Reincarnated as the favorite of an obsessive goddess: gave me a system-Chapter 26: An inevitable talk.

Mira moved like an organized whirlwind, handing out clean blankets, pointing out where they could sleep temporarily, and explaining the basic rules of the village with a firm but kind voice. Roshia and Elara, holding hands, distributed small wildflowers to the liberated children. Every time a dirty little hand received a flower, Elara smiled with such purity that even the most hardened adults looked away, moved to tears.

Gradually, as night fell over the village, the people began to settle in. Thorne had organized guard shifts with the strongest men and women from both groups. Allice, ever vigilant, inspected the weapons the newcomers had brought and organized them in a small shed that would serve as a temporary armory. Lyla, for her part, moved among the people with a natural grace that made everyone feel seen, and when no one was looking, she sought out Kai’s gaze and gave him a smile just for him.

When night finally fell completely, they lit a large bonfire in the square. It was not a noisy celebration but rather something more intimate, almost sacred. People sat in irregular circles around the fire. Some shared freshly baked bread while others spoke in low voices about the stories of what they had lost. The children, exhausted but too excited to sleep, curled up against their mothers or against Elara, who had become a kind of natural leader among the little ones.

Kai sat a bit apart with his back leaning against the trunk of a young tree they had planted weeks ago. Lyla appeared silently at his side and dropped down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder as if it were the most natural place in the world.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"I’m a bit overwhelmed," Kai admitted. "A few weeks ago it was just you, Allice, Roshia, and me. Now there are almost eighty of us. And everyone expects me to know what to do, to be the great leader who will give them peace and tranquility. I even promised them that myself."

Lyla intertwined her fingers with his. "No one expects you to know everything, Kai. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing, which is protecting, listening, and building. The rest will come on its own."

"Something else is worrying me too. When we started our journey and when I recovered some memories in that tavern, I promised I would kill the nine gods." He looked up at the moon in the starry sky and let out a sigh. "But now with so many people under my care, so many people who trust me without knowing I’m lying to them about who I am, I don’t know if I should risk putting them in danger. I’m afraid."

Lyla looked at his profile as he watched the sky. She sat up slightly and shifted her position, pulling Kai toward her and resting his head on her chest while she stroked his hair. "That thought is completely normal and very noble. You fear that if you start a war against the gods, they will send their armies to raze everything and everyone. Look at them. They have freedom, which is a freedom very few people in this world have, sweetheart. Don’t you think it’s only fair that everyone gets to experience what freedom is?"

She paused for a few seconds to let him think before continuing. "You don’t have to follow through with the original plans if you don’t want to. You could simply enjoy all of this without putting anyone at risk. But then you would be condemning the rest of the world to continue suffering and being slaves and pawns on a board they don’t even know exists."

A silence enveloped the surroundings.

"You’re right. It’s very selfish to want to keep all of this for myself, just as it is to drag innocent people into a war they didn’t choose." He sighed. "I will continue with the vengeance, but I will tell everyone the truth about who I am, who you are, and what we want. Those who want to leave will be able to do so without any trouble."

Lyla smiled softly. "I love it when you make such a firm decision," she said with a small laugh. "I like this atmosphere too, this home, but as I told you, we can’t stay in this bubble of happiness forever."

Kai nodded. "Then that’s what we’ll do."

Lyla gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Perfect."

They stayed in silence for a while, listening to the crackling of the fire and the soft conversations floating in the air. On the other side of the bonfire, Bram had sat down next to Grom, the old dwarf who already lived in the village. The two looked at each other’s calloused hands, recognized the trade in one another, and without a word, began talking about alloys, furnaces, and the best way to forge a blade that wouldn’t break against armor. They were soon joined by Thorne, who contributed ideas on how to reinforce the doors of the houses under construction and the future walls.

Mira, meanwhile, was surrounded by the young people from the new group. She was teaching them how to read tracks in the damp earth by the light of a torch. One of the boys, a thin elf with frightened eyes, timidly asked if he could learn to use a bow. Mira smiled with that feline grin of hers and ruffled his hair. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Tomorrow at dawn, by the stream to the south. If you aren’t on time, I’ll make you run three laps around the village carrying stones." The boy nodded so hard he nearly fell over backward. The others laughed for the first time since their ordeal.

Roshia had sat a bit further away with Elara asleep in her lap. She stroked her daughter’s silver hair while speaking in a very low voice to Sylva, the elderly elf. They talked about seeds, crop cycles, and how to make the soil, still scarred by the fire, bear fruit again. Every now and then, Roshia would look up and search for Kai through the flames. When their eyes met, she would slightly tilt her head in a gesture of deep gratitude.

On the other hand, Allice, always restless, paced the perimeter. Every few minutes she stopped by someone to make sure they were comfortable, offer a bit of water, or simply listen. When she passed near Kai and Lyla, she stopped for a second.

"Get some sleep, hero," she said in a mocking but affectionate tone. "Tomorrow you’re going to have to keep generating happiness for everyone."

Kai let out a tired laugh. "I thought that was Lyla’s job."

"My job is to make you love me more every day," Lyla responded while affectionately ruffling his hair.

Allice shook her head, smiling, and turned to continue her rounds.

"Wait, Allice." She turned back with a look of curiosity. "What is it?"

Kai looked at Lyla before explaining the situation. "Look, I’ve been talking to Lyla about the revenge and the war against the gods. This life is great and we love it, but as she told me, we can’t stay in this bubble of happiness forever. But we also don’t want anyone who doesn’t want to be involved to get hurt or worse. That’s why I decided to tell everyone the truth. If they want to leave, we’ll give them supplies and they can do so freely."

Her expression changed from curiosity to surprise before she finally sighed as well. "I think it’s the right thing to do. You should tell people tomorrow, in case they want to leave before they get settled in."

Kai nodded. "Thank you so much for your support and for being by my side."

Both girls looked at each other and shared a small laugh.

"We told you that this time you wouldn’t be alone," Allice replied.

"Exactly, sweetheart, we’re all in this together."

After several more minutes of lighter conversation, Allice continued on her way. Little by little, the bonfire dwindled. The most exhausted began to retire to the tents and temporary houses. The children fell asleep one after another, some still clutching the flowers Elara had given them. The silence grew deeper, broken only by the distant chirping of crickets and the occasional crackle of a log.

Kai felt Lyla settle more comfortably against him. Her breathing had become slow and regular.

"Are you asleep yet?" he whispered.

"Almost," she murmured. "But I don’t want to close my eyes just yet. I want to remember this moment."

Kai looked around. The dim lights of the torches, the smoke rising straight into the starry sky, and the silhouettes of people who were no longer just survivors but neighbors. He saw Bram and Grom still talking in low voices by the embers, gesturing as if they were already designing the future communal kiln. He saw Mira teaching a child how to tie a knot with a rope. He saw Roshia covering Elara and two other children who had fallen asleep beside her with a blanket.

And he felt afraid that all of them would leave as soon as they knew the truth.

The fire reduced to glowing red embers. The entire village seemed to breathe in unison, tired but alive. Kai closed his eyes, still in Lyla’s arms, with the distant sound of the sleepy laughter of a child dreaming of flowers.