Zero stretched his arms out and said, “Don’t worry; what you see before you is definitely human. As for who I am and what I want, you’ll have to do your best to get that out of me on your own. I’m not really in sharing mode since you have nothing interesting to tell me in return.”
After saying what he needed, Zero turned to glance at the corpse of the wolf before continuing to walk. Pia looked at his back and contemplated whether it was truly safe to continue following Zero. She looked up and saw that he was quite far away before groaning and chasing after him. Unknown to Pia, the moment she turned to chase Zero, he momentarily removed his ring, and a shadow quickly absorbed the dead beast.
As the sun began to set, Pia spoke up and said, “We should make camp here tonight. The magic beasts become more active and violent at night. If we continue to travel, they’ll attack us endlessly until we die.”
Zero shrugged and said, “Sure,” as he found a tree to lean against. Pia looked at him as if he were an idiot and said, “Why are you sitting down? We need to build a fire and prepare a barrier so that we won’t be attacked while we sleep.”
Zero looked up at Pia’s look of disdain, smiled, and said, “You should get started on the fire, and I’ll handle the barrier.”
Pia irritably walked off to collect firewood and stones, while Zero was supposed to work on the barrier. Of course, since he would be using lingua, he didn’t need to make any preparations, so he continued to relax.
As Pia gathered firewood and stones, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as she remembered the way she had defeated the wolf earlier. She had taken the beast on by herself, while Zero stood to the side, watching in an uninterested manner. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of person he was and what his true intentions were.
As she collected enough materials for the fire, she returned to the spot where Zero was sitting. She noticed that he had not moved from his spot and was still leaning against the tree. "So, what kind of barrier are you going to make?" Pia asked, trying to hide her skepticism.
Zero simply smiled and said, "You'll see." He then closed his eyes and began to mutter, "Inaudible Fortis Aer," casting a lingua he had created previously to keep Pia from disturbing him. Pia couldn't hear what he was saying, but she could feel the air around them start to shift and change. Suddenly, a gust of wind engulfed the area, and when it dissipated, a large, invisible barrier had been erected around their campsite.
Pia's jaw dropped in surprise when she patted the barrier. She had never seen such a powerful barrier before. "How did you do that?" she exclaimed.
Zero simply shrugged and said, "I told you, I have my ways." He then got up and walked over to the fire pit, where Pia had started a small fire, and tossed her the bag with the dried meat and water. "You did a good job with the fire," he said, "Now let's get some rest."
Pia couldn't shake off her confusion and curiosity about Zero, but she knew that she needed to rest. They settled in for the night, protected by the powerful barrier that Zero had created. Pia managed to eat some meat and replenish some of her energy, but Zero declined to eat, his motives and behavior remaining a mystery.
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Pia and Zero awoke the next day, ready to continue their journey. As they walked, they talked about their goals and reasons for traveling. Pia shared her disdain for humans and her mission to rescue captured Alv slaves. Zero, on the other hand, remained tight-lipped about his own motivations.
After a few hours of walking, they came across a small village that was being pillaged by bandits. Pia rushed over to try to help, but Zero, still in an uninterested manner, asked her why she would try to help humans.
"These people are innocent," Pia replied, "They need our help. I may despise humans, but the sight of mothers and children being killed reminds me of how my kingdom fell, and I can't stand idly by and watch this happen again."
Zero simply shrugged and said, "I don't see why it matters. They're just humans. They'll die eventually anyway."
Pia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew that Zero was a mysterious man with his own motivations, but she couldn't understand how he could be so callous towards the plight of innocent people. She didn't have time to argue with him, though, as she knew that she needed to act fast to help the villagers.
Pia rushed into the village with her mana recharged and her trusty revolver to take on the bandits. Despite the odds being against her, she fought with all her might, determined to save as many lives as she could. After a fierce battle, she was able to kill a few of the bandits and drive the rest away, saving the village.
After successfully chasing off the bandits, Pia and Zero approached the chief of the village and asked for some supplies in exchange for their help. The chief was grateful for their assistance and provided them with food, water, and other necessary supplies.
As they were leaving the village, they saw some dead bodies on the ground and people crying over their loved ones. The sight of the tragedy and destruction caused by the bandits was heartbreaking. Pia felt a pang of guilt for not being able to do more to prevent the deaths of these innocent people.
Pia couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt. She knew that she had to find a way to make a real change in the world and prevent more innocent lives from being lost. Zero, on the other hand, remained unbothered and thought that Pia's feelings were pointless. He believed that death was a natural part of life and that the strong will survive. He thought that Pia was wasting her time trying to save her enemies.
Pia began, "I know that my actions may have only been temporary, but I was still able to save lives and ease the suffering of the village at that moment. I won't abandon those in need because in the past I had to run when my kingdom fell. I can't stand idly by and watch innocent people suffer."
Zero replied in a colder and more calculated stance, "Your sentiment is admirable, but you're ultimately motivated by revenge against humans. If that's the case, then you should want as many of them to die as possible, not save them. Your actions are counterproductive to your ultimate goal."
Pia was taken aback by Zero's response. She knew that she had a different perspective on life and death and didn't want to become like him. "I understand your point, but I can't just let innocent people suffer without trying to help them. I may have a desire for revenge, but that doesn't mean I can't also have empathy for others. Besides, aren't you also human? Shouldn't you have compassion for those of your race?"
Zero shrugged, "Empathy can be a weakness; it clouds your judgment and hinders your ability to make calculated decisions. In this world, I've learned you need to be cold and calculated; only then will you be able to achieve your ultimate goal."
Pia felt a chill run down her spine as she realized the cold and calculating person that Zero was. She knew that she had a different perspective on life and death and didn't want to become like him. "I understand where you're coming from, but I can't just become a cold-hearted person. I want to make a real change in the world, but I also want to have empathy for others."
Zero nodded, "I understand; we all have our own ways of looking at things. But remember, in this world, only the strong survive. The weak fall by the wayside."
Pia knew that she had to be strong and make a real change in the world, but she also knew that she couldn't abandon her empathy for others. She had to find a balance between the two.
As they exited the village, Pia turned to the woods just outside the village and walked in that direction instead of following Zero. This caused Zero to stop and ask, “What are you planning to do?”
“Just like you said, I need to be calculating. That means I need to look for ways to address the underlying issues and make a real impact. So, I’m going to finish off the remaining bandits,” announced Pia.