“Little told me that a ‘hero’ is someone who irons out the world’s many injustices, big and small.”
“Wait, really?” That sounded like a lot of work.
“Therefore, it is perhaps a fitting role for you.”
“Wow. I’m special.” But the sudden compliment gave me pause. “Your flattery won’t win you more snacks, just so you know.”
“Noooo!”
Figured she was after those. “Now, let’s see here… Shimamura the Hero, sixteen years old… Sheesh, that’s young.” What a cruel world, to expect a child to grow up so fast.
In the game, the king summoned me; when I waltzed blithely into the throne room, he ordered me to battle dark forces. As if I wasn’t dealing with enough already! After that, a minister told me to take a few allies with me when I set out. If I’d played this back in middle school, I would undoubtedly have tried to go at it alone just to spite him.
“How very convenient to have friends bestowed upon you.”
“True that.”
I was allowed four party members max. After a moment of consideration, I requested to meet “Hino,” “Nagafuji,” and “Adachi.” I’d come into contact with many people throughout my life, but whenever I thought of a four-person group, it was those faces that came to mind alongside my own, although it was a relatively rare occurrence. Nagafuji’s parents had run a butcher shop, so she’d be a Merchant; Hino would be a Gadabout; but what would I do with Adachi?
“What vocation do you want?”
“Uh…employee?”
“No boring real-world answers, please.”
“Okay then…Priest?”
“Wait, really?”
She wasn’t joking. “I like the thought of…healing you.”
How adorable. “Priest it is.”
I couldn’t help noticing that the group only had one fighter in it, but oh well; I invited Adachi the Priest to join us. Who’d have thought that I’d once again meet her at age sixteen, but this time in a video game? Maybe it’s destiny, I thought with a chuckle.
“What about me?” Yashiro protested.
“Oh…I guess I could make some more.” While I was at it, I created my sister too, turning her into a Mage on a whim. “As for your vocation, you’ll be a…”
“Heh heh heh! I would obviously be a Martial Artist.” She thrust out her stubby little fists.
“…Thief.”
“Huh?”
Specifically, she was always good at stealing from the fridge. On second thought, considering how many times she’d gotten caught in the act, maybe she wasn’t so good at that after all.
“All done! You and my sister will be in charge of eating snacks at home.”
“Not a bad deal.” She nodded to herself, and so I left her behind to go on a journey. “I look forward to the souvenirs!”
“There won’t be any!”
Outside the castle, I wandered around aimlessly. Nagafuji and I could take down whatever enemy got in our way, for the most part. Not only was the Merchant more capable than I’d expected, she picked up gold sometimes too. This “Nagafuji” worked harder than the real Nagafuji ever had! Conversely, Hino the Gadabout didn’t “gad about” much at all. Perhaps that title was pure self-deprecation consistent with the real-life Hino.
We commuted back and forth as if traveling to and from an office, earning money and experience. All things considered, this wasn’t exactly an exciting first step in the journey of a hero; it was reasonably entertaining for the player, sure, but what about for onlookers?
“Are you having fun?” I asked, peering down at the face just below my own.
“Very much so,” Yashiro replied with a bright smile, as if to suggest that she meant it. “I spent many hours watching Little play.”
“Ah.”
“And she sometimes gave me treats.” She shot me a very pointed glance. “Wink wink.”
“I already bought you a treat,” I replied, aiming a pointed glance of my own at the bag of caramel corn she was now cradling like a newborn.
“No, this is a souvenir. A treat is different.”
“God, you’re so entitled.” I smashed my chin into her scalp in retaliation.
“Gyaaahhh,” she shouted flatly.
As the grind continued, I let my mind melt into the midday air. This was simple work, and seeing the numbers rise gave me a real sense of accomplishment. That was something I’d been sorely missing in my life lately.
“This is fun and all, but…” I wasn’t sure how quickly I could finish the game, and to be blunt, I was concerned that I didn’t have much time left. “I just hope I can beat it before I die,” I confessed quietly.
Back in town, I ran straight to the weapons-and-armor shop. I thought that I’d saved up a decent pile of gold, but upon perusing the items offered, it became clear that I’d need to choose carefully. As I scrolled up and down, waffling, I heard the bag below rustle.
“Perhaps you had better hurry, then,” Yashiro remarked offhandedly.
“Oh yeah?” Unable to decide whether to prioritize weapons or armor, I took a piece of caramel corn. I was grateful to find it easy to chew and only mildly sweet. “Will I be dying soon?”
“Good question.” She poured a fistful of popcorn into her mouth, chewed loudly, and smiled. “To me, Earthling lives are all incredibly brief, so I have a poor grasp of their exact length.”
“Is that so?”
“It could happen tomorrow, or a hundred years from now.”
“Trust me, I’m not living another hundred years.” She estimated too broadly, but so did I, judging by my lack of financial planning in this game. “Oh well.” In the end, I decided to buy Adachi some good armor.
Looking back, I’d rarely bought her clothes in real life; I only ever got her something silly for her birthday every year. So I really had no business talking smack about Nagafuji. Come to think of it, though, Adachi’s taste in gifts was a little odd too. When we’d first moved into that condo, she’d brought a boomerang and an empty drink can, among other things. The former had been a gift from me, but where did the latter come from? It clearly must’ve held some sort of sentimental value, or she’d have thrown it away. Thus, I’d decided to display it on a shelf.
My curiosity had yet to be satisfied, however. Either I’d forgotten the can’s worth, or I would simply never know.
“Any recollection?”
“You don’t remember?” She pouted at me.
I laughed—not at her, but at myself. Nice dodge. “Well, if I don’t make it in time, will you beat it for me?” I asked Yashiro, since she almost certainly had nothing else going on.
She refused, though. “I am a very busy person, Shimamura-san,” she declared firmly, exhaling a waft of sweet caramel. She didn’t often reject suggestions so strongly. Maybe she wanted me to figure the game out on my own…
“Fair enough.” Too lazy to argue with her, I ground my chin into her skull once more.
“Gyaaaaah.”