Chapter 125

The hero looked at the young girl playing outside with a worried expression.

A girl with hair dyed the same silver as mine.

The girl whose life I saved with my power, and who is starting to change into something that’s definitely not human.

“Hero, what do you think about this?”

“We can’t just leave her like that. But seriously, how long are you going to keep calling me ‘hero’? It’s been years since I gave up that gig.”

“Hmm. Your name just doesn’t roll off the tongue for me. And as long as you’re alive, to me, you’ll always be the hero.”

“But this fancy new name of mine is pretty much pointless now. Plus, since you keep calling me ‘hero,’ even my daughter calls me that.”

“At least it gives me a chance to brag about your legendary deeds.”

“That’s true, but…”

The hero let out a small sigh and said,

“You really haven’t changed at all, have you, sis?”

“But you’ve changed a lot.”

The hero was well into his mid-50s, slowly edging toward retirement age. Yet, he still looked as if he were in his late 30s.

Of course, the hero’s wife was the same deal.

“The one who used to call me ‘big sis’ now treats me with such formality. There used to be a cute charm to it, but that’s gone. Ugh…”

“What can we do? People change as they age.”

The hero turned his gaze back to his daughter playing outside.

“With so much changing, I also have to adapt.”

The expression on his face was that of a father.

A face adorned with something priceless, in stark contrast to when he was just smashing monsters for humanity.

It was a face I had never seen before.

“Every time I look at my daughter, I don’t regret getting married anymore.”

“You have really changed a lot.”

I simply chuckled quietly as I watched the hero.

“Anyway, about my daughter… what do you think we should do?”

“Hmm. I’ve got a couple of options in mind, but first, let me make this clear—I can’t just yank my magic out of her.”

“Is that so?”

“Sure, if I didn’t care about her life, it could be done. But that’s definitely not on my agenda.”

My magic is all tangled up with countless cells in her body.

If I forcibly try to extract my magic, how long could she even hold on?

Probably not even a day. If I go ahead and take my magic back, her body would end up looking like a sponge covered in tiny holes.

My original plan was to use my magic temporarily to keep her alive until her life force kicked in and then gradually take it back while helping her regenerate her body.

But maybe the compatibility between my magic and her is just too good, and my magic and her body have completely fused at a cellular level.

Sure, it might take centuries to painstakingly disentangle my magic from every cell, but who has that kind of time?

The reason… hmm, I’m not exactly sure, but it might have to do with her parents.

The hero who wielded the sword I made and traveled with me, and the hero’s wife, whose body was regenerated thanks to my magic, allowing her to remain youthful.

Their kid seems to be anything but ordinary.

Could it be that her early arrival is linked to that?

I really have no idea. I don’t know every little detail about this world.

Anyway.

“The first option is to thoroughly teach her how to use my magic so she can protect herself.”

Honestly, I think that’s the easiest way out.

If you ignore the fact that she might end up beyond human.

“But that’s a bit…”

If the hero—who is pretty much the pinnacle of human strength—is her dad, he’s all too aware of the risks that come with wielding massive power.

There are way too many out there with snake-like intentions wanting to use the hero’s strength and fame for their own shady purposes.

“Honestly, I think it’s the simplest solution.”

“But you’d be giving the child power beyond what any human should have!”

“Exactly. And her lifespan would also stretch way beyond that of normal humans.”

Since her body would practically become an extension of mine. She could easily live for a thousand years.

She looks so much like me that it’s a miracle travelers don’t mistake her for my little sister.

“Maybe it’s the best route for her. With great power, she could live long and strong.”

The question is whether she can psychologically handle all that power.

“That might be true. From my experience wielding great power, that decision needs to be handled with care.”

“Yeah, you speak like someone who’s been through the wringer.”

“Well, I had no other choice.”

The moment he drew the hero’s sword, there were no more alternatives left.

“Still, I think the most crucial aspect is what she thinks…”

“But she’s waaay too young to be making such a monumental decision.”

“Hmm… then I guess we can transition to Option Two.”

“Option Two?”

I nodded slightly and continued.

“The second option is to seal the magic within her body.”

“Seal it?”

“Yup. If we seal the magic to avoid activation, she can live her life as a normal human. I’m not sure if her hair color will revert, but hey, that’s what dye is for.”

If the kid wants a normal life, sealing her magic could definitely do the trick.

“Sealing it… can we actually do that?”

“Of course, since it’s my magic, sealing it to prevent activation is relatively straightforward.”

The tricky part is separating the intertwining elements, but I could suppress it altogether so she can live like any ordinary cell.

However.

“But there are still some issues. The sealed magic is technically part of her body, her cells. So, there’s a chance her offspring could inherit that magic.”

It might fade over generations, but still…

“So, essentially, we’d be passing the buck to her kids?”

“Well, as long as nothing too crazy happens, the magic shouldn’t awaken. Based on my estimates… she probably won’t activate it unless she’s hit by some major shock or life-threatening injury.”

The hero nodded slightly at my words.

“Got it. Personally, I’m leaning towards the sealing option, though…”

“You want to know what the kid thinks, right?”

“Yes. Not right now, but in a few years when she can make her own choices.”

In a couple of years, around the time she’s an adult.

“Then it might be best to go with sealing for now.”

Seal it first, and if she wants the power later, we can unseal it. If not, it stays sealed.

“If my daughter chooses to seal the magic, it becomes a burden on her descendants. I don’t feel great about that, even if it’s for her sake.”

“Well, normally, the sealed magic wouldn’t awaken. And if it does, it could actually save her descendants from a dire situation.”

“But still…”

Geez, this guy. He’s become such a softie after retiring from his hero duties!

“Alright, let me lend you a hand.”

“You, sis?”

I nodded.

“If the magic tucked away in your descendants wakes up, they’ll be in some serious trouble. And if a human wielding my power is roaming free, that poses a threat to everyone.”

“If you lend a hand, I can rest easy. But how exactly will you help?”

“Hmm…”

I thought for a moment before replying.

“Since she’ll be housing my magic, there’s definitely a link between us. So once it awakens, I’ll use her body to assist your descendants.”

“Use her body?”

“Yep. By using the connection between us, I could handle her body as if it were my own. I could save your descendants and teach them how to use their powers properly.”

The hero paused and thought before saying,

“Is that really possible? You and my descendants sharing one body?”

“I can manage multiple bodies at the same time, so how hard could it be to share one?”

It’d be a bit like having multiple personalities. There might be some squabbles over who gets to lead.

Well, if that happens, as long as nothing major goes wrong, I’ll mostly let the hero’s descendants take charge.

I’m already swamped enough trying to juggle my own roles.

“Well, that’s only if your daughter chooses to seal the magic. If she decides against it, this whole plan goes nowhere.”

I turned to look at the hero’s daughter, who was playing outside.

A small silver-haired girl, sprinting straight for her mother who had just returned home.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

“No! I’m telling you! The first hero’s partner was definitely the Dragon Priestess, no doubt about it!!”

“Hold on! Where on earth did you hear such a wild tale? The records clearly state that the first hero’s partner was a different woman, NOT the Dragon Priestess! There are even testimonies from people who saw the wedding!”

“Ugh, are you serious?! Then how come the hero’s daughter looks exactly like the Dragon Priestess?!”

“That could be because the Dragon Priestess blessed the hero’s daughter!”

“Just because someone’s blessed doesn’t mean they suddenly look like the Priestess! If that’s the case, wouldn’t everyone blessed by the gods have to look like living statues!”

“Then why was the other woman logged as the hero’s partner?”

“The Church of Life must have had a position on this! They would see it as sacrilege for the holy Dragon Priestess to marry the hero!”

“Enough! I won’t listen to any more of this! I’ll consider your arguments as if I never heard them! You know full well the consequences of angering the Church of Life, and yet you dare to say such nonsense!”

– A chat between a historian and their student.

Other than those two, no one heard their discussion.