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The meeting wrapped up in a somewhat vague manner, deciding to postpone disputes among themselves in the face of the powerful enemy known as the Demon King and his forces.

Although it was merely a promise of cooperation that felt rather flimsy, a faint sense of hope began to linger in the eyes of those who participated in the meeting.

These tough times would eventually pass. This adversity would be overcome.

With the gods watching over them, it seemed the crisis could be surmounted.

It was a belief stemming from the High Priest’s words, but considering that the Goddess of Life had never extended her hand in such a crisis, it was a rather reasonable faith.

‘Is that me?’

“Sure is.”

Although the realization felt rather faint.

‘The Dragon Priestess…. Right. I saw it in a book. She was the Saint of the Church of Life sent down to the world to carry out the will of the Goddess of Life, wasn’t she?’

“Exactly.”

‘That’s me, you know.’

“Well, it sure turned out that way.”

It just kind of happened like that! I’d initially thought about coming down personally…but I couldn’t resist the sudden idea of using the Demon King’s body as the Dragon Priestess.

If I had come down myself, I would have probably just taken a suitably talented human and tackled the Demon King with them alone, but at this point, taking this kid as the Dragon Priestess would indeed be impossible.

‘Hmm… Can I really do this?’

“Feeling uneasy?”

‘It’s not so much uneasiness as…wait, maybe it is uneasiness.’

Oh? The Dragon Priestess rarely showed such weakness.

‘I’ve heard the Dragon Priestess represents the will of the Goddess of Life. But I don’t know what the Goddess of Life wants.’

Hmm?

‘Why did the Goddess of Life choose me to be the Dragon Priestess? No, is it even true that I am the Dragon Priestess? Everyone around me calls me the Dragon Priestess, but I don’t understand the will of the Goddess of Life.’

Oh…

“But you’re doing your job as the Dragon Priestess well, aren’t you? Healing others, bestowing blessings and all that.”

‘Other priests can do that too. Just because I can bestow a slightly more powerful blessing doesn’t prove that I’m the Dragon Priestess.’

As she said that, the Dragon Priestess fiddled with a pair of horns that had grown on her head.

‘All I have as proof is this pair of horns hanging uselessly.’

That thought sounded just too weak.

‘Can I…. really do it? Me, who can’t even hold onto the belief that I am the Dragon Priestess, can I do it?’

“You lack confidence in yourself.”

At my words, the Dragon Priestess nodded slightly.

As days go by, more and more people seeking healing flock to the Church of Life, and there are many who pray for the threats of monsters to disappear.

Yet, the one called hope, the Dragon Priestess, couldn’t find confidence in whether she truly was the Dragon Priestess.

Hmm… should I tell her now?

I was planning to wait a bit longer to reveal this, but if she lacks confidence like this… she probably won’t be able to do what she’s capable of.

So…

“It’s okay. You can do it.”

‘I just keep giving myself positive affirmations. Those kinds of words don’t instill confidence in me.’

“But you’re already hearing the voice of the Goddess of Life, aren’t you?”

“What?”

At my words, the Dragon Priestess tilted her head.

‘The Goddess of Life?’

“Yep.”

‘Who’s that?’

“You’re already hearing it, right?”

‘Me?’

“Me.”

The Dragon Priestess’s face morphed into one of confusion as if she had misheard something.

Well, it makes sense. If someone told her that the voice she thought was from her own heart was actually the voice of the deity she serves, who would believe that?

She might finally think she’s gone crazy!

“Are you joking?”

“Have I ever joked?”

“There was that time three years ago at the New Year’s festival.”

“Ah… the New Year’s festival three years ago?”

What did I say back then? Hmm… Oh! At the New Year’s festival, when the Dragon Priestess asked why she had no parents, seeing a family holding their parents’ hands as they visited the Church of Life.

My answer was… that this world is your mother, and that magical energy is your father. Wasn’t it?

Since her body was born from a substantial concentration of magical energy wafting through the world, it wasn’t a lie, but did she think of it as a joke?

“That’s not a joke.”

“What?”

“Well, if you think it’s a joke, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

If the one telling the truth isn’t accepted by the listener, then that truth will become a mere empty lie.

‘So… does that mean that the voice I’ve been hearing in my heart isn’t my voice, but the voice of the Goddess of Life?’

“Essentially, yes.”

‘Lies! The Goddess of Life could never speak in such a frivolous manner!’

That’s where her issue lies…

‘The Goddess of Life is an amazing being! I learned that she spread life throughout a desolate world with nothing!’

“True. But it was a very barren environment.”

‘I learned that she took in offspring from other ancient gods and raised them with love!’

“Those kids were brats like you, so I had my share of troubles. Still, it was a relatively easy environment for restoration after destruction.”

‘Then, upon realizing countless lives had fallen, she took in twelve who had not yet fallen, and harvested the rest from their bodies!’

“I didn’t want to, but it was unavoidable. It was necessary.”

‘Then… uh… um….’

“Just accept it. The voice you hear in your heart is the voice of the Goddess of Life.”

‘Lies!!!!’

The Dragon Priestess wailed within her heart. Like a fan realizing the truth about their beloved VTuber…though that’s a weird comparison.

Let’s say she realized a truth she didn’t want to know.

While she was mentally wailing, her face showed no sign of it, which was quite extraordinary.

After what seemed like an eternity of silent weeping, the Dragon Priestess, maintaining her composed appearance, seemed to be feeling relieved as if her heart had been settled.

‘Huh. Alright. So…I…or rather, the Goddess of Life?’

“Why suddenly get all formal? Just act like you usually do. I’m not some stiff god, you know?”

‘But you are the Goddess of Life. How can I be so casual with you?’

“You’ve spoken casually until now, right? To begin with, I’m not a stiff god. Just be comfortable.”

‘But….’

“If I were the kind of deity to have an issue with such a demeanor, I would have revealed my identity ages ago. And well, in a sense, you could say you’re a fragment of me.”

At my words, the Dragon Priestess nodded slightly as if understanding.

Though inwardly, she seems like she didn’t really grasp it!

“Anyway, don’t worry about me. Whether you regard me as the Goddess of Life or as another version of yourself is just a trivial matter. What’s important now is… um, the Hero who will support you.”

‘Hero?’

“Yep. Hero.”

At my words, the Dragon Priestess pondered deeply.

A hero—a hero from legend. Good-hearted, unable to overlook injustice, and embarking on adventures to save the world.

With the Dragon Priestess as a companion, a shining blade that would sweep away the darkness of the world.

Imagining such a hero, the Dragon Priestess tilted her head.

‘Isn’t a hero supposed to need a hero’s sword? In stories, the Dragon Priestess always has the hero’s sword, but I don’t have one.’

“Oh, that’s because….”

‘Maybe I’m not the Dragon Priestess? I’m just a beast girl with horns who just happened to be taken in by the Church of Life and treated as the Dragon Priestess—a fake Dragon Priestess.’

“No…”

‘What if the voice in my heart claiming to be the Goddess of Life is merely a figment of my unstable mind? After all, there’s no way the Goddess of Life would say such frivolous things.’

Suddenly, negative thoughts began spiraling and growing within the Dragon Priestess. What’s going on? Why is this happening?

‘Am I… a false Dragon Priestess?’

“I recognize you, so you are indeed the Dragon Priestess!!! The hero’s sword is with me! I just intended to pass it to you when the time was right!!”

‘When the time is right?’

“Yeah. If you decide to take on your role as the Dragon Priestess.”

I looked at the still dazed Dragon Priestess as I spoke.

“Are you ready to embark on adventures to help others?”

‘Yeah. I want to help others.’

“Even if that means facing some rough adventures?”

‘Yeah. I hate not being able to help others even more.’

“Even if at the end of that road…you confront death?”

‘Death is the destination all life reaches. For someone who learned the teachings of the Church of Life, death is just a destination that will eventually come. So it’s okay. I can do it.’

The small child, the Dragon Priestess, spoke in a low voice.

A girl, small and young, speaking of death. The Dragon Priestess.

In front of her, I quietly dropped the hero’s sword.

“Alright. If you’re ready, I’ll pass the hero’s sword to you.”

“Really?”

“Yep. I’ll continue to help you from now on. First, let’s look for your hero.”

Honestly, the Dragon Priestess could probably defeat the Demon King on her own, but having a hero to support her would certainly make things easier.

“Hero. Yeah… a hero… what were the conditions again?”

“Conditions for a hero?”

Long ago, the conditions for choosing one to wield the hero’s sword were as follows.

A person with a good heart.

A person with exceptional talent.

A person who cannot overlook injustice.

A person who has no hesitation in saving others.

But right now, it doesn’t really matter at all.

“The conditions don’t really matter. Since it’s your hero, you can choose whoever you want.”

“Is that really okay?”

“Yep. In fact, those conditions are just some trivial rules. The most important condition is… that the person is recognized by the Dragon Priestess.”

Of course, even an individual recognized by the Dragon Priestess must also be accepted by me.

“So… First, let’s look for someone suitable to be your hero.”

While we could gather every talented person in the world by planting the hero’s sword in the ground…well…

For now, I want to trust the Dragon Priestess’s insight.

Most importantly, since the Dragon Priestess is choosing her hero, it makes sense for her to pick.

Thus, the Dragon Priestess gently embraced the hero’s sword I had set down for her.

 

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