The next morning, I woke up to the sound of a knocking on my door. The persistent tapping was starting to get to me, but I still wasn't ready to face whatever madness awaited me today. After all, I had just been crowned the "Hero of Peace" for a sword I didn't even know was important, and a duel I didn't ask for. It was exhausting.
"Coming!" I groaned, throwing the blanket off me. When I opened the door, there stood Sir Reginald, looking more excited than a dog at the park.
"My lord, today is the day!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement.
I blinked. "The day for what?"
"To prepare for the Ceremony of Heroes, of course!" Sir Reginald grinned like I was about to go to some grand feast, not realizing that all I wanted was to disappear for a while.
"Right. That. You've gotta be kidding me." I rubbed my eyes. "I didn't even ask for this."
He straightened up, as if he hadn't heard me. "Do not worry, my lord! Everything has been arranged! The kingdom is awaiting your appearance as the Hero who brought peace!"
"I didn't bring peace! I just got dragged into it!" I was starting to feel the weight of the ridiculousness of it all.
But Sir Reginald wasn't listening. He was already pulling me out the door. "We must go now! They've prepared a feast in your honor, and the citizens wish to offer their thanks."
"No," I groaned. "No feast. No honor. No nothing. I'm done with this." I was about to turn back into my room when I saw a group of people waiting outside—nobles, soldiers, and, unfortunately, Princess Elara.
"Elara, really?" I sighed, feeling my shoulders slump.
She flashed that smile that made her look so much like a happy puppy. "My lord! You look radiant this morning!"
"Please stop calling me 'my lord.' It's not helping." I had no idea how I got tangled up in this, but at this point, I was starting to lose track.
Before I could protest any further, the royal guards behind us began chanting something in unison. "Long live the Hero! The savior of the kingdom!"
I stopped in my tracks. "This is insane."
I turned around to Elara, who was watching me with such admiration, it made my skin crawl a little. "Elara, seriously. I didn't do anything."
She shook her head, seemingly unmoved by my distress. "But you did! The way you saved the kingdom from certain doom with your valiant actions—"
I gritted my teeth. "It was a misunderstanding."
"That's right!" she beamed. "Your destiny is intertwined with peace."
I was about to explode in frustration when a loud voice cut through the chatter.
"Ah! There he is!" It was a man in a long robe, holding a large scroll. "The Hero of Peace, come to deliver salvation to our lands!"
He walked up to me, eyes sparkling with adoration. I could feel my heart sinking as the crowd around me cheered again.
"Stop! Stop cheering! I'm not a hero!" I yelled, but my words were drowned out by the noise.
At this point, I didn't even know what to say anymore. I had gone from 'guy who accidentally killed a beast' to 'savior of the world' in less than a week, and now I was about to become the central figure of a ceremony.
The robed man thrust the scroll into my hands. "This is the decree for the Ceremony of Heroes, my lord. Your presence is required at the kingdom square. The entire city is waiting to thank you."
I stared down at the scroll, then up at the crowd, who were all waiting for me to say something.
"You know, this was supposed to be a peaceful vacation. All I wanted was a game and a nap, but here I am," I mumbled to myself.
Sir Reginald, hearing my words, beamed. "That's the spirit, my lord! Your humble nature is just another sign of your greatness!"
"No, it's not." I sighed heavily. "You're all delusional."
But despite my complaints, the procession continued. I had no choice but to walk through the streets as the crowd cheered for me, throwing flowers and chanting my name. I felt like a complete fraud.
As we reached the kingdom square, the cheers grew louder. There, at the center, stood a huge stage set up for my "ceremony." The royal family was seated at the front, with Princess Elara looking as proud as ever. The king gave me a thumbs up, and the queen waved at me with the same warm smile as before.
Then, without warning, a loud boom rang through the air. A dragon appeared above the city, its wings casting a shadow over the square. It screeched, causing everyone to panic and scatter.
"Oh, great," I muttered, watching the dragon fly low and circle the city. "Now what?"
Elara turned to me, eyes wide with worry. "My lord, do you have a plan?"
"No! I'm not the hero, I just want to go home!" I yelled, but once again, no one heard me.
The dragon began swooping down toward us, flames spewing from its mouth. The people in the square screamed and scattered in every direction.
In that moment, I had no time to think. The crowd was in chaos, and there was only one thing in my hand—the ceremonial sword, which had somehow ended up in my grasp again.
I glanced at Sir Reginald, who was looking at me with eager eyes. "Well, this is your chance, my lord! You must save us!"
"I… I really don't want to," I muttered. But before I could put the sword down, a flash of light engulfed the dragon. It roared in pain, and the beast tumbled to the ground, landing in the center of the square with a loud crash.
There I stood, with the sword raised, completely baffled.
"Did I just…?" I trailed off, eyes wide as the dragon lay defeated before me. The crowd went silent before erupting into cheers once more.
And that's when it hit me.
"I'm… I'm stuck, aren't I?" I whispered to myself, looking around at the adoring faces.
"Long live the Hero of Peace!" someone shouted.
I buried my face in my hands. "This is so messed up."