---

“Is someone going to be the chosen one for the hero?”

“Yeah. You can’t just pick anyone who’s decent enough to become a hero.”

Well, sure, you could forcefully make someone into a hero if you did it half-heartedly, but dealing with the aftermath would be a total pain.

I’d rather go through the hassle of picking a proper hero.

“But I don’t know what kind of person is suitable to be a hero.”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know. Just pick someone you like.”

“Someone I like?”

“Yep. Someone who can support you, someone who won’t betray you, or someone who could risk their life for you… though that might be a bit much.”

At my words, the Dragon Priestess tilted her head slightly.

“I don’t really get it.”

“Take your time to think it through. Or you could always just stab the Hero’s sword into the ground and choose someone that way.”

“Like the first hero?”

“Yeah. Oh, but things are a lot different now than back then… so the conditions might need to change. Thinking up new conditions is a hassle, though. Hmmm…”

The Dragon Priestess thought for a moment before speaking.

“Can I take my time to pick for now?”

“Of course. Since it’s someone you’ll be with. You can pick slowly and calmly.”

The world is vast, after all. There must be someone in this girl’s heart who fits the bill.

Even if the person she chooses turns out to be completely useless… with enough rigorous training, they should improve!

Just like how iron becomes strong when hammered, humans can become strong through training!

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

That said…

“This man is a member of the Epona Knight Order from North Romania, a knight of great renown. He excels not only in swordsmanship and horsemanship but also upholds chivalry, serving as a role model for many.”

A handsome man with brown hair clad in shining plate armor knelt before the Dragon Priestess, bowing as a priest who accompanied him introduced him.

Indeed, with well-developed muscles and vibrant magical power emanating from within, he appeared to be quite competent but…

“What do you think?”

The Dragon Priestess, holding the Hero’s sword close, responded to my question with a small shake of her head.

“I feel a hint of arrogance in his gaze. He seems like he’d use the Hero’s sword for personal gain.”

“Sharp observation.”

That barely perceptible arrogance. Greed. Did she catch that? This girl has quite the discerning eye for people.

“Then could you phrase it in a more approachable way? So he doesn’t become an enemy.”

The Dragon Priestess took her time to speak.

“He’s strong without a doubt, but there’s a faint arrogance in his heart. He’s not worthy of wielding the Hero’s sword.”

“Y-You, Dragon Priestess!”

The knight, who had been confident he would be selected, looked up in astonishment.

“I’m sorry, but there’s no changing my mind. Please leave.”

The Dragon Priestess shot a cold glare at him, and without making any excuses, he lowered his head and slowly exited the meeting room.

Well, I feel a bit disappointed, but the Dragon Priestess doesn’t hold back.

I thought he’d be someone who could be molded with a bit of training, but apparently, that wasn’t the case for her.

“And above all, the way he looked at me was suspicious.”

“You think his gaze was suspicious…? You look like you’re barely in your early teens. Even if it’s an era where people marry young, you would seem to have a ten-year gap in age.”

“I don’t know. I just felt weird about him.”

I nodded slightly at the Dragon Priestess’s words.

Well, no matter how outstanding someone might be, if this girl dislikes them, that’s all there is to it.

“I’m afraid that’s all for today’s meeting.”

“Is that so?”

The Dragon Priestess didn’t seem the least bit disappointed.

I mean, if annoying people trying to chase after the Hero’s position, the Hero’s sword, and the Dragon Priestess are gone, she probably feels lighter.

“Then, would it be okay if I went for a little walk?”

“A walk, you say?”

“Yeah. I’m tired from observing so many people. I just want to catch a breath of fresh air.”

Saying this, the Dragon Priestess put on her hood to hide her horns. They looked a tad awkward due to their size, but she didn’t seem to mind much.

“Understood. So when will you return?”

“Well, let’s see… I’ll be back before dinner.”

At the Dragon Priestess’s words, the priest nodded slightly.

“Then I will instruct the dinner preparations. Please don’t venture too far.”

“How far could I possibly go at my pace? I’m just going to look around a bit.”

With that, the Dragon Priestess left the meeting room with light steps.

As she passed, numerous priests bowed in greeting, and she accepted their salutations lightly as she exited the temple.

Then…

“Alright. Let’s take a leisurely stroll.”

“Don’t go too far, or the other priests will worry. Got it?”

“I just need to come back before dinner, right?”

“As long as it’s before dinner, you could go to the farthest edge of the continent.”

“But I said I meant in terms of time, not distance.”

With that, the Dragon Priestess lightly stomped the ground and soared into the air.

“Don’t forget to keep your presence hidden from others. Though everyone probably knows who you are by now.”

“Don’t worry. I’m capable of hiding and taking action at this level.”

“Really?”

“I swear.”

At first glance, she might seem emotionless and cold, but on the inside, the Dragon Priestess was quite impulsive and emotional.

As the Dragon Priestess concealed herself in the wind, she began to enjoy her aerial stroll.

During her leisurely jaunt, she took down every monster that caught her eye.

“It definitely feels like the number of monsters has increased.”

“Coming from someone who’s shooting invisible wind arrows to put holes in the heads of every visible monster, you shouldn’t be the one saying that.”

“But monsters are harmful creatures to people, so it’s perfectly fine to take them all down, right?”

“That’s true…”

Monsters were seen fleeing in panic, having lost their leader. They wouldn’t be able to act freely until they scattered or another leader emerged.

“If I can reduce even one monster, I can save at least one more person.”

“That’s quite a noble thought. But you’re the one flying around shooting wind arrows at them out of sight!”

“Still, you can tell even if you can’t see them.”

The wind arrows pierced the heads of monsters hidden from view. Strength, precision, and tracking ability—all of it exceeded human limits.

Multiplying the simplest attack magic, the Magic Ball, with alterations and elemental attributes… there might not be any mage around who could perform such a massacre using wind arrows.

So, the Dragon Priestess continued her aerial walk, repeatedly targeting the leaders of nearby monsters.

“Alright. I think that’s enough cleanup for now.”

“Cleaning up all the way to the southern part of North Romania? You’ve come quite a long way.”

“Things were getting worse in North Romania, so I wanted to help a bit.”

Well, that’s true, but…

The nations located in the north, including North Romania, had suffered significant damage despite the support of other countries.

Many small nations had already perished, and in North Romania, one of the grand lords had even lost his life.

The elf hunters conducted scouting operations, weapons made by dwarves were issued to soldiers, and adventurers and mages of exceptional skill hunted monsters, but the damage in the north could not be completely mitigated.

As it stands now, not only beasts-like monsters but also hordes of undead and goblins, and even creatures that seemed to mimic human forms, were descending on the land.

“Then, shouldn’t we select a hero as soon as possible?”

“That’s true, but… I haven’t found anyone who fits the bill.”

Numerous candidates for the hero had appeared, but the Dragon Priestess hadn’t chosen any of them.

Whether it was because their gaze wasn’t to her liking, they had too much greed, or they lacked qualifications, she always came up with some excuse not to hand over the Hero’s sword.

If only she could just decide on someone, it would have made things easier…

“What kind of person do you actually want?”

“Someone that makes me go, ‘That’s it!’ at first glance?”

“That’s incredibly vague.”

“But I can’t help it. This is someone who’s going to be by my side in the future, so I can’t just pick anyone.”

By her side…? Oh, I see. It seems she thinks of the hero not as a savior of the world, but as her partner.

“I’d like to pick someone quickly too, but I’m in a bind because there’s no one I like.”

“I know, but we need a hero as soon as possible…”

“I know that too, but I said that the future decision should be made carefully, which is also me. So I’ve also been hunting down monsters in the meantime.”

Cough… true, it’s not someone to be chosen lightly! While it’s not necessary to make the hero your partner…

“Still, even just a bit… it’d be better to decide soon…”

“Ah! People are under attack by monsters!!!”

“You’re changing the subject because you’re getting desperate!”

“No! There really are people getting attacked by monsters!”

“Let’s just leave the monsters that are fleeing after losing their leader to other adventurers! Any decent adventurer can handle that!”

“But there are people getting attacked by monsters right now! It’s dangerous!!!”

The Dragon Priestess ignored my words and hurriedly flew toward the direction of the monsters.

Honestly, she really is a troublesome girl.

 

---