by CHIROLU
However, things were a little different when the races were genetically close: a “mix” could be born. For example, a child of a human and a beastman would look like a human with the ears and tail of a beastman, making for a mix of traits from both races. It was only in such cases, where offspring had traits of two races, that such children were referred to as “mixes.”
Latina’s attention was naturally drawn to the animal ears twitching before her very eyes as she listened to this explanation. Though they were relatives, it was only a distant relationship, so the man didn’t look much like Dale. If they shared anything in common, it was the light brown tips on the black fur of the beastman’s ears and tail.
“And so, that’s the deal with guys like me,” said the man with a wide grin.
“Still, Joseph... you’ve gotten even fatter, haven’t you?”
The middle-aged man, a human and beastman mix by the name of Joseph Bündte, just kept on smiling, entirely unaffected by Dale’s words. Both his arms and his belly were quite rotund, and his already thin eyes looked even more narrow thanks to his build. Triangular ears popped up straight out of his short-cut black hair.
“Thanks to how happy my life is, I just couldn’t help but plump up. Cute, don’t you think?” Joseph smiled with a grin that wouldn’t lose out to even a doting idiot like Dale.
He held a beastman toddler cradled in his arms. A poofy, black ball of fluff, this was the long-awaited first child of the Bündte family.
“I’m a human, so I’m not the best at telling when it comes to beastmen...” Dale muttered. Latina reached out and pet the sleeping toddler.
“She’s a real cute little girl!”
“She is, isn’t she!”
“Her eyes look like her mother’s, but her face looks like yours, Mr. Joseph.”
“Yeah, that’s right!
Dale felt conflicted seeing Joseph so satisfied.
“Um, Latina...?”
“Hmm?”
“You can tell beastmen apart?”
“Huh?” Latina tilted her head, confused by Dale’s question.
A human could maybe tell beastmen apart by their build or the color of their fur, but Dale found it hard to even tell if a beastman was a man or a woman by looking at their face.
“I mean, everyone looks different, right?”
“I see... so you can tell...”
With this unexpected development, Dale realized again just how amazing devils were. They were said to naturally possess amazing abilities, and it seemed that was no exaggeration.
“Your wife is really pretty.”
“Isn’t she?”
Joseph’s wife was a pure-blooded beastman. Dale thought her white fur was especially shiny and the way her hands and feet had a bit of light grey to them was unusual, but that was all. He frankly had no idea if she was beautiful or not.
“Still, Latina thinks that Maya will grow up to be more cute than beautiful,” Latina said with a smile. Dale, however, was unable to either agree or disagree. He was so clueless on the matter that when he’d first seen the baby’s black fur, he’d thought she might be a he.
“She’s really amazing...”
“You’ve got some nice fur yourself, little miss,” Joseph said, tousling Latina’s hair.
“So that’s the sort of thing that beastmen compliment...” Dale muttered to himself, grasping just how tricky communication between different cultures could be.
The small house that Joseph and his family lived in was at the northern end of the village. It had a simple, two-room layout with just a living and dining room, which was normal for these homes. The wood-based rooms were overflowing with a natural feel, and the living room had a single-board table at its center, with all sorts of other various items strewn about. Perhaps because it felt so lived in, it felt cozy and secure rather than uncomfortable.
“If you’re stopping off here, then you must be on your way back to your village, right?” Joseph asked Dale, who was in the process of giving Joseph’s wife, Ute, a bottle of wine from Kreuz and some dried fish from Qualle as gifts.
“Yeah.”
“Is your grandma still hanging in there?”
“Well, I haven’t heard anything about her dying, at least... In the last letter I got, it said she still seemed to be going strong and hadn’t even let my dad take over as head of the family.”
“‘Seemed to be,’ huh?”
“Yeah.”
Latina didn’t have much interest in the conversation the two men were having. Her focus was stuck on the sleeping Maya, as well as Ute, who was busy in the kitchen. Because she was in someone else’s house, Latina seemed to be holding herself back from asking to help, but it was obvious that she was immensely curious about the lifestyles of both beastmen and country folk. She sat there, sorely anxious, until Ute realized this and beckoned her over with a smile. Latina hurried over in an instant.
“Wooow...” Latina stared with big round eyes as Ute skillfully prepared some wild vegetables. “How do you eat this?”
“You usually just eat this part. Have you not seen one before?”
“There aren’t any mountains near Kreuz.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
Latina got to work, frequently glancing over to carefully watch Ute’s hands. Considering the girl was learning by example, Ute was shocked to see how well she was managing. She looked younger than she was, but she was more skilled than kids her own age when it came to housework.
Once she started helping, Latina didn’t want to sit still, so she restlessly scurried about behind Ute, looking for something to do.
Many women didn’t like others touching things in their own kitchen, but an exception could be made when it came to Latina. After all, she was just too charming as she worked away with a smile on her face.
Around when Dale and Joseph’s conversation moved to discussing the latest rumors from the capital, wooden plates and a pot filled with stew made from plenty of meat and herbs for flavor were placed on the table. It was also accompanied by some bread of a sort that wasn’t seen in Kreuz.
Maya had been sleeping soundly in Joseph’s arms, but her nose started to twitch, perhaps reacting to the smells. Her eyes, the same shade of green as her mother’s, shot open. After sitting absentmindedly for a moment, she looked shocked at having spotted strangers in her home.
Looking worried, she clung tight to Joseph. He nodded with satisfaction. “What do you think? Cute, isn’t she?”
“What are you saying? My kid’s pretty cute herself!” Not wanting to lose, Dale pointed at Latina as she carried in a bowl filled with the wild vegetables.
“Hmm?”
Latina stared, puzzled at having been suddenly thrust into the conversation.
†
“Hello, Maya. La-ti-na,” said Latina, pointing to herself.
“Hmm? Watia?”
“Nice to meet you!”
Maya was still feeling nervous during this exchange, but in no time at all, she was completely attached to Latina, and Latina was completely crazy about her, too.
During dinner, Latina ended up hovering over her and wiped Maya’s face when the toddler tried to bring a spoonful of stew to her mouth with still-unsteady hands. Latina seemed to take being someone’s “big sister” very seriously after always being the one helped by others back in Kreuz.
“She sure is cute! (My Latina)”
“Yeah, she is! (My Maya)”
The pair of men nodded in satisfaction to one another as they watched the two happy young girls interacting. Meanwhile, Ute just kept on eating and paying them no mind, so their foolishness lacked a straight man. As long as everyone was happy, there was no problem.
“Mrs. Ute, this stew is delicious. What meat did you use?”
“Wild boar. There are a lot of them around here.”
“Wow...”
Latina brought the spoon to her mouth and chewed on a big chunk of meat. The dish was made to emphasize the meat as its main flavor
, so herbs had only been used lightly for seasoning. Latina seemed to be truly enjoying her meal, but she was the one who ate the least amongst the group. Even Maya, who could still only manage baby talk, was eating as much as her, and Ute and Joseph were both eating more than Latina and Dale put together. Beastmen were generally big eaters.
“So, are you two leaving tomorrow?”
“That was the plan, but is something up?”
“The men from the village are all going out hunting tomorrow. If it goes well, then we’ll have plenty of extra meat, so we could give you some. You should leave after that.”
“Is it gonna be that large-scale of a hunt?”
Joseph nonchalantly replied, “We got a prophecy from the oracle of Banafsaj.”
The second she heard that, Latina shot straight up and dropped her spoon with a loud clatter. It was rare to see her act so ill-mannered.
“Latina...?”
“...”
She went still, her face pointed down towards the ground. She didn’t even respond to Dale calling her name. He had no idea what had brought on this sudden change.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Latina is fine.”
Even after being asked again, Latina kept her expression composed. She picked up her spoon once more and started eating in silence. For the rest of dinner, Latina didn’t say another word.
Latina remained silent even when they were preparing for bed in a corner of the living room. It may not have been the same as having a comfortable bed, but after many days of camping outside, it was nice to be able to rest in a warm place where they didn’t need to worry about the weather or someone attacking them.
Wrapped up in a blanket, Latina placed her head up against Dale’s back.
“Are you alright, Latina?”
“Latina is fine...”
Hearing her say that again, Dale let out a sigh. She really did take too much on herself, and she never complained about anything.
Dale turned around to face Latina and hugged her tight, blanket and all. They lay together like that, with Dale gently patting her back to soothe her.
“Dale?”
Dale smiled, pulling the blanket up over himself as well. Latina felt a sense of security having him at her side, and Dale was plenty aware of that. He wanted to be there to support her when she was worried.
Perhaps because those feelings had gotten across, Latina closed her eyes as she lay in Dale’s arms and muttered, “Dale... will you stay with Latina?”
“Yeah.”
“Then... Latina really is okay.”
Dale watched over her silently as he waited for her to drift off, and the entire time, he thought about what could have frightened her so much. Back when they’d first met, she’d often fall asleep gripping his clothes tightly, a manifestation of her unease. But lately, while she may have still asked to sleep by his side, she didn’t cling to him as anxiously.
“Banafsaj...”
Latina had started acting strangely right after hearing that god’s name.
Then maybe the reason she was driven out of her village was because...
There was no temple of Banafsaj in Kreuz. This was because temples were managed by those with divine protection, and Banafsaj’s divine protection hardly ever appeared in humans. And so, as a town of humans, no such temple was ever built there. Humans also didn’t worship Banafsaj much, and since they didn’t often receive the god’s blessing, he was more of a vague presence to them compared to the other gods.
However, that wasn’t the case when it came to the other races.
Banafsaj’s divine protection granted the unique power to catch glimpses of the future. What the user could see, though, was limited by how powerful their divine protection was. The ability to sense the weather and disasters was, of course, incredibly important to the races who had limited numbers, as such knowledge helped them protect themselves.
The words of a priest of Banafsaj held great weight, and for non-human races, that weight likely far eclipsed those of other gods’ clerics. Naturally, though, no one would ever say so.
“Even a high priest can only vaguely read a person’s future, though...” Dale gently stroked Latina’s back over and over. “And there would be countless ways to interpret it, so it should be possible to oppose it... Why did the people from your village decide your fate based on something so vague...?”
Dale’s whisper was full of pain and sadness, but in the silence of the night, there was no one to hear it.
†
“Take care!”
“Feel free to get your hopes up!”
Seeing off Joseph in the morning mists, Latina clung tightly to Dale’s side.
It was still far earlier than when she normally woke up, but when Dale moved to get out of bed, Latina had leaped up in a hurry as well. Dale had let out a strained laugh, but he simply stroked Latina’s head without saying anything.
This entire time, she had stuck by Dale’s side, looking down at the ground. Latina normally liked to keep moving and was always running all about, but now she seemed like a whole different person. Usually, she also would have been excited by the wheat porridge Ute made for breakfast, as it was a recipe she never saw in Kreuz. But instead she’d silently, emotionlessly eaten her meal.
It was like she was hiding something, or couldn’t find something, or like she was holding her breath, waiting for something terrifying to pass by.
“Watia? Nummy?” It was the innocent smile of this toddler that changed the mood. She was holding her spoon out to Latina with a wide grin. Unfortunately, more than half of the contents spilled out when she did that, but Maya didn’t seem to mind.
“Maya... Yeah, it’s yummy.”
As Latina forced a smile, Maya blinked in confusion. And then, the toddler suddenly looked distressed.
“Watia, does it huwt? Does it?”
“...?!”
As Latina’s expression shifted to one of surprise, Maya broke out in tears.
“Does it huwt? Uh, uh, uh...”
“Maya?”
“Waaaaaaaaaah!”
Latina’s shock was now focused on Maya’s sudden outburst. Dale found it somehow refreshing to see Latina so flustered.
“Huh? Maya... what’s wrong?”
“Little ones like her are sensitive to the emotions of those around them.” Ute scooped up Maya with a practiced motion and started consoling her wailing child. Completely dazed, Latina wore a slightly troubled smile. “You should cry when you need to too, Latina. When it hurts, or you’re sad, or it’s scary. Adults don’t mind.”
Latina’s dumbfounded expression was now being swayed by a different emotion entirely. Her big eyes grew moist, and in no time at all, she was unable to hold it back anymore, and the tears started pouring out.
“Uh, uh...”
Dale stood silently by her side and pat her head as he always did, and Latina hugged him tight as she wept. The sound of the two girls crying went on for a while, echoing through the kitchen.
Maya was back to normal soon after she stopped crying, and she finished eating her breakfast, not caring that is was now cold. Latina apparently wasn’t able to end things so cleanly, so she sipped at the herbal tea Ute had given her, her face still stained from tears.
Dale bowed to Ute, who had wordless put on tea and given Latina soft, clean tissues while waiting for her to calm down. “Thank you, and sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all. I don’t know what made her so afraid, but oftentimes having a good cry helps you feel better, right? She’s still so young, so she doesn’t need to push herself so hard.”
Dale found it hard to read beastman expressions, but from the tone of her voice, he figured that Ute was probably smiling.
“Mrs. Ute, Latina is sorry...” Latina said in apology.
“There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s kids’ jobs to cause trouble for us adults.”
Dale may have had trouble telling things abou
t beastmen based on looks alone, but there was something he did know.
Joseph really did choose a good wife... Dale thought from the depths of his heart.
“Dale...”
“Hmm?”
“Latina was scared.”
“I see.”
Dale just silently took in her frail, wavering words.
“They... said that Latina was a bad child. So she can’t go back to where she was born... That’s what was prophesized...”
“Latina...”
“Latina’s family said it was wrong. That Latina wasn’t bad. But, but... Rag died because of Latina. It was because he went with her...” Latina’s eyes, pointed towards Dale, were once more filled with tears. Even so, she kept on talking. “Latina’s definitely a bad child, just like the prophecy said.”
“Latina, do you remember the details of that prophecy?”
After thinking on Dale’s question for a bit, Latina gave a small shake of her head. “Latina doesn’t know... The people around her said a lot, but she was just too scared...”
“I see. But your family said you weren’t bad, right?”
“Yeah.”
With a smile on his face, Dale gently placed his forehead against Latina’s.
“The ‘words of the gods’ are hard for people to understand, and that’s even truer of a high-level prophecy like reading a person’s fate. So I’d say your family’s statement that you’re not bad may be the right one.”
“Huh...?”
“At the very least, your family didn’t believe that prophecy, so that means that what it said wasn’t absolute.”
Latina looked truly shocked at what Dale had said. She’d never considered that possibility before. “Dale...”
“I probably know more about divine protection than you do. You don’t have any, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I do. It’s not from Banafsaj, but... I know full well what sort of thing divine protection really is.”
Latina smiled just a bit as she stared at him. “You’re like a god, Dale... You’re always helping Latina out. You give Latina a lot of what she wants... If it’s the gods that let Latina meet you, then maybe she doesn’t need to be so scared...”
