There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 329 - 321. Iron Shield

Chapter 329: Chapter 321. Iron Shield

Radia came inside the Guildmaster’s office just as they were about to take a seat on the couch. A swirling dark portal that almost looked like a small dungeon gate appeared in the empty space beside the guildmaster’s desk, and Radia walked out of it along with his summon—the one called Nyx.

That was how Zein finally found out how Radia could save so much time juggling between his workplaces.

"I thought you can’t teleport inside the guild?" Zein tilted his head in intrigue.

"A dimensional portal has different principles from teleport," Radia replied casually, walking toward the head armchair while his summon closed the portal.

"How?"

"The ’dimension’ aspect," Bassena explained. "A teleportation skill like mine folded the space in the same dimension, whereas that portal is like walking through a dimension to arrive at another point."

"But Nyx can’t do it without making a mark in the designated location beforehand, since we’re practically blind inside the other dimension," Radia added further, before shifting his gaze toward Bassena. "Speaking of dimension, you bring back an interesting one."

The remnants of Golden Viper’s force. Bassena had thought he eliminated every adult esper, and drove the rest outside the Eastern Federation. But since he didn’t know about the sponsor, he couldn’t find those who were hiding. Now, he wondered how many had the sponsors absorbed to be their dogs.

"People who went through the Vaski’s training method are undoubtedly strong, but also prone to mental attack," Bassena said. "So you might easily get information from him."

That was the reason why he chose that person rather than the one wielding wind power.

Radia looked at Bassena with a smirk. "Like you?"

Yes; Bassena knew it because he was once part of those cruel training methods; making them hurt each other, enforcing their trauma to control their mind, and pulling out the latent power that came out through violent tendencies.

"Like me," he admitted easily; after all, he was also known for his temperament. "But I have the cure now, so..." Bassena shrugged, glancing at the guide who only chuckled in response.

"Well, I have to admit you only get mad if it’s about Zein now," Radia said. Compared to the past, Bassena rarely used the training chamber to vent anymore, and has become more patient when dealing with other people’s bullshit. Except, once again, if it was something about Zein. "But let’s stop talking among ourselves; we’ve left the guest hanging."

They turned to look at Senan, who was patiently waiting for these younger men to talk. He was also rather in awe about the portal, and somewhat aggravated knowing there was still a Vaski going after his young master out there. All in all, although he wasn’t a part of the conversation, it wasn’t fruitless.

"Pardon me for neglecting our guest; what would you like to drink?"

"Coffee," Bassena replied, even though it wasn’t directed at him.

"Hot chocolate," Zein added.

Senan, after being stared at by three pairs of eyes, replied hesitatingly. "Green tea?"

Radia snapped his fingers, and two new summons appeared—as usual, dressed in pantsuits like secretaries. These summon creatures supposedly had the ability of at least three-star espers, but for now, their job was to make refreshments.

"Is it going smoothly?" Zein asked while Radia took out a golden needle.

It had been a while since Zein smoked one, he realized; perhaps because he was at ease these days, even after finding his mother, even after the kidnapping. Meanwhile, Radia...seemed to be under a lot of stress these days.

"Well, as smoothly as one could expect," Radia replied casually, "You can’t expect a father to be happy about handing his son over to be investigated. I’m expecting his call in about half an hour, so let’s wait for his answer."

"What if he doesn’t call?"

"Then we play the hard game," Radia shrugged.

"And that is...?"

"The House Council’s trial."

Bassena and Zein looked at Radia in confusion, but Senan, as a direct vassal of an Old House, gasped. "That’s right! Young Master is a recognized member of the Old House now."

"Explain," Zein narrowed his eyes, and Senan told him about the trial, which was a private judgment held in front of the representative of the Eastern Federation’s Old Houses. It was clearly out of the federation law, and could be held if the holder of the vote requested the trial. "That seems to be..."

"Empowering the Old Houses more?" Radia smirked. "That’s the point."

"Hmm..."

As Zein felt conflicted between the debilitating privilege and the fact that he owned that privilege, Bassena got back into the topic. "And if he accepts the deal, what then?"

"Then I will need your help," Radia looked at Senan, finally reaching the reason why the middle-aged man was here. "Or rather, I will need Iron Shield."

Zein raised his brow. "What for?"

"To sponsor Celestia’s new faction," the three of them stared at Radia with narrowed, confused eyes. "You can’t think I asked him to hand his son over without any compensation, right?"

"And the compensation is sponsorship?"

"When you want to make a deal, you need to know the other party’s desire," Radia leaned back and took the cup given by his secretary. "Darleon Belthera is a good man, and his desire is pretty simple; he wants to solve his regret."

"Regret?"

"He used to be a Guildmaster who led a strong pillar of society, but he’s also had to watch that pillar get dirtied from within," Radia said. "Since he’s such a good, stoic man, he did not let himself get corrupted by the politics of the guild. But that, unfortunately, was what made him lose the power within the guild."

Zein tapped on the armrest to mull over the information, finding the connection it had with what Radia said earlier about sponsorship. "So...you’re saying that we’ll give him the power to battle that corruption?"

Radia made a finger gun and a clicking sound with his mouth. "There’s a lot of people like Askan Bellum; people who are strong-willed enough to resist the corruption within the guild, people who came to Celestia because they admire the Celestia that the academy textbook says."

"And you told Darleon Belthera to rally these people, make a new faction, and sponsor them so they have decision-making power in the guild?" Bassena concluded. "And that’s where the Iron Shield coming in?"

Radia nodded, and Senan stared at the surface of his warm green tea. "But why us? Why Iron Shield?"

"Well, I can’t use my company due to the law," Radia smiled. "And I thought it’s better to have Zein’s company do it instead or anyone else."

"It’s not my company," Zein muttered.

"You own the majority of it, Zein," Radia chuckled, amused at how the guide still battling with his newfound wealth.

"He’s right, Young Master," Senan nodded, and then looked at Radia. "But still, I don’t think our company has the financial might to contend with Celestia’s major shareholder."

Radia tapped on his armrest and looked at the ceiling while inhaling the golden needle. "Even with Zein’s full ninety-six percent?"

Senan stared at the surface of the tea in his hand again, contemplating the company’s condition. Iron Shield was no Mortix, but it also wasn’t just a back alley company, despite being situated in an orange-zone. The Kovacs, even when House Ishtera was still at its peak, had always been the vassal in charge of providing the clan with weapons. As a company, they have been providing affordable weapons for low to medium-rank espers and boasted the highest quality in similar markets, so it was rather a popular brand.

The fact that they were able to burden the cost of maintaining the Templar of Arms Master with only using half the revenue was enough proof of their success. The reason the headquarters was still in the orange-zone wasn’t that they were poor, but because it was the place Roan provided as an emergency measure. Certainly, the Elder had no heart to move out of that house until his last breath.

Senan sipped on his tea and closed his eyes as he made a rough calculation. "Hmm, perhaps...we could—but we might be left with no operational cost..."

"And if I were to inject my own money there?" Radia asked, in a light-hearted tone that sounded like he was simply doing online shopping. "Enough to make you one of the major shareholders in Celestia, without overshadowing Zein’s ownership."

Senan raised his brow, and immediately fell into a serious contemplative mode—after all, he was Iron Shield’s executive director. Zein, meanwhile, shifted closer to Bassena and whispered; "Explain to me like I’m five."

Smiling, Bassena started to explain how these investment things work while Zein tried to digest it with the help of hot chocolate as supplement. By the time Bassena was done with his dumbed-down explanation, Senan lifted his head.

"I need to call the Elder," he said.

"Of course."

Senan tapped on his commlink, and it didn’t take a long time for the call to go through. The voice of Boden Kovac, the elder, could be heard from the other side. [Senan, is Young Master alright?]

"I’m fine, Elder," Zein was the one who replied.

[Ah—greetings, Young Master]

Senan, however, cut the greeting because he recalled Radia told them Darleon Belthera would call in with an answer soon. "Elder, we don’t have much time, so I’ll tell you what happened..."

The middle-aged esper started to tell the Elder about Zein’s abduction the other day, as well as the attack last night and what Radia had suggested earlier.

[What?!] the Elder exclaimed, only to end up in a coughing fit. [Ahem—pardon me, Young Master]

"Take your time," Zein said, already used to the Elder’s exciting nature despite his body’s inability to follow it.

[Sponsorship...hmm...] they heard the elder muttered after wheezing for a minute and pondered wordlessly for another. [Young Master, even though my name is stated as the founder of the company, the real owner is still you, so you can decide on this thing by yourself]

Zein swallowed his sigh. "But what do you think, Gramps?"

They could hear another coughing sound, and Zein drank his hot chocolate while waiting for the Elder to regain composure.