There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 206 - 200. Familiar Concern

Chapter 206: Chapter 200. Familiar Concern

"You’re...you’re going to repair the cottage?" the Elder and Senan exclaimed in unison.

After finishing the business with the registry, they proceeded to finalize the transfer of inheritance, as well as changing the will. Radia got back first, after telling Zein to have dinner with his ’uncles’, even going so far as booking a nice private place for them.

And so, Zein found himself having dinner with the Elder, Senan, and the people that came with them from Mimera--a man and a woman around Cohen’s age--with Bassena tagging along. They were talking more about Roan and Lucia’s life so naturally, the conversation came to the lakeside cottage where they spent the last months of their lives in.

"Well, what’s the use of having something we can’t enjoy?" Zein replied with a shrug. Since it came to this, might as well tell them about his intention.

"I have found a contractor to renovate the cottage and repair the surrounding area, but I don’t really know how it actually looked before," Zein looked at Senan, who seemed to start becoming more emotional ever since the topic turned to the cottage. "But you..."

Zein let his words hang, but Senan caught up quickly and nodded hurriedly. "I do--I know how it looks," the middle-aged man sigh after his initial excitement, and suddenly had a forlorn look. "I...I was the one tasked with assisting Master Roan, so I lived there too..."

Again, it seemed like the memory pained him more than it did Zein. Perhaps because personally, he was the closest to Zein’s parents. In a sense, Zein had met the man too before, when he was still a fetus.

"I can tell you how it looks and, hmm--maybe I’ll try to draw it. I can’t draw, but--there’s that kid, who’s that?" Senan looked at the younger woman.

"Ada?"

"Yes, her--I can explain it to her and have her draw it so you can--"

"Why don’t you just be there?" Zein said calmly, taking a bite of his steak and savoring it whilst letting the words be digested by the middle-aged man.

"...yes?" it really took the man Zein’s whole chewing time to finally make a response.

"On the site," Zein held his smile as he finally told the man his intention. "Why don’t you help me supervise the renovation so it can look just like how it did in the past?"

"Me?"

"Do I look like I’m talking to someone else?"

The people from Mimera looked taken aback as Zein let out a firm sound with a calm face and sharp eyes. Especially the Elder and Senan, who suddenly felt as if they were facing the previous patriarch; Alrick Ishtera.

Blood...truly didn’t lie--was what they thought. But they kept it to themselves because by now, they already caught on that Zein didn’t like being referred to as someone else.

As for Senan...

"You want me to..." he paused, and then, to Zein’s astonishment, tears started to fall from the man’s eyes.

"Hey--"

"Yes! Yes, of course, if you let me I’ll--I’ll make sure that it’s how it’s supposed to be!" with an energetic voice that didn’t match the tearful face, Senan replied while bowing his head, almost hit the table with his force.

"Yeah, okay, calm down."

Zein had to pause eating his steak because he felt like he would choke on the meat with all these reactions. Were they just feeling overwhelmed regarding anything related to Ishtera, or were these people have this kind of personality from the start?

"Hey, if you’re going to do it, why don’t you put that bunker you want so much there?" Bassena, who had been there just to keep Zein company and let the other have conversations while he silently ate, finally opened his mouth. "The place is perfect for a hideout after all."

Zein suddenly recalled the moment they were looking for contractors for the orphanage, talking about bunkers and the possibility--or rather, improbability--of putting it on a big building with the available budget.

But unlike an orphanage, the lakeside cottage wasn’t big, and building a sustainable bunker that he always wanted wouldn’t be impossible budget-wise. He had all those incoming money from the aetherite he found during the last red-gate dungeon raid.

"That sounds nice," he nodded, letting out a subconscious smile.

"That sounds expensive..." the woman--her name was Mila, if Zein recalled correctly--muttered while fiddling with his wine glass.

This comment spurred a reaction from the Elder and Senan, who immediately looked at Zein. "Young Master, about the money--"

"No."

"Umm--"

"No," Zein put his utensils down and leaned back on his chair, staring at the older men with a firm gaze. "This is supposed to be my property, so I’m going to use my own money."

The Elder pressed his lips then. He wanted to say that the inheritance money was also Zein’s money, but the young man was very adamant about not using that money for his own personal use. Of course, it was admirable, but the Elder couldn’t help but feel saddened that they still couldn’t help Zein even with this kind of stuff.

"Just give up. If he rejects my money, he won’t accept any others," Bassena smirked.

"Why would Young Master accept money from a Vaski?" the Elder frowned, still feeling conflicted about someone with Vaski’s name latching himself to his young master.

And the Vaski was replying to him with an even cheekier smirk. "Because the Vaski is his lover?"

First; silence. And then a series of coughing sounds could be heard around the table. It seemed like Arlo and Lisa didn’t tell anyone about witnessing their kiss and overall intimacy. They probably thought Bassena was just a clingy esper who followed his favorite guide everywhere.

"Y-Young Master...are you really...?" the Elder asked in a stutter, eyes shaking and lips quivering.

"Yes."

At Zein’s concise and unhesitating answer, Bassena smirked triumphantly to the seniors’ shocked faces. "Heh."

"Stop getting smug," Zein tapped the smirking lips of the man beside him, tone scolding but voice soft and affectionate.

Enough to make the older member of the household wept and lamented inwardly.

* * *

"I need a trust fund manager," Zein said on their way back to Bassena’s apartment. "I can’t give Alice more work."

"Want to use mine? The one taking care of Svadiva Fund? Logan knew him too," Bassena replied cheerfully. He had been in an extremely good mood because Zein openly admitted their relationship, and because Zein agreed to spend the night in his apartment.

"Sure, let’s do that," Zein answered swiftly, if only because he was too lazy to look for anyone else. "Can we meet before going to the gathering?"

"I’ll call that person after this."

Zein drummed his fingers on the windowsill, staring at the nightlife of the metropolis. "Why is it in Projo, though?" he suddenly wondered.

"It’s where the Sentinel Association HQ for Eastern Federation is."

Zein turned his head in surprise. "It’s not in Rexon?"

"No," Bassena chuckled. "Sentinel Association is supposed to be a place that can be visited by anyone. It wouldn’t make any sense to build it inside the green-zone wall that needs special permission."

"Ah..."

Zein nodded in comprehension. While green-zone cities had the best facilities, it was complicated to allow a big number of espers inside the gate. There were security concerns, as well as the fact that it would be a mingling of people from various zones. The association even started to invite representatives from the red-zone, so hosting such an event in green-zone, with its sensitive denizens, would not be a wise move.

"By size, Projo is the biggest city in Eastern Federation, so even if a lot of espers and guides come to visit every day, it won’t get too crowded," Bassena explained. "Infrastructure-wise, it’s the best among all other places in yellow-zone."

"Mm..."

"For us, it’s also good because Mortix has hotels there, so we don’t have to fuss over accommodation."

Zein smirked at that, mind immediately thinking of Bassena’s assistant and his saga of finding last-minute superb accommodation for Bassena. "Lex must be glad."

"Heh," Bassena laughed--at least he realized that his assistant had to miserably deal with his shenanigans. "I heard the hotel had already been fully booked by other guilds too."

"Oh?"

"Since it’s right in front of the SA building,"

Zein raised his brow, and let out a subdued laugh. "Might as well held it there if that’s the case."

"Nah," Bassena swatted the air with his hand. "They’ll say it’s Trinity’s event then, and if something goes wrong..."

Bassena didn’t finish his words, just ending it in a shrug, and Zein narrowed his eyes at that.

"...you think something will go wrong?"

"There’s always a possibility," Bassena said nonchalantly. "Espers and guides and important people would be there. Someone might be tempted to do something, don’t you think?"

"You’re going to jinx it," Zein frowned.

Bassena scoffed. "Rather than a jinx, it’s just something that happens every year,"

"Hmm..."

Zein crossed his arms, tapping his fingers as he mulled at this new information. So an attempt to harm the gathering sentinel community had always been rampant. It was such a weird attempt for him; why would they try attacking a place where some of the strongest people in the continent were gathering?

Foolishness? Blind fanaticism? He had heard about a religious cult that thought awakened people that seek profit from their ability rather than dedicating themselves to the Towers and Temples were blasphemous and cancerous--or something like that.

Well, Zein thought it would be fun if it was just a human attempt. What he worried about was if something happened that was caused by something inhuman.

Like their nemesis deep in the Deathzone.

"I’ll make sure to protect you," Bassena cut the silence with a voice full of certainty and a firm gaze full of confidence.

Without missing a beat, Zein smiled and replied simply; "I know."