OPDSP 7

The Great Purge involved entering the snow-covered mountains known as the Demonic Frontier and hunting magical beasts for ten days. It wasn’t called the Demonic Frontier for nothing. The mountains disturbed the minds of those who set foot in them, stirring up unease. With dozens of people experiencing slight mental disorientation, one wrong move could easily lead to a major accident.

On top of that, countless types of magical beasts lived in the Demonic Frontier. They had to constantly be prepared for surprise attacks from any kind of creature.

It was a grueling time, both mentally and physically. That’s why the capability of the commander—the Grand Duke—was of utmost importance. He had to lead the dozens in the hunting party, serve as their emotional anchor, and ensure everyone’s safety with his superior swordsmanship.

The preparation for the Great Purge had to be flawless. Not a single variable could be tolerated.

Because the previous Grand Duke had died during a Great Purge, Grand Duke Asirion approached the event with an almost obsessive level of preparation.

And now, he had become the greatest variable himself. This hunt had already been plagued with incidents even during the planning stage.

“Who else knows that I manifested as an alpha?”

“Only me. Just me! And it’ll stay that way! I swear I won’t tell anyone.”

Aeryl answered in a rush. Just from the question, he’d grasped the Grand Duke’s intent to keep the alpha manifestation a secret.

Judging from how carelessly he’d been talking earlier, he didn’t seem like someone who’d grown up reading the room. This reaction was unexpected. Was it just his nature? Or was he raised that way?

The Grand Duke continued speaking, still silently weighing Aeryl.

“How should I manage this?”

“Well, you’ll need medication based on how your condition progresses. You might also need help from someone of a different dynamic. Pheromones from the opposite type can sometimes help. Ideally, a doctor familiar with dynamics would be best. Pheromone balance is delicate—unlike with betas.”

Aeryl rambled again. Was he the type who couldn’t stop talking once it came to something he liked? In that moment, he just seemed like a nerd obsessed with his field.

‘At the very least, he’s not a spy.’

The Great Purge exposed the Grand Duke’s capabilities and the military strength of his house. That made it a prime target for spies—no matter how carefully he screened people, spies still slipped in. Some even joined just to sabotage the hunt.

Aeryl didn’t seem like either type.

At least for now.

The Grand Duke hadn’t fully let his guard down.

But at the same time, it would be difficult to secretly find another doctor well-versed in dynamics while hiding the fact that he had just manifested and was in an unstable condition. Weighing the risks, it seemed safer to keep Aeryl close than to gamble with uncertainty.

Having finished his calculations, the Grand Duke lifted his foot from Aeryl’s body. Aeryl let out a sigh of relief, sat up, and began unwrapping the blanket.

“You are now the field medic of the hunting party—and my personal physician.”

“What? Me?”

Aeryl’s eyes widened.

“I’ll give you time to prepare. Gather the necessary medications.”

“Wait! I already refused to work under Your Grace!”

“That was then. The situation has changed. Didn’t you say it yourself? That I need you.”

“What? Me? I never— Ah. Aah…”

Aeryl looked horrified. He’d finally realized that “a doctor well-versed in dynamics” meant himself, and that by his own mouth, he’d practically shouted “Take me with you!”

“But I don’t want to!”

“You think you have a choice?”

“Guh…”

Aeryl shut his mouth tightly, eyes darting around as he thought. After a moment of intense deliberation, he gripped the blanket in his hands and lifted his chin.

“Fine. But if I’m being dragged into this, I want something in return. Grant me a request.”

“A request?”

The Grand Duke had given him more than enough of a scare, but Aeryl still looked him straight in the eye and made his demand—quite bold, for someone who’d been trembling earlier.

“Become the subject of my research!”

That was unexpected. Even Grand Duke Asirion, not easily surprised, was momentarily taken aback.

“It’s not anything difficult, even if it’s for research! Just observing your condition when exposed to medicine or pheromones, maybe drawing some blood… just that much… Is that… not possible?”

Aeryl wore a downcast expression. He was a strange one—odd yet quick-witted, obedient yet brazen and bold. A curious mix. Quite fascinating. The Grand Duke thought it might be worth keeping him nearby to observe.

“I’ll give you ten minutes. Get ready.”

The Grand Duke extended his hand. Aeryl’s eyes widened in surprise, but realizing it was permission, he smiled and grasped it.

***

Aeryl quickly packed his things and followed the Grand Duke with his horse. The hunting party was stationed not far from the village and was in the midst of packing up to leave.

“Your Grace!”

“Your Grace, the Grand Duke!”

As soon as the Grand Duke appeared, the captain of the knights rushed over. They had woken up that morning to find the Grand Duke missing, and had been quite alarmed.

“Is something wrong? Isn’t this the village doctor?”

“Nothing is wrong. He’ll be joining us as the field medic from today.”

“Ah…”

The knight commander looked at Aeryl with a puzzled expression. He’d witnessed Aeryl’s firm rejection of the Grand Duke’s offer the day before, so his confusion was understandable. Aeryl, muzzled by the Grand Duke, could only offer an awkward smile.

“Wait here. I’ll send someone to guide you.”

With that, the Grand Duke gave Aeryl his orders and left with the commander. Everyone looked extremely busy, likely because they were preparing to depart for the snowy mountains.

‘Wow, we’re finally going.’

Aeryl secretly cheered. He hadn’t even been able to breathe properly on the way here with the Grand Duke. The man’s presence was like a biting wind—just being near him made Aeryl anxious and exhausted. But at least there was one bit of good news.

‘He didn’t notice I smacked him in the back of the head!’

It seemed like the Grand Duke didn’t remember last night at all. Honestly, Aeryl preferred it that way. It had been an embarrassing situation for both of them—and Aeryl had committed quite the offense.

‘Good. This isn’t the worst outcome.’

Sure, he’d been forced to become the Grand Duke’s personal doctor. And sure, he’d ended up as part of the hunting party. But—

‘At least he doesn’t know who I really am.’

Aeryl instinctively fidgeted with his glasses. When he’d worn his mask, he had secured the glasses tightly with a strap so they wouldn’t fall off. Thanks to that, even when the mask came off, the glasses had stayed put—hiding his eye color. And during their conversation, the Grand Duke hadn’t shown any sign of suspecting Aeryl was a prince.

‘He did realize I’m an omega, though…’

But he wouldn’t connect the omega prince from the imperial palace with this village doctor named Aeryl. That was thanks to the Emperor, who had carefully hidden the news of Aeryl’s disappearance. Not that he did it for Aeryl’s sake, of course.

‘He just didn’t want to damage the merchandise.’

It was widely believed that alphas had superior capabilities and were destined to become great heroes. People admired and envied them.

In contrast, omegas had no remarkable abilities. But since only omegas could give birth to alphas, they were treated with reverence—as the mothers of heroes.

‘Even if they haven’t had a child, they get treated like a mother. It’s kind of gross.’

That kind of “uniqueness” was why prestigious families sought out omegas as wives or daughters-in-law to secure alpha heirs. And that was exactly what the Emperor was aiming for.

He used Aeryl’s marriage as a pawn, manipulating his ministers and inciting rivalry. Aeryl had to expose his secondary gender to nobles across the empire—most of whom he’d never even met. His own will had never mattered in the slightest.

It had been infuriating. Yet now, that same situation was proving to be useful. Life was strange like that.

‘This is the North, so news of my disappearance probably won’t spread quickly.’

The Emperor was wary of the Grand Duke, so he wouldn’t even ask him to help find Aeryl.

‘I just need to survive the hunt.’

Once the Great Purge ended, he likely wouldn’t have to see the Grand Duke again. It seemed the man was only taking him along because the hunt was about to begin. He’d even hinted that Aeryl could do as he pleased once it was over. It was only ten days or so.

‘I’ll just monitor the Grand Duke’s condition, give him some medicine, collect data—that should be enough.’

The snow-covered mountains called the Demonic Frontier were terrifying, yes. But there were dozens in the hunting party. And Grand Duke Asirion himself would be there, along with the Black knights.

‘Yeah. It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine.’

Aeryl reassured himself as he looked around.