"Mornings are the worst.
Well… afternoons too.
Actually, come to think of it, all times of the day are equally bad.
I was in the middle of my perfectly scheduled nap when something exploded outside my window. Not a small, 'oops, I dropped a plate' explosion. no, this was more like 'the sky has decided to set itself on fire' kind of explosion.
…So, naturally, I rolled over and pulled the blanket over my head. Someone else will deal with it. They always do."
Then came the second explosion louder, sharper. Something zipped past my building with a sound like tearing paper, followed by a deep explosion as it lodged somewhere down the street.
Curiosity tried to nudge me out of bed. I told it to get lost.
The bed was warm. The outside world was loud and probably dangerous. And besides, my eyes were already halfway closed again when...
Knock knock knock.
Whoever it was clearly hadn't gotten the memo that I was busy doing absolutely nothing. The knocking turned into pounding, and then came a voice.
"Lairn! You still alive in there?!"
Great. It was Rena. And if Rena was here, it meant trouble. The kind of trouble that required running, lifting heavy objects, or heaven forbid thinking.
I groaned, dragging myself halfway out from under the blanket before gravity convinced me to go back in. "I'm alive. Go away."
"Not this time!" Her voice was much too cheerful for the situation. "You're coming outside right now. Something fell from the sky."
"I'll look at it later."
"No, you'll look at it now."
There was a loud knock as the door rattled in its frame. She was kicking it. She always kicked things when she was impatient.
I sighed. The bed was winning this fight… but Rena was persistent, and persistent people were worse than explosions.
"Fine," I muttered, dragging myself upright. "But if I die, I'm haunting you."
The sunlight stabbed me in the eyes the moment I stepped outside. Ugh. I squinted like a vampire seeing daylight for the first time in years.
"Finally," Rena said, arms crossed. "Took you long enough."
I yawned. "Had to say goodbye to my bed. We've been through a lot together."
She ignored me and grabbed my wrist, practically dragging me down the dirt path toward the edge of the village. My slippers scuffed against the ground with every reluctant step.
"See? Over there!" she pointed.
I followed her gaze. Past the fields, just beyond the treeline, a pillar of smoke curled lazily into the sky. Birds circled high above it, squawking in that annoying 'something weird happened' way they do.
"I'm going back to bed," I said immediately.
Rena whipped around. "You're not serious."
"I am entirely serious. That looks like so much work."
She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Lairn, you idiot, what if it's treasure? Or some ancient artifact?"
"…Artifact?" My ears twitched a little at that.
She smirked. "Got your attention, huh?"
I hated how well she knew me.
--------------------
We pushed through the tall grass, Rena stomping forward with purpose while I followed behind like a condemned man. My slippers were already full of dirt. since switching to my shoes sounds so much work for me.
By the time we reached the trees, the smoke was thicker. I could hear the crackle of fire somewhere ahead, but… weirdly, no shouting, no fighting. Just the sound of wind rustling the leaves.
Rena crouched low, peeking through a bush. "Whoa…" she whispered.
I peeked too, more out of boredom than curiosity, then blinked. In a small clearing, half-buried in a scorched crater, was a gleaming, golden… thing. A chest? A box? A lunch container from a very fancy rich person?
"It's glowing," I muttered.
"Obviously," Rena said, her voice dripping with barely contained excitement. "That's a Mana Relic. They're supposed to be hidden deep in dungeons."
"That's nice," I replied, already turning to leave. "You can grab it. I'll nap."
Before she could yell at me, a loud CRUNCH came from somewhere to our right. Something big was moving through the trees. Rena froze. I… didn't. I just wandered straight into the clearing to get a better look at the shiny box.
And that's when it happened.
A huge black wolf twice the size of a horse burst from the trees, snarling. Rena screamed my name. I froze mid-step, tripped on a root, and fell flat on my face. The wolf lunged...
...and slammed straight into the glowing chest instead. There was a blinding flash of light, a sound like a hundred bells ringing, and then… silence.
When I sat up, the wolf was gone. The chest had cracked open, spilling out coins, crystals, and what looked suspiciously like a crown.
Rena just stared at me. "…You're impossible."
I dusted myself off. "What? I didn't even do anything."
"That's the problem!"
Rena was still glaring at me, like she was deciding whether to punch me or worship me.
I ignored her and picked up the crown. It was surprisingly light, warm to the touch, and… humming?
The moment my fingers brushed the inner band, glowing blue runes lit up across its surface. The humming got louder, like a swarm of bees trapped inside my skull.
"Oh," I said. "It's noisy."
Rena's jaw dropped. "That's the Crown of the First Magus! Legends say it can only be worn by someone with unparalleled mana control!"
I tilted my head. "Unparalleled what now?"
She snatched it from my hands before I could drop it. The moment she touched it, the light went out. She frowned and shoved it back into my arms. The light came back instantly.
"…I hate you," she said flatly.
"Thanks?"
Before she could lecture me, a shout echoed from the treeline. Men in dark armor emerged, their weapons glinting under the dappled sunlight. Their leader, a tall guy with a sharp face and the kind of cape that screamed 'villain,' stepped forward.
"Well, well," he said, eyeing the glowing crown on my head... wait, when did I put it on? "Looks like we've found our little miracle."
"Miracle?" I repeated. "Nah, you're mistaken. I was just..."
"Get him!" the man barked.
I instinctively stepped back. My heel hit the cracked chest, which tipped over and spilled a wave of shimmering dust into the air. The wind picked it up and somehow blew it directly into the soldiers' faces.
They started coughing, stumbling, dropping their weapons… and then, one by one, collapsing to the ground, fast asleep.
Rena stared. "That… was sleeping dust. From a Relic chest. Do you have any idea how rare-"
"Nope," I said, yawning. "But speaking of sleep…" I sat down right there in the clearing, crown still glowing on my head. "Wake me up when it's safe."
Chapter Ends...