Lisa slammed the hero’s book shut with a sharp snap, her fingers trembling with frustration. The words “Sunday Hero” on the cover glowed in the flickering candlelight. She looked up at Hugo, who was kneading his dough as if saving the world could wait until the bread finished baking.
“You’re aware there’s a dragon turning Greenfield into ashes, right?”
Hugo, still focused on his dough, replied without missing a beat, “Really? I thought it was my oven that smelled burnt.”
Lisa took a deep breath. “The soldiers evacuated the villagers, but they won’t be able to hold off that monster forever!”
Hugo shrugged. “Well, that’s their job, right? I’m making bread. We all have our responsibilities.”
Lisa clenched her fists. “HUGO! You’re the legendary hero! The one who ended a centuries-old war against dragons and demons! It’s your job to step in!”
Hugo finally looked up, smiling calmly. “You’re right, Lisa. It’s my job…”
Lisa nodded, relieved.
“…on Sundays.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”
Hugo pointed to the clock. “Look, Lisa. Saturday, 9:45 PM. I’m sorry, but I have very clear rules. No dragons before midnight.”
Lisa gritted her teeth so hard she thought a molar might crack. “Do you realize soldiers are risking their lives right now?”
Hugo nodded. “Yeah, and I have a lot of respect for them. But think about it: if I start saving the world every day of the week, where does that leave us? It’s like selling croissants on a Tuesday: it just loses all meaning.”
(Selling croissants on a Tuesday isn’t normal?) she thought.
Before Lisa could respond, the door burst open, and the vice-captain entered, covered in soot and despair.
“Captain Lisa! The dragon is destroying the village! The soldiers are overwhelmed!”
Lisa stood up, furious. “Prepare the horses. I’ll handle this myself.”
The vice-captain blinked, stunned. “You… alone? And Mr. Hugo?”
Lisa pointed at Hugo. “Him? He’s busy saving baguettes. Apparently, that’s more important than a village.”
Hugo, unperturbed, handed the vice-captain a loaf of bread. “Here, try this. It’s homemade sourdough. Good for digestion.”
The young man grabbed the bread, confused. “But… the dragon?”
Hugo smiled. “Don’t worry, it’ll still be here tomorrow. It’s a dragon, not a rabbit. It doesn’t have anywhere to go.”
Lisa, on the edge of exploding, grabbed her sword and adjusted her armor. “I’ll hold it off until midnight. But Hugo, listen to me: if I don’t come back, I’ll haunt your bakery until your croissants look like rocks.”
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Hugo exaggerated by pretending to choke, putting his hand on his heart. “Don’t say such horrible things. Even the demon king wouldn’t be that cruel.”
Lisa stormed out, leaving Hugo alone with his dough (literally). He glanced at the clock, then at the glowing sky.
“9:50 PM. Alright, just two hours and ten minutes. Perfect timing to let this dough rise… and wrap up my week with 24 hours of overtime. I’m so busy... Sorry Lisa, but I’ve got to make a profit.”
He resumed kneading while whistling, as the distant roar of the dragon echoed like a sweet background melody.
---
Greenfield village was located just 1 km from Hugo’s bakery, a short distance, which was why smoke could be seen rising into the sky from the bakery.
It was 9:30 PM, but the road was crowded. The villagers of Greenfield were evacuating, escorted by soldiers.
Gallop, gallop.
“I don’t understand how he can just stay there making bread with everything that’s happening! He’s really…” said the vice-captain, exasperated.
Lisa interrupted before he could finish his sentence. “Don’t say anything stupid! I know at first glance, he seems irresponsible and insensitive. But do you have any idea how a small kingdom like ours has survived in this crazy empire?”
The vice-captain, a little lost, raised an eyebrow. “Uh…”
Lisa, not letting him finish, continued gravely. “And do you have any idea how humanity has survived in this war of powerful races?”
She paused, her expression stoic.
“You can bet that jerk’s bakery has something to do with it, right? A fool who deserves for all the races to unite just to burn every piece of sourdough in his shop.”
Lisa’s smile was so sweet it was almost scary... but the murderous intent behind it was palpable.
The vice-captain, not daring to add more, just muttered a small “Hmph…” as he sniffed.
(I feel like she really hates him?) thought the vice-captain.
Lisa, with a little sadistic smile, shot back, “What? You seem to really like him!”
The vice-captain raised his hands in a gesture of peace. “No, no, chief! It’s just… I’ll check the evacuation zone.”
Lisa clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes. “Have all the soldiers help the wounded and those who haven’t been evacuated yet!”
In this world, there were seven levels of swordsmen, each more powerful than the last. The differences between each level were so huge that just reaching the Platinum level, the third level, was considered miraculous. The last three levels were reserved for superhumans.
1. Bronze
2. Silver
3. Platinum
4. Diamond
5. Heroic
6. Master
7. Grand Master
However, beyond these measurable levels, there was a group of individuals whose strength was beyond imagination: the Demigods.
Lisa, self-taught, had reached the Diamond level at the age of 20 (she was currently 21), despite difficult circumstances. For a guard in the 12th kingdom, the weakest in the empire, it was a monumental achievement.
Only a handful of people in the entire empire had ever accomplished such a feat.
She was undoubtedly a genius among geniuses.
The 12th kingdom had few resources and little advantage, including no martial arts training. But Lisa persevered and reached this level with unshakable determination.
She decided to keep this a secret, though, because if it became known, she’d likely be recruited by the greatest swordsmen of the empire and would be forced to leave the 12th kingdom.
She didn’t want that for two reasons:
The first was because she was the pillar of the 12th kingdom’s guard. There was no one competent enough in this kingdom to fill her role. If she left, the kingdom would likely be annexed sooner or later by other forces.
Being a commoner, she felt indebted to the previous captain, who had recognized her talent and made her what she was today.
The second reason was because a monster... a great monster had made its home in this kingdom.
Thirty meters from the village, her command rang out in the ears of all the guards. It was the kind of command one would expect from a Diamond-level swordsman.
The soldiers, in unison, stood tall. A single look in Lisa’s eyes told them they were going to win, no matter what.
Oh, holy Bread, bless your children!
---
Back to Hugo in the bakery:
The atmosphere in the bakery was getting increasingly strange. The light around Hugo shone intensely. It was as if some divine force was at work, making his dough rise. He pulled a fresh loaf from the oven with the solemnity of a hero.
“There you go. Everything’s under control. This bread might just go down in history!”
---
Outside, at the village:
Lisa had been fighting the dragon for over two hours, covered in blood and looking exhausted. The vice-captain, hesitant, rushed toward her.
“CAPTAIN! LISA!”
She slowly turned her head, her gaze tired. “Idiot, I told you to leave with the soldiers.”
The vice-captain, almost desperate, shook his head. “Yeah, but how could I leave my captain to sacrifice herself alone? That’s not something a vice-captain does!”
Lisa stared at him for a moment before sighing heavily.
Boom.
A grotesque figure suddenly appeared in front of them, and a monstrous laugh echoed.
“Hahaha, these insignificant humans! HAHAHA! What could my people possibly fear? I recognize you, the great Dragon, as a strong and entertaining human, but the others were so weak it was frustrating!”
The smoke cleared, revealing a gigantic dragon.
“Hahaha… I like you, you’ve made this boring mission fun.”
Lisa, responding to the dragon’s arrogance, said with a mischievous smile:
“Tell me, O great Venerated Dragon, what time is it? A majestic dragon like you must know the exact time just by looking at the constellations, right?”
The vice-captain, completely lost, turned to Lisa. “But... what’s she talking about? Why is she asking the dragon the time?” Yet, a strange feeling of relief filled his heart.
The dragon burst out laughing. “Hahaha! I’ll grant you this wish for entertaining me. I’ll tell you the exact time of your death, if you want!”
The dragon looked up at the sky, trying to find the time... but before he could finish his sentence, a powerful voice, coming from nowhere, froze all life on the battlefield.
“Rhhhh… I’m probably the only worker on the continent with 24-hour overtime!”
“Now that I think about it, I need a delivery driver!”
A chilling shiver ran down the dragon’s spine.