No one could stop the completely berserk Ascan.

The soldiers of the Razent Empire, while chasing Tanashia’s trail, discovered Ascan, but they couldn’t advance past him.

“Arghhh!”

A soldier engulfed in flames screamed desperately, but no matter how much water was poured, the fire wouldn’t extinguish and only blazed fiercer.

As per Dekain’s request, Ascan faced the Razent Empire’s soldiers alone for a long time.

Countless spears and swords were aimed at Ascan, and he, too, used unquenchable flames to hold back numerous foes.

It was at that moment when the entire forest seemed about to turn into a sea of fire.

The pursuers from the Kalua Empire, spotting the flames from afar, began to gather.

Their original goal was to capture Ascan.

With their target right in front of them, there was no reason to hesitate.

Tenda, a former knight, spoke first.

“Subdue that madman first. The rest are dealing with the Razent Empire’s soldiers.”

“Man, this is the moment I’ve been waiting for.”

Andro grinned excitedly. Then, he pulled out a glass bottle containing a purple liquid he had kept close.

The liquid, exuding a mystical aura, was a sedative.

After injecting the sedative into five syringes, Andro threw them toward the rampaging Ascan as if hurling throwing knives.

Crack!

One was caught by Ascan’s hand, and another failed to pierce his steel-like body, the needle breaking…

But suddenly, Andro appeared behind him, smirking wickedly, and plunged a syringe into Ascan’s neck.

“Ugh!”

Ascan’s frenzied eyes, which had lost focus, clouded over in an instant.

The sedative forcibly drained all strength from his body. At the same time, his lost reason gradually returned, and thoughts began to surface.

‘The lady…’

Ascan’s gaze instinctively turned toward the direction Tanashia had ridden off on horseback.

‘Has she safely escaped by now?’

His mind was filled with nothing but worry for Tanashia.

Andro didn’t leave the collapsed Ascan alone. He immediately stomped on Ascan’s head, muttering in a low, rage-filled voice.

“You bastard. Do you know how many comrades died because of your escape?”

Pressing down hard, he ground Ascan’s head with his filthy shoe.

“I swore I wouldn’t let you off easy if I caught you.”

Thud, thwack!

Andro began mercilessly beating the fallen Ascan.

Due to the sedative, Ascan’s steel-like state barely functioned, leaving him to feel the full brunt of the pain, yet he didn’t let out a single groan, as always.

It was then.

From the brutal kicking, a handkerchief fell from Ascan’s chest.

Inside the handkerchief on the ground were dried flower petals.

It was the very flower Tanashia had playfully tucked behind Ascan’s ear in the lab.

─It’s pretty.

The memory of Tanashia smiling playfully while stroking Ascan’s face felt as vivid as if it had happened last night.

Unable to discard that precious flower, he had secretly kept it.

“What’s this?”

As Andro moved to crush the flower under his shoe, just as he had stomped on Ascan’s head…

Ascan, who had been helplessly taking the beating, swiftly reached out and covered the fallen petals with his hand.

“Well, look at this?”

Andro kicked Ascan’s hand, which was protecting the petals, several times, but Ascan didn’t budge an inch.

It was his.

The precious flower Tanashia had given him.

Andro stared in disbelief, then drew the sword at his waist. He had no intention of taking Ascan back unscathed anyway.

“I don’t know what it is, but if it’s that precious, hold onto it tight.”

Andro raised his sword high and shouted again.

“Because I’m going to cut off your hand with it!”

With terrifying force, Andro swung his sword down toward Ascan’s wrist.

Clang!

Unexpectedly, the sound of metal clashing rang out.

For an ordinary person, the wrist would have been severed, but Ascan’s body miraculously turned to steel, protecting him.

Seeing this, Andro rolled up his sleeves and smirked.

“Alright, let’s see how long that steel lasts.”

Just as he raised his sword to strike Ascan again…

Tenda, having finished dealing with the remaining Razent Empire soldiers, approached and said.

“Enough, let’s go.”

“What? It’s just getting fun.”

“Do it later. This isn’t a good place. We don’t know why the Razent Empire’s soldiers came this far, but we need to escape before more arrive.”

“Tch.”

Andro clicked his tongue in frustration, grabbed the limp Ascan by the neck, and dragged him like luggage.

Because of this, Ascan could no longer protect the petals on the ground.

‘No…’

Ascan watched as the precious petals he had cherished were trampled and crushed under the feet of others.

Rage boiled deep in his chest, and he clenched his teeth, but the sedative left him powerless, unable to do anything.

‘I have to go back, no matter what.’

He couldn’t die. No matter what it took, he would return to Tanashia’s side.

Even if it took a long time, it didn’t matter. The place by Tanashia’s side was where he belonged, and that would never change.

‘I haven’t even told the lady what reward I want…’

The only reward Ascan wanted was one thing: a promise to keep him by her side, no matter what. That was enough.

He wanted to be with her forever.

That was Ascan’s only wish.

Unable to fight the sedative’s effect, his eyes grew heavy, and his vision darkened. The last thing he thought of was Tanashia’s face.

‘I already miss her…’

In the spot where the unconscious Ascan had been, only a dirtied handkerchief and unrecognizable, trampled petals remained.

* * *

Tanashia had a dream.

A dream of spending simple, everyday moments with Ascan.

As usual, they ate together, shared silly jokes, and looked up at the starry night sky, when suddenly he stood up.

─What are you doing?

─I have to go now.

─Where are you going?

Despite her question, Ascan only gave a cryptic smile.

─Don’t skip meals. Make sure to eat.

─Ugh, stop nagging.

She replied as usual, but Ascan’s figure began to fade.

At that moment, her heart sank. She had a premonition that if they parted like this, she’d never see him again.

─Ascan, wait! Just wait!

She hurriedly reached out to grab him, but in an instant, he vanished completely.

She was left alone in an empty space.

As tears streamed down her face, she woke from the dream.

Opening her eyes, she saw a familiar ceiling.

She recognized it immediately. It was her room in the Brellof estate.

The events before she lost consciousness flashed through her mind like a reel.

Seeing Dekain sitting by her bedside, she urgently asked.

“Where’s Ascan?”

“…”

Dekain didn’t answer, only staring at her.

Without even wiping the tears from her eyes, she shouted again.

“I’m asking what happened to Ascan!”

“…I brought you to safety and went back to check, but he was gone.”

“Gone?”

“Yes. There was only this, no trace of him.”

Dekain handed her a dirty handkerchief. She instantly recognized it as the one Ascan always carried.

She hurriedly unfolded the dirty handkerchief, hoping for any clue.

Unexpectedly, a single petal fell from it.

Seeing it, the memory of the flower she had tucked behind Ascan’s ear flashed in her mind.

‘Could it be…’

He kept it all this time?

She wanted to ask him. She wanted to scold him for hiding such feelings all this time.

Her throat burned.

She wanted to cry her heart out, but she couldn’t.

Crying now felt like admitting Ascan was gone from her side, so she bit the inside of her cheek to hold it in.

“It was the Kalua Empire that took Ascan. They must have taken him. We have to find him.”

“Tanashia, the situation right now…”

“I said we have to find Ascan!”

Ascan had sacrificed himself for her. If it weren’t for her, he could have escaped, but he stayed to save her.

There was no time to hesitate or calculate.

Her heart felt so tight she could barely breathe.

“Do you know how vast the Kalua Empire is? It’s not easy for foreigners like us to search freely there.”

“So what! Are you saying we should just forget Ascan?”

She couldn’t do that.

She had no intention of pretending not to know Ascan, who had sacrificed himself for her.

The Kalua Empire wanted Ascan as a human weapon test subject. So, it was highly likely they took him alive.

If he wasn’t dead, she had to rescue him. Even if he was dead, she would find his body and bring it back.

Dekain let out a quiet sigh and stood up. He looked at her with a complicated expression before turning away.

“I won’t stop you. Do as you wish.”

She didn’t stop Dekain. There was something more urgent.

“Jerin! Jerin!”

At her cry, Jerin, who was outside, rushed into the room.

“Oh, my lady! You’re awake? Young Master Dekain was so worried…”

“Where’s Father?”

“The master was here until just a moment ago but stepped out briefly.”

“I need to see Father right now.”

She tried to get out of bed but collapsed back, dizzy.

“Oh, my lady, you just woke up. You shouldn’t move like that.”

“Call Father quickly.”

Jerin seemed flustered by the sudden request but nodded at her desperate look and hurried out.

As Jerin had said, Orland had been by her side until recently and soon entered the room.

It was fortunate Orland was within the Brellof estate.

“Tana, are you alright?”

“Yes, Father. Please find one person for me.”

“Are you talking about the squire who held off the Razent Empire’s soldiers for you?”

“Yes. We have to find him.”

Orland looked at her with a complicated expression.

Though her mind was in chaos, she could tell Orland was curious about what had happened.

He hadn’t seen it himself, but if Ascan had used his abilities, the forest where she had been would have turned into a sea of fire.

Orland couldn’t be unaware of that. He must have wanted to ask about the situation more than anyone.

But she didn’t know where to begin or how to explain. Right now, she just wanted to find Ascan as soon as possible.

Perhaps her urgency showed on her face, as Orland nodded without asking anything.

“Alright.”

“Really?”

“Yes. We’ll talk details later, but for now, I’ll send people to find the squire as you wish.”

“Thank you, Father. Please mobilize all of the Brellof family’s resources and manpower right now. He’s being held somewhere in the Kalua Empire. I have to find him.”

“I promise to do my best.”

Despite his many questions, Orland agreed to do as she wished. Only then did her heart ease slightly.

“Tanashia, rest a bit more for now.”

She could feel how much Orland worried for her in his words.

But while she was safe and cared for, she didn’t know what horrors Ascan might be facing in a lab.

What was once just a story in a book now felt unbearable, thinking Ascan might be enduring near-torture.

“I’m fine, Father. Please send people to the Kalua Empire as soon as possible.”

Seeing her urgency, Orland nodded. He took medicine from the table and handed it to her with water.

“I’ll keep my promise, so don’t worry. In return, can you take this medicine for me?”

It was a request she couldn’t refuse.

Reluctantly, she took the medicine Orland offered, and sleep overwhelmed her like a lie.

Orland gently laid her weakening body back on the bed and said softly.

“I’m assigning Zen to guard you from now on. I’ll look for the squire, so rest a bit more.”

“Yes, Father… please, I’m begging you.”

With Orland’s worried gaze on her, she fell back into sleep.

Time passed relentlessly.

Though her poor condition gradually improved, even with all the Brellof family’s resources and manpower, they couldn’t find a trace of Ascan.