There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 51 - 50. The Crimson Flower

Finally sitting on the expensive-looking couch, Zein focused his gaze on the man across from him. Looking at the crimson eyes and deep red hair, at the smooth and relaxed way the man carried himself, Zein instantly thought of the red flower in Trinity’s emblem.

A red, poisonous flower.

Aside from Zein, no one else was sitting down. Bassena stood behind his chair, and the others, including Han Shin, stood by the side. Zein had heard that Radia Mallarc was the only one that could control Bassena and Han Shin, and he finally believed that now.

"It’s quite a boisterous event," the man said with a smile, leaning back with his elbow propped on the chair’s arm. "Your entry, that is."

"I never intended for that," Zein shrugged. Now that his defensive instinct had waned, he could face the man with a more relaxed attitude.

"Of course, you didn’t," Radia let out a crisp chuckle. "If you want to make an uproar, you could simply take out your mask in a crowded place," the man held up his hand, and someone in a neat butler livery put a small, thin tablet screen on his palm. The crimson eyes looked at the screen, as a deep smile bloomed on his face. "Haa—without even any make-up. Ahh~beautiful people are truly scary..."

It was then that Zein knew this man was looking at his guide license picture. The government’s guide directory that could be accessed publicly never included the guide’s picture for safety reasons. The photograph was only available on the license card and the internal directory that was only accessible to government agents.

Even then, Zein only agreed to put his masked picture there, and the unmasked one had to be accessed with high-rank clearance since he was an A-class. Except for those who worked in the Center today and the higher-ups, other people shouldn’t be able to access Zein’s unmasked picture.

And yet, Radia Mallarc easily fished out that classified information like he was looking at a social media account.

It was a show of power, Zein realized.

Except for Bassena and Han Shin, no one in that room had laid their eyes on Zein’s face, and the guide still wore his mask even now. So they unconsciously stared keenly at the guide, successfully garnering a cold glare from the esper standing behind the man like some kind of bodyguard.

"Hmm...I guessed you just come here to get measured, huh?" Radia handed the tablet back to the man behind him and looked at Zein with the same deep smile. "You don’t seem to have any interest in joining a guild?"

For some reason, Zein felt like he should never avert his gaze from this seemingly harmless man, so he answered while staring straight at the crimson eyes. "No."

Would other unaffiliated guides say ’no’ with such a deadpan tone in front of Mortix’s Chairman? Probably not. But Zein’s only guild experience was of ten years slave contract and another three years of unfair one. Trinity might be a completely different guild than Umbra, but Radia Mallarc let out an even more dangerous vibe than other rogue guides’ Guildmasters.

Zein glanced at the man with the butler livery, as well as a woman who seemed to be Radia’s secretary. Another man stood up near the door, but Zein didn’t need to look at that man to know who—what he was. What they all were.

The crimson man’s subordinates were summoned creatures.

To summon creatures with enough intelligence to be his assistants would require a tremendous amount of magic energy, and it was enough for Zein to feel guarded.

So it might be foolish to announce his disinterest that blatantly, but Zein wasn’t felt that good about becoming this man’s subordinate. A feeling that he might be trapped into becoming this man’s tool...or something.

But fortunately for him, Radia didn’t look offended. Although, it could also become a mere trap. The man spoke with a slight chuckle; "Which means you wouldn’t agree to other guilds’ offer too, right?"

"That’s right," Zein replied succinctly.

"Yes, it’s understandable if we look at your personality," the man nodded. Zein wondered what kind of personality he was in this man’s view, but he just let Radia continue. "So I’m quite appalled as to why the two people who supposedly knew you better than myself made all this ruckus,"

"My thought exactly," Zein shrugged.

The crimson eyes curled into bloody crescents and for a second, and the room seemed to be somewhat colder. From the side, Zein could hear Han Shin letting out a cough as if something was stuck in his throat.

"I was panicked!" the healer hastily said. "You know how much we need him for the project!" fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

"Shin made me panicked!" even Bassena defensively explained himself.

"What—you traitor! I didn’t tell you to exactly kidnap him in front of others!"

"You’re the one who told me he was about to be kidnapped by Celestia!"

Interestingly, Zein saw the crimson eyes twitch slightly. "Haa...Shin, you can’t act desperate during the negotiation process," Radia sighed, but Zein didn’t think the man even meant it. He just liked messing with those two, it seemed. "And you do know how much we need to cover up your outburst at the Center, don’t you, Bas?"

Both the bickering espers immediately quiet down, and Zein felt something familiar from Radia. It was the familiar feeling of an older brother taking care of two unruly younger brothers. Tilting his head for a bit, Zein felt like his caution level had gone down slightly because of that.

"Uh, yeah, sorry," Bassena murmured and finally decided to take a seat beside Zein. "But isn’t it better that people thought he’s ours? They would no longer harass him at least," he shrugged with a grin, completely without remorse.

Radia let out a smirk before shifting his gaze back to Zein with narrowed eyes. "Well, since you kidnap him anyway, I can’t just let the opportunity pass, can I?"

The man flashed a smile that felt nothing but business. Like those skulking predators in front of prey. "And the fact that you agree to be brought here means you have at least an intention to hear the offer,"

"Well, since I’ve been kidnapped anyway," Zein replied as another staff came in with a tray of drinks.

Despite having several people in the room, there were only two glasses on the tray. One of them belonged to Zein, and was filled with chocolate-colored liquid and ice cubes.

Ice cubes. Zein stared at the glass keenly. So luxurious. Seemed delicious.

Bassena leaned to whisper in his ear while taking the glass and putting it in Zein’s hand. "It’s iced chocolate,"

"Please have a drink while listening to our offer," Radia smiled and gave a signal to his ’secretary’.

She walked to the opposite side and procured a document to be handed to Zein, but Bassena took it since the guide was busy staring at the cool glass in his hand. She went to Director Lee Minho who had been standing watching with interest for a while and gave the man the same document. The last person he gave the document to was a woman in a business suit who came with Radia earlier, bearing Mortix’s mobius ring badge on her suit’s collar.

"What—you prepared a contract already?" Han Shin scooted toward Director Lee, reading the document together. But even with only a glance, he could tell that the contract was nothing like any contracts Trinity had. "Whoa...this is...something."

"I will explain the abridged version of it since the weather is hot," Radia started. Zein thought the room was perfectly cool, but he just wordlessly retracted his mask and sipped on the sweet drink while looking at the Guildmaster—the usual gasping response from other people already bore him. "Mr. Luzein, you were stating that you have no intention to join a guild, but the sheer fact that you’re still willing to hear an offer means you’re interested in something else, right?"

"Huh—what? Your full name is Luzein?" Han Shin chimed in for the side, which was completely ignored.

"That something else wouldn’t be Mortix too, since you would just go to Area 14’s headquarter if you did," Radia tilted his head slightly and peered deeply at the blue eyes. "If I have to take a guess, then what you’re interested in is the reclamation project."

Zein closed his eyes for a bit, savoring the sweet flavor and the coolness of the ice. "Yes and no," he answered while opening his eyes. "To be more precise, I’m interested in the shard fragment, which is part of the reclamation project."

Radia smiled subtly. Of course, he knew that Zein would be interested in the shard. From all the reports he read from the expedition team, Zein had a special connection with the shard, which made it imperative for the man to join the project.

And making him admit to that interest would increase the probability of him joining the project. Radia knew from the moment they met that Zein wouldn’t just agree to a recruitment offer just by being pressured. If he did, Bassena would already bring him two months ago.

Radia chuckled inwardly. Luzein—in the northern territory, it meant ’serene water’, something that was always calm and unbendable by any weather.

Seemed like the name suited the owner.

"I understand," Radia nodded. "The contract I will offer you is to take part in the reclamation project, from the preparation research to the on-field mission. Since the project would take off in the next year, for the duration of five years, it will be a six years contract."

Six years...Zein frowned for a bit. It was quite a long period. "So you’re sure that you’ll get the project?"

If he recalled correctly, the project did not belong to Trinity. Not yet, anyway. They need to win the bid for the right of the reclamation effort first.

But the man across from him just smiled relaxedly. Actually, all the other personnel just looked calm and confident.

"Mr. Luzein," the crimson eyes curled with the smile, "I never lost."

Zein raised his brow slightly before shrugging. At any rate, he needed Trinity to win the bid too, since it would open more access toward the shard for him.

"You can peruse the clauses regarding the reclamation project from page 8 through 19," Radia took up his glass and raised his finger. "But my offer hasn’t ended yet,"

Zein, who was about to take the contract from Bassena, paused and looked at the man again, who sipped on his glass before continuing. "Within the contract, your main task was to participate in the fragment’s research and the on-field combat guide,"

"Combat guide?"

After putting his glass back on the table, Radia leaned forward, and stared at Zein keenly. "Yes—guides that could actively defend themselves and stay calm within the dangerous environments,"

A man that looked to be around Zein’s age suddenly shifted from the side. "Excuse me, Guildmaster, but...I don’t think I heard of this plan before?"

"Why, of course," Radia looked at the man, who Zein could instantly tell was a guide. "It’s because we haven’t launched the plan yet," the red eyes found themselves back at Zein, as Radia weaved his fingers together in front of him. "Looking at the recording and reading the report of the expedition team, I believed it is imperative for the reclamation project to only include such guides—the ones like Mr. Luzein here,"

"Just call me Zein. It’s uncomfortable," Zein spoke begrudgingly. He never had anyone call him by his full name since most didn’t even know it. But he heard it so much today and it started to make him cringe.

Radia just smiled at that and continued. "We’re in the middle of putting together the training curriculum right now, and it will be announced next month to select some guides that would participate. Of course, that includes you, Abel,"

"Ah..." the guide pressed his lips and shifted back to the wall.

"As you know, the espers and guides participating in the project would be from Trinity. As it also includes you per the contract, it means you also have to be registered as a Trinity member, Mr. Luzein."

Zein twitched at the man’s blatant disregard for his request, but right now he was getting distracted by Bassena’s fidgeting legs. Glancing at the suddenly bright puppy beside him, Zein asked Radia carefully. "If I rejected that clause, would that mean the entire contract is void too?"

"Well~unfortunately, yes."

Zein stared at the curved crimson eyes that spelled trouble across the table. So it was a trap in the first place. A trap that was laid from the moment Zein admit that he was interested in the shard fragment. The whole looking like a tired caretaker of two younger men was probably a ruse too.

Bassena, who was visibly brightened a few moments ago, stared at Zein’s palpable frown with a troubled look. "Hey, is it really non-negoti—"

Radia snapped his fingers and whatever Bassena wanted to say was buried in the esper’s throat.

"Of course, when I said we have to register you as the guild member, it was for the sake of paperwork. The contract we made for the sake of your involvement would be different from the regular contract—it begins on page 21, by the way."

Zein closed his eyes briefly to suppress his annoyance. "What’s the difference?"

"Just like the research, your guide contract would be tied to the reclamation project. Rather than having you as regular guides, you will be one of the advisors for the combat guide division,"

"Advisor?"

"Yes. After all, you have all the expertise and experience needed for the combat guide. A veteran of seventeen years, are you not?"

There was a collective gasping sound from the side, but Zein only cares about the contract offer for now. "Continue,"

Radia smiled amusedly at the guide’s brash tone. "Since your focus would be on that, you won’t be bound by the guide’s regular assignment. We will, however, ask you to participate in the dungeon raids for practical lessons."

It would mean, unlike other guides, Zein had no responsibility to guide the guild’s espers. The contract truly was deeply focused on the reclamation effort, which was his new objection for now.

Ah, truly...this man made a condition that seemed hard for Zein to refuse. Even if he used it like a trap, it was a trap that latched with honey.

"Ah, of course, it will be helpful if you also participate in regular guiding. But since it would be a separate matter, you will receive a separate payment for that. You can see it on page 23,"

Zein thought at that time was about how could this man remember what clause stated on what page. "But won’t it create dissent with the other guides?" he turned to look at the other guide, that man called Abel.

"Ah, that might be so," the man, who was the head of the guide division, nodded. "Since we run on the quota-based system, and any guiding exceeding one’s quota would result in an incentive bonus, having someone receive separate payment might be considered as stealing another’s money,"

"Hmm..."

"Also, if an emergency like dungeon break occurred and Mr. Luzein happens to cleanse a lot of espers..."

"While he might just do it for necessity, some narrow-minded people might think of it negatively," Bassena muttered with a frown.

"There are people like that in our guild?" Han Shin remarked naively.

Zein knew all about human’s ugly side, though, so he understood. It happened even without him having those privileges, just for the sheer reason people preferred his guiding. Other guides tended to envy him a lot, because it was a matter of one’s pride.

"Then," Radia held up his finger, and smirked while looking at Bassena. "What if he only guides espers that couldn’t be guided by others easily?"

Zein raised his brow, and came to understand the meaning of Radia’s gaze toward Bassena.

"What do you mean, Guildmaster?" Abel asked in confusion. Espers that couldn’t be guided by others would be...

Radia held out his hand in the air, and stretched all of his fingers. "5-stars. Exclusive Guide for five-stars,"

"What?!" a collective exclaim came from Abel and Director Lee, as well as all of the other staff there.

"Ah!" Han Shin clapped his hands. "That’s right! If it’s with Zein, we wouldn’t even need to go to the temple anymore!"

"And no one could protest too, since the 5-star esper rarely gets full cleansing in the guild anyway," Bassena nodded, lips stretched widely. Of course, he would prefer it if Zein could be his exclusive guide only, but he couldn’t be picky with the conditions right now.

"No, wait—is that even possible, Sir?" the other guide looked flabbergasted, which was quite understandable.

Despite being the highest possible rank, A-class guides were still inadequate to deal with 5-star’s corrosion. To lower a 5-star’s corrosion for one level, an A-class typically needed to expand their whole mental energy, and mostly required a few hours of session. Just for one 5-star esper, they needed to do multiple sessions for a few days. It was a long and tedious process, so most 5-stars would just go to the Temple to receive guiding from the Saint. It was also what made the Temple still indisputable to this day.

Especially someone like Bassena Vaski.

"Oh, you don’t have to worry about Zein," Han Shin explained cheerfully. "He even fully cleansed Bas once, you kno—"

"Shin," Bassena hissed and glared at the healer.

"Ah... it’s supposed to be a secret, isn’t it?" Han Shin grinned sheepishly.