Ball of Nothing

Chapter 573: A Treasure In Everyone

Even when King Gaon and his ministers worked at their fastest speed, they took nearly three days to organise the documents for Zero. They finally had the names and numbers for every clan of Lycantopia who were willing to stay. A few tribes decided to leave and form a village of their own. King Gaon didn't stop them, only wishing them the best and sending them off with a small supply of bread that would have been their portion if they stayed.

The most concerning matters for these homeless citizens were food, shelter and medicine. Nobody knew when the dragon would return. Even if King Gaon arranged a good security patrol system, his efforts did little to alleviate his citizens' fear.

Zero spent those three days mingling with the citizens, talking to them and finding out more about Lycantopia's system. The caste system prevented omnivores and herbivores from contributing to the country even if they could. Zero decided that old customs had to go.

"Messiah!" King Gaon greeted. Zero looked up from his letter and folded it. That was Mitchnew's report about Queen Leah and Indra Seagloo.

"We finally managed to record all the names of the clans as well as the population who are willing to remain in Lycantopia.

The lion werebeast looked happy, and Zero grinned. King Gaon should have realised by now just how many of his citizens still had faith in him despite his failure to thwart the dragon's attack. With this much charisma and respect, all King Gaon needed was someone to guide him on a new path and Lycantopia would prosper.

Zero accepted the book containing the records of every citizen in Lycantopia. He expected this to take longer, but King Gaon was more capable than he thought. The documents were neat, and it was easy for Zero to understand which clan belonged to which caste. In fact, the details recorded rivalled those in adventurer guilds and medical records. Not only names, but the book also contained abilities of every individual in the clan and their field of expertise.

"Did you do this all in three days?" the doctor couldn't help but be amazed.

King Gaon roared with laughter and shook his head. "How could it be? It was the help of every clan head and the caste representatives that made it possible so quickly. I simply told my advisor what you required, and he made the necessary arrangements. I never studied more than how to read and write."

Zero was amazed by the declaration but King Sharo, who was transformed into a staff, rattled in annoyance. How could a musclehead become the king? Shouldn't kings or rulers be well-rounded and good at everything? Who allowed this loser to lead the country? No wonder it was in ruins! The beastfolks were really inferior to the elves. At the very least, King Sharo knew better than to leave the important matters to his subordinates. Who knew when they would betray or let you down? It was always better to do important things personally.

King Gaon declared that he would leave Zero to look through the records in peace, but it was clear to anyone that the king didn't want to remain in the stuffy tent flipping through books. He would rather help repair the walls or work in the fields, so Zero didn't stop him.

It took Zero hours to reorganise the available manpower for the next stage of his plan. The caste system worked well in the past, but Zero felt that a more fluid classification was required based on every individual's strengths and talent instead of their bloodline. Hence, the tedious process of internal restructuring commenced.

By the time Zero was finished, the moon was already up. The doctor felt his stomach rumble but didn't dare head outside. The beastfolks were still starving, and the fields were somewhat ruined. Very little could be salvaged and the granary was completely submerged underwater. Even if they could drain the seawater, there would be no saving the food supplies in it.

The closest country to Lycantopia would be Altear to the south or Rocket Mountains to the southwest. Both countries were challenging to navigate through on foot. Even if they agreed to provide assistance to Lycantopia, it could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for the supplies to arrive. Zero couldn't wait that long for help to arrive. At the same time, he promised Truen not to recklessly use his magic to help others. Magic didn't exist for the sake of convenience. It should be used to save lives in desperate times and give hope to others.

"King Sharo, can you help me think of a solution for their immediate food, shelter and medical needs? I will let you meet Arvin on the way back to Altear when I finish my business in Lycantopia."

The staff in his hand rattled and Zero allowed it to communicate with him telepathically. He thought that the elven king would be somewhat humbled after being treated poorly by Truen, but he was wrong. The first words that came out of King Sharo's mouth were insults to these 'barbarians'. His complaints were directed to the ones who approved of King Gaon's position.

"How could someone with rocks for brains become a king? If it weren't for his superior bloodline, he wouldn't even be able to swing his sword properly! This country is a joke! Who's going to help them? Let the idiots rot!"

Zero frowned and thwacked the staff on the ground a few times, listening to the yelps of pain from the helpless elf before he gave him a lecture of his own.

"Nobody is perfect," he told King Sharo. "Everyone has flaws, and that's normal. So what if he was elected as a king even if he doesn't know how to rule a country properly? Does a king always have to be smart, powerful or right? What's truly most important shouldn't be a person's capabilities. They have their ministers for that. Ruling a country is not a one-man job. It takes a team to run a country successfully. King Gaon is only a figurehead because the figurehead's duty is to bring a country's people together and gain their love. It's the same for King Darius and King Brice. Not all kings are as powerful, smart and capable as you and that's alright. Even you aren't perfect, nobody is. Stop trying to compare your standards to theirs. Everyone is striving to become better, just like you. Don't demean those less capable than yourself because there is a treasure in everyone."

The passionate speech made King Sharo silent. For as long as he remembered, a king had to be perfect. He cannot show weakness and emotions because that is what his enemies look for. He must not depend on anyone apart from himself and must always be right. Yet, for the very first time, he was told that a king's only duty was to be loved by their people. There was no need to be perfect.

"Then what have I been doing all my life?" King Sharo asked and fell silent.

Hearing that, Zero didn't pressure the elven king further. This was something King Sharo had to decide for himself, so Zero left him to mull over it. On the other hand, he could feel his head pounding at the problem on hand. Where was he going to find food in a barren landscape?