There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 627: Side Story 1. The Twilight Zone - 9

Chapter 627: Side Story 1. The Twilight Zone - 9

Zein was never the type who was eager for medical check-ups. Doctors and healers were crazy expensive in the red-zone, so unless it was a life-and-death situation, no one bothered to go.

As long as you were still breathing, just gritted your teeth and endured it--was the mindset of the red-zone’s resident.

That mindset was carried away even after he became a green-zone resident and had enough money to buy the entire red-zone. That was why Radia insisted he made the reservation right away because, at the very least, Zein wouldn’t shirk away from a ’promise’.

That day, however, Zein looked very eager. He was already waiting inside the car in the parking lot even before the appointed time, with a not-so-eager and very nervous Bassena on his side. They couldn’t just stroll inside the doctor’s room ahead of time, considering their fame, so they had to wait where people couldn’t see them.

It had been a while since they had to use the inconspicuous black car and went out in disguise. But it couldn’t be helped; even after almost a month, Operation Fallen Star was still being talked about. Naturally, the one who officially slain the Fallen Star, as well as the one who guided the fragment to erase the miasma and the Deathzone, was at the center of attention.

From heroic tales to romantic ones, all kinds of stories were available to the public, whether it was real or spun with fantasy. And so, the main characters of those tales had to stay hidden unless they wanted to be swarmed with excited people.

They could only shiver when they imagined how the public would react if they found out Zein had visited the ob-gyn.

Of course, they would have to devise a system where Zein could have his routine visit without alerting the public, but that was for later. It would be a hassle, but Zein didn’t mind.

Not this time.

House Mallarc’s doctor had told them that Zein was definitely pregnant, but for some reason, it didn’t feel real yet until Zein’s doctor--Doctor Nam--said it. Of course, after the whole chaos of the doctor freaking out that they had no choice but to tell her about Bassena’s blessing.

Afterward, the doctor went back to her usual calm demeanor and proceeded with the examination. It was Zein’s first time experiencing an ultrasound, and while he was rather excited, Bassena was flustered.

"It’s hard to determine the exact date since you don’t know your cycle yet, but from the look of it, it seems like you’re just entering your fourth week," the doctor calmly said, but Bassena was choking on his saliva.

"S-so...it was conceived about three weeks ago?" Bassena asked.

"More or less," the Doctor nodded, deciding to just ignore Bassena’s reaction from now on.

Zein tilted his head and counted back, before smirking. "Heh...we were really making babies at my ancestor’s site, huh?"

Bassena hissed in a fluster at his fiance’s brash mouth, but the Doctor only raised her brow for a second before continuing.

"For now, let’s do a full medical check-up to determine your new condition after losing your mana," she clapped her hands. "I will prescribe some supplements for the pregnancy and schedule your next visit. As for Sir Vaski--"

Bassena straightened his back immediately, as if he was a soldier ready to heed the captain’s command. The Doctor chuckled inwardly, but she was rather glad for this kind of reaction--miles better than the indifferent one who didn’t even want to enter the consultation room.

"There’s nothing for you to do while waiting for the examination, so would you like to hear what should be done and avoided during pregnancy?" the Doctor smiled. "My staff will assist you with that, including what kind of food would be best for--"

"Yes!" the esper nodded firmly; the Doctor could almost see a fire blazing from those amber eyes. "Yes, please do. Please teach me."

This time, Doctor Nam could no longer hold her chuckle--and so did Zein, who rewarded the esper with a brief kiss before heading for his medical examination.

And to think the man was so distraught about the unplanned pregnancy before...

Thankfully, despite the rigorous sexual acts they did, nothing was wrong with the womb. Zein was secretly happy that the doctor did not ban them from sex as long as they did it moderately. With a bag full of supplements, they finished the check-up feeling even better than when they started.

Zein’s eagerness for the check-up, however, did not just stem from checking his pregnancy, but because he just wanted to do something. Anything.

Anything that could delay relaying this piece of news to Ishtera’s household.

In the end, however, they couldn’t delay it much. Any longer than that, and it would be even more chaotic. And so, both of them steeled their wit and pressed the conference button.

Yeah; no matter how much they steeled themselves, Zein and Bassena chose to hide behind the screen.

"We just had a get-together two weeks ago, so wouldn’t it be too much to gather the others in the same place again?" Bassena made an excuse while laughing timidly. "Everyone’s busy in different places, after all."

Zein wanted to laugh at how cute Bassena acted--but he couldn’t. He, too, felt somewhat terrified. Imprinted was one thing, getting engaged was already predicted. But pregnancy?

That being said, Zein didn’t like to dance on eggshells, so the moment the call was being connected to several accounts, and the prominent members of the household’s faces appeared on the screen, he shot it straight right away.

"I’m pregnant."

The silence afterward was rather nerve-wracking as well as comedic, because they could see the process of several different reactions in the divided screens.

Arlo and Lisa, as well as several youngsters, silently raised their hands and howled without a sound, doing some weird dancing. Those in Zein and Cohen’s generations were between shaking their head with an ’I knew it’ face or doing some money transaction on the back.

Did they bet on whether or not they would get pregnant before the wedding, or just causing chaos in general?

Whatever it was, Zein had no leeway to care because he might become a murderer shortly.

[You’re what?!]

Zein closed his eyes as the call was suddenly filled with the sound of coughing and wheezing. There was even a frightening beeping sound from the monitor and for a while, they could only wait until the Elder managed his breathing again. If he could.

[You...] wheeze, [...y-you!] a trembling finger pointed menacingly at the screen while an oxygen mask was being placed.

But even while waiting, there was no absence of gasping sound--because it seemed like Senan was about to get a heart attack too. [Y-young Master...]

Senan clutched her chest and wailing in agony. [Oh, my Gods--Young Master!]

Hmm...no matter what, isn’t this too much? It’s just a pregnancy...

Zein muttered inwardly, since he knew that saying it out loud would just worsen those old men’s conditions.

The elder, who could finally produce something other than hacking noises when he opened his mouth, seemed to grab the screen and pressed his wrinkly finger there. [Y-you! It must be you, you snake boy!]

"Uhh--well..."

[How dare you defile our Young Master!]

[They’re already engaged, though] Lisa shrugged from the corner screen. [What’s the big deal?]

[Shut up, you whippersnapper!]

[What even does that mean?]

Meanwhile, the scolded person, one of the strongest esper in the continent, shrunk and hid behind Zein, clutching the guide’s arms and letting out a nervous awkward laugh.

"Haa..." Zein sighed; well, he was the one who approached this without any delicacy, so he had to save his fiance. "It was me."

[...what?]

"The one who seduced him and told him to not use protection," Zein said nonchalantly.

A two-second silence ensued, before the conference call was filled with coughing and breaking sounds.

[Y-young Master!]

Senan, who had just knocked a vase on his house and got scolded by his eldest daughter, looked at the screen with widened eyes and lips parted in shock. Arlo and Lisa were laughing at the face those old people were making at Zein’s unfiltered confession.

[Oh, my Gods--this new generation...]

"Well, I didn’t know I could get pregnant, though..." Zein shrugged.

[What?]

"Hmm, so..."

Once again, Zein told other people about his womb; how he destroyed it, how it stayed inside for years, and how it got healed by Bassena’s blessing. As he talked, Zein realized the matter became easier and easier to come out, as if it was nothing more than a forgettable bitter past. As if it was merely an accident that could be laughed about.

Hmm...not bad--he ended the story with a lighthearted shrug.

[Oh, Gods...]

[Young Master...]

"But even if I knew I could, I’d still want to do it," said staring at the center of the screen, making it seem like he was looking straight at everyone’s eyes.

The blue eyes looked calm but also firm; clear and beautiful. It reminded the Elder and Senan of Lucia when she decided to finally marry Alteroan.

"Well, maybe in a more ’appropriate’ way, as you call it, but..." outside the frame of the camera, Zein held Bassena’s hand and gripped it tightly. "Yes, I wanted this."

"Zein..."

Bassena ducked below the frame because fuck--he was about to burst out crying. He felt like even if he still doubted himself about having kids, he would immediately cave if Zein asked him to with that face and tone full of sincerity.

[Haa...] Senan, rubbing his tumultuous face, could only sigh. [What can I do if Young Master is like this?]

[Gah--my heart...]

Zein chuckled as the Elder clutched his head despite calling for his heart. He glanced at the other members once before returning his gaze to the elder.

"Well, aren’t you happy?" he tilted his head. "It’s a blessing that I’m able to have kids in the first place."

The face of the Elder stirred; his eyes were still shaking, but it wasn’t just filled with shock and indignation like before.

"And this means our clan’s future will be guaranteed."

Senan blinked, and Cohen chuckled, opening the gate for the other--especially Arlo and Lisa--to clap and cheer openly. The Elder still didn’t look pleased, but what could he do? The others were happy, and more than anything, Zein was happy.

Besides, Zein was the patriarch, so he could literally do anything without consulting them. The fact that he did...the Elder couldn’t help but clutch his heart at the realization that Zein did not see them as just his subjects, but as a real family.

That feeling beat anything about the unexpected pregnancy.

[Ahem, well...in that case...] the Elder cleared his throat and removed his oxygen mask. He let out a long sigh and spoke seriously, albeit with a softer tone. [We should talk about the wedding then]

"Ah..."