Please get me out of this BL novel...I'm straight!
Chapter 192: ’Travelers in Disguise’

Chapter 192: ’Travelers in Disguise’

’Hmm.’

Not long after, Azure landed close but not too close to the village. Heinz dismounted first, then turned to help Florian down. Florian hesitated for a brief moment, an uneasy feeling settling in his chest.

’Something’s off...’

He had known Heinz long enough to recognize when something wasn’t right. The way he moved, the way he spoke—it felt distant. Unfocused. But Florian kept quiet. Why should I question it? He told himself. Maybe he was just overthinking things.

"We should change our appearance now, and then we can walk ahead," Heinz said, his voice even but oddly detached.

Florian nodded and slipped on the appearance-changing glasses. His curly purple hair shifted into an inky black, his vibrant green eyes darkening into an ordinary shade. The transformation was quick, seamless, but Florian barely paid it any mind.

’He’s acting very distant all of a sudden.’

His gaze flickered toward Heinz, who was also donning his disguise. As the glasses settled on his face, Heinz’s long black hair shortened, lightening into a deep brown. His striking crimson eyes—an unmistakable sign of royal blood—melted into an icy blue.

Heinz turned to Azure, who was resting on the ground, wings folded in. Florian kept his distance, still wary despite the dragon’s composed demeanor. Even though Azure had been nothing but obedient, dragons were unpredictable. Their moods could shift in an instant.

"Go back inside the crystal," Heinz commanded, raising the crystal necklace in his hand.

However—

’Eh?’

Florian’s eyes widened as Azure made no move to obey. Instead, the dragon turned his head away from Heinz, his large body rising from the ground. His gaze shifted toward Florian, and to his surprise, Azure began moving toward him.

"Azure?" Heinz asked, clearly taken aback.

"Uhm..." Florian instinctively took a few steps back as Azure approached. His heart pounded as he looked toward Heinz for guidance. "Your Majesty... what do I do?"

Heinz didn’t look at him immediately but spoke in a measured tone. "This is strange. He does not want to go back into the crystal."

Azure came to a stop in front of Florian, lowering his massive head like a cat seeking affection. Florian gasped softly, staggering slightly from the sheer size of the creature pressing against him.

’He’s... acting cute?’

Florian cautiously placed a hand on Azure’s scaly forehead. The dragon let out a low, pleased rumble, eyes half-lidded in contentment.

"Does he have to agree to go back inside the crystal?" Florian asked, glancing at Heinz.

"Yes. It has to be mutual."

"Is there a reason he doesn’t want to go back?" Florian questioned, gently stroking the dragon’s head. Azure let out a delighted purr-like sound, further pressing into his touch.

"...I don’t know," Heinz admitted, his brows furrowed.

"Hmm." Florian tilted his head slightly. "What should we do? We can’t leave him here, but we can’t bring him either. He’s way too big."

At those words, Azure suddenly straightened up, looking at Florian with a determined expression. Then, his entire body began to glow.

"Uh... Your Majesty, what is he—"

"Azure, what are you doing?" Heinz demanded, but the dragon only let out a short huff. The glow surrounding Azure intensified, his form rapidly shrinking before their very eyes.

And then—

"Kwa."

A small sound came from the ground. Florian blinked. Where a massive dragon once stood, now sat a tiny blue lizard, its big eyes staring up at him expectantly.

"Oh... wow," Florian breathed, stepping closer. Azure let out another soft coo before scurrying up to him.

Heinz, equally surprised, crouched down, extending a hand toward the now pint-sized dragon. "Come on."

But Azure ignored him. Instead, he turned back to Florian.

"Do... you want me to carry you?" Florian asked hesitantly.

Azure nodded eagerly, chirping in excitement.

Florian hesitated, glancing at Heinz, as if silently asking for permission to hold his dragon—or rather, his lizard. Heinz’s expression darkened slightly, but after a moment of silence, he gave a reluctant nod.

"Why is he being so difficult?" Heinz muttered under his breath, brows knit together.

Florian gave him a sympathetic smile before crouching down, extending his hand. Azure wasted no time climbing onto his palm, snuggling into his warmth.

"Perhaps he’s just excited to be outside more, Your Majesty?" Florian suggested, watching as Azure sighed happily against his hand.

’He’s kind of like a pet.’

"He’s quite adorable," Florian added, tilting his head.

"Adorable?" Heinz repeated, his cold demeanor momentarily cracking into amusement.

’Now he’s back to normal.’

Florian met his gaze, smiling. "Is he not?"

Heinz scoffed lightly. "He has caused the destruction of kingdoms and has blood on his claws."

"But..." Florian lifted his hand slightly, showing the tiny, content Azure curled up. "He’s just a little baby."

He knew what he said was ridiculous. But Heinz had been in a bad mood out of nowhere, and Florian was grateful that Heinz had brought him to see Levi’s sister. If he could lighten the mood, then he might as well try.

"Pfft." Heinz turned his head away, as if suppressing laughter. "You are quite strange."

"So you’ve mentioned, Your Majesty."

Heinz shot him a glance, his gaze lingering—something unreadable in his expression. It was both tense and soft at the same time. He cleared his throat, looking away. "Well, if you do not mind keeping Azure for a bit, that’s fine. Let’s start walking. There’s still quite some distance to the village."

Florian nodded and lifted Azure to his shoulder. "Are you okay with staying there?"

Azure nodded again, looking entirely too pleased.

Florian couldn’t help but be impressed. Azure’s intelligence was remarkable, but then again, this was a world filled with magic and mystical beings. ’This really shouldn’t surprise me.’

"Then, shall we go?" Florian asked, but when he turned, he noticed Heinz wasn’t moving.

He was staring. At him. At Azure. His expression unreadable again.

"Your Majesty?" Florian called.

Heinz flinched ever so slightly, as if snapping out of a trance. He quickly looked away and nodded. "Yes. Let’s go."

’He’s acting strange... but whatever. I need to focus on helping Levi’s sister—and maybe even the village too.’

Florian couldn’t help but wonder just how bad the village really was. Lucius had warned him to be careful, but surely it couldn’t be that terrible... right?

✧༺ ⏱︎ ༻✧

"What the..."

Florian’s breath hitched as he stumbled to a halt. The entrance to the village loomed before him, but it was more than just an entrance—it was a gateway to something rotten, something forsaken. The air was thick with decay, a putrid stench so foul it clawed at his throat, forcing him to press a sleeve to his nose. His stomach churned, and a cold shiver raced down his spine.

’...fuck.’

He had expected hardship—dry fields, struggling farmers, perhaps empty storehouses—but this? Forgotten Waters was supposed to be suffering from drought, not death.

Yet, before him stretched a husk of a village, houses slumped like corpses left to rot, windows hollow and dark, as if the very soul of the place had withered away. The ground beneath his boots was cracked, brittle, and unsettlingly quiet.

It was not just a lack of life. It was as if the land itself had given up.

Something was rotting. And it wasn’t just the crops.

Florian swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. "Your Majesty..." He turned to Heinz, his expression twisted in disbelief. "How did it get like this?"

But Heinz looked just as shaken. His now blue eyes flickered over the ruined village, his lips parted as if he wanted to speak—but no words came. The realization set in, heavy and damning. Heinz had neglected this place.

Three years on the throne, three years spent indulging in pleasure and power.

The weight of it bore down on Florian.

How had could Heinz have let it get this bad?

How were there even people still alive here?