My sister became independent recently, and was no longer sleeping with me. Unexpectedly, she squeezed herself under my blanket today.
“—But that youth said, ‘If I have a cheat, there is no need for companions. I will just be a solo player and get all the loot. Solo playing, hurray!’ and in actual fact, he was powerful enough to do this…”
Komekko’s goal was probably to let me read to her a picture book.
She hugged my family’s emergency ration Chomsuke and lay down beside me.
“Sis, what is a cheat?”
Komekko asked as she opened her tired eyes.
“A ‘cheat’ could means ‘foul play’ or ‘being cunning’. This is a term used frequently by those people with strange names. Basically, it is a power so strong that should be against the rules.”
“Oh.”
Komekko started listening attentively again. I continued reading.
“The youth was very powerful, repeatedly defeating the demon king’s lackeys by himself.”
This was a very famous—
“The desperate demon king realized that he would lose to the youth in a direct confrontation. How can he defeat this youth then? The demon king then noticed that the youth never joined a party.”
—well-known legend from long ago.
“The demon king’s cadres said to the youth, ‘A lonely, loveless hero is a joke! Heroes usually cooperate with their companions to overcome obstacles then defeat the demon king! You don’t even have companions, so for what and for whom are you fighting? You might as well join us. We have a lot of perks.’ The cadres asked him to return after he made his decision. The youth went back obediently.”
Finally, sleepy Komekko rested her head against my shoulders as I read the book.
“Finally, the youth attacked the demon king’s castle again and said to the demon king’s cadres. ‘I’m not lonely, I’m a soloist. It’s not that I can’t make friends, but rather I don’t need them, because I know companions will only become a liability… Also, what perks! You think I will be tricked so easily! A bargain with the demon king never ends well! I fight for humanity and peace! I won’t waste time with you, my goal is the demon king’s head! I can let you go, get lost!’ The youth pointed to the cadres and said. The demon king’s cadres replied, ‘If you said this back then, it would be quite cool.’ —The cadres were still destroyed in the end.”
Komekko started using my shoulder as a pillow, breathing softly.
I carefully avoided waking Komekko, reading the familiar picture book to myself.
“The brave youth penetrated deep into the demon king’s castle. Nothing could stop him. Finally he came before the demon king—“