Chapter: 92
“The resurrection is done, but….”
I glanced around at the villagers sprawled on the ground and surveyed the completely wrecked village.
“It’s going to take some time for them to wake up… There’s nowhere to lay them down.”
All the buildings were smashed to bits. With the hero and the wyvern fighting, it’s no wonder that not a single building was left standing.
This is a bit of a hassle.
“But I can’t just leave them out on the street. Hmm…”
“Should we build a hut out of wood?”
“Yeah, but that’ll take time. Just wait it out.”
I stomped the ground twice, waking the earth spirit that had been napping below.
[Who are you?]
“I’m just a representative of the passing goddess. I woke you up because I need you to do something.”
[Huh? A task… Sounds annoying… Yawn…]
Even though I’m hiding some of my power, these earth spirits are just way too self-centered.
“It’ll be quick. Just do one little thing for me.”
[Hmm… If I don’t help, you’ll keep bothering me, huh? Tsk.]
“Just a little help. It’ll be over soon.”
[Alright.]
The earth spirit started using its power according to my instructions.
In a large open area, it leveled the ground, put up pillars and walls, set a huge roof on top, and created an entrance and ventilation windows, finishing a makeshift building that could be used.
[All set? I’m going back to sleep now.]
“Yeah, sleep well.”
And just like that, the earth spirit went back to its nap, while the hero quickly moved the resurrected people into the building.
“But these folks… When will they wake up?”
“Who knows? This is my first time actually using it… They should wake up in a few days.”
It’ll take some time for them to recover from the shock of their bodies and souls being separated.
Plus, the whole process of dying and coming back to life probably hit them hard in the head too.
“Though there’s a chance they might’ve lost some memories.”
“Huh? Memories?”
“Yeah, memories.”
Since memories are closely tied to the soul, there’s a possibility that some recent memories might have faded away during the resurrection ordeal.
Well, that’s not too bad of a price for coming back to life.
“Their memories… could be gone?”
“We’ll have to see how much they’ve lost once they wake up. It could be a few days’ worth or maybe even a few months.”
Since this is my first time trying it out, I can’t really give a solid answer.
“Well, for now, it’s just wait and see.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The next day, the resurrected folks began to wake up one by one.
Hmm, looks like the resurrection worked out just fine without major hiccups!
Regarding their memories, it seems they lost just the right amount, since they all seem to forget the hero they had traveled with.
The hero kept showing the villagers the giant snake and the wrecked village while explaining everything.
The villagers looked pretty stunned, but seeing that massive snake and their destroyed village would make them realize the harsh truth, whether they liked it or not.
Even with all their possessions and homes destroyed, the villagers were surprisingly upbeat.
“Well, at least no one died! Sure, some folks are still sleeping, but… that kid will wake up soon!”
Quite positive, aren’t they? As long as no one’s dead, everything’s okay in their book.
With most of the villagers now awake, the hero sat next to the girl who had yet to wake up.
Hmm, she was the village chief’s daughter. Hmm, hmm.
Could it be that the hero is developing some interest in this girl?
Hmm… well, age-wise it’s not an issue!
But handing over the hero I raised with so much care to some little country girl feels just a bit off.
If only I could introduce him to someone a bit more suitable… Hmm… still feels a bit unsatisfactory.
Since he’ll be the one taking over my monster-slaying duties, I want to set him up with his ideal woman!
Ugh… if only I could figure out what his dream girl looks like.
While I was pondering the hero’s future, the girl finally awakened.
“Um. Where… am I?”
The girl looked confused at the unfamiliar ceiling. Their little village hadn’t a single stone building, so it’s only natural she’s baffled.
“You’re awake! You’re the last one.”
“Huh? Last one?”
Calmly speaking from her side, the hero replied.
“Stay calm and listen closely. You and everyone from this village were attacked and killed by a giant snake-like monster.”
“Huh? We died? Everyone in our village is dead? So, is this the afterlife? The land of the dead? I heard rumors, but to actually be here… Wow! They say there’s a huge river in the afterlife, as wide as the sea! Could I really see it? And they say you cross it by boat!”
“Unfortunately, this isn’t the afterlife. No river here.”
“Huh? Aw, that’s disappointing. I wanted to see the sea, or at least a river that’s as wide as the sea! But, who are you? Ah, you said we were attacked by that giant snake monster, so did you bring us back to life? To revive the dead is like a miracle from the gods! Thank you! I’m really curious about how you did it, but thank you!”
Hearing the girl ask “Who are you?”, the hero’s expression darkened slightly, but then snapped back to normal.
“I didn’t do it. The goddess’s passing agent, the Dragon’s Priestess, revived you all at my request. As for the cost, some of your memories were lost. I just took too long to deal with that snake. If I had gotten to it sooner, you wouldn’t have died…”
“Huh? Umm… But you saved us all, right? We should be the ones thanking you! Ah, and I need to thank the goddess’s agent too…”
The girl shuffled her stiff body and managed to stand up.
“Ahaha, my body feels a bit stiff. I guess it’s because I was dead and my body stiffened? It’s a bit weird moving around.”
“It’s a bit strange for me to say this, but… do you believe that you died and came back to life?”
“Hmm… I don’t know why, but seeing your face makes me want to believe it. It’s the first time I’m seeing you, yet it somehow feels familiar… Isn’t that weird?”
The awkward smile of the girl. The hero was clenching his fist tightly at the sight.
“Where are the other villagers?”
“They all woke up earlier and went to the village to plan rebuilding.”
“I see… Rebuilding.”
Turning toward the hero, the girl said,
“For some reason, I feel like it would be awesome if you could help out with the rebuilding.”
“Well…”
Ah, she’s totally hinting! It’s coming on strong!
“But I’ve got other things to deal with, so I’m not sure how much help I can be.”
“Yeah, I figured as much.”
The girl stepped outside and looked at the destroyed village.
“Wow… It really is all wrecked. Plus, that big thing was a snake… With a snake that colossal rampaging, the village didn’t stand a chance. Seriously… The village got wiped out because of that massive snake. Even if I can’t remember it, maybe it’s for the best… It must have been painful.”
“Yeah, well…”
Given that they were probably crushed and poisoned so badly they were rotting away, it must have been torture.
“Thanks for bringing us back to life. That’s all I can say to show my gratitude. Oh, and I should thank the Dragon’s Priestess—the goddess’s agent who revived us….”
The hero couldn’t find any words at the girl’s remark.
“Well, I’ll thank her later. Hmm… If you can kill such a gigantic snake, you must be the famous hero I’ve heard about.”
The hero simply nodded.
“I see. In that case, I’m sure you have a lot going on. There are probably many folks suffering at the hands of monsters like that.”
“Hmm, that’s…”
The girl replied in a calm tone.
“As the hero who revived me and the people of our village, I wish I could help, but we simple country folk can’t really be of much use to you.”
She said that shyly.
“However, there’s one thing I can do! Our village is located on the pilgrimage route to the Temple of Life! Whenever the pilgrims swing by, I’ll tell them all about your achievements! I’ll share the story of the Dragon’s Priestess who revived us and the greatness of the hero who slew the giant snake! We may not be able to spread the word ourselves, but we’ll definitely make sure the pilgrims who pass through here hear all about it!”
And just like that, the tale of the hero’s first great achievement began spreading out from this little rural village.
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