The Hero gazed with a worried expression at the young girl playing outside.
A girl with hair dyed the same silver as mine.
A girl whose life I saved with my power, and because of that, began to transform into something no longer human.
“Hero. What are your thoughts?”
“I can’t just leave her be like this, can I? And by the way, how long do you plan to keep calling me ‘Hero’? It’s been years since I retired from being a Hero.”
“Hmm. Your name just doesn’t roll off my tongue easily. Besides, as long as you’re alive, you’ll always be my Hero.”
“Thanks to you, the new name I painstakingly picked out is useless. Moreover, when Sister calls me ‘Hero,’ even my daughter calls me that!”
“At least it gives me an excuse to talk about your heroic exploits, so it’s not all bad, right?”
“That’s true… but…”
The Hero let out a small sigh.
“Sister really hasn’t changed a bit, has she?”
“You’ve changed quite a lot though.”
The Hero was now well into their fifties, approaching old age. Yet, they still looked to be in their late thirties.
Of course, the Hero’s wife was the same.
“In the past, you used to call me ‘Sis.’ Now you address me formally as ‘Sister.’ Back then, there was still some cuteness left in you. Tsk…”
“What can I do? As long as we’re human, change is inevitable.”
The Hero once again looked at their daughter playing outside.
“With so many changes, I have no choice but to change too.”
His face had become that of a father.
Different from the days when he fought monsters for humanity—a face that now held something incredibly precious.
It was a look never seen before.
“Every time I see my daughter, I’m reminded that I don’t regret getting married.”
“You’ve certainly changed a lot.”
I could only smile faintly at such a Hero.
“Anyway, what should we do about the daughter?”
“Hmm. There are two plans I’ve considered. First, let me clarify: we cannot remove my magical power from the child.”
“Is that so?”
“Sure, if we disregard her life, it might be possible. But neither of us wants that. Forcibly extracting the magic would turn her body into Swiss cheese.”
My original plan was to replace her vitality until it activated on its own, then gradually withdraw the magic while regenerating her physical form. But it seems my magic and her cells have fused at a molecular level.
If we separate them one by one, it might take over a hundred years.
The cause… Hmm, it might have something to do with her parents. The Hero who wielded my sword and traveled with me, and his wife, whose body was regenerated by my magic and remains youthful.
Their child was clearly extraordinary.
Maybe her premature birth was related to this?
I don’t know everything about this world after all.
Anyway.
“First option: Teach her how to use magical power thoroughly so she can protect herself.”
Honestly, it seems like the easiest method.
Except for the fact that the child will surpass humanity and may be overwhelmed by great power.
Considering that issue, it’s still a good option.
“That’s somewhat…”
If the child’s father wasn’t the strongest human, the Hero…
The Hero, who swung the Sword of Heroes and knew the dangers of wielding immense power, understands those risks all too well.
There were too many snake-hearted individuals who sought to exploit the Hero’s strength and fame.
“Personally, I think it’s the simplest approach.”
“But won’t we be giving the child powers beyond humanity?”
“Yes. And her lifespan will far exceed that of a normal human.”
Her body will resemble a part of me. She might live a thousand years easily.
She looks exactly like me except without horns. Travelers sometimes mistake us for sisters!
“One could say this path might benefit the child. With great power comes a long life.”
Still, whether her spirit can handle it is another matter.
“That may be true, but having experienced wielding great power, I believe we need to make this decision carefully.”
“Hmm. Indeed, the opinion of someone who’s been there speaks volumes.”
“Well, I didn’t exactly have other choices.”
Once the Hero pulled the sword, other options disappeared.
“Ultimately, the most important factor is the child’s opinion… but…”
“The child is still too young to make such a crucial decision, isn’t she?”
“Hmm… Then let’s move on to the second option.”
“Second option?”
I nodded slightly and continued.
“Second: Seal the magic inside her body.”
“Seal?”
“Yes. If we seal the magic so it doesn’t activate, she can live a normal human life. Her hair color might return to normal, which we can fix with dye somehow.”
If she wishes to live an ordinary life, sealing the magic will allow that.
“Sealing… Is that even possible?”
“Hmm. Since it’s my magic, sealing it so it doesn’t act is relatively simple.”
Though separating intertwined elements is tough, suppressing the whole thing so it behaves like regular cells is straightforward enough.
However.
“Even so, problems remain. The sealed magic is part of her body, her cells. Thus, there’s a chance it could be inherited by her children.”
It might fade over generations, but…
“That… Isn’t that pushing the burden onto future descendants?”
“Well, as long as nothing unusual happens, the magic won’t awaken. My rough calculations suggest it won’t unless she experiences a severe shock or life-threatening injury.”
At my words, the Hero nodded slightly.
“I see. Personally, I lean toward sealing it… but…”
“You want to hear her opinion eventually, right?”
“Yes. When she grows up and can judge for herself.”
When she becomes an adult, that should work.
“Then perhaps sealing it first would be best.”
Seal it first, unlock it if she desires power, otherwise keep it sealed.
“If my daughter chooses to seal her magic, it feels like passing the problem onto future generations. Even for her sake, it bothers me that it might trouble our descendants.”
“Well, the sealed magic won’t awaken under normal circumstances. Plus, if it does during a life-or-death situation, it could grant another chance at life for your descendants.”
“But…”
Tsk. This guy has gotten soft since retiring and putting down the sword!
“Then let me offer some help.”
“You?”
I nodded slightly.
“If your descendant awakens my magic in a dire situation, leaving it unchecked could threaten humanity. So…”
“If you help, I can rest assured, but how exactly?”
“Hmm…”
After thinking for a moment, I spoke.
“Since the person holding my magic will have a connection to me, I’ll assist through your descendant’s body when the magic awakens.”
“Through my descendant’s body?”
“Yes. Using the connection between your descendant and me, I can control their body as if it were my own. I can save them and teach them how to use the power.”
At my words, the Hero thought for a moment before speaking.
“Is that possible? You and my descendant sharing one body?”
“If I can control multiple bodies alone, why wouldn’t several people sharing one body be possible?”
It’s like having multiple personalities. There might be some minor disputes over who takes the lead.
But mostly, I’ll leave it to the Hero’s descendant unless there’s a serious issue.
I’m already busy managing my divine duties with this one body.
“Anyway, all this depends on whether your daughter chooses to seal her magic. If she doesn’t, this plan is meaningless.”
I looked at the Hero’s daughter playing outside.
The small silver-haired girl running into her mother’s arms after finishing her village errands.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“No! The first Hero’s companion was undoubtedly the Dragon Priestess!”
“Tch! Where did you hear such folklore?! It’s all documented! About the first Hero’s partner! Not the Dragon Priestess, but another woman!!! There are even testimonies from those who attended the wedding!”
“Ugh, seriously?! Then why does the first Hero’s daughter look exactly like the Dragon Priestess?!”
“That’s… Perhaps the Dragon Priestess blessed the Hero’s daughter!”
“Would a blessing make someone look identical?! If that were true, everyone blessed by the Divine Hall gods would look like statues of the gods?!”
“Then why record another woman as the Hero’s companion?”
“Perhaps there was pressure from the Church of Life! A sacred maiden of the Church of Life bearing the Hero’s child? That would be blasphemy! Blasphemy!!”
“Enough!! Enough!!!! I can’t listen anymore! I refuse to entertain your claims!!! Do you realize the consequences of offending the Church of Life like this???!”
– A conversation between a historian and their disciple.
No one else heard their discussion.
