Ezekiel looked at Glenn and Daryl, hoping they wouldn't do anything rash, but when he turned his gaze back to Jason, he was surprised to find that Shiva, still growling, had closed her eyes as Jason stroked her furry head.
After a few seconds, a dead silence fell over the area. Ezekiel's people couldn't imagine Shiva tearing off the guest's arm, and Jason's people didn't want to see that massive cat hurt Jason.
Glenn wanted to approach Jason and stop him, but that enormous tiger made him wonder whether everyone would be all right if he took a step forward now.
But Jason didn't care what others were thinking; he simply looked at Shiva with a smile full of sincerity. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen any cats or dogs since the world had ended.
"What a great cat! Next time I come, I'll bring you a big toy!"
Shiva, who had had her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and let out a huff before returning to Ezekiel's side.
"How many bullets would it take to bring down that big tiger?" Glenn stepped closer to Daryl and asked in a quiet tone.
"Not many, if it's right in front of you. You won't have time to shoot if it catches you off guard." Daryl slung his weapon over his back and looked off in another direction.
Ezekiel, with his stiff smile, let out a laugh to ease the tension, and the people behind them exchanged puzzled glances. They had never seen Shiva so calm with a stranger.
Some knew that animals are very sensitive and difficult to handle. They won't just approach anyone, not even with their handlers. In rare cases, they'll accept someone else—only if that person is strong.
Daryl understood this perfectly. Jason wasn't the type to put himself in danger without reason, so there had to be more behind his bold actions.
To the people of the Kingdom, Jason had been very polite and kind since arriving at their shelter. Combined with his vast knowledge, Ezekiel naturally believed that Jason was who he claimed to be.
He knew his companion Shiva better than anyone. He still remembered the deep wound the tiger had left on his body when he once tried to help her. And now, he was grateful he hadn't agreed—and more importantly, that he had refused Jason's proposal. In the future, having someone much stronger than their own community would be good for everyone's survival.
Thinking this through, Ezekiel didn't hesitate any longer and said directly, "Jason, it was a surprise to see Shiva recognize you as a friend. I will carefully consider the proposal you made, and I'd like to make our friendship public."
Jason smiled and bowed again, following the script Ezekiel had in mind. "Of course. From the moment I arrived, I considered you all friends—didn't I?"
The two looked at each other and smiled.
After showing Ezekiel far more information about the world and the walkers than any other community could have, Jason could see that Ezekiel's attitude toward his group was favorable, and he didn't seem to doubt Jason's words. There was nothing more to do here.
As Jason's convoy slowly departed, the tense expression on Ezekiel's face finally relaxed. He turned to the man beside him and said, "Richard, what do you think of those people?"
The sudden question didn't make Richard think of the group that had just left. None of them seemed to lack resources, so he shared his thoughts.
"Most of those who came are experienced soldiers. The others are strong survivors who likely received special training after the world ended. Their gear is new, but some of their weapons are old—some very old. Considering how hard it is to come by weapons like that, it's possible they come from a large and powerful community."
"But it's also clear they didn't bring their full force. If it were me visiting an unknown community, I'd keep my best weapons hidden and wait to form an important alliance first."
Ezekiel nodded with a hidden yet persistent sense of concern. He turned to watch the disappearing convoy and said seriously to the people behind him, "Our strength is nothing compared to theirs. They're soldiers, and today they came to support us with medicine. They are our friends, so we must not become their enemies. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Just as the small group turned around and was about to head inside, a voice shouted from outside the gate.
"Your Majesty! Hello, everyone!"
Ezekiel turned without changing his expression and looked at the figure emerging from the nearby woods. Ezekiel calmly asked, "Jesus, what brings you to the Kingdom?"
The man called Jesus waved at Ezekiel. "Your Majesty, the mountain town needs your help!"
"Come in, let's talk!"
Jason's group had just left the Kingdom, and the few people seated inside the RV couldn't hide their curiosity. They stared at Jason, who sat in silence, each with their own questions.
Rolling his eyes, Glenn felt at a loss. Every time this kind of thing happened, everyone looked to him or Daryl, since they were the ones who accompanied Jason.
Glenn cleared his throat awkwardly and asked, "Ahem, Jason, can I ask you something?"
Hearing this, Jason opened his eyes and looked around at the people in the modified RV who were staring at him in silence. He said, "I know what you're all wondering—why build a relationship with that community? What do we gain by giving them resources and food?"
"Are they trustworthy?"
Some inside the RV nodded silently. Others, like Daryl or George, didn't care about these things; they simply followed Jason and supported his plans.
Michonne, seated across from Jason, couldn't help but say, "That man Ezekiel is clearly a lunatic. He calls himself a king. Who here doesn't compare him to the Governor? It's hard to believe that even now, there are still people making themselves kings without being completely crazy."
"It's true, the Governor only took that name because of how nuts he was…" Carlos, who was in a corner cleaning his arrows with Daryl, nodded.
Jason smiled faintly and explained, "If that's how you think, then you're only seeing the surface. Do you really think those people are crazy? Would they join that community and recognize someone as king without a good reason?"
"Glenn, did you ever see the movie The Book of Eli?" Jason asked as he turned to look at him.
"Oh? That movie with nuclear war and the world falling apart? The story's about a man protecting a book that everyone is after. If I remember correctly, the book is the Bible."
Glenn's words only deepened the mystery of Jason's comments. What did the Bible have to do with a king?
"One of the villains in that movie was desperately searching for the Bible for a very specific reason…" Jason looked around and said, "Faith. To stir people's faith and reach their hearts, the Bible has the right words."
Seeing everyone's thoughtful expressions, Jason continued, "I suppose there are two reasons why Ezekiel does what he does. One, he wants to create faith and use that to bring hope. The other is very similar—he simply wants to create hope."
Glenn still didn't fully understand. "Why use faith?"
"For survival!"
Seeing that their expressions hadn't eased but grown more confused, Jason finally sat up and explained in more detail.
"First of all, you have to understand that many people need faith to live. They don't care who the faith is in or where it comes from—as long as it's someone who can provide a sense of safety, it's enough. And Ezekiel fits that role. He tamed a tiger, which meets the qualifications."
"Second, I don't know if you noticed, but during our conversations, Ezekiel seemed somewhat embarrassed about his people a few times. If he chose to be king, then why does he feel awkward?"
"So, I infer that Ezekiel's job before the world ended had something to do with the zoo, which gave him a chance to interact with animals like tigers—and somehow, he ended up becoming king of that shelter."
After hearing Jason's analysis, the group nodded one by one, feeling like it made sense.
However, Maggie, who was sitting next to Jason, still had some doubts. She asked, "If he feels uncomfortable being king, can't he just choose not to be?"
Jason shook his head and said, with a hint of admiration in his tone, "That's why I respect him. My respect isn't for him—it's for the people around him. From the very beginning, the moment I bowed to him, the guards' hostility dropped significantly."
"Since I arrived, I've been watching him and realized Ezekiel was acting. He's deliberately playing the role of a king who tamed a tiger. That way, the people in his community can feel at peace. Isn't that reason enough to respect him?"
"That's bullshit—being king must suck…" Daryl muttered as he pulled a cigarette from his shirt.
"Smoking rots your teeth and…" Carlos trailed off when he saw Daryl's expression.
Everyone began thinking about what they had seen at the Kingdom—the words, the performances—and marveled again at what Ezekiel had managed to build. They were once again impressed by Jason's sharp insight.
"But that's a good cat…"
Daryl looked at Jason and said, "If that cat bites or plays with you, it'll rip your arm off before you even notice…"
Some people around him smiled and patted his shoulder, while Tyreese made a classic question-mark face and let out a chuckle.
"What? I like cats…"
The group laughed again after teasing each other. Jason smiled too, still thinking about everything that had just happened.