Published at 18th of January 2020 2:11 pm

Volume 1, Chapter 1: The Young Man and the Little Girl Meet

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

There was a young man walking through the depths of the forest. Even though the sun was still out, this forest, untouched by humans, remained dim and gloomy. Aside from the occasional chirping of birds, there were no sounds to be heard. The place definitely had an oppressive atmosphere to it.

With a look of great displeasure on his face, the man glanced down at the sword in his hand.

“Ugh, damn it...” he spat, wiping his blade off on some nearby grass. The sword was absolutely coated with a foul-smelling mucus. “This is why nobody wanted to take this job... Man, I’m gonna need to wash myself off or something before heading back.” When he saw the mucus was stuck to his leather coat as well, the look on his face grew even more pained.

It hadn’t been long since he’d gotten to the forest, having taken on a request to cull the frog-like magical beasts that had overpopulated it. While the task itself wasn’t much trouble, as he had confidence in handling both his weapon and magic, the trip here and back was time-consuming.

"I took it on since I had time until my next job, but... I guess this was a mistake, huh?" Hearing the splish, splash of his own sticky footsteps on the grass, he let out a sigh and drooped his shoulders.

The main reason he’d taken on this job was because he could make the round trip from and back to the town he was currently based out of within the course of a day. He cursed himself for having made the decision so lightly.

The work itself hadn’t really been anything of note. It had been easy for him to find the colony the magical beasts had made in the depths of the forest, and wiping them out had been simple as well. If only he hadn’t gotten coated in their bodily fluids and the mucus they spat up. The only saving grace was that the horrible stench had quickly numbed his sense of smell. But if he returned to town like this, even the gatekeepers he was friends with would be taken aback.

In the town he was currently based out of, he was making something of a name for himself as an adventurer. He had just turned 18, the age at which one was considered an adult in this country, but back in his home town, he had been treated as though he’d come of age ever since he turned 15. Because he’d decided on this occupation back then, he’d been able to build up a few years’ worth of achievements and earn a reputation beyond what his youth would imply.

His hair was black with a bit of light brown mixed in, and he wore a long coat made of magical beast leather. On his left arm was a magical device gauntlet. Those were the outward traits that people would use to describe the man named Dale Reki.

“Oh water, by my name, I order you to heed my call. 〈〈Search: Water〉〉”

He recited this spell, and his magic activated. Sensing the strong presence of water, Dale changed his route and pushed his way through an animal trail.

As his field of vision cleared, he saw a small river running before him. Having found what he was seeking, Dale breathed a sigh of relief.

He took off his coat and plunged it into the gushing water. This one good coat of his was endowed with magic, so the mass of mucus washed away. Because it repelled water, it would soon be dry, so Dale hung it on a nearby branch to air out.

He stopped and thought for a moment. Dale looked over his body again and remembered the unpleasant smell and mucus. Thinking that he should wash himself thoroughly, he took off his stab-resistant tunic. He could afford to act so confidently because he knew the magical beasts and other animals in the forest proved no threat to him.

His coat dried quickly enough, but his tunic and pants were still dripping wet. And so, Dale started a campfire, sat down on his spread-out coat in just his underwear, and began cooking the fish he’d caught while he’d bathed in the river.

By the time the savory smell wafted through the air around him, his clothes had mostly dried. Keeping his eyes on the fish, Dale quickly slipped on his clothes. After all, he wasn’t quite bold enough to enjoy a meal in his underwear in a place like this.

That was when he heard a rustling sound.

He figured it was a small animal drawn by the smell of his meal, but when he looked, he was shocked.

A small child was staring at him from the other side of the thicket, with their tiny head just barely peeking out from a bush.

At first, Dale was surprised that he’d misread the presence he’d felt. Then, he was bewildered that he’d found a child aimlessly wandering around a forest filled with magical beasts. It was when he was thinking that there shouldn’t be any villages around here that he realized something: there were curved, black horns on top of the child’s head.

A devil, huh...? What a pain... He mentally clicked his tongue.

Devils were an insular group, and they possessed the greatest abilities out of the seven races. As for distinguishing physical traits, devils had horns on the top of their heads.

Should I kill her...? He figured that would be the quickest way to deal with this. Devils were nothing but trouble, after all.

Dale grasped the handle of his sword tight... and then let go. He’d just finished washing himself off, and he didn’t want blood splattering all over him. It was only a quick thought, but that was his reasoning.

Looking like she was about to break out in tears, the girl kept her big grey eyes fixed right on him.

Having let go of his sword, Dale calmed himself down enough to observe the child, and that was when he finally realized why he felt so uneasy when he first saw her: one of the devil girl’s horns was broken off at the base.

Seriously? A kid like this is a criminal...?

Taken aback by this realization, Dale cringed at how ridiculous that would be. In the past, a fellow adventurer had told him one of the devils’ customs:

Devils considered their horns sacred, as they were symbols of their race. So when a devil committed a crime, one of their horns was broken off, and the criminal was exiled.

Even knowing that, Dale couldn’t help but have questions. After all, the child before him was far too young to be capable of a crime. Devils had lifespans far longer than humans like Dale, and while he didn’t know if human ages were equal to theirs, the height of the girl staring at him from within the bushes made Dale guess that she was about five or six. She most certainly didn’t look old enough to be capable of making her own judgments.

Dale suddenly remembered the fish in his campfire when he realized that the devil child was glancing at it, and he hurriedly pulled out the skewer. It had gotten a little burnt.

“Hmm...”

As he moved the skewer left and right, the child’s gaze followed. It seemed he hadn’t imagined it; she appeared to be quite interested in the fish as well.

“...Do you want some?”

He’d feel bad about eating in front of her, like he was flaunting his meal. And because of that thought, he called out to the girl almost without thinking. At the same time, he dumbfoundedly wondered what he was saying.

When she heard Dale speak, the child’s gaze moved from the fish back to his face, and she tilted her head slightly.

“***? ***, ****?”

“Huh? Um...?” Now it was Dale’s turn to tilt his head. It was too quick for him to follow along, but he felt like he had heard that language somewhere before. “Hmm, if I remember right...” He dragged out the words of the fellow adventurer who had taught him about devils from the depths of his memory. “He said that the language of the devils was the same as the one used in spells, right...?”

He decided that was it.

Spells were words used to utilize the power of the phenomenon known as magic. The number of people who could employ spells were limited; it wasn’t like everyone could use such words. But devils were apt at speaking them, and thus able to use them as their mother tongue. That was precisely why it was said that devils were all “natural-born magic users.”

“Hmm, then... ‘Come, beside, need, this?’”

From the language used in spells, Dale picked out vocabulary that seemed like it would convey the meaning he wanted. He’d never intended to use the words to hold a conversation, so he hadn’t the slightest idea how to do so correctly.

When she heard his words, a clear look of relief appeared on the girl’s face. With a rustling sound, she moved through the thicket and drew closer.

Even though he had been the one who had called out, Dale was once more left speechless.

It wasn’t just because the child had approached a complete stranger without a hint of caution.

It was also because she was so terribly thin.

What he could see of her limbs peeking out from under the old rag that must have once been a one-piece dress were nothing but skin and bones. He could tell at a glance that she was suffering from malnutrition. It wouldn’t even take a sword to end her life—if he wrapped his hands around her too- thin neck, it would be easy to snap it before she could even try to resist.

While devils kept away from outsiders, they were also a race known to have strong bonds amongst themselves. That was precisely why they regarded exile as such a harsh punishment. Furthermore, while long-lived, devils had a very low birth rate; they were said to cherish children like treasure.

Dale hadn’t even considered the possibility that such a young child would be forced to face such harsh exile, even if they actually were being treated as a criminal.

“Come on, eat. Ah, no matter what I say, you won’t understand...”

Dale grinned wide and thrust the skewer towards her. Magic spells didn’t use words like “eat up.” But even though Dale had handed the girl the skewer, she simply looked down at it, then back at him.

“******?”

“It’s fine, so just eat.”

The girl looked at Dale, as if trying to size him up. For the time being, he responded with a nod, and she slowly brought the fish to her mouth.

Bit by bit, she nibbled away at it with small bites. As he had nothing else to do, Dale simply sat there and watched, and all the while, he thought about how she looked just like a small animal.

While he waited for her to finish eating the fish, Dale once more searched for words to use.

“Ah... ‘Person, protect, you, exist?’”

It’s not like it was certain just yet that the child didn’t have a guardian. Carefully watching Dale and listening to his awkward wording, she replied even more slowly than she had before.

“***, ************, ****. *** *********, ********”

“Hmm... Together, not, here? ...Beasts, reject...?”

Dale was only able to pick up broken fragments of meaning, but the expression on the girl’s face was decidedly grim. After thinking a bit, she grabbed Dale’s hand in her tiny grasp and pulled him along.

Following as the girl continued through the forest step by tiny step, Dale continued to ponder the matter.

Now that I think about it, it was just a sudden impulse that made me call out to her and give her the fish. What exactly do I intend to do next?

Suddenly, the child stopped. Looking doubtful, she looked up at Dale. “What? Up ahead?”

She pointed forward and shook her head. “***********”

“‘Beasts,’ again? ...And ‘not,’ is it?”

While thinking about what that meant, Dale stepped in the direction the child was pointing.

“...!” And then, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Even someone like Dale, who made his living by the sword, couldn’t keep looking at the thing that was once a person lying before him.

...This is a devil, right? From the shape of the horns, a... male?

It was impossible to tell when he had died, and the cause of death wasn’t clear, either. The wounds were simply too severe. There were so many magical beasts and animals in this forest that it was too hard to even tell if he had been attacked or if his body was torn apart after he died.

Both of his horns... are still there... Is he the kid’s father? It’s not like you could just abandon your exiled child and leave them all alone, after all.

Was it alright to feel relieved about that? He thought back to the girl’s words from earlier. Connecting them together, it was most likely her father’s final order.

“You mustn’t stay by my body. Before long, beasts will gather here. And a small child alone could not defend themselves against something like that.”

“Ah, damn it. Now that I’ve seen this, I can’t just leave her alone...” Dale vigorously scratched his head with both hands.

He’d pieced together the father’s dying wishes.

Even if the devil girl had indeed followed her father’s orders and not stayed by his side, she had still managed to survive in that very forest until Dale found her.

“Oh you who belong to the earth, by my name, I order you shift according to my wishes. 〈〈Ground Transfiguration〉〉” Dale recited as he touched his hand to the ground next to the body. The earth suddenly caved in, leaving behind a single hole.

Perhaps because she had heard his spell, the girl had drawn close to Dale’s side and was looking at him timidly. Dale looked straight at her and spoke.

“Let’s at least give him a burial. ...Do you get it? Um... ‘Inter, earth, death, person.’”

After reflecting on his words, the girl suddenly gave a single nod. Dale worried for a moment about whether or not it was alright to let a kid see a body in such a horrible state, but this one seemed to have long since accepted the reality of the situation. As if she were saying her final farewells, the child stared straight at her “father,” not looking away for a second.

Perhaps she had come to check on him now and again.

The girl simply watched as Dale placed the body in the hole, then once more used magic to fill it.

“*****”

“You’re saying thanks? Don’t worry about it.”

Dale once again cast his spell, this time above the grave that he had just finished creating. Summoned by his earth magic, a pure-white megalith appeared there. It was hastily made and he was unable to carve a name into it, but it was at least a proper grave now.

“Hmm... well, I guess this is fate, huh?”

Standing behind the girl, who was still staring intently at the grave, Dale let out a sigh.

“My name, ‘Dale.’ ‘You, name?’”

She turned around with a somewhat surprised look on her face. “Latina” was the single word of response that she gave. “Latina, is it? Latina, ‘Me, together, you, go?’”

She looked truly shocked as she nodded her head in agreement.

Looking once more at Latina, Dale saw she was only wearing clothes that looked like rags, broken-down shoes, and a silver bracelet, which looked to be made for an adult and was far too big for her. It really was impressive that the girl had been able to survive like this. She was definitely lucky that it happened to be such a mild season.

When he buried Latina’s father, Dale had looked for anything that could have helped tell him about where they had come from, but he wasn’t able to find anything of note. He thought that at the very least, he’d like to give this child some sort of memento of her real father.

“Hmm, if I let Latina walk, then the sun will end up setting...” Dale said to himself while looking down at her, realizing that her stride wasn’t even equal to half of his own. And considering the state she was in, it was hard to imagine that the girl would have much strength left in her tiny body.

“Guess I have no choice...”

Dale reached down and scooped Latina up into his arms, shocking the devil child once more. Her eyes already looked big, but now they were even more pronounced.

Latina calmly settled into Dale’s arms, not struggling at all.

“You’re so light!” She was so thin and lightweight that Dale blurted that out without even thinking. “Are you really going to be okay...?” Despite the ugly thoughts he had when they first met, he was still able to voice such concern. Dale wasn’t a “bad” person to begin with, and ever since he’d decided to take care of the girl, he had become mentally attached enough to worry about her.

“You don’t even have any belongings. We should hurry on back...” Dale hurriedly recited some earth magic to confirm which direction he was heading, then quickly rushed back towards town.

†

The town that Dale was currently based out of was called “Kreuz.” As the name implied, it was a town that formed a slightly misshapen cross, and it served as an important point for traffic heading from the port towards the capital. Furthermore, as it was near the habitats of many magical beasts, it was also a place where those known as adventurers, who survived by their skill alone, tended to gather. In terms of commerce, it was the second-greatest city in the country of Laband. That was the town of Kreuz.

Its hospitality towards travelers was also considered a highlight of the town; it was because Kreuz welcomed visiting merchants that it was able to grow. And by utilizing the money it earned from those travelers as rewards for adventurers, the town was able to defend against the threat of magical beasts.

Kreuz was truly a town for travelers.

The town was also surrounded by thick walls with gates that faced the four cardinal directions and gatekeepers stationed at each one. People were allowed to enter the town by paying a toll.

Dale had arrived at the south gate, which was the one he usually used. When the gatekeeper, whom he was acquainted with, saw him, he gave him a confused look.

“Here’s my toll for two.”

“Huh? What’s with the kid? ...A devil?” the middle-aged gatekeeper asked while checking the coins he was handed, his gaze fixed on the young child in Dale’s arms all the while.

“I found her in the forest. Seems her dad died. ...Is there some sort of issue with me taking care of her?”

“Well, if you’re gonna be responsible for ’er, then that’s fine. You’re going to check in with the Dancing Ocelot, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then it’s fine.” After frankly stating that, the gatekeeper let Dale and Latina through, then turned to face the next passerby. His reaction was just what Dale had expected. He knew his own name held a certain amount of clout, after all.

He slipped through the gate into the southern section of town, which held the residential quarters and traveler-centric shops side by side. This was where Dale spent most of his time. He had no use for the elevated northern section and its nobles or the high-end residential area in the west. He did occasionally visit the eastern section, though, with its concentration of marketplaces and shops, as well as quarters for merchants.

Ahmar was the principal deity for the country of Laband, and as such, the color red was valued highly there. That was clear just by looking at the streets of Kreuz. For example, the walls of the rows of buildings were built out of gray stones that were then painted and plastered many different hues, but nearly all of the roofs were a vivid red. Not only was it a way of requesting that the buildings themselves be granted the gods’ divine protection, it was also said to be a way of telling the gods high up in the heavens that that was where their humble servants were.

Though this may have been the rougher part of town, it was still bustling with energy. It was around the time when the sun was setting, so there were people hurrying home, looking for lodgings for the night, wanting to spend the day’s earnings on food and booze, selling food to travelers... A great number of people of all sorts were coming and going through the area.

In Dale’s arms, Latina was unable to remain calm, and while her eyes darted all over, there was no panic or fear on her face, just pure curiosity. The child’s cheeks were slightly flushed, and occasionally her eyes opened wide enough that they were practically circles. Latina seemed to be quite interested in the great number of people she saw about the town.

“This is the street...” While it was meant for Latina, Dale knew that the meaning wasn’t getting across, so he said it to himself instead.

“***? Dale.”

“Man, it sure is inconvenient that we can’t communicate...”

Dale kept on walking, thinking Latina would at least need to learn the language of the western continent, which was the most spoken of all the languages of the various races. He smoothly made his way down a path he had used many times before, and when Dale finally stopped, it was in front of the door to a certain shop.

Above the entrance was an ironwork sign with a strange ocelot design on it, and there were flags lined up, all bearing the emblem of a winged horse on green ground. This was the “Dancing Ocelot,” both a bar and an inn. Dale passed by the entrance, went around to the back of the building, and peeked into the kitchen from the rear.

“Kenneth, are you here?”

“Yeah. So you’re back, huh, Dale?” said the big, unshaven man named Kenneth, who had been moving around a frying pan. He turned towards Dale and looked puzzled. “...Wait, what’s that?”

“Well, I’ll give you the details later, but... I just found her.”

“Don’t say it like you just picked up a dog or cat.” Heartily arranging the finished food on a plate, Kenneth only looked more troubled upon hearing Dale’s reply.

The large man was certainly good-natured, but not so long ago he was a capable adventurer who swung around a massive battle axe. That was a well- known fact amongst those who frequented this shop.

“For the time being, is it okay if we use the bath?” “Well, I don’t mind, but...”

Having received Kenneth’s permission, Dale opened the door to the small hut next to the rear entrance, where the bath was. With a stone-tiled floor and a single bathtub, it was a simple bathing area, but it was plenty capable of fulfilling its function.

Dale poured his magic into the fire and water “magical device” to the side of the bathtub. While checking the temperature, he filled the tub with hot water.

The magical device not only provided water, but also made it easy to heat it. Even so, most households weren’t equipped with baths. People generally used the public bathhouses throughout town instead.

Te Dancing Ocelot had a bath out of consideration for the adventurers so they could bathe despite returning from work at all hours. After all, there were definitely a lot of them who returned in a horrible state, like Dale had been just a few hours earlier.

Latina watched Dale’s actions intently, maybe finding even the magical device itself unusual.

Dale took off his coat and put it in the corner alongside his gauntlet, sword, and other belongings, and then called for Latina.

“Latina, ‘come,’” he repeatedly beckoned, and the girl came to Dale’s side.

When he tried to take off her clothes, Latina resisted Dale for the first time.

“Ah... So you really are a girl,” Dale muttered while stripping the reluctant Latina naked and throwing her into the tub. He had already guessed that from her voice and clothes, but he hadn’t been certain of it until just now.

The water washed over her hair and her painfully boney body, and it soon turned pitch black. Dale put soap into the tub, and it bubbled up right away. He washed Latina’s greasy, dirty hair, which had become matted and rope- like. He washed her body as well, and once more replaced the dirty water.

As he filled the tub with bathwater and continued to wash Latina’s hair, he suddenly realized something.

Huh? Could it be... that this girl will be a real beauty someday?

As he washed her hair over and over, it regained a platinum-like shine. Her single remaining horn also started to look like a glossy black gemstone. Her ribcage was showing and she was painfully thin, but she would recover over time. Devils were a tenacious race by nature, after all. Her face was haggard as well, so up ’til now it was her eyes that primarily stood out, but once the grime was wiped off, it became clear that she possessed wonderful facial features as well. If her cheeks gained some plumpness and her complexion improved, then she’d make for quite an adorable young girl.

Agh, this only gives me an even more uneasy conscience and makes it harder to let her go...

If he let go of her hand, then some lecher would surely scoop her up right away. It was said that devils who lost a horn were abandoned by their own race, and had no one to support them. She’d be perfect prey for the sort that have inappropriate thoughts about young children.

I decided to get involved with her, so I need to prepare myself, thought Dale as he made that secret decision in the depths of his heart.

“So, you committed some sort of crime, Dale?” a young woman’s voice called out to him from behind. When Dale looked, he saw a woman with black hair coming out of the back of the Dancing Ocelot. It was Kenneth’s wife, Rita.

The Dancing Ocelot was an inn run by the young couple.

Rita was clearly startled at the sight of Dale vigorously washing a young girl. “Is that your illegitimate love child?”

“Where’d you get an idea like that? Just how old do you think I am?!” Dale shot back in disgust. “I picked her up in the forest. Her dad’s corpse was there too,” he added plainly.

As she listened, Rita took a long, hard look at the girl and realized her pitiful state and that she wasn’t human. Then her eyes stopped on the worn- out cloth laying off to the side.

“Is that seriously what she was wearing? You don’t intend to have her put that back on, right?”

“Ah, I forgot...” “Hold on a minute.”

Rita turned around and went back into the shop.

For the moment, Dale had just been thinking of getting her clean, but he hadn’t even considered needing to get her a change of clothes.

“Dale, *****?”

“Hmm? ‘Now, question’... Are you asking who that was just now? She’s Rita, the proprietress of this place.”

“...? Rita?”

“That’s right, Rita.”

As Latina tilted her head in confusion, Rita returned. She was holding a piece of cloth, along with all sorts of other items.

“Now that I look, you didn’t even bring anything to dry her off with, did you?! Use this. And these are my old clothes, though I think they may be a little too big for her. Oh, and underwear!”

“Right, sorry about that. Thanks, Rita.”

Dale looked hesitant as Rita tactlessly thrust a pair of underwear at him. “What’s with that expression? They’re freshly sewn and brand new. It’s not like I’d try to give you secondhand underwear to put on her,” Rita said bluntly. That was the sort of woman Rita was. Perhaps she needed to be in order to run a shop that served adventurers.

Dale lifted Latina up out of the tub and wrapped her up in the soft cloth Rita had given him. While he was still drying her off, Latina pointed a finger at Rita.

“Dale, Rita?” “Yeah, that’s right.”

“Rita, Latina.” Latina then pointed at herself and gave Rita a quick bow. “Oh wow, how impressive, introducing yourself like that!” Rita squatted down to Latina’s eye level and smiled wide. The proprietress was fond of children by nature, and Dale knew that she and Kenneth were hoping to be blessed with a child soon.

“Rita, Latina only understands the devil language.” “Is that so? Then how have you been talking to her?”

“The words used in spells are the same, so I’ve been able to manage by picking out words that fit.”

“Hmm. So, what are you planning on doing with her?”

“I was hoping to use the shop’s Akhdar’s Message Board to look into things, to start with.”

Latina put on the clothes she was handed, without needing Dale’s help. It seemed that she could at least manage that much by herself. She was apparently more level-headed than she looked. She wouldn’t have been able to survive in such a harsh environment otherwise, after all.

While Latina finished changing, Dale carried his baggage into the shop through the back entrance. As she didn’t have a change of shoes, he picked her up again once she was done. Following Rita through the rear door, they passed through the kitchen and came into the front of the store.

There were a decent number of customers eating, so it was still moderately busy. The shop was naturally busiest before noon and after sunset. At the moment, Kenneth was still handling the shop by himself. Dale sat down at the corner of the counter and faced Rita.

“Now then, what did you want to look up?”

“Her name is Latina. A devil. Let’s take a look with those terms. There may be a search out for her, after all.”

“Right, we need to do that.”

Rita gave a nod from the other side of the counter and slid her hand over the item known as “Akhdar’s Message Board.”

“Lawh, sajjal, yanadi.”

The board glowed with pale green light in response. Though her eyes were pointed straight at the board, it seemed as though Rita was looking somewhere far, far away, searching for something distant.

“Hmm, there’s not any information meeting those criteria. I’ll try searching again using her physical traits as well just in case, but...”

“Please do.”

The Akhdar’s Message Board Rita was operating was the shop’s greatest asset. Akhdar was the god who offered protection to travelers, who in turn controlled the flow of information. And so Akhdar’s temples had become a place for the gathering and management of all sorts of intel and knowledge. The god’s priests and ministers were able to use far more powerful data transmission magic than that of the normal populace, the primary reason being that they had the power of divine protection.

Thanks to this, the temples of Akhdar were able to share the same information even if they were in different regions, and some of that information was shared throughout the towns as well.

The points of contact for that transmission were places that flew flags with Akhdar’s crest (a winged horse on green ground), the way that this shop had them up outside.

According to one theory, temple priests and ministers wanted to concentrate on gathering information and found it annoying to deal with people’s requests for data, so they entrusted the whole process to outsiders. Because Akhdar priests were rather eccentric, this explanation had a ring of truth to it.

The information spread to the towns primarily concerned top news from around the world, new discoveries, and inventions. But what was given the greatest priority of all was news related to crimes.

People who committed serious crimes were considered “Wanted” the whole world over. But it was difficult for armies and government officials to cross national borders to pursue criminals, so they offered bounties through the temples in order to capture them. Among adventurers, there were certainly many who specialized in chasing after such rewards.

Requests for tasks like large-scale magical beast extermination were also delivered by the temples.

An Akhdar’s Message Board acted as a terminal to receive information from the shrines, and in turn, adventurers seeking information were drawn to stores that possessed them; furthermore, townspeople also came to such places with requests for those adventurers. In addition to being a bar and inn, the Dancing Ocelot also served as a go-between for adventurers seeking work.

“Sure enough, there’s nothing about her.”

“Then Latina didn’t commit a serious crime, after all. And if her parents aren’t looking for her, then that corpse was definitely her father...”

Did Latina recognize that Dale and Rita’s serious discussion was about her? She fidgeted about on Dale’s lap, her gaze darting all over, and she occasionally looked up at the young adventurer.

The grim-looking men eating their meals occasionally glanced over their way as well, drawn by the unusual sight of a young child in this sort of shop. Whenever their eyes met, Latina tilted her head in confusion and stared right back at them.

As that was going on, a strange noise suddenly came from Latina. To be specific, her stomach was rumbling.

“...Latina?”

“Ah, the smell must have gotten to her.”

Latina looked somewhat embarrassed to have both Dale and Rita watching her at the same time. Rita let out a hearty laugh and called out to Kenneth.

“Kenneth, make this kid some dinner. And make it something easy to digest, alright?”

“I’ll take some too, if you don’t mind,” said Dale, and then he moved from the counter to a table. Since the table was too high for Latina, he had her sit on a small box on top of the chair to help boost her up, and then brought over his own chair and sat down next to her.

“So, what are you planning on doing with her, Dale?” asked Rita.

“I’ll look after her. I mean, she can’t speak our language, and she’s from a different race, so even if I handed her over to an orphanage in a town that’s always getting hit by budget deficits like this one, nothing good would come of it.”

Saying that aloud was also partially to make up his mind to do it. It’s not as though Dale was looking at the duty of raising a child lightly.

“I’m going to be this child’s father.”

†

Latina’s grey eyes grew wide when a steaming hot plate of milk and cheese risotto was placed before her. Beside it was a soup made of smoked meat and finely diced vegetables. To the side of that compact arrangement of food was a mountain many times that size for Dale, with a large sausage heaped on his plate as well.

“Isn’t Latina’s serving a little small?”

“Don’t be dumb. There’s no way such a tiny girl could eat the same stupidly large amount that you do,” Rita uttered in disgust after having served them. “And overeating like that would just destroy her stomach.”

Rita then smiled wide as she handed Latina a spoon. The difference between this and how she treated Dale and the other customers was like night and day.

“Dale? *********?”

“Right, just eat.”

Dale realized that this waif of a child was seeking his permission for each and every little thing. Even if he couldn’t understand her words, he could tell that much just by looking at the expression on her face.

Latina was startled when she scooped up a spoonful of the risotto and placed it in her mouth. From how she hurriedly panted with her mouth wide open, it seemed the food was hotter than she’d expected.

“Rita, water!”

“Oh, was it too hot?”

Latina was blowing as hard as she could on the second spoonful. Dale laughed wildly at the sight, and Rita frowned a little.

Having blown on it for a while, Latina chomped down on the risotto, and her expression suddenly brightened. She was certainly easy to understand.

“I see, so it’s tasty. That’s great!” Dale took a bite of his portion, and his expression lit up as well. With Latina enjoying it so much right next to him, the food strangely seemed to taste better, even though it should’ve just been the same as always. To put it into words, Dale would say that he felt a sort of gentle aura coming from her.

Latina smiled and laughed. It was the first time he’d seen her smile. “Right, just keep on eating, Latina. Do you want some sausage, too?” “I told you, you shouldn’t overfeed her!”

Having carried out water, Rita saw Dale trying to heap plenty of food onto Latina’s plate from his own, so she smacked him with the tray. Latina looked shocked.

“But she needs her nutrients, right?!”

“Yeah, but I’m saying that she shouldn’t shovel it all in at once! Kenneth and I are going to make some child-sized, between-meal snacks! It’ll be less food at once, but a greater number of meals!”

A far-off voice seemed to say, “I’m the one who’s gonna make it, but whatever...” but neither of them paid it any attention. All the while, Latina kept on eating in tiny bites, so despite how much more he had on his plate, Dale finished eating first.

And then, as if she had been timing out when Latina would finish eating, Rita brought out another plate; this one held a few pieces of fruit compote. The shop didn’t usually have sweets on its menu, making this the first time such a desert was served there.

“You’d never guess from looking at him that Kenneth has a soft spot for children...”

The food was still slightly warm, so it was likely created off the cuff especially for Latina.

When it was set down in front of her, the girl once more looked at Dale for approval, and when she saw him nod, she put the fruit in her mouth. Her expression lit up more than ever before; her eyes were absolutely sparkling.

“It’s good, huh?”

Seeing as she ate it in a daze, it seemed clear that Latina was quite fond of the compote. It must’ve been all she could manage just to find something edible in that forest. There’s no way she would’ve eaten anything so sweet there.

“How about it? Is it yummy?”

Having finished carrying food to the other customers, Rita stared at Latina and received an even greater smile than before in response. It was so wide a smile that it seemed like flowers in full bloom would burst out behind her. Even if they couldn’t exchange words, it was a more than sufficient response.

I need to hurry up and teach her the language so she won’t end up getting lured away with food by some weirdo... Seeing Latina’s smile, Dale gripped his fists tightly under the table, realizing that he was buying her favor with food as well.

After finishing eating, Latina stared at the plate where the compote had once been.

And so, Dale stroked Latina’s hair. Perhaps surprised by the suddenness of it, she sprung right up. But when she saw the expression on his face, her tension melted away.

“Did I startle you? Sorry about that. You’re tired out from today, right? All sorts of stuff happened, after all.”

Although Latina tilted her head a little as she listened to him, she kept her eyes on him the entire time, as if she was trying to decipher his intentions. When Dale thought about it, the girl was paying careful attention to her surroundings. Maybe she had an acute sense of observation, but perhaps in exchange she was too trustful.

Dale picked Latina up, and she placed her arms around his neck on her own. It was awkward, since she was still trying to rely on him, but her clinging to him helped keep his balance nice and stable. Supporting Latina with one arm, Dale headed towards the counter once more.

“Rita, I want to let Latina rest, so I’m heading for my room.” “Got it. Good night, Latina.”

Hearing Rita’s voice, Latina gave another wide smile. Even in this short amount of time, she seemed to have come to recognize Dale and Rita as people it was safe to be around. Since meeting them, her expression had grown noticeably gentler.

The warm, fuzzy feeling it gave Dale was almost embarrassing.

Dale had changed quite a bit as well in the brief time since they met. Even yesterday, he never would have thought that he could feel this way about a kid.

Dale went past the counter and through the kitchen. Seeing the back of Kenneth as he struggled at his work, he called out, “Kenneth, Latina says the fruit was tasty.”

“Right!” Kenneth responded without turning around as Dale passed behind him and towards the stairs in back, where ingredients were piled up.

He cut straight across the second floor and climbed a ladder, arriving in the attic.

Since it was used to stockpile miscellaneous goods to be sold to the adventurers down on the first floor, there was baggage strewn all about; but even further in was a corner that showed signs of being lived in. That was the corner Dale was renting.

Having a place to live was also one of the reasons that he was able to

decide to take Latina in. Dale wasn’t a citizen of the town, but because he’d been working from here for quite a while and it was inconvenient to move around from inn to inn, he’d ended up relying on his old friend, Kenneth, and renting this place.

It became an easy decision to rent the attic when Rita, who had been using it as her own room, married Kenneth. As long as you could ignore the somewhat low ceiling, it was a plenty fine dwelling.

Dale also had no problem paying and wouldn’t do anything as pathetic and stingy as pilfering from the inventory or luggage, so it seemed he wasn’t such a bad tenant for the owners, either, since they knew his personality and lifestyle.

Dale let Latina down in his “room.” There was a carpet with a foreign feel to it spread out on the floor, and near the window was a desk and shelf. Other than that, there was a bed and a large, lidded box. It was a small amount of belongings for a town resident, but a large amount for a traveler.

“‘Little, wait, this place.’” Seeing Latina nod her head, Dale went back down to grab his coat and other belongings he’d left behind.

While waiting for him to return, Latina wandered about the room. It seemed the girl was indeed quite inquisitive. She also had a strong sense of self-restraint, as she only looked at things rather than touching them. It was difficult to remember back to when he was that age, but when he thought about the children always playing about town, Dale realized that she really was level-headed for a kid.

Dale kicked off his boots and entered his own territory. In the culture where he was born, you sat directly on the floor rather than on chairs, and he at least wanted his own room to have a comfortable, intimate style to it. That was also why he had a rug with the feel of his old home spread out, and he didn’t want to dirty it.

He hung his coat up next to the box, then placed down his luggage. His weapons went on top of the shelf near his bed, as they usually did. Dale opened the window and let in fresh air, then took off his stab-resistant tunic as well as his heavy pants.

“Come here, Latina.”

Picking up on the meaning from his beckoning hand gesture, Latina

obediently came closer. Dale then got into the bed, bringing her along with him. Compared to his normal routine, it was still pretty early to go to bed, but an adventurer’s ability to rest when they needed to was an indispensable skill, so it was no trouble for him to sleep now.

He was worried about what he was going to do if Latina didn’t like this, but she obediently snuggled down next to him and curled up like a kitten. It wasn’t long until she nodded off.

She really was tired. She still drifted off, even though she’s surrounded by people she doesn’t know and doesn’t understand our language or what’s going on.

Dale stroked Latina’s hair and felt so calm that he even surprised himself. It was strange that he felt this way, even though he had only just decided to become her parent.

It may not be so bad to live together with someone else like this, Dale thought, falling asleep while feeling a warmer body next to his own.

Before long, Latina woke Dale up with a barrage of tiny blows, her face as white as a sheet.

The word that Latina ended up asking to learn first was “bathroom.” And incidentally, Latina was able to maintain her dignity.

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