There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 276 - 269. White Rabbit

Chapter 276: Chapter 269. White Rabbit

"Good afternoon," the Saintess greeted with a soft smile, before shifting her gaze to the young girl. "You should greet someone first before asking them a question, Elena."

"Hehe--sorry!" she giggled and grabbed something that had been nuzzling Zein’s shoes.

He looked down and only then realized there was a rabbit headbutting his combat boots. Perhaps because it was so harmless, Zein didn’t even feel it earlier while he was having his deep thoughts.

The young girl picked up the white rabbit and bowed toward Zein--along with the rabbit. "Good afternoon, Mister!"

It was a clear and loud voice, like that of a schoolgirl when they were greeting their teacher. "Good afternoon," Zein nodded in kind, looking at the rabbit in fascination.

Zoo. He had never gone to the zoo either. Guessed he had one more place to visit now; a date too.

Was it the rabbit, the young girl, or the old lady? The combination of the three harmless-looking creatures made him self-conscious about his--probably--scary appearance. So he retracted his mask as a good gesture, and the rabbit wriggled in the young girl’s arms.

"Huh? Why, Cloudy? Do you want to greet this Mister too?"

The young girl, Elena, looked at the rabbit confusedly and then lifted the wriggling creature toward a surprised Zein. The rabbit’s limbs were pointing toward Zein, like a child asking to be carried.

Zein had never carried a rabbit before, but he had carried his baby brothers a lot of time, so he didn’t have any difficulty when he reached out to take the rabbit. It practically jumped into Zein’s embrace and latched into his chest.

"Huh..."

The young girl poofed her cheeks. "Hmph! You always go for anyone pretty," she clicked her tongue and crossed her arms, before looking up at Zein who was staring amusedly at the rabbit snuggling to him. And then, with a curious tone, she threw a question. "Mister, are you going to be my partner?"

Zein blinked and looked at the girl in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, you’re the chosen one too, right? I’m going to be a Saintess, so if you’re a Saint, we’re going to work together, aren’t we?"

Ah, that kind of partner. "I’m not a Saint," Zein replied dryly while patting the rabbit.

"Huh? But you’re a chosen one, and you’re here," the girl tilted her head confusedly.

Zein shrugged. "I’m here to reject it."

"Whaaat?" the girl gasped in shock and turned toward the Saintess who had been watching them quietly. "We can do that?"

"Yes, you can," the Saintess smiled and answering gracefully, to Zein’s surprise. "But typically, people don’t do that because they think it’s an honor," she continued, and added while glancing at Zein. "I heard about a lineage of guides who constantly reject the Lady’s invitation, however."

"Really?" Elena raised his brow in surprise, and then turned around to look at Zein again, narrowing her eyes and looking at the male guide inquisitively. "Mister, are you copying them? Don’t tell me you actually related to them--"

"I do," Zein replied briefly, prompting the girl to pause with her mouth open.

"...seriously?"

"So I’m told," Zein shrugged again.

"Huh?"

"I don’t know, I never met them. I only told about it so..."

The girl blinked and asked in a quieter voice. "Not even your Mom?"

"Elena..." the Saintess stepped forward and chided the girl with a frown on her face, but Zein just replied easily.

"Yes,"

The girl, amusingly, clapped her hands. "Oh! We’re the same then?" her eyes brightened again and she stepped closer to Zein with a grin. "I don’t know my parents too!"

"Huh," Zein smirked amusedly at the cheerful girl. It wasn’t every day he met a bright orphan, because the ones in the red-zone, like him, were filled with caution and desperation.

She grinned and for the next fifteen minutes, Zein spent his time playing with her and Cloudy the rabbit, who seemed to be a bit too cozy in the male guide’s embrace. She got annoyed and probably a bit jealous and ended up grabbing the rabbit and pulling it away from Zein.

The rabbit was equally annoyed and jumped off the girl’s hands and ran away. "Wait--Cloudy!!" she yelled and started to chase the rabbit while Zein watched the event unfold in a daze before chuckling.

"I’m sorry about her," the Saintess smiled wryly and stood up from the bench she was seated on while watching the younger guides playing with the rabbit.

"It’s fine," Zein watched the girl trying to catch the rabbit getting further away. "She reminds me of my little brother."

The Saintess smiled and started to walk along the lakeside following the young girl and Zein walked along with her. "Is the Chosen One usually that young?" he asked curiously.

"It depends on their manifestation age," she replied. "I was awakened when I was seventeen, and Lady Frejya chose me during my measurement."

"When did she awaken?"

"Just a few months ago, she was the youngest ever to manifest," the Saintess had a slightly sad smile as she watched the young figure in high-profile robe. "Her orphanage brought her here immediately, and she was chosen as my successor."

Zein thought about it for a bit, recalling that the Saintess of Mago Temple was also chosen during her measurement. "It seemed like most of them got chosen right away after awakening," he said.

"Again, it depends on the Temple and the patron Goddess," the Saintess said and shrugged slightly. "But yes, it’s usually like that here."

"Hmm..." Zein had a cynical smile on his lips. "Why do you think that’s the case?"

"Why do you think, Sir Ishtera?"

Zein turned to look at the Saintess, who was calmly looking at him with an amiable smile. It was clear that she knew very well the unfavorable view that Zein held of the Temple, and she threw the question back like an experienced lady that she was.

Zein chuckled. He suddenly thought that the Saintess reminded him of a soft version of Radia’s grandmother. "I don’t know, perhaps to make them accept it easily?" he said with a smirk, looking at the cheerful girl who finally managed to catch the rabbit and yelled triumphantly. "The young guides probably hadn’t lived long enough to have someone or something they would choose over the Temple."

The Saintess looked at the hardened blue eyes and smiled. "Perhaps."

"Are you fine with that?" Zein asked.

"Why not?" the Saintess shrugged. "It’s not like we are being caged. We can go out to the world if we want to."

Zein turned his head and looked at the Saintess dubiously. "Really?"

"Of course," the old lady smiled rather proudly. "It’s just that we feel the safest here, and there are people looking for us to guide them, so we rarely feel the need to go out. But I come out every now and then, not in a formal setting."

"Huh," Zein tilted his head. Was this Saintess alluding that she came out casually to shop or have a coffee?

"Sometimes I even wear a disguise. It’s just like...how do I say it?" she Saintess tapped on her chin, but she actually found the term once she looked at Zein. "Ah--celebrities."

Zein pressed his lips, as it felt like the Saintess said he was a celebrity. Well...it couldn’t be help with Trinity’s reputation. While they were in the Northern Alliance, Trinity was famous enough due to Mortix’s backing. "I see..." Zein looked up, staring at the giant tree that formed the Temple. "Can I ask something?"

"Of course,"

Zein squinted to stare at the top of the tree that was taller than the skyscrapers in Rexon. "How much authority do you have in the Temple?"

"Me?" the Saintess tilted her head in contemplation, perhaps wondering how much he could tell Zein at this point. She answered a few seconds later while looking at Elena. "I oversee the training of the young guides, including Elena, and I have the right to decide who I can accept as clients,"

"...that’s it?"

"I also have the right to push for a motion and vote inside the management," she added. "Theoretically, I can manage the Temple if I want to, but between guiding and teaching, I have no leeway for that," she shook her head and let out a sigh. "You should know yourself how burdensome a guiding could be, so it’s not ideal for me to take over everything. While I also received routine reports, it’s the temple management that manages general affairs."

"The Temple management..." Zein turned his head toward the lake, to the place far in the east. "Is every Temple like that?"

"I don’t know," the Saintess shook her head. "We don’t have a Temple Conference or anything like that," she said, and then added after she recalled something. "Ah--I met the Saint of Aphrodite once, but not the others, and we never talked about the details inside our Temple."

"I see," Zein let out a sigh. It was clear actually by how different the vibe between the two temples was that each Temple had their own way and culture.

Zein had wanted to understand the Temples more, but he only felt like falling into a rabbit hole. Who was it really, that received the authority from the Goddess? Whose fault it was then, that so many guides ended up in misery out there?

He couldn’t find the answer even now, much less a clear solution.

He turned to look at the Saintess and nodded in gratitude. "Thank you for answering."

"My pleasure," the Saintess returned the sentiment with a smile.

For a while, they walked in silence to approach Elena who once again lost Cloudy the rabbit and was hopping around trying to catch it. The Saintess laughed softly at the young girl and let out a sigh.

"I give my life happily for the Temple life, but I know it might not be the same to the other chosen ones," she said, glancing at the guide who said he wouldn’t be a Saint without hesitation. "Elena wouldn’t be a Saintess until she was of age, but I don’t plan on caging her here. I want to let her see the world too, because she can’t grow compassions just by living here."

"What if she decides she doesn’t want to be the Saintess anymore?"

The Saintess laughed. "Well, that’s Lady Frejya’s part, isn’t it?" she caught the blue eyes and winked. "Whether She tries to convince her or looking for another candidate, it’s not my place to intrude."

"That’s true," Zein smirked.

"Mister! Mister!" suddenly, Elena ran toward them without the rabbit. But she was also pointing to her back, where the priest who was taking Zein here this morning approaching them with Cloudy in his hand. "The Templar is looking for you,"

Oh, so they were the Templars; the Temple’s guardians. The robed man put the rabbit on Elena’s hands, and then bowed politely to the Saintess and Zein.

"Sir Ishtera, the Lady asked for you."

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