Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]
Chapter 200: A Dangerous Proposal

Chapter 200: A Dangerous Proposal

He stepped forward in silence.

But instead of coming to Rocco, he stopped beside the older man and knelt at his feet.

"Ragar...? Why...? What did you do to Ragar...? You... what did you do to him?"

Rocco’s hands began to tremble.

Not from fear.

No, this wasn’t fear.

This was rage.

This wasn’t just adrenaline or nervous shaking.

This wasn’t something he could brush off as bravado.

There was fear, sure—but the overwhelming emotion gripping him was pure, seething fury.

Someone had harmed his family.

And that fact alone sent white-hot anger coursing through him.

Yet the man before him showed no reaction to Rocco’s rising hostility.

He remained composed, his smile unwavering as he spoke, his tone as smooth as ever.

"His consciousness is under my control. If I were to command him to kill you right now... would you understand what that means?"

Rocco sucked in a sharp breath.

He did understand.

Immediately.

This man—his enemy—knew exactly how to make a threat count.

It was obvious that this wasn’t the first time he’d done something like this.

But it wasn’t fear that consumed Rocco now.

Not in the slightest.

No, this wasn’t about fear.

This was about rage—and the crushing weight of knowing that resisting was no longer an option.

Because this wasn’t just about his own life.

It wasn’t even about the threat of being killed by Ragar.

That didn’t matter to him.

What mattered was why this man had chosen this specific method.

He knew.

He knew how much Rocco treasured Ragar.

He knew how much Ragar adored Rocco.

He knew exactly how to break Ragar beyond repair—and how to use that to destroy Rocco in turn.

If Ragar killed him now... once he regained control of himself, it would shatter him.

And that—Rocco could never allow it.

"..."

Grinding his teeth, he forced himself to swallow his anger and sat back down on the sofa.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the man’s smile deepen, twisting into something eerily satisfied.

But Rocco didn’t fight back.

He didn’t have a choice anymore.

There was only one option left.

The only thing he could do now—was to obey him.

"Is it true that you are engaged to the heir of the Del Fiore family?"

The man asked as he swirled his glass.

Ragar standing silently behind him.

His eyes looked vacant.

If Rocco remembered correctly, his name was Arestiner.

Ares... Ares...

He had never come across this name in the original novel, meaning that he had no prior information on him.

That made it difficult to figure out how to act.

He didn’t look like a mere side character, so there’s a chances that he was a formidable enemy within the story’s development.

Or perhaps he was a character introduced in an unread sequel?

Keeping that possibility in mind, Rocco carefully chose his words and making sure not to betray any signs of defiance.

"Well... it’s not like we made an official promise. But Laxus... h-he did say we should get married."

Even though he knew fully well that Laxus’s intended partner was Sylas, Rocco still struggled to form the words in a way that wouldn’t set off any alarms.

Marriage.

Saying it out loud made it feel oddly real.

Laxus had been throwing around proposal-like comments for quite some time, but in reality, their relationship had yet to take any clear steps forward.

Years had passed since Laxus first proposed and the news of their two families’ alliance had spread like wildfire.

By now, their bond was so widely recognized that it was considered common knowledge.

And yet, in truth, nothing had been made official on paper.

If one side turned their back on the other, their so-called "alliance" could dissolve in an instant.

That fragile balance had remained unchanged for years.

"I see. So it’s Del Fiore’s side that’s infatuated. That works out quite well."

"...?"

Ares let out an amused laugh at Rocco’s response.

There was something unsettling about that deep, knowing smile.

Rocco froze.

Had he said something wrong?

He had intended to keep things vague and dodge the conversation altogether, but judging by Ares’ expression, things weren’t looking good.

"Rocco, was it?"

He paused before continuing, his voice smooth yet laced with something unreadable.

"Rocco, why don’t you join us as a comrade? Together, we could bring this country to its knees."

"...What?"

Rocco’s expression twisted in utter disbelief.

Was this man seriously trying to recruit a kid into his rebellion?

This went beyond poor judgment—this was just straight-up insanity.

And more importantly, wasn’t this practically a death flag?

Being invited into a rebellion was one of those nightmare scenarios where every possible choice led to doom.

If he agreed, he’d be executed for treason.

If he refused, the man before him would likely kill him on the spot.

There was no way out.

No matter how he looked at it, this was a dead-end situation.

His mind raced for a solution.

But more than himself, he had to consider Ragar.

If he gave the wrong answer, Ragar’s life would be at risk too.

Yet, joining the rebellion was out of the question.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

Damn it, idiot!

This wasn’t the time to honestly think through an answer—he needed to stall for time!

First and foremost, he had to extract as much information as possible from this man.

"Umm... so... Ares, why do you want to destroy the country? Do you... want to be king?"

Rocco asked cautiously.

For a moment, Ares’ eyes widened in surprise.

But then, he suddenly let out a chuckle.

"Becoming a king...? So that’s how you interpret it."

There was something oddly youthful about the way he laughed, so much so that Rocco blinked in surprise.

The expression was a stark contrast to the arrogant confidence he had displayed earlier.

And then it hit him.

That’s why he seemed so familiar... He reminded Rocco of someone.

"I have no interest in the throne. I simply wish to bring revolution to this twisted nation. A country that persecutes other races, placing humans—who should have been naturally weeded out—above all others. Such arrogance cannot be allowed to stand."