I slowly awakened within the flickering light of the ritual.
What came into view was not the inn I had known before. It was my cozy new home that I settled into after parting with Athena.
It was a place filled with memories shared with Mari and Sephir.
“Ugh…”
Rubbing my itchy eyelids, I saw Mari, who had fallen asleep with her head on the bed while sitting in a chair.
Could it be that she kept nursing me the whole time?
Feeling a twinge of guilt, I gently patted her head, and her closed eyes slowly opened.
“Mom…?”
As soon as she recognized me, Mari’s blue eyes widened, and she rushed over to hug me tightly.
“Mom, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere…?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks to you, I’m completely healthy now, right?”
As I raised my arms cheerfully, Mari’s face began to soften slowly.
After a light exchange of greetings, I looked around my room, which was empty and bare.
“Mari… where is everyone else?”
When I cautiously asked, Mari replied with a somewhat somber expression.
“They’re all outside, except for one.”
“I see…”
The one missing must be the Demon King.
I haven’t even had the chance to talk to her yet… should I wait for the next opportunity?
“Just wait a moment. I’ll call for you.”
With her cute little lips, Mari left a short kiss on my cheek and slowly stepped outside. Not long after, Athena hurriedly entered the room.
“Hera. How’s your body?”
With a worried expression, Athena touched my face and asked.
“Yeah. I’m completely fine.”
Wanting to reassure her, I spoke with a relaxed smile.
Athena sighed deeply and then exclaimed, “Hik?!”
With a shocked look, she started pulling my cheeks.
“Why on earth did you crawl in there?! Do you want to die or something?!”
“Ugh…!”
“Do you have any idea how much I worried? Why would you do something like that?”
“I… I’m sorry…”
My pronunciation was off due to my stretched face, but I managed to get a few words out.
Athena looked at me with a sulky face before releasing my cheeks and pulling me into a tight embrace.
“….Just promise you won’t do something like that again.”
“….Okay. Thank you, Athena.”
As Athena looked at me with a mixture of confusion and relief, she began to stroke my hair gently.
“If you’re feeling alright, do you want to come out for a bit? The Demon King has something to say to you.”
“The… Demon King?”
I felt a surge of confusion at her unexpected words.
When Mari mentioned that one person was missing, I naturally assumed the Demon King had left…
So who is it that’s missing?
An uneasy feeling washed over me, and I looked up at Athena.
“Athena… I heard someone is missing…”
“Yes.”
Athena brushed her hair back dramatically and continued.
“Lily has disappeared.”
……Huh?
I stared blankly at the brightly shining moon.
The place where I first reunited with my sister.
I often came here when troubled or worried. And once again, I naturally found myself here.
“…….Sister.”
I gathered my knees and rested my head on them.
The pain piercing my heart showed no signs of easing.
The chilling sensation from when I struck my sister with the Sacred Sword was still vividly fresh in my hands.
At first, I couldn’t help but vomit because of that self-loathing, but now I felt nothing but emptiness.
I felt sick.
Sick of the fact that I hurt my sister.
Yet, my selfish desire to want to be with her persisted.
– Am I too young or just foolish? Do you truly cherish that woman?
The Demon King’s earlier words echoed in my mind.
I hated how the Demon King spoke so ignorantly, but I loathed myself even more for being unable to argue against it.
“Sister… Sister…”
Tears flowed as I endlessly called out for my sister.
I knew deep down that I had no right to return to her side.
I understood.
That my feelings weren’t love.
That they were nothing but twisted and filthy obsession and perverse possession.
Such feelings could never be called love.
“Huh… Sister…”
Gradually, it felt like my consciousness was sinking down.
The monster of self-loathing was slowly eating away at my mind.
Humm- Humm-
That’s when it struck.
Something warm and glowing in my grasp vibrated gently, as if it were comforting me.
Turning my head slowly, I saw the Sacred Sword made of pure white energy.
In a moment of anguish, I clutched the Sacred Sword and hurled it away from me.
It slammed back into the ground.
I gazed at the Sacred Sword with sorrowful eyes as I muttered.
“I’m not a hero.”
What kind of righteous hero am I?
I’m just a despicable person who doesn’t care about the safety of the world even a little bit.
I was merely acting for the sake of my sister.
Why did the Goddess choose such a person as a hero?
At first, when I pulled the Sacred Sword, I was just happy to have the power to bring my sister back. But now that I think about it, I can’t fathom it.
Surely, someone else would be of far more help to the world.
As I closed my eyes, drowning in deep self-loathing, I felt my consciousness sinking into an abyss.
If only I could close my eyes forever like this.
Humm- Humm-
Suddenly, the vibrating sound returned.
I slowly raised my head and saw the Sacred Sword, still embedded in the ground, glowing brightly.
It seemed to emit a pure white light as if it were calling for me.
“…I’m not a hero.”
I muttered with a feeling of emptiness as I gazed at the Sacred Sword. Yet, that white sword continued to beckon me.
Eventually, after hesitating for a long time, I began to walk towards the Sacred Sword.
I gripped the familiar pure white Sacred Sword once more.
In that instant, it felt like my consciousness was pulled into a space of nothingness.
As the bright white light enveloped me, my vision began to shimmer.
“Ugh…”
I covered my eyes with my hand against the blinding light.
As I gradually grew accustomed to the light, I uncovered my hand and opened my tightly shut eyes.
What greeted me was a scene that was completely different from before.
A heavenly temple emanating an air of nobility, as if it were a sight to behold only in paradise.
“Where is this…?”
In a daze, as I looked around, I saw someone slowly descending from the sky.
Beautiful, pure white wings.
An equally pristine white dress.
And though not as stunning as my sister, her beauty was such that anyone would be entranced.
“Welcome, Hero.”
The goddess who had chosen me as the Hero.
The noble being who scatters her blessings throughout this continent. The Goddess of Life.
“Goddess…!”
“Yes. I am Luna Ria, the Goddess of Life.”
The moment I looked at the Goddess’s face, countless questions sprang to mind.
Why did you choose me as the hero?
Why did you grant me the Sacred Sword?
….Why did you only reveal yourself now?
For a time, when I lost my sister and fell into an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
I had only been able to rely on the gods.
I prayed every day.
To bring my sister back, to not take away my only happiness.
So when I was later chosen as the hero of the Sacred Sword, I thought my prayers had been answered.
But that couldn’t be true.
How could someone with such vile feelings receive blessings?
“It seems you have many questions, Hero.”
As the Goddess spoke with a kind smile, I unknowingly blurted out my inquiry.
“Why… me?”
Why did this mere mortal receive the fated role of Hero intended to protect the world?
Could she read the complex emotions within my heart? The Goddess slowly approached me and stroked my hair.
“I see that you’re curious why I chose you as the Hero.”
“No matter how I think about it, I can’t understand. I’m no hero worthy of such a title.”
“No, that’s not true. You were a decision made after my careful consideration.”
“Yes…?”
“I’ll explain.”
With a brief smile, the Goddess continued her words.
“The reason I chose you as the Hero is not because you are my daughter… but because you are the representative of the divine. Because you possess a love that surpasses everyone else’s for her.”
I couldn’t quite grasp what she was saying.
But one thing I understood instinctively.
The person the Goddess was speaking of was none other than Hera.
Aside from Dania, the only person I loved deeply was undoubtedly her.
“I chose you because I’m certain you will protect her better than anyone else.”
However, I thought this was a mistake in the Goddess’s judgment.
Far from keeping her safe, my actions had led to her being seriously hurt.
How could someone like me protect her?
“I am not that kind of person—”
“Don’t blame yourself. You are simply inexperienced. My judgment was not wrong.”
There was a strange sense of relief as the Goddess looked down at me with a smile.
“I will explain everything to you, Hero.”
The Goddess gently extended her hand toward me.
Without hesitation, I took her hand.
“But, Goddess…”
“Speak, Hero.”
She gazed at me kindly, her smile unwavering.
I looked straight into the Goddess’s eyes and, in a calm voice, asked.
“Why is Hera the Goddess’s daughter?”
Gulp-
In that brief moment, the Goddess’s body trembled sharply.
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