by CHIROLU
1: A Small Tale After the End of the Story
After their wedding in Tislow, Dale and Latina decided to use their trip back to Kreuz as an excuse for a bit of traveling. They were accompanied by their faithful pup Vint, so it might not be quite right to call it a honeymoon. But still, he was a pup, so even if it was hard to say if he should count in the members of their party, he also didn’t exactly get in the way either.
And besides, there was a clear reason he was with them.
When Dale had traveled to his home village with Latina in the past, he’d prepared a horse to carry their luggage. That was because he wanted to make sure nothing slowed him down if they ran into magical beasts or bandits and he had to fight.
Now, though, he was carrying his luggage in a large knapsack on his back.
Dale’s physical capabilities had gone off the charts since becoming a demon, so that much weight was no problem at all. It was possible he still may need to drop it and lighten his load if something suddenly happened, but by having Vint tag along, they could rely on the pup’s acute sensory skills to avoid such situations. On top of that, Vint could hold his own in a fight, too. He could easily buy enough time for Dale to put down his baggage and for Latina to employ defensive magic.
Most importantly, though, he was a guard who wouldn’t interfere with their lovey-dovey newlywed time together.
And so, Dale and Latina had no reason to veto him accompanying them.
“If we keep heading west, eventually we’ll hit Qualle,” Dale stopped and pointed out when they made it through the mountain road connected to Tislow and reached the coastal highway. If they kept on heading straight towards Kreuz, they would first reach the port town of Qualle that they had once visited.
“Yeah,” Latina replied, holding down her hat so it wouldn’t get blown away as she stared at the light reflecting off the surface of the ocean.
Her ribbon had the traditional flower symbol from Tislow on it, and it fluttered in the wind.
“I was thinking this time we’d head a bit to the east, though, to a place that draws tourists for a bit of a different reason than Qualle,” Dale said, clearly hinting at something.
“Ooh...” Latina muttered, tilting her head a bit as she stared up at Dale. “So I should just look forward to seeing when we get there?” she asked.
“I wasn’t exactly saying that, but if that’s what you’d prefer, I could keep it secret for a bit longer,” Dale replied with a smile.
“Right. I’ll just look forward to seeing!” Latina answered, a wide grin on her face.
However, the one critter accompanying them soon put a damper on this lovey-dovey exchange.
“Is there meat?”
“It’s close to the ocean, so I think there will be fish.”
“Meat!”
“I’m looking forward to the fish...”
Unfortunately, the romantic atmosphere completely dissipated as Latina’s thoughts turned towards food. Vint really had a knack for changing the subject.
They weren’t familiar with the path, but there wasn’t any uncertainty in Latina or Vint’s steps.
Slowly but steadily, they proceeded down the well maintained coastal highway. Dale naturally didn’t show any signs of fatigue, but both Latina and Vint didn’t voice any concerns on the matter either. One would think that meant they were fine, but Dale soon noticed Latina’s pace slowing down.
“Hmm?”
It wasn’t unusual for her to move slower due to the scenery distracting her, but this was still far too slow even for that. Finding this strange, Dale decided to observe her, and he noticed that Latina was looking anxiously at the beach sprawled out before her.
“Ah... Now that I think about it, I’ve only ever taken you along rocky coasts. We’ve never visited a proper beach before.”
“Um, it was mentioned in my picture books, so I’ve heard about it before... But is the ocean really salty?”
“That’s your first question, huh? Well, whatever... That’s right. You only got to look at it last time, right?”
Latina was born in the arid region of Vassilios and then raised inside the walls surrounding Kreuz, so the blue ocean stretching out to the horizon must have made for quite a fresh sight.
“Well then, do you want to check out the beach for a little bit?”
“Is it really okay?”
“Just don’t fall and get all soaked, alright?” Dale warned, instinctively turning protective. That was because he’d thought to himself, For some reason, kids always end up falling at the beach. They really did have a tendency to end up soaked when there wasn’t a change of clothes handy. He had learned that first hand when helping take care of young boys back in his home village.
When Latina heard Dale’s words, she puffed up her cheeks a bit.
“You were thinking something rude, weren’t you, Dale?”
As a newlywed bride, it was hard to overlook her husband treating her as a child.
But the instant she stepped onto the sand by the roadside, her mood improved.
“Wooow!” she excitedly proclaimed, then ran out towards where the waves hit the shore. Or at least that’s what it looked like, but she turned around before hitting that point and came back over towards Dale.
“What is it?”
“Umm... There’s no one around, right?”
Latina glanced all around, and once she confirmed there wasn’t anyone pacing by, Latina hurriedly removed her boots. Then after a bit of hesitation, she also slipped out of her long pants.
It was so sudden that Dale just froze in place, completely dumbfounded.
She may have removed her pants, but Latina was wearing a tunic, so it wasn’t as if her underwear was visible. However, a good bit of the white flesh of her legs that was usually hidden was now showing, so it still made for quite a sight.
“Lati—”
“I’m going to take a dip in the ocean for just a little bit.”
Latina’s eyes were seriously sparkling when she said that.
In fact, it was such a brilliant shine that Dale’s words had caught in his throat when he went to question her.
Right... Guess this makes sense.
By nature, Latina was incredibly shy. And yet she was so excited at the moment that she was seriously cutting loose. Her tendency to dive straight in whenever she was curious about something hadn’t changed a bit since she was a child. And honestly, Dale had vaguely sensed that something like this would happen anyway.
She puffed up her cheeks at being treated like a child, yet she was still acting just like she did when she was little.
“Uwaaaaah!” Latina excitedly squealed as the ebb of the tide pulled on the sand under her feet. And all the while, Dale watched over her in full-on doting idiot mode.
By the way, Latina couldn’t swim.
The thought of her in something even more sensual and exposed like a bathing suit snapped him out of that protective mindset right away, but considering her inability to swim, he couldn’t exactly bring himself to mention the idea.
After a short while, Vint also jumped into the ocean, giving Latina someone to play in the water with. And as a result, this little excursion ended up taking quite a bit longer than first expected. It was the middle of summer, so the cool ocean water must have felt quite pleasant. Dale got plenty of enjoyment just from watching her splash in the water and have fun, though.
“Make sure to be careful out there, alright?”
“Yeah!”
It wasn’t as if she was being reckless or anything, but he gave her a warning anyway.
La
tina was enjoying herself, so Dale wanted to let her play for hours on end, but if he did then they would be late arriving at their lodgings. At the same time, enjoying diversions like this was pretty much the whole point of the trip.
And so, Dale gave a bit of a strained smile while following along behind Latina and holding her boots as she walked barefoot on the sand.
When they returned to the highway and continued further east, the path split. And if you strained your eyes and looked past that split in the path, you could see a town, with the red light of the setting sun behind it.
“Looks like we’ll make it before dark, somehow,” Dale muttered in relief, letting Latina know that was their destination.
“That’s where we’re heading?”
“That’s right. That town is called Affe, and thanks to the number of tourists it draws, there are a lot of high-quality inns and places to eat. I talked to Kenneth in advance, and he told me about a restaurant run by one of his acquaintances... Well, what do you think, Latina? Are you interested?”
Latina’s face had already started positively sparkling midway through his explanation, so there was no need to wait for her answer. As he praised himself in his head for doing his research in advance, Latina shot him a smile.
“Since we’ve come all this way, how about splurging a bit on an inn?”
“Ah, but will it be alright that we have Vint with us...?”
“He technically has a magical device collar on, so I’m sure it’ll be fine. And if there’s any trouble, we can just have him wait outside town.”
“Woof!”
“If you don’t want that, then don’t do anything that’ll cause trouble for Latina.”
“Woof!”
Rather than appealing to a sense of morality or public order, it was easier to just use Latina as his bargaining chip with the pup.
Like with other towns and villages, Affe was built with walls surrounding it to keep out magical beasts and bandits. Dale and Latina walked along the highway, heading for the gate that served as the entrance to the town. Many places had restrictions on entering at night, but evening generally wasn’t a problem. And so, Dale paid the gatekeeper the entrance fee and they passed on through.
“Waaah!” Latina exclaimed in surprise as she took her first step into the town. “There really are a lot of inns... I think there are even more than in Kreuz’s southern district.”
“It just feels that way because of how many there are in comparison to the size of the town.”
Both sides of the main street were lined with old-fashioned yet well-kept-looking inns. Some had gardens out front to add an air of refinement, and as a whole, the place seemed to be very welcoming towards customers.
“Dale, you said Affe gets a lot of tourists, right...? Maybe the inns feel so different because they don’t focus on serving adventurers like the ones in Kreuz?”
She looked all around, seemingly unable to settle on just one thing to focus on.
“Even so, there are apparently cheap inns, too. And even ones specialized in customers planning on long stays.”
“Ooh... The ones suited towards long-term customers sounds like how the Ocelot does business. I wonder how big the rooms are... How often do they change out the linens, and what schedule do they have for their cleaning?”
Dale was taken aback at this completely unexpected turn in the conversation, but then he breathed a sigh. Latina really was a tried and true workaholic.
“Dale?”
“Ah, it’s nothing... It’s just the inn we’ll be staying at may not be too useful for answering those questions.”
Latina tilted her head upon hearing that, but Dale just smiled and led her by the hand.
“This was the inn I thought hit the mark when I heard it’s reputation, but...”
“Waaah...!” Latina muttered, unwittingly letting that sound of admiration slip out. Latina had seen the extravagance of noble manors and the royal palace first hand in the capital, but she was still immediately impressed by the refined, high-class layout of the inn. It seemed like a building with a storied history, yet every bit of it had been carefully polished, so it greeted them with a pleasant air of cleanliness.
And that impression only improved when they saw how friendly the employees were in dealing with customers. You could really sense how carefully they had been trained. And from how they didn’t show any concern towards Vint, they even seemed to be fully aware of what the magical device around his neck was.
“I’m Dale Reki. I contacted you in advance, so...”
“Sir Dale Reki, is it? I shall take care of you. Welcome, please come this way. She will be your guide.”
The employee who calmly greeted them was a man in the prime of his life, and his behavior was every bit as refined as what you would expect from a servant in a noble manor. And the female employee who served as their guide had flawless manners as well.
“It sure seems like a nice place, just like I heard.”
“Yeah.”
Latina wore an earnest smile, but Dale was evaluating the inn’s employees with a bit more of a shrewd eye. He saw that even though he was carrying his luggage personally in a knapsack rather than having a servant or attendant carry it, they didn’t look down on him as someone not worthy of greeting properly. Of course, it was impossible to deny that his name may be having an impact, but he could always be a fake or simply someone with the same name, so it wouldn’t do to make a judgment based on that alone.
The place really did seem even nicer than he had expected.
There wasn’t a speck of dust to be seen along the long hallway they were passing through, either. In the back of his mind, Dale thought to himself that he would really need to thoroughly warn Vint again.
“Hey, Dale.”
“Huh?”
“Is the big surprise still a secret?”
“Hmm...”
As Latina looked at him with slightly upturned eyes, Dale hesitated a bit. But then, he figured he should probably at least explain before she saw it in person.
“The town of Affe is famous for its hot springs.”
“Hot springs?”
“Do you know what they are?”
“Yeah. I read about them in a book. They occur when underground water veins heated by geothermal energy come bubbling up, right?”
“The influence of Ahmar is strong around here, you see. And so, apparently the hot springs here are more effective than normal ones. That doesn’t come from the temple or anything, though. It’s more like a folk remedy, honestly.”
“Hmm,” Latina replied, seeming like she didn’t quite get it. And so, Dale intentionally shot her a clear smile.
“Considering the spring sources around the area, it should be quite a sight. I’ve traveled all around for work, but I still find this place makes for some really unique scenery. We should go check it out tomorrow,” he earnestly stated.
Latina had never experienced a hot spring or its source up till now, so she didn’t have anything to compare it to, but surely she would appreciate it at first glance.
“You’ve never seen a hot spring before, right? I hope that you like it.”
“Yeah!” Latina replied with a smile. That was because she didn’t realize that naturally, Dale had ulterior motives this time around.
After all, they were heading to a hot spring, so it couldn’t possibly be any other way.
Of course, Dale and Latina had gotten all lovey-dovey in the past, but they had only just gotten officially married, so it wasn’t as if that passion would have suddenly cooled off. In fact, Dale felt that only gave him all the more reason to be flirty with her.
Latina was very shy by nature. And that wasn’t something that had changed in the least with their marriage.
But if she was in a completely different circumstance than usual, maybe she would feel more open-minded. And what was so wrong with the thought that that could lead to them being even more lovey-dovey than usual?
They wer
e newlyweds, after all, so that was only natural.
And so, he settled on a hot spring. Yes, a hot spring.
The one to put a damper on that thought, though, was the female employee, who had an incredibly apologetic look about her.
“Um... Currently, the path to the spring’s source in the depths of the forest is off limits.”
“Huh?” Dale questioned, completely caught off guard.
He looked so shaken that it was hard to imagine he was the same hero revered for his ability to remain calm and composed on any field of battle.
“Oh, really?” Latina calmly asked, not seeming overly concerned.
“It’s currently being investigated, but it seems there’s been some sort of incident with a magical beast, and apparently it will take some time to summon an expert. The soldiers stationed in this town specialize in dealing with crimes such as theft, so I hear they’re finding this matter quite difficult to handle.”
“Ah, I see.”
“There is some distance between the town and the forest, so there’s no danger. So please, be at ease.”
“Right.”
“Of course, there are also spring sources in town, so you should still be able to enjoy some hot springs.”
“Oh, really? I’m glad,” Latina replied with a smile, but Dale had to hold himself back from muttering, “That’s no good.”
The room they were led to was equipped with a magical device key, showing that they were paying close attention to security. The second they stepped inside Latina’s face lit up, making it readily apparent that she was satisfied with the accommodations.
“What a wonderful room.”
“As long as you like it, that’s all that matters.”
The wooden furniture had been so thoroughly polished that the grain positively gleamed, and though it all had high-class designs, the reddish brown of the wood also gave off a bit of a warm feel. The chairs in the table set and the wallpaper both had surprisingly large flower designs to them. Rather than feeling overly flashy, though, they seemed to play up the spice of being on a trip and experiencing something entirely different from your everyday life. On the other hand, the fabric for the bed covers and curtains was rather plain, like it had taken just one color out of the flower design, creating a nice subdued atmosphere.
