29 Chapter 29 - Main Character

When Shara was 10 years old...

"Papa, how did you meet Mama?" she asked.

"Hmm, I saved your mama from a giant!" he replied.

"Oh, I see!" Shara's grandfather, Wells, who was also the father of the Elf king, interjected.

"Father! Why are you here?" the Elf king asked.

"I came to see my granddaughter! Is there any problem with that?" Wells replied.

"Grandpa!" Shara ran and hugged her grandfather.

"Hmm," the Elf king sighed.

"Shara, come here, let me tell you about your mama," Wells said.

"Yes, yes!" Shara eagerly replied.

"Your mama was very strong! Almost all the other Elves were afraid of her."

"Mama was strong! So, between Mama and Papa, who is stronger? I think Papa, because he saved Mama!"

"No, your papa is not strong!"

"Dad! Don't say that!" the Elf King interjected.

"Why, I'm just saying the truth!"

"Ehhh, so it was Mama who saved Papa!" Shara guesses.

"You're smart, my granddaughter. Your mama saved your papa. Your mama was a great swordsman."

"Wow, a swordsman! But not like Shara… Mmmm"

"It's okay, Shara is just like me. Grandpa is even stronger than Mama."

"Really? Then Shara should learn from Grandpa more!"

"Of course, Grandpa will teach Shara until Shara becomes strong."

"Did Mama used to be a princess too?"

"No, your mama was just a regular Elf."

"Dad, why did you tell Shara that?"

"Your child needs to know who her mama really was. What's wrong with that?"

"I want to marry a regular man too!" says Shara.

"Sure!" her grandfather replied.

"NO! Dad won't allow it!"

"But..."

"Shara is only allowed to marry someone famous! Dad will never accept an ordinary person, UNDERSTAND!"

"Mmm… Okay, Dad!" Shara follows order.

"Now, Shara, go inside. It's getting late," says Elf King.

"But I want to talk to Grandpa more." Shara refuses.

"SHARA! LISTEN TO YOUR DAD!!!" Shara obeyed her father's command. Now, it was just the Elf king and his father.

"Nolan! What are you doing? You can't force your child like that!" says Wells to his son.

"Dad, don't interfere. She's my child, and I know how to raise her."

"Why are you doing this, Nolan? I never stopped you from loving anyone, so why are you stopping Shara?"

"Because you didn't stop me... I need to stop Shara before she regrets it."

"So, you regret marrying an ordinary person!"

"No, I've never regretted it... but I regret my own actions, Dad! It would have been better if I had stopped Hana from going to that place!"

"Hah! You can't blame fate!"

"That's why I have to stop Shara! Because people like us and ordinary people will never have a happy ending if fate brings them together."

Now...

"Raqnid, please come forward now!" Raqnid walked out of his group towards the front.

*If Raqnid gets chosen, maybe Dad will allow it!*

With each step, he heard people talking about him.

"Why did Raqnid get chosen? Is he strong?"

"I don't know! I think I'm stronger than him."

"Lord Blaise, why did Raqnid suddenly get chosen? You never announced anything about a representative from the Human kingdom," Ray asked.

"I'm puzzled too! How did your friend get chosen? The king never informed us about this," Blaise replied.

"Heh (smirking), what are they doing? Pick someone who's not strong at all!" Zack commented.

Everyone in the room looked down on Raqnid. "Who's that kid? He looks weak!"

"Heh (smiling), Raqnid, show them who you are! Let them know who's weak and who's strong," an old man from a archery shop chuckled.

*Hah… This is a real problem. How did my name get involved in this? I'm done … My dream of living a simple life is ruined. Arghhh!* Raqnid screamed in his mind.

Raqnid stood in front of Shara. They both stared at each other. Without causing any more attention, Raqnid went to stand where he was supposed to.

"Hmm!" Ray was suspicious.

*Am I the only one who feels this? I feel like Princess Shara is looking at that boy as if they know each other!* Leonel also felt something was off.

They stood side by side, every second filled with anticipation. Shara wanted Raqnid to be chosen, while Raqnid's emotions were a mix of preserving his current life or sacrificing it. Everything was uncertain. As seconds passed, after Raqnid stepped under the moonlight, there was only the sound of the night.

*Please, please choose Raqnid!* Shara hoped.

*Huh? What's this?* Suddenly, a notification appeared in front of Raqnid. 'You have learned a new skill!'.

[Full Moonlight Shot] [ss]

Nervousness filled the air as everyone waited for the result, whether this unknown name would be chosen or not. The atmosphere remained still, with no response from the tree. There was no light or movement.

"Huh?"

"Why hasn't there been any reaction since earlier?" people wondered.

"Oi.. oi, Raqnid, what's going on? Impossible, someone as strong as you was not chosen!" the old man from the archery shop said.

Without further delay, they made a decision.

"It seems that Brother Raqnid has failed! Please return to your place. Thank you for your cooperation."

"Huh! Alright," Raqnid then moved away to his spot. He cast a brief glance toward Shara. Disappointment was etched on her face as the person she had hoped for had also failed.

All of Shara's hopes and opportunities were shattered as there was no reaction at all to Raqnid. The tree produced no light whatsoever.

On the other hand, the others in the room were relieved that this unknown individual had not been chosen.

"Arghhh! How did this happen?" the old man from the archery shop behaved strangely.

The Elf King looked at the man. *So, it was your doing, Father! If you dislike a human archer, there's no need to humiliate him like this.* thought.

It turned out that the man from the archery shop was the father of the Elf King, Wells. He had added Raqnid's name to the list of participants.

"I knew it! People like him can't get chosen, no way!"

"There must have been a mistake!"

"Maybe he cheated on the test!"

Now, Raqnid had the attention of everyone. They looked down on him, thinking he had deceived his way into the competition. Not only did other races look down on Raqnid, but even his own allies did too. A completely unknown individual with modest clothing participating in such an important event and getting such poor results could only lead to negative conclusions.

"Raqnid, stay strong!" Fat comforted his friend, as did Goug and Kiel.

"I'm okay," Raqnid replied, but his internal thoughts were quite different. *ARGGHH!!! What's going on? My dream of leading a simple life is ruined because of this event!*

The next participants were called, one by one, and while they failed, their results were not as bad as Raqnid's because they at least produced some light.

It was finally time for the last participant, the one everyone had been waiting for. He was known to be the most skilled archer, having defeated many veteran marksmen.

"Next participant, Leonel!"

A thunderous applause greeted Leonel as he made his way to Shara. There were only 30 minutes left before 'Duo Moon' ended. The evaluation began.

The tree began to emit light. Previous participants had only produced a little light, but Leonel was different. The light emanating from the tree transformed its appearance. It seemed as if the tree was coming back to life.

"We've found it!" the Elf King exclaimed.

The tree's previously withered trunk began to appear healthy again. Its branches started to grow lush leaves.

*Choose me! I want to be with Princess Shara!* Leonel shouted in his heart.

"Wow! The tree is transforming!"

"Huh? The tree's leaves are changing color!"

The green leaves turned into a shade of pink.

"Sakura?"

"It's turning into a cherry blossom tree!"

"Someone will be chosen if this tree survives through all seasons!" Kiel explained.

"Does that mean Leonel hasn't been chosen yet?" Fat asked.

"Yes! This is just the beginning. The tree will transform from a regular tree with green leaves to the next stage, a Sakura tree, a Maple tree, and finally, a tree with white leaves called Snow White tree," Kiel replied.

"Ah, I understand!" Fat nodded.

The Sakura tree had successfully transitioned into autumn. The pink leaves of Sakura fluttered in the air.

"It's beautiful!" Shara exclaimed as she raised her hand, feeling the Sakura petals fall into it.

Leonel glanced at Shara and smiled.

"It's too early to celebrate!" Wells told the Elf King.

"I know, Father!"

The Sakura tree began to transition into the next stage, the Maple tree. Its leaves now drifted in the air.

"Stage three, Maple!" Goug announced.

The Maple leaves fluttered in the air, signifying the arrival of autumn. Only the final season, winter, remained.

"The last stage!"

The Maple leaves turned white. Everyone in the room erupted in joy.

White leaves, signifying the arrival of winter, fluttered in the air. A wide smile lit up the Elf King's face.

*I did it! I succeeded!* Leonel shouted with joy.

The Snow White tree had successfully transformed.

"Yeah! We did it!"

Loud cheers filled the room as they celebrated the selection of Shara's partner.

"We've found our savior!" the Elf King, Nolan, exclaimed loudly.

Leonel grinned from ear to ear. *Finally... Huh?*

Unexpectedly, something happened. Suddenly, the light that had been illuminating the tree disappeared completely. The once healthy and vibrant tree withered and died.

"What's happening?" the Elf King wondered.

"Your Majesty, this shouldn't have happened. The tree was supposed to remain alive once the selection was successful."

*What is this? What happened?* Leonel was shocked by the turn of events.

Everyone in the room was confused by the situation.

"Dad! What's going on?" the Elf King asked Wells.

"..... This means..."

"What does it mean, Dad?"

"..... Leonel is not the one."

"Huh? Leonel, the youngest and the strongest archer failed?" Elf King was shocked.

*Actually, there was someone even stronger who failed. So, I'm not surprised that Leonel failed too,* Wells thought to himself.

"If Leonel isn't the one, then who is?" Elf King wonders.

Leonel was still in shock. *So, all this time, my efforts were in vain! I trained every day for this moment... Everything is shattered... My hopes of being with Princess Shara... Gone!*

"Leonel!" Shara looked at him with concern.

"Our son failed! Huhu(sniff)," Leonard's wife hugged him.

"Stay strong, Leonel... you've done your best! Your efforts will surely bear fruit one day because your father can see how sincerely you've worked hard for all of this." says Leonard.

Everyone was in a state of panic as they couldn't find Shara's partner. Time was running out to find another participant outside.

"What should we do?"

"We're finished; how will we break the Demon's fortress now?"

Leonel continued to walk, paying no attention to the commotion. His eyes were fixed on Ray. He walked past Ray, who was on his right.

"Heh! (smirking)" Ray said.

"Huh?" Leonel shifted his gaze slightly behind to look at Ray. *Is that Hero guy laughing at me? Or is it just my imagination?*

Leonel kept his head down and continued walking. After a few steps, he heard a voice from behind. He turned to look at the source of the voice.

Ray raised his hand.

"Excuse me, may I participate in this selection ceremony since there are no other participants?"

"Ray, what are you saying? This selection is for archers only. Moreover, you're a Hero!" Sofia said.

"That's right!!" Rose added.

*Has this guy been crazy?* Jilk thought to himself.

"Don't worry; there's nothing wrong with trying. Besides, there are no other participants at the moment," Ray insisted.

*What's wrong with this Hero kid? Does he want to ruin this ceremony or something?* Wells felt uneasy..

"Very well! Let Hero participate," the Elf King agreed.

"But, Your Majesty!"

"Don't worry; nothing will go wrong. Now, let's focus on finding another eligible participant to join us." directed King Elf to his guards.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Ray replied.

Ray walked forward and stood under the moonlight next to Shara. Something extraordinary was happening.

"The tree is reacting to the Hero."

Light began to illuminate the tree. The tree changed from an ordinary tree to a Sakura tree, then to a Maple tree, and finally to a Snow White tree.

"What just happened?"

This turn of events surprised everyone in the place. The tree was supposed to respond only to individuals with the 'Archer' job. Now everything had changed.

"The Hero succeeded?"

"This tree isn't dying. What does it mean?"

"It's him!"

Cheers erupted among the people in the area. Some of them were still in awe of what had just transpired.

*What just happened?... Grrrr! Why must be him! He's already the Hero. Moreover, he's not even an archer,* Leonel clenched his fist. He couldn't accept the fact that Ray was the chosen one.

*A useless Hero. You've ruined this ceremony,* Wells also couldn't come to terms with it. As an archer, his pride had been tarnished because the one crucial hope for the 'Archer' job to play a significant role in the mission to defeat the Demon Lord had been shattered. After this, the ceremony was no longer exclusive to the 'Archer' job, as Ray had destroyed the primary requirement that participants must be archers.

"Finally, we've found him! Hurghh!" Elf King breathed a sigh of relief.

*GEEZ! Why does he have to be the center of attention again?* Jilk began to feel envious.

"He's amazing!" Sofia admired Ray.

"Hmm!" Rose seemed a bit less joyful because Ray was now beside Shara.

*Hehehe!...

All the attention is on me...

I know...

I will succeed because in this world...

I am the MAIN CHARACTER!!* Ray shouts in his heart.

Ray stepped forward, raising his hands to the left and right, and said with a high tone, "I will save this world!... Because I am the Hero!"

Ray's words were met with loud cheers.

"Geez!" Leonel walked away.

Fat and Raqnid simply watched.