Ball of Nothing

"Take care," Mitchnew hugged Zero. "If you pass by Sekkin, tell him to hurry up with his training. I could use more hands here."

"Will do," Zero laughed and bade everyone goodbye. His feet felt heavier the more distance they travelled from Smargdas, and by now, even Bob noticed that something was off about his master.

Truen gave Bob a warning look. Thankfully, the dragon was smart enough to get the hint and didn\'t pursue the matter any further. However, they decided to keep a close eye on Zero just in case something happened.

Despite the worries of his companions, Zero remained oblivious to their concern. His mind worked like a broken TV, jumping from one thought to another with no real focus. Now that he had three out of four keys, the future was almost in his hands. He could finally meet Nel and talk to an actual Divine Entity to learn more about the truth of his existence. However, he couldn\'t help but worry about the uncertain future. What was going to happen to the people he left behind?

For days, they walked in silence. Bob was unnerved by how quiet his master was. Zero was usually full of questions and wonders. It didn\'t matter how terrible the situation was. He would always strive to find a topic and lighten the mood. In addition to the odd behaviour, Zero ate less than he usually did.

After a week of walking without saying much, the trio finally arrived at New Moon Village. The bustling atmosphere pulled Zero out of his shell.

Before Zero left, the village was barely holding on without the help of Half Moon Villagers. They were attacked by some gay necromancer and needed to live underground without proper shelter. In about half a year, New Moon Village transformed from a barren land occupied by mixed races to one that flourished with diverse cultures.

"Zero! Welcome to New Moon Village! We heard the news from Mitchnew about your return to Smargdas from Lycantopia and rushed to prepare this before you arrived."

Monoman\'s hearty laughter spooked the birds in the trees, but nobody seemed to mind. Compared to the village\'s rowdy atmosphere, Monoman\'s laughter was just a drop in the ocean of noises. Many familiar faces greeted Zero after they passed the grand fortified main entrance. The village\'s land expanded more than Zero remembered it to be, but he didn\'t mind. Endow Hill had more than enough space to spare for the growing population. Besides, Schaf\'s trading outpost was now relocated to New Moon Village. Business was booming, and it was mutually beneficial for Half Moon Village when New Moon Village flourished.

The craftsmanship of gnomes stood out very clearly with their advanced technology. A complex system of pulleys and transport belts within the canopy was a sight to behold. Zero wasn\'t the only one impressed by the touch of artistic science. Unlike Half Moon Village, there was very little use for magic in New Moon Village. The farms were designed to operate with minimal manpower required thanks to machinery. Zero noticed how similar the automatic robots were to his gardening golems. The gnomes must have been inspired by his creation, and the inventor in Zero felt smug.

"Where are Jermine and her family?" Zero asked. They\'ve been walking for a while now, but there were no beastfolks to be seen even if there were gnomes, humans, demons and the occasional elf.

Monoman made a complex expression. "It\'s not convenient to show you where they are. It\'s too small for humans to visit unless they are children. Even so, children have to crouch to fit. We had a discussion about splitting the living arrangements. The mole beastfolk are the real security force in this village. In fact, they\'re so efficient at travelling underground that they\'ve created a private delivery route. Most of Half Moon Trading\'s special clients use their services. Jermine is currently the head of their logistic company."

Intrigued, Zero couldn\'t wait to meet Jermine to see how much the girl has matured. When they first found her as a slave, she was very timid. However, after travelling through Derby Desert with them, she started opening up and wanted to become stronger. When she returned to Lycantopia, Jermine was already a very reliable comrade. Now, Zero couldn\'t wait to see the kind of beastfolk she was. Perhaps she had already surpassed King Gaon in terms of ability and leadership in her own way.

New Moon Village\'s architecture was inspired by the demons from Lilith\'s domain. It was very clear from how the garden was arranged. The houses were also skillfully built using timber and painted in bright colours that appealed to tourists. Zero didn\'t know if this was a shopping district or a residential area. However, he saw many women from Monoman\'s village working here. It was nice that the weak women finally found something they could do to contribute to the village. The only thing that made Zero slightly uncomfortable was seeing how these women behaved in a fashion similar to the etiquettes he learned about charming men from Lilith. It was very effective at pulling in customers but seeing all the women behave similarly made Zero question the meaning of individuality.

As a way to welcome their esteemed business partner back, Monoman led Zero to the most prestigious restaurant in New Moon Village in the shopping district. The name made Zero pause.

"Finest Taste? When did Beel set up a franchise here? Who is managing it?"

Zero\'s question was answered when a familiar flower spriggan appeared. She was bigger than Zero remembered her to be, and even Truen was speechless.

"Hana?" the doctor asked.

The flower spriggan was about the size of a three-year-old human toddler, but she carried herself with a grace that spoke volumes about her wisdom. In her hair, the Flower of Enlightenment waved its petals at Zero.

"Welcome to Finest taste! We\'ve been expecting you, Zero-sama."

Hana pulled Zero\'s hand to usher him upstairs and beckoned for Truen and Bob to follow. The doctor had many questions. The last impression he had of her was how mischievous she was. His clone should have been telling her stories daily to keep her away from mischief. The villagers definitely improved in cultivation, and the qi in the air around New Moon Village was stronger now. Yet, he couldn\'t understand how she decided to venture into business.

"What did Beel say to make you agree to this?" he asked when they were finally alone in a private room away from prying eyes and ears."

Hana giggled. "Stories! Beelzebub-sama said that if I open his store on Earth, he will exchange lots of stories with me!"

Puzzled, Zero wondered how that was possible. Thankfully, he didn\'t have to ask, and Hana explained how she made a deal with the Demon Lord.

At the end of the explanation, Zero didn\'t know if he felt like ordering anything from this establishment.

"In other words, you found a way to insert petals that act as temporary parasites in the bodies of whoever eats it to \'share\' memories?"

Hana nodded enthusiastically, and Zero made a face. Surely there should be a clause about a breach of privacy!

"How long does this parasite petal last?" Truen asked. He wasn\'t keen on eating anything like that.

Hana thought about it. "Until it gets pooped."

Bob made a face. Zero doesn\'t poop. It\'s probably going to stay in here forever.

"For Zero-sama and guests, no petals! Hana doesn\'t need story payments for family. New Moon and Half Moon Villagers are family too!"

Relieved, Zero placed his orders. For the first time in a week, Truen and Bob watched him regain his usual appetite and smiled. It was good to have him back.