There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 208 - 202. Cocktail of Entropy

Chapter 208: Chapter 202. Cocktail of Entropy

"I’m tired of mentioning them, but first--" Bassena raised his index finger and said in an annoyed tone. "Celestia."

"Mm," Zein stirred the coffee in his cup, waiting for the sugar to melt while his mind went back to the memories they were all sharing in Rexon. But it had been months and there was no other news, so he kind of forgot about them. "Do you think they’ll still try to take me?"

"They’ve never stopped, you know."

Zein paused his stirring, turning his head to look at Bassena with a raised brow. The esper looked pissed while absentmindedly chewing on a sour patch.

"Huh..."

Zein shifted his gaze to Jock, who, as always, came as his bodyguard. Since they were in a private setting, Jock wasn’t stubbornly standing by the door anymore. Moreover, it was inherently Mortix building, and Bassena was present, so he even allowed himself to have a light drink in the bar with Lex.

"Is that so?" Zein asked.

"The policy is to never let the charge know unless it’s dire enough," Jock answered with a calm smile.

"I see," Zein glanced outside through the window, wondering how many people Radia sent this time.

He had stopped trying to spot them, and just let them do the work. Actually, he had thought they weren’t there anymore since there hadn’t been any disturbance. But it seemed like the lack of disturbance was instead due to their active involvement.

"Well, thanks anyway,"

Jock nodded with a smile and continued to enjoy his drink. Zein turned to Bassena again with narrowed eyes.

"So you knew about that and never told me?"

Bassena stiffened, a sour patch dangling from his lips as he froze under those piercing blue eyes. He even gulped, sensing the disturbance in the air.

"Umm...we thought...you don’t have to be concerned about things like that..."

"Yeah?" Zein tilted his head, totally unimpressed. "And yet you told me I shouldn’t keep things?"

"I’m sorry!"

Bassena Vaski, the Saint-class esper, was seen kneeling on the floor begging for forgiveness--that would be the headline if there was a reporter hanging around the place. He wasn’t just begging for forgiveness, though, but also proceeded to lay his head on a guide’s lap and clutch the said guide’s waist, whining.

"I’ll ask Radia to keep you updated, so...sorry?"

Zein stared at the blinking amber eyes and downturned brows, which he proceeded to flick. "You’re acting cute deliberately, now?"

The esper continued to blink his eyes wordlessly, looking innocent even with his big frame. And Zein had to admit he enjoyed this view very much. "Stay there and tell me the rest," he stroked the platinum hair and managed to hide his smile while giving his order.

And Bassena happily obliged, sitting on the floor between Zein’s legs. "Since they finally have you in the same building, they’ll probably try to do something again."

"If it’s anything like that girl did, it’ll be quite amusing," Zein snickered, recalling the weird girl that blabbered on and on about something that Zein no longer remembered. He just recalled thinking that the girl was silly and haughty. "Anyone else?"

"The guide’s rights movement group will make contact for sure, but Radia said you can decide for yourself about this matter," Bassena laid on his cheek and tapped the side of Zein’s thigh while organizing his memory. "The others won’t make any move to touch you, I think, but..."

Bassena paused and frowned, hugging the guide’s leg tighter.

"What?"

With a stiff tone and annoyed face, he grumbled. "They’ll be really interested in you,"

"Hmm..."

"You don’t really have to worry about the espers, but if there are royals..."

"Royals?"

Bassena pulled back slightly to raise his head, showing clearly the annoyance on his face as he replied. "This means they’re important people; politicians, princes and princesses of Great Houses," he paused for a bit, before adding hesitatingly. "Especially if they knew you’re one of them..."

Zein arched his brow. "Do they even know?"

"They would have people monitoring the family registry of great clans," Bassena chewed the inside of his cheek, lips twisted in distaste.

"House Ishtera is not exactly a great clan..."

"But they are once one of the sixteen Great Houses, and you are the only living descendant," Bassena sighed. "Some people might take notice."

Just like how his mother’s family noticed his existence despite being in another nation. Bassena stiffened when he recalled this fact--he hadn’t told Zein about this too.

"You think...one of them would be the patron?" Zein noticed the worry laying underneath that annoyance.

Bassena shoved his thought for later and nodded at Zein’s question. "I can only think so. If there’s a force big enough to order the Vaski like a servant, it makes sense if they are from the Old Houses."

Zein leaned back to stare at the magnificent chandelier and pondered. Just like how Ishtera used to have other houses serve their household like the Kovac, it would make sense if the Vaski was a member of another House’s household. For all Zein knew, Jock also came from a family serving the Mallarc.

Perhaps...the Vaski was actually in Althrea as a spy to observe the Mallarc? Which was why they let Bassena get close to Radia. Maybe they were trying to keep an eye on the heir, not expecting that Bassena would come to Radia’s side instead.

"Anyway, if they do approach you tomorrow, it’ll be difficult to just ignore them," Bassena said with a sigh, once again laying his head on the guide’s lap.

Zein lowered his gaze and looked at Bassena with intrigued eyes. "That doesn’t sound like you,"

"No," the esper let out a long exhale, before looking up with a helpless smile. "But does that sounds like a guild trying to get a project?"

The Serpent Lord, who used to just do and say whatever he liked to everyone no matter what their status was, had to quell his mouth this time. Until they bagged that reclamation project, they couldn’t afford to offend those who had the power to influence the outcome.

Of the sixteen Old Houses in the continent, five--six now--had their home in Eastern Federation. After centuries, other forces came up to create clans and now, the prominent houses in Eastern Federation came up to ten. And it was these ten that had the power to influence governmental policy. They had what they called ’the vote’, as an appreciation for their contribution to reviving the civilization.

In Zein’s case, the name of old heroes like Ishtera always had a place no matter the size of the force--or even if it only consisted of the head. Which means he had the right to cast a vote too. But still, not even Radia Mallarc had absolute control over the politics of Great Houses in Eastern Federation, and there would be nothing he could do if the other forces were voting against him.

So for now, they shouldn’t create unnecessary reasons for other people to stand in their way.

He looked at the rather sulking esper who acted like a child being told to behave at a party. "Good job," he said, stroking the platinum hair again. "I can just engage minimally, right?"

"Yes," Bassena replied dazedly while staring at the guide’s soft gaze before he shook his head to regain his senses. "Well, it’s better to always be around Radia or Rina for that."

Zein tilted his head in surprise. "I thought you’d say it’ll be better to stick with you."

"I’d...like that," Bassena bit his lips in regret. "But they have a better PR image than me..."

He truly held back on a lot of things this year. Perhaps that was why he had been acting sulky and clingy since earlier. "But Bas..."

"Hmm?"

"If you stick with me and let people know about our relationship, wouldn’t that be a deterrent?"

Bassena pressed his lips and buried his face in Zein’s lap again. "...don’t tempt me," he muttered weakly.

"Woow...you guys are still disgustingly sweet, huh?" Rina’s cheerful voice reverberated from the door as she casually invaded the suite. And even while Bassena gave her mean eyes, she still nonchalantly hugged Zein from behind the couch and giggled. "You can’t hog our guide for yourself, Commander."

"Get your hand off my boyfriend," Bassena flicked the tanker’s arms with his darkness and stood up, glaring at the laughing girl.

"Sit down and act like adults, both of you," Zein rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, effectively making both Bassena and Rina take a seat. Of course, it still didn’t stop Bassena from squinting his eyes and Rina from giggling, so Zein just put another topic on the table. "Who’s in charge of security?"

"The Association, usually," Bassena shrugged.

"Oh, but since the government officials would be there, I heard Mobius would come too," Rina added, taking a glass of sparkling water from her manager.

That revelation put the room in a sudden silence, and after a few seconds, they all let out a collective sigh.

"A bunch of competitive espers, Old Houses’ spawns, and government agents..." Bassena chuckled. "What a messy cocktail."

"What’s the need for an outside attack when it seems like a fight might break out inside?" Zein scoffed. "While we’re at it, can you make me some light cocktail?" he looked at Lex, who was still hanging out in the minibar.

The man responded with a nod and a smile, dutifully whipped up something simple with a low percentage catered for non-esper. While mixing the drink, he glanced at the guide and asked carefully. "But, Sir Zein..."

"What is it?"

"Are you...a part of the Old House?"

"Ah," Zein just realized they talked about it in front of someone else. Perhaps because Jock--who knew everything--was there, it felt completely normal to talk about it as something that wasn’t so secretive.

Bassena turned his gaze toward the minibar and replied in surprise. "What--you didn’t read his id card?"

Lex paused as he put the lid of the shaker on, and proceeded to fish out the card that was still in his pocket. He didn’t read it carefully before, just swiftly used it for checking in. But now he realized there was another word besides the usual ’Luzein’.

"Ishtera?" he muttered the name that he had heard in passing earlier.

"Huh? What’s this about? Zein had a surname now?" Rina leaned forward, staring at Lex and Zein back and forth excitedly.

"Things happened," was Zein’s nonchalant reply.

"I’ve never heard of that name before; Ishtera..." Rina muttered, pursing her lips while racking her brain. "It must have been a very old House, then? Must have been in one of those old, thick books when they still put everything in writing rather than record digitally."

Bassena was the one who nodded in response. "One of those sixteen original Great Houses of the continent, like the Mallarc."

"I see," Rina nodded her head seriously in comprehension, before shifting her gaze toward Bassena and tilting her head. "So, just like you, right, Commander?"

Bassena froze, blinking, suddenly feeling his spine going cold.

"Oh?" he heard the melodious voice that felt like it got lower than before, and bit his lips in a sudden fright.

Rina looked at Bassena and Zein, back and forth, before slowly pulling back and quietly grimacing. "Oops?"