Published at 18th of January 2020 5:05 pm

Volume 2, Chapter 7: The Young Man Attends His Brother’s Wedding with the Young Girl

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

As Dale’s brother Yorck’s wedding approached, the whole of Tislow grew restless. Out in the country, entertainment was limited. Such a big event of course made for a special occasion for the villagers, and this time around, the leading man was part of the main household. It would obviously be a grand event. Their expectations were through the roof.

Every house in the village was airing out their Sunday best and preparing gifts, and the whole village was filled with a lively air.

Latina’s outfit came from Dale’s family, adjusted to fit her. Rather than needing to frequently be remade, it was made to be tweaked it bit by bit to fit the wearer as they grew. The blouse required careful adjustment, but everything else could simply be shortened to fit the young girl.

Latina was absorbed in her needlework as she sat in Granny Wen’s room again today. At night, she’d either be in the room with Dale or the living room, while she generally spent the day in the kitchen and this room. By the way, Latina was now able to properly sleep in a different room than Dale. Her general pattern was to stay in Dale’s room until she got sleepy, say goodnight, and then move to the room next door, get in bed, and fall asleep within three seconds.

“Done!”

“Let me see...”

Having finished sewing the skirt, Latina held it out to Granny Wen with a sunny expression on her face. After checking the seams, Granny Wen gave her approval.

“Not bad.” “Really?”

“Yeah. Who taught you? It wasn’t my idiot grandson, right?” “A friend’s mom did.”

Latina wore a proud smile as her hair was ruffled. Granny Wen was affectionate towards Latina and liked to pamper her. In a way, she was even more generous than Dale. But even so, she did know when to be strict. In Dale’s case, he’d always energetically praise Latina, no matter what. That did make her happy, but to a girl like Latina overflowing with a desire to improve herself, she felt even happier to receive a passing grade from someone strict like Kenneth or Granny Wen. Rather than being arrogant, she was able to properly accept cold, harsh judgments as well.

“How will the bride be coming?”

“After she arrives from the village down the way, she’ll stay in a house near the entrance to take care of preparations. We have our own way of doing things. And since she’ll be joining our clan, she’ll have to do things our way.”

“Latina sees. She saw a wedding in Kreuz at the temple of Quirmizi before.” Ahmar was the principal god of Laband, but in addition presiding over the harvest, Quirmizi was also the god you prayed to for the prosperity of your descendants. Following that logic, Quirmizi also oversaw weddings. Even if they didn’t have a proper priest with divine protection, nearly every town and village had a place dedicated to the worship of Quirmizi for that very reason, as it also served as a facility to hold a wedding.

“Our way of doing things may be a tad different than the way they do things in town.”

“Latina’s looking forward to it!” said Latina happily, holding her successful skirt to her chest.

Tislow had a culture all its own. That applied not just to the customs, but to the attire as well. The thick skirt had ribbons attached to its embroidered hem. Outside of formal occasions, people would often wear an apron overtop. Both men and women wore vests over their shirts and blouses, and a subtly embroidered sash completed the outfit. As they were a people who served the god of the earth, the embroidery on their formal clothes was always designed to look like flowers. These took no short amount of time to make and were the result of detailed handwork. They were handed down through a household, and mothers took quite some time making them for their children.

Latina was greatly looking forward to wearing such unfamiliar clothes. She was a girl, so of course she was interested in fashion.

“Does it look alright on Latina? It doesn’t look strange?” “You’re a charming girl, Latina. It suits you well.”

“You really are cute, Latina,” added Dale, his comment not much different from his grandmother’s.

“Right.”

“Our clan’s clothing looks totally fresh on you, Latina.” “Right.”

“You look like you belong in the spotlight more than the bride!” “Right.”

“Hey, you idiot brother! And you too, Granny! Cut it out!”

It was the day of the wedding itself when Yorck played the straight man to this grandson and grandmother pair.

Latina had put on her outfit entirely consisting of clothes from Tislow and was spinning about in front of Dale, unable to calm down. Following tradition, she also had a large, jeweled broach attached to her chest. As a clan of craftsmen, the people of Tislow were quite familiar with jewelry. Latina was obviously just borrowing it, but it was a truly splendid piece, fitting of the main household.

Unmarried men and women also had fresh flowers as part of their outfit. Women wore them in their hair, while the men tucked them into their hats. The difference between those who were married and those who weren’t was also shown on the designs on their sashes, with those who were unmarried having flowers, and those who were married having fruit. Though he was the leading man of the day, Yorck’s outfit wasn’t different from that of the other men. He had a jeweled ornament pinned onto his stole and a knife at his waist, but that was the norm for Tislow. The only thing that marked him as different was the design on his sash: only the groom’s had both flower and fruit embroidery.

“So you’ve still got the flowers, huh? Looks like your little brother is going to pass you by,” those offering their congratulations told Dale, the brother of the leading man.

Latina looked even cuter than usual today, to such a degree that Dale couldn’t help but want to break out in doting exclamations. The vivid flower in her platinum hair looked absolutely beautiful. It was the same old attire Tislow women wore, but it looked shockingly fresh on her.

“You look cool, Dale.”

“It’s pathetic that I’ve still got flowers, though.”

This sort of light banter continued until the start of the ceremony, when a bell rang out from far away and the atmosphere grew somehow tense. It was the relatives of the bride who rang that bell to tell of their coming as they walked. They weren’t used to Tislow’s way of doing things, so they were terribly nervous and rang the bell awkwardly, but in response, the people of Tislow greeted them by scattering flower petals about their path.

Except for when deep snow prevented them in winter, marriage ceremonies were held all throughout the year, but spring was definitely when they were at their most beautiful. This time in particular, when they were coming into spring, there were many varieties of flowers in full bloom, and plenty of petals to scatter with the villagers’ blessings.

When that advanced party reached the groom’s house, the sound of bells grew even louder. It was then that the groom’s family came outside. Latina came out alongside them, and her eyes shot wide open at the brilliant colors painting the path through the village. Yellow, red, pink, white... Adding in the shades, there were so many colors that it was difficult to express them all. The flower petals danced through the air, bringing a fragrance along with them.

“So pretty...” Latina said in admiration, her gaze drawn to a single point. Tislow men held up poles supporting a chair, and seated in it was the bride, dressed in a brilliant outfit. Her beautiful dress used elaborate, complex embroidery, and she wore elegant jewelry as well, topping off the outfit with an orange hat, the color of Quirmizi. It was also abundantly decorated with fresh flowers.

The palanquin the bride rode in continued slowly down the flowered path. Several people wearing outfits different than those of Tislow, the bride’s relatives, followed behind.

“The bride is beautiful...”

Latina’s cheeks were absolutely rosy as she stared in admiration. As for Dale, he casually put himself in the shoes of the bride’s father, who may have been happy for this auspicious marriage into the Tislow clan as a village chief, but couldn’t hide his complex feelings on the matter.

Just what would he do if Latina wanted to be a bride herself? If she brought back some spineless guy and said she was going to marry him, then he may end up making him literally spineless... Dale may not be able to use Fire magic, but he’d surely want to burn him to ashes. Well, if nothing else, he wouldn’t accept anyone who wasn’t at least his equal. Someone weaker than him was out of the question from the very start. But Latina might end up hating him if he opposed her, right? What should he do? He felt like he was going to break out in tears.

“Why are you making a face like that?” Randolph’s quip may have been on point, but it fell short and failed to reach his son.

Randolph took a bell from the advanced party, he and the man bowed to one another. With the gate left wide open, the palanquin the bride was riding was ushered inside by the groom’s family. As she stepped down into the mansion with her cloth shoes, she didn’t leave behind even a speck of dirt or grime. To Tislow, the earth itself was a god worthy of awe. This ceremony held the meaning of delivering the bride to the house of the groom without allowing that god to steal her away.

After that, the celebratory banquet began. A constant flow of villagers came up to the new bride and groom, who were standing up on a tiered platform, to offer their blessings. The adults also brought gifts, but everyone offered them a single flower. Latina also came up and shyly greeted them, holding a light pink flower to her chest.

“Congratulations.”

The bride accepted the flower from Latina with a nervous smile and placed it on the table set up behind her. The mountain overflowing on top of it showed just how many people had already come to see them

Finally, they offered these flowers, the proof of the blessing of the people around them, up to Quirmizi, bringing the ceremony to a close. The culture of Tislow attached great importance to flowers.

After the ceremony was over, the banquet turned into a true party. Men and women of all ages smacked their lips at the mountain of food, and just for this occasion, the clan head broke out her cherished liquor. Magda and several of the other women were already wearing aprons and hurriedly moving about.

Amongst the lively crowd, Latina was sitting meekly by Granny Wendelgard’s side, chewing on her slice of river-fish pie, only to realize that Dale wasn’t around. Looking to her right, she saw Granny Wen biting off a chunk of herb-roasted meat and then gulping down a cup of liquor. Further along, she saw Yorck caring for his new bride Frida, who looked to have gotten drunk.

Looking to her left, Latina saw Randolph arguing passionately with the villagers, who were being spurred on by the alcohol. It was a stupid debate over whether it’d be better for Randolph’s first grandchild to be a boy or a girl.

Looking straight ahead, she saw a large number of people enjoying the banquet. Latina had helped make the large platter of food Magda had carried out. She was overjoyed to see people enjoying what she had made.

“Dale...?”

Not seeing him anywhere, though, she felt extremely lonely. Granny Wen soon realized why Latina’s gaze was darting all about.

“Latina.”

“Hmm?”

“My idiot grandson went outside. If you’re going after him, be sure to wear something warm,” Granny Wen said, handing her a nearby stole. After thinking for a bit, Latina gave a deep bow, put on the stole, weaved through the crowd, and went outside.

As she stepped out of the mansion and away from the warmth coming off the people inside, a pleasant night breeze hit her face. The silence out here almost made the bustle inside seem unreal.

There he stood. Latina was relieved and approached him, but then felt bewildered, as he seemed somewhat different than normal.

“Dale...?”

Hearing her whisper, Dale looked up with the same smile on his face as always.

“What’s wrong, Latina? It’s cold out here, so you should go back inside.” “You taught me that when you don’t want to smile, it’s alright not to, right?” After his surprise passed, Dale’s smile gained some bitterness. “I’m alright,

Latina... Sorry for worrying you.” “Dale... are you lonely?”

“Today’s a celebration, so of course I’m not,” Dale said in denial, only for Latina to hug him tight.

If Latina were more grown up, then could she help Dale out more? Feeling a little sad, Latina blinked her moist eyes. She wanted to help him out in some way, like he always did for her. She thought if she was more of an adult, she’d surely not have to see such a pained smile on his face.

Wanting to “save him” like he had done to her, she hugged him tightly. “Latina... should hurry up and grow up...”

As she muttered that, Dale broke out in his usual strained smile. “You can take your time growing up, Latina, don’t you think? You don’t need to push yourself.”

As he reached out to pat her head like he always did, he realized she was about to break out in tears. He gently shifted his hand from her hair down to her cheek. “You really are a kind girl, Latina...”

He didn’t expect Latina to see through him like this. When she asked if he was lonely, he became aware that his feelings were indeed something like that.

His younger brother’s wedding. The crowd of villagers offering their congratulations one after another. The calls for even further prosperity for the clan. And he wasn’t the one in the center of all of it. Everyone had spent so much time talking together without him. Time had kept on flowing while he wasn’t around. And it would keep on flowing without him in the future. That much was obvious. Though he should’ve accepted that, a lonely feeling filled his heart.

For as long as he could remember, he thought he’d be the one to become the head of the clan. Everyone around him thought so as well, and they’d treated him as such. He never regretted the idea of living for the sake of the clan. It had been his foundation, that he’d carry on protecting the clan as the successive village heads before him had done, including his father and grandmother. He yielded that seat of clan head to his younger brother for the sake of the clan, too.

To protect Tislow, his clan, he ended up leaving. He chose the path of taking on the name of Reki and leaving his village in order to protect it.

Even so, he occasionally thought about it. That if he hadn’t been born with divine protection, then maybe he could’ve stayed here forever. And that he should’ve been the one to be the village chief.

“I think I’m a little drunk... I guess I’ll take a walk until I sober up a bit. Care to join me?”

“Yeah.”

Walking while holding hands like this had become something perfectly normal for the pair. And it meant more to him than anything else in the world, that it was now a given for this young girl to be at his side.

†

Tislow had long since been disliked by the local lord of the area. The clan possessed their own unique culture and rules. Essentially, they weren’t a part of the nation of Laband. Even so, it was solely because of their high level of skill in unique fields that they weren’t treated as rebels, subjugated, and eliminated.

There were settlements called “Tislow” outside of Laband as well. In the past, those in power sought those other places out. The Tislow there chose to resist, only to retreat from the village in a single night in the end, leaving behind an empty husk. To the clan, the clan itself came above all else. In order to protect that, they had no qualms about abandoning their land.

When the Tislow clan left a land, it lost its abundant divine protection as well. And so even peerlessly productive land would soon turn back to normal, once more becoming a simple, inconvenient, remote area. After a war of attrition to break through the firm defenses leveraging the terrain manned by the excellent warrior magic users of the Tislow clan, they gained only a single abandoned village. It didn’t especially pay off.

The people of Tislow didn’t mind abandoning their land because it wasn’t hard for them to move to a new location, cultivate a new land, and rebuild the village. That was largely thanks to the power of the earth, which was synonymous with their clan. And no matter where they went, the goods they produced with their skills carried a high price. Their unique skill for producing magical devices was truly the goose that laid the golden egg.

Here in Laband too, the local lord ruling the domain was not fond of Tislow. They wisely used their abundant land to build up a stockpile of food reserves to such a degree that they could manage to support the surrounding villages even while fending off a siege. They had a great many magic users, and their specialty, Earth magic, had the ability to heal. This clan of the earth was also intimately familiar with medicinal plants. As a result, they possessed medical abilities far beyond what you’d expect so far out in the country.

Though they were adjacent to the land the local lord ruled, they were a powerful, separate zone that didn’t answer to his authority. It was obvious that someone in such a position of power would despise them. It was also readily apparent that in the remote parts of his domain, where he held less influence, the people living there trusted Tislow more than they did their own lord.

To the country of Laband itself, however, Tislow was worthy of being granted an exception and given autonomy. They wanted to avoid having them leave the nation above all else. If they lost such precious craftsmen it would lead to a shortage of magical devices throughout the country and have an effect on national policy. The profits that Tislow’s magical devices brought to Laband couldn’t be ignored, either. Their loss would greatly impact both the distribution and flow of money. Furthermore, if Tislow left and moved to another nation, that country would naturally gain those benefits.

And so, taking all of that into account, the influential people at the core of the nation found it best to maintain the current situation.

This relationship between Tislow, Laband, and the local lord had been maintained for quite some time, but when the local lord changed and sought to govern over the region, not even trying to hide his opposition to Tislow, that balance had started to crumble.

It was the head of the Tislow clan, Wendelgard, who had made the first move. She used the Reki spread out through the land to invite Cornelio Cacace, a high-ranking Asfarian priest, to the village. He was an authority in the field of cultural anthropology, so Wendelgard extended the invitation after hearing that he was interested in the unique culture of Tislow.

Normally, Tislow wouldn’t allow outsiders in. When it came to welcoming someone as a new member of the clan, there was no issue, but they wouldn’t just let someone move into the village. And so, this decision was an unusual one.

Cornelio was an influential voice even in the central temple in the capital, so Wendelgard used him and the temple of Asfar as a means of forming a contact with Duke Eldstedt, the most influential man in Laband. At that time, Tislow presented the eldest son of the head household, Dale. He was used as a tool for political negotiations. Said to be favored by the gods, he possessed the divine protection of not just one god, but several, which was very rare.

He was an opposing presence that could harm a demon lord. In other words, he held abilities that allowed him to be called a “hero.” While such people were exceptionally rare, it’s not like he was the only “hero” out there. However, just because someone possessed the abilities required to be called a “hero,” there was no guarantee that they’d be a soldier accustomed to the field of battle.

With the threat of the increasing influence of the warlike and dangerous Seventh and Second Demon Lords, a hero with combat abilities who could oppose them, like Dale, was incredibly precious.

Dale definitely had the ability to fight. His divine protection was well suited to being used in battle. His divine protection from Quirmizi was strong even for those from the clan, aiding him in magic related to the earth. When Dale cast Earth magic, he hardly expended any mana. And as a skilled hunter, he also excelled at handling weapons. Studying under Cornelio, his education didn’t fall short of what he’d get in a town, and he learned how to be an adventurer under a skilled young man in the business.

As a warrior, Dale wanted for nothing in terms of nature and nurture.

†

Dale had taken Latina for a walk to the waterfalls.

Latina recited a chant, and a ball of light appeared, floating in front of her. As if reflecting her personality, it had a gentle, tender feel to it. The pair walked side by side down the path it lit.

When they reached the waterfalls, there were several lanterns around, and they reflected off the surface of the water, resulting in countless, trembling rays of light. The place was already mysterious to start with, and now it made for an almost otherworldly sight.

“Wow...”

“Yorck and Frida were just here for the ceremony.”

The final part of the ceremony fell to the new husband and wife. Latina had been waiting in the mansion, so she hadn’t come here. She was glad she was able to see it.

There was now a mountain of flowers offered before the shrine to Quirmizi. The number of flowers alone was an indication of just how many blessings they had received.

“I’m sure Yorck will be a good clan head...”

As Latina looked up at Dale, the trembling light from the lanterns cast complex shadows on her face, and it was hard to tell what she was thinking. Feeling like she was going to suddenly turn into an adult, Dale went to rustle her hair, but not wanting to mess it up after it had been so carefully prepared, he just touched it gently.

Dale had certainly been able to fight. But up until he’d left, he’d only taken a weapon in hand to go out on a hunt or to protect the village from outside enemies. He’d never before taken another person’s life.

If demons all looked like beasts, then he likely wouldn’t have suffered so much. They may have gained power greatly exceeding that of their original race in serving a demon lord, but their appearances didn’t change. The devils who made up most of the demons, in fact, didn’t look any different from humans aside from having horns.

He had no regrets when it came to fighting the invading forces of the Seventh Demon Lord, who brought conflict and strife to humankind. The servants of the Second Demon Lord were mutilated in such a way that it was hard to even think of them as living beings. When it came to accepting their resentment-filled pleas (even if it was impossible to understand what they were saying, it was hard to take them as anything else) and taking their lives, that may have been an act of mercy.

But even so, killing people, an act that only took something away, ate away at his heart. Dale’s true nature was that of the clan head of Tislow, who would use his power to protect his people. It was in his nature to show his true power for the sake of those who needed his protection.

He had been far off from the village he was supposed to protect, and even if he was told it was for the sake of the people, he just kept on killing for the country. He was just too far from the village, so he didn’t feel like he was protecting them; but even so, he wanted to, and therefore he couldn’t run from his duty.

The prestige and money and rewards did nothing to save him. He couldn’t use such things to repair his own broken heart. The solution he found to get used to killing was to crush his emotions so he could carry out his work. But that option meant stifling his true self as well.

But it was then that he met a certain young girl who saved his life. Day by day, he watched over the healthy growth of this weak, helpless child, who even now seemed like she could break at any time. Held in his arms, she’d look at ease, with a happy smile on her face. This girl was someone he needed to protect. Rather than fighting for an unspecified “somebody,” he now fought for her sake.

A town full of strangers had become a place where that girl peacefully lived. Having a clear person to protect now, he gained the motivation he needed to fight, which he had been lacking. As long as she was happy, then he could keep on going.

And yet, when he felt like his heart was going to break, this young girl had also given him words that helped to save him. That warmth healed him.

Her words gave him enough power to face forward and act brave as her father.

“It’s all thanks to you that Latina is happy now.”

Those words of hers and the smile that accompanied them were the source of his motivation.

“I’m alright, Latina.”

She was so small, but she was kinder than anyone else. He wanted to raise her to keep that pure heart and never be harmed by anyone.

“You saved me, Latina...”

The young girl blinked her big grey eyes in response, looking confused. Maybe it was alright to speak such timid words every now and again. He could always blame it on the strong liquor he had drunk for the first time in a while.

“Dale?”

“Latina, you say that you’re glad to have met me pretty often, but the same is true for me, too.”

If he hadn’t met her, what would he be like now? Would he be able to smile properly? Would he be able to tell his brother “Congratulations”? Could he have kept on going without losing sight of his memories of this village, which he was supposed to protect?

“I’m glad I met you, Latina.” “Latina’s glad she met you too, Dale.”

As she smiled gently, he hugged the young girl tight. They were close enough to feel one another’s body heat, as they often were, but it somehow felt a bit different than usual.

“If Latina was able to help Dale, then that makes her happy.” Hearing her gentle voice, Dale wondered just what sort of adult she’d become. Would she someday stand by someone else’s side, smiling happily like she was now? Surely, it was his job as her father to protect her until that time came.

“Still, I won’t let some spineless guy make Latina his bride!” “Right.”

“If Latina wants, then he can try to beat me! I won’t fall, though! Nobody will take me down!”

“Right.”

After heading back to the banquet, Dale returned to being his usual self. He kept pace with Granny Wen’s drinking, which was faster than Latina had ever seen before.

“Um... are you alright?”

“You’re worried about me?! You really are kind, Latina!” He grabbed hold of her, clearly drunk.

“Huh?!”

“Ah, you’re such a good girl, and so cute! I won’t let you be anyone’s bride! I won’t!”

Sleeping drunks needed to be let lie.

Dale could hold his liquor, but when paired with Granny Wen, they drank enough to empty out an entire barrel, leaving him dead drunk. Latina was only used to seeing him drink light wine, which wouldn’t affect him in the least. She had no idea how to manage this crisis. She’d never before experienced being clung to tightly and having a cheek rubbed up against hers over and over and over.

“Waaaaaaagh?!”

Latina let out a strange cry, but that just seemed to make the two drunks in front of her even happier.

“Latina, when you want to get married, just tell me. I’ll find you someone who can beat the hell out of this idiot grandson of mine.”

“Cut it out! With your connections, I feel like you might really find someone!”

Even so, he laughed the same as always. Dale and Latina smiled at one another.

†

Dale’s coat was finished a few days after Yorck and Frida’s wedding. It

wasn’t too different from his previous one and even had pretty much the same design. There were a number improvements made based on his requests, but they couldn’t be seen by the naked eye. It had become a sort of trademark for him, so it’d feel somehow embarrassing to change it now.

He’d seen his younger brother’s wedding, and he’d gotten what he’d come here for. In other words, the time had come to head back to Kreuz.

Things became quite busy once he decided that. The preparations to return progressed smoothly. It was the start of spring when they left from Kreuz, but the seasons were already changing again. They had their lives in Kreuz waiting for them, too. Now that they’d gotten what they came for, they couldn’t stay here forever.

“Thanks for everything,” Latina said with a bow on her last day of studying under Cornelio.

“Think nothing of it. It was rather enjoyable. Having a pupil who truly wanted to learn helped keep me serious.”

With a calm expression on his face, Cornelio looked at his tiny student. Just as Dale had said, she was very clever, intelligent young girl. Cornelio felt that she was still keeping a lot to herself, but if his teachings were of help to her, then that’s all he wanted. And he’d be glad if she helped to reduce some of the heavy burden shouldered by his former student as well.

Meanwhile, what Latina wanted from Cornelio was his assistance in understanding Dale. He didn’t talk at all about Dale’s abilities, telling her to ask Dale directly someday, but in exchange, he taught her a lot about Tislow, where Dale’s roots lay.

After Cornelio started teaching her, she’d figured out in no time at all that there was hostility between Tislow and the local lord. Even Cornelio had to stop and stare in amazement at this.

“If Latina were the local lord, then she’d find Tislow really scary.”

Upon hearing that, he asked her numerous questions to test her out, only for her a troubled look to come across her face as she searched for a response. She didn’t always arrive at the correct answer, but many of her responses weren’t what you’d expect from such a young girl. He sensed the sort of education that would only be held by those who stood above others. Perhaps that was also related to the secrets she was keeping.

“But Latina thinks it’d be better if nobody fought.”

“Even if you don’t want to fight, though, there are invasions and the like to consider. Would you just resign yourself to being overrun at such a time?”

“Latina wouldn’t want to hurt anyone, even if they were the enemy... But she’d also want to protect the people precious to her. It may be impossible to help everyone, but she’d at least want to protect the people close to her.”

Clutching her chest, she added, almost sounding like a prayer, “Latina definitely doesn’t want something bad to happen to everyone because of her.”

There was a bit of discomfort in the clever young girl’s reply. Cornelio didn’t dare to question her further, though. More so than before, he sensed that he was touching at a fragment of something greater. He guessed that those words were tied to the chains holding down this kind young girl.

“Latina wants to become a kind adult, like Dale.” “Is that so?”

He felt like he’d come to understand why his student was so affectionate towards her. It wasn’t just her outward appearance, but her personality as well that was beautiful. She wasn’t perfect, nor was she a saint. But precisely because of that imperfection, she strongly fascinated and charmed those around her.

While they were sitting in Granny Wen’s room as always, the old woman turned, faced Latina, and suddenly said, “I should give you a souvenir before you leave, Latina.”

“Huh?” Latina tilted her head and looked at Granny Wen.

There was only a little bit of time left for her to see this scenery she’d grown accustomed to before what was the norm for her changed.

“It’s nothing too unwieldy, so it should be perfect for a souvenir. Go call that idiot grandson of mine.”

“Hmm?”

With her head still tilted in confusion, she pitter-pattered off to go call for

Dale. He should’ve been in the middle of giving their preparations for the return trip a final check.

In no time at all, Dale had been led to Granny Wen’s room by Latina. He knitted his brows and started by saying, “What do you want? Don’t spoil Latina too much, Granny.”

“Are you really one to speak?” retorted Granny Wen with a laugh, adjusting her posture. Seeing his grandmother act differently than normal, the expression on Dale’s face shifted.

“As the clan head of Tislow, I grant you a name.”

Hearing Granny Wen’s dignified statement, Dale and Latina were speechless. They understood that she was giving a Tislow role name not just to Dale, but

to Latina as well.

“Tislow always accepts members of the clan. With this, you can return here whenever you wish, Latina.”

“Granny?”

“That holds even after I die, and my idiot grandson is gone, and everyone here now makes way for the next generation. Even if this village is gone and moves somewhere else, Tislow values the clan above all else. You can come back any time.”

As Wendelgard said that, Dale patted Latina’s head as he often did. That was something his grandmother used to do to him.

“Normally, you don’t receive a name until you become an adult. But there’s no guarantee that I’ll still be around when that time comes. So hold onto it in here until then, and then you can ask Dale what it means,” said Granny Wen, pointing to Latina’s chest.

It was the duty of the clan head of Tislow to give role names. And to the clan, receiving your name was proof that you had become a full-fledged adult.

Wendelgard was the only one in Tislow right now with the right to grant a name.

To the Tislow clan, it wasn’t simply blood that tied them together. Such links did exist, but it also wasn’t prohibited to accept outsiders into the clan.

As a clan of priests for the god of prosperity, they possessed a great deal of knowledge, so they understood how disadvantageous it was to build up generation after generation from the same bloodlines. Accepting new bloodlines into the clan so their blood didn’t grow thick and stagnant was essential for their prosperity. Most entered the clan by marriage, like Frida, but that wasn’t the only way. The only rule was that new members must live in a way that maintained the dignity of the clan. As long as one could accept that rule, they could join. And it fell to the abilities of the clan head to determine if they were truly capable of that.

Granny Wen hadn’t told Latina not to ask the meaning of the name because there was any sort of custom to hide it. From Latina’s character and the path she was following, Granny Wen had no concerns about giving her that name, but she worried that if she told Latina what it meant now, it would end up restricting the great possibilities the young girl possessed. She told Dale not to ask as well for the same reason. There was no guarantee that her grandson wouldn’t be influenced by her name and limit his own potential as well, and from Wendelgard’s perspective, he was still young and inexperienced.

If Latina decided to live in a way that differed from the name when she became an adult, then that was fine. As a member of the clan, roles were given, but they also had to be accepted.

Her own grandson had taken in this child and saw her as someone to protect, so Tislow at least would be a place she could return to. Even if she couldn’t return to the place she was born, she could create a new place where she belonged here.

Even if he’d wanted to, Dale couldn’t give her a name, as he wasn’t the head of the clan. So his grandmother gave it in his place. That was her present to her grandson, who lived in a way that maintained the dignity of the clan despite struggling deeply with his weighty role.

“If you get sick of my stupid grandson, then tell me right away, alright? I’ll find you someone better.”

“Dale is the best,” Latina said tearfully, and then smiled. “It’s thanks to Dale that Latina met you, Granny. And Dale always gives Latina whatever she wants.”

While consoling Latina, who was moved to tears, by stroking her hair, Granny Wen wore her usual, bright smile.

“When you grow up, I’ll sure you’ll be fine woman, Latina. Definitely.” “Latina wants to become a grandmother like you, Granny.”

“Huh? No, you should reconsider that, Latina,” Dale said, visibly flustered at Latina’s statement. Seeing Dale vigorously shake his head side to side, Granny Wen gave a clear click of her tongue, and Latina looked puzzled.

“Now then, today we have a feast. Today’s the day when we say farewell for a while, until you next come again.”

“Right.”

At dinner she was surrounded by smiles rather than tears as they finished out their final day in Tislow.

The pair headed back towards Kreuz with a great number of souvenirs, and not all of them were material.

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