Ah, of course. This was happening.
The village square was bustling with people, gathered around as if it were a festival. It felt like the whole village had turned out for this—men, women, children, even a few chickens pecking around beneath the makeshift wooden benches. The villagers stared at us with wide eyes, some even munching on roasted nuts as if they were watching a performance. I could barely keep the eye-roll at bay.
I glanced over at Alexander, who was waving to the villagers, looking as if he'd just won a contest for the kingdom's most cheerful idiot. He caught my gaze and gave me an exaggerated thumbs-up, grinning like this was some sort of entertainment put on for his sake.
"Do your best, Ray!" he called out, his voice loud and encouraging.
I sighed. "Thanks, Alex. Really needed that reminder." My voice dripped with sarcasm, but he didn't seem to notice. He just smiled wider.
