Loras sank into an exhausted slumber, but fortunately, after the medicine took effect, his breathing began to stabilize.

Evangeline stood quietly by the bed, her gaze fixed on Loras’s pale face as her lips drew into a tight line.

Thorne came to her side. His gaze lingered on Loras for a moment, and his expression softened. "Eva," he said gently, "go get some sleep. I’ll watch over Loras. I’ll call you the moment he wakes up."

After all, Loras was the only one who knew what had happened to Caden Albright and Lachlan.

Evangeline shook her head. She turned to look at the relentless blizzard outside and, after a moment of silence, said, "I need to make a trip back to Blackwater Swamp. You all stay here for now. Danton, take these tents so the clan can take shelter from the storm."

Danton’s brow furrowed, his refined features etched with disapproval. "We don’t know if the Beast Tide has even receded. What if you run into them? Caden Albright and the others are already gone, so there’s no need for you to risk going back!"

Evangeline’s expression remained unchanged. She simply met Danton’s gaze, her eyes filled with unshakeable resolve.

Danton met her gaze for a long moment before his own softened. He finally let out a soft sigh. "I’ll go with you."

Evangeline took Danton’s hand. "The Mer Clan and the children need you here more," she said gently.

She glanced at the snow piling up outside the tents. "I’ll be back soon. In the meantime, have the clan clear the snow from this area. If it keeps coming down like this, the tents will be buried in a few days."

Seeing Danton still frowning, Evangeline softened her voice. "I promise you, I’m just going to take a look. I won’t get into a conflict with those Beastman Tribes. All right?"

Danton’s thin lips remained pressed into a firm line. After a long moment, he gave a reluctant nod, a flash of resignation in his eyes.

’His partner had always been decisive and strong-willed; once her mind was made up, she would never change it.’

Evangeline gave Thorne a few brief instructions, then unfurled a Teleportation Scroll. A golden light flashed, and the roar of the sea wind vanished. When she opened her eyes again, she was back in Blackwater Swamp, but the thick stench of blood in the air made her frown.

She stood in the center of the bamboo house, her expression turning to ice as she surveyed the wreckage spread out before her.

This place had been the first she’d considered "home" since arriving on the Beastman Continent. She hadn’t even lived here long, and now it was a ruin. Splintered bamboo lay scattered everywhere, broken into countless pieces and ground into the mud.

The vine curtains, the pottery, and all the other original decorations inside the house had been shattered and trampled to dust.

The beast skins and food had been completely looted, leaving nothing but a mess behind.

Evangeline slowly closed her eyes. She walked slowly through the ruins, and after a moment, a flash of pale white caught her eye.

It was Lachlan’s Bone Ornament, the one he always kept hanging under the eaves. But now, with the bamboo house collapsed, the Bone Bell lay silently in the snow and mud, shattered to pieces.

She turned toward the creek, where half of Danton’s bamboo house had collapsed into the water.

After watching in silence for a moment, she walked to the edge of the beach.

The moment her feet touched the fine sand, a strange wave of energy washed over her gently. It was followed by a voice carried on the wind.

"Beyond the Triangle Sea, in the Grimgar City-State... I will be waiting for you."

The voice was cool and gentle, unhurried, yet it carried the weight of ancient eons, as if it could wash away all the impurities of the world.

"Grimgar City-State..." Evangeline murmured the name, and a dark turbulence stirred in the depths of her eyes.

’So Norfell really is a desolate land abandoned by the Beast God, just like the exiled Fallen Beastmen below Thorncliff. And just across the sea, other Beastmen have already established a new civilization.’

Her gaze fixed on the distance, as if she could peer through the blizzard and see the vast coastline beyond.

’To go from a primitive era of eating raw flesh and drinking blood to a strictly hierarchical city-state system... How laughable that such a vast chasm could be so neatly divided by a mere sea?’

The wind and snow whipped loose strands of hair across Evangeline’s temples. She slowly closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, all emotion had settled, leaving only the chill of a bottomless, icy pool in their depths.

’A cold smile touched Evangeline’s lips. ’I was so close to completing my mission, but someone just had to stick their nose in at the last second. Heh. Grimgar City-State, is it? That suits me just fine.’

She narrowed her eyes. ’I’d originally planned to head beyond the Triangle Sea after finishing my mission. Now, it seems the schedule has just been moved up.’

’A city-state civilization? What a coincidence. I’m suddenly very interested in building a new city-state of my own!’

Evangeline sneered, her bewitching face filled with a cold, merciless, killing intent.

’I’m someone who just wants to coast, but my retirement plans keep getting derailed. I’m always being forced into action. It’s one thing to be manipulated by the "Company," but am I supposed to let some small-world characters lead me around by the nose, too?’

’I’m sick of it. I’m done.’

’I’m going to set new rules!’

’I won’t even be myself after this "retirement" ends anyway, so I might as well try living a different way.’

’This "frustrating romance plot" is about to become a "badass female lead power fantasy." It’s just a retirement world, after all. There’s no rule saying I can’t shake things up. Carving out a new domain on the Beastman Continent... wouldn’t that be a much more satisfying way to spend my retirement?’

*

When Evangeline returned to the coast, rows of tents had already been erected. The sand, where the snow had been cleared, was now dark and damp.

The Mer Clan Beastmen finally had shelter from the wind and snow. Wrapped in thick beast skins, they gnawed on sizzling, greasy chunks of meat.

Someone caught sight of Evangeline and immediately called out a cheerful greeting.

"My Lady Priestess is back!"

Amid the chorus of greetings, the Mer Clan Beastmen rose to their feet, crossing their arms over their chests in a gesture of utmost reverence.

They knew full well that if their Clan Leader’s partner wasn’t a Witch capable of performing miracles, they would be suffering in the blizzard just like the other Marine Beastmen, forced to leave the coast in search of a cave to weather the storm.

Rhea sat inside a tent, her expression deeply complicated as she gazed at Evangeline.

"Do you want some water?" Finnian Finch asked softly, handing her a seashell container filled with rippling water.

Rhea shook her head. She looked down at the fresh piece of roasted meat in her hand and gave a bitter smile. "Before... I always felt so bad for my brother. I thought Evangeline was deceiving him, and I pitied him. But now... it seems our Mer Clan is actually lucky to have her."

Finnian Finch’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He was momentarily at a loss for words.

Evangeline had once been an enemy of the Mer Clan, that much was true. But now, in this blizzard, that same former enemy had created a warm sanctuary for them. Evangeline had given them new hope.

"We can’t be too far from the sea, Finnian Finch. Where do you think we’ll go from here?" Noticing the sea level receding at a visible rate, Rhea paid no mind to his silence. Her voice was tight with an anxiety that mirrored the unease in her heart.

Finnian Finch took Rhea’s hand. "As long as we follow the Clan Leader and the witch," he said softly, "everything will be all right."

He had a feeling that by following this Witch, the Mer Clan just might be able to carve out a new path for themselves on this cruel continent.