The Herbalist Who Was a Legend

For most people, Reve Ruelle is nothing more than a humble herbalist living in a quiet town. At forty-two years old, he owns a small shop where he sells remedies, tonics, and medicines crafted entirely from natural ingredients. He pays his taxes, helps his neighbors, and never asks for recognition. Whether it's a common fever or a rare illness, Reve always seems to have a solution ready—often succeeding where magic itself fails. The townsfolk trust him. They bring him gifts, visit him regularly, and speak highly of him behind his back as well as to his face. Even the thieves foolish enough to target his shop somehow end up asleep on the floor before the guards arrive. When questioned, Reve simply smiles and credits a few clever traps and some homemade sleeping powder. No one knows who he was before he arrived. No family visits him. No old friends write to him. No past follows him. At least, not yet. Because long ago, Reve Ruelle was far more than a simple herbalist. He was a legendary mage. A man who had risen from obscurity to fame, wealth, power, and fear. A man whose name once echoed through kingdoms. He achieved everything he had set out to accomplish, and when his journey finally ended, he abandoned it all. Using magic, he changed his appearance, erased his tracks, and disappeared into a life of peaceful anonymity. But the past is not so easily buried. Old enemies still remember. Old allies still search. And some secrets refuse to stay forgotten. Reve only wants a quiet life. Unfortunately, the world may have other plans.