The Hero's Bloodline (1)
The Hero gazed out the window with a worried look on his face, watching the little girl playing outside. She had hair dyed silver just like mine. The girl whose life I'd saved with my power—and who was starting to transform into something not quite human because of it.
"What do you think, Hero?"
"We can't just leave her like this, can we? More importantly, how long are you going to keep calling me 'Hero'? It's been years since I hung up my sword."
"Hmm. Your name just doesn't roll off the tongue for me. And until the day you die, you'll always be my Hero."
"Then what's the point of giving you a new name? On top of that, since you keep calling me Hero in front of my wife, now my daughter calls me Hero too."
"Isn't it great? Now I can tell stories of your exploits."
"Well, that's true, but..."
The Hero let out a small sigh before continuing.
"You've really never changed, sis."
"You've changed a lot, though."
The Hero was well into his mid-fifties now. Creeping into old age. And yet, he still looked like he was in his late thirties. His wife was the same, of course.
"The kid who used to call me 'sis' all casually now treats me with such respect. He used to be kinda cute, but... aww."
"What can you do? Humans change. It's inevitable."
The Hero turned his gaze back to his daughter frolicking outside.
"With so much changing around me, I had to change too."
And just like that, his face softened into that of a father's—completely different from the days when he'd slain monsters for humanity. It was a face full of something precious, one I'd never seen on him before.
"Every time I look at my daughter, I know I made the right choice getting married."
"You've really changed."
I just gave a small smile as I watched him.
"Anyway... what should we do about her?"
"Hmm. I've got two ideas in mind. But first things first: we can't remove my mana from her."
"Really?"
"Sure, if we didn't care about her life, it might be possible. But that's not what I want."
If I forcibly reclaimed my mana, all tangled up in her countless cells... how long could she last? Probably not even a day. Yanking it out would leave her body riddled with microscopic holes, like a sponge.
My original plan was to substitute my mana for her life force until it activated on its own, then gradually withdraw it while regenerating her body. But for some reason—maybe our mana meshed too well—it's fused with her at the cellular level.
It might be possible to painstakingly separate every trace of mana from between her cells, but that could take over a century.
The cause? Not sure, but it probably has something to do with her parents. The Hero, who wielded a sword I forged and adventured with me for so long. His wife, whose body regenerated with my mana after death, keeping her forever young. Their child was bound to be extraordinary.
Maybe that's why she was born so early... Could it be related to her unusual birth? Who knows. Even I don't know everything about this world.
Anyway.
"Option one: Teach her how to control the mana thoroughly so she can protect herself."
Honestly, I think it's the easiest way. Ignoring the fact that she'd become a superhuman, swept up in immense power.
If we overlook that issue... it'd be perfect.
"That's a bit..."
If her father weren't the Hero, the pinnacle of human strength. He'd wielded his sword to great acclaim, so he knew better than anyone the dangers of wielding vast power.
The Hero's strength. Those who coveted it. Those who exploited his fame. There were far too many snakes out there.
"Personally, I think it's the simplest approach."
"But wouldn't that give her power beyond human limits?"
"Exactly. And her lifespan would stretch far longer than a human's."
Her body would be almost like a fragment of mine. Easily a thousand years. Her current look is just missing horns, but otherwise, she's the spitting image of me. No wonder travelers sometimes mistake us for sisters.
"In a way, it might be the best path for her. She'd have great power and a long life."
Whether her mind could endure it was another matter entirely.
"Maybe. But from someone who's wielded great power, I think we need to decide carefully."
"Hmm. Spoken like a true veteran."
"Well, I didn't have much choice back then."
Once he drew that sword, other options vanished.
"Ultimately, her own opinion matters most, but..."
"She's still too young to make such a big decision."
"Hmm... That leads to option two, then."
"Option two?"
I nodded slightly and continued.
"Seal the mana inside her."
"Seal it?"
"Yeah. If we seal it so it can't activate, she can live as a normal human. Her hair might not revert, but dye could handle that."
If she wants a normal life, keeping the seal indefinitely would make it happen.
"Sealing... That's possible?"
"Well, it's my mana, so containing it to prevent activity is straightforward enough."
Separating the tangle is the hard part. But putting the whole mass to sleep, mimicking normal cells? Easy.
Still.
"It's not problem-free. The sealed mana is part of her cells now, so it could pass to her children."
It'd dilute over generations, but...
"So... we'd be passing the burden to our descendants?"
"Eh, it won't awaken under normal circumstances. From my rough calculations... it only triggers from near-death trauma or mortal wounds."
The Hero nodded slowly at my words.
"I see. Personally, I'm leaning toward sealing, but..."
"You want to hear her opinion first?"
"Yes. Not now, but a few years from now, when she's old enough to decide for herself."
A few years. Around adulthood, say.
"Sealing it for now might be best, then."
Seal first. If she wants the power later, unseal. If not, keep it sealed.
"If she chooses sealing, it burdens her descendants. Even for my daughter, it feels wrong to trouble future generations."
"The mana won't awaken normally. And if it does—in a life-or-death crisis—it's like giving your lineage an extra life."
"But..."
Aw, come on. This guy's gotten soft since he aged and sheathed his sword!
"Fine, I'll help out a little."
"You will, sis?"
I nodded.
"If my dormant mana awakens in your descendants, it'll be a dire crisis. Leaving a human wielding it unchecked would threaten humanity."
"If you help, I can rest easy. But how?"
"Hmm..."
I thought for a moment, then said,
"She'll be connected to me through my mana. When it awakens, I can borrow her body to intervene."
"Borrow her body?"
"Yeah. Using the link between us, I can control her body like my own. Save her, teach her how to use the power. Done."
The Hero pondered, then replied.
"Is that possible? You and my descendant sharing one body?"
"I juggle multiple bodies alone. Multiple minds in one? Piece of cake."
Like split personalities. Might be some squabbles over control, but I'd mostly defer to his descendant unless issues arose. I've got my hands full playing god in this body.
"Of course, that's only if she chooses sealing. If not, it's moot."
I looked out the window at the Hero's daughter, dashing into her mother's arms as she returned home from village errands. The tiny silver-haired girl.
"No! Listen! The First Hero's companion was absolutely the Dragon Priestess!!"
"Hey now! Where'd you pick up that scandalous nonsense? It's all recorded! The First Hero's companion was some other woman, not the Dragon Priestess!!! Eyewitness accounts from the wedding guests survive!"
"Argh, seriously!!!! Then why does the First Hero's daughter look exactly like the Dragon Priestess?!"
"Well... maybe the Dragon Priestess blessed the daughter!"
"Does a blessing change your looks?! Then everyone blessed by Pantheon gods would look like divine statues?!"
"Then why record some other woman as his companion?"
"The Life Church had their biases! The Dragon Priestess, their saintess, marrying the Hero and bearing his child? Blasphemy! Blasphemy!!"
"Enough!! Stop!!!! I can't listen anymore! Pretend I never heard your nonsense!!! You know what happens if you upset the Life Church!!!"
No one else overheard it.