[BL] Alpha, You've Got the Wrong Mate!

Chapter 315 — Should We Enter?

Standing before the village chief’s mansion, everyone exchanged uneasy glances.

Some were visibly shocked, others tightened their grip on the hilts of their swords, while a few began chanting spells, faint light gathering around them.

"Should we enter?" Helain stepped forward, the crowd parting to make space for her.

Zayden glanced at her, then turned back to the looming mansion.

"Not sure..." he murmured.

"If the monster led us here, then this place is already compromised," one of the knights whispered.

"Or the traces were planted," another argued. "Luring us in could be a trap."

The mages hesitated, the light around their hands flickering.

"If the chief is involved," one of them muttered, "then the entire village could be at risk."

Helain folded her arms, eyes fixed on the darkened mansion.

"And if he isn’t?" she countered. "Then we’re about to accuse the man who called us for help. Entering without being sure could turn the villagers against us."

Silence followed. The night seemed to stretch longer. The sun had set long ago—it had been three hours now. However, nights during winter were the longest, and the darkest.

Zayden took a slow step forward.

"The monster doesn’t hide its trails without reason," he said calmly. "Whether the chief is guilty or not, the truth is inside."

He reached for the door’s handle.

"If we wait, we give it time to move—or strike again." His gaze swept over his men. "Stay alert. No sudden moves. Mages, shields up."

No one objected.

With a firm push, the doors creaked open.

Darkness spilled out from within the mansion, as if the building itself was a cave which hadn’t seen light for days.

Zayden crossed the threshold first. The others followed, weapons drawn, mages humming low spells in the air—fully aware that once they stepped inside, there would be no turning back.

A few minutes later, the door closed on its own behind them.

***

Not long after, the other two groups of knights arrived at the same location. They failed to notice that the General and his companions had already entered the mansion.

"What are you doing here... Liam?" Aaron raised an eyebrow, eyeing the man standing before him.

"Perhaps the same thing you are," Liam replied, his voice low and cold.

Aaron sneered.

"So this is where that damned monster is lurking."

It wasn’t a question—it was a statement. Even so, the surrounding knights nodded, tightening their grips around their weapons as unease crept into their chests.

"Let’s search the area first," Liam ordered.

"Why not go inside?" Aaron frowned.

Liam shook his head, voice sharp.

"That’s exactly why I say you don’t have the brains it takes to be a General."

Aaron opened his mouth, then snapped it shut, fuming in silence. Now was not the time for this.

"Everyone—start the search!" he barked, turning to his knights.

But they were already gone, moving at Liam’s signal, not his—fueling Aaron’s fury even further.

"Liam..." Aaron growled, glaring at the man.

But Liam didn’t hear him—or perhaps he simply didn’t care. His focus remained on leading the soldiers, searching the courtyard and gardens for any trace of the monster lurking in the area.

"For a mere village chief, he sure has a vast mansion," Liam muttered under his breath.

The knight beside him caught the comment and nodded in agreement.

"Do you think he could be the monster?" one of the knights whispered.

Another shook his head.

"Of course not. He looks too frail... too weak for it."

They laughed nervously.

Just then, a sudden, piercing cry echoed through the courtyard.

Everyone stiffened, gripping their already-unsheathed blades, eyes darting around their surroundings.

"Where is Aaron?" Liam demanded.

"Here," a voice replied from behind.

"I thought it attacked you."

"And why would it?" Liam chuckled lightly.

"Oh... maybe you thought you knew better and went off alone. After all, it attacks anyone who’s out on the streets at night—"

He paused, frowning.

"But why did the traces lead us here, of all places? The monster can’t possibly hide among people."

Aaron stayed silent, listening. He couldn’t argue—Liam was right almost ninety-nine percent of the time. That was why the General usually overlooked the superiority complex Liam displayed so often.

"But what if that’s precisely why it would be inside?" Aaron muttered.

Liam’s eyes shot up, a bright gleam on his face.

"Of course!"

Aaron narrowed his eyes, confused. The other knights’ gazes flickered between the two men, trying to follow the conversation.

"What?"

"It wants us to think it stays in some deserted place, so we won’t suspect its real lair. And the mansion? Perfect! Full of servants. Easier to sneak in unnoticed," Liam explained.

Everyone nodded along. It made much more sense now.

"Looks like you aren’t so stupid after all," Liam added, leaning closer to Aaron’s ear and whispering.

Aaron stepped back, rubbing his ear aggressively.

"Ugh... stay away," he groaned.

Liam turned to the knights, instructing them to enter the mansion so they could track the monster and put an end to it.

"But what was that sound?" one of them asked, his hands trembling.

"It sounded like a person’s..." another began, but his words trailed off, swallowed by the eerie quiet that followed.

Liam frowned, scanning the darkened courtyard.

The faint moonlight barely illuminated the edges of the mansion, casting long shadows along the paved path.

"Stay alert," Liam ordered, his voice low but sharp. "Whatever made that sound is still here. It could be a trap—or worse."

The knights exchanged nervous glances, tightening their grips on their weapons. Even the mages’ glowing hands seemed hesitant, their chants faltering as the tension pressed down on them.

Slowly, Liam pushed the door open, the creak echoing through the silent mansion like a warning. One by one, the knights followed, stepping over the threshold, their footsteps cautious and deliberate.

"Keep close. Don’t make a sound unless necessary. It could hear it and attack us," Liam whispered, leading them deeper into the mansion.

A sudden shuffle from above made everyone freeze. Hearts pounded, and swords rose instinctively.

Liam’s eyes narrowed.

"It’s here," he murmured. "The monster... or whatever it is."

Just then, the roof cracked, and bricks crashed to the floor. The knights barely managed to escape in time.

Snow fell like dust, scattering across the floor and melting almost immediately in the warmth of the mansion.

"What... the hell?!" Aaron gasped, eyes wide with shock.