9. Intruders
"It seems some rats have been caught sneaking around."
I spoke quietly as I stepped forward, my eyes locking on the two intruders hiding in the dim hallway. My voice startled them. They flinched, ready to bolt—but I wasn't about to let them go that easily.
With a flick of my fingers, the invisible threads I'd scattered earlier sprang to life, catching them midair. They struggled, but it was too late.
It was a simple trick—multiple threads laid out: some visible to lure attention, others nearly impossible to see. By the time they noticed the obvious ones, they were already caught in the real web.
I tightened the threads around them, binding their limbs. The taller one, in particular, seemed completely immobilized.
Actually, if they'd walked along the path where the servants usually patrolled, they wouldn't have triggered my trap. But they'd chosen a more unorthodox route, which is why I noticed them.
Sigh. Well, it's not like a burglar would walk right through the front door... Wait, did I just jinx myself?
As I moved closer, their appearances became clearer.
In the silent, eerie night, the hallway was neither narrow nor wide. Ornate furniture lined both sides—vases, paintings—but tonight, the space felt unnervingly different. Maybe it was because of the two women, suspended above the ground, bound in my shimmering threads.
One was short, with messy blonde hair and a youthful, almost innocent face. The other was tall, with long, slightly curled brown hair. She was pretty, but something about her didn't feel quite right. Not something visible—more of an instinctual feeling.
Suddenly, a strange thought crossed my mind.
Did I just say something weird?
"It's strange for a rat to get caught in a spider's web... an insect, maybe? A butterfly?"
The words escaped me before I could stop them. I probably sounded like a crazy person mumbling to himself.
And just then, the threads binding the blonde one started to snap, one by one, as she struggled.
Of course. In the end, they were still just threads — strong for binding, but not built for sustained force. She had superhuman strength.
While she broke free in about two seconds, the taller woman was still squirming helplessly. At her current pace, it would take her at least eight to ten times longer.
That was my cue.
I lunged toward the taller woman, swiftly pulling a kitchen knife from behind my back and pressing it against her neck.
"You might want to stop moving," I warned the short one.
She froze, eyes narrowing, teeth gritted. I could see the fury on her face. She realized that no matter how strong or fast she was, I was faster — fast enough to threaten her friend before she could react.
I grinned, basking in their tension.
"Just kidding," I said suddenly, pulling the knife away. At the same time, the threads around them loosened and fell to the floor.
I took a few steps back, maintaining a safe distance — this was all part of the act. The slow approach, the threats, the web — everything was meant to build one impression:
I could kill you, but I chose not to.
"So…" I said casually, leaning against the wall. "What brings you here this late at night?"
The two intruders stared at me, confused and still catching up with the sudden change in tone.
"I already have a good guess who's behind you," I added, twirling the kitchen knife lazily. "But let me ask this anyway. Who's your target? The husband, the wife… or the child?"
I pointed the blade at them, narrowing my eyes with a dramatic flair. "Depending on your answer, you might leave this place alive… or alive." I gave a smirk that I imagined looked just like those cold-blooded killers in the movies.
"W-wait!" The blonde one called out, attempting to stall. "Wait, what did you say again?" Her expression shifted into confusion, as though she couldn't quite process what she'd just heard. To be honest, her reaction was priceless.
Before I could respond, voices echoed from the hallway outside.
"It was from over there! I'm sure I heard something!"
"Then go check it."
"Ehh? Ahahaa… never mind, probably nothing."
"Haaah… come on. Let's check together. You're usually the best among us—unless it involves ghosts."
The three of us stood in awkward silence, listening to the bumbling guards. I felt my face heat up in embarrassment.
"K–Kuhem!" I coughed, trying to cover the awkwardness. "Let's change locations."
I quickly gathered the threads and made my way to my room, not even checking if the two women followed.
—--
"Please, take a seat," I offered once we were inside my room.
They followed without protest. Since I only had one chair, I sat in it and gestured for them to take the bed.
"Let's start with introductions. As you probably already know — I'm Chris Diffodil, only son of the Diffodil household." I gave a slight bow. "Also the one you two after, no?"
They exchanged glances.
"I'm Molly," the tall one said.
"I'm Dio," the short one added.
Pfft— I almost laughed.
"You're right," Dio — Xio — continued. "You're the one we're after. And as a thank you for not going too far earlier, I'll tell you one thing: we weren't aiming to harm anyone."
"A fair start," I nodded. "If lives weren't what you were after instead, then you want information, right?"
They nodded.
"Then let's do this — we take turns asking questions. One question each, and we answer honestly."
"Alright. But how do we know you're telling the truth?" Xio asked, sharp as expected.
"You can't," I smiled. "Just have to believe me."
"Haaah…" she sighed. "Fine. First question. Are you a Beyonder?"
"Well, it seems like you already know the answer to that, but to answer your question, yes, I am."
"My turn," I replied. "Who's your client? Judging by your behavior… a noblewoman, perhaps?"
"I won't give you her name, but yes," she admitted.
"Fair. Just make sure you don't share anything about me with official Beyonders."
I stared right at Xio as I said that. Her eyes widened slightly.
"You… know us?"
"First time meeting you both," I replied. "But in this world, it pays to be cautious. Especially for unofficial Beyonders like us."
"You've been to a Beyonder gathering before?" I asked.
"We have," Xio answered.
(So he's new…) she thought. (But I can get a lot of info from his questions too.)
"Was that thread your power?"
"Yup, you saw it in action. Can you bring me to one of those gatherings?"
"...Huh?" She blinked, taken aback. "That's your question right now?"
"Yup."
"M–Maybe." she replied, unsure.
We kept going, asking questions back and forth. I gave vague or truthful answers when I had to, especially anything about my parents' business. On the other hand, all my questions were laser-focused: I wanted to attend a Beyonder gathering, and they probably knew someone who could help.
When we were finally running out of things to ask, Molly — Fors — spoke for the first time.
"…Why are you treating us so nicely?"
"!?"
My mind blanked for a second. I realized I'd been too careless—being generous and understanding toward burglars who had just broken into my house was unthinkable. The only reason I could come up with for such an attitude was that they weren't strangers to me. I scolded myself internally, my mind racing to find any excuse that could salvage this situation.
"Uhh… because of your appearance?" I blurted out.
Damn it, brain! That's all you could come up with?! you idiot!
Awkward silence fell again.
"Kuhem! So anyway — how do I contact you if I want to hire you?"
"For a gathering?" Xio asked. I nodded.
"Leave a message with Darkholme in East Borough. Tell him you're looking for Xio. I'll find you."
"Xio, huh?"
"Ah—yes, that's my nickname," she said, flustered.
"Then I'll call you Miss Xio from now on."
"?!"
Turning to Fors, I asked, "And you?"
She hesitated. "You can call me Fors."
"Miss Fors, got it."
"…Why the 'Miss'?" she asked, raising a brow.
"To show sincerity," I said honestly. "You two were the first Beyonders I've met. And I'm glad it was Miss Xio and Miss Fors — people who told me the truth."
I smiled warmly. I must have looked like a naive kid who had never been to society..
I think I saw Xio take psychic damage just now, but I chose to ignore it.
"Well, that's all for tonight. I've got class tomorrow."
"Y–Yeah… that's probably enough for today," Xio said. "Right, Fors?"
"I agree."
"You want me to walk you out?"
"No need. We know the way," Xio replied.
…How do you know your way around my house?!
I resisted the urge to say it out loud and simply waved goodbye as they left. Then I dropped onto my bed with a sigh.