Chapter 175: Too Many Men… Is That Even Possible ?

Erik then emerged from the office with that infuriating nonchalance that seemed to come naturally to him.

As if he were perfectly accustomed to barging into the middle of conversations, walking into rooms without warning, and leaving again as though nothing had happened.

Judging by the complete lack of reaction from everyone else, that was indeed the case.

Blanche, on the other hand, simply stood there.

She had absolutely no idea what had just happened.

Erik crossed the room at an unhurried pace, perfectly at ease in his winter military uniform. The thick dark fabric emphasized his athletic build, while the various impeccably fitted pieces of the uniform gave him that simultaneously martial and surprisingly relaxed appearance he seemed to cultivate without even realizing it.

His short, neatly trimmed blond hair contrasted sharply with his extremely pale blue eyes.

A blue that was almost washed out.

So pale that it became striking.

His gaze briefly swept over Blanche without lingering, as though her presence were absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

Then he reached the fruit basket sitting on the table.

Without slowing down, he plunged a hand into it.

Pulled out an apple.

And bit into it.

Blanche blinked.

Once.

Twice.

She looked at Erik.

Then at the apple.

Then at the office door.

Then back at Erik.

He chewed calmly, completely indifferent to the confusion clearly swirling through the young woman's mind.

"What...?"

"Come help me carry him," Kiyan ordered.

The half-mage took another bite of his apple, perfectly relaxed, as though the chaos unfolding around him had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Then, without warning, he tossed the fruit toward Blanche.

She barely had time to raise her hands.

Purely on reflex, she caught it.

For several seconds, she stared at the apple in her palms before slowly looking up at Erik.

"Seriously?"

He gave her a simple look, the kind that very clearly meant that, as far as he was concerned, the question didn't even deserve an answer.

Blanche sighed and placed the apple on the counter.

Meanwhile, Erik had already approached Jax. He grabbed his legs with astonishing ease.

His mentor seized his arms.

"Wait..."

Blanche straightened slightly on her stool.

She didn't have time to say anything else.

The two men lifted Jax together.

And it was almost insulting how easy it was.

No apparent effort.

No swearing.

Not even a change in expression.

As if the Drakion weighed absolutely nothing.

Jax's feet left the floor, his clothes wrinkling slightly under the two men's grip, while Erik was already backing toward the couch with baffling calm.

Blanche followed the scene with her eyes, mouth slightly open.

As familiar as she was with their abilities, watching two men move an adult around like a simple laundry bag still had something profoundly surreal about it.

"You're really going to put him down like that?"

Kiyan turned his head toward her.

"Would you rather we leave him on the floor?"

Blanche hesitated.

"No..."

"Then there you go."

They reached the couch.

With the same care they might have used to carry a particularly cumbersome object, they placed Jax onto the cushions.

The Drakion sank into the couch without the slightest reaction.

Erik immediately removed his hands.

His mentor did the same.

And, as though nothing unusual had just happened, Erik calmly returned to the bar.

Blanche watched him go.

Then looked at Jax.

Then at the apple.

She finally picked up the abandoned fruit from the counter, if only to annoy him.

"I think I finally understand why no one ever panics."

"You get used to it eventually," Erik said proudly.

Blanche stared at the couch.

She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to get used to this.

"But where did you even come from?" the young woman finally murmured.

"Teleportation. You know what that is?"

Blanche stared at him, open-mouthed.

As a mage, he could teleport using a spell. Too bad his alter, Derek as a Player, didn't know that.

She then turned an inquisitive gaze toward Kiyan. The office door was just as soundproof as Argy's.

How had he heard Erik coming?

"I have a detection skill. I know where all the Players I've registered as such are. Where, when, and at what time," he explained.

So... when she'd gone downstairs to snoop around in his office...

Erik approached Blanche threateningly before smiling and taking his apple back, practically having to wrestle it out of her hands.

"How are Cassian and Cassie?" he asked as though nothing had happened, his mouth full as he took another hearty bite.

She looked at the two men.

They knew.

Obviously.

Of course they knew...

"They're doing well, thanks for asking. Cassie taught me how to drive, and Cassian taught me how to dance."

Well, halfway, at least.

Confused, Blanche started rambling out information.

Exhausted, she yawned.

"What just happened to Jax?" she asked, still barely functioning through her fatigue.

"A sleep spell," Kiyan explained. "He can't know that we know each other..."

"I see."

Erik stared at her, raising an eyebrow.

Kiyan glanced toward the upstairs floor, and even at half speed, Blanche understood.

"Okay... I'll leave you to it. I assume you have a lot to talk about. I'm going to bed."

"Already tired at your age? What will you be like in a few centuries?" Erik teased mockingly.

"That's for you to tell me, isn't it? You're the ancient one."

Erik grinned openly.

Blanche's comeback had clearly pleased him. His very pale blue eyes lit up with amusement as a crooked smile tugged at his lips.

"Not bad."

Blanche barely had time to savor her victory.

Erik twirled the apple core between his fingers, as though seriously considering what to do with it.

Then his smile widened.

"But you talk too much."

He threw it straight at her face.

Or, at least, he tried.

The apple core left his hand at such speed that Blanche didn't even have time to react.

All she saw was a brown blur hurtling straight toward her.