As Alain disappeared back into the crowd, Riley's gaze lingered on his retreating figure for a few seconds longer than necessary before he finally turned away.
He's quick-witted, Riley thought.
He should understand exactly what I meant.
A faint sense of satisfaction settled in his chest.
The message had been delivered clearly—no theatrics.
Just enough pressure to make sure it would stay with him.
Still… encountering someone like that here hadn't been part of Riley's expectations.
That's on me, he admitted inwardly.
Even if this event had been pushed forward compared to the original timeline of the game, it was still a key scenario tied to one of the main heroines—more specifically, Clara's route.
And whenever a heroine's route unfolded, the antagonists connected to it were bound to surface as well.
This was no exception.
Alain Etrama Zelova.
Riley recalled the name clearly.
A mid-boss character in Clara's arc.
