Chapter 17. An Unexpected Comfort

Before he even woke up, Zein knew he wasn't in his bed. Which was understandable, because he remembered staying at the guest quarters. But he also remembered sleeping on the couch, which surely wouldn't be as comfortable as this.

It surprised him that when he opened his eyes, it was already bright outside. Well, as bright as it could be within the borderland's gloomy weather. But living here for four years was enough for Zein to know that he had overslept.

"What..." he mumbled while sitting up on the bed. Yes, bed. Zein touched the nice surface of the sheet and felt the bounciness of the mattress.

He was on a bed, and not just any bed. The size of the room wasn't much, but he was sure it was the biggest one in the entirety of the borderland. So was the quality of the mattress. Zein could immediately guess that it was the master bedroom of the guest quarters.

And it was easy to guess who the master bedroom belonged to.

"Bassena Vaski..."

Zein shook his head and got out of bed. Was the esper moved him from the couch? But why? He looked at the bed, which only crumpled and dipped where he was laying before. That would mean Zein was the only one who slept there last night.

"Seems like he had some level of decency, at least," he muttered groggily. Zein didn't own a watch, but there was a clock in the room, which told him that it was already hours past dawn. Hours past his usual waking time.

It was weird. Zein wasn't a deep sleeper. He lived his life in an environment where there was so much to lose if you lower your guard in your sleep. He had trained himself to react to any kind of sounds and movements so he could wake up if he sensed danger.

And yet he overslept. Not just that—someone moved his body and he didn't even wake up to it.

There was only two possible explanation for how deep he was sleeping—either he was overly exhausted, or overly comfortable. But Zein didn't feel tired or anything, so it could only mean that he was in a state where he felt...safe. Safe and comfortable.

To be fair, he had the best meal last night, tasted a fresh sweetness, and stayed in the best room the borderland had.

And with a presence of a Saint-class esper.

Even if said esper obviously made a move on him.

Zein looked at the bed again. Bassena had been acting like he wanted to kidnap Zein since yesterday, but he surprisingly did nothing to the guide's defenseless figure.

Was it because he came from the high-zone? It seemed like, unlike the espers of the end-zone, he wasn't the type to go straight into assault just because the other person rejected him.

Or it could also be because Zein was still essential for their expedition.

While pondering about it, he washed his face in the sink that was provided inside the room. As expected of the best room, it had everything. Back in guide quarters, Zein shared the bedroom and the bathroom with other guides. The only one who had everything to himself was the A-class guide—but it was only because the man was a psycho.

"Ah, good morning, Chief," Zein suddenly heard Sierra's voice from the lounge. It was followed by the sounds of chairs being pulled and Han Shin's groaning.

"Ugh, it's not good at all, Sierra," the healer muttered in agony. "I kept waking up during the night..."

Zein could hear another groaning, and what seemed like Han Shin toppled into the couch. "Don't you think our tent's bed is better than the bed here?"

Hmm...Zein wanted to laugh. He'd been having such a comfortable sleep because the mattress was so much nicer than anything he ever slept on, but apparently, for the young master, it was even worse than a dungeon-supply bed.

"Chief, you shouldn't compare your bed with other beds," it was Naomi's voice. "Of course any other bed will feel lacking compared to one made with Mortix technology."

At that, Han Shin groaned again. "I've never gone through two weeks field excursion like this. Whatever I'm gonna do during the night? Oh, do you bring my marmalade jam?"

Haa...Zein really chuckled this time. These people treating the Deathzone expedition like a picnic was quite amusing.

"I want them toasted in both—oh, good morning, Zen!" Han Shin waved his hand from where he was laying on the couch. "Do you want some breakfast? We have—wait...why are you coming out of Bas's room?"

The rest of the people there turned their eyes on him, which actually pretty much everyone; Sierra and Balduz who were preparing breakfast, Naomi who was in the middle of typing something in his notebook, Eugene that was having his morning coffee, and Anise who was peeking from behind a thick book.

But Zein just shrugged as an answer. He looked around the room and found out that one person was missing. "Where is he?"

Han Shin raised his brow. He was half expecting Zein would be flustered or something, so it was kind of disappointing that the man was as nonchalant as ever. "How would I know? You're the one who came out of his room," he opened his palm out, narrowing his black eyes suspiciously.

"Mister Vaski is in the training hall," the driver slash tank slash cook answered with a pot of coffee in his hand. "Would you like some?"

Zein nodded, and sat around the table, nodding back to the male scientist that greeted him. "Thank you," if he was going to spend days and nights with these people, might as well start to fraternize a bit.

"Huh? Since when?" Han Shin shot out a surprised remark, even to the point that he sat straight.

"I saw him come out a little bit after dawn,"

"Why, Chief? Mister Vaski never misses training his body, right?" Sierra asked, more confused about Shin's reaction.

"Yeah, but he doesn't usually do it in the morning, he always wakes up late, you know," the healer yawned, and then snapped his fingers suddenly. "Ah, he probably can't sleep like me, right?"

Zein sipped on the hot coffee while pondering. Hmm, was that why the man didn't touch the bed and instead made Zen sleep in it? That was actually more reasonable...

"Anyway!" as usual, Han Shin's speech was always covered in bubbly exclamation. "We'll finalize the route today and have Eugene and Anise walk around the borderland to get used to the air," he spoke while eating the toast with his lovable jam, so his voice sounded muffled. "Ah, Balduz, let's take the equipment from the van and let our mister guide try them."

Zein tore his sight from the freshly fried egg and rashers that Sierra put in front of him. "Equipment?"

"Hmm? Wasn't it stated on the contract?" Naomi lifted her face from the notebook, looking keenly at Zein.

Was it? Zein tried to remember the content of the contract he just signed yesterday. Equipment...equipment...he really didn't have a good memory.

"We will provide the equipment needed for the excursion, and you shall keep the equipment after the expedition ended," Naomi reminded him, a little exasperated.

"Oh," Zein smirked. "I never read the benefit clause," he shrugged. He only needed to know the danger and how many clients he'd be in charge of. Reading about benefits had no meaning for him, since more often than not, within the Deathzone, missions ended up in failure or death.

But it was nice knowing that he would get new equipment, even if only for the duration of the expedition. It was high time he changed his mask and gloves.

He could see Naomi sigh, and Han Shin giggled, while Eugene offered him a yellow-colored fruit. 'Banana' if he wasn't mistaken. Balduz was over there serving Han Shin like some kind of dedicated butler, and Sierra brought coffee to Naomi and Anise like a secretary.

Hmm...not a bad vibe for an impromptu team that would only work together for two weeks. Zein nodded while putting the breakfast in his mouth.

"You're either in a good mood or those eggs are out of the world," a familiar voice greeted him from behind, and without turning his head, Zein knew it was Bassena.

The man seemed to have a penchant for appearing out of nowhere.

'Was it because his trait is darkness?'

"Oh, Bas, I don't know you become an early riser!" Han Shin greeted the esper with a scandalous smirk.

"I didn't," was all Bassena said before sitting himself on the chair beside Zein. There was a scent of soap coming from the esper, a scent that Zein never smelled before. Definitely not from the community soap in the Unit's shower room.

Zein looked at the man, whose hair was completely down and only half-dry. For someone who was most likely not sleeping, he looked as sharp as usual. There wasn't even a trace of shadow beneath the glowing amber eyes.

Oh...Zein blinked. With his hair like this, the man actually looked quite familiar. That sense of Deja Vu he had last night was striking again.

"I liked being looked at by you, but what is it?" those eyes moved to look at him, but rather than answering, Zein was tilting his head, and brought his face closer, blue eyes squinted to see better.

Conversely, it was actually Bassena who looked rather...flustered. Well, not exactly flustered. The man just stiffened a bit, and blinked at the incoming pretty face.

"You seem...familiar," Zein muttered, and the amber eyes glowed brighter. But before Bassena could say anything, Zein retreated and shook his head. "Hmm, I don't know, can't remember..."

Dumbfounded, Bassena covered his face and just silently laughed until his shoulder flinched, to the point that Balduz stepped back with Bassena's coffee in his hand. It was only after Bassena stopped laughing to himself that he put the cup in the table.

"What would you like, Sir?"

At this point, Zein was sure Balduz was some kind of butler for these young masters.

"Give me what he had," Bassena pointed at Zein's plate. "I want to know how good it is."

It was good because Zein rarely had fresh eggs before, but who was he to stop the man from feeling disappointed?

"Where were you sleeping last night?" he asked, to Bassena's grinning face.

"I didn't sleep,"

An expected answer, honestly. "Is it not comfortable enough?"

"No, because espers don't need much sleep in the first place," there was an amused smirk as the amber eyes trained on Zein. "Why, Shin whining too much?"

"Well..." Zein glanced at the healer that was still sprawled on the couch while eating his toast.

"You were thinking I'm just another young master, weren't you?" Bassena propped his head with his hand on the table, effectively sealing the space between them and the rest of the people.

If he said it like that, then..."Yes," Zein answered truthfully.

The amber eyes turned into half moons, and radiated nothing but warmth. "Other people won't say things like that to my face, you know,"

Zein, as usual, didn't even flinch. "Even if they conceal it, you know what they're thinking, anyway,"

"And?"

"And then you'll get upset either way," there was a subtle smile on Zein's face now, like challenging the esper's reaction.

Bassena rubbed his lips, eyes narrowed even more. "Are you always this honest?"

"It's never fun working with people who hide their thought," Zein replied easily. Especially in the line of work where life was being put on the table. Espers needed to be honest about their level of corrosion, and guides needed to be honest about their capacity.

"What if they don't like it?"

"Then they should look for another guide," Zein leaned back and crossed his arms. "Or would you like me to humor you?"

Like how young master liked to be treated.

"No," the esper laughed softly, as soft as the light in his eyes. "Since you hate working with a brat, right?"

...huh? Zein blinked. Did he ever say that? He wanted to ask, but Bassena already speaking about something else. "Anyway, do you think there's something like accommodation in the final trial of the tower?"

"Oh?" Zein raised his brow. The tower...he was actually kind of interested in that. "I guessed there's none?"

"Of course not, it was designed so the trial taker felt the most miserable. So miserable that the deity took pity on you," Bassena chuckled, picking up the coffee and drinking the still-steaming cup at once. "That's why it took so much time, unlike the rest of the floor. You got to satisfy the deity's sadistic tendency," he whispered the last line as if talking about something scandalous.

Perhaps it was; from what Zein had seen, most espers worshiped the tower's deities, just like most guides worshiped the temple's goddesses. But it seemed like Bassena wasn't one of them, despite being a Saint-class and receiving a blessing.

"I'm well-versed in uncomfortable things, don't you worry. Shin is just a spoiled brat,"

"I heard that!" the healer shouted from the couch.

"Good, you're an embarrassment for Han Joon," Bassena turned his head with a smirk, which awarded him a fuming Han Shin.

"Don't bring my Hyung into this!"

Bassena just smirked and turned towards Zein again. "Can you believe he comes from a military family?"

"Really?" Zein raised his brow, peeking into the boyish, whining young master. "What's a 'hyung'?"

"Older brother," Bassena replied, finally getting interested in his breakfast. "It's pretty archaic, from their ancestor. Only their family use it, I think,"

"His brother in the military?"

"Oh, is this the Han Joon from Mobius?" Ron chimed in suddenly.

Zein looked at the scout with a raised brow. "When did you come?"

"I come together with Sir Vaski," Ron rolled his eyes. "Sorry if I'm not as interesting,"

Scoffing at the sulking man, Zein looked at Bassena again. "What's Mobius?"

At this point, Bassena had grown used to Zein's lack of knowledge about the world. After all, how else could this man didn't even know him? Still, he felt a sense of elation when Zein chose to ask him even though it was clear that Ron should know about Mobius too.

"It's the Eastern Federation's special force," he explained. "I thought you were not interested in the outside world?"

"Hmm..." Zein turned his eyes to his leftover breakfast, and continued eating again. "You people are kind of interesting," he muttered softly, almost like a whisper. But of course, it couldn't escape an esper's heightened senses.

"That includes me?" Bassena asked in a low voice, leaning his face close to the guide.

"...sure."

"Why are you hesitating?" Bassena pursed his lips. "Well, I'll take it, I guess,"

This time, Zein did smile. Not the challenging one, but a simple, amused smile. And Bassena was stiffened for the second time this morning, contemplating whether he wanted to capture the view with his commlink or shield the others from witnessing it.

Because that smile was clearly his. He was the one who made this icy guide smiled, right?

Even if he just drink a cup of coffee and a glass of water, Bassena found his throat felt dry. "Did you just—"

"Give me your hand," just as sudden as it emerged, the smile vanished just as fast, and the face that had become soft for a second turned business-like once again.

Still in a daze, Bassena gave his hand to Zein's opened palm, like a puppy being asked for its paw. It was even more apparent with his stunned face, staring blankly at the guide. It took him a while until he realized that Zein was in the middle of guiding him.

"...huh?" he dumbly reacted, looking at their connecting hand under the table. And then he lifted his gaze to look at Zein, and saw the guide frown. "What?"

"You..." Zein looked up, his deep blue eyes had turned lighter, "Just how big is your mana pool?"