Chapter: 110
It’s already been 10 years since I traveled the world with the hero. After riding the Beast God and checking out various places, we managed to handle the problematic monsters to some extent.
All the hefty monsters have been taken care of, and the new ones popping up aren’t that strong. They’ve reached a level where the human army could somehow deal with them.
Hmm. Is it finally time to wrap up the hero’s work? The hero’s adventures have taken quite a while, and he’s getting close to his 30s now.
In this era, people usually get married in their mid to late teens! If a guy in his 30s isn’t married… well, he’d be treated almost like an eunuch—it’s a pretty big deal, you know.
The hero is becoming an extremely late bachelor, and it’s getting kind of pitiful!
Maybe it’s time I let him drop the burden of being a hero and live freely.
Of course, what he wants is the most important thing.
“Hey, Hero, don’t you think it’s time to get married?”
“Wha-what?! M-marriage?! Who?! Me?!”
“Then who else? Is this Beast God planning on getting married?”
I picked up the cat curled up on my lap. It was the long and slender Beast God.
But how long is this Beast God going to stick around? Rumors about this Beast God are spreading, and some faith is starting to gather.
I’ve even spread word that the Beast God’s intelligence has been slightly boosted, so I assume it’s a bit smarter now, but the Beast God doesn’t seem to have any intention of leaving my side.
Well, I mean, it’s nice to have a mount to ride with the hero.
“B-but, I mean… I, um, the partner…”
“Hmm. The marriage partner…”
Certainly, marriage isn’t something you can do alone.
You need a suitable partner to start a family!
“And with the hero’s work… who knows when it’ll end?! I have to wander around the world aimlessly, so settling down is kind of… Difficult without someone to travel with…”
“That’s right! Remember that girl you met when you ran away? How’s she doing?”
I think that girl was pretty great! Oh, but she’s probably quite old now. I wonder if she’s still single? Hmm.
“Sigh…”
But the hero just let out a sigh after hearing me.
“Well, you can’t keep traveling as a hero forever. It’s time to start settling down and put down the hero’s burden, don’t you think?”
The human body is in its prime until the 20s, and once you hit your 30s, things start to become more difficult every day.
Sure, as a hero, you can still take down most monsters even with that body.
But compared to ordinary soldiers or hunters, you’d be on a whole different level of strength.
“Yeah, well, I figured as much, but hearing it straight from you kinda stings.”
“Hmm?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
This guy is being bashful.
Hmm. I guess I should find someone for him later on. The position of the hero’s companion is a big deal and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Considering the symbolism of it, I’ve got to put some thought into it before deciding, for sure.
First, let’s start from that girl the hero met when he ran away… Well, she isn’t a girl anymore, but anyway, I need to gather info from different places to find someone who might be a suitable partner for the hero.
The hero has spent decades on this tough path, so I need to make sure he’s got a proper future waiting for him. I don’t want it to look like I just used him during his prime and then left him high and dry.
That’s not happening! If I used him when he was at his peak, I better guarantee his future too!
While I was lost in thought like this, the Beast God was staring intently at my face for some reason.
“What’s up? Is there something on my face?”
The Beast God just shook its head back and forth.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Finding a companion for the hero is a separate matter. For now, we continue our journey.
Thanks to the drop in monster appearances, human territories are expanding rapidly. Hmm. Looks like our efforts with the hero have paid off.
As human villages continue to pop up everywhere,
“Hmmm.”
There was a place where no villages existed at all.
It was a surprisingly large area. There were only traces left of what seemed like past villages, but…
It was a barren wasteland where not even a single weed grew. A silent wasteland devoid of birds or animals.
This place… Ah, I see. This was the land of that country I previously unreasonably messed with.
Now it’s just a lonely wasteland with nothing left behind.
“What kind of monster swept through here to leave it like this?”
“It wasn’t a monster; it’s the remnants of divine punishment.”
“Divine punishment?”
I nodded slightly and replied.
“Once upon a time, there was a kingdom in this land… No, it was too big to be just a kingdom; it should be called an empire. Anyway…”
“An empire?”
“Yeah, an empire. There was a nation called Arcad.”
Upon hearing that, the hero’s expression changed to one of recognition.
“Could it possibly be…?”
“Yes, it was the nation cursed by the Goddess of Life.”
Even though it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, it’s the first time I’m seeing this sight directly.
There was no reason for me to visit a place that had neither people nor monsters. I’ve just been passing through.
“It truly is desolate. Not even a single blade of grass grows.”
The mountains are completely bare, and the ground has no weeds whatsoever.
Hmm. I didn’t think about it much before, but the aftermath is quite creepy.
“What happened to the people who used to live here?”
“They probably moved somewhere else.”
I had warned them ahead of time and given them plenty of notice.
“So then, isn’t it time to lift the curse on this land?”
“But the one who was cursed hasn’t yet repented for his sins.”
The second prince is still suffering through all sorts of hardships while wandering the world.
He can barely eat, and various misfortunes keep befalling him, so he is being rejected and even stoned by people, labeled as cursed.
Aside from sneaking around at night to avoid the tormenting sunlight, he doesn’t have any other recourse, which leads him to be mistaken for a thief, resulting in even more shunning.
I would have thought it was time for him to acknowledge his mistakes and return to the temple to ask for forgiveness, but…
“How can I just pretend my words spoken in God’s name didn’t happen? I can’t speak with two tongues.”
“But… the people who lived here are pitiful.”
Hmm… For sure, because of one royal making a careless mistake, the land of the people living here has turned into a wasteland…
Ugh. I can’t help but feel bad for those humans who suffered because of my rash actions.
“For now, the curse on this land cannot be lifted until the responsible party seeks forgiveness.”
They can’t just easily forgive someone who blasphemed against the highest deity and destroyed the temple—it’s tied directly to the divine’s dignity!
Honestly, I thought he’d come crawling back to the temple whining for forgiveness in a year or two, but… Hmm. Maybe that stubborn guy has some unusual resilience.
Or maybe… he’s completely forgotten how to lift his own curse?
No way! I clearly explained what he was cursed for and how to lift it! There’s no way he could have forgotten all that, right?
“Let’s just get past this place quickly.”
A barren wasteland where no life emerges is an endlessly desolate place, and I really didn’t want to stick around.
Hmm… From here on out, I should avoid letting things like this happen in the name of the divine. I need to reflect on this.
Maybe it’s better for a god not to meddle directly with humans…
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
As we were passing through the wasteland,
“Stop! Stop! Stop!”
Heavily armored cavalrymen appeared before us.
There were two human riders and one beastman with the lower body of a horse.
“You dare to wander through this cursed land! State your identities!”
Mmm… So even humans call this a cursed land.
“We’re the hero and his companions, traveling the world to defeat strong monsters.”
Speaking for the hero, the expressions on the cavalrymen’s faces turned to shock.
“Oh! It’s the hero! We’ve heard of your great fame! They say you’ve defeated countless monsters!”
“Then this little lady must be the Dragon Priestess, the hero’s companion.”
Huh…? Companion…?
“Companion? What do you mean by that?”
“Are you not?”
No, companion? What do you mean by that? Why would I be associated as this person’s companion?
I glanced confusedly around at the cavalrymen and then looked back at the hero.
Companion? Me, a human’s companion? That’s impossible! I’m only wearing the mask of the Dragon Priestess to assist the hero, so why the heck are rumors saying I’m his companion?
My questions weren’t answered clearly.
The only thing I got was the hero lowering his head, blushing red.
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