Child Rearing Hero and Children of the Demon King

「Nii~chan~ why have you become a Hero?」

I was asked by Iric while walking.

「Tou~chan said that Heroes are the enemies of the Demon Kings. Why have you become a Hero?」

Finding it difficult to answer, Yuuya was momentarily at a loss for words.

I wanted to save the people oppressed by the Demon King. I wanted to help people who suffered.
My hometown has been destroyed by the Demon King. Both my family and relatives were killed.
Somehow, I wanted to change the world――it wasn’t anything like that. I was born a commoner, raised as a commoner, it was just that I was somewhat strong for a country-bred. I was told by my parents that rather than working in the fields, I should go to the town to become a soldier and find myself a cute wife.
I was strong physically, so I somehow managed to pass the soldier examination. I had no common sense, so I passed the written test just barely.
I have become a commonplace soldier. I was the lowest of the lowest underlings though.
From then on, I worked ordinarily without advancing in life, doing things like monster extermination.

「…… I haven’t really aimed to become one……」

It’s not like I have aimed to become one. I did not want to play the cool role.
It’s just that the Demon King appeared, and I was thinking of fighting when each nation started getting attacked.
Many people who called were called ‘Hero’ started appearing. But, it was only I who reached the Demon King’s castle.

「It might be uncool, but I had no reason in particular. You see, I just thought of beating up the Demon King for my selfish reasons」
「What do you mean by selfish?」
「I just wanted to protect my family」

I just wanted to protect my family in my hometown. It might be very uncool compared to reasons such as doing this for my sweetheart or because I was in love with the princess, but my grandparents, parents, elder brother, his wife and their son live in my hometown, so that was all it took for me.
I haven’t thought of a world peace or anything else this grand. I just wanted to protect my small things which turned into one big thing as a result.

「Well…… thinking of children like you, the monsters must have had families too……」

The monsters I have defeated might have attacked to protect their families too.
Seeing me hang my head, Ilya looked up wonderingly.

「Onii~san. Monsters don not have families」
「Eh?」
「Monsters do not birth or raise children. They leave them alone. Only humans raise their children. They are also the only ones who care about it. They are strange creatures」
「Eh」
「Humans are strange~」
「They are strange」
「Eh, you think so……?」
「Strange」
「But, look, weren’t you guys entrusted to me by the Demon King?」

He was an incarnation of evil, but just as I was seeing him in a more positive light because of his cute children.

「Otou~san was just a strange monster」
「Tou~chan was an extremely weird monster. He was often told by others so」

The children cut him down in two with a single stroke.

「Eh, was he……」
「He was」
「Weird~ but, I liked Tou~chan quite a bit」
「I have also liked him considerably」
「…… That so……」

I’m glad we didn’t fight in front of the children. The Demon King might have passed away from illness, but I’m starting thinking that I’m glad we didn’t fight.

「Reasonably though」
「Only like this though」
「…… That, how much like are you talking about?」
「Not much」
「Moderately」
「………… I see……」

The children’s humor was dry. Yuuya still found the thought process of monsters a little too hard to understand.