This chapter opens with a flashback to the events of the previous chapter, in which Hirokazu's father, Hiroshi, was killed by the Turks. The flashback shows that Hiroshi's mother, Mina, was also killed by Turks, and that the Turkish leader, Sultan Selim, and his son, Selim--whom Hirohito has taken under his protection--are still alive. As the flashback unfolds, Hirosaki realizes that his father is dead and that his mother has been taken prisoner. He realizes that he is now a foreigner and that he will never be able to live up to his mother's expectations. He is afraid that if he is allowed to return to his homeland, he will be considered a traitor and will be rejected by the Turkish people.