Ball of Nothing

Burping at the end of his meal, Zero thanked the cook who bowed tearfully with a broad smile on his face. After a meal, it was time to start his work. Zero decided to walk around the temporary camp, but King Gaon quickly tried to dissuade him.

"Messiah! There isn't much to see. Please remain here to rest for a few more days. The servants will tend to your need if you require anything!"

Zero shook his head. It was evident that the king was trying to hide the sorry state his country had become. Unfortunately for him, Zero wasn't going to let King Gaon pull the wool over his eyes. He needed to see with his own eyes how terrible Lycantopia had become. At the same time, Zero had to find a way to meet with Bob and Donkey Sharo.

"No," Zero told the lion werebeast. "I have to see this for myself. Besides, the dragon could be nearby, I am just going to take a quick look around. King Gaon, I have the first task for you."

Hearing that Zero had a job for him, the werebeast king became serious.

"At your service!"

Zero looked at the tired man. Even if he told King Gaon to rest, it wouldn't be effective. The man might be a foolish ruler, but he had a big heart for his people, much like King Brice. Instead, Zero decided to use the charismatic king's connection with his people to speed up the second part of his plan.

"I need you to gather the names of every clan in Lycantopia and their numbers. We're going to start by analysing how many survivors there are before we rebuild this country. You need to promise me that if anyone wishes to leave Lycantopia and settle elsewhere, you must not stop them. Only willing citizens should remain. After all, rebuilding a country is hard work."

King Gaon listened and nodded, feeling disheartened. "If we do that, there wouldn't be anyone left to rebuild the walls of this country. However, I will do as you say."

Zero smiled as King Gaon left the tent with heavy steps and a heavier heart. The lion werebeasts needed a little more faith in himself and the people surrounding him. Sure, there might be a few who would be tempted to run. However, seeing most citizens still loitered in the vicinity meant that nobody truly wanted to leave Lycantopia. King Gaon was going to be in for a huge surprise.

While the lion werebeast busied away with his assigned task, Zero thought it was time to hunt for Donkey Sharo and Bob. A quick conversation using the party call later, Zero used stealth to avoid getting noticed by the thousands of werebeasts surrounding the area. He walked further east to the wilderness.

"Master!" Bob greeted and jumped off from Jermine's neck, transforming into his human hybrid form.

Truen and the paka-paka were gone, so Zero assumed that the archer was out scouting or meeting up with Schaf's contact. Monoman was present, and so was Donkey Sharo. Bob grinned toothily, and Zero patted his head with a smile.

Jermine, who was busy coordinating the construction of her family's temporary shelter in the wilderness, paused and popped out of the hole.

"Zero!" she greeted, and the doctor laughed, brushing the dirt from her nose.

"Hey, Jermine. It's nice to finally get to meet your family."

One by one, more furry heads popped from the ground and wrinkled their noses. Zero counted a total of fifty tiny mole beastfolks, and even the children were working hard, digging tunnels. One cousin was born an albino, and the dirt stood out against his fur coat. Zero greeted them and made some small talk, wanting to build a better relationship with New Moon Village's future villagers.

"Are you the person who rescued my daughter from the horrid slave traders?"

An elderly mole beastfolks asked and climbed out of the ground. Even as an a.d.u.l.t, the mole beastfolk did not go past Zero's waist. The man was almost the same height as Jermine and Zero wondered if this was a clan of small people. He initially thought they would need at least six carriages to transport Jermine's family. However, they were so small that everyone would fit snugly in two carriages if Monoman was the horseman.

Filled with gratitude for returning their daughter and offering them a new life with New Moon Village, Jermine's father kneeled down tearfully to thank their clan's saviour. Zero felt slightly awkward. After all, they initially saved Jermine as part of a business deal. Instead, he told the mole beastfolks to put their gifts to good use and work hard.

"It might sound awkward, but New Moon Village is rather barren and not very well built. I might have to trouble you and your family to make it a homey place when you arrive. As there are still many pending matters that require my attention, I cannot remain here for too long."

Zero mingled among the mole folks until Truen returned. When the archer was back, the doctor exchanged a few words with him. Bob climbed onto his master's shoulders, fl.i.c.k.i.n.g his tongue against Zero's cheek. Donkey Sharo who was napping on the ground cracked open an eye lazily and brayed in alarm when Zero zapped him with another spell without warning.

Monoman yawned lazily and waved goodbye to Zero who grabbed hold of a newly transformed staff in one hand and a gecko on his shoulder. Truen wished Zero luck, reassuring him one last time that the mole beastfolks would be escorted back to New Moon Village safely.

With King Sharo in his hand, Zero decided to do his actual rounds. He needed to understand more about the other beastfolks of Lycantopia to develop a sound strategy to rebuild the country and become self-sufficient. At the same time, Zero hoped to gather more useful information about Indra Seagloo and Queen Leah from them.