There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 757: Side Story 4. Endless Journey - 40

For most students, graduation was another event to forge connections. Not only some influential parents would come, but the academies would also invite people from guilds and the Sentinel Association.

Kar didn’t need such connections--rather, he was one of those connections. While Trinity was not a family-owned guild, people already assumed he would be the future guildmaster. How could they not--his father was the guildmaster of the branch, and his godfather was the owner of the guild.

Thus, at first, he had no plan of attending the graduation. Just like a lot of other things, he inherited an aversion to crowds and formal events from his guide father. But under the effect of sparkling blue eyes framed in long, white lashes, Kar had no choice but to change his mind.

Unlike him and his twin, Lucy couldn’t attend any school. Her system was different; she was both an esper and a guide, the first of her kind. Perhaps even the only one. To minimize harm, she had been homeschooled by their parents and the household member. Naturally, she couldn’t have a graduation of her own.

Of course, Kar would bring the girl to a graduation if she asked.

And he was glad that he did. The girl was truly excited about shopping for a dress. Rather than having Aunt Reina make a custom one for her, she shopped inside SavAsh boutiques with Nari, dragging Kar along to look for a suit.

The sacrifice he had to make...

"Hmm...too bad Nari and Byul can’t be here," Lucy sighed as they walked inside the Academy’s Great Hall, holding her brother’s elbow as a plus one.

"It’s family-only," Kar also thought it was a shame. "Byul can go when it’s Nari’s graduation."

"I see, I see!" Lucy nodded happily, knowing that she could still share the experience in the future.

And what an experience it was! Lucy was bored hanging around adults in the guild and the Iron Shields. The children of the household considered her their princess, so they always spoke politely and didn’t feel like a friend. Her fathers’ friends also had children, but she couldn’t meet them often since they had school.

Basically, she only had her brothers--who were away training--as well as Nari and Byul--who also had school. Even if her fathers always there for her every day, Lucy still felt a bit lonely from time to time.

So, it was nice to attend this kind of event, where she could see other teenagers. Even if she didn’t know them personally, the atmosphere itself was something she could only imagine from watching dramas and reading books.

Her eyes were sparkling looking at the Grand Hall, which had been turned into a ballroom. As expected of an Academy managed by two Old Houses, it didn’t even look like a school event. It was lavish without being gaudy and filled with delicacy.

Lucy couldn’t stop smiling ever since she stepped into the Grand Hall. Kar, who rarely interacted with people, even brought her to talk to the students he knew. The way she lit up like the sun every time she spoke to someone else made Kar think socializing was finally worth it.

And then, there was the peak of the graduation party; the last dance.

"Huh? There’s a graduation dance here too?" Bassena raised his brow when he heard the melody coming from the real live orchestra on the stage.

"What’s that?"

"It’s a tradition in our Academy--the one in Althrea," Bassena explained to his husband, who never went to school either. "I guess Radia wants it to continue. How weird..."

"What’s weird?"

"He didn’t even come to graduation in the past," Bassena stroked his chin. "Neither did Joon...I think?"

"Huh..."

"Oh, well," Bassena shrugged and looked at the main character of their family that night. At least, supposedly. "What will you do, Kar?"

The supposed main character turned toward the real main character. "Do you want to do it, Lucy?"

"Yes!" Lucy took her brother’s hand excitedly, before remembering something that made her feel deflated. "Oh...but I don’t know how to dance, tho..."

Kar chuckled and led his sister to the dance floor. "Just step on my shoes."

"Okay!"

Zein watched his cheerful daughter with relief. It was hard, knowing how isolated Lucy felt, without being able to do much about it. He had discussed sending Lucy to the Academy, but honestly, Lucy’s power was still unstable. It was like trying to control a raging storm. Just as they thought Lucy was finally able to control her mana, her power grew after her ’dream’ reached a certain stage.

All the effort went down the drain, Zein had to borrow House Mallarc’s artifact to seal his daughter’s mana. If those ’dreams’ were memories, he had a feeling that an even stronger power might unlock once the dream reached the stage where Lucre reached godhood and became Setnath.

In the end, he didn’t think it was wise to let his daughter out before she could fully control her power.

"We should bring her to gathering more often," Bassena whispered softly, always knew what he was thinking as usual.

Zein smiled and glanced at his commlink, checking on his other son who was still in the middle of studying for the college entrance exam. "I guess it’s time for me to stop hiding at home," he nodded while texting Ayya to prepare some sweets for Asa.

In the meantime, they watched Lucy shrieking joyfully as Kar twirled her high in the air, making her dress flutter like a fairy. Even after the music was completed for a round, she asked to do it again. Well, since she might not be able to experience such a thing again, Kar obediently followed her wish.

When the music started again, Bassena nudged his husband. "How about it, honey?"

Just like Radia and Han Joon, he also did not participate in the graduation party. H was already affiliated with the Golden Viper, and although he had become way tamer than the first time he arrived, students still avoided him.

Well, even if he did participate, it wasn’t like he would do the last dance.

But not this time.

He tilted his head, smiling at his beautiful husband. Even after he reached middle age, Zein’s beauty was still unmatched. It never failed to make his heart flutter and his stomach filled with butterflies. Especially when the blue eyes softened and a smile played on those lips.

"Can I step on your feet too?" Zein tilted his head

Bassena held the lean waist and pulled his husband closer. "Anytime."

As their fathers had a little dance on the side, Lucy giggled and let her brother lead her around the dance floor. It was everything she imagined while reading those historical fantasy novels she secretly borrowed from Nari. She didn’t have a prince charming, a knight captain, or a duke from the north, but...

"Hmm?" Kar tilted his head when Lucy looked at him with a giggle.

At least she had her crown prince brother.

"Oh, it’ll be fun if Nari and Byul are here too," Lucy giggled again. "You can dance with everyone, Kar."

"With Byul too?" Kar narrowed his eyes. "I don’t think he likes dances."

Byul liked parties and crowds as much as the rest of his family, but he didn’t like things that required too much coordinated movement. He learned dances so he could act well, but Kar had listened to a lot of whining episodes through their routine calls, so he knew how much the boy hated dancing.

Lucy laughed in response. "No, but he likes you."

"Is that so?"

Lucy stared at her brother’s face, who always remained nonchalant like their papa. Of everyone, Kar did resemble Zein the most, down to their personality. She narrowed her eyes and sighed. "You’re so boring, Kar."

"Where’s this come from?"

"Boring."

"What are you talking about, Princess?"

"Hmph!"

Raising his brow at this sudden shift, Kar smiled helplessly and once again lifted his sister until she shrieked and laughed, forgetting about their weird conversation.

* * *

"Congrats."

Radia and Han Joon met the Ishteras at the hotel where their family stayed--minus Asa, who refused to be disturbed even by Zein’s call. They had another celebration in a luxury dessert buffet, simply because Lucy asked for it.

How could Radia reject the request when Lucy said she wanted to take some home for her studious older brother?

Ah, even the wealthiest man in Althrea couldn’t say no to the princess.

"Thank you, Uncle," Kar smiled in gratitude, for the congratulations and everything more.

"You’re in Trinity, aren’t you?"

"Of course," Kar chuckled. "I don’t want you and Dad to sink another guild."

"Smart boy," Radia patted the boy, who was already as tall as Bassena. Naturally, if Kar decided to go to another guild, he would make sure said guild ceased to exist.

In a few months, he couldn’t call Kar a ’boy’ anymore. Once an esper had their license, that esper would be considered an adult. They had to start contributing to society; working and paying taxes. As the boy’s godfather, Radia couldn’t just let Kar swim into the open ocean without proper ammunition.

Radia pressed his commlink and gestured toward the boy’s wrist. Kar looked down as a notification appeared on his link and raised his brow when he saw it came from Radia. It was an encrypted code that had to be activated together with his biometrics. "What’s this, Uncle?"

"A key," Radia smirked. "The trunk will arrive after you come back from the cruise."

Kar blinked in bewilderment.

"...what cruise?"