The entire village felt the same despair as the twins.

Hope snuffed out.

Darkness closing in.

But not everyone mourned.

At the edge of the firelight, Julius stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

It worked.

Everything had gone perfectly.

The Hero was leaving.

The village was his again.

He couldn't hide his satisfaction anymore—his lips curved into the widest, most smug smile he'd ever worn.

'So this is what true power feels like.'

The thought thrilled him, sending a shiver up his spine.

He'd done what no one else could.

Forced the Hero himself to leave.

A man chosen by the Goddess, a savior from another world, someone who could topple empires—and he had driven him away.

He could feel the rush of control spreading through him.

'If I can make a being like that bow to my will…what chance does anyone else have?'

He imagined the elven elders kneeling, the other races whispering his name in reverence and fear.

The continent, the kingdoms, even the heavens themselves—they all suddenly seemed within reach.

He laughed quietly to himself.

'The Goddess chose her Hero—but the world will remember me as its King.'

But just as he was about to bask in his triumph fully—

Luca suddenly stopped.

Everyone noticed immediately. The Hero's steps halted halfway down the path.

Then—

"...Phft!"

A soft sniffle.

A stifled laugh.

The crowd blinked, confused.

But before anyone could make sense of it—

The sound came again. Louder.

"...Phfttt!"

And again.

"...Snicker!"

Until finally—

"Hahahahahaha!!!"

Luca burst out laughing.

A deep, genuine laugh that echoed through the forest, full of amusement and disbelief.

He clutched his stomach, tilting his head back as his laughter rang out louder and louder.

And seeing this, the elves stood there in stunned silence, completely thrown off.

One moment, he was walking away, cold and serious.

And the next...he was laughing like he'd just heard the biggest joke in the world.

This went on and on, until finally, gasping between his chuckles, Luca turned around.

And the moment he did, he pointed straight into the crowd—his finger landing directly on Julius.

"You idiot....You fucking idiot!"

The entire crowd flinched, their eyes darting toward Julius, who now looked completely lost.

"You really thought I was going to leave, didn't you?"

Luca continued, laughter bubbling again in his throat.

"You really thought I'd pack my things and walk away just because someone told me to? You actually believed that?!"

He broke into laughter again, wiping another tear from his face.

"Oh gods—what an absolute joke! Only a complete dumbass like you would think that!"

The crowd gasped; some turned the head left and right between the men to figure out what was going on.

The air turned electric, tense and wild.

And hearing Luca openly mock him, Julius's grin had vanished entirely.

His face stiffened, his eyes narrowing, his lips twitching with rage as the smug confidence melted into confusion.

Luca then stepped forward, still chuckling, his tone mocking.

"I mean, come on—just look at you, Julius! Or rather think about the look you had on your face a minute ago!"

He said, gesturing toward him with a flourish.

"You had the biggest, most disgusting smile plastered on your face. You looked like a snake that had just swallowed an egg whole!"

"You were standing there, grinning ear to ear, like you'd just pulled off the greatest master plan in history."

"You looked so damn proud of yourself, as if you wanted someone to pat your back and say, 'Good boy, Julius! You did it!'"

He took a few lazy steps toward him, his grin widening.

"But now?...Now look at you."

Julius's brow furrowed deeper.

"You look like you just bit straight into a lemon."

Luca laughed, eyes glinting.

"Your face looks like someone smacked you with a brick full of confusion."

"Gods, that expression—that's priceless!"

He threw his head back and laughed again, loud, booming, unrestrained.

"I'd put on that act a hundred times just to see that face again!"

The elves didn't know whether to laugh or stay silent. Some of them covered their mouths, trying to stifle giggles, while others looked at Julius with wide, uncertain eyes.

Meanwhile, Julius's hands clenched into fists, his temples pulsing. The veins on his forehead stood out.

But Luca only chuckled, finally calming down as he exhaled, wiping his tears away.

He then turned his gaze toward the two trembling girls standing just a few steps away—Luna and Lulu—who were staring up at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Lulu tugged on his sleeve first, her hands clutching his shirt tightly.

"L-Luca...What does that mean?" She stammered. "You're not...going away? You're not leaving us?"

Lunu quickly latched onto his hand, her voice small and trembling.

"Please tell me it's true." She whispered. "Please tell me you're not leaving. My heart can't take any more of this."

The two of them looked up at him with the most hopeful, innocent expressions, their eyes shimmering with desperate faith.

And seeing them like this touched him so much that without warning—without saying anything—he pulled both of them close, wrapping an arm around each of their necks and drew them into a tight, warm embrace.

"Of course not, you two." He said, his voice tender but full of conviction. "You really think I'd leave you behind?"

The sisters froze for a heartbeat, then melted against him, their faces pressing into his chest as he smiled down at them.

"You've got to put a little more trust in me." Luca continued gently. "Trust your Hero a bit more. The Goddess didn't send you a half-hearted fool who'd run away at the first order he hears..."

He tilted his head toward them, his smile growing.

"She sent someone who doesn't leave until his duty is done...And I haven't finished yet."

He then looked up at the crowd, his voice rising, clear and steady.

"So listen to me, all of you—"

He said, his eyes shining in the firelight.

"I'm not leaving this village. Not now. Not ever—not until every last one of you is safe, and this place is thriving again."

"Which means..." He chuckled. "...that even if you don't like my face, you're going to have to get used it since I'm not going anywhere."

The response was instantaneous.

The entire crowd erupted in cheers.

"He's staying!"

"The Hero's staying!"

"Thank the Goddess! Thank the Goddess!"

Luna and Lulu's faces lit up, both of them laughing and crying as they hugged him tightly, burying themselves against him.

The villagers, who just moments ago had been mourning, were now beaming, clapping, shouting his name.

Some even began chanting in joy.

"Hero! Hero! Hero!"

Nyx stood off to the side, watching with raised eyebrows and a wry smirk.

"He really is something." She murmured under her breath. "A little devil, playing with everyone's hearts like that."

Even Leona, who had looked completely hollow moments earlier, finally breathed again.

Her eyes softened as she watched Luca with her daughters, and though her expression remained composed, relief flooded her heart.

The heaviness that had consumed her began to fade, if only a little.

But Julius—Julius was seething.

His face had gone red, his jaw trembling with rage.

His plan, his manipulation, his perfect scheme—ruined.

He finally snapped, stepping forward and shouting.

"WHAT NONSENSE ARE YOU SPOUTING NOW?!"

The crowd's cheers dimmed slightly, turning to murmurs.

"You just said you were leaving a minute ago!" Julius barked. "And now you're changing your mind? What kind of Hero says one thing and does another?!"

Luca blinked slowly, as if utterly unimpressed.

"I don't know." He said casually. "Maybe the kind of Hero who doesn't take orders from idiots."

The villagers laughed out loud.

But Julius wasn't having it

"Shut up! You can't just say and unsay things as you please!" He shouted, his voice rising. "You have to follow the Matriarch's orders! You don't get to decide that on your own!"

But Luca only blinked once, then tilted his head like a confused child.

"What are you talking about, Julius?" He said dryly. "Who the hell told you I'm under Leona's command?"

Julius hesitated. "Y-You...You're bound by her! You can't act without her permission! That's the rule!"

Luca laughed. "Rule?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "You've got it all wrong. Sure, I can't touch and of the male elves without her permission—that's part of the divine pact."

"But that's where it ends."

He straightened, his voice taking on a deep, commanding tone.

"As for everything else...I can do whatever the hell I want."

The elves gasped softly.

"I'm not a slave." Luca said, his eyes narrowing. "And I'm not some pawn you can order around. Even the Goddess who sent me here can't make me move unless I choose to."

"So what makes you think Leona or you can?"

Julius faltered. "T-That's...That's—"

Luca ignored him, his expression softening again as he said,

"There's only one command I follow."

He looked out across the crowd, toward the glowing blue lanterns and the tearful faces of the villagers.

"And that's the Will of your Grand Matriarch." He said. "The woman who sacrificed everything to protect this place."

"I didn't know her long." He said quietly. "But in the short time I did, her kindness, her warmth—they left a mark on me. She believed in me. She trusted me. She asked me to protect all of you."

"And I gave her my word." He smiled faintly. "A promise to save this village and everyone in it."

"So, as long as that promise stands...I'm not going anywhere."

A wave of emotion surged through the crowd. And then, one by one, the elves began cheering.

"Stay with us, Hero!"

"Don't go!"

"You belong here!"

"You're home!"

"You're family!"

"You're one of us!"

Lulu also joined the love by hugging him tightly, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Don't scare me like that, Luca! I almost peed my pants with all the stress you put me through!"

Luna laughed through her tears, clinging to him.

"Please don't pull any more pranks like that." She sniffled. "My heart can't take it!"

Luca laughed gently, patting both of their heads.

"Alright, alright. No more pranks. I promise."

But as the joy spread through the village, Julius's fury only deepened. His voice cracked as he shouted.

"Fine! Stay! Do whatever you want! But that doesn't change the fact that you're banished!"

The laughter and cheering dimmed immediately.

He tried to stand confident, sneering as he looked around.

"What I'm trying to say is that Leona's order stands. You're forbidden from being part of the village. That means no one is allowed to go near you, speak to you, or even acknowledge you."

"You're a taboo entity now."

"And if anyone disobeys...that's basically treason against the Matriarch and going against the laws we've been following for years."

Hearing this, the cheers faltered.

Everyone has hesitant looks on their faces.

Tradition was ironclad.

The Matriarch's word was law.

If Leona had spoken...they had to obey.

Because of this many looked uncertain—torn between heart and duty.

They all looked at Luca anxiously.

What would he say now?

But Luca didn't look fazed. He didn't look angry either. Instead, he smiled calmly and said,

"He's right."

A murmur of shock ran through the crowd.

"It's true." He nodded. "You're all bound by tradition and law. And if you really want to follow them—if you want to live your entire lives in fear, doing only what you're told—then so be it."

He looked around slowly, his eyes sweeping over them all.

"But tell me this—"

His voice deepened.

"How long are you going to keep living that way?"

Silence.

"For thousands of years." Luca said. "You've been oppressed by your own customs. You've been told what to do, what to say, who to follow. You've been enslaved by your own traditions."

His words cut through the air like a arrow.

"So what are you going to do now?"

He asked, stepping forward.

"Keep obeying rules that you don't even believe in? Keep following orders that make you miserable? Or…"

He smiled, eyes blazing.

"...are you finally going to do what your heart desires?"

The crowd stirred. The words seemed to light a spark among them.

A spark of rebellion.

But at first, no one moved. Everyone was hesitant.

That is until one woman stepped forward.

It was the same elf woman who had said that she would kill countless humans to save her daughter.

She stepped forward with her daughter by her side, her eyes bright with conviction.

"I actually really like that phrase."

She said boldly.

"Do...what your heart desires."

"It deeply resonates with me. So that's why I think I'm going to keep it as my motto from now.

She them looked at Leona, Julius, then back at Luca.

"And right now, my heart says I shouldn't follow our Matriarch's words."

"And instead it tell me to follow our Hero."

"So, following my new-found motto...that's what I will do."

And then right in front of everyone's—she walked over along with her daughter and stood behind Luca

And seeing her, a wave of courage broke over the crowd.

"Do...what your heart desires."

Someone hesitantly whispered.

"Do what your heart desires."

Then another said a bit more confidently.

"Do what your heart desires!"

Finally one said at the top of her voice.

It became a chant, growing louder and more rhythmic.

"Do what your heart desires!"

"Do what your heart desires!"

"Do what your heart desires!"

One by one, the elves stepped forward. Mothers, daughters, elders, young girls all walking toward Luca's side.

They hesitated at first. But then, as they looked deep within themselves, each realized what their heart truly desired.

Freedom. Hope. The right to choose their own future.

That single thought was enough.

By the time the last villager had joined him, not a single soul remained by Julius's side. He stood alone, his expression frozen in horror as Luca faced him with an unshakable calm and behind him, the entire village now shone like an army of light.

Except one.

Nyx.

She stood in the middle, between both sides, her arms crossed, her lips curled into an amused smirk as if standing neutral was better for what she had in mind.

Meanwhile, Luca smiled faintly, letting his gaze drift over them.

He looked down first at Lulu, who was practically bouncing at his side, unable to contain her excitement, her joy so pure it made his chest warm.

Beside her stood Luna, quiet and still, staring up at him with wide eyes filled with awe and reverence, as though her loyalty had sunk deep into her very blood, unshakable and absolute.

Then Luca turned his head and looked behind him.

Every elf was smiling.

Not forced smiles. Not fearful ones.

But hopeful smiles, eyes bright with trust and expectation.

In that moment, it was painfully clear who they had chosen—who they believed would protect their future, their lives, and their children.

Then he turned back toward Julius, whose face was now twisted in shock and fury.

"Well..." Luca said calmly, spreading his arms. "Looks like I don't need to say anything else."

"The people have already spoken. And their hearts..."

He said with a grin.

"...seem to be leaning towards me."

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