Ball of Nothing

The princess' transformation made everyone happy and the royal family threw Zero and Truen a feast. They didn't deny the hospitality but Truen did see the King to ask for a favour while Zero talked to Dorgon alone.

Before Zero left, Truen reminded him three times to be extra careful with the perverted dwarf and to kick him if he tried anything funny. Zero only promised so that Truen wouldn't keep the chancellor waiting. As the archer left, Zero thought that he should bring out the picture of Freya that he had. It was actually a photo taken by the communicator that Zero copied onto a canvas. The first time he tried it, the painting didn't do Freya any justice so he burned it and asked Princess Dorothy for help.

Lo and behold, the princess actually was talented in painting and promised not to tell anyone about Freya's photograph that Zero had. The doctor had to pass off the communicator as something he received as payment during his nomadic travels after saving someone. Princess Dorothy took one look at it and assumed that the person he saved was a gnome.

"You must be Dorgon Flintstock," Zero smiled. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I hope my brother treated you well."

Dorgon looked at Zero from head to toe and nodded in satisfaction. He wasn't wrong to say that Truen would have a beautiful sister. Indeed, elves were always a sight for sore eyes if it weren't for their detestable attitudes. Thankfully, the wood elves weren't the same as those high elves in Altear. Dorgon would never agree to work for them even if they were envoys of Magus Hilda.

"Truen has been nothing but polite to me. He told me that you had a picture of the great goddess Freya?"

Zero nodded and dug into his spatial bag to pull out the canvas. Dorgon was impressed that such a huge painting could fit in that sling bag. That was a magical artefact that must have cost a lot. If the nomadic siblings didn't buy it, that could only mean that they were magically talented to create such an item.

"I heard that you were the one who cured our giant friends of the plague. At first, I thought it was just a rumour but seeing how you pulled the canvas from your bag, I totally believe it. Say, you're not just a simple healer, are you? With magic like this, you could easily be a famous magician that any kingdom would employ. Even as an adventurer, you wouldn't be anything less than an A-rank. Why do both of you insist on becoming nomads?"

Zero smiled politely. Dorgon was much sharper than the King and maybe even the chancellor.

"We have our reason," he smiled and Dorgon became wary. Truen was difficult to read but not impossible. Zero was another level higher than Truen and Dorgon didn't know what to think about him at all. He was able to estimate the archer's strength even though he concealed it well. However, with Zero, Dorgon didn't know what rank the person was. In fact, something told him that the healer wasn't truly an elf. Zero, in his opinion, was a more dangerous person than Truen even if the healer was female.

"I won't question it then. However, know that if you cross Rocket Mountain and Magnus Hilda, even if I can't win the both of you, I, Dorgon Flintstock, will still put my life on the line to fight. You may be able to fool everyone else and even Motley but you can't fool me. I have been blessed by the God of Art and I know where you stand. Not even the guardian of Endow Hill is your match if you get serious. Your brother is weaker than you but even he can take down the guardian."

Zero can't say that he disliked this kind of honest personality even if the tip of the blade was pointed towards him. Instead, he handed over the painting of Freya and agreed. "I might be stronger but I think Truen is smarter. Without him, I'd be in deep trouble since I'm still very young in a sense. Rest assured, I'm actually a doctor. Destroying the world isn't my intention and building my career as a magician is not my thing. We travel because I want to save lives that even doctors have given up on. As for the Freya statue, it's for the same reason. Do you want to know more?"

The master crafter hesitated before shaking his head. "Not here. How about we head to my workshop? I'll also like to show you the crafter's suit while we are there. Your brother might not have had the chance to tell you yet but it is broken and I need someone to go to Derby Desert for me to bring back a gnome technician. He doesn't seem to know much about technology so I'm hoping you're better informed."

Zero agreed and followed Dorgon to his workshop. The workshop was currently empty so only the two of them were present. The dwarf quickly shut the door once Zero entered and walked over to the crafter's suit. He placed the painting on his messy desk and removed the cloth from the crafter's suit. Zero had seen it before but he was expecting for Dorgon to get into the suit.

The dwarf climbed into it with some difficulty but Zero didn't offer a hand because he knew Dorgon was stubborn. Still, he wondered what Dorgon was up to.

"Follow me," he said and pressed a button in the suit. The crafter's suit powered up much to Zero's surprise. Which part of it was broken? It looked like it was functioning well.

Not surprised, the master crafter grinned. "It cannot fly. That function is broken and it is what I need to build the huge statue. Other than that, it works as it should although it's a little rusty at the joints. We're going to take a test right now."

Zero blinked. "Test?"

Dorgon chuckled at the confused expression. "Yes, test. A test to register you as an adventurer. I received Darius' instructions. You wanted to be an adventurer without a suspicious grade but with the ability to travel freely throughout the nine nations and be known as a healer instead of a magician. There isn't a doctor subclass yet but I can put in a word to appeal for it to be written somewhere."

"I don't understand," Zero frowned. "Isn't that the job meant for the guild master?"

Laughing at the poor confused expression on Zero's face, Dorgon pointed to himself. "I am the guild master and the highest authority in Rocket Mountain apart from the chancellor. Guild Master Dorgon Flintstock at your service and the legendary artisan blessed by the God of Art. By the way, I am an S-ranked ex-adventurer who fought beside Queen Demora to establish Rocket Mountain that we have today."

Zero's jaw fell. Did Truen know that this was going to happen? Was that why he told Zero to kick the dwarf if he tried anything funny? At this rate, Zero didn't think kicking was appropriate. If he kicked the ass of an S-ranked guild master, wouldn't the entire country come after him?

Caught in a dilemma, Zero urgently contacted Zero using the party call function and told Dorgon that he needed a time-out. At this rate, his cover of lying low was going to be blown a second time in the same country! Why was it so difficult to remain inconspicuous?