There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 115

Chapter 115: Chapter 111. Their Own Little World

The show was more interesting than Zein thought it would be. The one who led the direction of the discussion was pretty good at coaxing heated reactions but also dodging possible conflict from happening.

They were probably being extra careful since Celestia and Trinity were in the show together.

The panels were talking about dungeon anomalies, which seemed to be happening quite a lot this year based on the association’s data. While the expert talked about the many types of the anomaly and their impact, the espers provided on-site experience and insight on how to deal with a sudden change inside the dungeon.

Bassena was a certainty, but Zein had to admit that the haughty Princess was knowledgable too. It wasn’t a surprise though, having been groomed and trained to be an ultimate weapon since her childhood. Too bad that she wasn’t taught how to convey it nicely, because she always sounded condescending and even competitive.

What exactly was she getting competitive on, anyway?

Zein had wondered if that was what the man from Celestia meant when he said ’challenge’ to Bassena earlier. But the Serpent Lord didn’t look fazed even when the weird girl threw provocative bait.

Must have been those PR lessons and anger management training, Zein thought.

The guide had to admit, that this TV persona that Bassena used--alluring, mature, gentlemanly--worked well with the audience. He could see some of the staff swooning over the esper’s thoughtful remarks and charming smile.

But he’s not cute anymore; Zein crossed his arms and clicked his tongue.

The face of Trinity did have obligation to carry as the guild’s representative. This version of Bassena annoyed Zein, simply because he looked like the typical esper that loved themselves too much. But while he felt annoyed, the thought of being one of the people who could witness the esper’s adorable, childish side was also... exhilarating.

While busily watching Bassena and following the topic of discussion, Zein didn’t realize that he’d been there without getting bored. He didn’t change his spot even until the shooting for the first part was over and the cast took a break.

"Huh, is it over?"

"Not yet," Jock answered him from behind. "It’s a lunch break before they resumed shooting another part."

Hmm...Zein tapped his masked cheek in ponder. They said this was a two hours talk show, but the shooting had been rolling longer than that. He didn’t know that it took a long time and a lot of effort to have a two hours talking show--perhaps he should watch them from time to time?

"Bored yet?" Bassena’s voice came to Zein while he was thinking about it.

"I can survive," the guide shrugged as a reply, eliciting a chuckle from the esper. "How much longer would it take?"

"I don’t know," Bassena frowned then, the smile receding from his face. "The second part is more like an interview with the espers, and while I’m planning to answer them as concisely as possible..."

Zein didn’t need to hear the rest, for they both glanced toward the other side of the set, where the Princess was being treated like...well, a Princess. A whole crew of Celestia workers was taking care of her needs, from fetching her water and snacks to massaging and fixing her makeup.

"Ah, it’s the weird girl," Zein muttered, and Bassena smiled in response, delighted at the dry tone and cold stare the guide gave.

But that smile receded again when Bassena remembered the cause of his distress earlier. The interview wasn’t a big deal for him, and Bassena was skilled enough to answer in a concise but nice manner. The same couldn’t be said with Senia though; a diva who wanted the attention to be focused on herself.

Suddenly filled with bad feelings, Bassena looked at Zein with worried and pleading eyes. "Just saying it now, but if we ended up staying here for too long, you can’t blame me."

Zein raised his brow, before smirking behind his mask. "I won’t blame you," the guide said light-heartedly while leaning on the railing behind him. But when Bassena started to let out a relieved smile, he added; "But I can’t say anything about the reward."

"No!" the esper wailed and prompted the crews around their proximity to turn in surprise.

What they found was a Bassena Vaski who covered his face with both hands, while the guide chuckled softly. The blue eyes that were usually hard and deep gleamed softly as the guide titled his head and spoke teasingly.

"Haha...it’s in that girl’s hand now,"

"Ah, fucking hell..."

"Seeing her reminds me of myself," Bassena continued, looking at Zein who was raising his brow in surprise. "The way I was when I was still with the Golden Viper," the esper added immediately, and Zein made an ’ah’ sound.

Bassena sighed at the sudden memory. So the bitter smile was more for his past self rather than for the girl, thought Zein.

Zein didn’t know exactly what Bassena was like during his wild era. But from the tidbits he got from the esper himself, as well as Han Shin or Radia’s commentary, he could patch a picture of a rude, arrogant boy who would send someone to the infirmary just because they brushed him a little in a crowded hallway. A bitter boy who talked condescendingly and believed other people were just stepping stones and insignificant pebbles. Even in that cave where they met, Bassena was still a cocky young adult who demanded to get what he wanted at all costs.

If Zein met that kind of Bassena, he wouldn’t even think twice about shoving the esper’s face to the wall.

Wait--that was exactly what he did.

"The way Celestia raised her is exactly the same as how the Vaski raised me," Bassena’s voice grew quieter then, although they were already talking quietly in the first place. "Since Golden Viper and Celestia were actually pretty close, the possibility that they share the same training system wasn’t zero."

Yeah...if it wasn’t for Mortix’s involvement, Bassena wouldn’t be able to crush his old guild by himself.

Gazing at the esper’s bitter smile, Zein asked in a dry tone. "Do you feel guilty?"

"No, why would I?" Bassena replied immediately, shrugging his shoulder. The hardness had gone from his eyes, and the bitter smile was no longer there to be observed. "It was the Golden Viper who devised the system, not me."

And then his eyes shifted slightly to Celestia’s side. "I’m just the one who got away."

"I see..." for some reason, Zein was flooded with a sense of relief. He felt pleased that Bassena was able to get out of that environment and eventually change for the better, even with all the stigma etched into his person as a result. Playfully, Zein nudged the man with his words. "So you were that kind of brat before, huh?"

"Ugh--" Bassena felt like his guts were being churned. Memories of Zein saying he wouldn’t work with a brat came to the esper’s mind. But he smiled sheepishly while responding. "Yeah..."

He expected the guide to give him a scoff, but what Bassena gained was a pat on his head, a gentle stroke along his temple, and a soft melodious voice. "Good job growing up, Bas."

Bassena pressed his lips, and suddenly felt thankful for all those beatings he got from Han Joon and Radia.

With a tinge of red on his cheek, Bassena laughed softly, oblivious to the rest of the studio watching their interaction, or the Celestia Princess fuming at how they completely ignored her presence and absorbed in their own world.