It was unbelievable.

Not far away, there was a man who resembled Ascan, but I couldn’t believe he was really Ascan.

“Did I see it wrong?”

I closed my eyes several times, rubbed my eyes, but the man resembling Ascan did not disappear.

It wasn’t a misconception. It wasn’t a hallucination.

I pinched my cheek hard, and feeling the pain, it wasn’t a dream.

The reality unfolding before my eyes was hard to believe.

“Is it really Ascan…?”

It was incomprehensible that Ascan, whom I had searched for so long, would forcefully invade my research lab. He would have just needed to say a word, and I would have opened the door wide for him.

Something was off, but more than that, I was grateful that Ascan was alive.

That was enough.

As long as he was alive.

It was during the moment when I was immersed in the emotion of the reunion. As Ascan approached the lab, the dangerous device I had created was activated.

Kugugugugung!

In an instant, the ground where Ascan stood cracked open. Fierce winds were swirling, seemingly ready to suck Ascan in at any moment.

“No!”

That was dangerous.

I knew it because I had created it. If he got sucked into the ground by the wind made of madostone, he could lose his life.

Of course, if Ascan was as strong as in the original novel, he wouldn’t be easily defeated, but I couldn’t let him fall into danger by my own hands.

I quickly ran to the machine device that could manipulate the lab’s security level.

Without any hesitation, I manipulated it to the 0 level, stopping all magical engineering weapons.

Krrrrrrrr—

A resonating sound echoed as all machines shut down at once.

I immediately headed outside the lab where Ascan was. I had to check with my own eyes if he was injured in any way.

With a clatter, as I opened the entrance door and stepped outside, I saw Ascan standing in that spot with a puzzled expression.

It felt like a dream that he was so close.

I had imagined countless times what to say when I met him. But now that this situation had happened, I was at a loss for words.

Ascan’s golden eyes, as if made of moonlight, were directed towards me.

The brief moment of facing each other felt like an eternity.

It was a situation I had longed for a long time. For some reason, Ascan’s gaze seemed indifferent, but it didn’t matter.

“Ascan…”

It was the moment when I was about to call his name and take a step closer.

Ascan’s eyes, which had been looking at me with a questioning expression, suddenly sharpened.

That was the moment.

Thunk!

In an empty space where no one was present, Zen appeared, blocking my way.

“It’s dangerous, Miss. Please step back. Why did you turn off the devices?”

Dangerous?

I looked at Zen with a puzzled expression, indicating that I didn’t understand.

“Well, look. Ascan’s here.”
Ten years ago, Ascan risked his life for me. Such a person wouldn’t put me in danger.

However, Zen, still with a wary expression, looked at Ascan and spoke.

“The identity of that guy doesn’t matter. As long as I’m responsible for your safety, I can’t allow you to approach someone with such a strong aura of death.”

Aura of death?

I noticed Ascan’s expression and atmosphere that I hadn’t paid attention to before Zen’s words.

But it didn’t make rational sense. In front of me was none other than Ascan, whom I had searched for for ten years.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying right now.”

I couldn’t comprehend Zen’s words. No, it was more accurate to say I couldn’t accept them.

I looked at Ascan behind Zen and spoke directly.

“Ascan, if you’ve come back, say something. How have you been all this time?”

At my words, a slight crack appeared in Ascan’s expressionless face. Others might not notice, but I could.

“How do you know my name?”

It was a voice much deeper and thicker than ten years ago. It was undoubtedly the Ascan I remembered, but the words he uttered were somewhat strange.

He didn’t know that I knew his name?

What on earth was going on?

My mind was in chaos, tangled like a mess. I looked at Ascan with a shocked expression and spoke again.

“What… What are you talking about? I don’t know you.”

I had imagined meeting Ascan again countless times. But in none of my fantasies did I have a situation like this.

Ascan looking at me as if he didn’t know me had never crossed my mind.

Zen, facing me who had frozen like ice, spoke quietly.

“Please go into the lab, Miss.”

Only then did Ascan, standing behind Zen, respond in a low voice.

“That won’t do.”

Only now did I recall the contents of the letter I had received a while ago.

The Emperor of the Kalua Empire wishes to meet you.

I’ve requested a meeting for a long time, but there has been no response from you.

In three days, I will come again to greet you.]

At that time, I thought it was sent by some crazy person, but considering the current situation, it seemed like it was written by Ascan.

If Ascan, now an adult, could have left a letter in my research lab.