Chương 9: more accidents
I was once again in the royal dining hall, only this time it wasn't because of some life-or-death battle. No, now I was sitting at the center of the table with a feast in front of me, surrounded by people who treated me like a god.
How did I even get here?
I could barely keep track of all the faces that seemed to follow me around, all of them watching my every move like I was some kind of rare artifact. There was Sir Reginald, the red-haired knight who had become somewhat of an unofficial bodyguard; Princess Liora, who was currently sitting across from me, looking at me like I was the only person in the room; and then there were the others… the royal advisors, a bunch of nobles, and even some elves and dwarfs who had traveled in from who knows where.
Honestly, I'd have preferred to be in my old world, playing games and stuffing my face with chips.
But, no. Here I was, once again, inexplicably wrapped up in another fiasco.
"So, Kaito," Princess Liora said, her voice soft but laced with an almost unnerving intensity. "You've done so much for the kingdom. We owe you everything."
I blinked at her, not sure if she was talking to me or someone else. "What? Me? I didn't do anything, really. I mean, I just sort of… showed up."
"Don't be modest," she said, her gaze deepening. "You've helped us more than you realize. You're… our hero."
My brain barely registered what she said. Hero? I wasn't even sure how to spell "hero" half the time, let alone be one.
But before I could try to explain how this was all one big misunderstanding, another voice chimed in.
"You've been such a big help, Kaito!" It was a familiar voice—one that belonged to a young, energetic elf named Aria. She had been hanging around me ever since I accidentally saved her village from a band of monsters (I didn't even know they were monsters until they started attacking, but that's beside the point).
I smiled awkwardly. "I just got lucky. Honestly, I don't know what I did."
"Don't be so humble," she giggled, sitting next to me and brushing a lock of her silver hair behind her ear. "You've saved my life more times than I can count. I could never repay you."
I didn't know how to respond to that. I mean, I wasn't trying to save anyone. I wasn't even trying to do anything. But that didn't seem to matter. People were just misinterpreting everything I did.
Before I could offer a response, another person entered the room—this time, it was a mysterious woman draped in a dark cloak. Her face was hidden, but her aura was undeniably strong. She stepped toward the table, her eyes locking onto me with a gaze that sent an uncomfortable chill down my spine.
The room went silent.
I stared back at her, my mind running through every possible explanation. Who is this?
"I've been hearing a lot about you," the cloaked woman said, her voice silky smooth and laced with an edge of danger. "Kaito Shizuki, the one who causes all this chaos without even trying."
I blinked. "Uh… yeah, that sounds about right. But who are you?"
The woman's lips curled into a slight smile. "That's for me to know and for you to… find out. But, I can't help but admire your… unique charm."
I wasn't sure what to say to that. "Well, uh… I don't really know how I did any of that. It just sort of happens."
The woman stepped closer to me, and I swear I felt the temperature drop by a few degrees. "I'm sure. It's almost as if the universe itself bends around you."
"Uhhh… I'm just here for the food," I said, trying to break the tension with an awkward laugh. But for some reason, that only made things more intense.
The woman tilted her head slightly, eyes glinting with amusement. "Food, hmm? Perhaps you'll need more than just food, Kaito… perhaps you'll need… protection."
"I'm good, thanks," I said, pushing my plate away a bit. "I can handle myself."
Before she could respond, Aria suddenly stood up, her usual playful smile now replaced by an almost possessive glare. "Kaito belongs to me, thank you very much."
The tension in the room escalated in an instant. Princess Liora, who had been mostly silent up until now, slowly placed her fork down and shot Aria a sharp glance. "Excuse me? Kaito is under my protection, as I've said before."
The mysterious woman let out a low chuckle, watching the growing conflict unfold. "It seems you've already gathered quite a following, Kaito."
I wanted to groan. Not this again. Why did people keep thinking I was trying to build a harem?
"Look," I said, standing up and raising my hands to diffuse the situation. "I'm not interested in any of this. Can't I just eat in peace? I don't even know what's going on."
But it was too late. The damage was done. Princess Liora, Aria, and the cloaked woman were all now staring at me like I was the most precious thing in the room.
"I'm… I'm just here to help," I said weakly, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks. "Seriously, I don't need a fan club or whatever you're calling this. Can we just go back to being normal?"
And that's when Sir Reginald, the ever-persistent knight, leaned over from the side with a grin. "Seems like you've already got yourself quite the harem, Kaito. Good job!"
I froze. What?
The room was dead silent for a long moment.
"Well," Sir Reginald continued, looking over at Princess Liora and the others, "Looks like we should be celebrating Kaito's success! You know, the one where he's already winning hearts without even trying."
I could feel my face turning bright red. "NO! This is all a misunderstanding!"
But no one was listening. At this point, it was like the universe had decided that I was the one everyone would flock to, whether I liked it or not.
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