Chapter 127: The Hero’s Bloodline (3)
Time flies by.
As I watch the child growing faster each day, I can’t help but feel a peculiar wonder at seeing someone who looks a bit like me maturing right before my eyes.
Life in the countryside is pretty ordinary. There are a lot of inconveniences and shortcomings, but at least we can live without worries.
Occasionally, I catch a glimpse of audacious and reckless challengers trying to take on the hero, only to end up in a spectacular flop. Then there are those heartbreakers who, after being crushed, fall for the hero’s daughter’s charm and propose to her, only to get smacked down by the hero once again.
I smiled.
If this moment could stretch on forever, I wouldn’t mind it at all.
But alas, human life is finite and fleeting.
The hero’s life is starting to dim.
This is, of course, expected. The hero is now over 50, creeping toward 60—definitely an age when it wouldn’t be shocking if they kicked the bucket.
For an average Joe, being at that age means you could go at any time. But even with all that, the hero still moves around like nobody’s business.
Seeing that hero, I couldn’t help but let out a little sigh.
“How long do you plan to keep your daughter cradled in your arms? Isn’t it time to let her fly on her own?”
“I won’t let her go until dirt’s in my eyes!”
“Well, if your wife hears that, she’ll really start working on putting dirt in your eyes, so be careful.”
Now, the hero’s daughter has grown into a fine adult. The resemblance to me is undeniable, to the point that people sometimes mistake her for my sister.
Oh, the look on her face when that clueless traveler called her “sister” was a masterpiece. Too bad there’s no camera to capture it.
She might have slightly different hair, but her facial features scream family resemblance. Honestly, I can see why a first-time traveler would get confused.
Anyway, I asked that now-grown child one more time.
“I’ll ask you the same question I did when you were little: Do you not want great power and a long life?”
“Nope! I feel just the way I did when I was a kid!”
Despite being all grown up, that girl hasn’t changed her mind one bit.
Human thoughts usually shift like flowing water, but her thoughts are as solid as a rock.
Call it stubbornness or steadfastness, or maybe just plain hard-headedness… Well, it isn’t a bad thing.
Anyway, the hero’s daughter has sealed all the magic lurking inside her.
That magic mixed with her body… unless there’s a life-threatening crisis, it’s not going to wake up.
To be honest, I’m a bit worried. But since it’s her choice, it’s my adult duty to accept it.
“That girl has grown well, and suitable suitors are lining up. Now all you need to do is loosen your grip.”
“But I still don’t want to! Honestly, I’d prefer to keep her by my side till I kick the bucket!”
“Good grief, you doting father.”
I whacked the hero on the back.
“Ouch!”
“If you clutch your daughter’s future too tightly with your own desires, where’s that gonna get you? If you actually care for her, you need to consider letting her go.”
“But…”
“No ‘buts’! You and your wife married late; you shouldn’t expect your daughter to do the same!”
Shutting him down, the hero was left speechless.
Well, can you blame him? Marrying late has become a complex for the hero.
The hero’s daughter shouldn’t have to walk in those footsteps.
“And besides, if she doesn’t get hitched and start a family, who’s going to call you ‘Grandpa’? Is that okay with you?”
I threw the hero a leading question hinting that he should want his lineage to thrive.
“Grandpa…”
“60 is more than enough to be called Grandpa. Don’t you think?”
With people getting married in their mid-to-late teens nowadays, getting grandkids in your mid-to-late 30s isn’t unheard of.
“If you keep holding on to your daughter, her future is gonna look pretty bleak. Is that really what you want?”
“That… is not what I want, but…”
“Then cut the doting father act. What good does it do if parents block their grown-up child’s path?”
At my words, the hero could only hang his head in silence.
“I’ll take care of finding her a suitable partner. I care for that girl too, so I’ll find a good husband for her.”
He should be a guy who isn’t lacking in resources, is decent, and isn’t bad to look at.
It would be great if he could come and settle here. A son-in-law who could fit right in would be ideal.
He doesn’t have to live like a prince, but he should be someone who can ensure she won’t face hardship.
People like that aren’t exactly common, but the world is vast and filled with possibilities.
If I send out the pilgrims from the Temple of Life on a search, surely I’ll find someone decent eventually.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The hero’s daughter got married.
Surprisingly, her husband turned out to be the third prince of Arcadia. He might have royal blood, but he sure wasn’t fighting for the crown!
Ah, Arcadia has transformed into a formidable nation, light years ahead of what it was before.
Maybe it’s thanks to solving their food issues with potatoes, but Arcadia seems to be gradually growing its population.
Word has it that one of Arcadia’s neighboring countries started poking them for a fight.
Apparently, it had something to do with the very first beast that was being kept like a pet in Arcadia.
When that first beast suddenly emerged and took down a monster, the cat was let out of the bag, and rumors spread claiming it was a miraculous creature, eventually spinning into the tale that Arcadia’s rapid prosperity was due to the beast god’s blessing.
That neighboring country… what was its name again? Well, it doesn’t matter since it’s gone now.
Anyway, it seems that neighboring country kept starting trouble with Arcadia.
Initially, Arcadia met the messengers’ provocations with warm hospitality to avoid war.
But human greed knows no bounds, right?
Arcadia, being patient, and that neighboring country insisting they hand over the deity—naturally, war broke out.
Arcadia’s power was obviously outmatched; that neighboring country had a history of conquering its area through warfare and was a true powerhouse.
With a shortage of people, food, territory, resources, and troops, Arcadia fought bravely.
And guess what? They won!
At first, I thought they’d win simply because of the blessing from that flag.
But I was totally unprepared for them to take over the enemy’s capital in just seven days!
They apparently lured the enemy’s main forces deep into Arcadia, engaged in little skirmishes at the front, and used the flag’s command to indirectly lead their cavalry, launching a perfect surprise attack.
The aftermath was a complete severing of the enemy’s supply lines.
The neighboring country, stripped of its rations, tried to commandeer supplies from nearby residents, but because Arcadia was nomadic, they’d already evacuated the locals from war-stricken areas.
The neighboring army had no one left to snatch supplies from.
Moreover, the primary food source for Arcadia was potatoes!
The neighboring forces, unaware of the food hiding beneath them, fought with grumbling stomachs, completely clueless about the feast lying right underfoot.
Needless to say, they got annihilated.
Arcadia managed to capture a majority of the enemy’s main forces and advanced rapidly, storming their capital.
During that entire showdown, it was clear the king of Arcadia worked hard to dodge the penalties of that flag.
Rather than attacking the capital of the neighboring country head-on from Arcadia, they snuck through the wasteland known as Arcad, a land that no one claimed.
This was possible because the neighboring country’s capital was somewhat distant from Arcadia but significantly closer from Arcad.
Plus, the king had done plenty of recon in Arcad, familiarizing himself with shortcuts to reach the neighboring nation swiftly.
Hmm… Maybe the king of Arcadia had this plan from the start? Sending out patrols to the barren land didn’t seem wise at first glance, but if it was to choreograph an invasion route, it does make a bit of sense.
Oh, and yes, while the flag’s penalty meant losing power on another country’s land, it could be fine if they marched through a wasteland.
In reality, it worked out just fine too…
A tad annoying, but hey, they clearly put a lot of thought into it.
This time, I’ll just let it slide.
Anyway, the Arcadian cavalry tossed caution to the wind and charged into the neighboring country’s capital like a storm through Arcad’s wasteland.
Meanwhile, the neighboring country never even considered that most of their invading forces would end up as prisoners.
With considerable distance from Arcadia, they felt safe enough to slack off, thinking they had time to react. They crumbled like a sandcastle before a wave.
Well, totally expected, given that the significantly weaker Arcadia would never guess they’d capture all of their forces and mount a counterattack on the capital. It’s not different from David flattening Goliath with a single punch.
Ultimately, the capital got snatched without a peep from enemy defenses, and the neighboring king got captured by a horse-human hybrid named Epona.
So, with the neighboring country now in the Arcadian king’s hands, he strutted into their capital with the troops he’d left guarding the Arcadian wasteland, beheaded their king, dealt harsh punishments to the king’s advisors, and made sure to take care of the war-frazzled populace, or so they say.
This was how the mighty Arcadia swallowed up the neighboring country whole.
I heard that the moment they crossed into the neighboring nation, the flag lost its power, but it was all good since they no longer needed that boost.
At the end of the day, the Arcadian king had retrieved the crown, a royal treasure from the Arcad lineage. It was slightly smaller than Arcad but still a vast territory, which he expanded into a formidable nation.
And now, the third prince of this powerful nation is happily married to the hero’s daughter.
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