World's Best Protagonist [BL]-Chapter 53: Private Talk

[3rd Person’s POV]

The night the Alpha team went to the funeral hall, Allen had been sneaking glances at Jade. He wanted to ask something, but he couldn’t find the right word to say.

His gaze then would shift to his captain, Claude, wondering if it would be best to talk to him first. After a few minutes of contemplating, he decided to talk to his captain, but then, he lost sight of him.

He asked Jade where Claude was.

"I last saw him talking with Commander Lan," Jade replied. He looked like he was in a hurry; thus, Allen excused himself and searched for Claude.

He found the man outside the funeral hall, gazing blankly at the flickering light of the lamppost, with his hands in his pockets. He approached him, his silent footsteps did not escape the captain’s sharp senses.

Claude turned slightly and met his eyes.

Allen did not beat around the bush. "I heard you were talking with the commander. It’s about another mission, isn’t it? An Infernal Vortex appeared in the third region."

Claude did not answer. He looked away and just gave a light nod.

Allen sighed. "Captain, did you ask the commander to assign our team as the scavenger team again? Or, given that this is an Infernal Vortex, you flatly declined the mission?"

"What the hell are you implying?" Claude gave Allen a sideways glance. He didn’t like Allen’s tone, as if the guy knew what was on his mind.

Allen smiled, shaking his head. He looked ahead, at the same light Claude was staring at. A few moths were flying around it and he couldn’t help but compare himself to one of them, being attracted to the warm light.

"Captain, you suddenly agreed to be the scavenger team after Jade joined the team. Something you never did before. Am I right?"

Claude paused. Then, angrily, he replied, "You’re talking nonsense."

"Am I?" Allen chuckled. "I thought it was pretty obvious. Even Terrius and Etienne could tell."

"Shut up."

"Are you shy after being found out?"

"Are you done talking?"

Allen laughed shortly. Then, he became serious again. "I will do the same if it is someone who saved my life. Strange, isn’t it? It’s different. It makes me wonder if that is the reason we’re attracted, just like those moths circling the light."

"I’m not attracted," Claude denied firmly.

Allen stared at Claude for a few minutes. After seeing the displeasure on the captain’s face, a smile broke into his lips. A relieved smile. Claude raised an eyebrow after witnessing that.

"I have something to talk to you about. It’s about Jade," Allen said after.

"What?" Claude asked, his tone uninterested, as if he was certain Allen would only say nonsensical things again.

"He met with Director Alistair Ignacio. I couldn’t find what they talked about, but after that meeting, the director purchased a private property in the suburbs and opened up a position in the ranks of elite Minders."

Silence reigned between them. Both were thinking the same thing.

After a few minutes, Allen spoke again, breaking the silence.

"Have you talked to Juris, captain?"

"About what?"

"About what happened to Jade when he saved your life from your Nightmare."

Claude flinched. He averted his eyes and then shook his head in response. Remembering that moment still brought unpleasant emotions in him. It was his first time going berserk, but if he knew what things the Nightmare did to the Seeker’s mind, he wouldn’t have been so reckless.

Allen sighed.

"He was brought into the laboratory as soon as both of your bodies were recovered. During the week he stayed inside, being monitored by Juris, do you think he didn’t experience the same symptoms he did after saving me?"

"What are you getting at, Allen?"

Claude clearly did not want to admit it.

"Compared to mine, yours was full-blown. Imagine what the symptoms are, but Juris didn’t say anything. Do you have an idea why?"

"...no."

"Captain, Jade probably is...a Minder, after all. Minders tend to develop sub-abilities that protect themselves against dangers. In Jade’s case, I think there was a confusion. His main ability is absorption, a Minder’s type of power."

"Impossible. How will you explain the RDC’s screening results? His body has symptoms of Awakener’s Nightmare, and only Seekers have it."

Allen was rendered speechless. He only said that Jade might be a Minder, but he did not mention that he was not a Seeker. However, such a case was unheard of.

Could it be possible that the NSA had realized this, and therefore, they kept Jade to them instead of transferring him to the UAO? And now the NMA might have discovered it too.

Claude remained silent too, but he was clearly lost in thought. He knew the symptoms Jade experienced when he saved Allen were similar to a Minder, but if that was truly the case, then another reason why they should not bring the guy on a vortex raid was added.

Claude was a bit torn. If he refused to let Jade join, he could imagine what would be his reaction.

The two men stared at the lamp for a while, both lost in their own thoughts.

After that, they went back inside, surprised to see that Jade was already gone. One was confused as to why he suddenly disappeared, the other was a bit disappointed.

The team went home after that.

Several hours passed after that night and the sun had risen, Terrius and Etienne had to return to the wake to deliver some things.

While Etienne stayed inside, Terrius excused himself and stepped out for a bit. He was walking under the shade of the trees when a commotion in the parking lot of the building caught his attention.

He was about to ignore it, but then he glimpsed at a familiar brown hair and black suit he saw last night. Realizing who it was, he rushed to the crowd of people.

"Did someone call the ambulance already? I think this man is dying!"

"Is he a Seeker? Should we report this to the NSA?"

Terrius lightly shoved the people in the way. His eyes widened after seeing Jade, clothes torn and burned. His skin was scorched and he was covered in blood. His complexion was paler than a corpse, but luckily there was still a pulse, albeit slow and weak.

He quickly gathered Jade into his arms.

"Young man, where are you taking him? The ambulance is already here!"

Terrius ignored the shout. He dashed inside the hall and called out loudly, "Etienne!"

"What? What is it?" Etienne came out of the room, confused. He froze in his tracks after seeing Jade’s limp body in Terrius’ arms. "What happened?!"

"Heal him. His pulse is weak," Terrius said. He entered an empty room and lay Jade on the floor.

Etienne rushed in. He immediately healed the guy without saying anything. Once everything was finished, Jade’s complexion returned to normal, so was his pulse and his scorched skin was as smooth as it was before.

Etienne let out a deep breath. He wiped his face, sweaty from almost an hour of healing Jade, and looked at Terrius with questioning eyes.

Terrius pressed his lips. "I don’t know what happened. I just picked him outside, looking like this already."

Etienne gently slapped Jade’s cheek, trying to wake him up. Jade stirred, his eyebrows furrowed, and then he suddenly grabbed Etienne’s wrist and squeezed it tightly. Etienne yelped from the pain.

Terrius helped, but then Jade immediately opened his eyes. His brown eyes gleamed with murder, ready to kill.

"Jade, it’s me!" Etienne shouted.

Jade blinked. Twice. He stared at Etienne’s pained expression, then his gaze moved to his hand. Startled, he sat upright.

"I’m sorry!"

Terrius slapped his hand away after his grip loosened. He pulled Etienne up and pushed him outside.

"Go and receive counseling," he ordered.

"Huh? But I’m fine!" Etienne complained, but Terrius gave him a serious look. He stepped back and had no choice but to follow.

With the two of them left alone inside the room, Jade could feel the temperature decreasing. He swallowed the lump in his throat and realized how the pain, everything that had hurt in his body before, was gone and healed.

"I didn’t get to thank him..." Jade mumbled.

"You almost broke his arm," Terrius said coldly.

"That...I have no excuse. I just thought he was someone trying to hurt me."

"What happened to you?" Terrius crossed his arms. He stood before the door, as though blocking the only way Jade could escape.

Jade bit his lower lip. Is it alright to tell him? He asked himself. He sighed, making a choice.

"Family matters."

"It was your family who did this to you?" Terrius asked with disbelief.

Jade nodded. "My father, to be exact." He stood, patted his butt, and upon seeing the state of his clothes, his lips crooked to a nervous smile. It was the clothes Claude bought for him after all.

He lifted his head after and gazed at Terrius with hopeful eyes. "Vice-captain, I have something I need to do. Will you lend me a hand?"

"If you tell me what it is."

Jade complied. He began telling Terrius everything he learned about his father’s group, including his suspicions.