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“Wait, so… does that mean I’m becoming a hero?”

The boy, who had awakened once more, listened properly to the Dragon Priestess’ words this time without fainting.

“Yes. Since I have chosen you, you will become a hero.”

“That… can’t be…”

The boy sighed heavily, feeling utterly defeated, and slowly opened his mouth.

“But how can someone like me become a hero? All I have is this body… I’m just an orphan tagging along after other adventurers.”

Is he belittling himself… or is he just stating the facts?

In truth, the boy’s appearance wasn’t great. I’d expected as much.

His clothes were quite worn out, patched up here and there, and the “weapon” he owned was a dull, chipped dagger.

He looked pretty thin, likely from not eating properly, and he wasn’t very tall either.

Clearly, he was someone who had nothing… the only thing he could possibly do was to be an adventurer.

A boy like that becoming a hero? If it weren’t for the Dragon Priestess saying it, nobody would believe it.

Looking at the boy, the Dragon Priestess quietly asked,

“What do you think a hero is?”

“Huh?”

“What do you think a hero is?”

“A hero… well…”

After thinking for a moment due to her question, the boy replied,

“A hero is someone who has their name spread across many mouths. A hero who saves and helps many.”

Old stories. The tales of nameless heroes. Stories of traveling the world, defeating monsters, and assisting others.

In those tales, the hero was always a hero.

“No, that’s wrong.”

But the Dragon Priestess denied this notion.

“Huh?”

“A hero is a much simpler existence.”

“Simpler, you say…”

The boy asked, unable to understand, and the Dragon Priestess locked eyes with him as she spoke.

“A hero is a blade bestowed upon this world by the Goddess of Life. They wield the hero’s sword and swing it in accordance with the will of the goddess.”

“That is…”

“Additionally, it’s the Dragon Priestess’s role to choose such a hero.”

After saying this, the Dragon Priestess straightened her posture and continued,

“So, it means that the person I chose is the hero.”

“No, but… I’m just an orphan with nothing!”

“Such trivial things don’t matter at all.”

The Dragon Priestess asserted.

“The only requirement to be a hero is to have been chosen by me.”

“That’s… that’s such a stretch…”

“It’s not a stretch. It’s something I’ve confirmed many times with the Goddess of Life.”

‘Right? Me?’

「Hmm. I have confirmed it many times.」

I never thought I’d choose a boy with absolutely nothing… just based on his face.

But then again, the first hero was the same. He was also an orphan rescued by a pilgrim of the Church of Life.

Still, that boy had a solid character. His face… well, it was average, I guess.

「But still, I think deciding based solely on looks is a bit much.」

‘It’s not just looks, though.’

「What?」

His looks… aren’t they? No, but… hmm…

Is it a lie? No, it doesn’t seem like a lie.

‘It’s a secret. It’s not solely based on looks.’

「Hmm… if you say so, then it must be.」

If there’s some rationale behind the choice, then I have no reason to argue.

“I’m… a hero…?”

“You’ve been confirmed as the genuine hero by the Goddess of Life.”

Genuine hero? What does that even mean? Saying it like that makes it sound like there are fake heroes!

Well, technically, they don’t exist!

“But how can I be a hero…? I’ve never even held a proper weapon… I lack combat experience. Can I really become a hero?”

The boy continued to belittle himself again. Or maybe he was just stating facts. Regardless, it still felt like self-deprecation.

“Hmm…”

The Dragon Priestess, looking at the boy, spoke in a calm voice.

“Did you know?”

“Huh?”

“A hero isn’t someone who is born; they are someone who is forged over time. Even the nameless hero had no exceptional talent, but through endless training, they gained strength beyond that of a human.”

“Is… is that really true?”

“Yes, this is also a story guaranteed by the Goddess of Life. So don’t belittle yourself too much.”

With that, the Dragon Priestess offered a gentle smile, encouraging the hero.

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

Afterwards, the hero and the Dragon Priestess engaged in various conversations.

Though they were likely not the same age, at a glance, they seemed around the same age, so they decided to speak informally to each other.

By the way, it seemed like the hero was feeling quite pressured by the Dragon Priestess speaking comfortably to him, but she had insisted on pushing through that awkwardness.

After that, it was a time for calmly listening to the hero’s story.

The hero’s name was Eric, a commoner without a surname, hailing from a region in the northeastern part of North Romania. Due to the severe cold coming down from the north and nomads crossing over from the east, it was a hard place to live, so they caught large animals with various traps… or managed to cultivate barley strains that could somehow grow in the frigid landscape.

He had parents and a younger sister, but when the Demon King’s forces pushed southward, the entire family set out for refuge. During their escape, they were attacked by monsters, scattering the family, leaving him unsure if they were dead or alive.

After that, he descended from the north, begging like a beggar to survive, trying various odd jobs, but not being able to do anything right… he had managed to tag along after an adventurer party after begging for their help.

It was effectively a gamble, but thankfully the adventurer party was made up of good people, allowing him to survive without starving and slowly learn as a novice adventurer.

However, as time passed, the monsters coming from the north grew stronger, and if he remained in North Romania, even ten lives wouldn’t be enough, so the entire adventurer party moved south.

The boy slowly shared his tale, telling of his not-so-long life to the Dragon Priestess.

And…

“You must have gone through a lot.”

The Dragon Priestess began to comfort the hero gently in her calm voice.

‘If only there were no Demon King, if the army of monsters hadn’t come, then… he wouldn’t have to suffer like this.’

「But if that were the case, he would have lived as a commoner in North Romania, and you wouldn’t have met him, right?」

At my words, the Dragon Priestess nodded slightly.

‘That’s… certainly true, but still, what he went through is unfortunate.’

「That’s true.」

But living as a commoner isn’t exactly smooth sailing either.

The plight of a harsh northern peasant and the life of a hero chosen by the Dragon Priestess… which one is better…

Well, I don’t know! But one thing is certain, neither life is easy!

In fact, life itself is anything but easy!

As the hero recounted his hardship, the Dragon Priestess spoke in a slightly hesitant voice.

“Um… this might not be the best time to say this, but…”

A faint hint of anxiety seeped into her voice. What is she so worried about?

She has the power to do anything she wishes, to achieve anything. What on earth could make her anxious?

“If you don’t want to be a hero… well, um, I won’t force you. If you really don’t want to, just tell me. I’ll look for someone else.”

Now? Now, she’s asking that? The order is all wrong, isn’t it? No matter how much just a moment ago I had lost consciousness…

I thought she would force me to go along with it, regardless!

“Normally, I’d think of making you, even by force, but… after hearing your story… I felt like I needed to think a little.”

“My story?”

“Right. You have your own life, so I wondered whether it would be right to push the duties of being a hero onto you.”

So the order is reversed! Usually, you’d ask the person’s intention first and then propose!

The first hero… well, he had the sword stuck in him, so he understood that situation perfectly!

“If you’re okay with it, I’d like to ask you to be the hero. But if you don’t want that… I can appoint someone else as the hero. Of course, you’ll assist. Even if you’re not a hero, you’ll help. Searching for your family’s whereabouts too… If we defeat the Demon King… your homeland could see peace again.”

The Dragon Priestess continued hesitating, speaking softly. The hero thought for a moment and then said.

 

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