The village of the Dark Elves, nestled within the ancient thickets of the Great Whispering Forest, was currently holding a banquet in honor of the son of the Great Scorch Dragon, Ashryn-sama, whom they now considered their ruler.
The music was loud. The food was hot. The stars were out. And Kaito wanted to disappear.
He sat at the head table, surrounded by firelight and noise, the center of a celebration he hadn't asked for. Dark elves danced around the bonfire in the middle of the village, cheering and laughing as instruments echoed through the trees. Meat sizzled over spits. Sweet smoke drifted in the air.
The entire village had gathered tonight.
Elder Nyasha raised her cup high. "To Kaito, the son of the great Ashryn-sama. He who made it out of the Cave of No Return alive. He has now come back to claim the forest that rightfully belongs to him!"
The crowd roared. Again, I don't remember saying anything about claiming the forest.
The cheers hit in waves. Cups slammed together. Some elves even knelt. What a pain.
Somewhere, someone yelled, "Bless his name!" and another shouted back, "Make him king!"
I sipped my drink without emotion. "I should never have left the cave," I muttered.
As soon as the toast ended, the swarm began. The first was a group of hunters. They bowed low and thanked me for saving the Heart of the Forest. Again, what the hell are they talking about? I just nodded once, gave a quiet, "Thanks," and kept my smile tight.
Then came a healer with her young daughter, both holding a woven flower crown.
"This is for protection," the girl said, placing it on my head.
"…Thanks," I said, holding back a sigh. "It's very… floral."
The showers of praise and greetings kept coming. I was just about ready to fake sleep when I heard a voice behind me.
"You look like you're having the time of your life, Kaito-sama."
I turned. Yoruha stood with a drink in hand, her evolved silver hair—which had been black before—tied back, her smile sharp. Her brother followed close behind, already half-laughing.
"Smile a little, Kaito-sama," he said, nudging me. "You're scaring the kids."
"Good. Maybe they'll stop handing me vegetables shaped like my face," I answered.
Yoruha sat beside him and leaned her elbow on the table.
"You're handling it well, all things considered," she said.
"I'm not handling anything. I'm surviving," I snapped back.
"Same thing," Yoruha said, taking a sip. "That's all ruling really is, right?"
"I'm not ruling," I quickly answered her.
"Sure," her brother said. "You're just sitting on a throne-shaped chair at a table where no one else is allowed."
I raised an eyebrow. "If this is a throne, it's got a splinter."
He grinned. "You always complain this much, or is it a special occasion?"
"Only when I'm surrounded by people calling me savior while stuffing grapes in my face."
"So… Thursdays." I smirked, then shook my head. "You two are annoying."
"We know," Yoruha said.
Another group of villagers passed by, waving happily.
"Thank you, Lord Kaito!"
"You're the reason the forest still stands!"
I gave a tired wave.
"They think I'm some kind of legend."
"You are," Yoruha said. "A very grumpy one."
I took another drink. "They'll figure it out eventually."
"Maybe," she said. "But not tonight."
We sat in silence for a moment. The fire cracked nearby. Drums picked up again in the distance, and someone started singing an old forest song. Laughter filled the air.
"You know," I said, "this would be a great night if everyone wasn't staring at me."
Yoruha's brother looked over. "Want me to dump something on your shirt? Instant attention killer."
"I'll pass."
"Or I could trip and take you down with me. Classic distraction."
"How about you trip and don't take me anywhere?"
Yoruha stretched her arms, looking around the festival. "You could've run off after it all ended, you know. But you didn't."
I looked down at my cup.
"Thought about it."
"So why'd you stay?"
"Didn't feel right."
The brother raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"Yeah."
Yoruha smiled. "You really suck at dramatic speeches."
"Good thing I'm not giving one."
"You kinda are."
I turned to her. "You're the one who walked in and sat next to me."
"Someone had to make sure you didn't explode."
"I wasn't going to explode."
"You were holding that cup like you wanted to snap it in half."
I looked at my hand. The cup was still in one piece, but barely. I put it down slowly. "Okay. Maybe I was thinking about it."
The annoying brother sat across from me, still chewing on something.
"You know what your problem is?"
I gave him a flat look. "Do I want to know?"
"You're way too cool for someone who gets flustered by flower crowns."
Yoruha snorted. "He did look like he was being cursed."
"You try staying serious with petals in your face," I said.
"You didn't even blink," he said. "That made it worse."
We all laughed. For once, it wasn't forced.
The night rolled on. People kept dancing. More food arrived. The stars shifted above the forest. Kaito finally leaned back a little, resting his arms behind his head.
"It's not the attention I mind," I said quietly. "It's… what comes with it."
"Responsibility?" Yoruha asked.
"Expectations."
The brother nodded. "That's fair. But hey, no one here expects you to be perfect."
"Could've fooled me."
Yoruha nudged my shoulder. "You don't have to be anything you're not. Just be here."
I glanced at her. "That's surprisingly wise, coming from you."
"I've been alive for 200 years, you know. I'm way wiser than I look."
Her brother grinned. "Next she'll start brooding."
"Already do. Just better at hiding it."
I looked toward the fire again. I didn't smile. But I didn't frown either.
"I don't want to be their hero."
"Then don't," Yoruha said. "Be their reason to hope. That's enough."
I didn't reply. But I stayed. And for now, that said enough.
I woke up the next day with my face mashed into a pillow that smelled like pine needles and woodsmoke. The faint sound of birds outside reminded me I wasn't in some medieval dungeon or a marble palace—I was in a treehouse. A very large one, built by dark elves who had thrown a feast in my honor last night.
I sat up slowly, hair a disaster, throat dry, and back mildly protesting every movement. The previous evening came back in waves: music, firelight, too many people cheering my name, and a suspiciously strong drink made from something they swore wasn't fermented bark.
I was still processing all that when the door creaked open.
"Morning, Kaito-sama," came a voice way too amused for this hour.
I turned toward it, blinking blearily. Yoruha stood in the doorway, carrying a tray with a bowl of… something. She gave a sarcastic little bow, which I ignored.
"Don't start," I muttered.
She walked in like she owned the place and set the tray down beside me.
"I brought food. Figured you'd wake up starving or hungover. Or both."
"Thanks." I picked up the bowl and stirred the warm porridge with the wooden spoon. It smelled good—nutty, maybe honeyed—and my stomach voted yes before my brain finished weighing the risks.
"You were pretty popular last night," Yoruha said, leaning against the wall. "I counted six villagers who hugged you without asking. One tried to braid your hair."
"They succeeded," I mumbled around a mouthful of porridge. "While I was talking to the Elder. I thought someone was just brushing bugs off my shoulder."
She burst out laughing. "You looked like a festival doll."
I gave her a deadpan look. "Glad I could entertain the masses."
"Oh, and don't forget the marriage proposal."
I froze.
"I nodded because I thought the guy was talking about farming!" I said quickly.
"You nodded five times. With both thumbs up."
"I was trying to encourage local agriculture!"
"Guy cried, Kaito. Full-on tears of joy."
I dropped the spoon back in the bowl. "I need a lawyer."
"You need a chaperone."
I groaned and kept eating while she grinned at me like she was the one who got proposed to.
After scraping the bowl clean, I set it down and leaned back with a sigh. The food had helped, at least.
"I've been thinking," I said finally.
"Dangerous," she teased.
I ignored her. "I want to give everyone names."
She blinked. "Everyone? In the village?"
"Yeah. It's awkward calling them 'hey you' all the time. It'd be easier if they had names."
She tilted her head. "So your solution is to name the entire village? Just like that?"
"Exactly."
Yoruha gave me the look someone gives a toddler trying to lick a glowing mushroom.
"Kaito. You have no sense of danger."
"It's not dangerous. It's inconvenient."
"You're talking about pouring energy into dozens of people like it's a to-do list. Do you even remember what happened when you named me?"
"I didn't faint."
"You sat down dramatically."
"There's a difference."
She rubbed her forehead and let out a long sigh. "Fine. Let's go see the Elder. Maybe she'll talk you out of it."
The Elder was sipping tea outside her hut when we arrived, looking like she'd been expecting us since sunrise. The moment she spotted me, she stood up with such elegance you'd think she hadn't been alive for over a century.
"Ah, my liege," she said, eyes glowing. "Has the sun risen sweeter now that you grace our forest?"
"Good morning, Elder," I said, trying to sound respectful despite the urge to crawl under a leaf and disappear.
She ushered us into her hut. Yoruha stayed behind me, probably waiting to see how far the Elder would take this whole "great dragon heir" thing today.
"I trust you slept well?" the Elder asked.
"More or less. I came to talk about something."
"Of course."
"I want to name the villagers," I said.
There was a pause.
"All of them?" she asked, as if I'd offered to rename the moon.
"Yeah. I think it'd help. Most of them don't even have names. Makes it hard to talk to them."
The Elder's eyes shone like I'd just handed her a rare treasure.
"To bestow identity and recognition… such generosity!" she said. "Truly, your heart reflects the light of the Great Dragon!"
From behind me, I could practically feel Yoruha's grin.
"I just think it'd be easier if they had names," I mumbled.
The Elder nodded reverently. "Then it shall be done. I will summon the villagers to the central clearing at once."
Wait—that's not—
Too late. She was already out the door, robe flaring like she had wind magic assisting her exit.
I turned to Yoruha. "Is she… sprinting?"
"She's gliding. Forest elders don't run. They make it look important."
By the time we reached the clearing, I was pretty sure the Elder had used secret tunnels or teleportation to organize this.
The entire village was lined up in a straight row. Everyone. From children holding berries to elderly elves with walking sticks to warriors with scars and stern looks. Some wore ceremonial clothes. Others had clearly just woken up and didn't understand what was happening—but were too afraid to ask.
I stood in front of the line, trying not to sweat.
"This feels like a job interview," I muttered under my breath.
"You're the boss now," Yoruha said with a smirk. "Smile and nod. And maybe don't propose to anyone this time."
I gave her a side glance. "You know, you could be helping instead of enjoying this."
"Oh, I am helping. I'm keeping count of how many times you panic."
"Generous."
Then, of course, the first person in line had to be her brother. Because fate enjoys messing with me.
He strolled up, hands in his pockets, that same smug grin plastered across his face.
"Yo, Kaito-sama," he said with a mock salute. "Heard you're handing out names. Got any good ones for me?"
I stared at him. "I was thinking… 'Annoying Elf #2,' actually."
"Ouch. Cold."
"Just accurate."
He chuckled and stepped forward like he was preparing for a knighting ceremony.
"Alright, mighty Name-Giver. Hit me with your best shot."
I sighed. Here we go.
I looked at Yoruha's brother. I hadn't seen him lift a blade yet… but I already knew. That aura. Heavy. Like history. He moved like a man carrying a legacy on his back, even if no one told him to. Calm, precise, and somehow still annoying. Like he knew he didn't need to prove himself to anyone—especially me. Reminds me of the Minamoto clan. The OGs of war in Japan. Built the first shogunate. Started entire wars off wounded pride and still walked away with kingdoms. Born from power. Defined by duty. Yeah… that's him. Same blood-soaked elegance. Minamoto. Stiff name for a stiff guy. Hope he trips on his own pride one day.
"Your name from now on shall be Minamoto."
He started glowing, the evolution to a high elf had begun. His hair turned white. I guessed that was how it would go for all of them. Surprisingly, I wasn't tired after this naming—maybe because I had gotten used to it.
"OH, you actually put in effort for my name," the newly named Minamoto said, smug as ever.
"Shut up," I answered. "Maybe I should have named you Annoying Elf #2 after all."
"I like it. Thank you, Kaito-sama. I shall take this name with pride and fight as your sword, cutting down any you deem enemies."
I could tell he was actually serious this time. I remembered the first time I met him—he had such an intimidating aura—but when I got closer, all that went out the window.
"Thank you. I'm counting on you," I said.
I then went on to name all the rest of the villagers, and eventually passed out cold. At least I'd gotten rid of the inconvenience.