell yes, I am."

How could he possibly miss such a chance?

Not only would he finally see the legendary Winter Clan for himself, but maybe — just maybe he’d uncover the truth about his own connection to them.

His instincts screamed at him that this was no coincidence.

"I see," Azel said aloud, his voice firm. "I’ll be going. In a few days."

Steven, who stood nearby, gave a slow nod of approval.

"Good. Even I haven’t had the honor of stepping into the Winter Region. If you’re granted entry... then fate has chosen something special for you."

That alone told Azel how significant this invitation truly was.

If the Sword Saint himself had never been invited, yet Azel had... then his presence was not only requested, it was demanded.

"Anyway," Azel stretched and gave a lazy wave. "I’ll leave you guys to your reunion. Don’t get too emotional, or I’ll start crying too."

Steven gave him a wry smile, while Emilia looked at him as though torn between gratitude and annoyance.

But Azel was already stepping out the door.

By "rest," of course, he meant something entirely different.

He had already promised Medusa that they’d go somewhere once they returned.

A promise was a promise, and Azel, for all his antics, kept his word.

He hadn’t made it far down the quiet street before a familiar presence fell in step behind him.

Azel smirked without turning his head.

"Not gonna pretend you weren’t tailing me, Rain?"

Instead of replying, Rain quickened her pace, overtook him, and with surprising boldness, grabbed his hand.

She dragged him unceremoniously into a narrow alley, the shadows swallowing them both.

Before he could joke about it, she pressed him back against the wall, her grip trembling slightly.

Their faces were inches apart.

Azel had to lean forward a little, his height forcing her to tilt her chin up.

Their eyes locked — and in that instant, the fire in her gaze flickered, replaced with hesitation.

Her breath hitched.

Her body froze.

Azel’s smirk faltered.

’Wait... is this trauma?’ he thought.

The way she stiffened, the way her hand slipped away — it wasn’t nerves, it was memory.

Rain stepped back sharply, eyes wide, and whispered, "I’m sorry..."

Her voice carried shame.

Azel tilted his head, studying her with calm curiosity rather than mockery.

He wasn’t bothered.

In fact, he found the reaction almost... cute. But that only deepened his curiosity.

What had Reinhardt done to her?

He broke the silence. "Did you want to ask something?"

Rain stiffened again, then, as if gathering her scattered courage, glared at him with renewed fire.

"Do you even understand what you’ve done, idiot?!" Her voice cracked, almost a scream.

"What did I do now?" Azel muttered, scratching his cheek.

He could list a hundred questionable decisions he’d made recently, but he was curious which one she’d fixated on.

"You—" Rain pointed at him, her voice shaking with frustration. "You let yourself get seduced by a goddess! A goddess who’s existed since the creation of this world!"

[Hey now, calm down. You’re not gonna talk to my hubby like that.]

’Shut up, whore!’ Rain snapped inwardly.

The goddess’s laughter rang in her head, airy and mischievous.

She didn’t care for the insult.

What she did care about — what she wondered about was how it would feel if Azel himself called her that in the middle of taking her from behind.

The thought alone made her shiver, her lips parting as she bit down lightly.

Her body betrayed her.

"I’m well aware," Azel said, stepping forward, forcing Rain back until her shoulders brushed the opposite wall.

His eyes bored into hers, unflinching. "But the goddess is mine. She’s mine. M-I-N-E."

Rain’s breath caught.

"She’s hot. She’s beautiful. She’s older. What more could I possibly want?" Azel’s grin turned unapologetically wicked. "Yes, I like older women. Sue me."

Rain’s eyes widened.

"I don’t care if she’s been here since the dawn of creation. She’s breathtaking. I can’t take my eyes off her. Her body? Perfect. Her voice? Like every melody I’ve ever heard woven together into something divine."

He pressed a hand against his own face, smirking.

"I don’t regret it. Not a damn bit. She’s fucking beautiful, okay? Now — if you’re done with this lecture, I have somewhere else to be."

And just like that, Azel stepped past her, leaving Rain speechless in the cold alley.

Her fists clenched at her sides.

"Wow..." she whispered, jealousy coiling in her chest.

If Reinhardt had ever described her with even half that intensity... would she still hate him so much?

Or would she have fallen harder?

She would have probably fallen harder but right now... She hated him to the bone.

Meanwhile, the goddess herself was so flustered she could barely string thoughts together.

Her cheeks metaphorically burned, her divine composure cracked.

She could only muster one trembling word.

[Daddy~]

’I can hear you perverted goddess!!!!!!’

[Authors Note]

Phew I’m done with the 3 Chapters for today, well fam I’ll release 3 more Chapters later today when I wake up, and use them for a new privilege...

I hate filling up privilege but yeah, See you guys later!