Just like that, day after day, Lu’erlu’s peaceful days slipped away.
However, the countdown to the crisis was drawing closer, step by silent step.
*Knock, knock, knock—knock, knock, knock.*
The crisp sound of knocking broke the silence of the garden.
“Hmm? Who is it this time? It can’t be another parchment roll, can it?”
Lu’erlu, who was pruning roses, straightened up and moved with slow, shuffling steps to open the door.
The door creaked open.
An official in a grand robe stood at the door.
His eyes looked familiar, yet they held a distant sense of unfamiliarity.
Lu’erlu blinked his round eyes and played dumb with an innocent look.
“Hello… may I ask who you are?”
“I am the Minister of Internal Affairs, Soke.”
The man had a stiff face.
“I’ve come this time to ask if you have any intention of returning to the Hero’s party.”
‘Good grief.’
‘It’s Soke.’
The classmate who was always against him back in school.
“No.”
As soon as that single word left his lips…
*Bang!*
Lu’erlu slammed the door shut with crisp efficiency, nearly hitting Soke’s nose.
He complained wildly to himself.
‘These ministers must be missing a few screws! I couldn’t even be bothered to reply to their letters. Isn’t my attitude obvious enough? They just have to come here and hit a wall. They definitely don’t have good intentions!’
“Wait! I’m not finished yet!”
Soke hadn’t expected to be rejected so bluntly.
He hurriedly pounded on the door and shouted, his voice cracking.
Lu’erlu rolled his eyes and reluctantly pulled the door open again, his face practically screaming “don’t bother me.”
“Is there anything else? I’m in a hurry to go back and water my precious flowers.”
“Oh? Lord Lu’erlu.”
Soke’s voice rose eight octaves, tinged with a hint of unbelievable absurdity.
“To the Minister of Internal Affairs, is watering flowers more important than this?”
*Bang!*
He was answered by another loud slam of the door.
“?”
Soke was completely stunned.
He stood there dazed, the parchment in his hand nearly falling to the ground.
“Wait, hey! Fine, fine! Flowers are important! Flowers are the most important! I’ll keep it short, okay?!”
The usually steady Minister of Internal Affairs was shouting at the top of his lungs, causing passing neighbors to peek over.
Only then did Lu’erlu crack the door open, revealing only half of his face. He spoke irritably.
“Oh, Soke, I already told you I’m not returning to the Hero’s party. Let’s end this here. Can’t you stop bothering my leisurely life?”
The mockery in his tone almost overflowed through the gap in the door.
“So you recognize me now?”
Soke grumbled.
“I was going to exchange some pleasantries with you, but forget it! Just take this!”
Before he finished speaking, a crumpled parchment was tossed into Lu’erlu’s arms with a *thwap*.
“If I don’t see you in three months, suffer the consequences!”
After dropping those harsh words, Soke turned and left.
His retreating figure looked elegant, but his steps were fast.
He was probably cursing Lu’erlu 800 times in his head.
“What kind of trouble is it this time?”
Lu’erlu closed the door and muttered as he spread the crumpled parchment, reading it line by line.
With every line he read, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
By the time he finished the last word, a familiar sense of helplessness washed over him.
He slumped into a chair in the entryway with a *thud*, feeling as if fate had played a cruel joke on him once more.
The very first line of the letter was so shocking it made his heart stop…
The Hero has been assassinated.
The content that followed made Lu’erlu turn cold all over, despairing enough to want to die on the spot.
The previous parchments were at least inquiries from the King; he still had the right to refuse.
But this time, it was blatant coercion from the Council of Elders.
Lu’erlu was directly appointed by the Council of Elders as the new Hero.
Now he was done for.
There was no room left for refusal.
‘Sigh… Is it really impossible to avoid what’s coming? But… where is my “cheat” code? Where did my Hero’s power go?’
So this was just a self-serving appointment by the Council of Elders.
He wasn’t even a Hero recognized by the heavens?
Wasn’t this just forcing him into a dead end?
Without Hero powers, how was he supposed to deal with those foreign races that had just restored their nations?
Refusing meant disobeying orders, which carried heavy punishment.
Accepting meant going to his death, likely with no return.
He had only enjoyed ten years of peace.
How could he have returned to those miserable days overnight?
The worst part was that he could no longer do as he pleased like before.
Because now, he had three monster girl daughters waiting for him to come home…
‘Sigh… what on earth should I do?’
Sitting in his chair, Lu’erlu let out a deep sigh.
The sigh was long and heavy, lingering for a long time.
***
Night fell, and a warm yellow light filled the living room.
“I’m back, Father.”
A crisp voice came from the door.
Longjiu had been handling government affairs all day, and her dragon tail was still swaying gently behind her.
“You’re back? Have some soup.”
Lu’erlu’s voice was soft, without much inflection.
“?”
A large question mark appeared in Longjiu’s mind.
This cold tone didn’t seem like Father’s usual style.
Normally at this time, he would have greeted her with a smile and pinched her dragon horns.
“Bai Ning and little Zi Ya have already had dinner. They’re resting in their rooms. Drink this while it’s hot.”
Lu’erlu used a fingertip to draw out a bit of warm magic, casually heating the venison soup on the table before placing it in front of his daughter.
“Alright, Father.”
Longjiu answered obediently.
She carefully smoothed the skirt of her formal dress and took off her leather shoes to reveal her tender white feet.
She sat at the dining table and enjoyed her father’s cooking in small sips.
The room was quiet, with only the light sound of a spoon hitting the bowl.
*Clink…*
Longjiu’s movements paused.
She finally couldn’t help but look up at the man who had been staring at her in a daze.
“Father, is there something you want to say?”
Lu’erlu snapped back to his senses.
He remained silent as he slowly pulled out a chair and sat opposite her.
He stared at the top of his daughter’s crimson hair.
After a long silence, he managed to squeeze out a sentence.
“Longjiu, have you met anyone you like at work?”