“What lies beyond death?”
One day, the hero asked me.
“Beyond death?”
“Yes. Life inevitably ends, bringing death, but even that death must have an end, right? What lies beyond it?”
At my words, the hero slightly shook his head.
“You’ve already told me the story of the Underworld before. Souls face judgment by the gods of the Underworld, receive their punishment, cleanse their spirits, lose their memories, and then live anew.”
“That’s right. I did tell you that.”
It seemed he still remembered what I had told him during our travels together.
I picked up an apple from the table beside the bed where the hero lay.
After carefully peeling it with a blade charged with magical power, I cut it into bite-sized pieces and offered one to the hero.
But the hero couldn’t bring himself to take the piece of apple.
“Can’t you eat?”
“Yes, I’ve lost my appetite.”
“Even though you didn’t eat breakfast?”
I clicked my tongue softly. Even though I could extend his lifespan if I wanted…
The hero refused.
“Isn’t it natural for life to be born, live, grow old, and die? It wouldn’t be right to escape this cycle just because you were with Big Sister and the Goddess of Life.”
“Even though I don’t wish for it?”
“Yes. It’s my small stubbornness.”
With a tired expression, the hero laid back down on the bed.
“Let’s get back to the topic. What lies beyond death?”
“Souls are cleansed and reborn anew, carrying untainted spirits within them.”
“Then what happens to souls that pass the judgment of the three gods of the Underworld?”
For a moment, I was speechless at the hero’s question.
“A soul that has passed their judgment… well, none have yet.”
“Sounds like they’re pretty strict with their standards.”
Indeed, they were.
How many things does a human do in their lifetime? Is there no trace of malice in any of those actions? Are all of them filled with pure benevolence?
Or have they achieved such great deeds that the malice becomes meaningless?
To the extent that they’re called heroes? Praised by the world?
At least so far, such a soul hasn’t existed.
It’s gotten to the point where even the judges among the three gods mutter about relaxing the criteria a little.
“Actually… since no soul has passed the judgment yet, the place beyond hasn’t been created yet.”
If we were to name it temporarily… let’s call it Paradise.
Before creating Paradise, I had thought about gathering souls that passed the judgment temporarily… but…
“Is that alright?”
“Since no soul has passed the judgment, it’s fine. It would be alright to create it beforehand, but…”
Traveling around the world with the hero was more enjoyable than I had expected, so I postponed it.
“It was postponed temporarily. And… since you’ll likely be the first soul to pass the judgment, I should probably start preparing it soon.”
I already had some ideas on how to create a new world.
“Me? What have I done to deserve that?”
“Haven’t you performed good deeds for the sake of the world?”
As a hero, saving the world and defeating monsters is a level of good karma incomparable to anything else.
If the hero can’t pass the judgment, who possibly could?
“If you don’t pass the judgment, no one will.”
At my words, the hero gave an awkward smile.
“I don’t think I’m that remarkable…”
“Stand tall. You’ll become the first being worthy of being called a true hero in this world.”
The aged hero stiffly straightened his chest, then coughed.
I held the hero’s hand and used my life-enhancing abilities to make his body a bit more comfortable.
“Do you really not need it?”
“Yes, it’s already enough.”
The hero sank deeper into the bed.
“My wife left long ago. Most people I knew are gone now, my daughter has become a wrinkled grandmother, and my grandchildren have started families of their own… isn’t there no longer any reason to continue this life?”
“That’s true, it is.”
The hero was over 100 years old.
His daughter was a grandmother in her sixties, and his grandchildren had married, had children, and established homes. The hero’s descendants had even begun forming a small village.
“The founding king of Arcadia is long gone. Hmm. There’s really no one left I can truly call a friend anymore.”
“Still, didn’t that guy step foot on his homeland again before he passed away?”
The curse on the land of Arcad had disappeared. It had become a place where life was reborn.
The last prince of Arcad returned to his homeland before passing away, fell asleep with a peaceful expression amidst the remnants of the city, and never woke up again.
“It was his final wish. He must have been happy to fall asleep in his hometown.”
“Hmm.”
He must have yearned for his hometown so much. So much that he wanted to be buried there.
“Even with the great achievements of establishing such a large nation, not being able to pass the judgment of the Underworld… they’re too strict.”
“In his case… the judgment has been put on hold.”
His soul was tangled with good karma, bad karma, and great achievements, making it difficult for a verdict to be reached.
Though he was celebrated as the founding king among humans, it might take time, but he’ll likely pass eventually.
“The place one goes after passing the judgment… you said it hasn’t been created yet, right?”
“Yeah. For someone who passes the judgment of the Underworld and gains approval from the three gods… a place fitting for such beings is needed, but I’m still contemplating what form it should take.”
Though I’ve conceived various names like Heaven, Paradise, etc., while I have ideas on how to create it, the exact shape it should take is still uncertain.
A place without material existence, where only souls exist, a place where only happiness exists, a place where one can be eternally happy.
This might be what Paradise is, but… I don’t know.
Would eternal happiness be Paradise? Unchanging, continuing until the world disappears?
Might this not be akin to being preserved?
A preserved existence in a space of happiness?
I don’t know. I don’t know what’s right. Called a god, possessing godlike powers, yet knowing nothing properly.
“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”
“Yeah, endless worries.”
Rather than letting everything go and merely observing the world from afar…
I’ve interfered too deeply.
“Think easily. Relax.”
“How can I relax when thinking about a place worthy of respected souls?”
Creating something inappropriate would be troublesome.
“Why not create a place the soul desires?”
“Desires?”
“Yes. In my case… it would be a landscape like this village. I’ve grown fond of living humbly here.”
Hmm… Would that cause problems? If many people enter this Paradise in the future, who knows how vast it needs to be?
And if those entering desire to live alongside others… it would become even more complicated.
Nothing is easy. Not a single thing.
“Anyway, I don’t want to go there anyway.”
“Wha- What?!”
What kind of sudden nonsense is this?! If you don’t go, who will?!
“Didn’t you say only those who pass the judgment can enter?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Only those selected through the judgment can enter.”
“Then my wife won’t be there, will she?”
I couldn’t respond to the hero’s words.
“I didn’t realize you cherished her to such an extent.”
“Yeah. Maybe it’s because we lived together for so long… now I just want to see her face again.”
The hero gave a faint smile.
“But if the soul is cleansed in the judgment of the Underworld, wouldn’t all memories of you be erased as well? Would you still consider her your wife?”
“Well, what’s the importance of memory anyway? Her memory disappeared once before, but we still lived happily together, didn’t we?”
I had no words to reply.
“If I enter the place Sister is creating, where only souls passing the judgment of the Underworld can go… I’d never meet that person again, would I?”
“Most likely. Even if your wife passes the judgment in her next life, that soul would have accumulated different memories by then.”
“Hmm… Then I’d rather reincarnate.”
“You want to meet her again in the next life?”
The hero nodded slightly.
You foolish man…
“Souls that fail the judgment of the Underworld have their memories completely erased and begin a new life. Even if that person is no longer ‘your wife,’ you still want to be reborn to meet her?”
“Yes. Isn’t it a foolish choice?”
I had no words to say.
Could there be a more foolish choice?
But…
“Alright. I respect your choice.”
“Really?”
“However, you must visit the space I’m creating… Paradise.”
“What? Didn’t you say you’d respect my choice?”
That’s right. I do respect it.
Still, the fact that you’ll be the first resident of Paradise doesn’t change.
