Humanity's Hero Of Despair

Morning filters softly through the window.

I blink, letting the calmness settle in for a moment. The new flowers outside my window splash vibrant colors into the room. The sun is shining brightly as it greets us to another day. Ivy is still sleeping, curled up peacefully next to me. For a moment, it feels like none of the fights or deaths ever happened.

Careful not to wake Ivy, I slip out of bed and dress quietly.

I throw on a button-down shirt and some nice pants. Now that I am Baron of Mistfall, I assume I have to look more the part. Once my clothes are on and my teeth brushed, I walk down the stairs to the first floor. The living room and kitchen look cleaner than before. It feels more alive.

Just as I step outside, the world comes into full view. The clear blue sky welcomes the sun to shine down upon all of Mistfall. Rays from the sun illuminate the garden that the villagers have planted for me. Fresh violet and pink petals shine in the sunlight. I take a deep breath, breathing in the crisp morning air. A wave of gratitude hits me as I take another look at the garden.

These villagers have always been there for me and treat me well. I am so happy I get to lead them and protect them from outside threats as their Baron. I wouldn't want to move up to a noble class position, even if someone offered it to me.

"Going anywhere, Nico?" Ivy's voice catches me off guard. She is leaning against the doorframe in her clothes from the night before. She wasn't able to bring a change of clothes because both of us weren't prepared for what happened.

"Not quite. I'm just taking in the view and seeing what the garden looks like during the daytime," I answer her with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept great!" she says while winking at me.

"Me too," I say back as we both are about to laugh.

The sound of approaching footsteps catches my attention. I turn around. I see a familiar group of people approaching us. Those people are Estes, Neve, and Zephyr. Excitement overtakes me as they approach. It's always nice seeing close friends. It's a bonus if you get to see friends you haven't seen in a while.

"Nico!" Estes calls out to me as he runs toward me. His hair tosses in the wind as he smiles. His expression reminds me of the good old days before we started taking on the Eradicators.

"It's nice to see you again," Neve says softly. She softens her eyes, noticing that the houses closest to us have been rebuilt. "I'm happy to see recovery is going well here."

I nod in response. Zephyr notices me and nods as a greeting. He seems to notice I'm about to ask a question. "Where are Matteo and my sister?" I ask him, hoping they are okay.

Zephyr's face slightly falls. "He's still recovering. Those injuries finally caught up to him. Matteo will be okay, but he needs time. He insisted we go on ahead without him. He said he would catch up soon."

"Your sister, on the other hand, is doing well. She's just busy making sure all the knights are in their proper places in case any surprise attacks happen. Whether that be from Eradicators or neighboring nations. We just have to hold on to hope the Eradicators are all gone."

"I'm sure they are gone," Ivy responds. "By the way, where is Leena?"

"Leena is busy at the Tarondar Palace figuring out what to do as a princess now," Estes chuckles slightly. "Who would've thought in a million years our Leena would be princess of Tarondar?"

We all burst out laughing. We imagine Leena getting super pissed off and throwing fireballs at us. Imagining our precious Leena, who loves fireballs and being hyperenergetic as a classy princess, doesn't really go well together. It's nice to have a really good laugh after many months of wondering if humanity was going to survive.

A part of me is sad not all of us can be together right now. I'm happy though with the friends who can visit me. I gesture for everyone to follow me as I walk down the steps of my cabin.

"Come on! Let me show you Mistfall."

We head toward the village square. The villagers welcome my friends with open arms. My friends attract the villagers, even those who don't know them. Estes, with his wholesome charm, has children clinging to his arms. Neve listens as some villagers tell their adventurous stories. Zephyr is already famous because of his father and loved by the people for protecting them for many years. He helps people who still need to move some damaged goods.

The village is now bustling with action. Villagers are throwing a feast to celebrate the rebirth of Mistfall and officially celebrate my rise to be their Baron. More people from other towns come into Mistfall as they hear of the famous Lord Lotus living there. With this much action, you would never have thought that two days ago we were at war.

Around the late afternoon, the feast slows down, and people walk back home. The villagers, one by one, thank me again for everything I did for them. Apparently, the trap King Grey had me set up worked very well. As a result, no Mistfall villagers suffered physical harm from the Eradicators. Some villagers were harmed by the falling debris.

"Thank you so much for protecting us against the Eradicators, Lord Lotus!" one villager says to me while bowing.

"It is my duty and honor to protect everybody in my hometown. Mistfall means the world to me," I reply, as I insist they don't need to continue bowing.

The majority of villagers have left the square. The only people left are my friends and I. Since it isn't evening yet, we all decide to play tag in the woods. You can call us kids or whatnot, but after what we had to experience, I think we deserve a brief break at a minimum.

The game of tag ends as soon as it starts. Magic makes the game infinitely harder. Zephyr is the first one chosen to be it, and he uses his wind magic to tag us without us even having time to move. This is the power of the son of the former General, I think to myself as we choose the next person to be it.

Turns out Estes is the next one chosen. The leaves underneath my feet crunch loudly as Estes counts to sixty. Ivy and I are sticking close by each other to keep each other's backs protected. We giggle as we hear Estes tag Neve.

We continue playing for a couple of hours while needing to take a water break every now and then.

It's fun just being able to hang out with friends, act how we want, free from any responsibilities. The only thing I regret is playing tag in a button-down shirt. I'm sure that cost me some points when it came to speed.

It's getting very late now. I convince all my friends to head back to my place. My cabin has multiple bedrooms and a very comfortable couch, despite me thinking it's not a mansion. After all, it's the only house I have ever known. They eventually agree since it's a long walk back to Stonelight at this hour at night.

We enter my house and then we all fall asleep. I'm pretty sure all of us have joyful expressions on our faces.

This is the little fun I need before facing reality once more.