There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 254 - 247. Breadcrumbs

Chapter 254: Chapter 247. Breadcrumbs

"Not exactly, but I have a guess."

Han Shin pursed his lips in disappointment, and the guide flicked his forehead in response.

"I had a feeling it was from that movement," Zein said, letting out a long exhale. "The guide rights movement."

"Wow, Zein," Han Shin clapped his hand slowly in astonishment. They went there to give the guide updates on this matter, but Zein had already figured things out even though he had been basically in isolation since the day before yesterday.

It didn’t need much brain power though. For Zein, who trained himself to think the worst about someone, the movement group was the most likely candidate. Perhaps he wouldn’t be so suspicious had they only scorned him about working for a rogue guild. But they had to talk about his ’speech’ and alleged him as a ’hypocrite’.

It was clear the articles were made to attack the value of his critique and statement.

So, although he couldn’t say it for sure because he had no information or proof, he could make a guess. Indeed, his statement at that time could be seen as an attack toward the movement--or even the guide system in general. He even criticized the Temple if people wanted to nitpick.

"There must be someone informing them about how Nora knows me--knows my past," Zein continued his conjecture, looking at Radia for confirmation.

Not many people knew about this, not even the kids in the strike division. Just some, who were told to keep quiet for the sake of both Nora and Zein.

"We already found out who," Radia said, in a tone that almost sounded boring, which gave Zein an easy answer.

"Is it that same one who made rumors about me before?" Zein tilted his head, sounding as bored as Radia, as if the cliche disappointed them. What was the name--Arden? The A-Class who for some reason kept making trouble with him? When Han Shin nodded in affirmation, Zein frowned slightly. "I thought you put him in surveillance?"

"We did," Radia shrugged. "We still do."

"The interview," Zein tapped on the armrest while pondering the possibility. "Was the contact someone from the interview?"

If there was a way to contact someone under observation without creating suspicion, it would be inside the guild itself. After all, they didn’t think there was a need for surveillance inside their own turf.

But perhaps because the man had been behaving lately, they started to get lax, and forgot about the day strangers would come to Trinity; the assessment day.

"Tell it to me straight, you hear this from someone, right?" Han Shin looked at Zein dubiously.

"No," Zein scoffed. Again, it was just logic to him.

"You’re right, the one who told them about Nora is Arden," Radia explained, taking a sip from the warm tea provided by the house staff before continuing. "But the person who ordered Arden is someone from the movement, who disguised themselves as one of the applicants."

"It seemed like they sent several people, but only one managed to pass to the interview level," Han Shin added.

Zein nodded. If he had to guess, it was probably that person he crossed with red ink, who answered everything in curated replies full of fakeness. "Only one is needed to make direct contact with Arden,"

Han Shin groaned, taking another chocolate to quell his own annoyance and putting another one in Zein’s palm. "Should have just sacked him way before."

"Then it would be easier for them to have access to him, and this would probably happen sooner," Radia looked at the two people devouring chocolate with a disapproval gaze. "Since he knew that Zein and Nora worked together before."

"Ah..." Han Shin exclaimed slightly before getting back on his sweets.

"But is that movement powerful enough to employ someone with enough skill to mess with Bas?" Zein tilted his head.

He didn’t think the movement that still actively asked for sponsors like them would have the capital and influence to do something extra like this. Looking at Zein’s background was one thing, but stalking the Bassena Vaski?

"I don’t think so," Radia admitted. This was why he said they still needed to catch the perpetrator.

"They have to be powerful enough to have the guts to mess with Bas," Han Shin muttered, before shivering at a certain memory. "He’s pissed you know, majorly pissed."

Shin hadn’t seen his best friend looking that mad since Zein’s incident inside with the spirit crystal. Certainly, the snake would bare its fang if someone disturbed the tamer.

As the conversation shifted to Bassena, Zein narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the two espers with frowning brows. "So where is he now?"

Zein tried to make his voice sound calm--as calm as he could. But speaking with these two made it more apparent to him that the person he wanted to talk to the most wasn’t there. He stared at the healer who was biting on the chocolate cube awkwardly. The black eyes averted his gaze and looked at Radia instead, and so Zein threw his stare at the crimson eyes.

"He’s gone to the Temple," Radia replied simply.

"...why?" the frown grew deeper on Zein’s forehead.

An unfamiliar and uncomfortable feeling started to grow in his stomach, tickling his heart in confusion. He didn’t understand this reaction, except that it felt almost like the time his guts told him to be cautious. It definitely wasn’t for something dangerous though, which made it even more bizarre.

"Because it might be good if the Temple could give you some credentials," Radia said dryly, as if he didn’t truly believe in his own words.

"Or, you know, just some support," Han Shin shrugged. "The Saintess is rather powerful."

The blue eyes glanced at Radia, followed by a quiet muttering. "Powerful, huh?"

"Let’s wait until my people finish investigating," Radia smiled and stood up from his seat. "It’s still a good move anyway--shall we go now?"

Zein tilted his head when Radia only signaled him to stand, but not the healer, who actually waved his hand. "Where?"

"To see my grandmother," the crimson eyes curled mischievously.

* * *

"Grandma!"

Zein blinked at the way Radia, the Chairman of Mortix and Guildmaster of Trinity, who always took care to look imposing and elegant, entered the large room with a cheerful exclaim, as if he was a mere grandson visiting his grandmother for a school vacation.

Seeing this sudden shift while the man was still clad in a crisp three-piece suit was such a bizarre thing to look at.

The room itself seemed to be an ante library, and an old woman was sitting casually in a chaise lounge while reading an old book. To be honest, it wasn’t what Zein imagined. He was thinking about a serious setting where he might have to meet the Matriarch in a court-like room, perhaps with her sitting on a throne. But the old woman wore a casual--albeit neat and elegant--day dress. And at Radia’s cheerful greeting, she looked up from her book with a slight frown.

"You rascal," she grumbled, not unlike any other grandmother out there. "You never come home and you suddenly bring your friend to sleep over just like that?"

Zein blinked, suddenly feeling like a naughty boy who got caught sneaking into his friend’s room to play without seeking permission. Perhaps it was that crimson eyes, which were still sharp even in her old age.

"Mother always wants a younger brother for me, so I bring one," Radia shrugged and Zein had to shake his own brain to follow this conversation.

Bring a what now?

Before Zein could even make any response, the older man already patted his shoulder. "I mean, he’s an Ishtera, but...whatever,"

The Matriarch shook her head and sighed like an exasperated elder. "You just do whatever you want,"

"Isn’t that why you let me take over the Group?" Radia chuckled light-heartedly. Again, Zein looked at the man as if he was looking at an alien. Or was this actually what Radia really liked if they stripped all work and responsibility from his personality set?

Radia turned to look at Zein then--who was actually still rather flabbergasted--and pointed toward the Matriarch politely with an upward palm. "Anyway, Luzein, this is the Matriarch of House Mallarc, Ludya Mallarc."

Shaking his astonishment, Zein shifted his focus back to the Matriarch, whose eyes and hair color were almost identical to Radia’s. "Luzein Ishtera," he nodded politely, saying it the way Radia trained him to do with all the ’royals’.

The old crimson eyes looked at him keenly, and Zein felt this overwhelming feeling of being looked thoroughly to the depth of his soul. It reminded him of the first time he caught Radia’s eyes back in the summer. He didn’t avert his gaze, accepting the crimson stare until the old woman smiled in satisfaction.

"The young, lost head," she stood up then, and even though he still looked relaxed, Radia was straightening his back. "Seems like you’re in trouble, boy."

"I’ve always been in trouble," Zein replied succinctly, with the usual wits of the end-dweller.

"Hah!" The matriarch scoffed and Radia smiled deeply, winking at her. She looked at Zein with a twinkle in her eyes that Zein could see inside Radia’s eyes sometimes--the one when the man felt intrigued and amused by something. "That’s right, troubles always follow one destined for greatness," she walked forward and raised her hand. "It’s just a matter of how you face them."

Zein looked at the hand and accepted it after a second delay, hiding his surprise. "Thank you," he said.

"Feel free to stay here," the Matriarch said in a nonchalant tone as she got back to her seat, waving her hand casually. "The blood of heroes is always welcome on this hill."

"Well," Radia patted the stunned guide. "Seems like you get a lifetime pass to visit my family."