After the "incident" in the royal hunting grounds, it became increasingly difficult for me to do anything without attracting attention. As the days went by, I found myself trapped in an endless cycle of royal banquets, meetings with nobles, and even "heroic" speeches made in my honor. At first, I tried to avoid them, but the more I tried to stay out of the spotlight, the brighter the light seemed to shine on me.
It was one of those days—another royal banquet, another round of speeches about my "bravery" that I had nothing to do with. I was sitting at the back of the hall, trying to be as invisible as possible, when Princess Elara decided to announce, for the fiftieth time, that I was "the savior of the kingdom." My face was buried in my hands, wondering how I had gotten stuck in this mess.
"Elara," I muttered through my fingers, "do you really have to do this again? I didn't even do anything."
But she just smiled, her eyes sparkling with that unwavering belief in my "heroism." "You have done more than you know, my lord."
I slouched further in my seat. "I literally tripped over a rock and threw a stone at a beast. That's all. If that makes me a hero, then… I don't know, this world is messed up."
"No, my lord!" she said, taking my hands in hers, eyes practically gleaming with admiration. "You don't understand! The way you handled the beast, the way you fought off those bandits last week with nothing but a fork, it's all part of the prophecy! You are the 'Hero of Peace.'"
I couldn't even get a word in before the room erupted into applause. It was like they were all in on some joke I didn't understand.
"I'm really not, though," I mumbled, sinking lower into my chair. But no one seemed to hear me.
As the applause died down, I caught a glimpse of the knights in the room, all bowing to me as if I were some king. And that's when I felt it—another wave of anxiety. I had no idea what I was doing here. Why was I the center of attention in a world I didn't even belong to?
At that moment, Sir Reginald—whose obsession with me had only grown over the past few days—rushed over, nearly knocking over the table as he dropped to one knee in front of me.
"My lord," he said, voice booming, "We have been waiting for your orders. The kingdom awaits your guidance in these turbulent times. Will you finally take up the mantle of our true leader?"
I choked on my own spit. "What? No! I'm not leading anyone! I'm just trying to get out of here."
But Sir Reginald, oblivious to my distress, stood tall and clapped his hands, causing a small group of nobles and royal guards to rush forward.
"I'll never get out of here, will I?" I muttered under my breath, watching the crowd approach like I was about to be crowned the ruler of this entire land.
Before I could retreat, though, Princess Elara stepped in with a beaming smile.
"Ah, but my lord," she said, voice soft and smooth, "you are needed here. You've brought peace to this land simply by being who you are."
At that moment, a loud crash echoed through the hall, followed by an ominous voice shouting from the entrance.
"You there!" The voice boomed. "I challenge the 'Hero of Peace' to a duel!"
Everyone turned toward the sound, and I nearly had a heart attack when I saw what entered the hall.
A massive, muscular man, covered head-to-toe in dark armor, stood in the doorway, pointing a sword straight at me. He had an enormous scar running down the side of his face and looked like he had walked out of a nightmare.
"Who the hell are you?" I asked, trying my best not to panic. The last thing I needed was a duel.
"I am Baelgar the Bloodthirsty!" the man roared. "I've heard tales of your 'legendary' feats and I demand a duel to see if you truly are the hero they claim you to be!"
I stood up, hands raised in defeat. "I didn't do anything! Seriously, I'm just a guy who got pulled into this mess. I'm not a hero! I don't even know how to fight!"
Baelgar's eyes narrowed, and the room fell into a tense silence. "You will fight, or I will fight for you!" he snarled. He pointed to the nearest guard, who looked utterly terrified. "Bring me your strongest warrior."
"Oh boy," I muttered, backing away.
Sir Reginald, who had been observing this entire exchange, stepped forward with a grin on his face. "My lord, I will fight this challenger in your honor!"
"Wait—" I started to protest, but it was too late.
Sir Reginald immediately lunged at Baelgar with impressive speed, his sword raised high. I had to admit, the guy was fast. I didn't even have time to blink before Sir Reginald and Baelgar were engaged in an intense sword fight, the clang of metal echoing through the hall.
As I watched them clash, I realized something: I was completely useless in this world. I had no magic, no skills, and no idea how to fight. But everyone expected me to be some kind of legendary hero. I didn't want this. All I wanted was to be left alone, to play games in peace without all this nonsense.
But fate had other plans.
As Sir Reginald and Baelgar continued their duel, I noticed something strange. When Sir Reginald's sword was knocked from his hand, it landed at my feet. I stared down at the weapon, and for some reason, I had the inexplicable urge to pick it up.
Without thinking, I grabbed the sword and held it up, as if preparing for a fight.
Suddenly, Baelgar stopped mid-strike, eyes widening in disbelief.
"The Hero of Peace!" he gasped, his voice full of reverence. "You wield the Sword of Legends!"
I blinked. "What? This is just a random sword. It's not—"
Before I could finish, Baelgar was on his knees, bowing deeply in front of me.
The entire room went silent. Even Sir Reginald stopped mid-swing to look at me in shock.
I sighed. "Great. Just great."