The First Hero. The End of the Adventure. (4)

The hero's wedding with the girl proceeded without any major issues.

Before the ceremony began, several portals appeared at the beach wedding venue I'd prepared. Those who'd received invitations stepped through, tearing the attached tickets to create gates that bridged space itself. The guests entered via these portals.

The guests were stunned by the existence of these space-leaping gates. Especially Procyon's magicians. The dwarves and elves were shocked too, of course, but Procyon's magicians—who realized the gates had been conjured by magic—were even more aghast than the others.

Standing before these guests, I gave a small greeting and spoke up.

"Welcome to the hero's wedding, everyone."

This time, even I was dressed in a fairly elegant gown. It was amusing to see their eyes go wide. I usually just wore baggy white robes! But I'd made a proper dress for once! In this era, where the best clothes were rough leather or coarse cloth, something like this was a rare sight. No wonder their eyes bulged.

"Please take your seats. The ceremony will start soon."

Let's see... My kids had come in human bodies, along with dwarf and elf representatives, a few Procyon magicians... Arcadia's king and queen, and even the Beast God. And since these reps wouldn't travel alone, their entourages had swelled the numbers several times beyond the invitations.

Oh, and for some reason... a few mermaids were waving from the beach. Looks like Thetis, mixed in with the guests, had told them, and they'd come to celebrate the hero's wedding. Hm. I'd forgotten about the mermaids. Oh well, the more guests, the merrier. Every little bit helps.

Once all the guests were seated and the groom and bride were ready...

"We will now begin the wedding ceremony."

And so, the hero's wedding began.

The girl saw the ocean for the first time.

The vast sea glowing deep blue, white foam flowers blooming and fading away. In that scene, humanoids with fish tails leaped from the waves in acrobatic displays before diving back into the depths—a dreamlike sight.

For a girl raised in a remote mountain village, this must have felt unreal.

But it was all real.

"It's your turn now."

Behind her stood her silver-haired savior, the Dragon Priestess—family to the hero, who had spared her life. The priestess extended a hand to guide her. It was time for the girl to make her entrance.

The girl gazed at her reflection in the mirror in the bride's waiting room—a first for her. She wore soft, beautiful clothes that weren't stiff or rough, her face made up prettily, almost unrecognizable. Like she'd polymorphed by magic.

Well, magic had been used, so it wasn't wrong.

She took a deep breath and rose from her chair. A gown of soft white fabric that fluttered like a breeze with every step—beautiful.

But the girl felt it was all too much for her. Marrying the hero she admired, wearing such finery, seeing the ocean for the first time, holding her wedding by the sea... Why was she, of all people, enjoying such luxury?

What had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she done before losing her memories to deserve this?

She couldn't comprehend the fortune pouring her way, but eventually, she gave up trying and accepted it.

Watching her, the Dragon Priestess simply gave her a gentle push.

She hoped the girl would make the hero happy in her place.

With that, the girl opened the door and stepped forward.

Through the wide-open doors, past the assembled guests, to the hero in his suit.

A fairy tale might end with "and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠they lived happily ever after," but reality isn't so kind.

Life goes on, even after the story ends.

Freed from his hero duties, he set down his sword and chose to live with the girl.

And I, to keep my promise to stay with him until his death, settled in the same village.

He and the girl said it was fine to live together, but cramming into a newlywed home? I'd be a third wheel.

So I built a little cabin nearby and took it easy.

Monster threats had dropped a lot anyway, so my main job as the Life Goddess was just general oversight... Oh, right, paradise. I'd already laid the groundwork, so I could take my time.

For now, I'd chill in this quiet rural village.

A year after the hero's wedding.

A child was born to the hero and his wife.

Given their passionate nights, it was inevitable. And though they were older chronologically, their physical ages were still young. No issues there.

Their child was a frail little girl, tinier and weaker than most newborns. She'd come two months early, by my estimate.

And in this era, premies like that rarely survived.

I carefully cradled the still-breathing baby.

The wife was exhausted and asleep; the hero had lost his composure upon realizing the baby wasn't breathing.

I was the only one calm enough to handle it.

"S-Sis... She'll be okay, right...?"

The hero gazed anxiously at the baby in my arms.

"Don't worry. Have you forgotten who I am?"

In ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this era, a premie like this had near-zero survival odds. Without me here, anyway.

I examined the fading life force within her tiny body.

Hm. As a newborn, her body was too fragile. Her life force so weak, it was hard to bolster without risk. Botch it, and I'd do more harm than good.

But what kind of Life Goddess couldn't save one little baby?

I carefully drew out my mana, weaving it delicately into her body. I reinforced her unfinished form with my power.

Too early for proper breathing. I filled the gaps ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with mana, gradually completing her.

Strengthening the body with mana, refining the incomplete parts, bringing her to full, normal life.

"No need to worry anymore."

Her breathing normalized. Good.

An incubator would've been easier, but no such thing existed yet. Had to improvise the hard way.

Still, this much effort for one kid? No biggie.

"Th-Thank you, Sis..."

"No problem. She's family to me too. This was nothing."

I smiled softly at the peacefully breathing infant.

She'd be fine now.

Or so I thought, once upon a time...

"Auntie!"

"Hey there, you little tomboy."

I ruffled the hair of the child clinging to me.

The premie who'd teetered on death's edge at birth had grown into a spirited girl.

"Why's my hair silver like yours, Auntie?"

"Beats me."

Side effect of reconstructing her body with my mana to save her—it was turning her into something eerily like me and my clones. Silver hair for now, but over time... she'd become less human.

And that wouldn't end well for her.

Hm. Time to talk with the hero. Can't let this slide.