If you want to support, you can at: https://www.patreon.com/finlegost

There, you can find 18 chapters in advance. Thanks to my patrons and to those who comment on the chapters. It means a lot to me and motivates me to continue this hobby of mine.

And, of course, thanks to everyone who reads this novel.

*************************************

'Move forward, Emir, damn it. Don't stand still.'

With a heroic stance and a serious and cold look, I walked across the stage.

Thousands of people are watching me. The feelings I have right now can't be described. While I cursed this situation before, now that I am facing it, I feel a little more at ease.

People say that your inner thoughts are your worst enemy. Now I understand what they mean.

In the duel against Leonardo Raizar, I turned a deaf ear to the words of others in order to concentrate on the battle. I don't think it's any different now that thousands of them are watching me.

'From the beginning, the opinion of third parties has never mattered to me.'

"OOOHHH!"

"It's the Golden Archer!"

"The first war hero!"

'I take it back. Third-party opinion is very important. Calm down, Emir, calm down. Don't let it go to your head. It's true that thousands of people are cheering my name and shouting uncontrollably as if they are doing drugs, but I must stay cool. Even when there are women shouting, 'Make me a son!' I should not take them into account at all. So, stop creating personalized markers on them and get into the role!'

"Golden Archer, my dear old friend." The admiral general's voice was amplified by a magic item reaching everywhere equally.

Dorian Aranis approaches and puts a hand on my shoulder. As soon as he does so, the audience screams like never before.

Taking advantage of this, he whispers to me, ''Follow my lead. In these cases, reality is easily moldable. We must leave an impact on people to prevent the enemy from influencing them.''

'Ah, I see.'

It's because Dorian set the mood that people cheered my name as soon as they saw me. In reality, none of them know me; they simply reacted to the words of their Admiral General.

'How envious!! Where did he buy that gift of gab?'

Once I nodded, Dorian smiled in response. Without removing his hand from my shoulder, he drew me toward the end of the stage for the sole purpose of demonstrating that we are close friends.

"I distinctly remember the day we met..." Dorian said, looking out into the audience.

All the clamor and chatter ceased immediately when he began to speak. This has great significance, as it shows the respect and admiration they have for him.

"This happened long before King Alfonso Fiore sent his troops to the border. That day it was raining, and I remember that General Hernan informed me of a group of robbers in the vicinity. I could not remain calm when I heard the news, so we both took our weapons and headed for the place."

His story was told with tranquility and a deep tone of voice. Each of his words managed to enter the person and instill the same feelings he supposedly once had.

"There, haa..." Dorian sighed. "There I saw a man with a straight posture looking up at the sky; around him were dozens of men about to die. I was about to ask his identity when he looked at me and said, 'I cannot forgive those who harm others. My hands may be stained, but the darkness will not bar the way of tomorrow'"

These words immediately sent the audience into fervor.

"What a profound phrase... This one implies that no matter how much harm evil does, there will always be a solution. A measure that, while it may not be perfect, someone must carry it out." Many were surprised by the conclusion of an experienced knight in the audience.

"Wait! Doesn't that mean that the men about to die are the thieves mentioned at the beginning?" The story of Dorian Aranis was not understood by everyone.

"That's right, the man arrived ahead of time and destroyed the thieves before the admiral general. And that person is..."

Dorian waited for a few seconds in silence and then said aloud what everyone must have already deduced by now.

"Just those words alone were enough to change my views" Dorian raised his voice. "And seeing that the thieves had already been dealt with by him, I asked him, 'What is your name?'" With these last words, Dorian looked at me and said with a glance, "Do your part."

Emir: "..."

'My Holy God Solus...

Was I too naive to think they would just hand me my awards and then let me go? Because that's what they did to everyone else! Haa...

With every second I stay here, the bounty on my head increases exponentially. I fear my head will be so juicy that many will want to get it to fulfill the dream of home ownership. Fine, I'll play along. But only because I want this to be over as quickly as possible.'

With a serious and cold stare, I looked up at the sky. Then I flashed the bow on my back as I performed a heroic stance, and I said in a deep voice, "You may call me... Golden Archer."

"OOOHHH!"

"Golden Archer! Golden Archer!"

I started being happy seeing how everyone chanted my nickname. But at the thought of how much the bounty goes up over my head every time they mention my nickname, it passes me by.

As everyone shouts in excitement, Dorian Aranis breaks away from me and speaks again.

"Golden Archer is the number one war hero! Let's give him a round of applause!" To set the example, Dorian is the one who starts clapping first.

*CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*

Immediately, everyone claps in unison, generating a spectacular sound.

All in all, it feels good to be in this position. For a moment, being the center of attention for thousands of people with promising futures makes me feel proud of my accomplishments.

'That should be enough, right, Admiral General? I'm waiting to receive the awards so I can get off the stage; then I'll be off like the devil takes the hindmost.'

"The reason for him to be here is something you all should know by now," Dorian said, looking out into the audience.

'Shit! This has no end.'

"First, when his archer division was betrayed, he gave his post to General Hernan to retreat with the allies! staying on site alone to face the enemy!" shouted Dorian excitedly.

"Holy Solus! He risked his life for someone else's without asking for anything in return!" Everyone was shocked.

"Such courage! The younger generation would have a bright future if they could learn one thing or two from the Golden Archer," someone exclaimed in excitement.

'Stop it! I simply did it because I wanted to steal the Wind Brazier!... Ejem, Did I say steal? Actually, I meant to say that it was given to me as a gift.'

"Second, after surviving the enemy attack, he didn't retreat but went to the front to continue fighting! Using his arsenal of magic arrows!" Dorian continued.

"I know about that!" boasted a soldier in the audience.

"While a group of knights protected him, the Golden Archer slaughtered dozens with just one of his arrows!" His words shocked everyone.

"So he is a Magic Archer! And at such a young age! From his appearance and accomplishments, I'd venture to say he's only 24 years old!" Such information left many with their mouths agape.

'I'm 15, damn it! Stop making me older! Besides... it was you, damn admiral general, who forced me to team up with Yair!'

"Third, upon hearing about an evil guild of the Drial Cenit kingdom, the Golden Archer challenged his guild master to a duel because he could no longer watch that evil guild master murder his compatriots! He had to defeat him, no matter the consequences! And he succeeded!" Dorian said excitedly.

"That guild... you don't say!" A knight seems to have realized something. "It was the White Snake Guild! Their guild master was a Swordsman wielding a greatsword!"

Those who heard this couldn't help but widen their eyes in shock.''Does that mean it was an Archer versus a Swordsman? And the Golden Archer won! My Holy God Solus..."

As soon as the word spread, everyone sighed in excitement.

'Was it an evil guild? I didn't know that! I just killed him because he wanted to kill me!'

"Fourth, the cunning admiral general of the Drial Cenit kingdom took advantage of one of my mistakes to sneak attack the Golden Archer. His attack was ferocious, with the sole intent of assassinating him...." Dorian shook his head and then said, ".... I feared the worst, that one of my mistakes would end the life of an archer whose talent only appears once every 100 years. But I was wrong...'' Dorian said once again, raising his voice.

"... The Golden Archer sacrificed one of his arrows by summoning an ice tempane under his feet! And being on top of it, he didn't hesitate. He sacrificed another of his arrows and fired at the malefic Samael Entrial! His arrow generated huge wounds on the admiral general!" He widened his arms to increase the intensity of his story.

'Don't exaggerate! You're making me look like a superhero. You just increase the bounty on my head every time you talk!'

"I see. It was thanks to the Golden Archer that Samael Entrial's shoulder was torn! Giving the admiral general a unique opportunity!" With these words, the loose ends were finally tied up. Now they think that they understand why Samael escaped with his tail between his legs.

"AND... if it hadn't been deflected, then the arrow could have killed him on the spot! Without even leaving a remnant!" Such a conclusion made everyone go into shock.

'It was just an ordinary magic arrow! Don't make up stories about me!'

"For a moment, I thought that the man who suddenly appeared behind Samael was the one who had carried out that attack. Now I know how wrong I was." If they had doubts before, now everyone understands that Commander Cael only acted as a support and that I was the real protagonist who managed to tip the balance of the battle between the two magic knights.

'I give up! I'm out! Dorian's gift of gab is just too much…'