Andro? Andro!

Faint, but I remembered.

He was a former mercenary dispatched in the novel to capture Ascan.

He was a minor character, so nothing specific came to mind, but since both Cains and Andro were mercenaries, they seemed to be acquainted.

‘Andro… In my memory, he didn’t harbor good feelings toward Ascan.’

When Ascan first escaped the laboratory, there were people he was forced to kill.

Among them were Andro’s mercenary comrades—characters who, upon capturing Ascan, intended to exact revenge.

‘The original plot has changed so much I don’t know what actually happened, but according to my memory, they could never have been on good terms.’

Naturally, the day ten years ago when I parted with Ascan resurfaced in my mind.

The very day he stayed behind alone to protect me from soldiers of the Largent Empire.

Kwak—I clenched my fist tightly without realizing it.

I didn’t know what history Andro and Ascan shared, but I couldn’t possibly feel goodwill toward anyone connected to that day.

‘I thought he was merely someone close to Cains, but… he’s the one who dragged Ascan away ten years ago.’

I absolutely couldn’t let him go.

I had many questions for Andro—not only about Cains, but also about what had happened to Ascan that day.

Just as I was about to step forward—

Andro subtly pulled out a leather cord necklace. A small glass vial was tied to it like a pendant.

It looked like a necklace designed to store something inside the vial. Upon closer inspection, it contained an unidentified purple liquid.

‘…What is that?’

It was the moment I felt puzzled.

Kwaddeuk!

As Andro gripped the necklace and applied pressure, the glass vial shattered. Simultaneously, a grass-like fragrance spread in all directions, stinging my nose.

Ascan covered his nose with his sleeve and stepped back, and Andro grinned again.

“You recognize this, right? It’s a sedative that neutralizes your power. I kept it as a lucky charm that brought in money—I never expected I’d use it like this.”

As he spoke, Andro flung the purple liquid pooling in his palm toward Ascan’s face.

Pushishik—

The purple liquid dispersed like pure white smoke. Consequently, an even stronger grassy scent enveloped Ascan’s surroundings.

“How’s that? Doesn’t the sedative smell bring back fond memories?”

Sedative!

Having read the novel, I couldn’t possibly not know what a sedative was.

It was invented during human weapon experiments to disable Ascan’s abilities.

It was sometimes injected directly into the body via syringe, but it could also be dispersed into the air, as now.

I quickly pulled out my hidden K39. I couldn’t stand by any longer, fearing the sedative might adversely affect Ascan.

Andro敏锐ly noticed it and stared at me. His serpent-like eyes radiated thick murderous intent.

“I don’t know which noble family’s daughter you are, but you’d be wise to put that down.”

“You’d better abandon any thought of touching Ascan.”

“Kukuk. How did you know I like feisty women? Since you’ve made things troublesome for me, you’ll have to take responsibility.”

In Andro’s eyes, filled with killing intent, lust flickered momentarily.

I no longer exchanged words—I pulled the trigger with a click.

Puuuuung!

Andro swiftly rolled his body to dodge the flame shooting from the muzzle.

As I hurriedly reloaded to attack again—

Teok.

Ascan, having appeared out of nowhere, seized Andro’s shoulder. His movement was so fast I couldn’t even see how he’d gotten there.

Ascan didn’t look disadvantaged at all. Instead, with an expression lost in memory, he deeply inhaled the sedative permeating the surroundings.

“So your audacity stemmed from possessing the sedative?”

His dangerously low voice carried a threat.

A faint, cruel smile lingered at the corner of Ascan’s lips—anyone could tell he was mocking Andro’s complacency.

Andro stared at Ascan with a shocked expression and stammered,

“H-how… you’re unaffected even after inhaling the sedative?!”

“Such things mean nothing to me anymore. But it stirred up old memories—and now I’m in a foul mood. You’ll have to take responsibility for that.”

It felt exactly like throwing back the very words Andro had just spoken to me with lust-filled eyes.

“W-wait a moment!”

Andro tried to say something, but Ascan moved faster.

Wudeudeuk!

Ascan kicked Andro’s calf and twisted it on the spot.

“Uaaaaaah!”

Looking at Andro’s grotesquely bent leg, I could guess his bone was broken.

I was startled—how could a human shin break so easily?

Andro collapsed to the floor, face contorted in pain, screaming. With his leg broken, he was in no position to flee.

Ascan used the net-like necklace I’d made—designed to capture opponents—to bind Andro’s arms.

Watching Ascan subdue him, I asked,

“Are you okay?”

The sedative’s scent still saturated the area, completely overpowering even the foul stench of rotting corpses.

Ascan looked at me with a puzzled expression and replied,

“What do you mean?”

I realized then—Ascan didn’t know I was aware of the sedative.

I couldn’t possibly explain I’d read the novel , so I gave an awkward smile and evaded,

“That guy seemed to spray something unpleasant at you.”

Just from hearing what Andro had said so far, one could roughly guess the situation.

Ascan seemed to accept that, nodding slightly as he answered,

“Don’t worry. Others may be affected, but I’ve built up resistance—this has no effect on me.”

“Thank goodness.”

I’d known he was likely fine, but I’d intervened just in case.

Hearing directly from Ascan that he was unharmed put my mind at ease.

He must have noticed my concern—he gazed at me with gentle eyes, utterly different from the sharp gaze he’d directed at Andro.

“Leave this man to me. I’ll make sure he confesses everything you want to know.”

“Oh.”

I glanced sideways at Andro, writhing in pain. It seemed better to leave him to Ascan than to intervene myself.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Instead of replying, Ascan offered a faint smile.

To me, it was the most reassuring sight—but perhaps to Andro, it was the smile of a hellish reaper.

After escorting Tanashia to the mansion, Ascan brought Andro to the Royal Guard’s interrogation chamber.

This place was infamous. It was widely known that no one who entered ever walked out on their own two feet.

Ascan indifferently stared at the unconscious Andro and splashed water on him.

Chaak!

Awakened by the cold water, Andro groggily opened his eyes and exhaled a ragged breath.

“Huh… huuuh.”

Ascan watched him with emotionless eyes and asked in a businesslike tone,

“Is your name Andro Pasita?”

During the transfer to the interrogation chamber, Ascan had already ordered the Royal Guard to investigate Andro.

“You… you are…”

“From now on, answer only the questions I ask.”

Andro’s pupils silently scanned his surroundings.

He was a hardened man, seasoned by mercenary life. If he lacked ability, he wouldn’t have been chosen to track Ascan in the past.

Andro immediately recognized this place was no ordinary location.

“Y-yes.”

Upon hearing the answer, Ascan read aloud from the paper containing his information.

“Age 43, residence: capital, unmarried, notorious for assaulting women whenever drunk. Specialty: tracking.”

Andro swallowed hard, tense. He was astonished they’d gathered this much information during his brief unconsciousness.

Precisely because he excelled in tracking, he was skilled at concealing his own movements.

Ascan stated his information casually—but these were facts no one but Andro himself should have known.

“Thirteen, what exactly is your identity…”

As Andro opened his mouth, Ascan picked up a small knife beside him and stabbed Andro’s thigh.

“Kuaaaaah!”

Unable to endure the pain, Andro screamed.

Ascan stared indifferently and spoke again,

“Don’t make me ask twice. I’ll be the one asking questions.”

Andro nodded frantically. In the past, he tormented Ascan, rendered powerless by sedatives—but now their positions were completely reversed.

─I don’t know what it is, but if it’s that precious to you, hold onto it tight.

Long ago, he’d tried to sever Ascan’s wrist as he cradled flower petals in his hand.

─Then I’ll gladly cut off your hand right here!

But fortunately, steel-hardening activated at that moment, preventing him from severing the wrist.

─Fine, let’s see how long your steel-hardening lasts.

It was mere amusement. Though fueled partly by rage over comrades Ascan had killed, he tormented him because he was a weak, controllable being.

He’d never thought his comrades involved in the human weapon experiments were in the wrong.

It didn’t matter that his comrades were perpetrators and Ascan the victim—mercenaries would do any dirty job for money.

That’s why, during the journey dragging Ascan to the Calua Empire ten years ago, Andro had tormented him beyond measure.

It was said even bystanders tried to stop him—so at first, I’d found it strange Ascan had forgotten those memories.

But now, thinking back, it was fortunate Ascan had forgotten.

If he’d remembered that period while in his current position…

Andro would be utterly dead.

Ascan gazed at the suffering Andro and quietly asked,

“You said you were the one who brought me to the Calua Empire ten years ago. Explain exactly where and how you captured me.”

“B-back then, you were a slave of the Brellof family. When we located you, you were fighting alone against soldiers of the Largent Empire.”

“Why would I do that?”

Ascan couldn’t comprehend it.

If he’d escaped the laboratory, concealing his identity should have been paramount.

Yet he’d fought the Largent Empire’s soldiers with his full power unleashed?

It made no sense.

There must have been some reason.

“I don’t know. Our mission was simply to capture Thirteen, who escaped the lab, and return. We weren’t given detailed information…”

Ascan kicked Andro’s already wounded thigh.

“Uaaaaah!”

The reopened wound sent fresh waves of pain, making Andro scream again. He shouted desperately,

“I—I remember! I remember now!”

At that, Ascan halted his action.

Andro was going mad. Fortunately, in this desperate moment, long-forgotten memories flashed before his eyes like a reel.

“Back then I didn’t know, but later I heard rumors—the Largent Empire targeted the Brellof heiress. They intended to steal her magic stones to oppose the Calua Empire. That incident widely exposed the Calua Empire’s human weapon experiments.”

Instantly, Ascan’s expression hardened. His mind grew chaotic.

He’d already known he’d been a slave ten years ago. But hearing Andro’s words, it seemed his connection to Tanashia was far more significant than he’d guessed.

─You… you liked me more, didn’t you?

Suddenly, Tanashia’s past words resurfaced.

No matter how he thought about it, the “him” Tanashia remembered didn’t seem to be himself.

He’d suspected perhaps he’d pretended to be obedient just to win Tanashia’s affection…

But hearing Andro’s words lent more weight to that suspicion.

He didn’t know what he’d felt when he’d lost his memory, but he certainly must have regarded Tanashia as special.

After pondering deeply, Ascan quietly spoke,

“If you know anything else about me, tell me everything.”

“I—I only know the basic information the lab provided…”

Ascan moved to kick Andro’s wounded thigh again.

Seeing this, Andro’s face turned deathly pale as he shouted,

“Flowers! You seemed to like flowers! You treasured dried petals!”

“Petals?”

Ascan had never once felt he liked flowers.

Seeing his disbelief, Andro explained earnestly,

“I’m not lying! You definitely kept flower petals in a handkerchief!”

When told he liked flowers, Ascan felt nothing. But hearing he’d kept petals in a handkerchief stirred a strange emotion.

It felt as if something was on the verge of being remembered—yet faint, elusive.

But that was all. As always, nothing surfaced.

Ascan looked at Andro and spoke in a flat tone,

“Tell me more.”

“I’m telling the truth! There’s nothing else, I swear!”

Andro was sincere, but Ascan didn’t believe him.

“Memory is a curious thing. In moments of crisis, even long-forgotten things resurface.”

Andro trembled violently. The meaning behind those words terrified him.

The reward he’d received ten years ago for capturing Ascan had been substantial. The moment he saw Ascan again, his first thought had been the bounty.

He’d even kept the sedative like a talisman, confident he could easily subdue him.

He’d never dreamed this situation would arise.

Pretending to know Ascan—or rather, accepting the mission ten years ago to bring him to the Calua Empire—now felt like a decision worth dying for in regret.