There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 542 - 535. Robbing a Goddess

Chapter 542: Chapter 535. Robbing a Goddess

"Temple?" Han Joon tilted his head. "Which Temple?"

Before the old man could answer, a significant amount of mana was swirling in the courtyard, and several figures manifested above the appearing teleportation circle.

"You can’t help it if it’s from the Temple?" Han Jon asked in a whisper.

"Because they are using the Goddess’s power," the old man grumbled. "Rejecting them means rejecting the Goddess, isn’t it?"

"Haha..."

When the light from the teleportation spell receded, they could finally see the figures better; three people in white robes; one of them had blue stripes on it. Zein, who was just turning around so he could see them better, scoffed.

"Hmm...feels familiar..." Zein did not recognize the other two, but the one with the blue stripes was the one taking him from the street of Althrea at that time. "Did you receive a promotion?"

The old man and Han Joon arched their brows as they shifted their gaze to Zein. "You know them?"

The guard captain at the front smiled a little bit and bowed politely, followed by the other two. "Pardon me for the interruption, Sir Tian Yu. Her Ladyship requests Sir Luzein’s attendance."

"Oh, so that Temple," Han Joon nodded.

"But why would Lady Frejya want to see Zein?" the old man looked at Han Joon confusedly while Zein stood up and scooted to the edge of the elevated platform.

Han Joon chuckled--it seemed that the old man truly did not follow the outside news. They did leave this kind of thing out of the news they gave to the old man. Although, to be fair, Han Joon also had to do some catch-up once he spent his libido on the honeymoon.

"Do you know his nickname?" the ex-soldier leaned closer to the old man to whisper. "It’s the ’lost child of Frejya’; he’s the northern temple’s Saint candidate."

"...huh," the old man blinked. He did hear that House Ishtera received Frejya’s blessing, but he thought it had ended once the clan moved to the East.

Zein didn’t seem to be bothered by the sudden appearance of the Templars, as if he had gotten used to it. He patted his pants calmly before facing the guards, who were still standing on top of the shimmering magic circle.

"I thought it’s hard for Her to do this?" Zein flicked his gaze toward the Templars.

"This mountain is on the border," the Captain replied simply.

"I see," Zein nodded and turned toward the two espers still sitting on the table. "Would it be alright if I go first?"

The old man scoffed. "Can I even say it’s not alright?"

Zein smiled and shrugged. "I’ll contact you later through those big brothers, Grandpa," he pointed at Han Joon, who was smirking in return.

"Would you need a lift home?" Han Joon asked the practical question.

"Her Ladyship will send him to the Borderland," the one who replied was the Captain. "We do realize it is impertinent of us to barge in like this, but we hope you can let it slide, Sir. It’s hard for Her Ladyship to make contact while Sir Luzein is in the Deathzone."

"I got it, just make sure this ’request’ benefits this young man," Tian Yu waved his hand as if shooing them away.

Zein chuckled as the Templars smiled wryly in response. Naturally, it wasn’t in their power whether or not Zein would gain something from the Goddess. "Don’t worry," he said as he walked to the magic circle. "I’ll make sure I get something myself."

"Good," the old man grinned proudly, as if this young man he only met a few hours ago was his own grandson.

"Please calm my boyfriend down, will you?" Zein turned around once he was on top of the teleportation circle and looked at Han Joon. "Tell him to maintain his level in yellow."

Han Joon made a circle with his thumb and index finger, and they watched with interest as the two guards in the back draped a blue robes over Zein’s shoulder, before the light of the teleportation magic whisked the guide away.

"What a fancy way to move schedule," Han Joon laughed softly. There was always interesting thing happening when Zein was in proximity.

"Can’t they at least wait until he spend more time here?" Tian Yu grumbled while slapping his table.

"It’s because you agree too easily, old man," Han Joon smirked. "If you agree tomorrow, he would stay here until tomorrow."

Tian Yu smacked the younger esper’s arm, hissing. "This cheeky brat!"

* * *

Just like before, Zein was transported to the base of the white tree. It had been more than two years since he was there, but it seemed the guards and priests still recognized him because they immediately greeted him.

Before he could even climb the stairs to the middle sanctuary, he was tackled by a combination of a fluffy white rabbit and a girl that he could no longer call ’little’.

"Zein!" Elena, who was a proper teenager this time, still hugged Zein the same way she did before.

And Cloudy was just Cloudy, nuzzling into the guide’s chest first chance it got.

"You’re taller now," Zein patted the girl’s head, which had reached his chest. She looked up and grinned, the pearl necklace from Zein circling her neck.

"Let’s go! Let’s go!" her cheery voice and disposition did not change at all, and Zein had hoped it stayed like that as long as she could. "Hurry with your talk and let’s have some tea after."

"What if She wants to have a long talk?" Zein asked teasingly while following the teenage girl who was pulling on his arm. As usual, the white rabbit merely snuggling in Zein’s embrace.

"I already asked Her to not hold you for too long," Elena patted her chest.

It would sound quite rude if it was someone else, but Zein knew Frejya had a soft spot for this girl. Well, he was glad that the favor hadn’t waned. This also meant he wouldn’t have to spend days here like before--most likely--and he wouldn’t have to face a grumbling Bassena once he got back--although the esper was rather cute when he sulked.

"Brother Zein..." the girl suddenly wriggled Zein’s arm, eyes staring at Zein’s wrist. "Do you not wear my bracelet?"

This one’s sulky face was also cute.

"I put it on Bassena for now," Zein said while holding back his chuckle. "He’s prone to corrosion when I’m not around, and no one can guide him but me, so I left the precious bracelet to help him."

The girl perked up when Zein called her gift ’precious’ and giggled, the disappointment vanished from her face.

"I like this one, it’s pretty..." she fiddled with her necklace.

"Are you not going into trouble for wearing it?"

"I don’t care," she pursed her lips. "Why can’t I wear it when you’re here?"

So she did get in trouble--Zein laughed inwardly. He patted the girl’s head, whose random letters were one of the things that helped him get through the Deathzone.

"Was it hard?" she asked quietly when they climbed to the upper sanctuary. "I...I heard about what happened recently--I saw the clip..."

So it had circulated that far?

"It was," Zein nodded, and the fingers holding his hand tightened. "But we knew it was going to be hard. We’re facing something that used to be a Celestial Being, after all."

"Was it scary?" Elena looked at Zein while biting her lips. She couldn’t help but imagine himself in the older guide’s position, to be inside that darkness and facing that giant creature...

"Scary..." Zein muttered and looked up, traveling through his memory.

Honestly, he never thought about it. Was the clone scary? Was the battlefield scary? At that moment, all he could think about was how to go through everything safely--how to survive. On the battlefield, there was no leeway to think whether it was scary or not.

But...

"Rather than scared of the enemies...I was more scared of losing people," Zein replied after a while, thinking back on how anxious he was about Bassena’s state.

"Oh..." for the girl who lived his life within the safe confined of the Temple, Elena didn’t know anything about the battlefield. But she knew well about the fear of losing someone close to her. "Then," she turned and gripped Zein’s hand tightly, tugging the older guide closer before whispering to his ear. "Make sure to get some help from Her."

Zein laughed and patted her head again. Well, he would have done it even without her encouragement. It was probably weird, to seek help from the Temple of Frejya rather than the Tempe of Mago--which was located in the Eastern Federation--but Zein was more comfortable with Frejya than Mago.

Besides... the Temple was still in the middle of a restructuring effort, so he didn’t want to distract them with the Deathzone.

Not that he felt the priest could last in the Deathzone more than a week, anyway.

"Anyway," Zein looked up to the gate of Sky Garden in front of them. "I wonder what She wants this time."

With a question and anticipation, Zein stepped through the door he hadn’t seen in two and a half years, carrying a fluffy rabbit in his arm.