The resurrection was over, but...

I looked around at the villagers lying on the ground, and gazed at the devastated village.

"It will take some time for them to wake up.... There's no place to lay them down."

The buildings were all destroyed. During the fight between the hero and the wyvern, they must have caused a lot of destruction, as not a single building was left intact.

This is troublesome.

"But I can't just leave them lying on the ground. Hmm..."

"Shall we build a hut with wood then?"

"That will take time. Wait and see."

I stomped the ground twice, waking up the earth spirit that was sleeping underground.

[Who are you?]

"I am an agent of the goddess who was passing by. I woke you up because I have a task for you."

[Huh? A task... How troublesome... Yawn...]

Despite pretending to hold back their power, the earth spirits are all too self-centered.

"It will be over quickly. Just do one thing."

[Hmm... If I don't help, you'll keep bothering me, right? Tsk.]

"Just help a little. It'll be done soon."

[Alright.]

The earth spirit began using its power according to my will.

A wide open space was leveled, pillars and walls were erected, a large roof was placed on top, and openings for the entrance and ventilation were made, completing a temporary building that could be used.

[All done? I'm going back to sleep now.]

"Okay, sleep well."

The earth spirit fell back asleep, and the hero quickly moved the resurrected people into the building.

"But these people... When will they wake up?"

"Who knows. This is the first time I've actually used it... They should wake up within a few days."

It will take time for them to recover from the shock of their bodies and souls being separated.

Moreover, the process of dying and being resurrected must have had a significant psychological impact.

"There's also a possibility that their memories may have been lost."

"Huh? Their memories?"

"Yes, their memories."

Memories are closely related to the soul, so there's a chance that some of their recent memories may have been lost in the process of resurrection.

Well, it's a small price to pay for being resurrected.

"Their memories... might be gone?"

"We'll have to see how much of their memories are missing once they wake up. It could be just a few days' worth, or even a few months' worth."

Since this is the first time I've actually used it, it's hard to give a definite answer.

"Well, for now, we can only wait and see."

The next day, the resurrected people began to wake up one by one.

Hmm, it seems the resurrection was successful without any major issues!

As for their memories, it seems they've lost an appropriate amount, as they all seem to have forgotten the hero they had been traveling with.

The hero repeatedly showed the villagers the giant snake and the devastated village, explaining the situation to them.

The villagers looked quite bewildered, but seeing the massive snake and the destroyed village would make them realize that it's the truth, even if they don't want to.

Despite having lost all their possessions and homes, the villagers were surprisingly positive.

"Well, at least no one died! The ones who haven't woken up yet will soon, I'm sure!"

Positive, huh. As long as they didn't die, they seem to be fine with it.

With most of the villagers now awake, the hero sat next to the girl who had not yet woken up.

Hmm, she was the village chief's daughter. Hmm, hmm.

Could it be that the hero has started to take an interest in this girl?

Hmm, well, age-wise it's not a problem!

But handing over the hero I've carefully raised to some country girl feels a bit... unsatisfying.

If possible, I'd like to introduce him to an even better woman... Hmm, but I still feel a bit dissatisfied.

Since he'll be the one replacing me in slaying all the monsters, I'd like to introduce him to the ideal woman for him, if possible.

Ugh... I wish I could find out what his type of woman is.

As the hero was thinking about the girl's future, she woke up.

"Huh. Umm... Where is this?"

The girl looked puzzled at the unfamiliar ceiling. There were no stone buildings in that small village, so it was unfamiliar to her.

"You've woken up. You're the last one."

"Eh? Last one?"

The hero spoke to her in a calm voice from her side.

"Calm down and listen carefully. You and the people of this village were attacked and killed by a giant snake-like monster."

"Huh? We died? All the people in our village are dead? Does that mean this is the Afterlife? The world after death? I've heard the rumors, but to actually come here. Wow! They say there's a huge river in the afterlife, as wide as the sea! Can I really see that vast river? And they say you cross it by boat!"

"Unfortunately, this is not the Afterlife. There is no river."

"Huh? Aw, that's a shame. I wanted to see the sea, or at least a river as wide as the sea. But who are you? Ah, you said we were attacked and killed by a giant snake monster, so did you revive us? To be able to revive the dead, it's like a divine miracle! Thank you! I'm very curious about how you did it, but thank you!"

Hearing the girl's "Who are you?", the hero's expression darkened slightly, but soon returned to normal.

"I didn't do it. It was the agent of the goddess who was passing by, the Dragon's Priestess, who revived you all at my request. As a result, some of your memories have been lost. I only killed that snake a bit late. If I had dealt with it sooner, you wouldn't have died."

"Huh? Umm... But you saved us all, right? We should be the ones thanking you. Ah, and we should thank the agent of the goddess as well..."

The girl moved her stiff body and stood up from her spot.

"Ahaha, my body feels a bit stiff. Is it because I was dead and my body hardened? It's a bit awkward to move around."

"It's a bit strange for me to say this, but... do you believe that you died and were revived?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure why, but seeing your face makes me want to believe it. Even though it's the first time I've seen you, it feels familiar somehow. Isn't that strange?"

The awkwardly smiling girl. The hero was clenching his fist tightly at the sight of her.

"Where are the other villagers?"

"The others have all woken up first and gone to the village to plan the reconstruction."

"I see... Reconstruction."

The girl turned her body to face the hero and said,

"For some reason, I feel like it would be good if you were there to help rebuild the village."

"I see."

Ah, there it is! She's dropping hints! Dropping them hard!

"But I have other things I need to do, so I'm not sure if I can be of much help."

"I see. That's what I thought."

The girl went outside the building and looked at the devastated village.

"Wow... It's really all destroyed. And that giant thing was a snake... With a snake that big rampaging, the village didn't stand a chance. Really... The village was wiped out because of that huge snake. Even though I don't remember it, it's probably a good thing I don't. It must have been agonizing."

"Yes, well..."

Since their bones were broken and their flesh was rotting from the venomous fangs, it must have been agonizing.

"Thank you for reviving us. I don't have any other words to express my gratitude. Ah, you said it was the Dragon's Priestess, the agent of the goddess, who revived us? I should convey my thanks to that person as well..."

The hero remained silent at the girl's words.

"Well, I'll express my gratitude to that person later. Hmm... If you were able to kill such a huge snake, you must be the famed hero I've heard about."

The hero nodded silently.

"I see. Then you must have a lot of important things to do. There are probably many others suffering from such monsters."

"That's..."

The girl spoke in a calm voice.

"As the hero who revived me and the people of our village I wish I could be of help, but we simple country folk can't be of much use to you."

The girl spoke shyly.

"But there is one thing I can do! Our village is on the pilgrimage route of the Temple of Life. Whenever pilgrims pass through, I'll tell them about your achievements! I'll tell them the story of the Dragon's Priestess who revived us, and the greatness of the hero who defeated the giant snake! We can't personally go around spreading the word, but we'll make sure the pilgrims passing through our village hear the story!"

And so, the tale of the hero's first accomplishment began to spread from this small rural village.