I am a hero of the former civilization.

Outside the shopping street, Sakura had a plastic bag slung over her elbow, held Gretchen's hand with her left hand, and pulled the runaway Bell with her right. If it weren't for her fox ears and the long sword at her waist, she would look more like a young mother.

"Hey, big brother Ryan?" Gretchen, who had just started elementary school, still had a somewhat childish voice.

"Where is he? Where is he?" Ling looked around, only to be gently patted on the shoulder. Following her sister's hand, she saw the man on the bridge waving gently.

"It really is him!"

Ling was very energetic. She immediately abandoned Ying and ran to the bridge. Then she pounced on Ryan, hugged his neck, and spun him around several times.

"Yay, Ryan, you're finally back."

"How are you doing? Are you getting used to it here?" Ryan ruffled the girl's pink hair. Bell was always cheerful and full of energy.

"I'm used to it, but it's not as good as I imagined. For example, I still have to go to school and do homework. Sister Ellie always likes to tease me, and Brother Jie looks a bit scary." The girl counted on her fingers one by one, but finally raised her head with a big smile on her face.

"But none of that matters. It's good to be with my sister and everyone else. And my sister said she's never moving again, right?"

"At least not for the time being. By the way, where is Padma?" Ryan looked around but didn't see any cat. Padma Phyllis had no idea how old she was, so she was simply sent to the Bell Class to attend junior high school.

"Hehe, Pado was kept after class for sleeping. If she doesn't hurry, she might miss dinner." Ling covered her mouth and laughed, then hugged Ryan from behind. "I got third place in this exam. Is there any reward?"

Before Ryan could even think of a reward, he was hit hard in the stomach again. Gretchen headbutted him, grabbed his waist, and sandwiched Ryan between her and Gretchen.

"Gresch's painting has been exhibited, so she should be rewarded!"

"You two, restrain yourselves a bit, there are so many people watching." Sakura quietly walked over and gave a kind smile to the passersby.

"It doesn't matter, isn't this the kind of life we're after?" Ryan put Gretchen on his neck, letting the girl hold his head, then casually took the bag from Sakura's hand and held Rin's hand with his other hand.

He walked several steps before turning around and seeing Sakura standing in the middle of the overpass, as if draped in a golden veil, her expression somewhat blank.

The man, covered in blood, smiled slightly after having just killed a Herrscher.

"What are you standing there for? Let's go home."

Chapter 324 The Golden Courtyard!

Sakura felt a little incredulous. After all, not everyone has a big heart like Ryan. Just a few days ago, she was determined to die to provide support, and yesterday she was sitting in front of Ryan's hospital bed in a daze.

Battle, destruction, death.

These negative things intertwined with the scene before me, making it seem so unreal and surreal, especially after returning to the courtyard, this feeling became even stronger.

Under Alicia's influence, the entire villa became a place of slackers. Upon opening the door, they saw Alicia chasing after Desdobia, holding a newly made dress in her hand.

"Huh, you're back so soon? Where's Velvet? And you're good at making excuses, where's your Herrscher body?!"

"She has a job. By the way, what happened to the sign at the door?" Ryan put the bag on the table, automatically ignoring the second topic. When he came back earlier, he found that the wooden sign at the door was gone.

“I asked Eden, and she’s the owner. She thinks the name ‘Spring Cherry Blossom Villa’ is a bit monotonous.” Alicia casually took the book and tossed it toward the kitchen. Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind the curtain—it was Qianjie’s hand.

Ryan was changing his shoes in the entryway when he asked curiously, "Change it to what?"

"Uh, Golden Courtyard, I think it's pretty good, what about you?"

The Golden Courtyard is quite something; it really does lead you back to the starting point after going around in circles.

"Let's call it Golden Garden. It feels more in line with Eden's spirit. Bell, Gretchen, finish your homework before dinner."

"Actually, I want to watch cartoons..."

"Ring!" Sakura emphasized her voice, which immediately made the girl pout and go upstairs listlessly.

She has the air of a strict mother. It's good to have someone who plays the stern role, so that you don't have only big slackers and little slackers around you.

However, he was somewhat puzzled when he saw Himiko going upstairs with him.

“Himiko has a PhD in science and engineering, you can’t underestimate her.” Alicia wagged her finger.

I thought she was an alcoholic, but I didn't expect her to be a high-achieving student. However, Himiko hasn't been drinking as much lately, and has even started tutoring her child.

"What kind of sleeping potion did you give her?"

“Look at what you’re saying. In this family, isn’t everyone contributing their share?” Alicia blinked and suddenly leaned closer. “Look, it was Qianjie’s turn to cook today. He was grumbling and cursing, but he still went to cook without being honest.”

That's true, and I am a parent!

Ryan put his hands on his hips, though he couldn't say it aloud, and walked into the living room, where the atmosphere was indeed harmonious.

Aponia knitted like an old lady on a chair, occasionally exchanging a few words with Eden beside her. Hua came out of the kitchen, carrying freshly washed fruit.

"Oh, senior brother, you're back." The girl's eyes lit up. She was wearing a white turtleneck sweater and jeans, which made her look tall and slender, like a college student.

"Is everything finished with Vilvie? By the way, is anyone still in the kitchen?"

"Hmm, that's..."

Before she could finish speaking, the curtain was pulled open, and a handsome young man with long gray hair walked out. His face was full of gentle humility and a faint smile.

"Su!"

“It’s been several months, Ryan.” Sue raised her hand, then realized it was a bit too formal. Before she could pull her hand back, it was firmly grasped.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” Ryan gripped her hand tightly, then gave Sue a hug.

With this, all thirteen heroes had finally arrived, and the Golden Courtyard had exceeded its capacity to accommodate all its guests, thus achieving a great accomplishment.

Without anyone dying, and without the world facing extinction, let everyone gather around and enter this home.

Including Mei, who rarely comes back, the Golden Courtyard now has eighteen guests.

Su was a little confused, thinking to herself, "Why is she so agitated? Is she some kind of indispensable being?"

He thought about many things for a moment, but in the end he just slightly widened his eyes and gently patted Ryan on the back.

"Alright, you know I'm not gay."

“It’s a shame you’re not gay, you’re so beautiful.” Ryan let go of Su’s hand and laughed when he saw Su’s disgusted look. “Alright, alright, we’re best buddies for life, so don’t help me. Let’s chat after all this time.”

He pulled Sue back to the sofa and sat her down, meeting the friendly gazes from Aponia and Eden. However, the rich woman's smile was somewhat sly, making Ryan a little uneasy, but he didn't have a chance to ask any more questions now.

Hua had also met Su before, so they sat down together. Hua picked up a knife and started peeling an apple. Ying also came over and handed Ryan a freshly brewed cup of flower tea.

I don't think I should have agreed to move in.

Su was speechless. She had been eating Kevin's dog food every day when she was in school, and now she was eating Ryan's. It seemed too full. She could only look at the TV and chat with him in a haphazard way.

It turns out that Su had been researching treatments for Honkai disease and was also implicated in the assassination attempt on Dr. Yordles. A Herrscher entity imprisoned him, intending to use him later when they had time.

The process was normal, and no one noticed that just before the outbreak in Donggong City, a forged headquarters order was issued to transfer him out.

"At that moment, Lady Himiko arrived, and I realized that all the guards had been replaced by people from the other side. But it's strange, why would they risk transferring me out?"

“Because your Honkai energy is highly adaptable, but your combat power is weak, and you don’t have Eden’s reputation, it’s not worth spending too much power to control you.” Ryan took a bite of his apple and said calmly, “So let’s get you into our hands first, and control you later when we have the chance.”

She spoke casually, but in reality, she was still a little uneasy. Su almost didn't make it back. Fortunately, Mei was very clever and sent Himiko to meet her after agreeing with her own hypothesis.

"and then?"

"Then a fierce battle broke out on the ship. Major Himiko was also injured. We escaped to a deserted island and finally got rescued." Su still spoke in a gentle tone, but the adventure was quite thrilling and somewhat unpleasant to recall.

"It's good that you're here. Now you should know how valuable power is, right?" Ryan patted him on the shoulder.

"Yes, at least you need to be able to protect yourself. If I hadn't been a burden, the major wouldn't have been injured."

"But I'll recover quickly, hahaha. Staying here for too long can make you a bit sluggish, so a little pain is good, right?" Himiko happened to be coming down from the second floor, tossing her fiery red hair. "If you feel bad about it, remember to buy me a drink."

She has a straightforward personality and wouldn't take it to heart.

"Let's talk about it after the fusion surgery is done. Thank you, Himiko." Ryan nodded slightly.

"I'm not here to freeload. I can't catch up with you guys, but I can help out a little. Besides, I used to be the ace of the Far East branch. Alright, let's have a couple of drinks first. Teaching a bunch of brats is exhausting." Himiko waved her hand and ran to the kitchen to get some beer. Then came Senju's irritable voice, telling her to get out of her battlefield.

"Hey, wait a minute, Qianjie, why didn't you tell Sakura to get lost when she came to help?"

"Because she's genuinely trying to help, while you're just shoving beer down my throat, you piece of trash that's like pee, take it and get out of here!"

"Haha, I saw you sneaking a drink."

The woman's wild laughter rang out, making Ryan laugh out loud as well. He patted Sue on the shoulder and said, "Now that you're here, don't overthink it. Just settle in. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of work to do in the future."

Sue remained silent, which made Ryan feel uneasy. He had already met May and knew how ruthless this boss was.

Fortunately, at this moment, Qianjie came out carrying a large pot, wearing an apron with a heart pattern on the chest, which contrasted sharply with the irritable man.

"Lazybones, hurry up and help! Do I have to ask you to help again?!"

He was menacing, but no one was afraid of him anymore. Those who had been loafing around got up, some setting up tables, others getting bowls and chopsticks. Then Qianjie put the big pot on the table, opened the lid, and a rich aroma wafted out.

"smell good."

"It's beef offal stew! Brother Jie is the best! Let me try it first."

"Pado, go wash your hands when you get home. If you sneak food, I'll spank your hand."

"Oh dear, Sister Nia said you'd hit me, Sister Hua, you actually did it!"

"Go wash your hands quickly, and call Gretchen and Rin downstairs. You must have been slacking off outside, timing your arrival perfectly."

"Hehehe, Sister Hua really knows me best~"

......

The living room suddenly became busy. Ryan glanced at the proud Qian Jie and knew that this guy was even more stubborn than Mebius. He could cook, clean, and do carpentry all at once, but he still acted disdainful.

But it doesn't matter, being arrogant is quite interesting.

"How are you feeling?" Ryan turned his head and called to Eden, who was carrying the stool.

“I never imagined this would be my life. I realize now that Ellie’s praise was too understated.” Eden thought for a moment, his amber eyes filled with tenderness. “People with peculiar personalities are like beasts outside, but here they are full of kindness. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time today, and I think there’s only one word that’s quite accurate.”

"What word?"

“Home, no matter how the world changes, there is always a home waiting for people to return to.” Eden’s eyes gleamed as he brought his mouth close to Ryan’s ear. “This home has no master, and everyone will do their best for it. Ryan, you have reached the highest level of wisdom.”

It was still a very pleasant compliment. Ryan shrugged slightly as he listened to Qianjie's roar at him, this 'lazybones'.

As expected of Eden, it discovered the essence so quickly.

Beyond shared interests lies shared emotions. Thanks to Alicia, he has forged this emotional bond, giving "fighting for survival" and "fighting for civilization" a more tangible meaning.

In this golden courtyard, even stronger emotions will surely be forged. Besides those great epics, can't we fight for ourselves and our friends?

"Senior brother, I've brought you the bowl and chopsticks. Eat up!"

"Yes, teacher, Brother Jie's cooking skills are amazing. He's even developed a lot of new dishes recently."