THE DEMON LORD’S SOLILOQUY

I gaze at Sophia, now sound asleep.

“She looks just like any other normal baby now. I mean, even on the inside, she’s still a kid.”

She might be a reincarnation and all that, but considering what her age was before, she’s still very young.

Considering what she’s been through so far, it’s no wonder she still gets emotional and makes mistakes.

“Kids are supposed to make mistakes—it’s part of growing up. What’s important is whether they find their way back to the right path afterward. They need an adult to help them notice their mistakes and guide them to what’s right. A guardian to teach them, admonish them, and lead them…”

This kid has lost her parents.

Which means someone else has to fill in the role of guardian for her.

“But that doesn’t work if that adult is wrong themselves. That’s where it gets tough, though. I mean, what’s ‘right’ changes all the time depending on your situation and stuff. An adult has to constantly think about that and have confidence that they know exactly what’s right. If you’re worried or hesitant, you can’t teach a kid at all.”

If an adult can’t say with confidence whether something is right, no one will respect them, not just kids.

Without that respect, an adult can’t lead.

That’s why an adult should always be able to explain why they’re right.

“I don’t think he’s quite convinced himself of what’s right yet. But if you’re not confident, I don’t think you can do anything for anyone else. That confidence can’t be half-baked, though. You have to be totally resolute, or that mask of certainty will peel right off eventually. I’m sure that’ll make things even worse. So you have to make sure you’ve really got it figured out.”

A decision arrived at in a state of panic is never a good thing in the long run.

If you’re going to worry about something, better to worry about it for all you’re worth.

Once you’ve worried and worried and finally reached a conclusion, that’s when you know you’ve got it right.

“I guess I played the role of guardian this time. Now she’s taken a step forward. If she keeps growing, she should figure out a certain someone’s problem soon enough. I have no idea how she’s going to deal with it, or how he’s going to react. But if he wants to serve as this girl’s guardian, his best bet is to come up with a good answer so she won’t worry. Although, I do think that walking by her side and thinking about it together is an option, too. In that case, someone else would have to take on the role of her guardian, but… Well, I suppose I can do that. From my point of view, they’re all nothing but young kids anyway. Whatever they choose, I just hope they don’t regret it. Okay, that’s the end of my soliloquy.”

“…I shall take that to heart.”

Although I was talking only to myself, a voice answers me at the end.

I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything.