Heroes and Dragons

2

So, it might actually be better to be like me from the start, seeing the reality early on, doing nothing, striving for nothing, and just being an NPC in this story that no one will remember. That's not so bad.

But, as much as I say that... walking the same street back and forth for years, with only a few uninteresting lines to say, can get pretty tiresome.

Take me, for instance.

Even though I've long accepted that I'm destined to be a minor character without a hero's aura, I sometimes can't help but dream, hoping to at least have a little interaction with the main storyline.

Maybe being a friend of the protagonist, for a chance to bask in some reflected glory, right?

That's when my ability finally came in handy. I could easily spot those with the hero's aura in a crowd, cozy up to them, help with their horses, carry their bags, and even tag along to hidden locations that ordinary people couldn't access, witness grand scenes beyond the common folk's imagination. And thanks to my ability, I knew when to make a quick exit if I ended up on the opposing side of someone with a hero's aura, ensuring I wouldn't get entangled in any conflicts, free from any responsibility.

Sometimes, I'd even sneak to the foot of the Dark Mountain outside the city, hide at the entrance of the Dragon's Lair, and catch glimpses of the fierce battles between the heroes and the dragon.

Of course, I never worried about their defeat; their hero's auras were a spoiler alert for me.

Watching them fight in the lair, with sparks flying and flames erupting, was quite a spectacle. I'd munch on popcorn and cheer them on.

Every hero that emerged victorious from the lair would be laden with gold coins and gems, their hero's auras shining even brighter against the backdrop of their wealth.

To be honest, I envied them.

Even though I knew I could never be one of them.

But this sidekick life couldn't last forever, and soon, I grew tired of it. On one hand, people with a hero's aura were rare, and sometimes I'd wander around different cities for days without spotting one, and my meager savings couldn't sustain such extravagance. On the other hand, not everyone is born to enjoy running errands; it was exhausting, and for someone as aimless and lacking in perseverance as me, this hardship was unbearable.

Having seen the world, it was hard to go back to the monotony of my old small-town life.

What was I to do?

Then it hit me! I suddenly had a great idea.