The Monster King's Life Wish

Eighth Wish

The troubled sleeping got to me for the rest of the night, so I used that time to recall names from the video games I used to play. Despite that, I woke up with unexpected energy. The normal morning work was put on pause for the ceremony at the center of the city construction. I had given it thought, and based on everything the Hero had taught me about naming and knowing them, they would go for the subordinate naming. For that reason, I had to stop when I felt I was getting too tired.

As for the video game I used to play, it was called Harmony Monster. A farming sim with action elements where the adventurer moves into a town on the outskirts of the empire that's fighting off a demon lord. While adventuring, the main character breaks the curse on a rampaging monster who turns out to be the son of one of the generals. Like the red ogre, he had the makings of a great leader.

In the battle, he had lost his power and his will to live. Taking pitty on the monster, the hero asked if he wished to join him on his farm. The young son was taken aback, refused the offer, and told the adventurer to finish him. The adventurer refused and returned home. A few days later, the monster joined him in the fields.

They both are young men with a strong care for their people and a sense of honor, pure are those aspects. Like the son of the general, he too is sure to hold the potential to grow stronger than he is now. And so I named him after my favorite character.

"Benimaru."

Not long after the son's disappearance, did his teacher go looking for him and found the young master tending the fields with the human. The sight was strange, yet the old monster could see the son's bright smile. Out of respect for his student, he approached, sword not drawn. Next, he was invited in for tea. The son told his teacher of his weakness, and how he fell easily to a curse. The old man, intimidating, sat and listened.

Strict and wise in the ways of the world, yet not unwelcoming to the new that appeared. His sword, in his youth, must have been the most terrifying in the forest. He taught me much, as he taught Benimaru, and for that, I wanted to give him the name of a man equal to him.

"Hakurou."

After reaching a certain level of hearts with both of them, they revealed that Benimaru had a brother. The boy was a quiet one, actually mute but they did not understand that and had a thinner, weaker frame. One night, he had completely disappeared into the darkness, never seen again. In reality, the young boy had become a shadow, perfected stealth so that no one could see him in the castle. He had followed his brother, had been the one to place the curse, and aimed to kill their father.

The truth was, he just wanted someone to hear him. To be understood was such a common human experience that monsters had grown distant from it. Detaching themselves from understanding each other through such means as talking. The old one understood through fighting, that the quiet one and his attacks were filled with sorrow. When the fighting was over, and Benimaru had the chance to take revenge on his brother, he spared him. Embracing him in a hug, the quiet one cried silently.

"Souei."

I understood that Banimaru would not want his sister on the battlefield and that the human-looking one was not much of a fighter. So the last ogre I named for now was the purple one. Though it was not from the game, I did name her after someone who wore purple.

"Shion."

There wasn't a wolf in the game that was a companion. Rather, I considered naming him after the pet I received in the game. Ranger. But that would be the same as calling him a pet. The star wolf, loyal despite the fact that I killed his father, deserved something better than that. It was hard to get the name out of my head, however, I settled on something close.