There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 646

Chapter 646: Side Story 2. Dance of Flame and Shadow - 5

"You were sent here because of other people, and you were sent to the afterlife because of other people too..." Agni sent a puff of smoke into the empty space in front of him and watched the grey haze melt into the murky air. "Shouldn’t you at least think about your family first before those strangers, Cap?"

Ah, guessed he was the Captain now.

But then again, Nolan did think about his family...however inadequate it was. At least, he had some savings that should go to his family when he was sent to the Borderland and sent the meager salary he got here to his wife’s account.

And then there was that conversation too.

’Hey, unlike me, you don’t have to stay here forever,’ the man had opened the conversation with an uncomfortable preamble--at least for Agni.

Naturally, he quipped back with suspicion. ’What the hell is this? You’re going to ask me to do something annoying, aren’t you?’

And the man continued without care. ’You know I have a son, right?’

’No.’

Nolan had laughed at Agni’s annoyed tone. But after working together for more than five years, it wasn’t a hard thing to realize that the berserker didn’t mean most of his reaction.

’I’m not going to ask you to take care of him or anything, just...’ the man had a bitter, regretful look on his face. The face he often made after getting banished to this borderland without any opportunity to see his family. ’Make sure he’s not doing foolish things like his Dad.’

’I don’t know...’ Agni grumbled. ’What if it’s genetics?’

’Isn’t that why I asked you for a favor?’

’I mean, genetically stubborn.’

Nolan was only laughed at that time. Agni had grumbled then, but the fact that he didn’t say ’no’ again meant he’d remember that request at the very least, and the Captain knew that.

Since he was annoyed, Agni had jokingly asked a question then. ’What if he wants to go here?’

’No.’

The answer had come with a sharp tone that Nolan rarely used. The brown eyes that usually exuded kindness had turned sharp and dark as if there was a shadow looming over the man’s face. Agni still remembered that face even years later.

’I don’t know if he’s even awakened, but no matter what, I won’t let him stay in this hellhole.’

It was the face of a protective father who finally realized he was too late to protect his family. Nolan knew that by staying in the borderland and keeping his family away, he would never be able to see his son. But at the very least, he wanted that boy to live a better life than he ever was.

"Haa...what should I do?" Agni crushed the cigarette in his palm, feeling his head throbbing. "He’s here, Cap..."

* * *

The boy was there, waking up, and chose violence.

"Get this off me!"

Ron yelled, screamed, hollered when he found himself waking up in a strange place with both of his wrists shackled. It was two metal bands with around half a meter long chain, so he still could get up and kick the bed, kick the table, kick the door until someone called Agni to tell the Captain that his rabid squirrel had woken up.

When Agni returned to his room with a breakfast package for the young scout, he was greeted by a hurl of pillows, jacket, books, and about everything the boy could grab from his considerably empty room.

It was a good thing he didn’t put his claymore in his bedroom.

Agni sighed and put the breakfast bag on the table. He caught the tantrum boy and, this time, connected the chain to the bed. "Calm down, and let’s talk first."

"No! Get this off me!"

"I can’t if you don’t--" Agni tilted his head and caught a kicking leg. Seemed like not being able to use his arms meant it was time for some leg action. The berserker took a deep breath and turned his head toward the woman smirking at his door. "Do you know how to handle a kid?"

Agni closed his eyes and managed his breath. Inhale...exhale...he repeated the advice that the kid’s father used to tell him. Ron was still trying to pull the chain off and even tried gathering his mana. Every time Agni wanted to talk, the kid snarled and glared at him, as if he wanted to out-talked him.