There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Chapter 58. Grim Reaper

Zein didn’t recognize the man right away, but as he looked at Arden’s clique, it reminded him of the group of guides who used to antagonize him in Umbra. He observed the members one by one, and as his eyes fell into the green uniformed man in the back—lo and behold; the leader of Umbra’s clique was right there.

Nora was a guide who came to the red-zone just after Zein’s initial ten years slave contract ended. Unlike Zein, his C-class license was a legitimate one that he acquired before ended up in Umbra. Zein had no idea whether the man was kidnapped or came willingly, but he remembered that Nora became the Guildmaster’s pet soon enough, leading the group of guides with like-minded coquettishness like a queen—or rather, mistress?

He remembered the man as the one who actively tried to demean him and spread words that Zein was no longer able to guide well, though it helped him end his contract anyway, so Zein didn’t really care about that.

But he also remembered that Nora was supposed to enter the dungeon with the Guildmaster that day. A dungeon break only happened when the whole raiding members were annihilated, so Zein was wondering why Nora, who was supposed to be dead, was here in Trinity, perfectly fine and totally alive.

So he blurted the question swirling in his head right away;

"You’re not dead?"

For Zein, it was just a casual question, born of genuine curiosity. Was the man ended up not doing the raid and so not part of the casualty? Or was he managed to escape the dungeon before an outbreak happened?

Yes, Zein didn’t ask it out of malicious thought.

But unfortunately, perhaps because the counterpart was someone from the area, Zein asked it in a tone he used in the red-zone; deep, sharp, harsh. It could be called local tone for the end-dwellers, but for these people who lived their whole life in the safer zones?

It sounded bone-chillingly sinister.

The reaction was immediate; after a collective flinch, the clique was standing defensively close to each other, and even the C-class guides which had shed their defense around Zein earlier stood up and scooted back, stiffened in fright.

"Wh-what are you—" the haughty A-class guide stuttered. "I...is that a death threat?"

Zein was dumbfounded. What was this man even saying? He tilted his head and shifted, proceeding to stand up just to have all those guides stepping back in fluster.

"Huh? What is this about a death threat?"

Again, a new voice. Zein stood in his place, staring at the newcomer. It was an esper this time, wearing plain clothes and no visible badge, perhaps someone who came for the first scheduled guiding.

From the reaction, it seemed like Arden and his clique knew this esper well. They flocked to the esper as if looking for protection, and one of the B-class guides pointed harshly at Zein.

"T-that man! He threatens Nora!"

Zein tilted his head, confusion all over his visible eyes. When did he threaten anyone? "What are you talking about—?"

Instantly, the esper was already in front of Zein, grasping the front of his jacket. The C-classes behind them were shrieking in surprise, and the members of the clique smirked.

"How shameless!" the esper spat. "How could you threaten a guide?"

Rather than retaliating, Zein tilted his head to look at Nora, who was hiding behind the other guides, lowering his gaze without any intention to resolve the apparent misunderstanding. Or perhaps he was just too scared—Zein had no idea.

"Hey, fucker—where are you looking at?!"

"No—Esper Kane, you can’t—"

"He’s asking Nora why he’s not dead! He’s definitely done something bad to him before!"

Zein tilted his head the other way around. It was getting chaotic with the way people shouting around, and he lost interest in Nora then. He sighed—just came for some sightseeing and now this...

"I’m asking you a question!" the man barked again, and Zein finally looked at the esper. He was a bit shorter than Zein, with a lithe body. It seemed like he was an agility-type esper, probably a scout.

"What?" Zein asked calmly.

The indifference in Zein’s tone seemed to further irk the esper. "Did you really ask him that?"

"Hmm...yes," Zein shifted his eyes toward Nora for a second—he was confused as to why making a simple remark led to this kind of problem. Cultural difference? "But can you people calm down for a bit?"

"You! Do you not have any shame?!" the esper yelled again, and Zein was honestly getting tired of it. "Doing that to a guide—what with this mask anyway? Take it off you cow—"

The esper reached out a hand toward Zein’s mask, and the next thing he knew, he was laying on his stomach on the floor, hand locked in his back. A sturdy, heavy knee planted in the middle of his back as he froze, eyes blinking in confusion.

"S-sir Zein?"

"Haa...I just ask you to calm down," Zein sighed, pressing his knee slightly on the esper. Based on the man’s core, he was probably a 3-star at best. For Zein who had a fresh batch of magic energy from guiding Bassena for an hour last night, handling a 3-star scout was just a light exercise.

The room, which was rather boisterous earlier, suddenly descended into silence. The guides gasped; the C-classes stared at Zein and the esper with parted lips and widened eyes. Joan, who was in the middle of running out to call for Abel, paused and stood frozen near the door.

"W-what—who are you?!" the esper squirmed after coming out of his stupor, still confused as to how he could be manhandled in the blink of an eye by a stranger.

"I won’t let you go until you’re staying still," Zein spoke flatly, the low voice easily sounded like a threat with its coldness.

Arden and his clique gasped as they regained their wits and started shouting. "Wh-what is this? How can you do this—guards! Where are the guards?!"

Two of the B-classes suddenly bolted towards the entrance, probably to call for someone, but the door swung open before they reached it.

"What is this noise?" a frowning Abel walked in, with Brisk in tow and the male Sahaegi peeking in curiously.

"Chief!"

"Sir Hertz...this—"

People began to speak at the same time, but Abel couldn’t hear their voices. His mind was focused on the view near a seating area, where an esper named Kane was being held against the floor by Zein, who didn’t even look like he was breaking a sweat. The esper was squirming and struggling even now, but the guide didn’t budge.

"Zein?" Abel walked closer, dumbfounded. The esper stopped struggling the moment he realized Abel’s presence, and Zein looked up, still with the same calm blue eyes. "What happened?"

"Hertz, that man threatened our Nora! Who is he? We can’t let this slide—"

"Quiet!" Abel exclaimed, not very loud, but even the haughty A-class guide closed his mouth. "I want to know what happened, in order, with no yelling and no cheek."

Zein stared at the Chief of Guide, smiling behind his mask. Abel always gave a kind and soft impression before, but truly—Radia Mallarc wouldn’t give the man the head position without the necessary traits. Behind that nice personality, he seemed to have a stern and assertive side too.

Abel stared firmly at Zein, so the tall guide started to speak. "I saw an old...acquaintance," Zein turned his head at Nora, who was flinching immediately. "I had heard he was involved in a dungeon accident and presumed to be dead. So I was surprised to see him here," he shrugged. "And then they somehow thought I’m making a threat? And this one tried to take off my mask and I reacted instinctively. That’s all."

The esper beneath him stopped moving and tilted his head, and so was Abel. "That’s it?"

Again, Zein shrugged. He took his knee off the esper’s back and let go of his hands since the man had stopped squirming and seemed to be calming down as he asked before.

"I-it’s not just that!" Arden slammed his hand on a table. "You’re saying something about death—"

"’You’re not dead?’" Dana chimed in behind Zein. "Sir Zein just remarked because he’s surprised Nora is still alive when Sir Zein heard that he’s supposed to be dead," the girl summarize the situation tacitly. "It’s just that they have little comprehension ability and are misunderstood by themselves!"

"I did?" Zein widened his eyes slightly, and Abel couldn’t help but broke his stern face to let out a laugh, prompting Zein to look at him. "What?" _{frёeweɓηovel.coɱ}