Published at 18th of January 2020 3:02 pm

Volume 1, The Little Girl and the Regulars Called Her Bodyguards

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The Dancing Ocelot was a shop that served as a base for adventurers in Kreuz. There was a tendency for the regulars there to be overly strong-willed, and one of the biggest names in Kreuz, Sylvester Delius, was one of them.

Sylvester was a man who’d racked up quite a few exploits as an adventurer. Minstrels sang a number of songs about him, and as a result, even people in other countries heard of his achievements. But he’d spent most of his time in the country of Laband, and out of those who called themselves adventurers there, those who didn’t know his name were in the overwhelming minority.

Nowadays, he took up residence in a mansion in Kreuz’s western district, the high-end residential area of town. In addition to prestige, this man had also amassed a great deal of wealth, and though he was now half-retired, he still had quite a strong presence to him.

And that was why he kept a watchful eye on the Dancing Ocelot.

As a town that was hospitable towards adventurers and travelers, Kreuz also sought to have adventurers rein their own kind in. Though the restrictions may have been loose, if they allowed them to act without restraint, then the town would be driven to ruin by outlaws. Regulations, therefore, were necessary to keep Kreuz prosperous. Protecting that prosperity also meant protecting the jobs of adventurers.

One of the reasons that Rita was able to safely run the Dancing Ocelot was because there was an influential man like Sylvester there to keep the others in line. There was a reason Sylvester came there to eat nearly every meal, and drank cheap beer there every night: he was standing watch as a great number of travelers and adventurers came and went. Furthermore, he also served as an advisor for his fellow adventurers, and even now, he remained someone who was both feared and respected by a great number of those in his trade.

“Mr. Syl, here’s your tea.”

“Thanks, little lady,” said Sylvester with a smile, taking the cup off of her tray. That smile of his, however, looked villainous enough to make most children flee in terror. His intimidating, bearded face was truly fitting for this first-rate adventurer.

“Cards?”

“Right.”

“You’re good at that, right, Mr. Syl?”

This young girl didn’t care at all about his fame or his great deeds. She only saw him as a nice, older man who was at the shop all the time.

If you didn’t know any better, he seemed to be just one of the men who would come in and drink from noon on now and again, amusing themselves with card games all the while, in an entirely undignified manner.

By the way, when Latina’s friends first locked eyes with Sylvester, they’d fled out of the shop at lightning speed. But that was how regular kids reacted, whereas Latina’s was outside of the norm. No matter how intimidating or villainous the customers who came to the Dancing Ocelot looked, she wasn’t scared in the least.

Even now, she stood at Sylvester’s side, watching over the card game as it progressed and occasionally directing a charming smile towards the players. The men all smiled right back at the young girl, even though they knew their grins were frightening enough to give children nightmares. Latina, however, just stood there looking happy. Her smiles were an extra perk at this shop, and they came for free and as often as you’d want.

†

“Mr. Syl!”

Hearing a voice that he recognized as he walked through town, Sylvester turned around. Latina was running towards him with quick little steps, waving all the while.

“What is it, little lady?”

“You forgot something in the store.”

“So you came and brought it to me? Sorry about that.”

“No problem at all,” Latina said with a smile, handing a small leather bag to Sylvester. Her platinum hair, which was tied to the side with yellow ribbons, bobbed along with her movements.

Kenneth would’ve said, “Don’t bother, since he’ll be back soon enough,” but this earnest little girl had been worried when she saw he had forgotten something and come chasing after him.

“Are you alright going back alone, little lady?” Sylvester asked, unable to hide the worry in his voice.

They were near the center of the southern district right now. This area was far seedier than where the Dancing Ocelot was.

“Latina will head straight home,” Latina said with pride, pointing in the direction she’d be heading. She didn’t like being treated like a little kid by the people around her.

He wasn’t just worried about her getting lost, and even though he couldn’t think of anything else to bring up, that was plenty enough reason to treat her like a child. Her actions were still far too cute and charming to not think of her that way.

“But...”

“Latina’s fine! See you later, Mr. Syl!”

Sylvester was still concerned about her, but Latina simply waved goodbye and turned around. With her orange skirt fluttering in the wind, she headed back the same way she had come.

— Sylvester had been right to be worried.

A strong wind suddenly swept past Latina on her way back to the Dancing Ocelot.

“Ah!”

Latina managed to hold down her skirt as the gale started to lift it, but the cloud of dust it kicked up got in her eyes. She rubbed her eyes with both hands, and because of the distraction, she failed to realize that her hair had gotten messed up by the wind. She also didn’t realize that one of her broken horns could be seen underneath a now-loose yellow ribbon, and that some men happened to see that, only for a wicked sneer to appear on their faces.

“Little miss.” “Hmm?”

Hearing a man’s voice that she didn’t recognize, Latina stopped rubbing her eyes and took a look. In a way, she was accustomed to seeing men like him, and he was shooting a friendly smile her way.

“...Are you an adventurer?”

“That’s right. I’ve got something I want to ask you, little miss...” “Please ask the gatekeepers or the guards,” Latina firmly replied, unlike her normal, cheerful self.

“Don’t say that...” said the man, moving one step closer. That was when Latina started running.

“Damn it!”

“Don’t let her get away!”

It was two different male voices that cursed at her sudden movement. Without even turning around, Latina was able to grasp at least some information about who was following her.

What should Latina do...?

Dale and Kenneth were always warning her about this, so she knew full well that devils with broken horns like her were easy targets for people with ill intentions. She brought her hand up to her head and confirmed that the ribbon had come loose. It was just as she was afraid of.

Those people... are bad.

Because she was always playing with her friends, Latina had more strength in her tiny body than one might expect from looking at her. She was able to speedily slip past the people walking down the road.

What should Latina do...? She’s just getting further from the Ocelot...

Since that was the case, Latina decided to head for the walls of the city. There would be gatekeepers stationed there, and that may include some of the regulars she knew. In that case, she’d have someone to help her.

But apparently, the people chasing her guessed what she was thinking. “...!”

As the men leaped out of nowhere in front of her, Latina suddenly changed course.

“She’s a feisty one!”

“She’s first-rate merchandise, so don’t rough her up too much!” What should she do...? What should she do...?

If push came to shove, then she’d have to launch a barrage of attack magic. If she hit them with precisely targeted magic, then she’d be able to stop them in their tracks. Dale had forbid her from using attack magic ever since she broke her horn, but considering the circumstances, she didn’t have a choice.

Thanks to her strong decisiveness, she’d been thinking of the safest way to defeat the men from the very start. That was likely a result of the way her parents had raised her.

It was just then, however, that she saw the back of someone she recognized. She was so relieved that she almost cried.

It may have been lucky for her pursuers as well that he had appeared before she could take action.

“Mr. Syl!” Latina cried out, half in tears.

The expression on the man’s face was frightening enough to make even an ogre flee in terror.

“What is it, little lady?”

“Mr. Syl, Mr. Syl...” Latina sobbed and clung tightly to Sylvester. She wasn’t scared of his terrifying expression in the least, and instead looked at him with trust and relief.

From the way Latina had come running to him, out of breath, and the two men he’d never seen before chasing after her, Sylvester immediately inferred what had happened. As he sent a rage-filled glare their way, the men went pale with fear. They exchanged sly glances, and apparently decided to try to talk their way out of this.

“Well... you know, we didn’t really...”

“The kid looked like she was lost, so we were just trying to get her attention.”

The men had clearly failed their kidnapping. Normally, nobody would press them further on that excuse.

But they were up against the wrong opponent; they’d chosen their target poorly, as well.

Sylvester’s expression didn’t budge in the least. His now-tightly gripped fists were more than enough to serve as lethal weapons.

“Is that all you’ve got to say? Then it’s time for you to die.”

Even if he was practically retired at this point, Sylvester was still a legendary adventurer. So of course, having his rage directed at them, the thugs couldn’t help but shudder.

They’d turned deathly pale, and their teeth started to chatter.

“What are you doing there?!” called out a commanding voice. Looking in that direction, they saw several guards coming their way. Seeing those guards, who were charged with maintaining the public order in Kreuz, the men who’d attempted the kidnapping felt relieved. A cry of We’re saved! rang out in the depths of their hearts, However, they were not so fortunate.

The captain of the guards saw Latina crying behind Sylvester, and immediately made his decision.

There were many guards and gatekeepers amongst the regulars at the Dancing Ocelot. It was a friendly and affordable shop, after all. More than that, it was also because those who were charged with keeping the peace needed to pay special attention to the movements of adventurers. Visiting the shops that adventurers were based out of and keeping their eyes and ears open was one of their more important duties.

On the surface, there was no tension between them, but there was most definitely a wide divide between the adventurers and the guards. But even so, nowadays they were comrades in at least one regard.

All of the regulars agreed that Dale was a doting idiot. But regardless of all that, Latina really was cute. Just seeing her toddle around the shop was soothing, and when she handed them a glass of water with a smile, they couldn’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy.

The girl who sent them off with a, “Don’t push yourself at work,” or a, “Come again. And don’t get hurt, okay?” was just plain adorable.

More or less all of the adventurers, not just Dale, had fallen for her charm, even if they were practically gangsters.

It was the same for the guards. Their job had them constantly dealing with ruffians, and it couldn’t be handled without some definite skill. Because of that, they were also often feared by the townsfolk that they protected.

“Good work always going on patrol!” the young girl, who was practically a symbol of what they were protecting, would say, and that of course helped to motivate them.

Latina was undoubtedly an idol for the regulars of the Dancing Ocelot. Her would-be kidnappers had leaped out of the frying pan and into the fire. There was no room for excuses or extenuating circumstances when it came to being judged for the grave sin of making Latina cry.

And yet, Sylvester and the guard did agree on one thing: “Better us than Dale.” Which is to say, it was an act of mercy to deal with the men themselves rather than letting him get involved.

That night at the Dancing Ocelot, Latina was going around to the regulars with a big bottle of wine in her tiny arms and pouring some out for them. She went to not just Sylvester, but the guard captain as well, and stood on her tiptoes to fill their glasses.

Rather than any sort of reward or words of gratitude from Dale, they just wanted to see Latina giving her all. The result was quite a spectacle.

Kreuz, the second biggest town in Laband. There was a great force at work in this town, and it was continuing to expand even now.

Everyone in an organization has their own rank and responsibilities. Though they’d normally be antagonistic to one another, the advisor and influential figure for adventurers and the captain of the town guard were the two heads of a certain organization.

This organization, which included many other famous adventurers, and was gaining the support of young ones as well, was nicknamed the “Platinum Fairy Princess Protection Committee,” as well as the “Young Girl’s Bodyguards.”

At some point, Latina ended up standing at the top of a powerful faction in Kreuz, possibly without Dale even realizing it.

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