Chapter: 93
The hero and I stayed in the village for a few days, helping out with the reconstruction.
We rebuilt the broken buildings and managed to retrieve the food that had been swallowed by the snake.
To be honest, it got too annoying to hunt, so we just butchered the big snake and salvaged the meat. We purified all the poison, so besides a slight ickiness, it turned into clean meat. Should be enough for the villagers for a few days.
After about seven days, the village was somewhat organized and looked livable again.
“Well then, I guess it’s time to leave.”
“Hmm. Are you finally feeling the itch to move?”
“Yeah. I’ve come to realize that if I don’t do something, a lot of people are going to suffer like before.”
I nodded at the hero’s words.
“With great power comes great responsibility,” right? Famous line from those hero tales.
The hero has great power, and with that comes great responsibility.
Well, that saying kinda applies to me too, but my responsibility is probably just to keep this world chugging along. Hmm.
“By the way, was that a dragon? It was breathing fire and flying around like it owned the sky… If I hadn’t managed to cut off its wings, I think defeating it would’ve been a tall order. Truly the strongest creature on the ground.”
“A dragon?”
No way, is he seriously still thinking that wyvern was a dragon?
“Are you talking about the monster you fought?”
“Huh? Yeah. Wasn’t that a dragon?”
I shook my head in disbelief at the hero’s words.
“That couldn’t possibly be a dragon. Dragons are a bit more refined, a bit more beautiful, and way more dignified than that.”
There’s a universe of difference between that stupid wyvern and a real dragon!
“Huh…? So that wasn’t a dragon?”
“The flying lizard you fought was a wyvern. Sure, it was a bit stronger, but it’s still not worthy of the title ‘dragon.’”
The hero looked a tiny bit disappointed by my revelation.
Honestly, even with his power, taking down a dragon would be no walk in the park. Oh well.
“How about this… Let’s take the wyvern’s remains with us. Wyvern skin could make some pretty sturdy armor. Plus, the membrane, teeth, claws, and bones could definitely be useful.”
Beyond dragons, a wyvern is top-tier material. I should whip up some clothing out of that hide and gift it to the hero.
Armor makes you nearly invincible, but there are always spots that aren’t protected, you know?
I cut off the wyvern’s wing membrane to make a pouch, cast some magic to link it to subspace, and stuffed the entire wyvern corpse into it.
Hmm. A much larger creature fits snugly into this pouch. It’s weird but super handy.
And since it’s made from the wyvern’s wing, it probably won’t tear easily either.
“Okay, let’s get moving, then.”
“Hmm… Is it okay not to say a proper farewell?”
“Huh?”
“You know, that girl. She clearly has feelings for you.”
At my words, the hero’s face turned beet red in an instant.
“Wha- feelings?! But I have duties to fulfill!”
“But you’re not going to be a hero forever. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to set down your sword and live a normal life.”
The hero couldn’t muster much of a reply to that.
“Well, you have plenty of time, so take it slow. And don’t forget to say a proper goodbye. If you part without one, you’ll end up regretting it.”
With a look of resolute determination, the hero dashed back toward the village.
I’m not gonna sneak around and spy on the hero and the girl saying goodbye or anything.
A person’s privacy… well… okay, I’ve already invaded it a ton, but at least I should respect them for this last moment. Whatever.
Let’s see, while the hero is busy with his farewell, I might as well start crafting some clothes from the wyvern hide.
Since I already know his size, it should be quick to whip up!
Boots from the thicker parts and gloves from the softer pieces.
Each item will be armor that shields the hero’s body. Time to roll up my sleeves and get to work!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“You’re leaving, right?”
The girl said to the hero.
“Yes.”
“I expected that. It wouldn’t make sense for a hero like you to linger in this tiny village. You could leave at any moment.”
The hero couldn’t find the words.
“Well, I’m a bit sad, actually. I don’t know why, but I felt a strong connection with you. If you weren’t a hero, I might’ve been the one to propose living here together.”
“I… um…”
“But that would be tough, right? Seeing the way you look at the Dragon Priestess… Well, it’s clear as day what the answer might be.”
The girl said, trying to smile awkwardly.
“You like her, don’t you? The Dragon Priestess?”
“……”
The hero didn’t answer.
“Hmmm… Silence can sometimes be an answer too. Well, thanks to that, I think I can let go neatly. If she’s that beautiful, who could compete? Especially not a girl from a small village like me.”
At her somewhat resigned words, the hero finally spoke up.
“It’s true that I like her, but… it’s a love that can’t be fulfilled.”
“Oh my? The legendary hero has an unattainable love?”
“She sees me as a child. And… no one can monopolize her big heart.”
“Monopolize…?”
The hero just shook his head slightly in response.
“Well, I’ve got to take my leave now.”
“Okay. Safe travels. Thank you for helping our village.”
The hero gave a small nod and started walking away, while the girl waved at him as he retreated.
Even as the hero grew more distant, she just kept waving.
Her hand slowly came to a stop as the hero’s figure blurred into the distance.
The girl was holding back something.
She kept restraining herself as she watched the hero’s back.
No, she couldn’t hold it any longer.
“Hero!!! If—if you finish your tasks and have nowhere to go!!! Please come back to the village!!!”
Will her voice reach him? The girl didn’t know.
But she screamed it out.
“I’ll prepare a place for you to stay!!! I’ll have a spot ready for you to return to someday!!! So, please, come back someday!!!”
Words without a promise. Words that might never reach him.
But it was all the girl could do to shout.
Shouting with all her heart.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“When it’s done, huh…”
“Hmm? Why do you say that?”
The hero just shook his head slightly.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Hmph. Silly fellow. Here, try this. I made it while you were saying your farewells.”
I handed the hero a pair of gloves made from the wyvern hide.
They’re a bit hastily made, but since the raw material was top-notch leather, they came out pretty good.
The clothes and boots will take more time to make them right. Gotta take it slow.
The hero put on the wyvern hide gloves I handed him and gave his fists a few experimental clenches.
“Any issues with movement?”
“Nope. They fit my hands perfectly.”
Hmm. I kind of eyeballed the measurements, but they actually seem to suit him well.
“Alright, let’s hit the road then. The faster we move, the more people we save.”
“Right. Let’s hurry.”
We already knew where we had to go.
I had pinpointed the locations of other dangerous monsters using the wind spirits.
And so, the nameless hero and I set off on our adventure.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The nameless hero and the Dragon Priestess roamed the world, dispatching monsters that harmed many.
Endless transformations. They brought down shape-shifting beasts, smashed the ice giants they encountered up north, severed the massive beasts wrapped in rock, and hacked apart monstrous fish swimming in toxic swamps.
Nothing could obstruct their path.
Many praised their adventures and celebrated their achievements, so it’s only logical that their stories spread far and wide.
The title of hero shall forever remain sacred.
Naturally, news of them would reach other races as well.
After incinerating countless swarms of locusts, two messengers arrived for the hero and Dragon Priestess while they were resting in the village.
One was sent by the elves, and the other by the dwarves.
“As a representative of the noble elf clan, I hereby invite the human hero. You would do better grasping our elven hands over those dirty-handed dwarves.”
“As a hero, you know the significance of weapons and armor! We’ll provide you with equipment, so ignore the ramblings of those pointy-eared prattle!”
What’s with the hostility again?
Did they have a fight or something? Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha didn’t mention anything.
Ahem. Let’s gather some information first. Making a decision can come later.
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