Chapter 578: Healing Sharo’s Heart (1/2)

With the free transportation accompanying them to the borders of Altear, Zero decided to part ways before they reached the city. They had to travel further south and couldn't accompany the werebeasts into the city. Zero gave them his written letter of recommendation using his identity as the envoy of Smargdas. Besides, even if the guards didn't believe in the letter, they wouldn't turn away tributes of salt at the gates. Truen's King Sharo clone should be able to buy them a few days while Zero escorted the real elven king to see his old teacher.

Without a proper mount, Zero had to travel on foot. He could borrow Truen's wyvern still residing in Altear city, but he decided against it. Taking the scenic route was better for King Sharo. The elves that weren't part of the high elf race were also his people if they lived in Altear. Zero wanted to stop near the wood elf territory to show the king how his people were faring under his rule. They didn't find Torran's tribe even if Zero knew where it was but watched from afar.

”What do you think?” Zero asked. They took two days to settle down in the dense forest of Altear to catch some wood elves in action. The wood elves were smaller and skinnier than the high elves in the city. They were dressed in rags, reminding King Sharo of the werebeasts of Lycantopia. Their bow skills were not the best, but they certainly had more teamwork than the city's high elves.

”They cover each other's flaws very well in a group,” he told Zero in a calm voice.

After the speech and witnessing Lycantopia's recovery, King Sharo had plenty of time to think as a staff in Zero's hand. Compared to these 'inferior' races that he once believed, the high elves might be a little more skilled, a bit better looking, and on the overall, a race considered 'superior'. However, one critical flaw in the high elves that King Sharo didn't realise before made them less than perfect. The high elves were too self-centred, and they didn't work well in groups.

Zero prodded at the lone ant crawling on a branch on the tree they were sitting on with the staff. The ant was very weak and couldn't fight back. It was flung into the wind, and the doctor referred to his action as a sense of superiority.

”This is what it feels like to be a high elf,” he told King Sharo who agreed.

Then, Zero jumped down to the ground and searched for an ant nest near the foot of the same tree. He proceeded to do the same to the ant nest using King Sharo as a stick. It didn't take long for the ants to become angry. When one ant was flung, ten more would emerge from the nest to latch onto the staff that continued to attack them. Zero continued to flick them away without stopping. Eventually, it got to a point where the ants covered more than half of the staff.

”What about now? Am I still superior?” he asked.

King Sharo didn't answer. Zero smiled. Then, he used some gentle wind magic to brush the remaining ants from the staff and made his escape.

They walked through the forest, and Zero explained his analogy from earlier.