The grand hall was bustling with preparations for the royal ceremony. The kingdom's most powerful knights and mages gathered in the courtyard outside, preparing for a "heroic demonstration" to show the people just how capable their newly crowned savior truly was.
Jaeho stood at the edge of the balcony, staring down at the scene below. He had no idea what he was supposed to do or why he was even up here. Why me? Why did they pick me to be the hero? he thought, his hands shaking slightly as he gripped the stone railing.
Behind him, Kaia entered the room, her eyes scanning the scene with an air of quiet efficiency. She was, as usual, unfazed by everything. If anything, she looked more like the one in charge than Jaeho.
"Master," she said, crossing her arms and giving him a knowing look, "it's time."
Jaeho turned to her, still holding onto the railing as though it were his lifeline. "Time for what?" he asked, his voice high-pitched and nervous. "What exactly am I supposed to do down there?"
Kaia chuckled softly. "You're supposed to be the hero. Remember? They've prepared everything for you."
"I don't think I can do this," Jaeho muttered. "What if I mess up? I don't even know how to swing a sword properly!"
Kaia's expression softened slightly. "Don't worry. Just play along. I'll be right behind you to handle everything."
Jaeho's eyes widened in panic. "You'll be behind me? Kaia, you're supposed to help me, not just watch me fail!"
She raised an eyebrow. "Master, if you keep overthinking it, you'll just make it worse. You've got this."
As they descended the stairs into the courtyard, Jaeho could already feel the weight of everyone's eyes on him. Knights in shining armor, mages with flowing robes, and even the royal family—all turned to stare at him. His heart raced.
Princess Elira, who had been at the front of the crowd, practically bounced forward to meet him. "Jaeho!" she exclaimed, beaming. "Are you ready for your first task?"
Jaeho gulped. "Task? What task?"
The princess clapped her hands, causing everyone to hush. "Today, we will see the Hero of Prophecy in action! Jaeho, you will face the kingdom's most fearsome beast, the Fire Drake!"
The crowd gasped in unison. Jaeho's eyes widened in horror. "A dragon? A Fire Drake? You've got to be kidding me!"
Princess Elira's smile remained radiant. "It's not a real dragon, Jaeho. Don't worry! It's just a magical construct we've created for the ceremony. You'll defeat it easily."
Jaeho blinked, his mind spinning. Not a real dragon? Then why does it sound so terrifying? But his panic was quickly replaced by the realization that there was no way out of this. He was in the spotlight now—everyone believed in him. And somehow, he had to keep up the charade.
"Alright," he said, trying to sound confident, "let's get this over with."
Kaia followed behind him, her expression unreadable as she watched him approach the center of the courtyard, where a large, magical fire circle had been drawn. Inside it, glowing red eyes peered out from a creature that looked far too real for comfort—its scales shimmering in the light, smoke curling from its nostrils.
Jaeho froze. "That's... that's not a not-real dragon! Look at it! It's breathing fire! It's huge!"
"Relax, Master," Kaia said calmly, her voice barely audible. "You just need to pretend to fight it. I'll handle the rest."
"But I don't know what to do!" Jaeho hissed. "What do you mean, 'handle the rest'? I can't just pretend to fight a fire-breathing monster!"
Kaia gave him a stern look. "Jaeho, you're the Hero of Prophecy. The crowd is watching. If you don't do something soon, they'll start to suspect something's wrong."
His eyes darted to the fire drake, which let out a low growl, sending a blast of hot air in his direction. This is it, Jaeho thought. This is where I die.
As the creature's mouth opened, ready to spew another stream of fire, Jaeho did the only thing he could think of. He flung his sword forward—more out of instinct than any actual battle strategy—and watched as it flew through the air, spinning awkwardly.
To his surprise, the sword struck the Fire Drake's glowing eye, causing the creature to shriek in pain and stumble back. The crowd gasped in shock, and Jaeho's heart skipped a beat. Did I just do that?
The Fire Drake howled again, its movements jerky and erratic. Without thinking, Jaeho charged forward, swinging his sword wildly, hoping that luck would continue to favor him.
To his astonishment, he managed to land a blow on the creature's leg, causing it to stumble and fall to the ground with a deafening roar.
Jaeho stood there, frozen, unsure of what to do next. The crowd erupted into applause, cheering and chanting his name.
"Jaeho! Jaeho! The Hero of Prophecy!"
Jaeho blinked, his mind still processing what had just happened. How did that even work? He had barely done anything, and yet they were treating him like some kind of legend.
Kaia stepped forward, her usual calm demeanor giving way to a subtle smile. "See? You're doing just fine. Keep it up, Master."
Jaeho, still staring at the Fire Drake as it lay defeated, could only stare back at Kaia in disbelief. I have no idea what just happened, he thought. But somehow, I'm still alive.
---
As the crowd continued to cheer, Jaeho realized that this was only the beginning. If he was going to keep up this hero act, he was going to need a lot more luck—and maybe a little less swordplay.