I Just Wanted a Peaceful Life… So Why Do Heroes Worship Me?

The scent of charred moss lingered in the air as the group surveyed the aftermath. Blackened craters marked where Fluff's pastries had exploded. A few vines still twitched, retreating into the earth. The mercenaries had either fled, surrendered, or been incapacitated. But the strange thing was… none of them had any idea what the key crystal even did.

"Rei." Lynna's voice pulled him from thought.

He looked over.

She knelt beside the fallen commander, searching his person. Her brow furrowed.

"No identification tags. No insignia. No guild stamps. It's like they're ghosts."

"They're private," Ellyn said, flipping her journal shut. "Hired blades from a cloaked faction. I've read reports of similar groups in the eastern border wars. Always vanish after the job."

"But they knew about the crystal," Zephyr said, crossing his arms. "And they knew we'd find it. That's no coincidence."

Rei didn't speak. He stared at the fractured crystal hanging from his waist, its glow pulsing faintly—as if resonating with something. Or someone.

"She's coming," the commander had said.

Rei didn't like mysteries that involved him.

"Back to the sanctuary," he said. "Now."

---

Back inside the barrier, the Sanctuary's energy felt… off. The aura had thickened, almost like it was responding to the crystal too.

Rei stood in the heart of the inner garden, the others giving him space. He held out the crystal, letting its glow fill the air.

The ground trembled.

Vines uncoiled. Stones rearranged themselves. Ancient carvings on the trees shimmered.

A voice—deep, ancient, feminine—echoed faintly.

"Child of harmony… you awaken what was forgotten."

Rei's breath caught. The voice wasn't in his ears. It was in his core.

Ellyn stared. "Did anyone else hear—?"

"No," Rei said softly. "Just me."

Lynna stepped forward. "The sanctuary's reacting to you again. It did this when you touched the wellspring. And now with the crystal."

Zephyr whistled. "I'm just sayin'... that's some chosen-one behavior, my dude."

Rei turned away. "I'm not chosen. I just… understand it."

That was the truth. The sanctuary wasn't something Rei had created. It had always existed—in slumber, broken, angry. He hadn't conquered it. He had listened to it. Calmed it. Aligned with its nature.

And in return… it followed his will.

---

Later, as the group relaxed for the evening, the mood shifted into something lighter.

Ellyn was attempting to grill skewers over a magical flame and failing miserably.

"They're supposed to be golden, not blackened armor pieces!" she shouted, fanning smoke away.

Zephyr leaned over with a smirk. "Want me to do it?"

"You'll just punch them into perfection."

Lynna chuckled. "Let him try. I'm hungry."

Fluff had commandeered the dessert table and was building an unstable tower of cream puffs while giving each a name.

"This one's Sir Puffy! And this one is Lady Sweetfang!"

Rei sat nearby, sipping tea, letting their chatter fill the air. It was… peaceful.

But peace, as always, never lasted.

A flicker of movement at the sanctuary's edge caught his attention.

Someone was watching.

He stood slowly, motioning to Lynna.

They moved quickly and quietly.

A figure darted through the trees, cloaked, fast.

Rei dashed after it—not with desperation, but with a hunter's patience.

When he finally caught up, the figure turned sharply.

A girl—no, a young woman, maybe his age—stared at him with burning, violet eyes. Her hair was wild, red and streaked with flame. Her aura flared like a smothered fire reigniting.

"You…" she hissed. "You're the one who controls this place."

Rei raised a brow. "And you are?"

"My name is Ember," she snapped. "And I've come to claim what was stolen."

She threw a dagger laced with spiritual fire.

Rei sighed, catching it between two fingers.

"I don't know who's been feeding you lies," he said. "But I don't respond well to threats."

Ember's lips curled. "Good. I don't like subtlety either."

She launched herself forward—fists wreathed in flame.

Rei sidestepped. Redirected. Tap. Flick. A twist of the wrist and she was flat on her back, groaning.

"You're strong," she muttered, wincing. "Dammit."

Rei extended a hand.

"Start over?"

She blinked up at him.

"…Fine. But I'm not apologizing."

"Didn't ask you to."

Back at the camp, the others stared.

Zephyr grinned. "Who's the new firecracker?"

Lynna frowned. "…She's cute."

Ellyn groaned. "Great. Another one."

Fluff whispered, "Is this how harems start?"

Rei sipped his tea.

Maybe… his peaceful life was evolving in ways he hadn't expected.