There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 251 - 244. Out of the Bag

Chapter 251: Chapter 244. Out of the Bag

[The Truth Behind Trinity’s ’Valiant’ Guide]

Zein raised his brow. What the hell is this--was his first reaction. What truth? What ’valiant’? And then he started to read while Jock guided him to walk toward the car.

His brow stayed arched the whole way. The article came from a pretty big news media, and it was written well, unlike the gossip and rumors circulated before. It talked, first, about Zein’s journey while he was in Trinity; the new concept of strike guide, the survival textbook, and the ’speech’ he made in the guide conference. The writer showed what kind of image Zein had in public from his few appearances.

And then they dropped the bomb.

[...but recently, we received disturbing evidence about this elusive guide’s past. It might allude as to why Trinity kept the guide’s mysterious past guarded, and limited his movement outside the formal setting. After all, a big name like Trinity and Mortix would be careful to hide the fact that they employ someone who used to work for a rogue guild...]

Ah...Zein scrolled the news, and the article continued by explaining what was a rogue guild and their heinous crime. It told the reader about Umbra and what they did in Araka--effectively, painted Zein as someone who also did that kind of thing.

It ended in an essay questioning the validation behind Zein’s moral preaching and so on and so forth.

Which was funny because Zein never felt he was preaching about anything.

"Well, we can’t say it’s a lie," Zein shrugged, letting Alma, who had been reading behind him, had the tablet.

Zach frowned at the guide’s nonchalant reaction. "It’s not a lie, but it’s manipulating the truth."

"Look at this! Where in this article had they ever said why you ended up in Umbra? They didn’t write about how you are under a slave contract!" Alma yelled angrily. "They didn’t write about how you are sold there when you’re just ten by your father--"

"He’s NOT my father."

The blue eyes glared sharply at the berserker, the low voice filled with anger and pain that prompted the others to pause, all staring at him in silence. Jock looked at the guide in surprise--not because of the sudden anger, but because it was his first time hearing about Zein being sold. Naomi, who already heard about it during their first dinner in the Borderland, was once again being reminded of the harsh life Zein had to go through before.

"Don’t refer to that bastard as such--I know who my real father is," Zein added after taking a breath, in a calmer tone this time.

"Uhh, yeah...sorry," Alma scratched her neck awkwardly.

"The point is, they made it as if you were willingly volunteering to be a part of Umbra," Zach, who now had the tablet and was reading the article, steered the conversation back.

"They use it to paint you as a hypocrite and discredit your speech during the guide conference," Jock added after he managed his face again, back to the expressionless bodyguard.

Zein could see that. But for him personally, he didn’t say all of that to hope for any change, or to make people more aware of the real situation. He merely vented out his frustration, so whether or not people would take his words seriously wasn’t important to him.

But Radia said what he delivered during the guide conference might leave a good impression on the committee. In that case, wouldn’t discredit his speech change this impression now?

"What did Radia say?" Zein asked as Jock opened the car’s door.

"That you have to get out of here fast because journalists might come here now to see if the claim is true," Jock said, holding the door open. "Unless you want to be swarmed by reporters, of course."

"Ugh--"

That was definitely not what Zein would have wanted. There was nothing he wanted to say or clarify anyway. But he did worry that this would put Trinity’s chance of winning the reclamation project in jeopardy.

Naomi, who was now getting her tablet back, straightened her back. Her countenance was back to the prim and proper representative of Mortix she was supposed to be. "Do you think it’s possible for all the people here to pretend Sir Zein was never here?" she asked the Scarlet Moon in a business tone.

"No," Zach shook his head, although he said it with regret. "Being a Landlord doesn’t mean we have complete control over everyone--the civilians, maybe, but the espers would be tough."

Despite the name, being the Landlord only meant they were the caretakers of the Area. Even Umbra, which ruled with a dictatorship, couldn’t completely control the powerful group like Scarlet Moon before. The mercenary groups still held their own influence within their block, and even the individual espers wouldn’t like it if their right to their voice and opinion was withheld.

"That being said, we can at least try to get the story straight," Zach offer a consolation. "We can’t lie about Zen being involved with Umbra, but we can tell the real story behind it."

"I think any old dwellers would be able to tell that," Alma added.

Newcomers who didn’t know Zein’s story might only see him as a part of Umbra, but those who lived here long enough would know that most guides in Umbra came from being trafficked or kidnapped. And those who lived here even longer knew the miserable life Zein had to face since his childhood.

"Although the reporters can also twist it in any way they like," Zach, ever the realist, remarked with a sigh.

"That problem is ours to worry about, but thank you for your cooperation," Naomi let out a business smile. Indeed, fighting with the media was what they did best in the higher zone. "Ah, some people most likely will over a sum of money to have you say something that fits their narrative so--"

"What the fuck?!" Alma snapped and glared at Naomi, who admirably still standing fast unperturbed. "Do you think we will get swayed by money?"

"Other’s might," Zein shrugged. He knew Alma and Zach might be loyal to him, but he couldn’t even say for sure that the rest of the Scarlet Moon did. Even more the red-zone dwellers.

After all, even if he used to live there, he was just a stranger. He wasn’t their family, wasn’t even their friend. Some might even feel envious that he could turn his life around, going here in nice clothes and nice cars, even being guarded by high-rank espers. Why would they try to keep his name clean if they could receive money instead?

"Zen--"

"Mortix will probably offer more money for you to tell the truth," Zein continued nonchalantly, looking at Naomi for confirmation.

The Mortix representative nodded readily. "That is indeed the plan, yes."

"Hey--"

"Just take it," Zein turned his gaze toward the agitated Alma and the frowning Zach.

"What--"

"Just take it and use it for this place," Zein shrugged, looking around at the town which felt even more miserable now that he had seen the other zones.

It took a while for Alma to stop fuming, and for Zach to stop looking at him with a piercing gaze. In the end, Zach let out a long sigh while tapping his sister’s tensed shoulder. "Haa...alright," he said. "This doesn’t mean we will accept the offer for the project."

"Don’t worry about it," Zein smirked and finally climbed into the car because Jock had been tapping on the door with urgency. From the way he had been frowning at the empty air, he must have been listening to a report through mental transmission, and it seemed like some people did really start to make a move to Araka.

"The people who write this must have a source from this place, right? Let’s find out who did it," Alma said from the lowered window, looking at Zach for confirmation.

"Right," the leader nodded firmly. His heart might be broken, but his conscience was not.

"Source, huh..." Zein tapped on the windowsill, as the blue eyes glinted inside the dim car.

Their discussion had to come to an end, however, because Jock had started the car and commented urgently. "That’s good and all but we need to go."

"Alright. Let’s meet again later," Zein said before the window rolled up and the car moved.

He looked at the sad town with mixed feelings. He didn’t love the place, for sure, but he wasn’t sure if he hated it. When he went to all the places he frequented in the past, he felt a nostalgic feeling. Familiarity. He didn’t like the condition of his life, but it was also the place where he met some irreplaceable existence; the twins, the grandma next door, Alma and Zach...

He thought he made the recording for Bassena, but he might do it for himself, actually. Sure, it was a bitter experience, but it was also something that took the biggest part in his life. That made him who he is today.

Wasn’t that why he built the orphanage there? He could just forget about the place and erase the place from his past. But he came back there, he made something there--wasn’t that because he cared?

As the town grew further, however, Zein let his mind stop thinking about his ’hometown’. Jock had been driving the car as if they were being chased by miasmic beast. Zein felt the urgency of the situation more through the speed and the turbulence.

"Is it really okay in Althrea?" he asked suspiciously.

"The Chairman said not to worry too much," Jock replied without averting his focus from the road. "But you can’t go to Trinity for now if you want to avoid reporters."

Just like how it had always been, so Zein wasn’t too surprised now. It seemed like no one knew where he was either. The only one--aside from Bassena and Radia--privy to his plan was Abel after all, and the man wouldn’t tell anyone.

The problem was...he had nowhere to go.

He could, of course, go to Bassena’s place--he would live there anyway--but it was situated in the center of Althrea, so that would be too risky.

"Then where would I go?"

"You’ll stay in Mortix Hill," Jock said, which made more sense. They would use the portal directly to Mortix’s headquarters after all, so staying in Mortix Hill would make him stay hidden.

"The company town?" Zein asked for confirmation, but the driver shook his head.

"No," Jock said, his voice suddenly sounded more...nervous. "The Mallarc Mansion."

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