by CHIROLU
As that thought ran through her head, she suddenly wondered to herself just what would happen if her friend’s doting fiance found out about the existence of the cat-eared hood.
“...”
He was sure to have an annoying reaction.
The man may have been hailed as a champion by the world at large, and his accomplishments and overall character were fitting of that praise. And yet, Sylvia also knew that he had earned the nickname of “deplorable hero,” too. Ultimately, Dale’s words and deeds had just been far too awful here in Vassilios.
“Did I actually go and do an amazing job here...?” Sylvia muttered without thinking.
“Hmm?” Chrysos questioned with a tilt of her head, but paid it no heed in the end and soon set about giving orders for heading out to Kreuz as soon as possible.
In this way, Sylvia and Chloe managed to prevent an incident of a certain deplorable running wild before Vassilios and Laband could open official relations. It was a great service done that would surely never appear in the annals of history, and Chloe herself had utterly no idea of her involvement.
4: A Certain Tale of the Little Girl From Around the Story’s Start
Ever since Latina was little, she had shown a great fascination with food.
The state of her birth country of Vassilios was actually a big reason for that. It was an arid region unsuited for farming, and was still heavily influenced by the conservative rule of the previous demon lord. As it had shut itself off from other nations and wasn’t involved in trade, that had left it lacking severely in culinary tradition.
Thanks to all of that, the food she had known ultimately prioritized providing the nutrition needed to live above all else.
Latina didn’t learn what delicious food really was until she first came to Kreuz.
She couldn’t help feeling that, while she had been cruelly exiled from her home nation and had met with great misfortune, she had at least been fortunate when it came to food. And she felt blessed to have gained Kenneth as a mentor, too. He may have run a bar in the rough part of town, but the level of skill he showed off at the Dancing Ocelot was far greater than one may expect from that fact. He could likely get hired at a high-class restaurant if he wished, but instead he preferred to use his skills as he pleased, as a doting husband.
Adding to that the harmonious nature of the place, it really may have been the perfect environment for the young Latina to be raised in.
By nature Latina was a bundle of curiosity, but also quite serious and a hard worker. And when she first ate Kenneth’s cooking, it left an impression so powerful it could be referred to as culture shock. So it really was no surprise that she ended up so fixated on the matter.
One day when Latina was not yet nine years old, Kenneth asked her a question.
“Do you have any interest in the animal farm where I get supplies from?”
“Farm...?”
She may have been smart, but she was still so young that it was no surprise that there was lots out there she didn’t know.
And so, Kenneth maintained his polite manner as he kept talking to his little disciple.
“To be precise, it’s actually a farm that has a contract with the butcher I use. But it’s a place where the livestock who become meat are raised.”
“Meat,” she repeated with a nod, absorbing what he had said. Since she had a different mother tongue, Latina often took some time to understand and reply, but she sure looked like an adorable little animal all the while.
“Meat is yummy,” she firmly stated while clenching her little fists, which was a bit different than the reaction Kenneth had expected.
“Do you know what sorts of animals live on a farm?”
“Cows, pigs, chickens... And sheep and goats...” she replied, counting out on her fingers as she named them. When he had heard enough, Kenneth went ahead and tapped her second and third little folded fingers.
“Do you want to go see where pigs and chickens are kept? Does that sound interesting?”
“Animals!” Latina exclaimed, her eyes sparkling now that she understood the proposal.
Kreuz was a town, so pretty much the only animals around were those kept as pets and the like. And so, in her everyday life Latina generally only got to see dogs and cats, as well as the horses and donkeys used for transport. However, as she was quite fond of reading picture books and the like, she was familiar with many more types of animals than other children her age.
And so, her strong curiosity meshed together with her love of all sorts of creatures.
“Latina wants to see animals!”
Perhaps because she understood her position as a young child, Latina tended to politely hold herself back, so it was a nice change to see her openly expressing her desires.
As that thought ran through Kenneth’s head, he also carefully thought out his words so they would be easy for the girl to understand.
“It’s important to properly understand where the things we eat each and every day come from. Do you get that?”
“Hmm. Studying the important steps before cooking?”
“So that’s what you’re thinking, huh? Well, that’s not wrong either.”
The fact that she was able to think up such an answer despite her youth showed that she had a promising future ahead of her. Sensing that, Kenneth smiled and patted his young disciple on the head.
However, though Latina showed clear interest in Kenneth’s proposal, the young man who acted as her guardian disapproved.
“Isn’t Latina still a little young for that...?”
Surprisingly, the reason Dale was knitting his brows actually wasn’t because it would mean Latina enjoying herself somewhere where he wasn’t around.
Dale took his eyes off of Kenneth, who had just finished explaining, and turned around. There, he found Latina with a picture book spread out atop the shop’s counter. Naturally, it was one containing portraits of animals. It seemed she was getting in a quick study session to prepare. After that glance at the young girl greatly enjoying herself, Dale turned back towards Kenneth.
“Latina’s a big animal lover. But it’s not like farm animals are kept because they’re cute. I was born and raised out in the countryside, so I was always used to the sight of what happens to game and livestock, but that’s not the case for kids who grow up in town.”
He didn’t want to see Latina’s pure, gentle heart get hurt.
As always, Dale’s doting upon his foster child showed clearly in his every action and word, causing Kenneth to give an awkward chuckle. Dale was certainly overprotective, but that clearly came from genuine concern for the girl. And honestly, this wasn’t a completely misdirected worry for a guardian to have.
“Still, Latina really does have her act together, so I decided she should be able to handle it. Plus, my go-between got me permission to come observe, but they have their own schedule to worry about too, so there’s no telling when the next opportunity may be.”
“I guess that’s true.”
Dale could understand Kenneth’s points, so his expression softened a bit. Because he was such a doting idiot, he could tell that the proposal would be a good opportunity for Latina to learn.
“Ziege isn’t that far from Kreuz by carriage. In fact, it’s a rare opportunity to head out of town, and it’s close enough to be just a day trip.”
“Right. Ziege, huh?” Dale said with a slight understanding nod, repeating the name Kenneth had mentioned.
Ziege was a neighboring town to Kreuz. It was a land where agriculture thrived, and alongside Haase to the north, it supplied food to Kreuz. And since it was closer than Haase, it provided the majority of vegetables that passed through the town.
Thanks to the flow of goods, the highway between the two places was also well maintained. As long as they rode in a carriage, there would be no issue taking the young Latina on such a trip.
“Normally I’d want to go introduce myself to them to start with, so I came up with the proposal of brin
ging Latina along while I was heading there. I’ll take responsibility and watch out for—”
“I’m going too.”
“Ah, but it’s close, and it was such a sudden decision. You don’t have to trouble yourself to—”
“No, I’m telling you I’m going too, so it’s fine. I’ll watch out for Latina.”
Dale worked diligently as an adventurer, taking on jobs pretty much every day. That was why Kenneth had intended to take charge of Latina as long as he got permission, but Dale firmly rejected that consideration.
“It’s Latina’s first big outing.” He had expected such a statement. However, Dale then drew closer with a deadly serious expression on his face, not showing even a hint of a smile. “Heading out of Kreuz will be a fresh experience for her. Something that she’ll remember for years to come. As if I’d let something like that happen without me around. I could never accept such a thing.”
His gaze was fixed.
However, Kenneth had certainly foreseen this possibility, so it didn’t exactly come as a surprise.
When Dale was a pain, he was really a pain. And since he would probably be the same way when they got there, Kenneth had been hoping he could take charge of the outing on his own.
And so, Kenneth went ahead and chose to hurriedly distract Dale’s attention.
“About Latina’s outfit for the outing... It’ll be important to choose something easy to move in that can get dirty, right?”
Even he thought that shift in conversation was way too much of a stretch. And yet, Dale stopped and seriously thought about it, going so far as to deeply furrow his brow and cross his arms. All the while, he stared at Latina, who was enjoying her picture book so much that she had moved on to drawing pigs and sheep and the like on a big sheet of paper.
After not moving for a bit, Dale muttered in a low voice, “A dress with an apron...!”
Not that Kenneth cared in the least.
“We haven’t had lamb for a while, so how about we go with that for dinner tonight?”
The sheep Latina had drawn was extremely round and looked like it must have had wonderful meat.
In addition to stocking up, he would also have to visit the butcher to ask them to inquire about what time and date would be most convenient. And so, he would pick up some lamb meat then. With that thought in his head, Kenneth stood up and prepared to head out.
Latina must have been quite fond of the lamb meat roasted in breadcrumbs and herbs and served on the bone, as she normally was a small eater, but this time around she asked for seconds.
The gentle rays of sunlight streamed warmth down upon them. Combined with the peaceful clopping sound of hooves and the gentle swaying of the carriage, it really did invite tiredness. The effect was so great that Latina had gone rapidly from jumping up and down with excitement to now wobbling unsteadily.
“If you’re tired, then you can just go ahead and sleep.”
“No...” Latina replied with a shake of her head, turning down Dale’s proposal even though she was nodding off.
Dale broke out in a bit of a strained smile, as he knew the reason she was so tired was because she got so excited for this outing that she couldn’t sleep properly last night.
For Latina, even this bit of transport was something she had been looking forward to. And so, she surely saw it as a waste to just go to sleep.
The one-horse carriage they had rented for today was a small one, having only two adult-sized seats in addition to the one for the driver. However, Kenneth sat up front and took the reins, so that meant there was enough space for both Dale and Latina to sit. And Latina was so small that there was plenty of room to spare. However, on the other hand, Dale brought along a lot of cushions. He had done so out of consideration for if Latina got sleepy along the way, but apparently she had no interest in such things.
Still, the tranquil sight of the bright blue sky and low vegetation stretching out around the highway was enough to incite drowsiness in anyone, not just Latina.
I could sleep, too, but... I just can’t get enough of watching Latina! So I’ve got no time for that.
Kenneth didn’t seem to be having any issues up in the driver’s seat.
Dale wouldn’t have minded a quick nap if he had the time, but he ultimately didn’t linger on that thought. After all, it would be one thing if he was resting alongside Latina, but as her guardian, he couldn’t miss out on the adorable sight of her desperately trying to stay awake.
“I don’t think she needs to be pushing herself, but I also want to applaud how she’s giving her all. It’s a tough one...” Dale muttered to himself.
“Hmm...?”
“You may be awake, but you’re talking like you’re half asleep,” Kenneth quipped from the driver’s seat.
They still weren’t far from Kreuz, but the scenery kept growing more and more tranquil. The seeds for the season must have only just been sown, as the rows of black soil stretching on for some distance looked incredibly soft. Past that was a field with buds and sprouts, and even further out were vegetables that were almost in season, just waiting for the harvest.
There didn’t seem to be a lot of land devoted to growing grain. However, since she had been taught it was the main ingredient in the bread she ate each and every day, Latina watched with great interest as budding stalks swayed along, not yet having turned golden.
As he watched over her, Dale felt like he understood why Kenneth had gone out of his way to bring Latina out of town.
Ziege wasn’t exactly remote enough to call completely out in the country. It wasn’t all that far from the large town of Kreuz, and a lot of people traveled there for both business and pleasure.
And so, the appearance of the town was carefully designed.
The outer walls of many of the town’s buildings were made from bright brown bricks. And the roofs were colored a slightly murky red, which gave the whole town a unified, bright aesthetic.
On the way there, they passed a great number of wagons. The fruits and vegetables heaped into them would surely show up at market in Kreuz soon enough.
“Latina, even if something catches your interest, don’t go running off on your own into the other fields.”
“Because they’ll think Latina is a thief?”
“That’s not all there is to worry about. But well, even with Kenneth, if a stranger suddenly wandered into the shop’s kitchen, he’d throw them out even if they weren’t doing anything.”
“For farmers, fields are where they work...” she said in understanding, giving an adorable little nod.
There were a number of reasons to be concerned about such matters, but as a young child, Latina didn’t need to understand all that. She wasn’t the sort to pull pranks, but she was still a little bundle of curiosity. So Dale was still concerned about what she may do, even if she wasn’t really trying to cause trouble.
Before long, Kenneth stopped the carriage outside a house on the outskirts of town.
The buildings in Ziege were spaced out a great deal more than the ones in Kreuz. And their destination had not only a main house, but also other structures like sheds for livestock and storage. For Latina, this was all brand new to her.
“Wah...”
Unable to contain herself, Latina hopped on out of the carriage as soon as it stopped and she saw Kenneth get down from the driver’s seat. As she did so, her green checkered skirt and frilly apron fluttered vibrantly in the wind.
The justification for the outfit was that it was alright to get dirty, but ultimately Dale was more finding excuses to dress Latina in cute clothing than anything. And it most certainly accomplished that goal.
Latina followed hot on Kenneth’s heels as he hurried along, but sure enough her attention was darting all across her surroundings as they went. That included farm equipment that looked like it was in the middle of being used, a wheelbarrow full of feed, and even the unique smell coming from the livestock shed. Latina wanted to take her time and really take in each and every
thing she noticed along the way. She looked genuinely torn between her desire to investigate and her attempt to keep up with Kenneth.
Dale, meanwhile, trailed along at the end of the line. That was because he wanted to both keep an eye on Latina to make sure she didn’t get lost, and watch her enjoying herself.
Out in front of the main house, there was a little home garden full of various plants that likely weren’t meant for sale. That certainly caught Latina’s attention, but she closely followed Dale’s warning and didn’t try to touch anything or even get unnecessarily close.
When he saw that, Dale couldn’t help but break out in a bit of a smile.
Before Dale could act on his desire to hug Latina tight and praise her, there was a response to Kenneth’s knocking. The door to the main house opened wide, and Latina’s attention turned that way. In Kenneth’s mind, that really had been just in the nick of time.
The house’s owner was a quiet man who looked to be older than Kenneth. His rough, rugged fingers and tanned appearance were proof of a life of hard labor. The clothing he wore certainly wasn’t extravagant, but it also showed no signs of being patched up. It may have been meant specifically for greeting guests, but still, that outfit alone was evidence of the house’s wealth.
The butcher had gotten in contact in advance, but Kenneth and the man who introduced himself as Yang shared a brief, ordinary greeting. Afterwards, Kenneth turned around and called out, “Latina.”
“Latina thanks you for this opportunity today,” she stated clearly and politely after taking a step forward, despite being a bit nervous about meeting this new person for the first time.
Upon seeing that, Yang shot her back a bit of a smile.
“For now, step inside and have some tea.”
“Ah, no, I already feel bad for taking up so much of your time.”
After that brief exchange, Kenneth asked if they could be shown around first. He had told Rita that she could go ahead and close the shop down for the night, but he still wanted to get back before it got dark.
Yang didn’t seem to mind at all, and took off walking at the head of the group after giving a slight nod in agreement.
