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

"What is beyond death?"

One day, the hero asked me.

"Beyond death?"

"Yes. When life comes to an end, death is inevitable, so wouldn't that death also have an end? What is beyond that death?"

"The end of death... If you're talking about the very bottom of the Afterlife, there are the three gods of the Afterlife."

At my words, the hero shook his head slightly.

"Didn't you tell me about the Afterlife before? About how the souls are judged by the gods of the Afterlife, cleansed of their sins, and then reborn into a new life having their memories erased."

"That's right. I did tell you that."

It seems he still remembered the story I had told him when we were traveling together.

I picked up an apple that was placed on the table next to the bed where the hero was lying. I carefully peeled the skin off with a magic knife, then cut it into bite-sized pieces and brought them to the hero's mouth.

However, the hero couldn't put the sliced apple in his mouth.

"Can't you eat it?"

"No, I don't have an appetite."

"And you haven't even had breakfast."

I clicked my tongue softly. If I wanted to, I could easily extend his lifespan. But the hero was refusing.

"Isn't it the natural order of things for life to be born, live, grow old, and die? Just because I have been with the Goddess of Life, it is not right to deviate from that principle."

"Even if I don't want that?"

"Yes, it's my small stubbornness."

The weary-looking hero lay back down on the bed.

"Let's return to the original topic. What is beyond death?"

"The soul is cleansed and reborn, carrying an untainted spirit."

"Then what happens to the souls that pass the judgment of the three gods of the Afterlife?"

At the hero's words, I was silent for a moment.

"There haven't been any souls that have passed that judgment yet."

"The criteria for the judgment must be very strict."

And it was indeed the case.

How many things do humans do in their lives? Are there no malicious acts at all in all those things? Is goodness present in everything?

Or have they accomplished such great deeds that even those malicious acts become meaningless?

To the point of being called a hero? To the point of being praised by the world?

At least so far, there have been no such souls.

It's to the point where even the three gods who pass the judgment are said to need a little leniency.

"The truth is... there haven't been any souls that have passed the judgment, so the place beyond it hasn't been created yet."

If that place... I'll temporarily call it Paradise for now.

Before creating Paradise, I had the idea of gathering the souls that passed the judgment separately, but... hmm.

"Is that really okay?"

"Since there haven't been any souls that have passed the criteria, it's fine to make it in advance, but..."

Traveling the world with you has been more enjoyable than I thought. I had put it off for later.

"It was just temporarily postponed. And... you seem like you'll be the first soul to pass that judgment. I should start preparing it soon."

I have some methods in mind for creating a new world.

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"Me? What great deeds have I done?"

"Haven't you performed good deeds for the world?"

As a hero, the great feats you've accomplished in saving the world and defeating monsters are unparalleled good deeds.

If you don't pass the judgment, then who will?

"If you don't pass the judgment, then no one else will."

At my words, the hero laughed awkwardly and said,

"I don't think I'm that extraordinary..."

"Hold your head high. You will be known as the first true hero in this world."

The elderly hero straightened his posture a bit stiffly, then coughed.

I held the hero's hand and used my life-giving power to make his body a little more comfortable.

"Really... do you not need it?"

"No, it's already enough."

The hero lay back down deeply into the bed.

"My wife has been gone for a long time. Most of the people I knew are gone now, and my daughter has become a wrinkled old woman, and her children have started their own families... Isn't there no reason left for me to continue this life?"

"Yes, that's true."

The hero's age was already over 100 years old.

The hero's daughter had become a grandmother in her 60s, and her grandchildren had already married, had children, and established their own families.

The hero's descendants had now grown to the point of forming a small village.

"There is no longer even a founding king of Arcadia. Hmm. There are no longer any people I can truly call friends."

"But didn't that fellow return to his hometown before he died?"

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The curse on Arcadia's land had disappeared. That land had now become a place where life was reborn.

The last prince of Arcadia is said to have returned to his hometown before his death, and fell into a peaceful sleep among the remnants of the city, never to wake up again.

"It was his wish to return to his hometown. In the end, he was able to rest in peace in his hometown."

"Un."

He must have longed for his hometown so much, to the point of wanting to be buried there.

"With such a great achievement of founding a large country, he couldn't even pass the judgment of the Afterlife... It's too strict."

"In his case... the judgment has been suspended."

His soul was entangled with both good and evil deeds, as well as his great achievements, making it difficult to reach a verdict.

Since he was praised as the founding king among humans, it seems he will eventually pass, even if it takes some time.

"The place he will go to after passing the judgment... you said it hasn't been created yet, right?"

"Yes. If there is an existence that can pass the Afterlife's judgment and receive the approval of the three gods... a suitable place is needed, but I'm still pondering what would be best."

Heaven, paradise, Elysium - it will be called by various names, but while I have planned the method of creating it, I'm still unsure of the exact form.

A place that is not physical where only souls exist, a place where only happiness resides, a place where one can be eternally happy.

That may be what paradise is, but... I'm not sure.

Is eternal happiness paradise? If one remains unchanging and happy until the world disappears, wouldn't that be similar to preservation?

A space where one is forced to remain happy forever, like preservation.

I don't know. I don't know what is right. Even though I have the power, I don't know anything properly.

"You seem to have a lot of worries."

"Yes, the worries never end."

It would have been easier to just leave everything alone and observe the world from afar, but I had delved too deeply into it.

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"Try to think of it comfortably. Comfortably."

"How can I think of it comfortably?"

It's a place where souls worthy of respect will come, so I can't create it carelessly.

"Couldn't you create a place according to what the souls desire?"

"Desire?"

"Yes. In my case... it would be a landscape like this village. I quite enjoyed the simple life here."

Hmm... If I do that, it might be problematic. If the number of people destined for that paradise increases, I don't know how vast a place would be needed.

And if those who enter there wish to live together with their loved ones... it would become even more complicated.

It's not easy. There's nothing easy about it.

"Well, I don't really want to go there."

"What?!"

What do you mean you don't want to go there?! If you don't go, then who will?!

"You said only those who pass the judgment can enter, right?"

"Yes, that's right. Only the select few who pass the judgment will be allowed to enter."

"Then, my wife won't be there, will she?"

I couldn't say anything in response to the hero's words.

"I didn't know you cherished your wife so dearly."

"Well, after living together, I've grown quite attached. Now I just want to see her face again."

The hero let out a small laugh.

"But if her soul is cleansed through the Afterlife's judgment, her memories of you will also be completely erased. Even so, do you still consider her your wife?"

"Well, what does memory matter? Her memory was already lost once before. But we still lived happily together."

I couldn't say anything more.

"If the soul that passes the Afterlife's judgment enters the place that my sister creates... will I not be able to meet that person again?"

"The possibility of that is high. Even if your wife passes the Afterlife's judgment in her next life, the soul at that time will have accumulated different memories."

"Hmm... In that case, I also wish to be reincarnated."

"Are you saying you want to meet her again in your next life?"

The hero nodded his head slightly.

Oh dear... this foolish man...

"The soul that does not pass the Afterlife's judgment will have its memories completely erased and live a new life. Even though it would be difficult to call her your wife, are you saying you will be reborn to meet that person?"

"Yes. It is a foolish choice, isn't it?"

I couldn't say anything more.

Could there be an even more foolish choice than this?

But...

"Alright. I will respect your choice."

"Really?"

"However, you must go to the paradise that I will create."

"What? Didn't you say you would respect my choice?"

Yes, I will respect it.

But the fact that you will be the first resident of the paradise remains unchanged.