There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 369 - 361. Playing Field

Chapter 369: Chapter 361. Playing Field

When Zein arrived in the Peak, Senan and Cohen were already there to accompany him as his bodyguards. Interestingly enough, Jock was also there.

"It feels like it’s been such a long time," Zein greeted the man, whose position had been replaced by Bassena for the past few weeks.

And honestly, the only reason Bassena wasn’t there with him right now was because he had another stuff tasked by Radia.

"It is," Jock smiled amiably. He had gotten fond of going around with Zein and learning about the world’s conspiracy--more or less. "And I have a feeling you won’t need my service anymore in the future," he said while glancing at the Kovacs.

"It was hard to tell the Elder to stay home," Senan said, shaking his head. "But it’s not like we’re going for leisure, so--"

"So we bribe him with your pictures, Young Master--if you would," Cohen raised his arm, pointing his commlink’s camera toward Zein, who just chuckled lightly as he let the police snap some pictures of him smartly dressed in the suit Radia carefully picked for him.

"Can a police officer have a side job?" Zein tilted his head. The time during the night ambush on the lakeside was a secretive move, so Cohen being there wasn’t such a big deal, as long as he wasn’t found out.

This one, however, was an official public appearance. Well, although it was secretive too, in nature, since it was the Houses meeting.

"Oh, I quit," Cohen said lightheartedly, with a grin. "I only became a police officer to get access to registered citizens--which you weren’t a part of, unfortunately. Never had a heart for that, I’m afraid, so..."

"Huh? What are you doing now, then?" Zein asked curiously.

"He’s preparing himself for another tower’s trial," Senan said. "And then he’ll join the brigade."

"Your wedding--"

"No wedding," Cohen crossed his arms. "Girl only wants a police officer, turned out."

Senan smirked and patted the younger man’s back. "Better know now, don’t you think?"

"I guess," Cohen shrugged. The man didn’t look heartbroken or anything, so perhaps he was only accepting because the girl was being persistent, and feelings hadn’t grown too much yet.

"Well, if it’s what you want to do," Zein peered at Cohen’s eyes.

Cohen shrugged, smiling a bit loosely than when he was an officer. "It is, for now."

"We always welcome new workers--I mean, members," Radia said as he walked down the stairs with the matriarch. "In case you want a chance of pace."

Cohen smiled and bowed politely. With Zein and Arlo in Trinity, it almost felt like the Iron Shield became the guild’s association. He went outside with Jock then, to prepare the portal they were going to use.

"Aren’t you looking dashing, Young Head," Ludya Mallarc said with a subtle smile, as Radia relayed his grandmother’s hand to Zein.

"Your turn, Young Head," he said. "Now, I have to fly. Goodbye, Grandma," he gave the matriarch a quick peck on her cheek, before dashing toward the door.

"He put his old grandmother to work and just went away like that," Ludya shook her head and sighed exasperatedly.

Radia turned his head with a grin on his face. "I love you ever so much," he said cheerfully, before vanishing behind the door.

"Still a rascal," the matriarch grumbled lightly while holding onto Zein’s elbow.

"Well, at least he’s a lot cheerful now," Zein commented. Even though he had a mountain of things to do for this counter-operation, Radia looked more energetic than ever.

"Love truly does wonders," Ludya muttered. There was a hint of solemnity and respect in her voice, as if she was proud of something--which, Zein had a feeling, wasn’t about Radia. He stared at the matriarch inquisitively, but the old woman only smiled with a cryptic twinkle in her eyes. "Shall we?"

* * *

"You know him, don’t you?" Zein asked in the middle of the quiet drive, inside the limousine they used after they arrived in Rexon.

He didn’t specify who, but he didn’t need to. Ludya glanced at him briefly, before responding with an amused smile. "I do. Well, I did," she said. "He came to me boldly, in secret, making such an outrageous proposal that I would have thrown him away if it wasn’t so amusing."

"May I know what?"

She let out a long, nostalgic sigh. "He told me he wanted to make a trade," she started. "He said he would protect my grandson, and destroy the device that would harm him continuously in the future."

"So you knew about this matter from the start?" Zein raised his brow.

"Oh, yes," Ludya smiled a bit wider. "I knew of its existence, but nothing more. And then he made a contract with me to never speak of it to anyone until he’s done with his mission. Well, I guess it meets the stipulated time, don’t you think?"

"I guess so," Zein nodded. The device had been broken, and Radia was saved--from that system, at least. "But, you were saying something about trade?"

"Ah, yes," the matriarch stretched her lips. "He told me to keep Radia free of suitor."

Zein blinked and crossed his arms in fascination. "He did try to cover all bases."

"Quite an amusing young man, that one," he chuckled softly. "I’ve told him that I could stave my grandson from people who tried through the family, but I couldn’t prevent Radia from falling in love."

Zein felt the corner of his lips lifted. "And what did he say?"

Ludya turned to look at Zein with an amused smirk. "’I’ll take care of that myself’ he said."

Zein chuckled. That confidence was very much like Han Joon, as well as the valiance to jump into the enemy’s camp, spending years searching for a dangerous system just for his beloved darling--and not for anyone else.

Radia was right; the man was obsessed with him.

"Ah, we’re here."

Zein looked outside the window, as the car started to enter the Presidential Palace--although, it would be more precise to call it Presidential Tower. It was used as the center of command during the Age of Apocalypse, and once the condition became more stable, the tower was fixed and rebuilt into a majestic-looking centerpiece.

Fitted with more security measures than any public building in the Eastern Federation, the President lived on one of the three residential floors, while his staff and bodyguards stayed up and above said floor. Leading to the entrance of the tower were two paths flanking a neat artificial river, which ended in a big fountain depicting Rexon--one of the heroes leading the fortress city in the past.

"You see, Young Head, my grandson wasn’t the first target of such atrocities in my family," Ludya said as the car moved through the path. Zein looked at her, recalling how Radia said his grandmother always told him to stay away from the military. "But all this time, even though I knew, there was nothing I could do. I had to see a man--no, a boy who barely turned adult--do it for me."

The voice, while soft, was undeniably cold. The red gaze reminded Zein that this old woman was, after all, the matriarch of the Mallarc, the one who raised and taught Radia.

"Today, I can finally do something, so..." the crimson eyes gleamed under the dim evening light, "I’ll see this through even if I have to wage war with all Houses."

Unconsciously, Zein tensed up as the car stopped below the steps leading up to the tower’s entrance. He didn’t mean to, but in this new playing field in which he had never taken part before, he had to come with a blazing sword instead of a calm observer. With not even a tutorial stage, he had to proceed with a war.

Fortunately for him, he had a veteran player by his side. "Now, Young Head, you should relax," Ludya patted the guide’s tensing shoulder, rubbing it a little bit until Zein got rid of any expression on his face. "Good. Unclenched your fist because you’re not going to use it inside," she said, looking at him with gleaming eyes.

As Jock and Senan climbed down the car to open the passenger door, Ludya looked at Zein and smiled deeply. "In politics, my dear, the first step in a war is not to look tough," and then the smile changed, smaller this time, softer and more amiable. "It’s to look like you have no clue of what’s going on."

Zein blinked in surprise, and Ludya patted his arm. "Yes, just like that."

The door opened at the same time, and Zein took a deep breath before alighting. He offered his arm again for Ludya, and they climbed the steps while she grumbled about how this place wasn’t so friendly to the elderly who weren’t espers. Midway through, they saw a man around Calix’s age, who looked as if he was there waiting for them.

"Good evening, Matriarch," the man greeted them, offering his hand to Ludya. "It’s hard to see your lovely face these days."

"Yuria," the matriarch took the hand and let the man kiss the back of his hand. "I don’t know you’ll come by yourself."

"Well, what can I do? Calix threatened that he wouldn’t play with me again if I sat this one out," the man chuckled, before shifting his gaze toward Zein. "But I get to meet the elusive young Patriarch of House Ishtera, so I guess it’s even out."

Zein took the man’s offered hand for a handshake while the matriarch introduced the man to him. "This is Yuria Apsoro," she said simply, without any more explanation.

It was easy to deduce, however. Just for the earlier conversation, it was clear that this man was a friend of Radia’s father, and that meant he was the memory reader that Radia talked about.

"Luzein Ishtera. Thank you for your help," Zein said with a nod, which prompted a little smirk to appear on Yuria’s unassuming face.

"Don’t fish me out like that," he chuckled and signaled for them to continue walking. "Besides, I’m not going to do anything today. I’m merely going to follow Madam Ludya."

"That’s right," the matriarch nodded. "All you have to do is follow me."

As they neared the end of the steps, Zein looked up at the tower; the Presidential Palace. There were enough guards today to create a guild, coming from the presidential staff itself and the guards of the other Houses. Tonight, with his formal appearance, Zein would enter the world he didn’t even know existed before. All eyes, before and during the meeting, would be on him.

But he wouldn’t falter, for there was a more sinister gaze looming in the east, waiting to devour him. And this meeting was just another step to weaken that sinister gaze; nothing more, nothing less.

Before they entered the building, Yuria smiled widely and patted Zein’s back. "Let’s get this over with and sleep soundly tonight."