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

And so it was decided that I would leave the village with Tia.

Really... how did it come to this?

It's true that I wanted to leave this village, but I didn't intend to leave so suddenly.

At least I was planning to leave after making some preparations...

And to smash everything? Without even knowing what danger there is?

Well, since Tia is a dragon, she may actually be able to do that.

"Oh my back... It's been so long since I lifted it, it's so heavy."

After finishing the conversation to some extent, the priest went back to his room for a moment, and then brought out a large box with a grunt, opening the lid to show the hammer inside.

"Here. This hammer was the weapon your mother used. It was made by a dwarf who helped her when she was an adventurer."

The huge hammer inside the box. Its length was about as tall as me, and the hammer head at the end looked bigger than my head... Can this really be called a hammer?

Honestly, this doesn't seem like something made for humans to use. It looks like a hammer a giant from stories would use.

Mom... used this monstrous thing as a weapon? Really?

"Hoh... this is quite a well-made item."

Tia began to examine the hammer with keen interest.

"An item forged from a whole lump of iron. It must have taken considerable effort. The current dwarves have advanced their skills to this level."

"Hoh. You can tell at a glance. It's a hammer called the Earth Smasher. A skilled dwarf spent a long time making this item. Its value is beyond words."

The jet-black iron hammer. The Earth Smasher. The priest held out the handle towards me.

"Try lifting it."

"But..."

Could I really lift something that looks so heavy?

Among my peers, there was no one stronger than me... Honestly, I was stronger than the adult male priest...

But for me to lift something this huge...?

Reluctantly, I gripped the handle of the large hammer the priest handed me.

"Huh?"

I lifted it up lightly, easier than expected.

What is this? I thought it would be extremely heavy... Is the exterior just for show and the inside hollow?

No, if that were the case, the priest wouldn't have struggled with it earlier. What is this?

"As expected, you lift it nimbly. In fact, that hammer uses a special dwarven technique to enhance the owner's physical strength using their innate magic."

"Indeed, a magic weapon made using dwarven blessings to increase physical strength. Well, to wield such a heavy hammer as a weapon, ordinary strength would not suffice."

"Thanks to that, Ella, who was already quite strong, became even stronger. Any monster struck in the head would be sent straight to the afterlife."

I moved the hammer in my hand around. Hmm... It feels lighter than the axe I used for chopping firewood.

At this level... I could probably swing it.

"Of course, it would take some practice to use it as a weapon properly. Originally I had planned to teach you calmly over about a year..."

"Well, with me accompanying you it should be fine."

Tia said confidently. Certainly, if traveling with a dragon, what is there to be afraid of?

The dragon Tia herself is scary! For now she's being friendly towards me, but!

The dragons from stories were terrifying monsters, so even if Tia is the Dragon's Priestess, I'm still afraid of her!

"Despite my appearance, I'm quite skilled with weapons. I'll teach you how to use them in our travels together."

"I appreciate you offering, but do priestess know how to use weapons too?"

"Of course. If I didn't know how to use that sword, how could I teach its techniques?"

That sword...? Surely not the hero's sword?

The sword I've only heard about in stories... Tia has it?!

Then is Tia really the Dragon's Priestess from the stories?!

"Ti-Tia. By any chance... do you have the hero's sword?"

"Maybelle."

"But priest! The legendary hero's sword! Anyone who grew up hearing the hero's tales would want to see it!"

Even the priest scolding me had an oddly excited look on his face! He wants to see the hero's sword too!!

The priest who normally tells me to be honest with myself! Is being evasive this time!!!

"Well, the hero's story is the dream of all children, so to speak. I've heard the story since I was young too."

See! He also wants to see it, doesn't he?

"Hmm... Well, it doesn't really matter if I show it. After all, the hero is no longer around."

"Really?!"

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The priest is more excited than me. Well, it's only natural.

The hero is the one who traveled the world on behalf of the Goddess of Life, so of course the priest of the Temple of Life would be delighted.

With the priest's eyes sparkling, Tia pulled something out.

A small leather pouch. No matter how you look at it, it's too small to hold the hero's sword.

Tia calmly inserted her hand into the pouch and...

"Ta-da."

A massive greatsword emerged from the pouch.

What's this? Is this also magic? How amazing!

"This is... Don't tell me, a spatial magic?!"

"Spatial magic? What's that?"

"It's a legendary magic that is said to have no successful recreations. The only known user is... the Dragon's Priestess from the stories. It's such a fantastical magic that it's thought to be an exaggeration in the stories, and it has disappeared from most tales, known only to a few researchers."

At the priest's words, Tia wore a self-assured smile.

"It's not something that can be easily replicated, is it? I put a lot of thought into creating this magic myself. If you claim to be able to replicate it, that would be more amazing."

"This magic is actually possible? Wait a moment. Did you say you created this magic yourself?"

"Yes. I made it directly."

At Tia's words, the priest fell silent, his expression frozen.

"Th-that is, um... Excuse me, but... are you the Dragon's Priestess from the hero's story?"

"Yes, that's right. Didn't you already figure it out?"

"No, I... I thought you were a newly appointed Dragon's Priestess... No, I mean... Are you truly the Dragon's Priestess who traveled with the hero?"

Tia responded with a small nod of her head.

"Ah, how... It's estimated that was hundreds of years ago... How can you still be alive as a human from that time..."

Ah, I see. The priest didn't know Tia was a dragon.

He must have thought she was just a human, even the Dragon's Priestess from the story.

"I'm a bit curious about how that story has been passed down, but let's move on. And since you've confirmed it's me, don't keep asking about it over and over."

"Goodness... Goddess of Life..."

At the priest's invocation of the goddess's name, Tia flinched slightly. Perhaps because she is the Dragon's Priestess, the embodiment of the Goddess of Life.

"Anyway, my identity isn't that important, so let's keep it a secret. If the news spreads, it might cause some troublesome issues."

"Understood."

After hearing the priest's response, Tia held the greatsword horizontally.

"This is the hero's sword, Chloive Solais. Only the chosen one can wield this sword."

The massive greatsword, blended with silver and gold, with a large gem at its center. At a glance, it looks more like an art piece than a weapon, but the chilling light emanating from the blade reveals that this is no ordinary item.

"This is... the hero's sword..."

"To be able to see the actual item is truly moving."

The priest, saying these words, produced a papyrus and a small piece of charcoal, and said,

"If it's alright, may I draw a sketch of the hero's sword? I'd like to record and preserve its appearance."

"Un. Go ahead."

"Thank you!"

When Tia gave her permission, the priest was overjoyed and spread the papyrus he held on the table, and began to draw with a piece of charcoal on the papyrus.

Hmm... I didn't know the priest had this kind of skill, but he seems to be quite a good artist.

The charcoal in the priest's hand was almost perfectly tracing the shape of the hero's sword.

Hmm... I'll leave the priest, who is absorbed in drawing the picture.

"So, when do you plan to depart?"

"Hmm. The sooner the start of such a journey, the better."

The sooner the better...?

Does that mean...?

"Let's depart tomorrow morning. If it wasn't evening right now, I would have left immediately."

Tia gave a small shake of her head.

"Traveling on a night road where nothing is illuminated except starlight and moonlight... Even if I don't mind it alone, it's a bit of a hassle to go with someone else."

"Normally, you would use torches or something to light the way."

"While it's possible to travel long distances instantly through spatial movement, that way you can't fully enjoy the atmosphere of the journey. Anyway."

Spatial movement...? Is it a magic that can instantly bring you up from the depths of a deep cave, like blinking an eye?

Just how many magics does Tia know? I was a little curious about that