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

The forest was quiet, unnaturally so. No birds, no rustling leaves—just a stillness that made Rei's instincts hum with caution.

"We're being watched," Lynna whispered, hand already resting on her blade.

"I know," Rei said.

They had barely left the ancient temple when it began. The air changed, pressure tightened. Rei had noticed it first—but he pretended not to. The others thought they were just being careful. In truth, they were surrounded.

"Why are we walking into an obvious trap?" Zephyr muttered.

"Because," Rei said, "we need to know who's behind it."

They didn't wait long. Figures stepped out from the trees—mercenaries clad in black and crimson, each bearing enchanted weaponry and sinister grins.

"Such a warm welcome," Ellyn said dryly.

"Hands off the relics," the leader barked, a tall man with silver hair and a jagged scar across his face. "You found the first key. Now hand it over."

Rei tilted his head. "Key?"

The man sneered. "Don't play dumb. That crystal you took—it's one of four. And we know you have it."

Zephyr cracked his knuckles. "Funny. We were just talking about who to punch today."

Rei stepped forward calmly. "Let me guess. You were hoping to catch us off guard, overwhelm us with numbers, then loot the temple when we're gone?"

The man frowned. "You talk big for someone surrounded."

"I'm always surrounded," Rei said quietly. "It just rarely ends well for the other side."

At that moment, the forest moved.

Vines surged from the ground, wrapping around the feet of several mercenaries. A blinding gust of wind tore through their ranks. From above, a winged beast shrieked—one of the sanctuary's spirits answering Rei's silent call.

The mercenaries panicked. The trap… had turned on them.

"What the hell?!"

"Who summoned this?!"

"Fall back! Regroup—"

Too late. Zephyr lunged into the fray, his fists glowing with golden flame. Lynna moved like a shadow, disarming and disabling with ruthless efficiency. Ellyn unleashed a wave of paralyzing runes that immobilized half the squad. Even Fluff—riding a half-visible elemental beast—laughed maniacally as she flung explosive pastries into the chaos.

In the center of it all stood Rei.

Still.

Untouched.

Unbothered.

Watching.

When the silver-haired commander charged him, Rei didn't flinch.

"You think you're some kind of hidden boss?!" the man roared.

"No," Rei said calmly. "I'm just tired of people like you making noise."

The commander swung his blade—a massive, cursed greatsword that radiated poison and decay.

Rei caught it with two fingers.

The man froze.

"Wha—?"

With a twist, Rei snapped the blade's core, then drove a palm into the man's chest. Not hard—just enough to shatter his internal flow.

The commander hit the ground like a felled tree, wheezing.

"Lesson one," Rei said, standing over him. "Don't provoke what you don't understand."

The remaining mercenaries dropped their weapons.

In the aftermath, silence returned—but it was a different kind of silence. Reverent. Awed.

Even Zephyr blinked. "Okay… that was hot."

Lynna smirked. "Told you he's not just a merchant."

Ellyn scribbled furiously in her notebook. "Need to update Rei's danger level from 'mildly scary' to 'possible demigod.'"

Fluff grinned up at him. "That was awesome, boss!"

Rei sighed. "We're not done."

He crouched beside the downed commander.

"Who sent you?"

The man coughed. "Y-You'll find out… soon enough. She's coming."

"She?" Rei echoed.

The man passed out.

Rei stood, brow furrowed.

Whoever 'she' was, Rei had a feeling she wasn't after treasure. She was after him.

And for the first time in a long time…

He wasn't just a bystander in the storm.

He was the storm.

---

Far away, in a candlelit chamber deep within a corrupted court, a woman with gold-threaded robes leaned over a map etched with blood.

"So," she murmured, fingering a token shaped like a flame. "The sanctuary's guardian has finally moved."

Her eyes gleamed red.

"About time."