Chapter 245: Billiard?

Asher immediately rushed forward, managing to catch Blake before he could hit the ground too hard.

"Miss, are you alright?!"

Blake placed a hand over his chest, feeling his heart hammering against his ribs. For a moment, he simply sat there, trying to calm himself down.

Then he abruptly removed his hand.

’...What the hell am I doing, touching this chest?’

His eyebrow twitched.

He’d gotten far too startled. It was ridiculous. He’d faced all sorts of dangerous situations before, and yet the sight of that thing had been enough to make him fall right out of his chair.

’Ah, what the hell is that thing doing here now?!’

Then again, it wasn’t as though this was the first time he’d seen it. He’d encountered that same creature back at the hotel.

And now it was here, too.

Blake’s expression darkened momentarily before he forced himself to relax. He couldn’t afford to look too suspicious, especially with Asher standing right in front of him.

He straightened up, carefully smoothing the fabric of his red dress and adjusting the skirt.

"Yes, I apologize. I didn’t mean to surprise you."

Asher looked at him with concern.

"Are you sure you’re alright?"

"Yes, yes. I’m fine."

Asher helped him regain his balance before picking up the fallen chair and setting it upright again.

Blake sat down for a brief moment, more to collect his thoughts than anything else.

"What is it that frightened you so much, Miss?"

He turned toward the railing, taking a few steps closer to peer into the darkness below.

Blake’s eyes widened slightly.

’Wait.’

For a moment, he felt a surge of panic.

’Should I stop him?’

What if that thing was still there? What if it suddenly appeared right beneath the balcony?

He gripped the armrest of his chair. Then, he paused.

’...Actually, why am I panicking?’

He didn’t need to hide what he’d seen. If anything, pretending to be frightened was probably the most natural reaction he could have had.

Besides, he genuinely wanted to know whether the creature was still lurking around.

Blake immediately got up and hurried after Asher.

"Ah, wait!"

He approached the railing, carefully keeping a little distance from the edge. His eyes darted toward the bushes below, searching for any sign of movement.

But there was nothing around.

Not even a rustle.

The shadows remained perfectly still beneath the garden lamps.

Blake narrowed his eyes.

’Where did it go?’

He leaned forward a little, pretending to search more thoroughly.

"I saw something weird, lurking in the shadows, among the bushes..." he explained, bringing a hand toward his mouth. "It was so big, it almost didn’t seem human!"

He widened his eyes for emphasis, making sure his voice carried just enough surprise and uncertainty.

Asher immediately turned toward him.

"W-what did you say? Are you sure that’s what you saw?"

That was an interesting response.

Blake tilted his head slightly.

He could have pressed the matter.

However, he decided against it. Instead, he looked away, lowering his gaze with an almost embarrassed expression.

"No, sorry. Maybe it was my imagination, playing some tricks on me..."

Asher didn’t answer immediately, his eyes remaining fixed on the darkness beyond the railing.

Blake watched him from the corner of his eye.

’Now, what exactly are you thinking about?’

Before he could find an excuse to ask, another voice interrupted them.

"There you are, Asher."

Both of them turned around.

Sylvan stood at the entrance to the balcony, looking between the two of them. His expression was as composed as ever, although his gaze lingered on Asher for a moment longer than it did on Blake.

"I see you’re with the Miss."

He stepped forward, glancing briefly toward the open balcony doors.

"Come inside. It’s too cold out here."

Asher remained silent.

He noticed that he seemed to want to say something. His lips parted slightly, and his gaze shifted between Sylvan and the garden.

But in the end, he said nothing.

’...What’s that about?’

Blake felt a small knot form in his stomach.

Had Asher recognized something? Or had his reaction simply been caused by the possibility of an actual intruder?

’I hope it’s not his heroic self here!’

Either way, this wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have in front of Sylvan, so he quickly stepped closer and took Asher’s arm.

"Shall we go in?" he suggested with a gentle smile. "I fear I ruined the mood for no reason."

Asher looked down.

For a second, his expression seemed strangely uneasy. Then he nodded.

"Ah... yes."

He guided him toward the entrance, trying to maintain a perfectly casual demeanor.

Sylvan stepped aside to let them pass. Blake offered him a polite smile as he walked by.

"Thank you for your concern, sir."

"Of course."

***

By the time Blake returned to his hotel room, the pleasant atmosphere of the evening had long since disappeared from his mind.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, still wearing his red dress, and stared blankly at the carpet.

His feet hurt.

His back was beginning to ache.

And, to top it all off, he had just discovered that the strange creature he’d encountered at the hotel was apparently roaming around the venue as well.

Just absolutely insane.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

’Now, let’s think about this.’

He’d seen that thing on two separate occasions.

The first time had been at the hotel, while the second time had been at the event.

Blake rubbed his forehead.

’What is it doing here?’

He tried to recall everything he knew about the underground structure connected to the area.

If his memory served him correctly, the network extended toward a beach resort not too far from the venue.

That alone was concerning.

The creature definitely moved between locations through the underground passages. Considering that was basically the answer, its presence at the event might not have been accidental.

’But what exactly was it doing?’

Blake leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

’Is it really here to kidnap someone?’

The possibility made his stomach tighten.

The underground system exists to hide the most horrible crimes from the rest of the world. But aside from that, it’s also an easy way to kidnap people. And if the creature was involved in that operation...

He closed his eyes briefly.

’Would they really be so bold?’

Then again, he couldn’t think illogically. It wasn’t as though the event was filled exclusively with influential people who could afford to protect themselves.

That was an assumption he couldn’t make.

There were people like Sage Larue, for example.

Someone whose family was already in decline, leaving her with little choice but to attend gatherings like this and maintain whatever connections she could, and find a marriage partner.

People in such positions were vulnerable in ways that the wealthier guests might not be.

And they weren’t the only ones.

There were countless individuals whose circumstances made them easy targets. People who lacked influence, financial security, or the connections necessary to defend themselves.

’Although, they are most definitely targeting the workers.’

Blake knew perfectly well that the people behind the underground operations weren’t particularly selective when it came to their victims.

They targeted all sorts of vulnerable people.

Still, the idea of attempting something like that at an event of this scale seemed absurdly reckless.

’There are so many people here. Staff, security, guests... still, to work there, you’d also need a hell of a curriculum. In this economy, it is difficult to get accepted at luxurious events without any experience.’

He tapped his fingers against his knee.

And yet, that this is connected to the government and AL-TECH, maybe they don’t have to worry about the usual consequences because the mayor of Drindia knew?

His expression grew increasingly grim.

’This isn’t even easy to determine. The massive kidnapping system being run behind the scenes is so complex. It does need people outside of it to know, too... but just how many?’

How many had deliberately turned a blind eye? And how many were simply unaware of what was happening right beneath their feet?

Blake couldn’t even begin to imagine the sheer number.

It was far too cruel.

He lowered his gaze toward his hands.

He let out a long, exhausted sigh.

’I really should have stayed in bed. Not like I had a choice, but still...’

A knock interrupted his thoughts.

Blake immediately looked toward the door.

His expression changed, as he sat upright.

Another knock followed.

’...Who is it now?’

He glanced toward the door, then down at himself. Right, he was still wearing the dress.

He quickly got to his feet, straightening the fabric before moving toward the entrance.

But just before opening it, he stopped.

There was no reason to be careless.

He raised his hand slightly and silently mouthed the words.

"Strength and defence buff."

A faint sense of reassurance settled over him.

Now, at least, he had some protection if the visitor turned out to be trouble.

He approached the door and opened it.

A woman stood on the other side.

She wore a neat hotel uniform and carried herself with the practiced politeness of someone accustomed to dealing with guests. Her expression was pleasant, and she offered him a small, professional smile.

"Are you satisfied with our services so far, miss?"

Blake didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked her up and down.

Her posture.

Her expression.

Her uniform.

Everything appeared perfectly ordinary.

And that was precisely what bothered him.

’Why would she ask me this late... is this a real person?’

He narrowed his eyes almost imperceptibly.

The creature he’d encountered earlier had been capable of changing its shape.

If it could imitate a human appearance, then how was he supposed to distinguish an actual person from an imitation?

He studied the woman’s face for another moment.

Nothing seemed particularly unusual. But then again, that didn’t mean much.

He maintained his polite expression, carefully concealing his suspicion.

The woman continued speaking, apparently unaware of his scrutiny.

"There is a beautiful billiard board. Would you like to take a look?"