by CHIROLU
Dale told Latina all of this in a room that used to be Dale’s in the mansion. His old furniture was gone and it’d been made into a guest room, but Dale easily settled back in. Latina had put down the luggage, taken off her knife, and then sat down and listened to what Dale had to say. He kept talking while he unpacked.
“Apparently, our clan ended up coming here from somewhere else a long while back. They settled down in these mountains, cleared the land, and made a village. As the name ‘the clan loved by the earth’ implies, we’ve always had plenty of folks with Quirmizi’s divine protection and the ability to use Earth magic. Clearing and cultivating land has always been something of a specialty for us.”
Earth magic was incredibly useful when it came to such tasks, as well as construction and especially foundation work, and with many people who could use such magic, it naturally made such work even easier. Furthermore, despite being in far out, remote mountains, they didn’t have to worry about construction supplies thanks to the numerous magic users. And since the Tislow clan had so many magic users, they were also accomplished when it came to large-scale linked magic.
The effect of the divine protection of Quirmizi, the god of the earth that people prayed to for an abundant harvest, was also great. Though it didn’t apply to everyone with Quirmizi’s divine protection, for some that power had a great effect on the production of crops. And for others, they had the power to rejuvenate the land. And so, as long as they didn’t fail to cycle their crops, they could consistently reap abundant harvests.
At a glance, this country land deep in the mountains was inconvenient, but this was a place that made it easy for them to make great use of their abundant blessing from the gods, their divine protection. For their clan, there was no better place to live.
“And so, our clan’s customs differ from those of Laband in a lot of ways. Taking off our shoes in our homes, for example.”
“Ah...” Latina said in understanding. She’d lived together with Dale, so she’d grown used doing it. The thick, fluffy rug spread across the floor was also quite similar to the one in Dale’s room back in Kreuz, so it didn’t seem strange to Latina at all.
Having roughly finished with the luggage, Dale and Latina left the room and continued down the hallway, where the wood was polished to such a beautiful shine that you could see yourself on its surface.
“And it’s deep in the mountains here, so it snows a lot in the winter. Well, anyway, that’s apparently how my clan decided to settle down here. And so originally we started taking off our shoes in our homes because they’d always be covered in dirt and mud.”
Dale led the way, his footsteps echoing in the hall. Latina had on some soft, warm fur slippers, so her steps hardly made any sound at all. He stood for a while in front of the room that was their destination. Without even a single knock, he suddenly grabbed the knob and flung the door open.
The room wasn’t at all extravagant, but you could tell at a glance just how nice it was. It faced south to let in plenty of the sunlight that was so precious in the snowy mountains, and it was furnished with an old but well-maintained fireplace. The rug on the floor had a complex design woven into it. The walls were decorated with splendid pelts and horns, trophies from the hunts undertaken by generations of the clan. And in the center of the room sat a single old lady smoking a pipe.
“So, what do you want, you old bat?”
“Oh, is that my stupid, cowardly grandson?”
The owner of the room, an old woman sitting in a dignified manner, was quite small. In fact, if you put her next to Latina, you might find that the young girl was actually taller. And yet, when you sat and faced her, her sense of presence was overwhelming. Combined with her bold personality, it was impossible to think of her as “small.” This old woman had the air of a brave warrior about her.
She took a big puff on her pipe as if trying to provoke Dale.
“You...!” he said, clenching his fist in irritation. Latina blinked in surprise as she watched the old woman, then looked up at Dale with her big eyes.
“She’s just like you, Dale...”
“Latina?!”
Dale was left dumbfounded at the abrupt statement, and Latina walked up to the old woman.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Latina. Dale saved Latina, and now we live together. She thanks you for letting her rely on your kindness for the time being,” she said, adding in a bow in the midst of her introduction. It may not have precisely been proper manners, but it was full of sincerity and gave a good impression of the young girl.
“Hmm...”
“Ma’am, are you Dale’s grandma?”
“That’s right... You seem to have your act together a lot more than that idiot grandson of mine, young lady.”
“Dale is really nice to Latina, and he teaches her a lot. He isn’t an ‘idiot,’” Latina declared, not flinching in the least before the intimidating woman and even adding in a small puff of her cheeks. “Latina thinks that you shouldn’t say bad things about Dale, even if you are his grandma.”
After saying that, she turned around. “And Dale, you shouldn’t say bad things about your grandma, either.”
The young girl passed judgment on both parties involved.
The grandmother and grandson stared at one another, a sulking Latina between them.
“Even your sulky look’s cute, Latina!”
“Yeah.”
“Latina’s adorable, isn’t she?”
“Where did you find this girl?”
“I picked her up.”
“You occasionally do find something good.”
Latina had seen through to the truth of the matter right at the start. They really were alike, which was precisely why they ended up fighting so often, and they probably had roughly the same boiling point when it came to things they found cute.
“Do you want some candy, young lady?” the old woman asked. She pulled amber-colored candy out of the drawer by her side and beckoned Latina closer.
“Don’t bribe her with food!” Dale yelled, trying to stop her.
“Candy?”
Dale knew all too well that if he allowed his grandmother to “attack” like this even once, Latina would inevitably fall. He knew what to expect afterwards, too.
“I’m telling you not to! Latina’s my kid!” Dale said, holding Latina from behind. He looked like a cat with its fur standing up as it tried to protect its kitten.
“What’re you saying? You don’t even have a wife,” his grandmother replied with a scornful laugh.
“Hmm?” Latina tilted her head, sensing a shift in the mood between the two of them.
“Here, say ‘ah.’”
“Ah?”
“Latina!”
The innocent young girl opened her mouth as she was told, and a piece of candy flew in. It was a sharp, precise throw that you wouldn’t think a woman Dale’s grandmother’s age could make, and she paid no heed to Dale’s attempts to obstruct her. In the aftermath of this mere moment of battle, Latina’s cheeks puffed up like a squirrel’s.
“Is it tasty?”
“It is,” said Latina with a nod.
“Latina, don’t take candy from strangers!”
“Huh?! Dale’s grandma is a ‘stranger’?!”
“Don’t pay him any mind. He’s just a brat throwing a fit.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t listen to what this old hag says!”
“Huh? Huh?”
“You listened to me properly back when you were a kid, too!”
“And the me you see now is the result of that.” He turned to Latina. “Do you get it?”
“Not really. Do you and your grandma get along?” Latina asked, not able to comprehend the relationship between this grandmother and grandson.
“More or less.”
“Yeah.”
The pair replied with the same sort of expression on both of their faces.
“Hmm...” Latina stopped and thought for a while. “Then... it’s o
kay...?” she said to herself, moving the large candy about her mouth all the while.
A bold smile on her face once more, the old woman sat in front of her grandson Dale and started happily puffing away at her pipe. Her actual name was Wendelgard, but everyone just called her Granny Wen.
“Well, you look better than you did last time you came back.”
“Was I that bad...?”
Granny Wen kept on puffing on her pipe, facing her sulking grandson. “Yeah. Randolph and them planned to smack some sense back into you, and that sounded like a hoot, so I let them.”
“Dad...”
Randolph was Dale’s father’s name.
Apparently, that attack wasn’t just his grandmother’s order, but also the result of the others getting carried away, too. Dale let out a single, unnaturally long sigh.
“Well, you guys always do that sort of ‘prank’... but this time Latina was with me, so I didn’t want to take even the slightest risk of her getting hurt.”
“What, can you not even protect her properly?”
“I have been protecting her.”
Latina sat right in between them, listening to them talk as she sucked on the candy. First her right check would puff up, then go back to normal, and then the left one would swell. Occasionally the sound of the candy rolling about escaped from between her lips. She was trying to be quiet and well behaved, but was ending up unintentionally asserting her presence quite a bit.
“...Latina.”
“Hmm?”
“Is that candy tasty?”
“Yeah,” she responded with a smile of complete satisfaction.
“That’s good.”
As long as she was happy, he had no complaints.
Seeing her grandson like this, Granny Wen took a puff of her pipe, looking content.
As they walked down the hallway after leaving Granny Wen’s room, Latina asked, “You get along with your family, right, Dale?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why were you fighting?”
“Hmm... That wasn’t really a fight. It was more like... they were making sure I’m doing my role properly,” Dale replied with a strained smile. “Last time I came back was a bit before I met you. That was when I was at my absolute worst, so they were worried, I guess.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, I became happy because I met you, Latina,” Dale responded, patting Latina’s now-tilted head. He didn’t want to talk to her about back when he hadn’t been in such a good place.
Even my family could tell how bad I’d gotten...
He could only give a strained smile when he thought back to the way he was back then. Those calm, gentle days he’d spent together with Latina were truly irreplaceable and helped to heal him. It really was debatable as to who had saved who.
“Still, I really do think you guys went overboard.”
“More importantly, are you always walking around with the little lady like that?”
“Hmm?”
“I just don’t want to do something as awful as leaving her all alone in a place she doesn’t know.”
“But, still...”
Dale had brought Latina to the living room. The low table in the center had sides decorated with elaborate carvings that drew the eye. There was a fireplace, and along the walls were display shelves lined with decorative plates, as well as metal objets d’art and reliefs. In front of those shelves stood Dale’s father, Randolph, sipping tea while skimming a letter. He was reading it here rather than in his personal room, which also served as a study, so it must have been personal rather than work-related.
Granny Wendelgard, the head of the clan and village chief, was getting quite old, so Randolph handled most of the work associated with her position.
Dale plunked himself down diagonally across from his father. A moment later, Latina nestled in close to him. It would seem that Latina wasn’t entirely comfortable sitting in the center of the large room, so she half-hid herself behind Dale. She’d pop her head out a bit every now and again, only to dart behind Dale’s back once more. She wasn’t necessarily trying to hide, but as a result of her gaze wandering about at all the things that interested her around the room, it seemed that way from Randolph’s position. The way that something would suddenly catch her eye and she’d look that way was reminiscent of a small animal. And the man’s son, who he hadn’t met in some time, was gently watching over the young girl’s charming movements. It wasn’t a bad thing, but he was looking lovingly at the young girl, looking like he felt it natural that she was by his side.
As a parent, Randolph wanted to ask just what had happened.
“I picked up Latina while I was working, after her dad had died, and I’ve been taking care of her ever since. I wrote you some letters every now and again, right?” Dale said, sulking a bit and seemingly sick of Randolph looking at him like he wanted to say something.
“Yeah, but still...”
“If Latina’s in the way, she’ll go back to the room. Would that be better?” Latina said, cutting into Dale and Randolph’s conversation.
Dale responded immediately. “You could never be in the way, Latina!”
“You...” Randolph was at a loss for words.
Seeing Dale’s father like that, Latina seemed a tad flustered. “Dale’s always nice to Latina like this.”
“She never acts selfishly, so I’ve gotta spoil her.”
“I see. So you’re super soft on her,” Randolph said with a sigh, seeming somehow exhausted.
“Um, Dale’s dad...” Seeing a break in the conversation, Latina stepped forward a bit, tilting her head slightly as she looked up at Randolph.
“What is it?”
“What should Latina call you? She doesn’t even know your name.”
Facing her once more directly, he felt that the young girl, with her swaying platinum hair and her big grey eyes that looked straight at him, was amazingly adorable. He thought she was cute when he’d first seen her, but looking at her up close like this, he thought that while she was still very young, it wouldn’t be odd at all to call her a real beauty. He couldn’t sense even a shred of ill intent behind her earnest expression, which made her even more charming.
Randolph was left speechless for a while as he looked at the young girl, only for him to be hit by another shock when he realized something a tad later than he should have. He took a deep breath.
“Hmm?” Latina adorably tilted her head as she looked up at him.
“We never had a daughter, so...”
“Dad...”
“Hmm?”
“Could you ask me that question one more time?”
“Huh? What should Latina call you?”
“I wouldn’t mind you calling me ‘Pops’...”
“Dad...” Dale started.
“I think I get a bit of how you feel.”
This father and son were apparently similar in their strangeness.
“Ah, that’s right, thinking about a ‘daughter’ made me remember,” Randolph said, looking at Dale. “The daughter of the chief of the village down the way is going to marry into our house.”
“Marry?”
“That’s right. We sped up the schedule so we could get it done while you’re here. We’ll be having the ceremony soon.”
“The daughter of the chief of the village down the hill... Ah, you mean Frida? Is that alright?”
“There’s no problem. It’s already settled. The other side wanted it, too. It’s better to rely on us than some far-off lord of the domain when you’re out here in the country, after all.”
“Well, it is pretty obvious that when you’re all the way out here, even if you asked the lord to help with poor crop yields or magical beasts or disease, your request would keep getting put off... But if they asked us, we could help out, at least to a certain extent.”
“Thanks to your ‘work,’ our issues with the lord have been settled too, so we shouldn’t have any trouble for a while.”
“I see,”
Dale said with a smile embedded with complex emotions. “Then I’m fulfilling my duty as part of the head family of the clan, huh...?”
As he looking at his son, Randolph brought the tea cup to his mouth to hide his softened expression. “It’s alright now.”
Dale didn’t respond to this statement both to hide his embarrassment and because this father and son understood each other well enough without needing to put it into words.
“Marriage, huh...? I guess Yorck beat me to it. He must be having it rough then, yeah? He’s still got work, after all...”
“Huh?!” Latina suddenly shouted in surprise after silently listening to Dale speak. Surprised by the outburst, Dale looked over at her and found that she’d gone completely pale.
“What’s wrong, Latina? Do you feel bad?”
“No, Latina’s alright. Dale, who’s Yorck?”
“Hmm? Ah, right, he hasn’t come back yet, so I haven’t introduced you. He’s my little brother.”
“Dale’s little brother? And he’s getting married?”
“Yeah. We’ll get to see the ceremony while we’re here. We’ll have to get you a nice dress, too!” Dale said, apparently having just decided this.
“Latina sees....” Latina muttered, the color returning to her face, and she regained her usual composure. She had momentarily thought that Dale was getting married.
“Latina wants to see the bride,” she said with a smile. There wasn’t a hint of gloom on her face.
Randolph had two sons and no daughters. Since both of them were unmarried, he had no grandchildren and he hadn’t the slightest idea what interested a young girl like Latina. She was used to city living, so she’d find it boring out in the country like this, right?
Randolph stood up and excitedly exited the living room.
“Hmm?”
“Latina, do you want some tea?”
“Yeah. Dale, Latina will do it.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll leave it to you.”
After Randolph left, Latina started preparing the tea. Because Latina was all-around better at cooking than Dale now, it was more efficient to have her take care of steeping the tea, and it would taste better that way, too.
“It’s not like the tea from Kreuz.”
