by CHIROLU
1: The Young Girl Discusses Employment and Money
A year and a half had passed since Latina first started attending school at the temple of Asfar. The main topic of discussion at the Dancing Ocelot nowadays was the event the owners of the shop were anxiously awaiting.
In other words, Rita was pregnant.
When Dale gave his congratulations, he also asked, out of consideration for his landlords’ growing family, “If you’re going to have a kid... then is it about time for Latina and me to find a place of our own?”
Both of them gave the same sort of response.
“I don’t care if you go, but leave Latina with us.”
“Right, I want Latina to stay. I don’t care what you do.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t you agree?” Rita said.
“Yeah, especially since Rita’s going to be limited in how much time she can spend in the shop because she’s pregnant now, and then she’ll be busy with raising the kid. The place’d just plain grind to a halt without Latina around. Plus, I planned to have her help me out, too.” Kenneth said all this to Dale as if it was totally natural.
“...So you guys have been working Latina hard?”
“Don’t put it that way. I’m paying her proper wages, after all.”
“What?”
This was Dale’s first time hearing this. As he sat there dumbfounded, Kenneth muttered, “Oh yeah, I never mentioned that...”
“We’ve got Latina hired as an official employee here. She’s still just a kid, so she can’t work nights. She’s not getting paid for that, but I’m giving her a fair wage,” said Kenneth proudly.
“Huh? But I’ve never seen Latina walking around with that sort of money,” Dale said, vaguely shaken.
“That’s because she’s got it in savings,” Kenneth replied casually.
It all started over half a year ago.
Latina came toddling up to Kenneth in her usual way, a troubled expression on her face.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” asked Kenneth.
“Um, um... Latina has a request. Can you do something for Latina?” she asked, really hesitating and finding it hard to say.
“I won’t know until you ask.” Kenneth, somewhat perplexed, pressed her to keep talking.
“You see... Latina wants money.”
“Money? Do you want something? Why don’t you just ask Dale for it?” Kenneth asked, but Latina only looked more and more troubled.
“Dale gives Latina all sorts of things. And if she asks him, he goes out and buys a lot of stuff, too. So if Latina says she wants money, she thinks he’ll give her a lot of that as well... But he’d probably ask her what she was using it for.”
That showed that she was well aware of how much Dale spoiled her. Hiding his astonishment, Kenneth kept on talking.
“Well, that’s true... You’ve got everything you could want, right? So what are you thinking?”
“Latina wants to have money of her own,” she said, looking somewhat troubled. It was clear that she wasn’t particularly used to making requests. She wasn’t greedy, after all, and she never threw tantrums either, so as long as it wasn’t anything unreasonable, Kenneth wanted to grant her request. But he was hesitant; he wasn’t sure whether it was okay to make a money-related decision without her dad knowing. That was why he wasn’t able to agree immediately.
“Dale’s always giving Latina lots of gifts, but she’s never able to give him anything...” Latina explained.
“Hmm... Oh right, now that you mention it, Dale’s birth month is coming up, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Latina wants to get him a present.”
Latina looked up at Kenneth shyly, a slight smile on her face.
As always, she’s...
This was no good. She was such a good kid, and with that cute face of hers added on top, it just wasn’t fair. And considering her reason, he couldn’t just go and get Dale’s permission.
“So you wanna keep it a secret from Dale, huh...?”
“Wouldn’t he be surprised and happy if we did? That would make Latina glad. Is that no good?” she asked, cutely tilting her head as she always did. Kenneth was left pondering. Though he wasn’t as bad as that doting idiot, Kenneth knew he had a tendency to be soft on the young girl.
“You’re helping out as you learn cooking from me, right, Latina?”
“Yeah.”
“If you’re up for treating that as ‘work’ instead of just ‘helping,’ then I could pay you. How about that?”
“Is that alright? Latina’s still just a kid...” Latina tilted her head once again at Kenneth’s proposal. Her immediate concern about that showed how sharp she was.
“It’s true that it may be a little soon. Normally, you’d start working as an apprentice after you’re done learning the basics at school. The students who excel, though, can go on to higher learning.”
“If it’s as an apprentice, then Latina can work,” replied Latina, nodding her head in understanding.
“Still, don’t you want to continue on to advanced schooling, Latina?”
Kenneth had heard Dale brag over and over about just how much Latina excelled, and Kenneth understood that from watching Latina as well. She was incredibly skilled when it came to her studies, so it wouldn’t be strange at all to see her continue on to advanced schooling.
“Well... Latina’s a devil.”
“That’s true.”
“She likes studying, and she thinks that when she becomes an adult, there will be all sorts of things she wants to do.”
It appeared that she had come to grips with her own long lifespan, in her own way.
“Right now, Latina wants to learn all sorts of things from Kenneth. Her goal is to be able to make delicious meals like Kenneth does.”
“Well, I’ve got to give my all, too.”
“Hmm? Kenneth does, too?”
“Right. I’ve gotta work hard to stay your target.”
While thinking on what Kenneth meant, Latina puffed out her cheeks and sulked a bit.
“If Kenneth keeps trying his hardest, then it’ll be really hard for Latina to catch up to him.”
Even so, his little apprentice didn’t say that she’d give up or that it was impossible, which made Kenneth break out in a bright smile.
While thinking back on that time, Kenneth said, “After that, Latina gave you a birth month present, right? I thought for sure you’d figured it out then.”
“Latina sewed a handmade pouch for me. Now that you mention it, the materials and the embroidery thread weren’t cheap stuff.”
It was a little crude, but she’d sewn the small bag carefully, stitch by stitch. The brilliant decorative design reinforced the material, but also held Latina’s wish that it act as a protective charm.
“I was just so moved that I didn’t even think about it.”
“Oh right, you’re you.”
“What does that mean?”
He’d meant just what he’d said. Even though Kenneth hadn’t been there, he was sure that Dale had practically smothered Latina in a tight hug and spun about two or three times while praising her. It was easy to imagine.
The design held her wish that Dale would return safely from his frequent trips and dangerous work, but should he actually use the pouch? If he did and a magical beast or something snagged it, just how would Dale react? Kenneth figured he could probably imagine it, but he certainly didn’t want to.
“By the way, the apron I’m using now was a present from Latina, too.”
“I thought it was strangely cute...”
&n
bsp; The apron itself was made from black cloth, but there was a bit of ocelot embroidery in the corner, most likely due to the shop’s name. From the looks of it, it seemed that Latina possessed a good bit of skill.
After letting out a sigh, Kenneth continued. “And so, I’ve been paying her ever since. I asked her what she was going to do with it, and she said she was saving it up because ‘everybody has things that they need,’ so I took her to the temple of Azraq.”
“So you’re saying Latina already has a safe, then?”
“Yeah.”
Azraq was the god who presided over commerce and currency. His temples handled the currency exchange between different countries as well as deposits and loans, making the temples effectively banks. Amongst those who held Azraq’s divine protection, many had the ability to confirm people’s identities, and therefore, it was exceedingly difficult for a person to commit identity fraud and withdraw from someone else’s account.
At the temples of Azraq were ‘safes,’ which were used for managing personal assets. People would deposit large sums of money and precious metals, which they could then manage numerically. In other words, safes basically served as both safe-deposit boxes and accounts, so no one kept their entire fortune in their house unless they lived far enough out in the country that there wasn’t a temple nearby. And that was all the more true of adventurers, who lived by traveling from place to place. Although you could only withdraw actual possessions from the temple where you deposited them, you could withdraw money from any temple. Withdrawal was one of their primary services.
Thanks to the nature of their business, temples of Azraq were also famous for employing powerful private soldiers, second only to the combat-centric temples of Ahmar. It was a common joke that temples of Azraq were better protected than any local fortress, and that wasn’t necessarily untrue.
“Latina sure is sharp. She asked me why it was alright to deposit money at a temple.”
“Now that you mention it, I’ve never really discussed temples with her,” said Dale with an understanding nod.
Agreeing with Dale, Kenneth added, “It seemed that way, so I explained them to her. I told her that people with divine protection couldn’t commit any fraud in their work.”
“Well, they can. They just mustn’t get caught and judged for it. Though if they are, they’ll lose their divine protection and be exiled.”
The main reason temples could provide such highly public services was because “the gods firmly protected their own domain.” Even the townsfolk didn’t believe that everyone who served the gods was virtuous, but they did believe in the gods’ authority. While gods safeguarded those in their domain, they didn’t forgive transgressors.
The gods granted lowly men the power known as divine protection, which was a fragment of a god’s miraculous power and exceeded that of magic. The nature of that power was deeply connected to the god who granted it, and the divine protection Azraq bestowed allowed those who possessed it to identify others based on the liquids that composed the majority of a person’s body.
If the divinely protected committed a transgression in their duties, they would lose that miraculous power. For example, even if one of Azraq’s disciples were to be guilty of murder or rape, they wouldn’t be judged for such actions. However, acts that involved tainting the fortunes of others, such as embezzlement and theft, would not be forgiven. If that crime were brought before the god, the disciple would lose their divine protection and given no quarter. When dealing with people, there was room for extenuating circumstances, but when it came to gods, such arguments held no weight.
The position of priest was only open to those who possessed divine protection; that meant that losing divine protection also led to being exiled from the temple. Put another way, priests held a greater degree of trust than others, at least when it came to their specific duties.
Dale’s previous demand for judgment at the temple of Asfar was a privilege granted only to high-ranking priests, as it was an appeal to a god. Asfar sought from his disciples to “guide those seeking knowledge,” and also to “lead those lost on the road of life.” Therefore, the god would never forgive someone who abused and tried to deny a young girl who earnestly wanted to learn. As someone with the qualifications of a high priest, Dale knew that full well, even though he served a different god.
“So Kenneth, about how much does Latina have saved up now?”
“It’s only been half a year, but considering how she is, don’t you think she’s already been able to save up enough for her own dowry?”
“Don’t bring stuff like that up, even just hypothetically! I won’t let her be anyone’s bride!” yelled Dale, completely serious. His eyes were a bit teary when he did.
2: The Young Girl Leaves on a Journey
Less than a month after it first became obvious that Rita was pregnant, spring was starting to arrive.
“Hmm... It’d be a pain to wear normal armor at this point...” Dale muttered to himself, his signature leather coat spread out before him.
Have I gotten a bit taller again...?
He wasn’t quite aware of it himself, but that was likely the case. His coat, which served as an excellent piece of armor, had gotten a little tight.
Thanks to coats being naturally loose-fitting, he was able to use various belts to adjust it here and there and had been able to wear it for years, but it seemed that had at last come to an end. It wasn’t bad enough to impede his movements, but considering his line of work, he wanted to avoid anything that would restrict him at all.
“I haven’t been back for a while, so should I have them make me a new one...?”
That choice was the beginning.
“To be honest, I wanted to wait until you were done with school, but I figured it’d be good to do it while Rita can still move around, so I sped up my plans,” Dale started out, before giving Latina a choice. “What do you want to do? It’ll be a bit of a long trip, but do you want to go with me? Or do you want to stay home?”
“It’s okay for Latina to come along?”
Seeing the surprise on Latina’s face, Dale wore a playful grin.
“This time it’s not for work, after all. There may still be some danger to it, though, so if you don’t want to, then I won’t force you. You can just hold down the fort if you want.”
“Latina wants to go. She wants to be with Dale,” she immediately replied, all smiles. She bounced right into Dale’s arms. “Latina will listen carefully to everything Dale says, so it won’t be dangerous!” Her expression was serious.
Having her say that before he could warn her, Dale couldn’t help but give a strained laugh.
†
Because he needed to go to the capital at least once before their journey, Dale departed from Kreuz.
Normally, when Dale left, Latina would be depressed the entire time, but she didn’t seem that way at all now. After all, this trek to the capital was as part of the preparations for their coming journey, and her thoughts were entirely occupied by their trip. She just didn’t have any time left to feel down.
Dale typically traveled by foot, but this time he had gotten a small horse for the journey they would be taking together. This was out of consideration for Latina, who wasn’t used to traveling. She could ride it when she grew tired, and the horse would also help carry luggage.
Even so, it wasn’t as if it could carry a lot of weight. Latina packed every day while Dale was away, only to end up spreading everything out again. Today as well, Latina nodded in approval at the luggage laid out before her but seemed to realize something, sending her running down the stairs.
“Kenneth, can Latina take a knife with her?”
“Hmm? One for cooking?”
“Yeah.”
Latina had kicked off this conversation as soon as she saw Kenneth in the kitchen. The young girl always consulted with him about her ideas. Because she loved Dale so much, she seemed to exercise her own sort of discretion when it came to him. That’s why,
with Kenneth being her mentor as well, Latina found him easy to talk to.
“I think Dale should be taking care of purchasing traveling clothes while he’s away at the capital, but...”
“Latina would like a knife that’d be easy for her to use.”
“Right... then how about buying one? If you put in a request with a craftsman, then you could have the grip made to your needs, at least. And then you could use it and get accustomed to it up until it’s time to head out.”
“Is it alright for Latina to spend money?”
“It’s your money, so of course you can use it to buy stuff for yourself,” Kenneth replied, then looked over his work station. He had a rough idea of how much work he needed to get done by tonight, and he figured he could justify a short break.
Kenneth peeked out into the shop and faced his wife, who was working in the same place as always.
“Rita, I’m going to head out to the eastern district with Latina for a bit.”
“Oh, is that so? Take care.”
“You be careful too, Rita.”
“It’s not like I’m sick or something. You’re worrying too much.”
After that exchange between husband and wife, Kenneth took off his apron and left the Dancing Ocelot together with Latina, who had returned from the attic with a pochette over her shoulder.
There was quite a difference in stride between the large-bodied Kenneth and the tiny Latina. Kenneth was walking at a fairly relaxed pace, but even so, sometimes a gap would open up between them, forcing Latina to run a little to catch up. Pit, pat, pitter-pat, pit, pat, pitter-pat. She looked like a little chick as she chased after him, not much different from when she had first come to Kreuz.
When they reached the craftsmen’s area of the Eastern district, Latina looked up at Kenneth, seeming to suddenly remember something.
“Um, Kenneth... Rudy said his dad was a blacksmith.”
“That redheaded kid? Oh right, he was Schmidt’s third child, wasn’t he? Well, he’s pretty skilled, I guess. Wanna go take a look?”
“Latina’s never been to a blacksmith before. Do they sell knives?”
