Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 220: ’Distraction!’

Kane was barking orders, his voice cutting through the crackle of the fire as men scrambled to form a perimeter. Buckets clanged against one another, and the villagers moved with an almost mechanical urgency. Florian stood off to the side, his arms crossed, eyes narrowed as he silently observed.

’They’re all the same...’

Now that most of the villagers had gathered, Florian could finally take a closer look. Thin. Pale. Hollow cheeks. Eyes sunken deep into their faces. They moved like men possessed—tired, yet driven by some unseen force.

’Sick. Every last one of them.’

Even the strongest among them looked barely capable of standing, yet they pushed themselves, muscles strained and limbs trembling.

Florian’s thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a subtle shift in the air. Out of the corner of his eye, Heinz was moving, slipping away from Kane’s watchful gaze like a shadow.

’Here we go.’

Florian stayed still, eyes on the fire, but he could sense Heinz approaching.

"Aden."

The voice was low, just above a whisper. Florian barely turned his head, but he didn’t need to look to know it was him.

"Anastasius..." Florian murmured, keeping up appearances in case anyone was watching.

"Listen carefully." Heinz’s tone was calm, but there was a layer of urgency beneath it. His face was close—too close—and Florian felt his pulse quicken again.

’Damn it, not now!’

"When I distribute the mana stones," Heinz murmured softly, "that’s your chance. Everyone will be too distracted trying to fight the fire. Slip away and head straight for the storage unit."

Florian’s throat went dry at the mention of the storage unit.

’That place...’

The memory of the door cracking open flashed through his mind. The swarm of insects. The overwhelming, gut-churning stench that had slammed into him like a wall.

’Every question we have will be answered once I finally get a peak. I just know it.’

"I’ll keep the fire going," Heinz continued, his eyes flicking briefly toward the roaring flames. "Azure won’t let it die down. It’ll give you plenty of time to search."

"Got it," Florian whispered, his voice steady, but inside, his heart was pounding.

There was a pause.

Florian glanced at Heinz. His lips were slightly parted like he was about to say something else, but... he hesitated.

’There it is again.’

That brief flicker of hesitation. Heinz had been acting off all day. Something was on his mind, but he wasn’t saying it.

’Is it... because of me?’

Florian’s cheeks warmed, his thoughts drifting to the filthy dream that had haunted him. His body still remembered it—too vividly. And to make it worse, his heart had been reacting to Heinz all day, pounding in his chest at the smallest touch or glance.

’Stupid. This isn’t the time to be thinking about that!’

"I’ll be keeping them busy," Heinz said softly, finally pushing past whatever hesitation had held him back. "And... if anything goes wrong..."

His eyes locked onto Florian’s, the intensity making Florian’s stomach flip.

"Shout," Heinz said, his voice low but firm. "As loud as you can. I’ll come."

Florian blinked.

’He’ll come for me...’

He hated how those words sent a rush of warmth through him. His brain was screaming at him to focus, but his damn heart refused to listen. ’What the fuck is this world doing to my brain. Get yourself together!’

"Understood." Florian nodded, his voice barely above a whisper. He swallowed, trying to steady himself.

"Are you ready?" Heinz asked, his expression softening just a fraction, but it did nothing to calm the storm in Florian’s chest.

Florian took a slow, deep breath, willing the tension out of his shoulders. He had to do this. Whatever was inside that storage unit... it held the answers they needed.

Another breath.

’You can do this.’

"Yes," he whispered, his voice steadier this time. His eyes met Heinz’s, determination replacing the hesitation.

Heinz gave a small nod, his lips curling into the faintest smirk.

"Good," he murmured, and just for a moment, his fingers brushed against Florian’s hand before he pulled away.

’Focus, Aden. Don’t screw this up.’

"Be smart," Heinz added quietly, stepping back toward the group, his voice just low enough for Florian to hear. "I won’t be able to watch over you this time."

"I’ll be fine," Florian murmured, though his heart was still pounding harder than it should.

’One task. Get to the storage unit. Find out what’s wrong.’

As Heinz raised his hand and prepared to channel his magic, Florian shifted his stance, ready to slip away the moment the chaos reached its peak.

’Here we go.’

This was it.

Only in a novel is where a person would go from just wanting to help the sister of the one who saved him, to finding out the secrets of a village.

Florian thought this was the biggest proof he needed to know he was in a fictional world come to life.

Heinz moved into position, his steps deliberate, his expression unreadable as he approached the center of the gathered villagers. The fire crackled louder, flames licking higher into the night sky, but all eyes were on him now.

With a practiced motion, Heinz reached into the small satchel strapped to his side and pulled out a handful of shimmering stones. The light from the fire glinted off them, making the mana stones glow with an ethereal brilliance.

Gasps echoed from the villagers. Murmurs of awe rippled through the crowd.

’Of course, they’re amazed...’ Florian’s eyes narrowed as he studied the stones. ’High-quality mana stones.’

Each stone was perfectly cut, flawless in shape and density. Florian didn’t even need to inspect them closely to know. He’d read enough in royal archives to recognize the gleam of premium-grade stones—ones that held magic far longer than lower-quality ones.

’Mana stones... they’re used to draw out the magic stored in an arcanior’s body. A conduit, a tool to channel power into the physical world.’

But they weren’t limitless. Mana stones could be drained, losing their glow once the magic was exhausted. And they weren’t cheap. Even a low-grade stone could fetch a decent price.

’And he’s giving them out like candy...’

Florian’s jaw tightened. Only nobles—or kings—had the luxury of carrying around this many, and yet Heinz was showing them off to a group of villagers like it was nothing.

’He’s putting on a show.’

Florian knew it wasn’t just for effect. Heinz was calculating—he wasn’t the type to flaunt wealth without a reason. This was to gain trust. To awe them. To make them listen without question.

As Heinz began distributing the stones, placing one in each man’s hand, he spoke loud enough for all to hear.

"With these, I’ll channel enough magic to draw water from the ground." His voice was calm, steady, full of authority. "You’ll use that water to fight the fire. Do not waste it."

The villagers nodded eagerly, reverence gleaming in their hollow eyes. Some even whispered blessings under their breath, as though they were witnessing a miracle.

Florian watched silently, his expression neutral, but he felt the weight of Heinz’s gaze flick toward him.

Just for a moment.

Florian’s eyes met Heinz’s.

’Now.’

A subtle nod passed between them. Florian’s heart hammered against his ribs, but he forced himself to stay calm.

Heinz continued speaking, explaining how to handle the mana stones with care, but Florian’s focus had already shifted. His eyes scanned the crowd, searching for any signs of wandering attention.

’Come on... stay distracted...’

The villagers, however, were entirely fixated on Heinz and the glittering stones. Even Kane, who usually kept his gaze locked on Heinz with suspicion, was watching intently.

’Perfect.’

Florian took a step back.

Slow. Steady.

His boot barely made a sound as it touched the ground. He moved again. Another step.

No one noticed.

’Good.’

Florian didn’t dare turn his head. He kept his gaze trained forward, making sure he stayed in the periphery of their vision. As long as he didn’t draw attention to himself, he could slip away without incident.

A few more steps.

The heat of the fire grew more distant as he inched away.

’Almost there...’

He didn’t stop until he was at a comfortable distance. Only then did he allow himself to move at a more natural pace, slipping into the shadows between the houses.

Behind him, the fire roared louder, embers crackling as the flames began to spread to another nearby house.

Florian’s lips pressed into a thin line.

’I’ll have to remind Heinz to rebuild their homes... once we figure this out.’

They couldn’t leave this village in ruins. Not after all of this.

’If we’re even allowed to leave...’

That thought sent a shiver down his spine. He didn’t want to believe anything nefarious was happening here. Maybe the villagers’ hostility was born out of fear, maybe they just didn’t want outsiders interfering.

’I want to believe that’s all it is...’

But deep down, he knew better.

’Heinz suspects something.’

He could feel it in the way Heinz had been acting all day. The hesitations. The subtle glances. The way he kept holding back something. Heinz knew. Or at least, he had a damn good idea of what was going on here.

’And this... is his way of showing me.’