Fairy Tale Protagonist
'Did she deliberately throw herself into it? But if so, losing my power doesn't make sense.'
The first suspicion that crossed her mind was that Zara had pulled some trick. There was even the possibility that she'd intentionally baited her into breaking her oath by offering up her own body.
But an oath-break wasn't something that happened so easily. The divine authority wasn't foolish enough to fall for self-inflicted blackmail. If Zara had intended to get cut by the sword, the oath wouldn't have triggered.
Zara hadn't been deliberately cut by the sword. It was simply the result of defeat in battle.
...No, the gods judged fairly. I was the one swayed by my emotions.
Justice was strict and harsh, but it had its own flexibility. In the end, if she hadn't harbored any intent to harm the girl, it wouldn't have escalated to an oath-break.
She had hated the girl from the very first glance. The moment she saw her, she'd wanted to swing her sword and abuse her. She'd envied that innocent goodness.
Yet she'd tried to subdue the girl without harming her—not because of any heroic virtue, but because the hero herself prioritized justice over her own emotions.
But that final strike had carried excessive force. The girl had no strength left to even swing her sword. Even if she'd misjudged the distance, proper control would have spared the girl serious injury.
Emotion had been poured into the blade. That was all.
I tried to crush her with raw power.
In the end, it was simple. She was less virtuous than this girl. Less just. She'd tried to crush the weak with strength and wield violence on a whim of emotion. And in doing so, she'd wounded the girl.
Meanwhile, how noble was this girl? Forgiving even the sinner who'd wounded her, taking up the sword to protect others—how utterly right she was.
...What a shameful thing.
The hero still believed sinners deserved punishment. Even if she'd lost the divine authority granted by the gods, she hadn't lost the morality in her heart. She still wanted to kill that bald man.
[Kill the wicked man who abuses children.]
That was the precept she'd set for herself.
But the girl's actions were so dignified they made even a hero feel shame.
And so, the hero bowed her head to Zara.
"...I'm sorry, child."
The hero bent at a perfect ninety degrees toward the fallen Zara. It was a flawless, courteous apology.
In truth, she felt no regret in that moment. Instead, rage and anguish boiled in her chest at having lost her power because of this girl. She wanted to punch her in the face right then and there.
The hero was poor at acting, so she assumed those feelings showed on her face.
But the girl accepted the apology with disarming ease.
"You're the first person to ever apologize to me...! I'm lucky today. So I'll forgive you this once. Just don't do it again."
"......"
The hero took powdered healing salve from her pouch and sprinkled it on Zara's wound. It would serve as basic first aid.
Zara giggled softly as the hero treated her. The wound stung, but she was used to pain anyway.
To her, the worried voice of Gigachad echoed telepathically.
"Zara-dolt, rest up good so the wound doesn't get infected. Work Hard, Rest Hard. Resting as fiercely as you fight is just as important, you know."
'Hehe. Got it.'
"Good job. Today's Zara-dolt was like a fucking lion."
'Ehehe.'
......
The hero lingered around Zara.
"Why are you following me?"
"To apologize to you."
"You've already apologized."
"Mere words convey nothing. My heart isn't fully in it either, so the only way I can seek your forgiveness is through actions."
"You're a weird lady!"
"...And it's sister, not lady."
"Yes, lady!"
"......"
With the hero nearby, the city's other residents couldn't harass Zara as usual. Of course, the hero had already lost her power... but the armor she wore and the sword in her hand were intimidating enough to any ordinary person.
"...It's strange. Misfortune seems to follow you everywhere. The ground collapses, signs fall—it's like the world itself torments you."
"To me, you look weirder, lady!"
"......"
"Hehe."
Zara went about her usual routine with the hero, cleaning chimneys, getting pelted by stones from neighborhood kids, enduring whispers and curses from passersby.
One thing had changed. Whenever someone tried to bully Zara, the hero stepped in to help.
She chased off the kids throwing stones and scolded those spewing curses.
"Thank you! Today's been a really lucky day."
"...Don't you ever think of leaving this city?"
"It's the same wherever I go. I can run from the city, but not from myself."
"......"
"As long as I exist as me, people will hate me. So what's important is facing my misfortune head-on, right here and now. That's what it means to live proudly with myself..."
"...No. It's not the same wherever you go."
"Pfft, how would a lady who just met me know?"
"Let's go to the Temple of Justice. We act not by sentiment, but by duty and morality. There, you could live like an ordinary child."
"Ehehe. That sounds pretty appealing..."
Zara grinned foolishly and met the eyes of Hero Dandelion. Disgust, envy, rage, disillusionment—negative emotions swirled in the hero's depths. And beneath them, a powerful will crushing them all.
If everyone at the "Temple of Justice" was like Dandelion... then maybe Zara really could live an ordinary life. No random beatings, no sudden curses.
For Zara, who'd endured a lifetime of cruel fate, it was an enticing prospect.
But Zara shook her head.
"Still, wouldn't that be a huge bother?"
"A bother?"
"Yeah. Forcing others to swallow their displeasure and smile because of my misfortune? That's not justice at all! I don't want to dump my bad luck on anyone else. That's pussy shit."
"Aren't you overthinking it?"
"If misfortune is my fate, I'll do my best to find happiness within it. But running from fate and bothering others for my own happiness? I couldn't be proud of myself then."
Zara's gaze turned to Gigachad. Before meeting him, she might have eagerly accepted this lucky offer, too dazed by the windfall to think straight.
That was why Zara was truly an unlucky child. Just when she'd finally decided to confront her misfortune after long suffering... this sweet temptation came along.
If the devil tempts a sufferer in the wilderness, it should be before the fortieth day—not after. After enduring forty days of trial, the sufferer has no choice but to refuse, if only because the time already spent feels too precious.
"I want to be proud of myself."
"How... how can you be so strong?"
"There's── ■■■■ inside me."
"Huh?"
For a moment, the hero's ears caught Zara's voice as noise. It sounded like she'd said something, but she couldn't make it out.
The hero asked again.
"What did you just say?"
"There's a strong will inside me. It's this huge, powerful inner voice that always gives me courage. It tells me to become a better person. To be the master of my own fate."
"Ah..."
"I know I can affirm myself."
Zara's voice rang firm and resolute as she gazed into the void. The hero could only nod.
And then, another thought struck her, and she spoke.
"In that case... why not come with me to the temple and become a hero of justice?"
"Huh?"
"You're more just than I am... You'd surely make a finer hero. Deciding your actions with your own will, unswayed by emotion—that's the greatest virtue for a hero of justice. I think you have the talent for it."
"Uh... ehehe. Really?"
"Once you've become a hero, you can return to the city and live as usual."
"Hmm..."
Zara looked to Gigachad. He simply watched, ready to respect her choice.
After a moment's thought, Zara slowly nodded.
"Sounds good. Becoming a hero. Feels like turning into a fairy tale protagonist. Pretty cool."
"You like fairy tales?"
"Hate 'em. The most in the world."
"Hm?"
"Hehe."