Sit on as many chairs as you can before you find the one chair on which you feel you belong.
But Zane didn't need to sit on many chairs to know where his heart leaned to.
He was no leader.
He despised those who considered themselves above others and by sitting on the tallest chair, he couldn't become what he hated.
So instead of sitting on it, he did something else.
THUD!
He kicked the chair away.
Everyone was taken aback and while looking at the Priest, Zane shared the reason behind his kick.
"Bring me the same chair as them."
…
All eyes watched Zane asking for something they didn't think he would ask for.
Many gutterborns would have killed to become respected and get such a position and yet, Zane refused the offer.
Even if he had sat on the high chair, no one would have felt any kind of issue with it. They would be glad, if anything.
Jammy smiled and he nodded inwardly to his own thoughts.
Hena also stared at Zane with an empty face but her eyes conveyed hope for a reason of her own.
The Priest's jaw clenched and unclenched in a split second and then he smiled.
"Sure. I will bring a normal chair."
The Priest was bound by the Emberlord's words so he couldn't refuse.
He went to another door that was on the other corner of the diner and Zane waited.
Not one person touched their food and Zane didn't force them either.
Forced kindness was also a form of superiority.
They should make their own choices. Everyone.
In no time, the other door opened and the Priest came out with the same chair as everyone else.
A metallic cushioned chair with white cloth on it.
If anything, this normal chair was still the greatest chair Zane had ever sat on.
It might be lesser for Hena, but for everyone else, they learned comfort for the first time by sitting on it.
The Priest placed the chair at the head of the table and went to stand outside the kitchen door again.
Zane examined it and nodded.
It was the same as everyone else.
Not higher. Not smaller. Just equal.
Zane finally sat on it.
Milo was on the chair beside Zane.
Xavier was also beside him but on his right side.
"Alright then." Zane rubbed his palms.
He eyed the food on the table and if he any lust he felt he couldn't control, it was the hunger for the items in front of him.
He couldn't name even one food present on the table but all of them looked delicious.
Everyone had their plates in front of them and all items of food were already on them.
Zane's plate was just the same and now that everything was set he held the bowl filled with some kind of red soup and…
"Devour."
Gulped it in one go.
With him, the others began and the food went flying over the table.
One of them shoved their whole face in their plate and chomped.
One got a leg piece stuck inside their noses.
Someone snatched the food from someone else's mouth.
Hena and her bodyguard watched them with their knives and forks in their hands and decided to ignore them as they didn't want to lose their appetite.
Jammy, Tesla, and Xavier were surprisingly decent at eating.
Milo got everything in her mouth and she choked as well.
Zane stopped eating instantly and helped Milo swallow the food down her throat.
Both of them laughed and Zane gave half the food from his plate to Milo as well.
"Eat all you want." He said.
Milo smiled and obliged her brother.
Hena felt the love between them and her eyes fixated on Zane's eyes.
Zane sensed the gaze and asked with his brows about the matter.
Hena shook her head and ate at her own pace.
Zane shrugged and ate slowly as well.
He kept one eye on Milo if she choked again and he ate slowly because he wouldn't want to finish the food before his people could eat their fill.
Zane didn't know that there was enough food for the whole Citadel to eat for months. He came from a place of starvation and limitedness.
Abundance was a foreign concept to him and so for the people with him.
"Eat before it is taken away." The gardener said, shoving two bread loaves in his mouth.
Zane smiled.
They ate whatever was on the table as they believed it would be taken away from them.
No one could blame them as it really happened to them. Their happiness gets taken away before they could even smile.
Riches, buildings, clothes, status, the world strives to achieve them and call itself developed and progressing. But what I see right now, the success of the world is simply everyone going to bed with a full belly.
Zane let the people have their way as even he wasn't sure when they would get to eat again.
The mission they had wasn't easy and the mission Zane had was near impossible.
But he had to start.
So he did.
"State your names and job, if any, one by one while eating."
Zane wanted to know them.
He couldn't expect to lead them if he didn't even know their names.
Everyone heard him and one by one they shared their name.
"Milo. No job."
Zane laughed and looked at the person next to Milo.
"Harry. I am a gardener in the Citadel." The gardener said.
Zane moved on.
"Grit. I do construction."
Zane nodded and the list of names poured at him.
"Joe. Drainage."
"Andre. Cleaner."
"Basil. Cleaner."
"Crika. I wash the utensils."
"Drendy. Shit cleaner."
"Erjim. Boot polisher."
"Freya. Insect remover."
"Gibral. Washer of clothes."
"Hinka. Sewer."
"Ijris. Blood cleaner."
"..."
"..."
The names kept coming and it became harder for him to remember them all.
Can you remember the names for me?
[ I already did. ]
Zane smiled.
Not bad.
His system helped him but he still heard all the names.
There were more than one thousand people and it took two minutes for the names to get over.
After fifteen minutes, everyone finished eating and leaned back on their seats.
They rubbed their stomachs and expressed their gratitude for Zane.
But Zane wasn't looking for gratitude.
"Now that you all are done eating, let's talk about the main issue."
Instead of gratitude, he was looking for something else.
Something called…
"The Relic."
