Chapter 1

Our story began inside The Rose, a bar in Zicco City, where colorful lights flickered and seductive dancers swayed to the music.

"Damn you, Ricardo…"

Harrison Stark, our protagonist, was drowning his sorrows as the face of his mentor, Ricardo Stone, kept appearing in his mind.

"Congratulations on graduating from my tutelage, you little rascal. You've regained your freedom and may leave this place to explore the world.

"But! There are a few things I'd like you to do when you leave.

"Firstly, visit the Barnes family in Zicco. The head of the family owes me a debt from 18 years ago, and he promised he'd let you marry his eldest granddaughter.

"Secondly, all seven of your female seniors have become masters in their respective fields after leaving here. Be sure to visit them. I'm sure they miss you.

"Thirdly, I'm putting you in charge of the Draconian Alliance, which I founded five years ago. It's now grown into a national organization.

"Finally, you'll need to find your true love within the year, or your Solarian Physique will cause you to die."

Harrison fiddled with the medallion around his neck, which had a dragon engraved on it, and took another large gulp of beer.

"Freedom, my foot! Explore the world… Ha! That old fart's sending me on another fool's errand, as usual!

"Also! Why would he promise me to a woman like that?! What if she's ugly?"

Thankfully, after two pints of beer, Harrison calmed down.

"Regardless, I owe it to Ricardo for raising me and teaching me everything he knows. Sigh... I suppose I have no choice but to follow his instructions."

As such, Harrison decided he would visit the Barnes family the next day, before meeting up with his seniors.

"I wonder if they've gotten prettier over the years..."

At that thought, a woman in white with a seductive figure and a pleasant fragrance suddenly stumbled into his arms.

Harrison helped the woman to her feet and pushed her hair aside. "Are you all right, miss?"

To his shock, a stunningly beautiful woman with a flushed face revealed herself.

'Oh my God, she's gorgeous! Her face is as delicate as a statue, and those curves... any man would fall for her at first sight,' he thought.

"H-Help me, please…" The woman's voice was weak and trembling, and she quickly passed out from the alcohol in her system.

"Help you? How?"

Before Harrison could react, a dozen thugs, covered in tattoos, stormed into the bar with menacing expressions.

Without a word, they began to ransack the place, clearly searching for someone.

Their ferocity silenced the bar's patrons, who dared not fight back.

"I've found her, boss!" one of the thugs shouted, pointing at Harrison.

In an instant, the group surrounded him.

"That lady's none of your business, twerp. I suggest you realize what's best for you and put her down!" snarled the leader of the thugs, Rocco Oxmaul.

He flipped a table and glared at Harrison, continuing his threats. "Get out of my sight, now!"

The other thugs flashed their tattoos and blades, attempting to intimidate the remaining guests.

As expected, the bar's patrons fled in a panic.

However, Harrison wasn't about to run. He calmly did a few stretches.

"The fact that you're trying to harm this fine lady makes it my business," he said coolly.

Rocco's anger flared. "You're dead, twerp!"

Rocco swung a punch, but Harrison simply raised his hand to catch it and twisted his arm in retaliation.

To add insult to injury, Harrison calmly took another sip of beer.

Before Rocco could even scream from the pain of his fractured arm, Harrison kicked him so hard that he was sent crashing into three tables before hitting the floor.

The thugs were stunned. Their usually vicious leader had been taken down so easily.

"You little shits… Stop standing there like a bunch of idiots and go kill him!" Rocco yelled, his voice shaking from pain.

"Let's get him, boys!"

The thugs charged at Harrison, weapons raised, while the patrons scrambled to escape.

"Hmph! Weaklings."

Harrison's expression darkened as he removed his coat and draped it over the woman in white. Then, he charged forward, taking on the thugs with swift and powerful moves.

In the end, all of the thugs were sprawled out, groaning in pain, bruised and battered.

"You're dead, twerp, on my word as a member of the Tiger's Fangs!" Rocco and his men cursed loudly as they fled the scene like cowards.

"Losers," Harrison scoffed.

The woman in white seemed to be regaining consciousness, but she struggled to get back on her feet.

Harrison quickly approached to help, saying, "They're gone now. Don't worry…"

Suddenly, the woman wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against him so forcefully that Harrison found it hard to breathe.

'They're so big… and soft…' Harrison had never been this close to another woman, and he felt his mouth go dry as his heartbeat quickened.

The woman seemed disoriented, her body burning up, and her face still flushed.

Harrison, being the second-best doctor in the world, immediately recognized something was wrong with her. "Have you been drugged?"

'This is thanks to those thugs, I'm sure…'

Then, the woman gasped for air and weakly said, "Help me… I can't… breathe…"

"Sure thing."

Harrison knew it was time for him to step in.

-

An hour later, in an inn by the street of bars.

"Ugh, my head hurts…" Esther Thatcher groaned, waking up with a splitting headache. "W-Where am I?"

As her vision adjusted to the light, she realized she was in a room... with a man next to her in bed!

What's more, the man's hand was under her shirt!

"Huh?! Who are you?!" Esther screamed, trying to slap him in embarrassment.

However, Harrison swiftly grabbed her wrist, his expression serious. "Don't move. This last step is crucial. If we don't do this right, your treatment will be ruined."

Harrison then removed a needle from her.

"What are you— Ahh!"

Esther, embarrassed and angry, wanted to lash out at the man who had been treating her, but she immediately felt a wave of comfort wash over her. Her body felt rejuvenated, and the hangover she had been suffering from had vanished.

As the memories of the previous night came rushing back, she realized who this man was.

Esther was the precious heiress of the Thatchers, the wealthiest in Zicco. Her grandfather was gravely ill, and she had taken on the heavy responsibility of running the Thatcher Group.

Unable to cope with the pressure, she had gone to a bar to drink away her stress.

Unfortunately, Rocco and his gang had taken notice of her beauty and drugged her.

Thankfully, she had managed to escape and ended up in the arms of this young man.

Esther looked at Harrison in shock. "You saved me?"

"I see your memories are coming back. Good. Yes, I saved you... twice," Harrison said calmly while packing up his needles.