There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 328 - 320. Voluntary Pawn

Chapter 328: Chapter 320. Voluntary Pawn

"So this is the place," Jock swept his gaze at the slightly messy estate as his subordinate worked on ’cleaning’ the intruders. Zein had called him to take the two living captives and reunite them with the other Celestia espers back in Mallarc’s dungeon.

"Ah, right; it’s your first time here, isn’t it?" Zein followed the bodyguard’s gaze.

Jock looked at the house and the lake that he was sure would be much more beautiful if it wasn’t for all the nicks and gashes. Right now though, with the half-done building, the trash yard, and partially felled trees, the place looked more like somewhere people would hide a body than having a vacation.

But the secluded nature of the place truly fitted Zein’s personality, and he could see the guide spending time here just getting away from the chaotic metropolis.

As for the security...

He looked at the house. "So there’s a bunker there?"

"Yeah, it’s how we can hide the others without being caught by detection," Zein explained. The bunker was designed with that in mind in the first place, not only for protection against attack, but also detection from enemies. "There are two tunnels leading outside; one beneath the helipad, and one to a shed in the forest."

"That’s neat," Jock nodded. It was also very Zein-like to be this cautious. At least, a protective bunker should be more secure than barriers.

"If only we had this kind of thing back then..." Senan let out a regretful sigh.

Zein couldn’t help but agree. If this house had been equipped with an impenetrable hidden bunker, they could have hidden Lucia here, at least until they could search for help.

"There’s nothing to do about it," Bassena slung his arms around Zein’s shoulder. "The technology to build that efficiently did not exist until like...twenty years ago."

While safety bunkers designed to withstand dungeon breaks had existed since a long time ago, only governmental buildings and critical infrastructure were allowed to have them. Those who wanted to build it as a private building would need to cough up an exorbitant amount of money to purchase the permit from the government. And with how much material and technology cost back then, only conglomerates could have them.

It was only after an outbreak tragedy befalling a yellow city in area-11 around twenty-four years ago that the citizens started rallying, demanding the government to stop gatekeeping the bunker permit and technology. After the government relented, construction companies and the dungeon material procession industry went into a frenzy, trying to develop more efficient, cheaper ways of making these bunkers so they would be marketable.

Now, building a bunker was still expensive, but not anywhere near the original amount. While it was still difficult for an individual without much buying power to build, a lot of apartments were now being equipped with communal bunkers in case another outbreak were to happen in the middle of the city.

"Well...it’s good that we have this now. I didn’t think we’d get to use it before the house was even completed," Zein shrugged. That was another reason why he chose to do it here, and not someplace else. And why he agreed to have the Iron Shield help him.

"That’s true," Jock nodded. "Alright, I’m going to take those people now," he said, cocking his head toward his subordinates, who were waiting in the van with the two captives.

"Thank you," Zein gave the man a little nod, and watched him drive away with the other shadow guards.

It was rather weird to know that it wasn’t them with him last night, because he had been used to their presence. He glanced at Senan, who had been looking at Jock with envy; the gaze of someone questioning ’Why you? Why not me? It should be my place.’

Zein swallowed his sigh and shifted his gaze toward the other Iron Shield members; the former Templar of Arms Master. The new generations, like Arlo and Lisa, did have their own aspirations, and things they wanted to do. But the older ones, the ones in Zein’s age range or older, were people whose aspirations were centered around the clan--around him.

A brigade, huh...

He had no image of this brigade Senan said, but perhaps...if it was something like the Mallarc’s shadow guard--not to shadow him everywhere, but a troop to help him do things, searching for information...

"Radia said he’ll be back after lunch, so let’s have another grilling party and go home after," Bassena broke Zein’s contemplative state, reminding the guide as to why he felt hungry.

"Barbeque again?" Zein raised his brow.

"What’s wrong with it?" Bassena, the chef, pursed his lips slightly, before grinning. "But we’ll have grilled fish this time."

The blue eyes brightened. "Oh?"

* * *

Senan had been to Althrea before, when Zein accepted his inheritance. But this would be the first time he came to Trinity. He had to admit that he was rather happy; he had never joined a guild before, and Trinity was home to not only Zein, but also Arlo.

He just didn’t know why he was there.

As they wrapped up the lunch in the lakehouse, Zein suddenly asked if he could come with him to Trinity--which Senan obviously responded affirmatively. So he boarded the helicopter and was now walking through the guild lobby with Zein and Bassena, wearing a visitor tag around his neck.

"Captain!" an energetic voice called out when they walked toward the elevator, and Senan saw a group of young guides in black uniforms skipping toward Zein. "I thought you were not coming to work today?"

"No," Zein stretched out his hand and placed it against the incoming guide’s forehead to prevent them from getting closer and hugged him. "I never said I’m not coming to the guild."

"But we’ve been working, though?" Bassena tilted his head. "We’ve been working so~ hard..."

"That’s hard for you?" Zein rolled his eyes and faced the young guides again. "You’re not slacking off just because I’m not here, are you? There’ll be a monthly exam next week as scheduled."

The young guides groaned and pouted, but Senan could see it wasn’t because they weren’t respecting Zein; those kids just wanted to act spoiled and chase their Captain’s attention. The moment those blue eyes narrowed, they straightened their back and saluted, even while grinning.

And of course, they could only do that if they were comfortable with Zein in the first place, and realizing this put a smile on Senan’s face. Sure, Arlo told him how good Trinity was, but that didn’t always equal a good relationship. Senan had to hold himself from going after those guides and asked them about how Zein was usually during work.

"Is the Guildmaster here, Lex?" Zein asked a man in a dark red suit who walked toward them.

"He’s in his way," Lex said while giving a tablet to Bassena. "Review this while you’re going up, please. You promised me you’d do it yesterday."

"Oops?"

Senan looked at Zein and asked as they entered the elevator. "Is it the Guildmaster that asked me to come?"

"Mm," the guide nodded. "But I also had no idea what he wants."

"Probably something to do with today’s meeting, no?" Bassena chimed in.

"The report, Sir."

"I’m reading them."

Zein chuckled and patted the esper’s cheek, before turning his head toward Senan. "Radia is meeting Celestia’s former Guildmaster today," he told the middle-aged man.

"Darleon Belthera?" Senan narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"To solve all of this, supposedly," Zein shrugged, and turned to Bassena this time. "Do you think he’ll get through? I mean, we basically asking a father to deal with his son."

Bassena did not lift his head from the report that he had to review, but Zein could see the deep smile on the esper’s face. "He has to choose between dealing with his son himself or letting other people deal with the bastard."

Zein nodded. People would tend to choose the less painful thing. But then, he also didn’t know what kind of father Darleon was.

"Why do you take such a roundabout way to deal with this?" Senan frowned, his voice seemed to be on edge.

He had heard more about what happened to Zein while waiting for daybreak, and he had no hesitation to end those attackers’ lives afterward. Especially knowing that Varion sent people with unsavory morals who had committed a lot of illegal things--literal crimes--under the radar just because they were part of the biggest guild.

Sufficed to say that he wished he could just do the same to the one giving them the order.

Not to mention, Zein also told him about the possibility of someone else behind this; someone behind the Golden Viper who wanted to take Lucia and her baby for their own.

"Because we still have no idea who’s behind Varion," Bassena explained after giving his signature on the document. "Radia probably has an idea who it was, but we still need evidence to prove it. So of course, questioning the man would be the way to go."

"But we want to do this as clean as possible," Zein added. "Taking this to the court or blatantly capturing him would be too messy, and we can’t afford that when we had to deal with the preparation for Deathzone."

"Well," Bassena glanced at the middle-aged man and smiled. "Let’s just trust Radia with this. Upper society is his game, so just let him move his pawn."

"Like us?" Zein smirked through the reflection.

Bassena shrugged. "Like us."

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