There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 318 - 310. Connecting Lines

Chapter 318: Chapter 310. Connecting Lines

"You failed."

The snow outside had melted, but the air inside the hall felt even colder than the peak of winter. It was as if a blizzard was swirling mercilessly, chipping away at Varion’s wit.

"They found out quicker than we thought, we--"

"Don’t make excuses after I lend you my people!" the patriarch shot him a piercing glare. "It’s your conceited thinking that led you to your failure."

"...I’m sorry," Varion lowered his head; not because he was sorry, but because he was annoyed at how things hadn’t been going his way.

Even now, he still had no idea how Trinity could find out what they were doing so quickly. And even then, he had no idea how the people in the office never gave any distress signal. Shouldn’t they send a message as soon as they realize Trinity was barging into the office?

And yet, there had been nothing. The office was cleaned, and the CCTV was gone. He had expected Trinity to retaliate, but there had been no movement from Radia Mallarc aside from inviting Azure’s Guilmasters to Althrea.

Varion didn’t get it.

"Haa..." the Patriarch let out a long sigh before turning around. "I’ll give you another chance," he said, and Varion perked up, lifting his gaze only to come face-to-face with a cold, condescending look. "More people will come with you this time, so do it better."

Having more of his grandfather’s people did not make him the slightest bit happy, however. It hurt his pride, because it was basically saying his people were not good enough. But it wasn’t like he could reject the Patriarch’s order--not if he wanted to fix his status inside the clan.

"I understand..."

"This matter is more important than your ego, so wipe that displeasure off your face," the Patriarch clicked his tongue.

Varion bit the inside of his cheek. It was rather humiliating, to be scolded like a schoolboy. But right now, there was something he was curious about. "But...why do you want him, Grandfa--" Varion paused at the piercing, cold look being shot at him, before correcting himself. "--Patriarch,"

"If you manage to finish your mission, I’ll tell you," the Patriarch said, turning around again to tend to his books. "For now, just know that we have been looking for him for a long time."

Varion widened his eyes. He could sense that it was something that only the core members of the House knew, so...by telling him, wouldn’t that mean he was finally able to be a part of the clan?

"I’ll make sure to deliver him to your feet," he lowered his head.

At first, he just didn’t want a guide as good as Luzein to fall into Radia’s hand. He knew taking away the guide that managed to control Bassena Vaski would affect Trinity badly, and, in turn, affect the Guildmaster himself.

But now, this guide became his ticket to be a core member of the House. And even...maybe...to be named a successor.

When he left the clan’s building not long after, the seed of envy and greed had bloomed fully in his heart.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Zein asked Nayla in a VIP hospital room of the hospital owned by Mortix. The nanny was sitting on the couch rather than the bed, and since it was a VIP suite, it felt like they were in someone’s house rather than a hospital room. "I’m sorry we can only come now."

"Oh, I’m fine," Nayla waved her hand. "I was told it was just a sleeping spell."

It was the same spell they used to make Zein unconscious. But while Zein was generally alright, Nayla was an ordinary citizen with no power, no magic energy. So, even if it was only a sleeping spell, she had to be examined to make sure there was no prolonged effect on her body.

"You didn’t get hurt when you fell, right?" Bassena asked while cutting up fruits on the side. It was also his first time visiting his nanny, since he had been busy making sure Zein was never alone.

"Fortunately, no," the nanny said, patting the hand of the guide who still looked concerned. "Don’t worry too much about me, I’m having a pampered life right now," she laughed cheerfully.

Well, she didn’t have to do anything, and there were people who tended to her needs nicely because she was someone being admitted by Trinity, and the one who paid was the Serpent Lord. All she did was eat, sleep, and watch the television--what a nice break! She even looked better than before the attack.

Nayla looked at Zein then, since she knew the people who put the spell on him were targeting Zein. "What about you? Are you alright? They only told me the guild got you back, but then nothing."

"I’m fine, as you can see," Zein replied with a smile.

"That’s fortunate," the nanny nodded and expelled a breath of relief. She looked at Bassena next, who had given up on trying to cut the apple into a cute rabbit. "Did you catch them?"

"Yeah, but we still don’t know who the mastermind really is, so we have to hide you for now," Bassena said, placing the plate of apples in front of his nanny and Zein, before taking up a peach.

"I’m sorry," Zein muttered with a sigh.

"What are you talking about?" Nayla took a piece of apple and put it in her mouth. "I might be an ordinary person, but I’m not a stranger to your world."

There was some kind of pride in her tone, and Zein was reminded that Nayla used to live with Bassena and his mother inside the nest of the Golden Viper.

She looked at the guide and smiled gently. "Don’t worry about me too much, I know how things work," she said. "I already told my family I’m going to take care of your house longer."

Bassena put a slice of peach in Zein’s mouth with a smile, so the guide would concentrate his thought on the sweetness rather than feeling guilty. "We sent some people to guard your family, so you can rest without worry," he told the nanny, who instantly looked alarmed.

"Are you worried they will use them to... threaten you, or something?"

"We don’t know, but it’s better to be cautious," Bassena shrugged, and placed the plate of sliced peaches on Zein’s hand.

"Alright," Nayla nodded. "Thank you for thinking about my family," she smiled, especially so Zein would stop being concerned about her.

Thankfully, the plate of peaches seemed to work well in elevating the guide’s mood--Bassena made a mental note to refill their fridge when they got back. After exchanging more pleasantries with the nanny, they took their leave once the sky began to darken.

"Are they still not talking?" Zein asked, referring to the people they caught and stored somewhere in the Mallarc’s property.

"No. Their feat toward Varion is still greater now," Bassena clicked his tongue. "That’s the downside of playing a good guy in the society."

Zein raised his brow, at the esper who was notorious for being short-tempered and violent. "You’ve never played a good guy, though?"

"Heh," Bassena chuckled, but he also couldn’t help but groan. "Anyway, it’s frustrating because Radia still forbade me from going there."

Well, it was a reasonable decision. Bassena might look like he managed his emotions well right now, but from how he reacted to Askan Bellum’s presence earlier, there was no telling what might happen once he met the real perpetrator. Bassena was the type who could snap in a split second, and Radia was rather a safe-than-sorry type of person.

At least, for now, they should be kept alive.

"What’s the plan next?" Zein asked.

"Once that man--"

"Askan?" Zein chuckled at Bassena’s persistent disdain toward the other esper, which had been happening since the day Zein first stepped foot inside Althrea.

"Yes, that man--once he manages to make an appointment, Radia will go to Rexon."

For now, that jealousy was still cute. "Should we go somewhere too?"

It might have sounded like a joke earlier, but Zein did think about going somewhere as a means of dividing Varion’s attention so Radia could conduct his secret meeting.

"You know I’ll always be down for a date," Bassena smiled charmingly.

"Where should we go?" Zein tapped on his chin in contemplation. "I don’t think they’d show interest if we go to somewhere too crowded."

Bassena put his arm around Zein and leaned his face closer. "Hmm...so you want to go somewhere secluded?" he whispered. "Sounds risque,"

"And you sound like you’ll enjoy it," Zein scoffed.

"Immensely," Bassena grinned widely. Just imagining having a date in a quiet place with Zein was already filling his head with ideas. But then, he saw the guide was making a serious expression. "What? Why?"

"There’s something that had been in my mind," Zein replied with a rather hard gaze in his eyes.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Radia said someone might be orchestrating this from the shadow, right? Someone more powerful than Celestia’s guildmaster,"

"That man is not that powerful, actually," Bassena waved his hand dismissively. "But yes, I agree that someone is behind him."

"Why, though?" Zein stopped his step, and they were stopped beneath a plum blossom tree in the hospital garden. "If they just want to disturb the reclamation project, there should be a better, easier way to do it than kidnap me."

Bassena frowned then; he had only been thinking about Zein’s safety that his mind didn’t wander that far enough. "You’re right," he nodded. "What’s on your mind?"

"Do you remember what we talked about before?" Zein muttered. "About Golden Viper’s sponsor--the one who might still look for the vessel."

"You mean..."

"We dismissed the thought that it might be someone behind Celestia before, but..."

"It might not be someone behind Celestia, but someone behind Varion Belthera?" Bassena finished the thought, to which Zein responded with a nod. "That’s..." Bassena paused and tilted his head. "Well, that’s one possibility."

"Yeah," Zein nodded and started to walk again. "So, with that in mind, I thought of a place we could use."

There was a harsh glint inside the blue eyes, and Bassena stared at the guide blankly for a while. "...are you serious?"

"We don’t know if this conjecture is true, but it’s worth a try," Zein shrugged, before adding with a smile. "And if nothing comes out of it, we can just have a date there, no?"

"Well, I won’t say no to that."