Ascan had a dream.

It was a very long dream. He couldn’t recall the exact details, but he remembered running desperately through a ruined building, fleeing pursuers, when someone appeared.

She wrapped herself around Ascan—just moments from being caught—and shouted toward the pursuers.

—You belong to me.

The moment the memory of actually hearing those words surfaced in his mind, he realized it was a dream, and his eyes snapped open as if by magic.

The first thing he saw was a familiar ceiling.

Ascan felt himself awaken from the dream and return to reality.

Just like when he had nightmares, his entire body was soaked in cold sweat. Even though he’d only been running in the dream, it felt as if he’d sprinted full-speed in real life.

As he tried to calm his ragged breathing and slowly look around, something unfamiliar brushed against his forehead and then dropped off.

Instinctively, he caught it—it was a damp cloth.

“…….”

Having never in his life had a damp cloth placed on his forehead, Ascan could only stare at it stiffly, frozen in place.

He was bewildered. Who on earth…?

His gaze landed on a girl with jet-black hair and unusually pale skin that contrasted sharply against it. Beautiful and cold like an ice sculpture—Tanashia.

Tanashia, who had been reading a book beside the bed, belatedly noticed Ascan’s movement and closed her book.

“You’re awake? How’s your body feeling?”

“Ah, I’m fine. What happened?”

“You don’t remember? You passed out and collapsed—I was so startled, you have no idea.”

Ascan realized his memory had a gap. He must have fainted while being supported by Tanashia.

But something else weighed far more heavily on his mind—the fact that his body had reflexively turned to steel when struck by Reiana.

At that moment, a loud metallic clang—impossible to have actually occurred—rang out.

Even if Reiana herself hadn’t noticed, anyone nearby who heard that sound would inevitably grow suspicious.

‘I need to leave this place sooner than planned.’

It was true that Tanashia had experimented on Ascan, but since the nature of her experiments was itself questionable, it remained a secret between only the two of them.

If Tanashia had gone around gossiping, Ascan would have long since fled Brellof Manor and hidden himself elsewhere.

He had only stayed at Brellof Manor because he judged there’d been no rumors or suspicion for a while…

But now, the situation had changed.

If word of that incident spread among people, the pursuers would discover him immediately.

Even as Reiana assaulted him, he’d been deep in thought. He was used to enduring beatings—it didn’t bother him—but what if his true identity was exposed?

Ascan stared blankly at Tanashia, seated before him.

Had Tanashia not shoved Reiana and diverted attention, he might have had no choice but to kill everyone nearby and flee.

He didn’t know why Tanashia had saved him—but in truth, she hadn’t saved him. She had saved everyone else around him.

—Please, treasure yourself.

He’d never heard words like that before.

Ascan had no way to avoid Reiana’s violence. He’d hoped the beatings would stop before his identity was revealed, but his mind was now entirely consumed with what to do if his identity was exposed.

He’d never even considered that being beaten by Reiana was wrong to begin with.

Lost in thought as he gazed at Tanashia—

Slowly, Tanashia’s hand approached and touched his forehead.

Startled by the sudden contact, Ascan jerked his body backward.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m checking if your fever broke. Stay still.”

Tanashia spoke curtly and pressed her hand against his forehead again.

Since no one had ever checked his temperature like this before, he actually felt his head grow warmer.

“Hmm. Good. Your fever seems to have gone down.”

“Then please remove your hand. It’s uncomfortable.”

At Ascan’s words, a mischievous glint appeared in Tanashia’s eyes. Sometimes, she seemed like a prankster who delighted in doing exactly what he disliked.

“If you stay sweaty like this, your fever will come back.”

As she spoke, Tanashia undid the first button of Ascan’s shirt.

The cold air brushing against his sweat-drenched skin sent a chill through him—so much so that it felt as if electricity shot through his entire body.

Startled, Ascan grabbed Tanashia’s hand.

“Seriously…!”

Are you insane?

The words rose to his throat.

Tanashia, seeing Ascan’s flustered expression, clutched her stomach and laughed. Though her cheerful laughter was pleasant to hear, his mood was thoroughly sour.

After laughing for a while, Tanashia wiped tears from her eyes and spoke in a teasing tone.

“What’s this? When were you ever shy about exposing your upper body in front of me? Isn’t it supposed to be no big deal?”

“…….”

Ascan suddenly realized something.

Every time he underwent her experiments, he’d removed his shirt to demonstrate bodily changes. But now, exposing himself in front of her felt embarrassing.

Even to Ascan, this inexplicable change made no sense.

Seeing him unable to speak, Tanashia reassured him as if she understood.

“It’s fine. Everyone’s like that during puberty, right?”

Ascan stared at Tanashia with an utterly exasperated expression. Sometimes, she treated him like a much younger sibling.

Misinterpreting his gaze, Tanashia waved her hands earnestly and continued.

“I wasn’t seriously trying to undress you—don’t misunderstand. If I did something like that to you, I’d be the one getting arrested.”

He could forgive the prank—but where exactly did she think she’d be arrested?

Still muttering incomprehensibly, Tanashia handed him a fresh damp cloth from the washbasin filled with water.

“Use this to wipe off your sweat, at least. If you stay like this, you’ll really catch a cold.”

Ascan stared blankly at the cloth she offered, then shook his head.

“I’m fine. I… don’t get sick easily.”

Through the experiments, Ascan’s body had become steel-like—resistant to external impacts and rarely afflicted by minor illnesses.

“You passed out, and now you’re saying that? You were sweating cold sweat in your sleep and had a fever.”

In truth, the reason he’d fainted after Reiana’s assault was due to the backlash of suppressing power he’d tried to summon.

In the laboratory, he’d endured beatings up to the brink of death just to test his limits. A wound this minor wouldn’t have knocked him unconscious.

But Ascan had no intention of explaining his condition in detail.

“It was just tension letting go. I had a bad dream while sleeping…”

“A nightmare?”

“Yes. Often.”

In reality, he had the same dream every single day without fail—but there was no reason to tell Tanashia the truth.

“What kind of dream?”

“Just… things from when I was young.”

Even though he gave a vague answer, Tanashia’s expression hardened as if she knew something.

“Are you really okay?”

As she spoke, Tanashia reached toward Ascan with a worried look—likely intending to check his temperature again.

As Ascan turned his head to avoid her touch, he noticed something strange.

Something wrapped around Tanashia’s wrist.

He sensed the magical energy contained within the glittering magic stone.

Ascan abruptly seized Tanashia’s outstretched hand mid-air.

Startled by his unexpected reaction, Tanashia flinched—but nothing else registered in his mind right now.

“Why are you wearing this?”

“You know what this is?”

Of course he knew.

The very experiments Ascan underwent involved implanting special powers into ordinary human bodies. Naturally, he’d undergone countless experiments utilizing magic stones.

Only now did he notice the title of the book Tanashia had been reading.

[Manual of Magical Engineering Weapons].

He suddenly recalled Tanashia’s recent declaration to him—that she would create the world’s most powerful weapon.

—I’ve decided my path. I’ll make weapons. The most powerful weapon in the world.

At the time, he hadn’t immediately thought of magical engineering weapons. She’d explained it in vague terms, and since it had nothing to do with him, he hadn’t paid much attention.

So the weapon Tanashia had declared she’d make that day… was a magical engineering weapon.

Ascan realized this anew—and was astonished by her.

“Tell me—do you know what this bracelet is?”

Pressed again by Tanashia, Ascan hesitated.

Should he tell the truth?

Or should he evade, as he always had?

The very fact that he was hesitating over this marked a change from before—but Ascan didn’t realize that.

He simply concluded that, though he normally wouldn’t speak, since he’d soon leave Brellof Manor, it was only proper to show a small token of gratitude for her past kindness.

“I… know a little.”

“Really? Can you tell at a glance that this bracelet is made with a magic stone?”

Ordinary people certainly couldn’t distinguish it. Only Ascan could.

“Objects imbued with magical energy are dangerous. Remove it immediately.”

Ascan stated his case firmly, but Tanashia shook her head decisively without hesitation.

“No. My master assigned me homework.”

“Homework?”

“He told me to figure out alone what ability this bracelet holds and how to use it.”

Whoever said that was clearly not sane.

“You wore such a dangerous object without knowing anything about it?”

“That’s not true. I’m not completely ignorant.”

Tanashia pointed at the closed book [Manual of Magical Engineering Weapons] and smiled brightly. A glimmer of intelligence sparkled in her blue eyes.

“Though I’m a bit lacking in practical experience, theoretically, I’m solid. First, judging by the yellow hue of the magic stone, it’s highly likely to belong to the light attribute.”

Tanashia thrust her wrist forward as if to show him, displaying the magic stone embedded in her bracelet for Ascan’s inspection.

Water attribute stones were blue, fire attribute stones red, light attribute stones white, darkness attribute stones black, and so on.

Though not 100% consistent, each attribute commonly corresponded to specific stone colors, allowing for rough identification.

The problem was—even if one deduced it belonged to the light attribute, that didn’t reveal what specific magic had been imbued.

There were far too many spells usable under the light attribute.

“Second, as far as I’ve researched, the bracelet’s material can vary depending on the preferences of the commissioner or creator.”

Tanashia shook her wrist, turning the bracelet this way and that, then continued explaining to Ascan.

“But strangely, this one uses cheap silver. It doesn’t match the value of the magic stone. There must be a specific reason they chose silver for the bracelet.”

Tanashia’s deduction was accurate.

Even to Ascan’s ears, none of her statements were wrong. Despite claiming to have studied only theory, her knowledge was impressively extensive.

But that didn’t make magical engineering weapons any less dangerous.

“Then surely you know that nations install locking mechanisms on their magical engineering weapons to prevent them from falling into others’ hands.”

“Of course I know.”

Some magical engineering weapons couldn’t be bought even at astronomical prices.

The more valuable the weapon, the more critical it was to prevent theft and unauthorized use—hence the existence of an engraving system, colloquially called a “lock.”

Anyone not engraved with the weapon couldn’t wield its power—and attempting to force its use would trigger self-destruction.

Therefore, being told to figure out the bracelet’s ability and usage alone was an extremely dangerous task—one that could easily result in death or severe injury.

“And yet you intend to complete this assignment?”

“Don’t worry. Even if my master is eccentric, there’s certainly a reason he gave me this homework. Since I must create the world’s most powerful weapon, I have no choice but to accept minor risks.”

Tanashia’s courage was extraordinary.

Ascan glanced at the bracelet on her wrist, then looked away. He’d said enough—he’d done all he reasonably could.

Until now, he’d kept himself low and hidden to protect his identity—but speaking so candidly about magic stones meant he’d done everything within his power.

“Fine. Do as you please.”

“Were you worried about me?”

“Who…!”

I wasn’t worried at all.

He wanted to say that—but the words caught in his throat.

Even Ascan struggled to define his emotions under any other name.

‘Whether Miss Tanashia gets hurt or not, what does it have to do with me?’

Logically, he should feel relieved if someone who knew his secret disappeared.

Therefore, he couldn’t accept labeling his current emotion as “worry.” He’d merely shown a small token of gratitude for her past kindness.

“Think whatever you like.”

“Tch. So dishonest.”

Though his reply was far too defiant for a slave, Tanashia merely laughed it off lightly instead of criticizing him.

“Don’t worry. I’ve thought everything through.”

It was absurd that, in this situation, Tanashia was the one reassuring him. Somehow, their dynamic felt less like master and slave—and more like friends.

Ascan dismissed the ridiculous thought that surfaced in his mind.

‘Don’t think too deeply.’

He’d have to leave soon anyway. Before long, he’d have no further dealings with Tanashia.

He’d thought he’d feel happy when this day came—but surprisingly, he didn’t. It just felt… a little strange.