Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]
Chapter 199: Strings of Control

Chapter 199: Strings of Control

Rocco was way too small to take him on.

What was he supposed to do now?

Flailing his legs like an annoyed cat, he struggled to come up with a plan.

But his mind was blank.

"Oi. Only get rid of the escort. Leave the small one."

Still frozen in despair, Rocco suddenly heard the refined man’s voice from behind him.

For a moment, he completely forgot his current situation and just... stared, slightly horrified.

Seriously?

Couldn’t the guy do it himself instead of barking orders at his subordinates while lounging around?

And what did he mean "small one"?!

That’s so rude.

Rocco wasn’t sure if this refined guy was secretly ripped too, but he was definitely stronger than Rocco.

He could easily pull him off Mahmoud by himself if he wanted.

The hooded man gave a quick bow and said, "Understood. My apologies," before glancing down at Rocco with an awkward expression.

Ugh.

Now Rocco was the one feeling guilty.

"...F-Fine, fine. Sorry, okay... I’ll go back..."

Muttering an apology, he slowly let go of Mahmoud and sheepishly bowed to the hooded man before retreating to his seat.

As soon as Rocco slumped back onto the sofa, the refined gentleman across from him blinked his eyes in momentary surprise.

Then, after a brief pause, he let out a quiet chuckle.

His shoulders shaking slightly as he looked down.

What was so funny?

"Oi, you idiot brat! That was your chance to run! What the hell are you doing coming back all casual?!"

"Hmm? Was that what I was supposed to do? If you wanted me to run, you should’ve said so clearly."

"The hell kinda moron says that out loud?!"

Rocco was terrible at reading between the lines.

A certified can’t-read-the-situation type.

If people didn’t spell things out for him, he had no way of figuring them out.

At Mahmoud’s furious outburst, Rocco deflated, his brows drooping in a sulky pout.

Ugh... So unfair...

But what was done was done.

There’s no point dwelling on it now.

He sighed in resignation and motioned for Mahmoud to go.

The more they resisted, the worse this could get.

If Mahmoud got taken hostage like Ragar, things would only spiral further out of control.

Now that they had already been exposed, the best option was to play along for the time being.

"Mamoth, it’s too dangerous for you. Just wait outside. We’re busted, so I don’t think there’s any way around this."

"Why the hell are you so calm about this?! Do you not get that we’re in serious trouble right now?!"

Mahmoud was still yelling and struggling as the hooded man efficiently dragged him away.

And... it wasn’t working.

At all.

Even Mahmoud—a walking wall of muscle—couldn’t break free.

Meaning this hooded guy wasn’t just tough-looking; he was the real deal.

Was he secretly as shredded as Mahmoud under that robe?

Yikes.

"Finally, some peace and quiet. Now then, shall we get to the main discussion?"

Rocco fidgeted, watching anxiously as Mahmoud was dragged off.

Did he make it outside safely...?

Just as he was starting to worry, the gentleman’s voice snapped him back to the present.

Oh.

Right.

He was alone with this unsettlingly refined man now.

Wait.

He was alone with this unsettlingly refined man now.

For the first time, it fully hit him.

Mahmoud was gone.

If this guy suddenly decided to attack him, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

A single move and—bam!—he’d be dead before he even realized what was happening.

Holy crap.

That’s terrifying.

"Haha, no need to be so tense. As long as you listen quietly, I won’t do anything unpleasant."

As Rocco sat there trembling, eyes glossy with unshed tears, the man chuckled lightly and reassured him.

Something about that "as long as you listen quietly" part was deeply unsettling.

But for now, he had no choice but to comply.

I’m here to rescue Ragar.

No time to be scared.

Even so... shouldn’t he at least confirm Ragar’s safety before getting roped into whatever this conversation was?

"What... do you want to talk about? Um, before that, could I see Ragar—"

"Hm?"

"Ah—n-never mind! I’ll listen! I’ll listen very carefully!"

Nope.

Bad idea.

The moment Rocco even hinted at making a request, he felt the unspoken pressure of the man’s polite-yet-undeniably-intimidating smile.

Immediately, he folded, nervously rubbing his hands together.

N-nope, not disobeying! Not at all!

As Rocco forced a strained smile, cold sweat pouring down his back like a waterfall, the older man’s expression subtly shifted.

His smile thinned as he murmured,

"...Yes, you’re right. It wouldn’t be fair. To ensure this discussion proceeds smoothly, it’s best to make my advantage perfectly clear first."

A bad feeling crept in.

Make his advantage clear?

That could only mean one thing—he intended to prove that Rocco had no power here, that resistance was futile.

Rocco’s heartbeat pounded louder, an uncomfortable rhythm of growing dread.

He barely breathed as he braced for whatever was coming.

Then, the door opened.

And standing there was—

"Ragar!"

The moment he caught sight of those familiar beast-like ears, Rocco shot to his feet.

Relief surged through him, and he instinctively moved to run forward—

But something felt off.

He stopped in his tracks.

"...Ragar? What’s wrong...? You seem..."

Different.

Something was wrong.

Rocco’s breath hitched as he took a closer look.

It was Ragar.

But at the same time—it wasn’t Ragar.

His eyes were dull, clouded over with a murky darkness.

His face was completely devoid of expression.

And his gaze—when it landed on Rocco, there was none of the warmth it always carried.

No recognition.

No emotion.

As if he were looking at a stranger.

As if he were...

A lifeless doll.

Confusion and fear twisted in Rocco’s chest as he whipped around to face the older man.

The man smiled gently and gave a slight flick of his index finger.

As if responding to that simple motion, Ragar—who hadn’t so much as twitched when Rocco called out to him—suddenly began to move.