Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!-Chapter 240: ’No Longer Exists’

"Heinz, Lancelot... report."

Heinz’s voice carried the weight of authority, crisp and unyielding, the moment he settled into his seat.

Lucius moved first, closing the door behind them with a quiet click. The room felt smaller in an instant, the air heavier. Florian watched as both men stepped forward, their postures straight, rigid, standing in front of Heinz’s desk like soldiers awaiting judgment.

Florian’s gaze flickered downward—Cashew was still at his side, watching just as intently.

The boy didn’t fidget, didn’t waver.

He was waiting.

Florian hesitated. ’Should he even be here for this?’

But Heinz allowed it. And if Heinz allowed it, there was little room to question.

Lancelot was the first to speak. His voice was firm, steady, carrying the practiced certainty of a knight giving his report.

"Your Majesty, according to my men, there are no suspicious individuals among the palace staff. I had them question every knight stationed throughout the palace—none reported seeing anything unusual, nor did they notice any unfamiliar presence among them." He paused briefly, then added, "Rogue activities in the surrounding villages remain the same. No disturbances. Nothing unusual."

’Nothing unusual, huh?’

Florian resisted the urge to scoff.

’Wish I could say the same.’

Heinz gave a slow nod, unreadable, before turning his attention to Lucius with a simple gesture.

Lucius cleared his throat. "I have conducted my own inspections," he said, his tone even, unwavering. "I checked the staff. I checked the surrounding areas. I checked everyone..." A short pause. Then, "No suspicious activity."

Florian’s brow twitched.

’Hm?’

Something was off.

Lucius never fumbled. Never hesitated. And yet—something about the way he spoke, the way his words felt... offhanded, incomplete.

’He’s not telling the whole truth.’

It was just a feeling. A whisper of instinct.

But Lucius wasn’t the type to lie—not to Heinz.

Heinz leaned forward slightly, his fingers pressing together as he exhaled through his nose. His golden eyes sharpened, displeasure flickering beneath the surface.

"No suspicious activity at all?" His voice dropped lower, slow, deliberate. "So the stranger simply walked in. Managed to drug Florian. Managed to kill one of our staff. And left without a single trace?"

Silence.

Tense. Suffocating.

The weight of the unsaid lingered in the air, thick and heavy.

Lucius and Lancelot shifted uncomfortably, a barely perceptible movement, but telling nonetheless. They did not speak immediately. Their silence stretched, thickening the air, coiling like an unspoken truth too dangerous to acknowledge.

Heinz exhaled sharply through his nose before running a hand through his long, black hair. His jaw tightened, frustration evident in the hard line of his mouth.

"Be more precise," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "Look harder. We cannot afford to let a single person get past us again."

The weight of his words pressed down on the room.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lucius and Lancelot said in unison, their heads bowing slightly.

But Heinz wasn’t finished.

His red eyes flickered toward Florian.

Florian stiffened before he could stop himself, his body instinctively recoiling, even if just slightly.

Cashew noticed immediately.

"Are you okay?" the boy whispered, his voice quiet but heavy with concern.

Florian forced a small, reassuring smile. "Yeah. I’m fine."

Cashew didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push.

Heinz, however, had already moved on. He leaned forward slightly, forearms resting against his desk, his piercing gaze locking onto Florian.

"Give your report," Heinz ordered. "Tell them what we found in the village."

Lucius’s brows furrowed, his sharp yellow eyes narrowing. "Something particular happened?"

Lancelot, too, turned, his usually careless expression tightening with focus.

Florian blinked.

’How do I even start?’

A lot happened. Too much. More than he wanted to think about.

But he supposed he should start with the most obvious part.

He inhaled deeply, steadying himself before speaking.

"The Village of Forgotten Waters..." His voice came out quieter than expected, but still firm. "No longer exists."

A stunned silence followed.

Lucius and Lancelot turned fully to face him now, their expressions shifting—surprise, disbelief, something unreadable flickering in their gazes.

Cashew, standing quietly beside him, looked up with an expression Florian couldn’t quite place.

Florian sighed before continuing.

"They were using magic," he explained, voice steady but lacking warmth. "But not their own. They had been stealing mana stones—rogues were supplying them. And..." He hesitated, his throat tightening, bile threatening to rise. "They had resorted to cannibalism."

The word alone was enough to taint the air with something vile, suffocating.

Lucius’s expression darkened, his fingers twitching as if resisting the urge to react further. Lancelot’s eyes widened, his easygoing demeanor stripped away in an instant.

The silence that followed was heavier than before.

Florian glanced at Heinz.

’Should I say it?’

There was an understanding in Heinz’s eyes, a quiet command.

Florian inhaled deeply.

"The villagers almost took me," he admitted, voice quieter now. "Apparently... I was the target again."

The room froze.

Lucius went completely still. His mouth parted slightly as if to speak, but no words came.

Lancelot’s brows furrowed, his orange eyes darkening with something uncharacteristically serious.

Cashew’s grip on Florian’s sleeve tightened.

Lucius was the first to break the silence.

"What?" His voice was sharper than usual, disbelief seeping into his usually controlled tone. "You were the target? Again, Your Highness?"

His fingers clenched slightly at his sides, a rare crack in his composure.

Lancelot’s reaction was no better. He exhaled through his nose, expression darkening. "What do you mean they almost took you?" His voice was steady, but there was an unmistakable edge to it—something dangerously close to concern. "Are you hurt?"

Florian exhaled. "I was hit in the head, but His Majesty helped. Also... they knew I was going to visit eventually. Arthur set me up—he told me about Levi’s sister, knowing it would make me go there."

Cashew, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. His fingers trembled slightly as they gripped Florian’s sleeve even tighter.

"I knew it." His voice was small but firm, his purple eyes dark and serious. "Why? Why do they keep going after you?"

Florian swallowed.

That was the question, wasn’t it? Heinz and Florian somehow knew why, but it was still confusing.

"I... don’t know," he lied, rubbing the back of his neck. "But that’s what we need to figure out."

He glanced at Heinz before continuing. "This wasn’t some random attack. They were prepared. They had a plan."

His throat felt dry as he added, "If His Majesty hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be standing here right now."

Lucius’s jaw tightened. He looked like he wanted to say something but held himself back.

Lancelot let out a slow breath, his hands curling into fists before forcing himself to relax.

Cashew, however, was still staring at Florian, his eyes searching, unreadable. Then, without a word, he stepped even closer, pressing himself against Florian’s side as if grounding himself.

Florian sighed, ruffling Cashew’s hair in an attempt to reassure him.

"Look, I’m fine," he said, offering a small, forced smile. "We just need to figure out who’s behind this before they try again."

He turned to look at them all.

"We’ve already thought of some ideas. A plan to lessen the risk of this happening again."

Lancelot’s gaze sharpened.

Lucius finally spoke, his voice measured. "What do you mean, Your Highness?"