Ball of Nothing

The journey from Rocket Mountain to Magnus Hilda wasn't an easy one and there was nobody more nervous about the project than Dorgon.

While Zero engaged with intellectual debate to kill time, Dorgon hadn't been slacking off entirely. If he wasn't motion-sick, he was busy fiddling with wood or stone to refine his skills that he didn't put to use for a good number of decades. Getting a religious statue commissioned was the highest level of acknowledgement a craftsman could receive and even for Dorgon who was blessed by the God of Art, this was a first. It wasn't just honour, Dorgon also felt an incredible pressure of responsibility that came with the job. Part of him wanted to run from it but he knew that nobody else could take on such an important task. Hence, the current situation.

Zero had to stifle a giggle watching the guild master moving so rigidly. The dwarven hero even brought his formal clothes along when he knew there would be an audience with royalty. Everyone else was dressed formally but nobody looked more out of place than Dorgon. The dwarf's bulging muscles looked like they were going to burst through his sleeves. The suit looked too small for the short man and Zero thought he looked closer to a blacksmith than a craftsman. Looks could be deceiving and Dorgon was doing a good job.

The welcoming party eased some of Dorgon's tension but Zero knew better. If there was anyone feeling the stress about having the entire fate of giants on their shoulder, it would be Dorgon. Zero cured the mysterious plague but his suggestion for a more permanent solution relied on the guild master.

"Your name surpasses you," King Richard smiled kindly to the guild master who bowed humbly, trying his best not to tear his clothes. Zero heard the faint sound of several threads snapping with that one movement and winced in pity.

"You flatter me, your majesty."

Queen Rosalind laughed carefreely. "Not at all, Dwarven Hero Dorgon. I've been pen pals with Queen Demora for a long time and I heard many of your accomplishments on and off the battlefields. Sorry about calling you out of your retirement for such a huge favour. The giants will forever be in your debt."

As the talks became more serious, the king and queen excused themselves from the party with Dorgon in tow to discuss the details of the job. Zero was also invited away, leaving Bob with Zenobia and Schaf who were entertained by the kind giants with their stories. Zero wanted to be part of the crowd too but he knew that he had a more important task.

It was nice of Dorgon to send word ahead that Zero met with an accident on his quest and was subjected to borrowing a temporary body which resulted in his new appearance. The guild master's vouch for his identity was all Zero needed to be allowed into the land of giants without questions. Occasionally, Zero would get bows and looks of sympathy mixed with gratefulness. The nature of his true identity remained unknown but nobody questioned if he was fae or something else to be able to survive a total annihilation of his body. Zero appreciated their consideration.

Dorgon and Zero were ushered into the study and they had to be lifted up by the giants to reach the specially prepared chairs on the table for a proper conversation.

"Healer, it's good to see your safe return. My heart almost stopped when Dorgon explained how you almost met death on your trip to Derby Desert in order to find a gnome technician. Nobody has heard anything about them for decades now, we simply thought they had become extinct!"

Laughing nervously, Zero shook his head. "It isn't the case at all. With my brother around, I don't think death would even dare to come close. However, I must say that this new form is inconvenient. My mana hasn't been fully recovered and I will need a long time to recuperate. Please forgive me in advance if I cannot be in Magnus Hilda for the entire process while Goddess Freya's Temple is built. In return, I will ask Thomas to stay behind with Dorgon to help with the design. I hope this will suffice."

King Richard agreed. "It's best for you to return to the village for recuperation. I heard that it wasn't easy to repair the Crafter's Suit either. However, just before you leave, could we help with anything? I know that my wife has agreed to a reward should Magnus Hilda be truly saved but I think monetary benefits matter least now."

At the offer, Zero didn't hesitate to propose an alliance with the giants. "King Richard, Queen Rosalind... as you might already know, Half Moon Village is located on Endow Hill. The villagers there are no ordinary people and are powerful and skilful in their trades. However, I am about to take in more people with an allying village led by Monoman whom I met in Deadman Town before I left for Derby Desert. New Moon Village isn't anything like Half Moon Village and I am about to make a lot of enemies. Please grant us your alliances and lend us help when we require it!"

Even Dorgon was surprised when Zero told them everything that happened in Deadman Town from how he met Jermine to how he wanted to abolish slavery. Naturally, the thought was noble but Zero mentioned that Truen didn't allow it due to the consequences of suppressing slavery so suddenly when it was a lucrative business for some.

"I don't know the results of the negotiation yet but I need to meet up with Truen once I've recovered a little more. I can only imagine the enemies I would be making in the name of Half Moon Village for my selfish reasons but as a doctor, I cannot disregard the value of lives."

Dorgon sighed heavily and so did the royal couple. They knew who Monoman was. Along with hero Dwayne who encouraged Zero's actions, who were they to refuse to support him? Zero might not know it but with three very powerful retired heroes, he was possibly the person with the most influence on the continent. Not even royalties could go against him.

"Also, this might sound crazy but I think the demons and angels should be coming to an agreement soon about allowing working visas for demons from Hell to work on Earth. I know that mages are rare on Earth but this isn't the case for those in the abyss. If you sign an alliance and treaty with Half Moon Village and its allying villages, we will provide professional services and special products."

The hint was very obvious and Zero's intention to butter the royal couple was rather amusing. Despite being a powerful healer and magician, Zero was awfully naive about hiding his motives. He was getting a little better at not revealing all his cards but he still wore his heart on his sleeves.

"Understood," Queen Rosalind laughed. "I will talk to your envoy Zenobia to finalise details. As for those demons, I think I shall hold that off for a little while until we know for sure that they wouldn't try to destroy Earth and take over the world."

Zero beamed and the royal couple quickly dismissed him so that he could rest early. Zero wanted to depart Magnus Hilda tomorrow with Bob and they didn't want to hold him back.

Now that Zero was gone, they looked at Dorgon with seriousness.

"Hero Dorgon," King Richard said. "Times are trying. The success of Magnus Hilda's fate rests on your shoulders. Is there anything we can do to help you? The temple design is roughly done but we will ask for the gnome's opinion before proceeding. Are there any materials or tools that you might require? We shall prepare them at once."

Dorgon nodded. "I was going to ask you that. How many capable artisans do you have at your disposal? I need all hands on deck. Crafting a statue of that size bigger than the giants is going to be difficult for a small man like me. I will do the detailing myself but I need someone decent at carving and taking instructions. Here is a sample of Freya's statue that I made with Zero's guidance but I will need to enlarge this by a few thousand times."

The statue that fit in Dorgon's palm was far too small for the giants to see even if they squinted and Dorgon explained that while crafting was difficult, finding a priest to bless the statue and call upon Goddess Freya was the hard part.

"Oh, don't worry about that. We've got it covered," Queen Rosalind smiled. "Zero can do that once he recovers his mana. Isn't that why he left to recuperate?"

At this, Dorgon fumbled. He honestly wasn't sure but he knew he was going to talk to Zero about it.

"I see," he grunted. "In that case, I will coordinate dates with him. If all the materials are ready and I have enough people on the project, the temple could be completed within two months."

Excited, the giants told Dorgon to rest early. "I will introduce you to Madeline first thing in the morning," Queen Rosalind grinned. "She's our head artisan and also the mother of Camie who was a Half Moon Villager. I suppose now that some things are out of the bag, the story is beginning to fit together more. Zero's appearance was suspicious but I suppose if he was someone of great importance from Endow Hill, it would explain a lot."

The dwarf sighed. "You can say that again. It's been a long time since I met someone more powerful than me with the exception of the lost spriggan. Perhaps I should also find time to visit his village. Thomas is a new Half Moon Villager but he has only good things to say about it even if everyone there sounded like a nutcase or workaholic."

Queen Rosalind laughed and King Richard sighed. It would be lovely if they could see that for themselves too. Alas, being royalty didn't allow for such luxuries.