by CHIROLU
And yet on the other hand, Latina was also quite curious.
This sort of environment entirely unlike what she saw in her everyday life was exactly the thing to stir up her curiosity. And by creating such a situation, Dale would surely be able to enjoy a more lovey-dovey time together with Latina than normal. They would surely be able to feel completely free to enjoy bathing together.
It was fortunate that the aftermath of the magical being incident would limit people from coming there. They weren’t even likely to run into other travelers. And so, that would definitely help to give her a push.
Dale had known her for so long that he was very well acquainted with her personality by now.
This was sure to go well.
Or at least, that’s what he had thought.
“It sure is amazing.”
Dale wasn’t the only one watching Latina innocently splash around in the water, though.
No, a good number of folks from Affe were also there, acting as a gallery.
Dale stared at them with dead eyes, but then his expression shifted right back as he looked at Latina again. His inner thoughts were showing to an almost alarming degree.
Of course, Dale himself was the reason things had ended up this way.
He had wanted to make Latina happy. With that in mind, yesterday he had entrusted the inn’s chef with mushrooms that only grew in this area. On top of that, he had also handed over the dried slime to the inn’s owner who had previously told him about the magical being incident.
The reason the inn’s owner had revealed that information that could be damaging in the first place was because he was aware of Dale Reki’s reputation as a hero. And then, he had reported that the incident had been settled.
It was only natural that people would come to check the state of things.
Having realized all that as soon as he saw the townsfolk, Dale’s eyes had gone dead.
And naturally, even he couldn’t ask that Latina fulfill his secret ambitions with so many people watching.
Dale’s desires had been thoroughly crushed, while Latina was seriously enjoying the sights. And so, the one who got to enjoy the beautiful hot spring most of all was the utterly unconcerned pup, Vint.
Things were wrapped up nicely, and everyone, the townsfolk of Affe included, were more or less satisfied. And they all lived happily ever after.
2: A Tale From Before the Story Began, and Before a Certain Couple Got Together
What led up to Latina hearing the tale from the past was a certain customer visiting the Dancing Ocelot.
It wasn’t solely adventurers who stopped by the place.
Both travelers and merchants also visited there to learn a variety of information, as the shop served as an extension of the temple of Akhdar. If a natural disaster blocked off part of the highway, then it was important to take waits and detours in mind. And if there was information about bandits or magical beasts prowling about the road, they needed to know that in order to hire guards for their trip.
And so, it was very important to check for significant news in order to make sure your journey was a safe one.
“Welcome!”
Cheerfully greeting customers like that was part of Latina’s daily routine as the shop’s adorable waitress. Her charming voice resounding through really created a wholesome and calm atmosphere that was hard to imagine for a shop where such roguish-looking adventurers gathered.
It had become second nature for an experienced professional like Latina to instantly grasp details about the customer she was greeting. Whenever she saw someone was a new customer, she would guess as to their profession from the clothing and equipment they had on their person.
This man in particular was older than her, and while his traveling attire looked sturdy and of decent quality, it certainly wasn’t suited for battle. The only visible weapon he had was a single knife dangling from his hip, and from its shape and size, it was hard to imagine he was an adventurer or had some other combat-focused job.
He doesn’t look like a magic user, either. And he doesn’t feel like a merchant... He seems more like a traveler from a slightly well-off background, Latina thought to herself as she approached the customer.
The majority of non-adventurer customers either wanted to hear information or put out a request for adventurers. It was still a little early for their general business hours as a bar, but there were some customers who did come for the food and drink. Predicting what type of customer you were dealing with allowed you to offer the appropriate services to them, and so it was a skill that Latina had picked up on her own over the years.
“Welcome. This is your first time here, isn’t it? The board for information from the temple of Akhdar is over that way,” Latina said with a smile.
She had pointed that out first because that was what the majority of first-time customers were most interested in.
“Thanks,” he briefly replied, but then he stopped partway there and turned back to face Latina. “Ah, right. Does this place serve light meals? I missed lunch today.”
“Yes, we do. Is a counter seat alright...?”
There were tables open, but she avoided guiding him that way because it was around when the regulars started to gather. By now, Latina was fully aware that regular customers often felt intimidated when surrounded by such rowdy adventurers.
“In addition to choosing from the menu, you can also get the chef’s recommendation, which will be a full serving.”
“Then let’s go with that.”
“And what would you like to drink?”
Latina waited on the gentleman promptly, showing both charm and skill and smiling the whole time. Once she was done she went to the kitchen to tell Kenneth the order and then prepare his drink personally.
“Sorry for the wait.”
The instant that she placed down the glass and accepted his money, the door to the shop swung open. And when she reflexively turned to greet the new customer, she found a regular standing there.
“Welcome.”
“Hey there. I’ll take the usual.”
“Right.”
“The rest of them will get here before long, so go ahead and get some snacks for all of us ready, too.”
“Got it.”
It was a rather vague order, but she was well acquainted with the old-timer, so that was no problem. However, unlike usual, Latina also stopped and asked a question.
“Um, today we have shellfish dipped in oil. Will that be alright, or are those not to your taste?”
“Oh? That sure sounds unique.”
“The recipe’s still a work in progress, though. But Kenneth said it was good enough to serve to customers, so I would really appreciate hearing your impressions...”
The old-timer broke out in a bit of a smile upon hearing that. This newlywed girl still hadn’t given up her title of adorable waitress, and knowing her, if it was a dish she had carefully prepared there was no way it would be bad.
By the way, when Latina was developing new dishes, her mentor Kenneth was strict and offered precise advice, making him a very useful person to consult. Dale was completely useless, though. After all, he doted on her far too much, so he just said that everything Latina made was delicious.
Still, it wasn’t exactly easy to criticize him for that. Latina took such a professional approach that by the time she felt ready to have someone taste something, it more or less qualified as a completed dish. But Latina and Dale had completely different standards for food to begin with.
Some time had passed as Latina bantered with the regular.
“Sorry for the wait,” Kenneth called out while peeking out of the kitchen and carrying a basket full of a number of prepared dishes and bread. He then walked over to the counter seats, then laid out the plates.
That was when the man spoke up.
“You’re...” the man started in an emotional tone.
“Hmm?” Kenneth questioned while frowning a bit, sensing that had referred to him. The
customer seated at the counter didn’t pay any attention to that reaction, though.
“I never thought I would meet you in a place like this! Man, this is a crazy day! Do you remember me?!” the man asked, unable to hide his excitement as he stood up from his seat.
“Um, you’re... Ah, from Wal...”
“So you do remember!”
Latina didn’t recognize the noun that Kenneth had wrung out while furrowing his brows, but there was something she did realize.
“Kenneth, you were just making a face that said ‘thank goodness I got it’...”
As Latina marveled at the fact that Kenneth was making a face that was far more fitting for Dale, the regular by her side nodded.
“Wal is a port town in the west of Laband. That means he knew Kenneth back from when he was still active, huh...? But still, it’s hard to suddenly try to remember something from over a decade ago, you know...”
“I’d have difficulty remembering a customer from that long ago out of the blue, too...” Latina added, nodding along.
“Kenneth was an adventurer before we got married, but... Have you heard any stories from back then, Latina?” Rita asked with a bit of a troubled look on her face, having appeared beside Latina at some point.
“No, not really... Just that Kenneth helped Dale out in the past.”
“Yeah. Dale used to be in Kenneth’s party, after all,” the regular chimed in, and Rita nodded.
“That’s right. I’ve only ever heard stories about back then through Kenneth myself, but... When the time came for Dale to leave his village, he was entrusted to Kenneth’s party. And so, my husband was the one to teach him the basics about being an adventurer.”
“Ooh...”
“There was quite a commotion when Kenneth said he was going to retire, too. Back then, he was the leader of a reliable party that drew enough attention to get a lot of requests by name. Folks said that he was retiring far too early. Everyone shut their traps when they heard it was to marry Rita and become this place’s chef, though.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Even Rita’s old man had lamented that he couldn’t leave the kitchen up to his daughter, and so he had no complaints about getting a son-in-law who could cook.”
Latina stopped and thought a bit as she listened to the exchange between Rita and the regular.
Latina was acquainted with the former owner of the Dancing Ocelot, Rita’s father. When Rita and Kenneth got married and took over the shop, he and his wife retired. They still lived in the neighborhood, though, so when things were busy they would help watch after their grandchildren, Theo and Emma. And so, Latina had plenty of chances to see them over the years.
“Now that you mention it, have I seen Rita in the kitchen before...?” Latina muttered while searching her memories.
She had a vague recollection of it happening in the past. She could recall Rita helping with preparations and cleanup in the kitchen when Kenneth was especially busy and couldn’t do it. But at some point, Latina had taken up her role as his apprentice and handled such matters, so she now only rarely saw Rita in the kitchen. But Rita had been busy raising the kids ever since Theo was born, so Latina hadn’t really found it strange.
“But the kitchen is Kenneth’s workplace... So maybe Rita just doesn’t get the chance to do anything there that often...?”
“Of course that’s why,” Rita clearly stated, and sure enough the regular didn’t say anything further on the matter.
“I heard a story about Kenneth handling an extermination request in Wal once... Apparently, he fought a pretty big magical beast,” Rita nonchalantly stated.
“That’s putting it lightly... And Rita, you should know better than anyone that rumors of Kenneth had made it all the way to Kreuz, right?” the regular chimed in with a grin.
Rita shot him back an eerily chilly smile in response, but her tone remained friendly as she replied, “It’s bad for you to drink too much, so how about I prepare you a special healthy tea for today?”
It was the sort of line you would never expect from the proprietress of a bar.
Latina tilted her head a bit at Rita’s reaction, but the regular didn’t seem to question it at all, and just gave a strained smile and a hearty wave of his hand.
“Don’t go acting so cold, there. Drinking helps you forget old stuff like that, after all.”
“For a drunk, your tongue is certainly still deft enough.”
“I’m not drunk yet today.”
Sensing that Rita and the regular had returned to their usual friendly banter, Latina looked Kenneth’s way again. He looked clearly troubled by how the first-time customer was getting overly worked up and talking away, but he didn’t seem to be taking issue with the praise being aimed in his direction.
“Hmm?” Latina questioned, tilting her head again upon realizing how her own impressions contradicted each other.
“Wal?”
“Yeah. Do you know it, Dale? Apparently it’s a port town...”
“Yup. Actually, I went there before when I was young. It’s a little town with a fishing harbor. What about it?”
Ever since she was little, it had been part of Latina’s daily routine to report the day’s happenings to Dale. And so, she had done just that when Dale returned home.
However, she hadn’t stopped preparing for dinner as she did so, laying out dishes one after another atop the tables as she talked. When she reached Kenneth’s reaction to the first-time customer, Dale gave a strained chuckle. He had been out for the day so he hadn’t witnessed the events, but apparently he found them easy to imagine.
“He was really going at it, so Kenneth looked surprised too... And both Rita and that customer said something about Kenneth having taken on a big job in Wal in the past...”
“The magical beast extermination from fifteen years or so back...? That certainly was one heck of a job... And I’m sure it must have left a big impression on the folks who’d heard about it at the time.”
“You know about it, Dale?” Latina questioned, looking a bit surprised.
After a bit of hesitation, Dale went ahead and made up his mind.
Ever since Latina was little, Dale had intentionally not talked to her about his work. That was because sometimes the jobs he received from Laband were bloody affairs that included slaughtering members of her race.
Thanks to that, Latina had rarely ever heard what exactly Dale did as an adventurer.
As he moistened his lips with a light wine, he thought on what to say.
“It may not be that interesting to you, but...” Dale began, kicking off his story of the past.
†
When Dale was 15, it was decided through a contract with Tislow that he would receive work directly from Duke Eldstedt, the greatest noble in all of Laband.
However, as the head of Tislow at the time, Wendelgard didn’t immediately dispatch her grandson to the duke.
“I won’t say that the training you’ve received up till now will be useless, but it won’t be enough. But with that said, all the folks I knew from when I was young are retired by now...” Wendelgard said while swaying her favorite pipe and breathing out a long puff of smoke.
“The folks you knew when you were young...” the 15-year-old Dale muttered, a strained expression on his face as thoughts of his grandmother’s budding loves came to mind. He was well aware that when his grandmother was young she made a living in the rough-and-tumble field of adventuring, and that in the several decades since then, her connections from that time had been quite valuable.
Still, his grandmother was also so far outside the norm that he frankly wouldn’t have been surprised if some of her acquaintances were still active.
“By watching Randolph, you’ve come to understand that negotiation techniques and manners can also be weapons to employ against your foes, haven’t you?”
“Yeah... But I also know I’d have trouble doing it as well as my old man.”
“You’re
sure to face a diverse array of foes from here on out. But you’re just a country boy who knows nothing of the world at large, so you’re far too lacking in experience. And so...” Wendelgard stated, stopping for a moment and staring straight at her grandson. “I was thinking of entrusting you to Tarnat. You’re familiar with them, right? The ones who guarded the Weiss merchant caravan. You’ll be learning how to be an adventurer from them, which should be useful when you do work for the duke.”
Thinking back on it years down the road, Dale would realize that there were more well-known adventurer groups than Kenneth’s young party among those who protected the merchants coming and going from Tislow around that time. Granny Wendelgard sure had an eye for people to choose Kenneth, who still went by his old family name of Tarnat back then, to take care of her grandson in spite of all that.
Kenneth was affable and naturally talented at watching out for others, and at the same time he also had excellent leadership skills and situational awareness. And appropriate for the fact that he was a firstborn child, Dale was independent to a fault. However, Kenneth possessed the skills to sense what was going on with Dale and help him out even without being asked. When adding in the fact that he later became Latina’s mentor and effectively acted as her guardian when she was young, Dale really did owe him an awful lot.
On top of that, Dale felt strangely frustrated at the fact, but he had to admit that his grandmother had a discerning eye to so clearly evaluate Kenneth’s abilities.
At the time, Kenneth used heavy equipment in battle and led the party, which had four other members. There was Karel, a bow user who also employed basic healing magic, Helmut and Salomo, lightly equipped fighters who took the vanguard, and Scipio, a magic user who employed both the Fire and Water elements. It was rare for such a young adventurer party to have multiple members who could use magic. And the front guard was impressive as well, as Helmut could switch between a lance and a sword depending on the situation, while Salomo used a great number of short swords, allowing them to properly divide their roles. As the party could handle fights against both humans and magical beasts, they accepted all sorts of jobs ranging from guard work, to extermination, to gathering, rather than specializing in one thing. And so, that was yet another reason they were chosen to help Dale gain experience.
