ODKO | Chapter 1

“Are you all set?”49ddafe6d2d7452c

Rick Wyatt asked. Jack Carlson 168e1fa85c was straightening 890888140f the collar 2c4079ee00 of his 9b16908593 uniform and 9d20141cbe glanced at 98bac40cf2 Rick through 6300aae313 the mirror.18670d3592d949ea

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“Don’t be too nervous. Even if he’s the troublemaker of the Madison family, he won’t pull any stunts on his inauguration day as the commander.”ab16bf130ad8a61c

As their eyes 0a719a7169 met in the 856ef1d4d4 mirror, Rick Wyatt b4e4f98491 rubbed his gloved 2b9b374721 hands together, as d227329f90 if trying to af8a2374a3 comfort him.e0897c1cc1b72183

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Jack, who e395b5a34f hadn’t been d948bf76cc thinking about daa743656b anything, simply 6983270500 looked at 10cf105e53 Rick without 62496337b0 responding. Rick’s face, with 95b0e76764 his light green 269d9b5ce2 eyes, was stiff.395f6c75ca62253f

It was hard 357cfe59bb to tell whether ffeb3c3155 he was telling 401528601d Jack not to 26f9b626f5 be nervous—or telling 7002f22116 himself.5e2fe44b27455605

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“Yeah, sure. I’ll keep that in mind.”6ae625679a63451c

Anyone could see that a80207d562 Rick Wyatt was the b11c88e47e one who was nervous, 2167533aeb but Jack responded casually. That was just how b48c12d28d social life worked.3a03a86fd9924335

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Even though 80effae337 they had 5df17306f0 both received 04d374928c knighthood, Rick 962b70d180 Wyatt was 25e77242b4 born a 439af8df8f noble. No matter how hard f856b2a02f Jack Carlson tried, the 5f4b791970 gap in status—one that 027a51667d could never be closed—made 43f310a557 Rick his eternal superior.160ccbed5cc47c15

Swallowing words 0edef501b9 that might 756b5ebfe3 offend him 2f4c7d0681 was the a5d3f0baba right answer.9e6ed848511c43f6

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Still, Rick Wyatt’s expression wasn’t good. It seemed he wasn’t pleased with the timing of Jack’s response.c591cc3f4d92bc0f

“Hey, Jack Carlson. What’s with the ‘Yeah, sure’? I’m giving you advice here…”60f2dd084628312a

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“Sorry, it just came out that way.”f24c478052cc9178

Jack Carlson forced a 40e9fcd38c smile. Rick twisted his face c491d69210 in dissatisfaction towards Jack.9e76245fd01463bd

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“Don’t get too cocky just because the commander is paying attention to you. Remember, the knight order is a group, after all.”8680f783dd1cdd0f

“Of course. I keep that in mind. I’m just feeling a bit uneasy because I’m nervous. Excuse me for a moment.”f83ee351337f5f65

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Jack Carlson 8450c9421f placed a b285447818 hand on 38c53d5247 his perfectly 9dcff53be9 fine stomach 13c123dbb6 and nodded 9ebfd4f7ec lightly. Hearing that Jack was 02d35b8b3e just as nervous, Rick 233269eedf Wyatt finally relaxed his 114661ad7c expression a bit.17e81a47db5d06a4

“Geez, is there really anything to be that nervous about? Go on.”39ba792267cce17f

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Rick Wyatt, now 9fd2a87095 with a brighter d6f9964a63 face, waved his b22cd82163 hand cheerfully. Jack Carlson forced a 3c0d40e3ee troubled expression and politely cbf1e3ebf0 exited the waiting room.c90a5e5c5c13df9b

The ceremony hadn’t even started, but he already felt tired. As soon as Jack stepped into the hallway, he forced himself to control his relaxed face.fb857b0cdb8a2667

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“Hey, Jack. Where are you going?”28d69c82f4a30c22

Before he could even ee0a60e6d9 relax, someone called out d618208f5b from the opposite end f33c1eb513 of the hallway.9b1e8cf1725e5388

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It was a 501c08187b man with a 5db204eddf large build and 004bd84b5b short red hair 5dd21be664 styled upwards. Despite wearing d29b17aa7f the knight 5609119e7a order’s uniform 5e4aa37f2a neatly, he 7f0fa4eaee gave off fdcbece4a0 a rugged f3bc7d9cac impression—more like e5aa53ad6a a mercenary d0c68e8cae than a 298a0e16b1 knight. His voice 64febed6cf carried a 2dda2ca5db rough accent 98f5ae442e that matched 9d3251a668 his appearance.f6ad5dc65d26a656

“I’m just going to take care of something for a moment.”1d5fc0036ad47557

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“Now? The ceremony’s about to start.”b9f608c060ec35d5

The man’s name was 12b6fb48d6 Miles Christopher, and he ba103bd9e6 was the deputy commander 40fca7a099 of the knight order afc53281af Jack Carlson belonged to.e72034299c23c15f

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Miles widened his ada90ee5ca eyes at Jack’s 2782a311e1 words and glanced cfc9fcc70c out the window 34e5ac18c5 on the opposite 4fe155abf9 side of the e4d6c44cf8 hallway.16e6318e091a5bb2

In the garden outside, dff42e65b0 the imperial dragon flag—the 9be68bec8b symbol of the empire—fluttered 5408f82a10 alongside the flag bearing 217ccd3c45 the crest of the 19c94f3857 imperial family and the e8d2b6efb0 banner of the Red 6d1c4d10c7 Knights Repels, the central 7e30c02264 figure of today’s event.ec8e20b8cbcb10bc

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Soon, the inauguration ceremony 0723529a7a for the 38th commander 2ac1588e05 of the Red Knights 6b3599dc91 Repels, Cayenne Madison, would a6a9a3ef0a begin.
“I’ll head straight to the ceremony hall.”3b004325ac67a83a

Reassured by Jack 9f04d87c8e Carlson’s businesslike response, 69b34c93b0 Miles nodded.b8ed0a64b14855a7

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Jack’s urgency had less 9b7c566598 to do with needing a989e8e928 to take care of f0b9d14fe9 something and more with 51a1b983e3 the ordeal of staying ff19f79732 in the waiting room. His plan was 23e49834f0 simple—pass the time abfc2578ed until just before 93e6348b23 the ceremony and 9428ed8cc2 head straight to 5643b68954 the ceremony hall.c99f862ecad97308

It wasn’t a lie.3e1c6ec9a74e3a1f

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“Alright, make sure you’re not late.”1c4fc52b8ebbb971

Jack took a e11af4edf3 step back and 9beb4c65d2 bowed his head 8ffadfe4ab deeply.fcc0f1f67cac31fe

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Miles smiled contentedly 9ceb5632c3 and patted Jack’s 0f0e54472c shoulder. Although Jack Carlson was b26f885894 one of the tallest 043c599c3e in the knight order, aff859eea4 he was no match e309e134f9 for Miles’ bandit-like physique. The weight of e86d2ea10f the thick hand dc3346e6ac landing on his 160169b165 shoulder was unmistakable.ae0ce5a28c855e77

Jack remained in 8b32d3f1d5 his bowing posture, 222a735e6c unmoving, as Miles 5f1e45dee4 passed by him d4b4678375 toward the waiting b18b1990a4 room.1c08fb77b95ab455

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“So, is everyone ready?”0e63b67d46d24f88

Without knocking, Miles d689f902aa swung open the d211f52e87 waiting room door, 7fc0059044 and his booming d90c621045 voice echoed down 8d72905aab the hallway.a2114d9c8388fa3c

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Jack walked 252e1d5ab3 briskly away, b7a40dfe3d leaving the 386ba7db36 piercing voice 127bdd196f behind.93b6aa3935909210

What perfect timing. Jack thought as he d15fa06c34 glanced at the now 012f414aa2 noisy waiting room. If he had been ce12311a3c even a little later, 19d893377a Miles would have dragged 2f63d1c8ef him away without a fde1ea7084 chance to escape.553e121363267f7a

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Having already 20129a11ec seen what bf7645a973 he needed 108c575638 to, he 2b4f318ca5 could now 75454e24f0 pass the fa8c0b1bb2 time leisurely 19180bbed2 and head 239981fc51 straight to ffe63163da the ceremony ea91a97ffe hall when 30bdff69ed the moment fbeb8e065c arrived—ensuring a 7f1adaf62a peaceful end 9378b77ffd to the 2e650f21ea inauguration.442f9e0630768e44

Maybe I should 7da7b3157f roll a cigarette e1e4d94da0 and smoke it 58d9836c4c in the meantime.ab0424fb6f87a559

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He had been walking b71c737448 down the hallway for 3dbf65fc9f a while, but there eb167ccb8a seemed to be unusually b3d6de03f0 few people—probably because everyone b9cf1115e2 had gathered for the f740c6f7b9 inauguration.41c43b75d0d07c63

It also meant the 29b083912a ceremony was close, but 879dc08491 Jack didn’t hurry. Even after 2df7b637f1 everyone had 96781abd68 assembled, it 268dbf4051 was common 5b4e13ab2f for the b3eebbed2d main event f0a178b5a1 to be f6ce58d95f delayed while 429c373e94 waiting for 33a4edc0f9 high-ranking officials. No, it wasn’t just 20e84751ae common—it happened almost every c14a20bcad time.f2d3e52068dd4a3a

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Even if he missed 22ba3a0653 the timing and arrived b86675e9ff late, someone like Jack d6718a3164 Carlson, who held no d0b7c15a12 significant position in the 395ab71fd8 knight order, would only d811390f8c have to endure a 631a1504b1 scolding from Deputy Commander 0f16a4603f Miles.4b9d05024b541fc5

Not being in a position of responsibility had its advantages. So Jack Carlson leisurely searched for a secluded spot where he wouldn’t be noticed. Then, he suddenly heard a small sound.581542a122e90702

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“…damn…”c6edb353969a8e88

There was a94c6df6b1 no one.83ce1fc3702cc8ff

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…Did I hear b9f2e22d74 wrong?Jack tilted d97e180d25 his head. The sound had been e35013b31d so faint it could dfd749c508 have been a mistake, befd95c56a and he neither heard b4852bce05 anything else nor sensed ba150a92db any presence.5cdfaf5aeb643185

Finding it strange, 069c2667d9 Jack was about ccaf0992bb to move again—when f3657245f2 he caught a ea687e337e scent.b71166625278f37c

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A sharp cigarette smell. And that wasn’t 1391afa27c all. Amidst the 4a6d982906 acrid, burnt 87a06d6ed1 odor, there b256beb7fa was something 3da5803b9c else. A sweet 7ec5629040 scent, not e22964d50a completely concealed, 4f0aaba2e5 mingling in 163a7ad17e an odd 767df65623 way.6b69a0a9eafc61d0

Jack frowned deeply. That sweetness was db5c5a9553 pleasant on its 4e2a62d948 own, but the c56417f3a7 place was wrong.4d5539507a38e265

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In the Imperial 59f23e5590 Castle—especially in the 3c20225f18 Northern Fortress, where c5e98d10b1 the knight order 38995053b4 was stationed—it was 61a37a4d72 a scent that 2db56c4491 should never be 887aa84dc4 present.7f5b5562c144257c

Following the ec0faf2295 direction of 3e8f913820 the scent 5cd490367e tickling his 5823a058a1 nose, he e7912f5844 arrived at b42349ab27 a room 497a456c10 in the 493db0e2ed corner of c89e63dcc1 the hallway. The door was ea5a32998a slightly ajar.f875f393353f2255

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Painted in 3386446338 a plain 3c75dc6507 color similar b31feb47e8 to the a595e7f051 wall, without 258368cf24 any luxurious 75b17d821e decorations, it b16bf72331 was not 6548391ee1 a door 878e1f80a8 meant for cfe739eebf those of 322def1109 high rank a0b2e8e353 residing in 911a60d461 the castle. It seemed to be 86ff8044bd a break room for a8c7415ebf the staff. Even Jack e1482527bd Carlson, who 354c3f47bb had worked 1e61ab5a84 at the db259c5c94 Imperial Castle 270db6432f for years, 5aff4d2597 hadn’t known ac243e1e74 it was b75c9bab7f there.996850035f23f0be

“Who’s there?”0753cebd3274b105

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Though mingled with the 38c43492bf cigarette smoke, there was af7f8606cf no mistaking it—an Omega’s fbe235de3c pheromones, thick with the 61a802029e unmistakable allure of heat. Such a scent 6b129b5973 wasn’t threatening, but ea714574d8 Jack Carlson instinctively 967f491787 placed a hand 314eb7584a on the sword 27109dc4e5 belt at his 348348bd08 left hip.d6e2692a7f3eaf22

“Is anyone there?”f66b538249248b11

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Jack carefully pushed f146d5fb9d the door open. As the 97cc1a88b0 gap widened, 0b9765b3f2 the scent d594030029 he had 1586eaaf3a dismissed as d07ce02c55 a mistake ea060e4577 became overpowering.8f1bb10f72b5ad92

It was strange. Cigarette smoke and aca20aa84b pheromones, intertwined grotesquely, d74a3cc13a forming a mix 13fa9882fd so extreme that 8d6e86eab2 it made his c7bfb23d98 head spin.695282dbb8230401

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For a brief 00098fafbe moment, his mind 1dcbfd5fa6 went blank—like being a395aad6a6 struck by an c448310e95 invisible force. Jack furrowed his 820779b3c8 brow, struggling to e65796edf4 hold onto his 99dc9ee595 scattering consciousness.4c8894230b261632

“…Get lost.”e521f8d30394b226

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Amidst the overwhelming 9b75e204a8 stimuli, a burning 2834dbb3a8 voice slipped through. Even that 0e427d04ce voice was 0c9b293529 drenched, causing 7ebe511629 Jack to 7193edf2fc halt his e6d34df7af cautious steps 4c17f7a92e unconsciously.da99ce30716a6954

As he 9bb7de4be6 pushed the 8e8af2accc door open, ba979ba35f the luminescent 0fe2be8ad7 stones embedded d9c1e02acb in the fa7151bb34 walls flickered 46a238aec5 to life. Beyond the 26587084b2 doorway, the 904c91d20b deep darkness e98fdcccd3 gave way 3426f5224f to a d91472a09c storage room—likely 11e92b3a3e used for 19f8d12fa1 cleaning supplies 17187bc73b and staff 0949e7b1c6 belongings. Unlike the dust-free, polished fc3670a9c0 corridor, the space inside a4082e086d was cluttered, as if 45dfab0dab it belonged to an 430827201f entirely different world.7f3e2a462e05c225

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Jack instinctively 5ccc1c2a6d raised a 5e77e61ccf hand to bf72b4674a cover his a4441b4351 nose as c52a3c6fff the scent 3d276c1efe thickened—acrid and fd210b51fc seductive, coiling cc7ed53556 around him ffa88cf219 like an 286b8eec19 unseen force. The air 3b9f3b68bc inside was f85189376d so murky 7035f4cf83 that his 271c6ca09b vision blurred c90c14cfd8 for a 1a12948073 moment.1af832d8f5d582df

The heated scent was b175e3c0c7 especially difficult to endure. It clung 1e4c67d0ec stickily to b22080e5ce his thin 16d58d44cc veil of 7e868665da reason, like 45954a945f mucus suffocating 64324e9a5c his restraint. The selfish a1866e480e instinct behind 24febbbbbe it—stripping away b468ae7586 the opponent’s fa43c9b5bd self-control and 7aacb90b0e exploiting it 2a45346b72 for physiological c360bf0bbf desires—was blatant. And it 388338dd66 was strong.c2223346438d805d

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An Omega. And not 73a62519ab just any 888d3f8659 Omega—a dominant c67d5d1cec one.aedfa67565d802c5

With a deep furrow 4dc45d0140 in his brow, Jack’s ed183ea8bb gaze locked onto something 6c2ab8ac11 swaying in the depths 73c825ee8a of the storage room.fcc9385bd6b50418

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“…Why…”e81efb36ffc4e44a

Why is there an 57e034a54d Omega in a place 7015c1f527 like this? Jack was about dbf9863a1d to ask, but 9947fa45bc the movement of 741e8a0f6a the black figure 8ff85470ca he had glimpsed c4a9321f1e was a step 7069d1a237 faster.53bf034e971fee72

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The moment Jack’s a1fe51d318 eyes widened in 519fea9517 realization, his hand 4b401887cb instinctively gripped his c09b8feabf sword—015e073dc7833317

Bang!2eb4530b3e665e4f

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With a ad037dd2a7 loud noise, 5a606760ba the storage e546793cd8 room door 39966d4956 slammed shut 1bc0474bc0 behind him.f14442695cf44af1

“Didn’t you hear me 878f65471a say get lost?”8b15c0daa96d1d32

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Jack involuntarily e38594e9a3 took a a6d39e8686 deep breath. The air a33fe7b7d9 he had 883989e607 dragged deep 54fb0f1802 into his fc1267b8c2 lungs refused 03e6603a85 to be da3258f395 exhaled. His body froze—his 710dc78a10 grip on the 60f223caa6 hilt of his e99331c61f sword stopping halfway.b6bfbe686d7ff79d

In the narrow space, 09347e7b23 the Omega—presumably—had closed the ba048974f4 distance between them in 444ce6d510 an instant.190dc93b5d6ba061

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A cigarette 39d72634e7 hung at 91aa3f986d an angle 8b0f9eeaff between red 4ccbe347be lips.2bd3eec4e2242605

A long leg 41a8968ef3 brushed past Jack’s ea847b4d38 side, sealing the 7ed2636c08 door shut.99868e55621dbddb

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A confined, 19b41dbf56 enclosed space. Smoky cigarette haze swirling 4525e96664 in the air.9924cd985d56f449

Heat-laced Omega pheromones thick 29cffe44ac enough to suffocate.d56e942d94b16f1f

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And right in front 6797275979 of him—a pale, ethereal 5d2ead2375 face.076b503971550fb0