Published at 18th of January 2020 4:52 pm

Volume 2, Chapter 4: The Young Girl Visits a Beastman Village

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

It was early morning when the pair departed from Qualle. Thanks to the light cover of clouds remaining from the day before, it felt darker than it normally would at this time.

“What a shame. Normally you’d have a good view of the ocean from this highway.”

“Let’s look forward to seeing it on the way back.”

Their view was now of a grey sky divided by the horizon line from a dull- colored ocean. If the weather had been good, it surely would have been a breathtaking view. Even so, Latina didn’t seem disappointed at all. It was true that they’d be returning this way as well, so she was looking forward to seeing it then.

“We’re heading south from the ocean, but we’re taking a big detour, so it’s more like we’re heading east.”

“Why are we taking a detour?”

“There’s a real rugged mountain range spread out between Kreuz and my home village. If we headed in a straight line, we’d have to climb some steep mountains and cut through places where only animals live. There’d be no chance to rest, so I wouldn’t want to do it even if I were on my own.”

“Latina sees.”

“My home village is also in the mountains, so it’ll be all hilly paths from here on out... And we’re moving away from the capital, so it’ll get more and more desolate, too...”

As they walked down the highway, there were still a fair number of travelers passing by, but around noon and the moment they split off onto a path towards the mountains, everyone disappeared. The road itself also became narrower and less maintained. It was incredibly easy to tell that they were heading towards a less populated area.

“Latina, do you want to ride on the horse?” “Latina is still fine.”

The young girl still seemed to be enjoying herself as they walked along.

As if to show that spring was arriving, small flowers were blossoming by the side of the road. Latina broke out in a happy smile when she spotted them. It was then that Latina looked up, and light-pink flower petals filled her vision. “Woooow...”

She couldn’t help but shout out in joy. The road was lined with trees filled with light-pink flowers in full bloom. The small blossoms overhead looked absolutely brilliant, contrasting with the grey sky that served as a backdrop. The flowers adorning the branches all the way to their tips extended towards the sky and the ground.

“It sure is spring... There’s a village nearby, so somebody may have planted them...” Dale muttered, but it didn’t reach Latina’s ears. Right now, her gaze and attention were completely captured by the stunning blossoms in full bloom.

With a bit of a strained smile, Dale stopped walking. “Do you want to take a break, Latina?”

“Yeah!” Latina responded happily, just as he’d expected.

Dale tied the horse’s reins to a nearby tree and sat down at the side of the road. Latina did the same by his side. She looked up with sparkling eyes and followed the petals fluttering down.

Dale pulled out a package he’d had prepared at the inn. Latina at last noticed what he was doing when she heard the sound of him opening the paper. He held it out so she could get a good look at the sandwiches inside.

The two had eaten plenty of fish, Qualle’s specialty, while they were there, but it was hard to tell when they’d be able to eat such seafood like that again, so Dale had had this lunch prepared.

“Latina, which one do you want?” “Umm... what about you, Dale?” “I’m fine with whatever.”

After wavering for a while, Latina grabbed a sandwich filled with smoked fish and vegetables. Taking it in both hands, she bit into the corner. Dale started eating his as well, which was soaked in fish oil.

As the pair ate in silence, petals fluttered down around them.

Latina took a drink from the canteen to quench her thirst, watching Blau graze on grass all the while.

By the time Dale finished his second sandwich, Latina was still only halfway through her first. When the contents slipped out as she took a bite, a look of panic crossed on her face and she steadily pulled the slice of fish into her mouth. Each and every thing she did really was cute.

“That was tasty!” “Oh yeah?”

“The flowers sure are pretty.”

They stayed a while longer even after they’d finished eating, enjoying the beautiful spring scenery. Until the time came to start moving again, Latina sat and stared at the blooming flowers.

Dale smiled when he saw a single light-pink petal clinging to Latina’s platinum hair; it was almost as if it didn’t want to part ways. He decided to wait a little longer before he told her it was there.

Blessed with good weather and nothing impeding their progress, their journey continued on smoothly. There may not have been any big towns along this small country road, but it wasn’t like there weren’t any travelers at all, and Dale knew that if they needed to, they could stop by a nearby village for a place to stay and to stock up on supplies. Even though he was an outsider, he could safely say that this wasn’t a dangerous area, and the villages around here also found visiting travelers an important source of income.

After staying at one such village, the pair arrived at a field of flowers. As if trying to usher in the arrival of spring, the plain beside the road was filled to the brim with wild blooms. The sight made Latina unconsciously to come to a halt. She may have been able to see flower beds and parks with blooming flowers back in Kreuz, but she’d never seen something like this before, where they absolutely filled her field of view.

“We can take a bit of a detour if you want.” “Is it alright?”

“Just make sure you look out for snakes and stuff.”

“Alright!” Latina replied, immediately rushing into the field of flowers. In no time at all, everything below her torso was hidden by the brilliant blossoms. As she pranced about, the flowers swayed alongside her and petals danced into the air all around her. Seeing the cute and joyful Latina completely surrounded by flowers made for a whimsical scene that wouldn’t lose to any painting.

Yeah, definitely... Dale thought, wanting to give a firm nod. He could confidently declare that anyone would be charmed seeing Latina like this against such a backdrop. It was a real shame that he couldn’t capture this moment and keep it on hand. If he could, he’d flaunt Latina’s cuteness to every single person he met. Oblivious of Dale’s doting thoughts, Latina danced and pranced about the field.

A large butterfly fluttered by in front of Latina’s eyes. She stopped and watched for a while, seeing it off as it flew into the clear blue sky.

She was truly enjoying the trip. It also helped that it was spring, so felt cool and comfortable and there was brilliant scenery wherever you looked.

She’s so happy right now, maybe it’d be a good idea to take her somewhere again after we get back to Kreuz, Dale thought.

As they approached the mountains, the path steadily grew more slanted and the scenery started to change.

They entered a dense forest, but it wasn’t quite as gloomy as the one south of Kreuz. There may have been animals and magical beasts about, but they weren’t vicious enough to attack people. This was a forest that clearly saw frequent traffic.

“There’s a beastman village near here, so this area is pretty safe.” “Beastman?”

“Ah, right, they’re pretty rare in Laband. I hear there are a lot of them farther out west, though. They’re friendly with humans, so mixed kids are pretty common between the two races, and plenty of them are adventurers, too.”

“Hmm...? Latina didn’t know that.”

“Well, there aren’t many in Kreuz. We should’ve passed by some in Qualle, though...”

Latina wore a slightly awkward expression on her face. She’d been so absorbed in looking at everything, but she’d managed to overlook something so important. You could say that that trait of hers was also what made it so easy for her to get lost.

The trees around them were covered in fresh new bright-green leaves.

Dale split from the road to a narrow path leading deeper into the forest. Thick foliage was at just the right height to smack Latina in the face, so he had her ride on the horse. The young girl’s gaze started to dart about again as she took in her surroundings; she was clearly restless. Dale had to stifle a laugh.

“Where are we going, Dale?”

“We’re going to stay at the beastman village for today. There aren’t any inns there, but I’m going to ask an acquaintance to let us stay with him.”

“Dale’s acquaintance? A friend?”

“He’s more of a relative of sorts rather than a friend... His mom is my dad’s second cousin.”

“Huh?”

Latina didn’t quite grasp how they were related, so she tilted her head.

Perhaps the concept of an extended family differed between humans and devils. “It’s like he’s family of family.”

“Hmm...” she said, still not quite understanding.

It was just about evening when they suddenly hit a forest clearing with a little village. It was smaller than not just the towns that they’d stopped at thus far, but the villages as well. It seemed like you could take in the whole of the village with a quick glance. Small houses with stone walls and unpainted wood roofs were huddled closely around a central plaza.

“Wow...”

“Looks like we made it before dark,” Dale said with a sigh of relief. They headed towards the village entrance. Most towns were surrounded by walls to protect against magical beasts and intruders, but this village had a simple wooden fence around it instead. Of course, there was no sign of a gatekeeper at the entrance, either.

When they drew close, Latina was shocked as she saw one of the villagers who happened to pass by.

“Wow! Is that person a beastman?”

“That’s right. Are you surprised, seeing one for the first time?”

Having heard their conversation, the beastman turned his fur-covered face turned their way.

“Are you visitors? How unusual.”

“Yeah. We came to visit the Bündte family. Is it alright if we come in?” “The Bündtes, huh?” Hearing the name Dale gave, he (from his attire, he was most likely an older male) nodded a few times in understanding. “Considering the time, they should be at their house. Do you need me to show you the way?”

“No, we’re good, thanks.”

As this conversation was taking place, Latina took a long, hard look at the beastman. Normally, staring like that would be rude, but her gaze was filled with nothing but pure curiosity. That was a special privilege reserved for young children, and they could do so without earning any animosity in return.

Beastmen had a rather unique appearance to them. In terms of physique, they didn’t look all that different from the other races. The biggest difference, which separated them even at a glance, was the fur that covered their entire body and varied in color based on the individual. Their faces were no exception and were also animalistic, their shape, most closely resembling those of dogs, though there was a touch of human as well. Add triangular ears to the top of their heads and tails to their behinds, and you had the basic traits of the race known as beastmen.

“Dale, you’re related to a beastman?” she asked, apparently questioning this after seeing a beastman for the first time.

Seeing Latina’s confusion, Dale pointed towards one of the houses in the village. “Look, that’s Bündte’s house... He’s a mix of human and beastman.”

“Mix?”

“Right. Humans and beastmen are close in nature, so they can have kids together. They’re born looking like humans, but with the ears and tails of beastmen.”

The seven races could all have children with one another, as genetically, they were largely similar. But when the races in question vastly differed in terms of physical characteristics, the children would be born as one parent’s race rather than a mix of both. For example, if a child was born to a merfolk mother and a human father, it could be either of those races. There was a greater tendency for the child to be born the mother’s race in such situations, but it was by no means definite.

Outside of the race itself, though, the child would have a mix of both parents’ traits; it wasn’t as though they inherited none of the second parent’s genetic information. Revisiting our example, it wouldn’t be odd at all for the child to be a merfolk who looked like their father or a human who looked like their mother.

However, things were a little different when the races were genetically close: a “mix” could be born. For example, a child of a human and a beastman would look like a human with the ears and tail of a beastman, making for a mix of traits from both races. It was only in such cases, where offspring had traits of two races, that such children were referred to as “mixes.”

Latina’s attention was naturally drawn to the animal ears twitching before her very eyes as she listened to this explanation. Though they were relatives, it was only a distant relationship, so the man didn’t look much like Dale. If they shared anything in common, it was the light brown tips on the black fur of the beastman’s ears and tail.

“And so, that’s the deal with guys like me,” said the man with a wide grin. “Still, Joseph... you’ve gotten even fatter, haven’t you?”

The middle-aged man, a human and beastman mix by the name of Joseph

Bündte, just kept on smiling, entirely unaffected by Dale’s words. Both his arms and his belly were quite rotund, and his already thin eyes looked even more narrow thanks to his build. Triangular ears popped up straight out of his short- cut black hair.

“Thanks to how happy my life is, I just couldn’t help but plump up. Cute, don’t you think?” Joseph smiled with a grin that wouldn’t lose out to even a doting idiot like Dale.

He held a beastman toddler cradled in his arms. A poofy, black ball of fluff, this was the long-awaited first child of the Bündte family.

“I’m a human, so I’m not the best at telling when it comes to beastmen...” Dale muttered. Latina reached out and pet the sleeping toddler.

“She’s a real cute little girl!” “She is, isn’t she!”

“Her eyes look like her mother’s, but her face looks like yours, Mr. Joseph.” “Yeah, that’s right!

Dale felt conflicted seeing Joseph so satisfied. “Um, Latina...?”

“Hmm?”

“You can tell beastmen apart?”

“Huh?” Latina tilted her head, confused by Dale’s question.

A human could maybe tell beastmen apart by their build or the color of their fur, but Dale found it hard to even tell if a beastman was a man or a woman by looking at their face.

“I mean, everyone looks different, right?” “I see... so you can tell...”

With this unexpected development, Dale realized again just how amazing devils were. They were said to naturally possess amazing abilities, and it seemed that was no exaggeration.

“Your wife is really pretty.” “Isn’t she?”

Joseph’s wife was a pure-blooded beastman. Dale thought her white fur was especially shiny and the way her hands and feet had a bit of light grey to them was unusual, but that was all. He frankly had no idea if she was beautiful or not.

“Still, Latina thinks that Maya will grow up to be more cute than beautiful,” Latina said with a smile. Dale, however, was unable to either agree or disagree. He was so clueless on the matter that when he’d first seen the baby’s black fur, he’d thought she might be a he.

“She’s really amazing...”

“You’ve got some nice fur yourself, little miss,” Joseph said, tousling Latina’s hair.

“So that’s the sort of thing that beastmen compliment...” Dale muttered to himself, grasping just how tricky communication between different cultures could be.

The small house that Joseph and his family lived in was at the northern end of the village. It had a simple, two-room layout with just a living and dining room, which was normal for these homes. The wood-based rooms were overflowing with a natural feel, and the living room had a single-board table at its center, with all sorts of other various items strewn about. Perhaps because it felt so lived in, it felt cozy and secure rather than uncomfortable.

“If you’re stopping off here, then you must be on your way back to your village, right?” Joseph asked Dale, who was in the process of giving Joseph’s wife, Ute, a bottle of wine from Kreuz and some dried fish from Qualle as gifts.

“Yeah.”

“Is your grandma still hanging in there?”

“Well, I haven’t heard anything about her dying, at least... In the last letter I got, it said she still seemed to be going strong and hadn’t even let my dad take over as head of the family.”

“‘Seemed to be,’ huh?” “Yeah.”

Latina didn’t have much interest in the conversation the two men were having. Her focus was stuck on the sleeping Maya, as well as Ute, who was busy in the kitchen. Because she was in someone else’s house, Latina seemed to be holding herself back from asking to help, but it was obvious that she was immensely curious about the lifestyles of both beastmen and country folk. She sat there, sorely anxious, until Ute realized this and beckoned her over with a smile. Latina hurried over in an instant.

“Wooow...” Latina stared with big round eyes as Ute skillfully prepared some wild vegetables. “How do you eat this?”

“You usually just eat this part. Have you not seen one before?” “There aren’t any mountains near Kreuz.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Latina got to work, frequently glancing over to carefully watch Ute’s hands. Considering the girl was learning by example, Ute was shocked to see how well she was managing. She looked younger than she was, but she was more skilled than kids her own age when it came to housework.

Once she started helping, Latina didn’t want to sit still, so she restlessly scurried about behind Ute, looking for something to do.

Many women didn’t like others touching things in their own kitchen, but an exception could be made when it came to Latina. After all, she was just too charming as she worked away with a smile on her face.

Around when Dale and Joseph’s conversation moved to discussing the latest rumors from the capital, wooden plates and a pot filled with stew made from plenty of meat and herbs for flavor were placed on the table. It was also accompanied by some bread of a sort that wasn’t seen in Kreuz.

Maya had been sleeping soundly in Joseph’s arms, but her nose started to twitch, perhaps reacting to the smells. Her eyes, the same shade of green as her mother’s, shot open. After sitting absentmindedly for a moment, she looked shocked at having spotted strangers in her home.

Looking worried, she clung tight to Joseph. He nodded with satisfaction. “What do you think? Cute, isn’t she?”

“What are you saying? My kid’s pretty cute herself!” Not wanting to lose, Dale pointed at Latina as she carried in a bowl filled with the wild vegetables.

“Hmm?”

Latina stared, puzzled at having been suddenly thrust into the conversation.

†

“Hello, Maya. La-ti-na,” said Latina, pointing to herself. “Hmm? Watia?”

“Nice to meet you!”

Maya was still feeling nervous during this exchange, but in no time at all, she was completely attached to Latina, and Latina was completely crazy about her, too.

During dinner, Latina ended up hovering over her and wiped Maya’s face when the toddler tried to bring a spoonful of stew to her mouth with still- unsteady hands. Latina seemed to take being someone’s “big sister” very seriously after always being the one helped by others back in Kreuz.

“She sure is cute! (My Latina)” “Yeah, she is! (My Maya)”

The pair of men nodded in satisfaction to one another as they watched the two happy young girls interacting. Meanwhile, Ute just kept on eating and paying them no mind, so their foolishness lacked a straight man. As long as everyone was happy, there was no problem.

“Mrs. Ute, this stew is delicious. What meat did you use?” “Wild boar. There are a lot of them around here.” “Wow...”

Latina brought the spoon to her mouth and chewed on a big chunk of meat.

The dish was made to emphasize the meat as its main flavor, so herbs had only been used lightly for seasoning. Latina seemed to be truly enjoying her meal, but she was the one who ate the least amongst the group. Even Maya, who could still only manage baby talk, was eating as much as her, and Ute and Joseph were both eating more than Latina and Dale put together. Beastmen were generally big eaters.

“So, are you two leaving tomorrow?” “That was the plan, but is something up?”

“The men from the village are all going out hunting tomorrow. If it goes well, then we’ll have plenty of extra meat, so we could give you some. You should leave after that.”

“Is it gonna be that large-scale of a hunt?”

Joseph nonchalantly replied, “We got a prophecy from the oracle of Banafsaj.”

The second she heard that, Latina shot straight up and dropped her spoon with a loud clatter. It was rare to see her act so ill-mannered.

“Latina...?” “...”

She went still, her face pointed down towards the ground. She didn’t even respond to Dale calling her name. He had no idea what had brought on this sudden change.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. Latina is fine.”

Even after being asked again, Latina kept her expression composed. She picked up her spoon once more and started eating in silence. For the rest of dinner, Latina didn’t say another word.

Latina remained silent even when they were preparing for bed in a corner of the living room. It may not have been the same as having a comfortable bed, but after many days of camping outside, it was nice to be able to rest in a warm place where they didn’t need to worry about the weather or someone attacking them.

Wrapped up in a blanket, Latina placed her head up against Dale’s back. “Are you alright, Latina?”

“Latina is fine...”

Hearing her say that again, Dale let out a sigh. She really did take too much on herself, and she never complained about anything.

Dale turned around to face Latina and hugged her tight, blanket and all. They lay together like that, with Dale gently patting her back to soothe her. “Dale?”

Dale smiled, pulling the blanket up over himself as well. Latina felt a sense of security having him at her side, and Dale was plenty aware of that. He wanted to be there to support her when she was worried.

Perhaps because those feelings had gotten across, Latina closed her eyes as she lay in Dale’s arms and muttered, “Dale... will you stay with Latina?”

“Yeah.”

“Then... Latina really is okay.”

Dale watched over her silently as he waited for her to drift off, and the entire time, he thought about what could have frightened her so much. Back when they’d first met, she’d often fall asleep gripping his clothes tightly, a manifestation of her unease. But lately, while she may have still asked to sleep by his side, she didn’t cling to him as anxiously.

“Banafsaj...”

Latina had started acting strangely right after hearing that god’s name. Then maybe the reason she was driven out of her village was because...

There was no temple of Banafsaj in Kreuz. This was because temples were managed by those with divine protection, and Banafsaj’s divine protection hardly ever appeared in humans. And so, as a town of humans, no such temple was ever built there. Humans also didn’t worship Banafsaj much, and since they didn’t often receive the god’s blessing, he was more of a vague presence to them compared to the other gods.

However, that wasn’t the case when it came to the other races.

Banafsaj’s divine protection granted the unique power to catch glimpses of the future. What the user could see, though, was limited by how powerful their divine protection was. The ability to sense the weather and disasters was, of course, incredibly important to the races who had limited numbers, as such knowledge helped them protect themselves.

The words of a priest of Banafsaj held great weight, and for non-human races, that weight likely far eclipsed those of other gods’ clerics. Naturally, though, no one would ever say so.

“Even a high priest can only vaguely read a person’s future, though...” Dale gently stroked Latina’s back over and over. “And there would be countless ways to interpret it, so it should be possible to oppose it... Why did the people from your village decide your fate based on something so vague...?”

Dale’s whisper was full of pain and sadness, but in the silence of the night, there was no one to hear it.

†

“Take care!”

“Feel free to get your hopes up!”

Seeing off Joseph in the morning mists, Latina clung tightly to Dale’s side.

It was still far earlier than when she normally woke up, but when Dale moved to get out of bed, Latina had leaped up in a hurry as well. Dale had let out a strained laugh, but he simply stroked Latina’s head without saying anything.

This entire time, she had stuck by Dale’s side, looking down at the ground. Latina normally liked to keep moving and was always running all about, but now she seemed like a whole different person. Usually, she also would have been excited by the wheat porridge Ute made for breakfast, as it was a recipe she never saw in Kreuz. But instead she’d silently, emotionlessly eaten her meal.

It was like she was hiding something, or couldn’t find something, or like she was holding her breath, waiting for something terrifying to pass by.

“Watia? Nummy?” It was the innocent smile of this toddler that changed the mood. She was holding her spoon out to Latina with a wide grin. Unfortunately, more than half of the contents spilled out when she did that, but Maya didn’t seem to mind.

“Maya... Yeah, it’s yummy.”

As Latina forced a smile, Maya blinked in confusion. And then, the toddler suddenly looked distressed.

“Watia, does it huwt? Does it?” “...?!”

As Latina’s expression shifted to one of surprise, Maya broke out in tears. “Does it huwt? Uh, uh, uh...”

“Maya?”

“Waaaaaaaaaah!”

Latina’s shock was now focused on Maya’s sudden outburst. Dale found it somehow refreshing to see Latina so flustered.

“Huh? Maya... what’s wrong?”

“Little ones like her are sensitive to the emotions of those around them.” Ute scooped up Maya with a practiced motion and started consoling her wailing child. Completely dazed, Latina wore a slightly troubled smile. “You should cry when you need to too, Latina. When it hurts, or you’re sad, or it’s scary. Adults don’t mind.”

Latina’s dumbfounded expression was now being swayed by a different emotion entirely. Her big eyes grew moist, and in no time at all, she was unable to hold it back anymore, and the tears started pouring out.

“Uh, uh...”

Dale stood silently by her side and pat her head as he always did, and Latina hugged him tight as she wept. The sound of the two girls crying went on for a while, echoing through the kitchen.

Maya was back to normal soon after she stopped crying, and she finished eating her breakfast, not caring that is was now cold. Latina apparently wasn’t able to end things so cleanly, so she sipped at the herbal tea Ute had given her, her face still stained from tears.

Dale bowed to Ute, who had wordless put on tea and given Latina soft, clean tissues while waiting for her to calm down. “Thank you, and sorry for the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all. I don’t know what made her so afraid, but oftentimes having a good cry helps you feel better, right? She’s still so young, so she doesn’t need to push herself so hard.”

Dale found it hard to read beastman expressions, but from the tone of her voice, he figured that Ute was probably smiling.

“Mrs. Ute, Latina is sorry...” Latina said in apology.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s kids’ jobs to cause trouble for us adults.”

Dale may have had trouble telling things about beastmen based on looks alone, but there was something he did know.

Joseph really did choose a good wife... Dale thought from the depths of his heart.

“Dale...” “Hmm?”

“Latina was scared.” “I see.”

Dale just silently took in her frail, wavering words.

“They... said that Latina was a bad child. So she can’t go back to where she was born... That’s what was prophesized...”

“Latina...”

“Latina’s family said it was wrong. That Latina wasn’t bad. But, but... Rag died because of Latina. It was because he went with her...” Latina’s eyes, pointed towards Dale, were once more filled with tears. Even so, she kept on talking. “Latina’s definitely a bad child, just like the prophecy said.”

“Latina, do you remember the details of that prophecy?”

After thinking on Dale’s question for a bit, Latina gave a small shake of her head. “Latina doesn’t know... The people around her said a lot, but she was just too scared...”

“I see. But your family said you weren’t bad, right?” “Yeah.”

With a smile on his face, Dale gently placed his forehead against Latina’s. “The ‘words of the gods’ are hard for people to understand, and that’s even truer of a high-level prophecy like reading a person’s fate. So I’d say your family’s statement that you’re not bad may be the right one.”

“Huh...?”

“At the very least, your family didn’t believe that prophecy, so that means that what it said wasn’t absolute.”

Latina looked truly shocked at what Dale had said. She’d never considered that possibility before. “Dale...”

“I probably know more about divine protection than you do. You don’t have any, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I do. It’s not from Banafsaj, but... I know full well what sort of thing divine protection really is.”

Latina smiled just a bit as she stared at him. “You’re like a god, Dale...

You’re always helping Latina out. You give Latina a lot of what she wants... If it’s the gods that let Latina meet you, then maybe she doesn’t need to be so scared...”

Though Dale had divine protection, he wasn’t overly devout. But even so, he did occasionally feel like praying. For this girl to be happy. For her to grow up healthy. And if it was the gods who had let him meet her...

Latina finally calmed back down after noon. That was right around when the men who had gone out hunting returned, driving the whole village into a boisterous uproar. Drawn by the excitement, Dale and company headed to the village plaza to see the fruits of the hunt. Latina stood there holding hands with Maya, her mouth wide-open in amazement.

“Bowr!” Maya was pointing at the spoils of the day’s hunt. “Boars sure are big...”

“Meet!”

“Do you like meat, Maya?” “Yuh!”

It was incredibly calming, seeing the two young girls happily converse. After watching for a bit, Dale calmed right down.

“Latina.”

“Hmm?”

“Those are magical beasts. A normal boar would look like it was that thing’s baby in comparison.”

“Really?” She seemed truly surprised.

It was definitely better to correct the misunderstanding before Latina committed something false to memory. The beasts that were big enough to be compared to the surrounding houses were most certainly not regular boars. There were two of them lined up in the square, so it had definitely been a successful hunt.

Though its scope was limited, the divine protection of the oracle of Banafsaj allowed her to predict things that were dangerous to the village, and it would seem that this time around, she had sensed the presence of those magical beasts.

Boar-type magical beasts were frequently found nearby the village, so the people there often ate their meat. However, considering the beasts’ massive size, they were obviously dangerous. Because the oracle was able to help remove that danger before it struck, she was an incredibly important person.

In a daze, Latina watched over the beastmen carrying out their duties. They were about to start butchering the beasts. The intestines needed to be dealt with because they spoiled easily, and there was also the issue of the space the creatures were taking up, so the villagers needed to hurriedly get the meat sliced down into more manageable bits.

“You don’t find this grotesque?”

“Latina thinks this is also part of her studies, too.”

“I think you could just leave this sort of stuff to butchers... And these are just too big, so I’m not sure you’ll learn much from this anyway.”

“Hmm... that’s true.”

The carving knife one of the men was carrying honestly looked more like a two-handed great sword. Dale couldn’t imagine that Latina would ever be able to handle such a thing, even after she had grown up. It was just too big for her.

“Watia, wet’s pway!” Maya was tugging on Latina’s hand.

This sight was commonplace to the toddler, so she didn’t seem to have any interest in it at all. Latina looked down at her and then started walking, looking completely satisfied.

“Dale?”

“Right, take care. Just don’t leave the village.” “Okay!”

Maya continued to pull Latina along the entire time she was getting permission from Dale, and after they got the okay, the two girls went for a walk around the village.

The village may have been a small one, but even so, it was full of things that Latina had never seen before. And yet, she couldn’t pay careful attention to those things. After all, right now she was a “big sister,” so she couldn’t take her eyes off of little Maya. With that modest sense of duty in her heart, she chased after the young toddler, who was steadily pushing ahead.

Their activity ended up being a little too intense to call a walk, and by the time Maya lost interest, the girls’ hair and clothes were full of leaves and branches. Maya had chosen their route with great creativity.

“Sit still for a second, Maya, alright?” “Yuh!”

Latina carefully removed the leaves embedded in the soft hair on Maya’s head. She needed to be careful not to pull too hard and hurt her.

While Latina enthusiastically carried out her task, her hands came into contact with Maya’s fluffy fur. Being ticklish, the beastchild tilted her head as if trying to get away, but for some reason, Maya’s head remained touching Latina’s hands.

“It’s so fluffy...”

Latina went ahead and buried her face in Maya’s fur. It was soft and felt very nice to the touch.

“Watia?”

“You’re so fluffy, Maya!” “Heehee...”

Latina tried gently stroking Maya’s head, her hand sinking into the soft fur. It felt even better than she’d imagined, so Latina got her fill of the fluff, running her hand through it to her heart’s content. Maya didn’t seem to dislike it at all, and she just kept giggling while twisting her body about like she was being tickled.

“Watia, fwuffy?” “Fluffy!”

There wasn’t any special meaning to this exchange, so they both broke out laughing.

Realizing that the fur under Maya’s chin was especially soft, Latina started petting her there, and the girl giggled happily. Apparently, she was quite fond of having Latina pet her. Latina was also totally entranced by Maya’s fluffy fur. Because she was still a toddler, Maya was still covered in downy fuzz, which had been diligently and lovingly maintained, a testament to her father’s doting nature. She was at peak fluff capacity.

After getting over her ticklishness, Maya looked almost intoxicated. She turned over sleepily, positioning herself to be pet even more. It was as if she was trying to say, “I leave it up to you.”

“Watia, pet, pet!” “Here?” “More!” “Alright.” “Heehee...”

Latina’s petting was enough to make a beastman her captive. It was at that instant that a glimpse of a new ability of Latina’s first showed itself.

It was midevening when a satisfied Maya and a tired, yet somehow accomplished-looking Latina returned, holding hands.

“Watia!” Even inside the house, Maya was on Latina’s heels. “Wet’s pway!” Dale had been checking over the map, and naturally, this charming scene

brought a peaceful expression to his face. “You seem to be pretty well liked, Latina.”

“Yeah. Latina is getting along well with Maya.”

The sight of Latina smiling and hugging the tiny Maya tight hit Dale so hard enough that he had a revelation: he should buy her a big stuffed animal as soon as they got back to Kreuz. Why hadn’t he gotten her one yet?

He hung his head in shame.

Such a cute item would pair well with cute Latina, and if he got one big enough to hug tightly, it’d surely help soothe her loneliness when he was away. Where did they sell them...? No wait, even if they weren’t available off the shelf, he could always put in a special order.

He looked up at the sky with a hopeful, beaming smile.

“Strange?” Maya asked, pointing at Dale and his exaggerated actions. “Hmm? No, it’s nothing. Dale acts like that every now and again,” Latina responded.

It was a surprisingly severe assessment, but fortunately those words didn’t reach Dale’s ears.

When night fell, Maya also pulled Latina into her bed. Latina hesitated a bit, as she normally slept next to Dale. However, she didn’t want to have regrets when she had to say goodbye when they left tomorrow morning.

Seeing Latina with her cherubic sleeping face and the fluffy Maya looking completely satisfied and sleeping cuddled together was almost too much for the two doting idiots.

The two girls had grown quite close, but the time did indeed come for them to say goodbye.

“Nooooooooooooo! Watia! Don’t wanna!”

Maya’s cries resounded through the early-morning beastman village. Pulled away from Latina and now tightly held in Joseph’s arms, Maya was bawling her eyes out and thrashing, trying to escape.

“Nooooo! Maya hates Daddy! She wants Watia!”

It was impossible to tell how just much damage his beloved daughter’s words inflicted on Joseph, but his triangular ears, normally pointed straight up, now drooped pathetically.

Dale looked at Latina standing at his side and saw her eyes were starting to grow a little moist in response to Maya’s tears. She sniffled a bit.

“Go say goodbye. And that it’s okay, we’ll come again on our way back.” “Yeah...”

Looking downhearted, Latina approached Maya, and the toddler stretched her tiny arms out as hard as she could, struggling all the while.

“Watia! Watia!”

“Maya...” Latina looked like she was about to cry herself as she searched for words. “Take care, Maya... Latina will come to play again...”

“Watia...”

When Latina said that, Maya stopped crying and broke out in a smile and waved goodbye... or not.

“Nooooo! Maya wants Watia!!”

She just started crying even harder. There was no such thing as a toddler who could be persuaded so easily.

“Agh, geez! Just get out of here already! She’ll give up eventually!” Joseph exclaimed, struggling to hold back his beloved daughter as she tried to escape. “Nooooooo! Watia! Watia!”

“If you wait for Maya to stop crying, it’ll be night. Take care and get going,” Ute calmly urged them along with a strained smile at her daughter’s lamentations.

“Well then... thanks for letting us stay with you. I’m thinking we’ll probably impose on you on the way back, too.”

“Got it. Take care.”

“Thank you so much... Maya, bye-bye,” Latina said with a quick bow of her head. Expecting her footsteps would grow heavy before too long, Dale had her ride on the horse.

“Get out of here already! Have a safe trip!”

With Joseph’s voice to their back, Dale took hold of the reins and started walking. Just as he’d expected, Latina kept turning back and looking at Maya. They could still hear the toddler’s cries even after they exited the village and could no longer see the Bündte family.

We’re probably bothering the neighbors...

Breaking out in a bit of a cold sweat, Dale walked along the narrow path through the forest. He decided not to look back at Latina, who was still sniffling a bit.

“Hopefully you’ll be able to play on the way back, too.” “Yeah...”

She was feeling sad at having to part ways, so that was a nice thought for Latina.

While thinking such things, they walked through the forest with the light filtering through the trees and creating complex shadows on the ground.

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