章 14: Chapter 13. Arrangement

Bassena narrowed his eyes in irritation. What, someone else knew 'his' guide? He shot a murderous look at the sharpshooter girl, but Han Shin slapped a palm to cover his eyes.

"I'm going to tell Radia if you act like this!" the healer whispered threateningly in Bassena's ear. It was one thing reprimanding Mortix's business representative. But antagonizing a guild member just because she knew Bassena's 'prey' would be crossing a line.

Bassena flicked Shin's hand from his face, and focused his gaze on Zein instead, who tilted his head with blank eyes. Realizing that Zein didn't seem to recognize the girl put Bassena in a better mood. Fine, so the man was indeed bad at remembering others' faces. His wounded pride about not being recognized earlier was recovering a little bit.

"You know me?" the soothing, low voice from the guide was so weird within the borderland's environment. It was enough to make the other espers raise their brow.

At that, Sierra smiled awkwardly. "O-oh, I guess you don't remember. Right, we only met briefly after all," she laughed, ears slightly reddened from embarrassment. "I still remember you though, it's hard forgetting about that event—you know, the red-zone outbreak in Area 14..." her voice trailed at the sudden change on the guide's face. A deep frown and loathful eyes, where the blue seemed to dim, darker.

She immediately remembered that Zein was a local of that area, and his family members had perished there. With a flustered gasp, she clasped her hands over her mouth and bowed her head to apologize profusely, eliciting questioning looks from the others.

"Oh, oh God, I'm sorry for—I'm sorry!" she scolded herself inwardly. She was so excited to see Zein unexpectedly, the guide whose guiding she could never forget. It wasn't just because of the quality of the guiding, but also because the timing was so crucial for her survival at that time. That excitement made her speak first without thinking, and now she regretted it greatly.

If she was to be hated by her savior, and the guide that would handle her for the next two weeks...

Within Sierra's heartbreak, however, were Bassena's curious gaze and Zein's indifference. The guide was immediately turning his head toward the Captain, ignoring the flustered sharpshooter.

"You call for me?" he asked curtly, like usual.

Agni was secretly disappointed that the drama was over, but he also understood that it seemed to be a sensitive topic for Zein. "A commission for you and Ron," the Captain waved his hand toward the espers gathered there. "A research expedition with a team from Mortix. I supposed you know where to."

"The Blackfield," Zein nodded. People on the borderland prefer to call the Deathzone 'Blackfield' because calling it 'Death'-zone was just depressing for the people who had to see it every day.

"You'll be tagging alone as their guide."

Zein looked around the room, before looking at the Captain again. "Two 5-stars, four 4-stars, one 3-star. Is that all?"

"No, the Miss here won't go, so only three 4-stars. You'll be alone."

"How long?"

"Maximum of two weeks. Daily pay. Gear provided."

"Departure?"

"Dawn at the 16th."

"Okay."

"Good. Do you want to read the contract?"

It was a concise, swift process between veteran esper and guide, with no bullshit or glib. The team from Mortix and Trinity could only blink their eyes as the guide read the contract paper that Naomi gave with a dazed mind. After he put his signature, the blue eyes scrutinized the team once, before asking.

"Will there be pre-cleansing before we go in?" he looked at Ron first, who, like any other borderland dwellers, needed frequent guiding.

Pre-cleansing was the term for a thorough guiding before a strike team moved for a campaign, to make sure the espers were in maximum condition with minimal corrosion level. The best condition would be to put every esper on the green level. At the very least yellow.

"I certainly need one," Ron nodded. He was at an orange already, but guiding in the borderland was an affair of queueing between the scarce guides, so he'd been patiently waiting for Zein's sentry duty to be over today.

"Oh, we already received guiding before making the journey here, so we're mostly good," Han Shin smiled, before adding while glancing at Bassena. "Mostly."

The Serpent Lord, as expected, was smiling in affirmation. "I'll take that pre-cleansing. When will it be?"

"Tomorrow," Zein's answer was short as usual. "I have a shift tonight."

"Wait!" Naomi, who finally snapped out of her daze, looked at Zein with a frown. "You'll still guiding people tonight?"

"Yes, we're quite busy here,"

"But...with tonight...and tomorrow...will you be able to function on the 16th if you guide Mr. Vaski before then?" Naomi turned her head to face the Captain.

She might have no choice but to concede on the guide, but making the guide work consecutively before the mission was taking it too far. "Captain Agni!" she scowled at the Captain. How could she trust the guide's capacity after two days of cleansing? Would this guide even have the ability to walk after pre-cleansing a 4-star and a Saint-class in such a short amount of time?

"Yes, I'll be fine," Zein answered her while walking towards the door. "I digest quickly."

And with that, he was gone, before Naomi could even make any dubious retort. "Wha—" she could only look at the Captain, who was grinning with a shrug.

"We recommend him because you're looking for the best, Miss, and he's the best." the Captain looked at the closed door with a smile. "Tomorrow you can see why, in case you still have a doubt."

* * *

Zein almost wanted to laugh when the esper in business attire asked about his ability to function after pre-cleansing. It wasn't to mock the woman though, since it was a perfectly sound concern.

It was just that rather than worrying about his capacity would be full, Zein was more worried he wouldn't have enough energy to be saved for the expedition. He wanted to be in full power before they stepped into the Deathzone, so he would want to keep guiding until he could at least have the power to punch someone like Bassena Vaski once.

Not that he really wanted to—it was just that the man looked at him with a greedy gaze that reminded him of those espers who had tried to violate him in the past.

Too much work? Zein would chase any contaminated espers and 'eat' their corrosion to fill his energy tank. There was no telling of what could happen in the Deathzone, and Zein was always in a principle of never leaving one's protection in another's hand. When a battle occurred in a treacherous land like the Deathzone, there was no guarantee that the espers would have enough attention span to protect him.

After all, he was just a guide of the borderland, and they were a group of elites from the Capital. Surely their priority would be among themselves when it came to safety.

Also, these espers that lined up on the guiding stand would whine endlessly if he didn't show up tonight. The Chief Guide had warned him this morning. It was always crowded around the time when the miasma accumulated, and keeping watch on the area that spanned a few kilometers was hard work that consume a lot of skills that aggravated corrosion. Also, these people mostly waited for Zein's shift to get his guiding, like a patient waiting for their favorite doctor.

Still, when he arrived at the guiding room, there were more people than he thought, even espers that he already guided a few days ago, and still on a safe level. He did want a lot of magic energy, but doing dozens of people in one shift would still sap his stamina and mental energy.

"Zenzeeen! Is it true? Is it true?" whilst Zen was still confused with the situation, he was being tackled by a petite young man in his early twenties that looked more like a boy, with only round, bright green eyes could be seen.

"What is?" Zein frowned, peeling himself from the man that didn't look like he belonged to the borderland, and scoured the list of espers that actually registered for treatment tonight.

The young man jumped to sit on Zein's table, where his short legs dangled and swayed like a child. "That you're going on a mission with the guest that came today?"

"How do you even know that, Yath?" Zein lifted his head, frowning.

"Because the Captain called you to the tower while the guest is there, duh!" Yath rolled his eyes as if it was something so obvious. And then he lowered his head and spoke in a whisper as if they were talking about something scandalous. "Also, is it true that the Bassena Vaski is here?" seemed like Reno and Hyde already spread the word.

Zein raised his brow, looking at the man whose green eyes were littered with sparkles. Not even a filtering mask could muffle his excited voice. "Why, you're a fan?"

The green eyes gleamed. "Who doesn't like handsome people?" there was a giggle that followed that statement. "Handsome, powerful, and rich people?"

Hmm...Zein recalled the man and the two times they met, the way the esper looked so jarring and contrast with the environment of the borderland. Well, he supposed this place really was no place for 'handsome, powerful, and rich' people. "I heard people don't like him much."

"Tsk, just jealousy talk." Yath waved his hand, at the same time with the light blinking green over them, signaling the start of the shift. "Oh, it's time. See you, then~" the boyish guide jumped and bounced through the connecting door to the next room, and Zein pushed the button to call on his 'patient'.

If the healer-type esper was like a doctor, then guides were like psychiatrists that treated their mental health by curbing the corrosion accumulated inside the espers.

The danger of corrosion wasn't just limited to the time it led to eruption. Even if it was only on yellow or orange level, if the corrosion was left for too long inside an esper's body, it would affect their mind and their body, like a slow-acting poison and curse combined. So getting rid of it regularly was a must.

In institutions like the government-issued Guide Center or the borderland Unit, the practice room for the guide was almost like a psychiatrist's office, with a desk for the guide, a chair for the esper that let them lean back comfortably during guiding, and a bed. Depending on the level of corrosion and the guide's prowess, guiding could take from a few minutes to a few hours, so doing it while sitting sometimes become uncomfortable, hence the setting. Although, the bed was clearly there for other purposes as well—or rather, other methods of guiding.

Like the one Zein could hear right now, coming from the next door; the sound of moans and grunts. He had grown desensitized to that kind of sound, so used to hearing it all the time. All least the one doing it was not being forced.

His own station, however, was pristine. Like usual, Zein only need a simple hand-to-hand guiding—or wrist grabbing with a bonus of bone-chilling gaze if the esper was growing naughty and horny in the middle of Zein's pleasurable guiding and Yath's lewd moaning. He did it fast too, digesting the corrosion and turning it into raw magic power in his stigma deposit.

"Uhh...your stamina is really something else..." Yath sauntered into Zein's station again after three hours of guiding. The list of espers had shrunk now, and only a few remained. Turned out that rumors about Zein going away for an expedition after this made his 'regulars' come in a haste, like car owners rushing in to buy petroleum when there's a rumor of oil scarcity.

"I'm not doing anything rigorous," Zein replied simply.

"I'm not talking about the physical side..." Yath pursed his lips while taking a seat beside Zein, who was still in the middle of guiding a 2-star esper. "I really can't do it more than three people a day, even without the sex."

Guides' capacity did come from the size of their vessel. But guiding also took a mental toll on the guide, since they need to concentrate on each process. It was equivalent to a magician-type esper making effort on casting their spell. That's why they need to have a rest period after each guiding session, and a schedule based on their mental capacity was also needed to be maintained. That was why Naomi was concerned about Zein's functionality if he guided nonstop before the expedition.

"You'll grow your resilience with experience," Zein said nonchalantly. He too, had been struggling at first. He was just a ten-year-old boy in a scary environment; doing just one session of guiding already exhausted him. But he'd done this for seventeen years now, guiding was just like reading books to him—need a little focus, but nothing more.

"How long is the mission?" Yath asked suddenly.

Zein wondered if he was allowed to say it, but then the duration itself shouldn't be anything major. "Two weeks."

Yath whistled. Two weeks in the Deathzone...only a suicidal guide like Zein would want to spend two weeks in there.

"What?!" a collection of shouts from the few espers that were still there resounding within the guiding station.

The one in front of Zein, who just finished the guiding, had his eyes widened and focused on the guide. "Isn't that mean you won't be available for the next two weeks?"

"I'm not the only guide here, just go somewhere else." Zein sighed. "Go to Yath."

"No way, I only guide good-looking esper!"

"You're guiding, not dating, what are you so picky for?"

"Tsk, you don't understand, Zen! Guiding doesn't feel good if it's done with people you don't like!" Yath protested.

"Is it supposed to feel good?" Zein shook his head. For him, guiding was just a job; something that earned him money before, and something that he only know how to do now.

And just like what he said to Bassena, Zein didn't feel the need for a job to be fun or to feel good.

"Of course, it is!" the small guide leaned back and crossed his arms. How else would he be able to enjoy this task in the middle of desolation if he couldn't feel good from it? Besides, "It's the endorphins that getting rid of the corrosion."

It wasn't exactly right—it was a guided endorphin that targeted esper's negative energy due to corrosion. The one that get rid of the corrosion was still the guide's unique mental energy, which was the existence of the vessel. But the endorphin did fasten the process and lifted the burden of concentrated guiding, so it was also true at some point. Guides in a guarded environment or official institution had no qualm about using an endorphin-inducing process like sexual intercourse since their right and safety was guaranteed by the contract. It wouldn't be the case for someone like Zein, who was basically being sold in the red-zone and had no rights or safety measures.

But even within a safe environment, there would always be malicious intent hiding somewhere, so it was always better to stay prudent. Things like this, however, could only be perfectly realized through experience.

"He's still young, he'll be an idealist until he's struck with reality." the new esper who just came chuckled.

"Whatever you say, I won't guide you!" Yath glared at the esper, who just laughed. Usually, someone behaving like that to an esper would earn them some backlash, but Yath was kind of like a mascot in the Unit—young, and cute, and had the childishness that people here had already forgotten.

The young guide poked the silent Zein after that. "You should try it too, Zen, it's different from feeling good with ordinary sex."

"Well I'm up for that," the esper grinned—and then winced when Zein grabbed his wrist in crushing pressure.

"Hmm..."

"Oh, but you still feel good even if you're not esper and we don't do any guiding," Yath giggled. Evidently, a healthy young man like him just liked to sleep with anyone handsome enough, even if they weren't esper. "Must be because no one here is as good-looking as you."

'Would that mean I'm good-looking or the others are just sub-par?' Zein wanted to laugh. "I don't know if I should feel good or insulted..." he muttered after releasing the esper's wrist, who walked away with a mix of grin and grimace.

"No, no, I definitely complimented you," Yath replied, sincerely and seriously, because it was the truth. "Hey, hey, but that means you'll guide Bassena Vaski right?"

"...yes."

"Oh, how nice..." the younger guide made a dreamy face, and propped his on the table. "I want to guide someone as hot as that...too...?" his energetic voice suddenly trailed off, as the green eyes widened and stared at the guide station's entrance. "Oh. My. Deities."

Before Yath's blabber, Zein had already seen the man, sauntering like he own the place. The suit he wore earlier had already changed into more casual clothes, but no less impeccable and expensive-looking. The neatly combed platinum-blonde hair was also loosening a little bit. He looked less haughty, but still imposing nonetheless. And as always, stares were following him as he walked toward the guides.

"T-that...that's Bassena Vaski...right?" Zein didn't think there would be a time he witnessed Yath stutter, but there he was, jittering beside him, grabbing on Zein's arm tightly while eyes fixed on the tall figure that stopped in front of them.

With an ever-calm demeanor, Zein addressed the man. "Your pre-cleansing schedule is tomorrow."

"I know." there was a twinkling in the amber eyes, narrowed into a half-moon, as Bassena stared at Zein.

Why was he here, then? Zein tilted his head slightly, looking up to face the piercing stare. "Is there something you need from me?"

With a smile, the husky, low voice answered him. "I come to pick you up."

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