There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Chapter 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!"

"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."