Chapter 130

At the instant, gravity was amplified. If the weight of one’s body were to suddenly increase fiftyfold, it’s a given that their limbs would shatter.

No matter how much unending life someone might possess, they’d be utterly helpless in a situation where they couldn’t move, right?

And so, I sat atop the back of the man sprawled on the floor like a frog crushed under a wheel and spoke.

“Truly, if you’d wanted to lift that curse, it would’ve been faster to use the method I mentioned at the start.”

“Grrr… Method?! What method are you talking about?!”

Look at this guy. Was he really forgetting all along?

Even if his life had been nothing but suffering thanks to all the gods’ trolling, how could he have completely forgotten the only way to resolve such an issue? Really?

I taught him everything from the very beginning, yet he forgot it all? For real?? Seriously?!?!

Tch. No wonder the people of Arcad lost their country because of this idiot.

Though, to be fair, I was the one who cast that curse…

But never again will I cast a curse like that. If I must curse someone, it’ll only affect the person responsible—not others.

After an entire nation crumbled and countless people suffered, this is the lesson I learned… The price was far too great.

Still, I’m no omnipotent god. There’s nothing I can do about it now.

With a small sigh, I pressed down even harder on the guy splayed across the ground.

“Nee-san cast the curse… Could it be…?”

The hero finally seemed to catch on.

“That guy?! The one who messed with Nee-san on the day I drew my sword?!”

Messed around, huh? Yeah, that sounds about right.

“Did you figure it out?”

“Of course! That memory remains crystal clear even after several decades.”

For the hero, it must’ve been the day his life changed entirely. It makes sense he’d remember it.

“Is that cursed fellow still alive?”

“With the immortality curse I placed, there’s no way he could’ve died.”

Other than that, though—despite enduring every hardship imaginable—there was nothing else for him.

“Immortality… So that’s a curse?”

“I also cursed the land of Arcad. Before Arcadia was established, there was a country called Arcad. Since its prince disrespected the Goddess of Life and her temple, I cursed the land so that no new life could be born there.”

Upon hearing this, the hero paused for a moment, then shook his head as he replied.

“Now I understand why such a powerful and vast nation declined so quickly. Still, cursing an entire country like that seems a bit excessive, doesn’t it?”

“But could I just let someone who insulted the Goddess of Life and their nation go unpunished? Though I admit, it probably was a bit harsh…”

“The former king of Arcadia must’ve shaken with fear upon hearing that.”

Ah, the king of Arcadia handed the throne to his eldest son and returned to the lands of Arcadia, living quietly ever since. Rumor has it he now cares for a Killer Queen that has survived through multiple generations, worshipping the First Beast. Honestly, at his age, death wouldn’t come as a surprise.

As for the queen, thanks to the First Beast, she remains robust—I guess divine favor really does make a difference.

The hero, too, in a way, is favored by the gods. Hmm…

“At the time, I acted rashly, but now I regret it. From now on, if I ever cast a curse, it’ll only target the individual involved.”

While reflecting on my past actions, I listened to the groans of pain from the man squashed beneath me until the hero’s daughter and her family entered, accompanied by a middle-aged woman I hadn’t seen before.

“Hmm? Daughter, who is this person?”

“Oh, she’s a guest. She said she had business with Dad and Aunt.”

A guest? For me and the hero?

I turned my gaze toward the middle-aged woman.

“Ahh! Uncle!”

The woman gasped loudly upon seeing the man crushed beneath me.

“Is this fool part of your group?”

The middle-aged woman alternated her gaze between me and the man beneath me, clearly unsure what to do.

Judging by her apparent errand here, she must know I’m the Dragon Priestess. She’s likely caught in a bind, unsure whether to act or not.

Though she appears older than the man beneath me, considering the immortality curse, it makes sense, I suppose.

“Take this fool and leave. Whatever business you have with us will surely be futile.”

I released the gravity pressing down on the man, then flung his battered body toward the middle-aged woman. His shattered limbs began regenerating almost instantly, rewinding time as if healing backward.

The curse of immortality. This accursed one carries the burden of such a curse, unable to die despite wishing for death. A foolish one who stubbornly insists on being killed, having forgotten the solution I once provided.

After observing this insignificant man, the middle-aged woman knelt before me and the hero.

“I beg of you! Please lift the curse from Uncle! I’ll do anything!”

She bowed deeply, her forehead touching the ground.

Who exactly is she, and why does she call this fool “Uncle”? Why is she pleading so earnestly for the curse to be lifted?

“Who are you? And what connection do you have to this fool that you’d bow your head like this?”

In response to my question, the middle-aged woman remained bowed and spoke.

“Uncle is my benefactor. If it weren’t for Uncle saving me, I would’ve already died.”

“Hmm…? This fool helping someone?”

That’s hard to believe. The idea of this fool aiding another feels as absurd as the sun rising in the west.

“Difficult to swallow, isn’t it?”

Regardless, it’s none of my concern.

“But it’s true. Even while being hunted by others, Uncle helped me.”

Hunted? By others?

Ah, right. With curses from other gods, he must’ve been treated like a walking calamity—a disaster deity bringing typhoons, torrential rains, wildfires, and earthquakes wherever he went. Humans would’ve chased him relentlessly.

Using immortality as a weapon against humans might’ve worked, but doing so would’ve only worsened the situation instead of improving it.

“So, this happened many decades ago. On a cold winter’s day when icy winds howled.”

—

A bleak winter where farmers faced poor harvests, hunters returned empty-handed, and fishermen caught nothing but disappointment.

Back then, I was terribly ill.

My father, the village chief of a fairly large town, worried endlessly over my condition.

I was always frail, but that year, my health deteriorated even further—

“Hold on, stop there.”

“Yes?”

“That’s enough reminiscing. I don’t want to hear the whole story.”

It’s predictable: how tough things got, how this fool saved her, allowing her to survive, followed by years of hardships… Same old tale. Stretching it out unnecessarily would just drag things on. Keep it short and concise. There’s no point elaborating on details I’m not curious about.

“Hmph, but… There’s the story of how I met Uncle, parted ways, and our emotional reunion…”

“I’m not interested in hearing all that. Summarize the key points briefly.”

The middle-aged woman thought long and hard, carefully choosing her words before speaking.

“Uncle saved me when I was abandoned by my family. With scarce food supplies, they couldn’t afford to feed me due to my poor health and inability to work effectively.”

Ah, so they discarded the child they deemed least useful during times of scarcity. Harsh indeed.

“In that dire moment, Uncle found and took care of me. He watched over me as I lay dying in the freezing forest.”

Watched over? This fool? Surely, I’m mistaken.

“When Uncle placed his hand on my head, my health slowly began to improve. At the time, I didn’t know how he did it, but now I understand—he shared his vitality with me.”

Vitality… Hmm… How ironic that someone cursed for offending the Goddess of Life would wield such power.

“After recovering, Uncle tried to send me back home, but I didn’t want to return. I clung to him, begging to travel together.”

The woman paused briefly to catch her breath before continuing.

“Uncle refused, saying he was cursed by the gods. The wrath of the gods was chasing him, and traveling together would put me in danger.”

Her eyes glimmered with affection for this fool.