Ball of Nothing

Chapter 556: The Chosen One’s Identity

Horses were prepared for King Sharo. Truen just decided to ride his wyvern and Zero on his paka-paka. There was no need for new horses and Zero's short legs wouldn't be able to climb on those tall beasts. Once they were mounted, King Sharo led the way with only four bodyguards.

Instead of heading towards the area that Truen snuck around to survey with Torran, they travelled in the opposite direction and Truen couldn't help but be surprised.

"This could be a trap," he told Zero with the party call function and Zero nodded.

Mii was monitoring the minimap and couldn't find anything in this direction. It could be the barrier of the world tree interfering with the system's ability but whatever it was, she cautioned Zero to be alert. King Sharo could be trying to trick him and Zero agreed. Seeing how disagreeable King Sharo was, Zero thought that it wouldn't be impossible for the elven king to try murdering them. They were on his territory and didn't know the terrain well.

"Tell me more about Spriggan Alex and the Weeping Willow. I only heard the Weeping Willow's side of the story from Gaia but I don't know the spriggan Alex very well," Zero said as his paka-paka trotted up to ride side by side with King Sharo's horse. He was back to his beautiful woman appearance and King Sharo clicked his tongue at those vulgar flesh melons. It was disgusting to look at and the sight was too disturbing after he knew Zero's 'true' appearance.

"Nobody knows much about the Weeping Willow. Only my father was able to talk to her. We elves cannot communicate with the world tree unless the spriggan Alex is mediating."

The answer wasn't a lie and Zero nodded. Torran said as much as well. However, Zero was more curious about the story Arvin told them. According to the apothecarist, King Sharo was a lady-killer. It was spriggan Alex's influence that started the rebellious phase and womanising tendencies. Where was that womaniser in this rigid and frosty high elf?

"That's strange," Zero kept his tone light. "According to an apothecarist we met on our way here, we heard that you grew up under the Weeping Willow and spriggan Alex's care. Do you really not know?"

At that, King Sharo pulled on the reins of his horse to stop it. The glare was downright menacing and King Sharo barked at his guards to leave them. The four bodyguards hesitated but after seeing how determined their king was, they saluted and turned their horses around. These guests weren't ordinary envoys from the topic of their conversation but they knew to keep their mouths shut.

With the bodyguards gone, King Sharo stared at the two envoys sent by Smargdas. One of them wasn't a wood elf from Altear and the other claimed to be the chosen one.

"Who exactly are you?" he questioned. For years, the one from the prophecy never appeared. He couldn't simply believe that the chosen one would appear now of all times even if he had been hearing things happening outside his forest.

Zero blinked. "I'm Zero?"

For a moment, King Sharo wanted to snap that he wasn't asking for his name. However, when he heard it, the elven king paused for a while. "Zero?"

The doctor nodded and the look on King Sharo's face became weirder.

"The healer Zero of Magnus Hilda? Zero the one who ventured the desert to find gnomes for Dwarven Hero Dorgon? Zero the one who took out the Silver Witch Sylvia? That Zero?"

Zero nodded and took his adventurer ID for King Sharo to verify. The look on King Sharo's face was priceless.

"What's this? You're not even A-rank? That's impossible!"

Truen wanted to sigh. Most people would think it too. Zero's reputation exceeds him and meeting him in person must have given King Sharo quite a different impression.

"That elf you mentioned that you met on the way here, is his name Arvin?"

At this, Zero was unsure if he should confirm or deny it. He didn't want the humble apothecarist to get into any sort of trouble after leaving Altear to lead his peaceful life for so many years. Instead, Zero asked another question to confirm the king's intentions.

"Will you harm or hurt him if I tell you?"

At this, King Sharo's icy personality melted a little. A semblance of humanity and loneliness could be seen in his brown eyes.

"No. I just want to speak to him. I won't disrupt his life or force him to come back to Altear if he doesn't want it."

Zero didn't detect a lie and gave Truen a look. The wood elf shook his head and told Zero that this was his decision to make. Besides, this was something the two elves had to figure out on their own. There was no place for outsiders like them to be meddling.

"What will you give me in return for this information?" Zero asked and King Sharo frowned. He thought that Zero was a kind person from the stories of the miracles created. He was almost about to trust this chosen one too but now, he was having second thoughts. Was the chosen one from the prophecy such a calculative person?

"What do you want?"

Zero grinned. This was better. His Demon Lord friends would be very proud of him.

"Information. If you want to know something, you need to trade for it. I'm not lacking in money and Altear really doesn't have any appealing products that I am interested in exporting. Hence, you can only trade with information."

King Sharo thought for a while. "Ask away."

Not one to miss the opportunity, Zero decided that he was going to milk the elven king for all the important answers he wanted.

"Why are you leading us the wrong way to the Weeping Willow?"

That question made King Sharo narrow his eyes. "And how would you know this is the wrong way?"

Zero couldn't answer. He couldn't tell Sharo that Truen and a fellow high elf had been sneaking around to find out more. Hence, he opted for the simplest thing that came to mind.

"I'm a prophet. Do you think I don't know? Asking you to grant us permission to see spriggan Axel is just a formality. The one I wish to speak to is the Weeping Willow to fulfil her request. You've been quite the womaniser in your earlier years and I bet it was you who introduced the pleasure of woman to the corrupted spriggan."

Zero was twisting the facts on purpose to gain a reaction out of King Sharo and it was working. The diversion was a good tactic and King Sharo became angry.

"Did he really say that? Did he tell you all that just to get back at me?"

Neither Zero nor Truen knew what King Sharo was talking about so they remained silent and allowed the king to rant. It turns out, the elven history was more complicated than they initially thought. King Sharo didn't seem to be telling lies and Arvin wasn't telling lies either. Just what exactly was going on?