Ascan secretly visited a doctor without Tanashia’s knowledge.

Ever since his battle with the second-generation children in the Karlua Empire, he had been continuously coughing up blood, making it impossible not to check his current physical condition.

He also needed to conceal his identity, so this time he appeared disguised as the leader of the Parusa Guild in the underworld, wearing a mask.

Given the underworld’s culture of avoiding facial exposure, no one at the hospital found it strange that Ascan wore a mask.

Of course, this was also possible because he had rented out the entire hospital.

After completing all kinds of examinations, Ascan quietly asked in a low voice,

“What’s my condition?”

“Hoo… I’m not sure how to put this. Did any family members accompany you?”

The doctor hesitated, unable to readily answer regarding Ascan’s condition.

Having already mentally prepared himself, Ascan replied indifferently,

“Just tell me honestly. I know my current state isn’t good.”

“Yes. Actually, it’s not just ‘not good’—it’s very bad. At this rate, I don’t think you have much time left.”

Children who had undergone experiments long ago had died after coughing up blood.

Therefore, Ascan had felt uneasy from the very first moment he started coughing up blood himself.

It felt as though the doctor had just confirmed the worst-case scenario he had imagined.

“…So it’s just as I thought. Is there any way to treat it?”

But Ascan showed neither shock nor panic. He had already braced himself after witnessing the deaths of the other children who underwent the same experiments.

He had long accepted that someday, he too might meet death in the same way.

Had he still been without memories of Tanashia, he might have accepted it even more calmly—since he held no strong attachment to life.

But now, things were different.

The first image that flashed into his mind was Tanashia’s face.

He had left her alone for ten years. He could not bear to be separated from her again. Not even death could tear them apart.

Ascan would never allow that.

The doctor, seeing Ascan’s unnervingly calm demeanor, looked utterly astonished.

“In all my life, I’ve never seen a patient so composed. Most people curse the gods or beg for their lives, shedding tears…”

“I don’t need divine help. The gods have never once been on my side.”

From the human weapon laboratory until the moment he parted from Tanashia, he had called upon the gods countless times—but not once had they answered his prayers.

He would no longer waste time praying to a useless deity.

Ascan had always seized what he wanted by his own hand. If life itself was what he desired, then he would fight for that too.

“Let me ask again. Approximately how much time do I have left?”

“I can’t give you an exact answer. Your body shows heavy traces of magic use, suggesting you’ve excessively depleted your innate vital energy. Do you perhaps use supernatural abilities?”

True to his reputation as a renowned physician of the Largent Empire, he had already deduced part of the truth without Ascan saying anything.

Ascan silently nodded. As long as he didn’t reveal the detail about the “unextinguishable flame,” there would be no issue.

“Then you must avoid using it as much as possible. No—in fact, you must never use it again. Only then might you live a little longer.”

He already knew summoning the unextinguishable flame placed a heavy strain on his body.

That was why Bill, after also coughing up blood, had never summoned the flame again.

“Understood. But more importantly—is there any way to cure my current condition?”

“It’s not completely impossible. There is exactly one method…”

“What is it?”

“It requires an extremely rare medicinal ingredient—so rare it’s practically impossible to obtain.”

The doctor looked utterly resigned, but Ascan did not. He had no intention whatsoever of closing his eyes while leaving Tanashia behind.

“I’ll be the one to judge whether it’s possible or impossible after I hear it.”

“I’ve never personally seen it myself—it’s only known through legends. Supposedly, once every hundred years, a single flower blooms in the harshest cold, possessing such potent healing properties it can resurrect the dead. If you consume a decoction made from it, there’s a chance your condition could be cured.”

“What’s the name of that flower?”

“Arhane.”

Ascan silently nodded and stood up from his seat.

He felt disappointed by the lack of concrete results. He had already heard about this flower from another physician while seeking a cure for Bill.

It was unavoidable—since ordinary methods couldn’t cure him, he had no choice but to pin his hopes on such a miraculous herb.

At least it was fortunate that a cure theoretically existed; the misfortune was that, despite searching for Bill’s sake, they still hadn’t obtained the Arhane flower.

Regardless, it was still too early to give up on living beside Tanashia.

Seeing Ascan suddenly rise, the doctor asked in a flustered tone,

“W wait—are you leaving already?”

“I’ve heard the precautions and treatment options. Isn’t that the end of it?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Thank you for your efforts. As previously agreed, ensure today’s consultation remains strictly confidential.”

“Understood, Chief.”

The doctor believed Ascan’s identity to be that of the chief of the Parusa Guild in the underworld.

Ascan walked out of the examination room. Outside, his Parusa Guild subordinates immediately bowed respectfully.

“Have you concluded your visit, Chief?”

Both the Adel Trading Company and the Parusa Guild had originally based their headquarters in the Karlua Empire, but were now gradually relocating elsewhere.

Though small branches had always existed across the continent for intelligence gathering, moving their central headquarters meant many operatives had already relocated to the Largent Empire.

Ascan quietly commanded his subordinates,

“Find the flower called Arhane. As quickly as possible.”

“We obey.”

The subordinates bowed and immediately set out to carry out Ascan’s order.

Ascan’s reach extended beyond just the Parusa Guild. Starting today, the Adel Trading Company would also begin searching for the Arhane flower.

Moreover, there were other undisclosed identities belonging to Ascan.

For example, the secret organization known as Snen, reputed as the continent’s greatest mercenary force—or even the infamous pirate fleet, Teron.

Ascan mobilized every intelligence network under his control to locate the Arhane flower.

He could not die yet.

Reiana tracked Tanashia, who had disguised herself as a proxy, after the imperial party ended.

She had confirmed the carriage leaving the Largent Imperial Palace stopped at the Kain Trading Company—but afterward, it vanished as if it had never existed.

It was infuriating to hear reports that the carriage carrying Tanashia hadn’t flown into the sky or sunk into the earth, yet simply disappeared the moment it turned a corner.

‘How can a mere proxy pull off something like this?’

It was truly unbelievable.

Despite scouring every corner of the capital, no trace of the proxy had been found since the party.

Reiana was currently the wife of Marquis Dante. The power wielded by House Dante within the Largent Empire was formidable.

Yet the idea that she couldn’t find even one proxy was absurd.

Reiana’s stubborn pride wouldn’t let her stop.

After combing the capital inch by inch, she finally discovered the carriage Tanashia had ridden to the palace that day.

But that carriage had already been sold off to erase its trail.

Though Reiana felt a throbbing headache coming on, she received one completely unexpected piece of information.

“What? The man who sold the carriage used a darkness-attribute supernatural ability?”

In response to Reiana’s question, the informant bowed respectfully and answered,

“Yes. The moment he sold the carriage, he vanished like a ghost—everyone present was astonished. That’s why they remember him clearly.”

Many supernatural abilities existed in the world. Reiana herself, though not exceptional, possessed a wind-attribute ability.

But darkness-attribute abilities were rare, with very few users. The only person Reiana knew who possessed one was Tanashia’s bodyguard.

‘Good heavens! At this point, it’s practically certain Tanashia is in the Largent Empire.’

Having long been Tanashia’s adversary, Reiana knew well the bodyguard Zen who followed her.

Given the current circumstances, it was highly unlikely the person who sold the carriage wasn’t Zen.

To begin with, the proxy was Tanashia’s agent, and if they had sold the carriage, they were clearly connected.

There was no way two people with the rare darkness-attribute ability would be near Tanashia.

Moreover, Zen’s sole purpose was protecting Tanashia—he would never appear where she wasn’t.

‘It’s obvious. If Tanashia hadn’t interfered, I wouldn’t be struggling this much to find the proxy.’

She had already suspected Tanashia was in the Largent Empire.

Now, with the appearance of someone possessing a darkness-attribute ability and the complete absence of the proxy’s trail, her conviction only strengthened.

‘Tanashia, no matter how hard you run, once you’re caught by me, you’re no different from a rat trapped in a jar.’

Reiana smiled coldly.

Whether she captured the proxy and tortured them for Tanashia’s location, or hunted Tanashia down directly—she couldn’t stay idle.

Rumors claimed Tanashia had been kidnapped by the Imperial Guard Captain, but her current movements suggested that was unlikely.

Whatever the backstory, it didn’t matter.

What mattered was that Reiana now had an opportunity to repay all the humiliations she had suffered.

Reiana hurriedly ordered her informant,

“Search every lodging in the capital thoroughly. Also check any mansions or villas likely used by Prince Dekain, just in case.”

Normally, Tanashia could have stayed anywhere, and nobles would have welcomed her visit with open arms.

But now, due to the bounty issued by the Karlua Empire, Tanashia’s movements were restricted.

Naturally, for safety, she must be hiding somewhere unknown to everyone.

Since Dekain, who received Tanashia’s patronage, might be an accomplice, she specifically ordered investigation of locations connected to him.

Had it not been for the Karlua Empire’s bounty, Tanashia wouldn’t have needed to hide at all—but precisely because of it, her possible hiding places were limited, making her easier to find.

Reiana believed that after tracking this far, she would soon pinpoint Tanashia’s location.

But that was a misconception.

Even after searching every lodging in the capital, not a single strand of Tanashia’s hair was found.

The informant bowed apologetically while reporting,

“I’m sorry.”

Crash!

Unable to contain her fury, Reiana grabbed the glass beside her and hurled it. The broken shards grazed the informant’s cheek.

The informant bit his lip to suppress a groan, clearly startled by Reiana’s behavior—so unlike her publicly known persona.

Reiana paid no attention to his reaction, venting her frustration,

“What exactly are you good for? How is it possible that I can’t find one person in the capital?”

“I’m sorry.”

The informant repeated his apologies as if he had ten mouths and still no excuse.

“Fine, suppose you can’t find Tanashia. But not even being able to locate where the proxy is staying? Don’t you think that’s going too far?”

“I have no words to offer. If you grant me more time, I will find them somehow.”

Reiana pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated.

No matter how she thought about it, Tanashia—on the run—wouldn’t seek refuge with a noble family. That meant she must be staying at a lodging within the capital, yet the complete absence of any trace was incomprehensible.

‘Think. There must be a way.’

Reiana calmed her anger and thought carefully.

Though her personality was cruel, she wasn’t unintelligent—and soon, a good idea came to her.

“Attempt to make reservations at every lodging in the capital.”

“Yes?”

“If they say all rooms are booked, offer extra payment. Any lodging that refuses reservations no matter how high the sum offered—investigate it thoroughly.”

She didn’t know what method Tanashia had used, but if she’d thoroughly concealed her trail, she’d likely also secured the lodging in advance.

Since Tanashia wouldn’t allow other guests where she stayed, any lodging refusing reservations warranted suspicion and investigation.

Impressed by Reiana’s clever strategy, the informant exclaimed in admiration,

“That’s an excellent idea. I’ll implement it immediately.”

Reiana looked at the informant with arrogant satisfaction, as if such praise were only natural.

“You’re so stupid you can’t even figure out something this simple.”

The informant silently bowed respectfully and exited the room.

With her husband David absent, Reiana had no need to hide her true nature. She had always enjoyed tormenting those of lower status.

Perhaps due to inferiority complex from being born illegitimate, she derived a sense of superiority by trampling those weaker than herself.

Several days passed.

Soon after, the informant returned to Reiana, bringing several photographs.

“As you instructed, we discovered a few suspicious locations. Among them, we located the lodging where the proxy is staying and took these photos.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, Lady Brellof isn’t visible. We haven’t yet identified the proxy’s true identity, but with further investigation, we should uncover it.”

Reiana happily examined the secretly taken photos.

In one, she saw the masked proxy from the party. The thought of capturing and torturing her made her heart race.

But suddenly, among the photos, she noticed one capturing the proxy’s back—without the mask.

The unmasked back looked disturbingly familiar. Had she seen it in person, she might have mistaken it for Tanashia.

‘…What is this?’

Suspicion creeping in, Reiana flipped through the photos—and found one where a few strands of the proxy’s hair peeked out from beneath the mask.

Unexpectedly, the proxy’s hair was black—just like Tanashia’s.

“This can’t be.”

In Reiana’s mind, the images of the proxy and Tanashia spontaneously overlapped.

Until now, she had pursued them as two separate people. But after meeting the proxy at the party and seeing several pieces of evidence with her own eyes, she realized:

Tanashia and the proxy were the same person.

Certainly, if it hadn’t been Reiana, no one else would have noticed. Only her long familiarity with Tanashia and the power of House Dante made this possible.

“Heh heh heh!”

Reiana suddenly burst into laughter like a madwoman.

The informant stared at her, bewildered—but Reiana paid him no mind.

After laughing until she nearly choked, she suddenly flashed a venomous gaze and declared,

“I’ve finally caught you.”