392 Slave Rights (1/2)
As Zero ate, Beelzebub continued to call for more food. The Lord of Gluttony was the one most at ease in the room and continued to bring out his new creations. Coux wondered if Zero would be appeased by food the same way he was in the past. Whatever Beelzebub was doing works and even Mammon felt thankful for the interference.
”How is it? This is my newest blend of herbs and spices although I'm still unable to recreate Cleo's recipe.”
Zero took a huge bite out of the roasted lizard and nodded. ”Tastes good. I think it would help if you added some citrus to bring out the contrasting flavour of your eggplant almonds.”
Beelzebub nodded. ”What if I don't think we should add citrus? Are you also going to fight with me and prove who is the strongest in this food chain?”
That question made the temperature in the room fall to sub zero degrees as Zero placed down his fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Coux felt as if they were hanging by a very thin thread previously that has now finally snapped. Mammon wanted to leave at once. For the first time, he wasn't interested in the money that was still stacked neatly in the centre of the table.
”Citrus and lives aren't the same things, Beel. Don't try to twist facts around me. I'm not that easily fooled or convinced now.”
Indeed, Zero had grown up but compared to his child-self a year ago who was more willing to open his heart and listen to others, this matured Zero who has learnt how to doubt was similar to a teen going through a rebellious phase. Mammon and Coux had underestimated him but Beelzebub was different. In fact, the Lord of Gluttony might be the only person apart from Baal who understood what Zero was feeling like right now.
Before Zero came into their lives, both Baal and Beelzebub were closed off from the world with nobody they could trust and lived recklessly. They didn't care for other people's opinions and certainly weren't above placing their lives on the line to get what they needed. In this sense, Zero was the same. He didn't know what happened to Zero after he started travelling but he must have heard or seen some things that led to his distrust in people so much that he had already forgotten the ones who were close to him before, eyeing them with distrust when they said something that disagreed with his personal beliefs.
”I'm not treating you as a fool or a child. I'm just bringing up a point from a different perspective you haven't considered. Do you think I'm wrong for having an opinion different from yours?”
Zero was silent as he thought about Beelzebub's words. The Lord of Gluttony made sense and Zero calmed down. Perhaps he was being too quick to judge when Coux and Mammon told him that slavery shouldn't be abolished. He might not like the idea of supporting the system like Mammon and Coux said earlier but now that he calmed down and thought lively, they might have their reasons for it.
”Could you explain your point of views and why abolishing slavery or buying over a country to free its people isn't a good idea?”