As the meeting concluded, Pia and her companions left the room, led by Meus and the maid who had attacked Zero previously. As part of their deal, Torin would offer them lodging in a detached building that used to house the servants. Duke Torin turned and looked at Zero, who hadn’t uttered a single word during his negotiation with Pia. When Zero still didn’t speak, he asked, “Was that the result you hoped for?”
Zero laughed at Torin’s words and said, “I have no skin in this game. Whether you ally with her or not really doesn’t matter to me. I already knew what she wanted to offer you, and that you would accept, so I just helped her out a little since we’re traveling companions.”
Duke Torin tilted his head in a questioning manner and asked, “Traveling Companions? You came here together?”
Zero chuckled and said, “Oh, please, no need to play the fool with me. I already know that you’ve had Meus try to investigate me. I’m sure you found nothing except for the fact that I only arrived a few days ago accompanied by a group of women.”
Duke Torin's eyes narrowed as he listened to Zero's words, his curiosity piqued. He had indeed ordered Meus to gather information about Zero, but the results had been inconclusive. Zero's cryptic response only deepened his intrigue.
"You're correct," Duke Torin admitted, his voice laced with a mix of curiosity and caution. "I did have Meus investigate you, but the information gathered was limited. If you are willing, I would appreciate some clarity regarding your connection with Phelantha and your true intentions."
Zero's smile widened, and he crossed his arms nonchalantly. "A pointless inquiry, Duke Torin," he replied. "As I said before, I only want a place for my family to stay. As for why I chose this place, it is remote, and rarely do people actually come here unless they have nowhere else to go. So, in a warring world like this, I won’t have to worry too much about what my children will be exposed to. As for my connection with the girl, it's almost nonexistent, so you have nothing to worry about on that front, but I’m sure you’ll ask her just to be safe."
He paused for a moment, assessing Duke Torin's reaction. "I’m sure as a father, you can understand my point of view," Zero continued, his voice steady. "I am not driven by things like a desire for justice and fairness."
Duke Torin studied Zero intently, his gaze piercing. "So should I take it that you will never involve yourself with anything between Phelantha and myself? Including this vault filled with weapons of destruction?" he inquired, his voice laced with skepticism.
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Zero's expression turned serious, and he met Duke Torin's gaze directly. "So long as you don’t bring any trouble here in the future," he explained. "Pia's quest for justice and liberation will bring war, and I’m sure you’ll protect your wife this time. I have no intentions of resurrecting her again, Torin, so be sure to cherish the things you have to lose."
Duke Torin's mind wandered back to a painful memory, a day etched into his soul with unforgiving clarity. The memory of coming home to find his wife and daughter murdered, their lifeless bodies lying in a pool of blood. It was a scene that fueled his rage, an anguish that threatened to consume him. The sight had ignited a fire within him, a burning desire for vengeance that surged through his veins.
But Torin had learned to temper his fury, to harness it and wield it with precision. He had forced himself to restrain his emotions, knowing that unchecked rage would only lead to his downfall. He excused himself from the conversation with Zero, needing a moment alone to collect his thoughts.
Soon afterward, a voice resounded in the room and said, “Why did you do that? I don’t see a reason to poke at a man’s wounds.” Moments later, Yoko appeared out of thin air holding a sleeping baby and took a seat near Zero.
“Oh, it's just you. Where are the others?” asked Zero.
“Valna said she has something to take care of, so she’ll come in a few hours. As for Dahlia and Azalea, they said they’ll stay in their realm for the most part, so they'll pop up when they feel like it. Knowing them, it shouldn’t be too long before they start feeling bored and show up. As for Hel, she decided to stay in the Netherrealm to rest a bit. I just dropped off her brothers outside the town before arriving here. Apparently, they don’t care much for human civilization and prefer to be out in the wild,” explained Yoko.
As Zero was about to say something, a knock on the door could be heard. On Zero’s orders, Meus entered the room, and his face stiffened as he asked, “Sir Zero, may I ask who that is, and where did Lord Torin go?”
Zero chuckled and said, “Relax, Meus. I haven’t done anything to him. He left just now. I think something I said upset him, so I’m sure you’ll know better than me where he likes to go when upset. As for her, she is one of the guests I requested a room for.”
“Ah… yes, the room was prepared. If there are any problems with it, please inform me, and I shall make any changes as you please,” said Meus with a bow.
Yoko nodded and smiled at Meus. "Thank you, Meus, was it? This little one and I appreciate your assistance. The room should be sufficient for our needs, but we'll let you know if there are any issues," she replied politely.
Meus bowed once more before exiting the room, leaving Yoko and Zero alone with the sleeping baby. Yoko cradled the infant gently, her eyes filled with warmth and tenderness.
"So, why did you upset our host?" Yoko asked, her voice tinged with curiosity. She had observed the exchange between Torin and Zero from a distance and sensed the tension in the air.
Zero leaned back in his chair, contemplating his response. "I merely spoke the truth," he replied nonchalantly. "I simply mentioned the potential dangers that the quest for justice and liberation may bring, and I reminded him of the importance of cherishing what he holds dear. I may have also included a little threat so he won’t ask me for more favors in the future."
Yoko raised an eyebrow, her expression thoughtful. "Oh, so does that mean you won’t be leaving to go on some random adventure? I assumed I would rarely be seeing you this time around too."
Zero's gaze softened, and he smiled. "I promised to spend more time with Nova, and I plan to keep it," he said quietly. "Besides, I didn’t really avoid you; it was simply the fact that we had different things that interested us, and we focused on those, so we rarely saw each other. Speaking of that, I actually had two projects I wanted your help on."
Yoko looked at Zero, her expression filled with a mixture of curiosity and desire as her researcher switch seemed to have been flipped. "What’s got your interest now?" she said softly. "I hope you won’t bore me with something simple."