Chapter 131

“Looks like this story’s gonna take a while. We’ll head back for now and come again later. Doesn’t seem like one we should barge into recklessly anyway.”

As the middle-aged woman continued her tale, the hero’s daughter left with her family.

Hmm. Dinner plans with the hero’s family… They’ve been ruined by an uninvited guest. Ugh.

There’s nothing to do but finish quickly and eat!

“After that, Uncle kept pushing me away, but in the end my stubbornness won out, and I ended up traveling with him. The purpose of the journey was… to lift Uncle’s curse.”

The woman’s words flowed on endlessly.

“Uncle didn’t tell me much about the curse. All he said was that he had angered a god and now calamity hovered around him.”

Hmph… Calamity circling because of a curse? Could this be him hiding something he doesn’t want to admit?

If he disrespected a temple or its deity while hitting on some woman… yeah, he deserves the curse.

“Still, we traveled the world together. Along the way, we helped people suffering like me and others who were oppressed.”

It’s hard to believe this fool actually helped anyone…

Maybe helping others wasn’t his intention at all.

Perhaps it was unavoidable situations or the woman dragging him into helping others.

Well, even if unintentional, aiding others counts as good karma, no matter how slight.

Maybe there’s a bit more to him than meets the eye.

“Tha, that’s enough…”

In the midst of her storytelling, the fool slowly regained his senses and spoke softly.

“Even though Uncle couldn’t walk properly under the sun, even though he suffered from flowing water and faint flames, he never stopped traveling. A journey to find a way to break the curse. Despite countless calamities, Uncle helped people. So many followed him—over a hundred!”

Over a hundred following this idiot? Hmm…

Yeah, they probably didn’t know what sins he’d committed before helping them.

“While being near Uncle meant getting caught in divine calamities, others stayed safe by forming villages away from him. Only I traveled with him.”

Saying this, the middle-aged woman wore a proud expression for some reason.

“At one point, a king coveted Uncle’s power—the power to neither age nor die. He believed obtaining Uncle’s strength would grant him eternal life, which in turn could give him control over the world.”

Of course, someone lusted after eternal life… It’s only natural those who covet such things appear when you have something valuable.

The more you possess, the less you want to walk the dark valley of death.

“When Uncle realized putting others in danger, he secretly left… fully aware of the great peril awaiting him.”

“He, he did it… to get rid of us, the burdensome followers…”

“In the end, Uncle went alone to confront the king and ended his greed. That king, who was infamous among his people, was replaced by a wise prince thanks to Uncle! Thanks to him, an entire nation found a better path!”

Hmm… So the guy who ruined his own kingdom somehow helped another, huh?

“After hearing that, Uncle didn’t push me away when I came looking for him! If he truly disliked my presence, he could’ve easily shaken me off and gone alone!”

“…”

The fool had no reply.

Perhaps the reason he couldn’t shake off the woman… was loneliness?

Earlier, during our fight, he mentioned not wanting a life where he watches others die.

Even this fool seems to dislike being alone.

He must value the lives around him.

“That way, Uncle and I endured countless calamities and kept traveling. Helping untold numbers of people, we searched tirelessly for clues to breaking the curse.”

“Please… stop…”

The fool began speaking in a dying voice, clearly embarrassed by everything being exposed.

“One day, while drunk, Uncle muttered something as he fell asleep—your names, Hero and Dragon Priestess, spoken softly, almost regretfully. Though he revealed little else, it seemed odd upon reflection.”

Something feels off?

“If the curse was divine punishment, wouldn’t the most logical first step be asking the human closest to the gods?”

Indeed, since the person chosen by the Goddess of Life is right here.

A human blessed by the Goddess of Life—like the hero.

“Thinking back later, during Uncle’s travels, there were no instances where our paths crossed with yours. In fact, it almost seemed like he was deliberately avoiding you. Though I realized this far too late.”

“So, that’s why you’ve come to find us?”

After my question, the woman nodded slightly.

“Yes. It took a long time to persuade Uncle, but eventually, after endless convincing, he reluctantly agreed.”

“So, you’ve come seeking us?”

“Yes. You’re our last hope.”

Now that her limbs seemed fully functional again, the middle-aged woman addressed the fool standing beside her.

“Therefore, please, both of you. Lend us your strength to lift the curse from Uncle.”

Placing a hand on her shoulder, the fool spoke.

“It’s enough. They can’t possibly help me.”

“What?! Why?! If the Hero and the Dragon Priestess—two renowned figures I’ve heard so much about—can’t help Uncle…”

The fool remained silent.

Of course he has nothing to say.

How could he tell the woman following him that the cause of his curse was flirting with women and disrespecting gods and temples?

That’s why…

“I can do nothing for him.”

I spoke for the fool.

“What? Why not?”

“Because of the reason behind the fool’s curse.”

I glared icily at the fool, who subtly averted his gaze.

“A direct curse from a god can only be lifted by appeasing the god’s wrath or fulfilling their desires. There’s no other method, so even centuries of searching will yield nothing.”

“But… surely…”

The woman hesitated, lips trembling, but ultimately said nothing.

And the fool himself showed no intention of lifting the curse.

During our fight, instead of asking for the curse to be lifted, he begged to be killed.

Meaning, from the start, he never intended to remove the curse.

“You need to stop foolishly seeking alternatives and focus on what must be done first. If cursed by a god, you must appeal directly to that god. Clinging elsewhere won’t solve anything.”

At this, the fool frowned deeply, clearly disliking the idea of pleading to the Goddess of Life who cursed him.

That’s why the curse remains unbroken after centuries.

So…

“Find the proper solution or kneel before the god and beg forgiveness. Otherwise, it cannot be undone.”

With such a direct hint, his memory should return!

I’m tired of waiting around! Without his stubbornness, I could’ve already lifted the curse long ago!

Though his curse isn’t my concern!

“The proper way…?”

“Yes. The simplest, surest method is the one you’re avoiding.”

Honestly, I thought this fool would arrive at the temple within a few years to beg forgiveness.

I even passed messages through pilgrims. I figured he’d roll around crying and whimpering at the temple within 1-2 years.

But look at him holding out for decades! Incredible!

His persistence shows up in all the wrong places.

“And soon, if the curse isn’t lifted, irreversible consequences might afflict his foolish soul. So drop that ridiculous stubbornness and go beg forgiveness at the temple.”

“Y, yes! So, which god’s temple should we visit first? Since Uncle suffers under the sun, perhaps the God of Light? Or maybe another god with a clear temple…”

“Enough.”

The fool calmed the flustered woman.

“The temple the Dragon Priestess speaks of is undoubtedly the Temple of Life.”

The fool said this with obvious reluctance.

“Since everything started there.”

“I, if that’s the case, let’s hurry there! It’s nearby anyway…”

“No. I don’t want to go there.”

“Uncle!!”

The fool—or rather, the imbecile—spoke with genuine distaste.

“What goddess of life? What compassionate mother? She’s only ever brought me pain. This life wasn’t what I wanted.”

This brat… still refusing to acknowledge his own faults?

Despite countless chances to repent and have the curse lifted, he blames others instead of taking responsibility?

This is hopeless. I should just separate his flesh and bones and eternally torment his soul—

“Fool!”

Before I could act, the hero moved swiftly, delivering a punch straight to the imbecile’s face.

BOOM!!!

The imbecile’s head snapped back violently as he toppled over. His neck might’ve broken.

Watching this, the hero shouted angrily, something rarely seen.

“Refusing to admit fault and throwing tantrums? What a moron!”

Yes! Excellent! Keep going!

I cheered silently behind the enraged hero, dispersing the magic I’d gathered to erase the imbecile.