Whether You Call Me a Guardian Dragon or Not, I’m Going to Sleep

The man with the black hood had concealed his appearance as much as possible, but the tattered state of the black hood suggested he was not a normal human.

As soon as I saw this man, I could roughly guess his identity.

"Dragon's Priestess... you haven't changed at all. Then, are you the hero?"

"That's right, but... who are you?"

However, the hero, who was slicing fruit with a small dagger, did not notice the man's identity.

Well, it's understandable. In the hero's long life spanning decades, the man's involvement was only for a day, and it disappeared in an instant.

If the hero remembered, that would be more surprising.

Without saying a word, the man drew the sword hanging at his waist.

The metallic sword had a reddish color, not a normal sword.

"These days, why are they so ill-mannered, drawing their swords right away without even saying anything... Tsk."

Spitting out words like an old man, the hero's words were ignored as the sword-wielding man charged at him.

"It's been a long time since I retired, but why are there so many greedy for the name of the hero? It's so annoying. Are you not considering appointing a new hero?"

"As long as you're alive, that won't happen."

"I wasn't particularly worried, but..."

Calmly continuing the conversation, the hero lightly evaded the sword swung at him.

"The speed is quite fast. It's threatening."

Despite his aging body, the hero's swordsmanship, honed by not neglecting to wield the sword, had transcended mere technique and become a form of art.

Using the fruit knife, the hero deflected the red sword, evaluating the man's attack.

"But the trajectory is very simple. Thanks to that, it's not difficult to evade. It won't be a major threat to opponents of similar speed."

The man tried to push the hero back with a series of rapid attacks, but the hero slightly pierced the core of the sword with the knife, completely twisting the sword's trajectory.

The hero's effortless nullification of the powerful attack was truly the work of a sword master.

The man continued to attack the hero, but the hero skillfully handled the knife, deflecting the attacks.

After dozens of exchanges, the hero said, "Alright, let's stop here. Among the recent opponents, you were the strongest."

The man, with his wrist cut by the hero's knife, dropped his sword.

"Your swordsmanship doesn't seem systematically trained, are you perhaps a mercenary? It's close to a swordsmanship ingrained in your body for survival. But there's a strange calmness in the fundamentals... Hmm, did you only learn the basics properly?"

The hero lightly brushed off the knife and wiped it with his sleeve.

"Ah, I was scolded for using this to fight, and now I'll get another lecture. Sister, can you keep this a secret?"

"You need to be scolded a bit more."

These days, the hero rarely held his sword except during training. Even though the hero's sword was too powerful and dangerous for opponents, a hero who doesn't wield his own sword is rather strange, isn't it?

And then,

The man with the cut wrist let out a small groan, and the tip of the reddish blade changed shape, shooting towards the hero.

It was like a liquid metal... a form resembling a crimson mercury.

Indeed, was that the nature of such an item?

The transformed thin blade shot towards the hero's back.

"Oh dear."

The hero slightly turned sideways and swung the knife, perfectly deflecting the sneak attack from behind.

"An interesting thing you're using. The world is truly vast."

"M-Monster...!"

"Monster? It's just the result of diligent training."

An ordinary person would not be able to block the blade flying towards their back with a knife, but the hero's senses had become razor-sharp, almost superhuman.

"I've traveled the world and done many things, but I've never threatened human lives."

If he was praised, he was praised, What matters is that he has never posed a threat to anyone.

However, this person was a different story.

"Alright, that's enough."

I approached the man in the black hood.

The cut on his wrist had already healed, showing an inhuman recovery rate.

And the response of the tracking marker.

"It's been a while."

I back the hooded cloak, revealing the face beneath.

"You wretched prince who brought down a nation."

His face was now overgrown with a messy, unkempt beard, vastly different from decades ago.

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I looked down at the pitiful man and said,

"Un, I'm curious how you have the nerve to come here. You who were once the second prince of the Arcad Empire."

"......."

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But he did not respond.

If he wanted to beg for forgiveness, I would have told him to go to the Temple of Life and sincerely repent. Why come to the hero and start swinging a sword? Swinging a sword.

The hero has already been grumbling about his aching back, so I'm worried in many ways. Sigh.

Moreover, he's holding such a peculiar sword. I wonder how he made that.

I picked up the sword that was rolling at my feet.

The sword itself looked ordinary, but the peculiar thing was the blade.

I thought it had a reddish glow, but to be precise, something was covering the blade, giving it that crimson hue.

"Hmm. It seems he has mastered something unusual."

The membrane-like thing covering the blade was none other than blood. Blood that was being perfectly controlled through life force.

I knew he had gone through various troubles with his tattered appearance, but... to create something this peculiar, it is quite fascinating.

"Grrk... Kill me...!"

Such lines are not something a ragged, disheveled man should say.

After examining the sword from various angles, I tossed it back to the man and said,

"My question wasn't about that. There was no reason for you to come here in the first place."

I looked down at the man sitting on the floor. His body had already recovered, but he wasn't moving at all.

"...me."

That man muttered in a voice filled with resentment.

"Kill me..."

"Kill you? You?"

"Yes... If it's you, the one who took the place of the goddess who cursed me, then you can kill me..."

The man raised his head and glared at me.

His bloodshot eyes were leaking tears of blood, as if his veins had burst.

"I no longer want to live. Kill me. End this torment of life..."

Towards that man, I briefly responded,

"Why would I?"

"Grrk...! Why won't you just kill me?! I'm begging you to kill me!!! I don't want to endure this pain anymore! I don't want to live a life where I can only watch the deaths of others!!! I want the peace of death!!!"

Hmm, the peace of death, huh.

Well, his life has been tormented by the meddling of various dieties, making death preferable to his current state.

Thanks to the news of what he did to me spreading to other dieties, his body has become one that cannot live a proper life due to the concentrated curses.

If it weren't for the curse of immortality, he would have died hundreds or thousands of times over.

However,

"Without sincerely repenting your wrongdoings and seeking forgiveness, that peace will not come to you."

I had already told him all the methods to lift the curse, but this fool, why is he still here like this?

If he had gone to the Temple of Life and prayed with genuine remorse, I would have lifted it long ago.

"No matter what happens?"

"No matter what happens."

So go to the Temple of Life, that's the quickest solution.

Hmm. Could it be that this man has forgotten or doesn't remember that solution method?

Nah, that can't be. I've been telling him that from the start, unless he's just completely ignored everything I've said.

"Even after this?"

The man picked up the sword that had fallen in front of him and pointed it at my neck.

The life force on the crimson blade. To use it to take away life, how peculiar.

"Immediately, lift my curse. If not, I will kill you."

"Hmm?"

Now he's even threatening me? He's really gone all out, hasn't he?

Does he think I'll lift it just because he says so? No way! Ugh! I don't acknowledge any underhanded tactics outside of the proper solution method!

"If you can, then try it."

"Sister!"

The hero cried out in surprise. Why is he reacting like that? That little sword shouldn't be enough to startle him.

If you know who I am, you shouldn't have any worries, should you?

"Over there! My daughter and her good-for-nothing son-in-law are coming with their grandchild! Hurry up and finish this!"

Well, I figured as much. Your concern for me doesn't make any sense.

Well, I can't let him cause trouble for the hero's daughter and her family.

"Kneel down."

I said in a low voice.

"Gah!"

The man collapsed to the ground in an instant.