Zero [3]

[Zero's Pov] - *James's Pov*

"Thank you for welcoming me, Principal."

Making sure to bow curtly in front of the old man, I had no idea why he had suddenly called for me. I had a feeling that I would probably get a lot of special treatment from the academy. This was evident by the fact that when I arrived here, I had been met by an attendant who had given me everything I needed, but there was no explanation for why I was suddenly called here.

"No need for that, young Zero. Please, take a seat. Now, I've heard a lot about you, but at the same time, I feel like I have heard nothing at all. So I just wanted to talk with you for a bit."

This was the third time I saw the principal, but there was no doubt that he was acting weirdly in front of me. The biggest giveaway was the fact that he was smiling warmly, for some reason pretending to be a gentle old man.

'Guess he doesn't want to lose the chance to gain a strong connection to the church? Or is it the fact that Zero is rumored to be a genius?'

No matter the reasoning, I also felt like I didn't want this chance to slip away. After all, this old man was too valuable of a piece not to use.

"Thank you, sir."

"Now, would you like something to drink? Coffee, tea, or maybe something sweeter? I think you understand that I will not serve you anything alcohol related but everything else is available."

Seeing the small twinkle in his eye, I somewhat understood that he was testing me right now, but I didn't quite get what the point of it was. 'Ah! Is it that?'

Putting on a shy smile, I acted like I thought he would want me to, "I'd... I'd like a soda... If it's possible..."

The principal's smile grew even warmer as he quickly pressed a couple of buttons integrated into his desk, "Of course. Seems like the rumors were true, after all. You truly haven't gotten to see the outside world yet."

To some extent, I could understand why he put me through this little 'test'. It would clearly show him what kind of individual I was. With the two alternatives being either to act as a strong and proud member of the church that wouldn't fall for any worldly temptations or as an innocent young man who was curious about the world, the choice was easy.

This was probably something that could make or break my future interactions with the principal, as he probably wouldn't want anything to do with me if he thought I was just a puppet of the church.

Now, however, I showed him that I might not just be the son of god that he had heard rumors about, I was also just a normal boy who wanted to experience youth.

Luckily, this also aligned with the character that I was going to make Zero into. A strong genius that has no idea about how the world truly worked, but still always trying to make others happy. Or at least that was the plan until Sophie suddenly acted like an animal...

'I'll just fix that later...'

"I don't know what kind of rumors you have heard, but... Hmm, how do I say it? I'm just me, I guess? Although my father made it very clear that I was gifted in a lot of ways, I am still just Zero Adler."

Sadly, the childish smile I was trying to let on wasn't quite as potent with this face as my old one, but it appeared to be working nonetheless. Or at least I wanted to believe it did. Reading the face of the principal was still incredibly hard, but the fact that he had to let on some genuine emotions to act like this made it a bit easier than the last time I saw him.

"I see. Yes, I think that's a good mentality to have. Now, I'm sorry if I might come across as a heretic, but I'm not really an avid believer of Theia."

'How impudent, but I guess he is trying to gauge my reaction once again. It does make it pretty clear that he isn't that interested in the church itself, his interest is in Zero himself.'

Now, the acting I had to perform got a lot harder all of a sudden. I couldn't just act as if I didn't care, but I also wanted to try and show him that I 'forgave him for his sins'. I was to be the son of god, after all.

Putting my hands together, I spoke clearly, as if I was just doing what I had been taught before, "Principal... No, may I call you Frederick?" After he gave me a slight nod as confirmation, I continued speaking soft words.

"Frederick, I think it would be improper for me to sit here and judge someone who has infinitely more experience than I have. However, if there is one thing I am sure of, then it is this; The goddess has a plan for everyone, and sometimes this plan involves doubt and insecurities. But I'm guessing that you only said this to try and give me some perspective. For that, I thank you."

Seeing his brow rise a millimeter, I took it as a sign that I was successful in making him interested in what I had to say. "I am not attending the academy to guide other people, this is, after, all not my church. This is the church of teachers, and that would make you, the principal, the pope of the academy. While I'm here I am but a simple believer in you, that you will be able to guide me to the best of your abilities."

Finishing it by scratching my cheek, acting as if I was a bit embarrassed by what I had just said, I really felt like I would give myself a 9/10 on my acting, "...or something along those lines. Haha, I'm sorry if I said too much. Clearly, I'm still very inexperienced with talking to other people, though I did only have my father to talk to for a long time..."

Strong but weak, confident while at the same time being insecure. This was the kind of ambivalent character I wanted to create, a person with an incredibly pitiful past who tried his best to make sure others could attain a happy future. A martyr.

Though it had to be remembered... God also declared that 'Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness', and I would make deathly sure that the principal would be forgiven in the future.

*Click!*

As if on cue, the door opened with a butler coming in with an assortment of cans filled with fizzy drinks placed on a tray. "Ah, please come in, Travis. You can leave the tray here. Thank you."

Just as fast as he came, the butler was gone again, leaving the multiple cans on the desk in front of us. Opening my eyes wide, I acted as if I was surprised to see that there even existed so many variations of this legendary drink called soda.

"Go ahead, choose whichever you like. Ah, of course, you can pick multiple if you want, but there will be no lack of these kinds of things during your life here at Ainu. There will be a lot of things for you to enjoy here, young Zero."

"Un!"

'I am already enjoying myself quite a bit, principal of Ainu. And don't worry, I will make sure to enjoy it a lot more in the future as well...'

****

[3rd Person Pov]

"Are you sure it's a good idea, Sir. Fernsby? Of course, I understand that it is important to keep face in front of the church, but is that important enough to make time to go to the academy right now?"

"I believe so, Your Highness. Even if their presence has gotten weaker with time, they are still one of the most powerful factions in Mensch. Isn't it rumored that the pope has managed to attain the legendary [S+]-rank? If that is true, he has already cemented his position as one of the most powerful beings in this world."

Sitting on his throne, George was once again conflicted. On one hand, he truly didn't feel like he had time for such trivial things right now. However, on the other, if the rumors were true, he needed to make sure that the church would be on his side in the future.

And amidst all of the chaos of dealing with the hidden family, yet another issue was plaguing his already worn mind. His dearest daughter hadn't left her room for the last two weeks, and there was no doubt in his mind as to why this was the case.

Suddenly, he got an idea, something that might solve both of his problems. "Alright, I will go, but I will make sure to bring Sarah with me."

If there was one thing he was sure of, then it was that the royal blood was stronger than her angst, so if he told her he needed to meet Zero for the future of the kingdom, there was no way she could refuse.

{There is now a chapter 1 with images of the characters. This page will be updated every now and then, so if you are curious about what a character looks like, please do go there and check it out!}