There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 549 - 542. A Special Event

Chapter 549: Chapter 542. A Special Event

"Thank you for your hard work! You can leave it to me now!" Dheera playfully saluted Dean and Silva who were debarking from the ship.

Dean, who had been contaminated by Brisk for a long time now, returned the salute with a grin, while Silva just shook her head exasperatedly.

But she still gave sincere advice, placing a pouch of medicine in Dheera’s hand. "Drink this one right now, before embarking. It takes time to work, so consuming it when you’re already feeling sick will be too late. Take this one if the water became extremely choppy--especially during a fight. If it’s not enough, wear this patch and this ginger candy, and eat an apple if you have the chance."

"Okeydokey!"

Both guides patted their youngest before stepping onto the dock, and Dheera skipped joyfully to the ship while biting into the motion sickness tablet.

"Oh, it’ll be you this time?" a familiar voice welcomed her, and Dheera waved her hand at the swordsman leaning into the deck’s railing.

"Brother Gus!" she jumped onto the deck as if it was a stage and opened her arms. "Just be honest and tell me you missed my guiding."

"Obviously, I missed Zein’s guiding," the swordsman shrugged.

"Hey, you should humor a girl!" Dheera puffed his cheeks and Gus gave his concession.

"Yeah, yeah, I missed you too," Gus patted the grinning girl who reminded him of his little sisters.

"...why?"

Gus blinked and turned around at the quiet sound coming from behind him, and received a glare from the elemental princess. "Hmm? Did you say something?"

Senia flinched and turned her face away, pursing her lips. "Nothing."

"Then why are you scowling like that?" Gus tilted his head to chase the elementalist’s face. "Stop frowning, you’ll waste your pretty face."

The words had a rather reversing effect, because the scowl was getting deeper. "W-who’s pretty?!"

Naturally, the speaker was confused at this unusual reaction. "You?"

"I’m not!"

Was there someone who refused to be called pretty? Especially a girl?

But Senia stomped her feet on the deck, fuming. "I’m strong! I’m not pretty!"

It wasn’t just Gus this time, but Dheera was also confused. The swordsman blinked in bewilderment, but also amusement. "Well, yeah...you’re strong too, but...what’s wrong with being called pretty?"

"People can’t be pretty and strong!" the girl scowled even more, but her eyes were also a bit...glazed? Were those tears?

Gus narrowed his eyes at the apparent hurt that seemed to be rooted in some kind of trauma. He leaned down and asked in a softer tone. "Who said that?"

Unfortunately, Senia was clamming up already. She pressed her lips as if she was done with the conversation, which sometimes happened when the topic came to her past.

"That’s not true," Dheera peeked behind the swordsman. "People can be both strong and pretty--like Sister Rina!" she said confidently, before pointing to the dock. "And I know the strongest and prettiest person here!"

Gus and Senia turned to look at the dock, where their bosses were talking to the kitchen. Zein, who could feel some people staring at him, looked up to the ship’s deck where Dheera was waving with both her arms. Even with a mask, no one could dare to question his beauty.

"True," Gus laughed and nodded. "The prettiest man who can order our Commander around--definitely the strongest here."

"Right~?" Dheera giggled and Gus glanced at Senia, who was blinking dumbfoundedly.

He chuckled and patted the elementalist’s head, who was snarling in response--but also with reddened face and ear, which was quite a charming sight. Gus pinched the girl’s nose for an added measure before turning his gaze back toward the dock while his legs were being kicked by Senia. "And they looked lovey-dovey as usual," he said, unbothered by a physical assault from a magic-type esper.

"True!" Dheera giggled at the obvious lovestruck gaze the Serpent Lord had for her Captain, before stroking her chin like a keen observer. "Oh, maybe because..."

"Because?"

Gus’s gossip sense was tingling, and Dheera turned to face him with a grin. "I heard there will be a special event later."

"Special event?" the swordsman’s brow arched.

Dheera scooted closer and whispered at Gus and Senia. "Yeah, yeah! I heard it’s..."

* * *

The ship was sailing again after a short stop consisting of refueling the mana stones and replacing some personnel. Bassena did say they would come with a proper attack force, but he actually reduced the number of people on board.

Aside from Gus and Senia, the rest of the crew was different. The guides were replaced by Zein and Dheera, while Senan and Cohen came as bodyguards. Ignoring the two Borderland Unit members that counted as observers, there were only Bassena, Sierra, and a four-star healer called Charlot.

It was the size of a single attack squad, but no one was below four-star--basically like [Anzus].

Rather than getting ready for a raid, however, this mighty attack force was getting ready for a little event.

"Wedding?!" Senia was flabbergasted at the announcement that Bassena made.

"It’s true?" Gus chuckled at the leak he heard earlier.

"It’s true!" the source of the leak raised her arms joyfully.

The plethora of reactions was enough to liven up the stiff ship that was designed for assault rather than a leisure cruise. There was really nothing to prepare, though--not even chairs or a table of food. Bassena was explaining to the other personnel, while the Borderline couple was talking to Zein. The ship Captain himself was busy reading an onlink book about how to officiate a wedding for first-timers.

"Why in the ship?" Senia’s bewilderment turned into curiosity.

"Because I can’t go to the registry office," Agni replied with a shrug. Naturally, there was no such thing in the Borderland either. "And we have a ship Captain with us, so..."

Senia tilted her head. "What’s that got to do with anything?"

Gus proceeded to explain that historians found a note about certain professions marrying people during the age of apocalypse when the administrative power of a government was essentially nonexistent. This included militia generals, temporary governors, and ship captains.

"Oh..."

"It’s more symbolic and not really legally binding in this age, but..."

The Borderland did not care much about legal stuff. Still, it was better to have something symbolic at least, to make it feel more sacred. Agni himself did not think they needed to legalize their relationship with a piece of paper from the government that betrayed and oppressed him, but since it was something that Ron wanted to do, he didn’t mind it.

Perhaps, hearing about the Guildmaster and the Night Star’s wedding grew something in Ron’s heart.

"Ah, don’t mind us," the berserker waved his hand dismissively to the people who were looking at them in a mix of astonishment and fascination. "We only need the Captain; you don’t have to lounge around to attend it."

"What are you talking about?" Zein rolled his eyes.

"So you’re not going to invite us?" Bassena raised his brow and took out a bottle of expensive champagne that only people from the green-zone could buy. "We even bring this stuff."

And then he proceeded to take out more wines that Cohen promptly transferred to a table. Agni raised his brows high before exclaiming loudly.

"Hah! Of course, we welcome people with tickets!"

Pfft--perhaps Dheera was right when she called this an ’event’. Naturally, no one felt like sitting out on an interesting spectacle like an impromptu wedding on a ship, even if they barely knew the couple. They were familiar with Ron, who visited them monthly at least, but the berserker was a different story, since he had to stay in the Borderland almost all the time.

Still, there was nothing wrong with celebrating a happy occasion together, even with strangers.

Even when the place was the last thing people would associate with a happy occasion or celebration of love.

"I never thought I’d be seeing a wedding in the Deathzone," Gus chuckled while setting up his commlink to capture the process later--thankfully, the ship was fitted with a purification device.

"I know, right?"

"If you ask Radia, he might be able to bring you an officiator," Bassena said regretfully. Wouldn’t it be better if they could make it legal while at it?

But Agni just shrugged. "Eh, why bother?"

Interestingly, it didn’t sound like a lack of interest in making things official. They just had been in a steady relationship for so long that stuff like that hardly mattered, as they had great assurance over their bond. It didn’t matter if they didn’t do it, but when a chance showed up--why not?

"This is a perfect place for me," Ron said with a smile. "My father’s soul should be wandering somewhere, perhaps watching us."

"You mean cursing us?" Agni chuckled while looking up, wondering if that man was really somewhere near. "Never thought I’d be marrying my former boss’s son, but here we are!"

"Whoa...that’s some afternoon drama material," Gus clapped in fascination as the berserker laughed--it was also fascinating to see that red hair light up for a bit at every laughter.

And from how bright the ship was, it was safe to say that the berserker was quite happy about the whole thing.

"Afternoon? I think we can put it in primetime," Dheera argued, while Senia narrowed her eyes.

"You guys watch dramas?"

"Of course!"

"Sush," Zein snapped his fingers to tone down the noise level. "Let’s start this quickly before we attract unwanted attention."

"Let’s!"