Published at 18th of January 2020 8:33 pm

Volume 4, Chapter 1: A Growing Distance from the Platinum-haired Maiden

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

This was the day after the great disaster of the Ahmar night festival, which had ended in Latina’s failed confession.

A gloomy, desperate atmosphere hung over a corner of the Dancing Ocelot. Breakfast was laid out the same as it was every day, but... that girl who always had a smile on her face wasn’t there.

Not yet able to read the mood, Theo walked up to Dale and hit him right where it hurt.

“Where’s Sis?”

Paying no heed to how Dale jolted up, Theo looked at his mother with a dissatisfied pout. He obviously questioned the matter because from his point of view, the absence of his beloved big sister was abnormal.

“Latina’s taking a break for a bit.” “Why?”

“She just is.” “Where’s Vi?”

Rita looked around the room. “Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him since yesterday. Did he wander off somewhere to play?”

Vint roamed around aimlessly fairly often, so it was nothing to be concerned about. He’d probably just gone to burn off his frustration at having been treated harshly by Latina. Though he was still growing, he was a mythical beast, so he was unusually astute for an animal. They were confident that he wouldn’t go causing trouble without a good reason.

Dale and Latina ate breakfast together. That was the way it had been up until now. They couldn’t when Dale was away from Kreuz for work, but aside from that, they always did things that way. Yet, when Dale woke up this morning and came downstairs, Latina had already left the Ocelot.

Last night, as he cried himself to sleep, Dale had accepted that it was only natural for a girl Latina’s age to distance herself from him. But he hadn’t imagined that she wouldn’t even be there for their usual breakfast. “Where’s Sis?”

Each time Theo repeated that question, Dale’s expression grew more and more dour, but Rita’s smile didn’t falter in the slightest. Even though he was swamped with extra work thanks to the absence of his assistant, Kenneth realized once more that he shouldn’t anger his wife.

At the moment, Latina was in the shop of her childhood friend’s family, “the Backstreet Bakery.”

“You’re seriously helping us out, but is it really alright to be away from the Ocelot?”

“Yeah. Kenneth said since I have the chance, I should learn how to make bread from professionals. You said you were shorthanded, Marcel, so I figured I’d come ask... but sorry for coming so early in the morning.”

In order to be able to supply fresh bread for every household’s varying breakfast hours, this bakery opened quite early. With the smell of freshly baked bread filling the area, Latina sat amongst the other employees eating breakfast and smiled at her friend’s family.

It was still too soon, so Latina didn’t have the courage to look Dale in the face. She understood that Dale hadn’t even recognized her words as a confession. Even so, having mustered up her courage only to fall flat on her face was too embarrassing, and she hadn’t yet put her feelings in order.

Figuring she needed some time, Rita and Kenneth gave her permission to take a break from her work at the Ocelot. With that said, though, if she just holed up in the attic, her thoughts may go in a bad direction, and what’s more, if she was in that shop, she’d end up face-to-face with Dale, whether she wanted to or not.

When she’d been wondering just what she should do, Latina recalled her friend’s comment. When they met during the night festival, Marcel had said that one of the women who worked at their shop was out on maternity leave, leaving them shorthanded. As a result, Latina visited her friend’s house this morning, having nothing to lose. Kenneth made sure to talk to her before she left the Ocelot, and he would also smooth things over with Dale, too.

Childbirth was a serious ordeal for women, but even so, ordinary citizens weren’t able to take a long time off from work. There was no welfare program or monetary aid, so you needed to earn your living expenses by working. And so, the Backstreet Bakery couldn’t easily hire a new employee to fill the position left by the woman who was on break for her pregnancy. Latina’s proposal was truly a welcome one for Marcel’s family.

“Well then, it’ll just be for a week, but I look forward to working with you.” Above all else, Latina’s smile, which had been tempered by her long years in the service industry, was brimming with good will and charm.

In the nation of Laband, bread was a staple food.

The Backstreet Bakery handled all sorts of goods, but they were almost all varieties of bread. The shape, type of flour used, and sorts of flavorful seeds sprinkled on top all led to different kinds of breads. The bakery had breads that involved kneading dried fruit or spices into the dough, but they didn’t deal with things like pastries.

The sandwiches they’d sold during the night festival the day before were generally only sold during lunchtime. Here in the eastern district, there were a lot of women who worked at shops or as craftsmen. It was a district with a high demand for light meals.

“And then there’s the cookies. I think it’ll take some time to remember all the prices, so—” Marcel said, explaining the goods sold in the shop.

“Hmm? It’s alright. I’ve come here lots of times, so I already remember them,” Latina responded, causing her friend to fall silent for a moment. However, he soon remembered how extraordinary his friend was and went along with it. Being friends with this girl for so long made one come to accept things like that, whether they wanted to or not.

“You’ll be fine with the calculations then, too, right Latina?” “Of course. I handle money at the Ocelot, after all.”

They didn’t have anything like a register, so math was primarily done mentally. There were tools to help, but they were hardly ever used. From Latina’s reply, it was clear that she could be used as an immediate asset on the sales front. Because Latina was their son’s childhood friend, Marcel’s parents also had a good deal of confidence in the girl. That could be seen in the way that they immediately trusted her to handle money.

With each jingle of the bell attached to the door, Latina promptly responded with a bright voice, saying, “Welcome!”

“Oh, my, I’ve never seen you before. Are you a new employee?” An old woman had come into the shop and was surprised to see someone working there that she didn’t recognize.

“I’m just helping out. I look forward to serving you. What can I get for you today?” Latina responded with a bright smile, and the woman smiled back.

“I always just go with this.”

“I see. Thank you for your business.”

Latina placed the bread the woman pointed out into a bag, offered it to her, and took her money.

“Are you about the same age as little Marcel?” “We went to school together.”

Completely unperturbed by the woman’s prying, Latina kept on smiling back. Marcel broke out in a sweat as he overheard the conversation while he was carrying out freshly baked bread to the storefront. If even a shred of such groundless rumors reached Dale or Rudy, he’d be in real danger.

When it came to staple foods, most people had a usual shop that they stuck to. Occasionally they may try eating at a different shop, but everyone ultimately decided on a favored taste for their everyday meals. Because of that, the majority of the customers who visited this shop were regulars.

Unsurprisingly, after the morning rush passed, the next busy period was around lunchtime. Latina wasn’t able to just sit idly in the meantime, so she hunted around for any little job she could take care of, like cleaning up around the store.

Latina and Marcel often played in the eastern district when they were young, and occasionally some old friends would stop in. However, there were many people who were unacquainted with Latina. Marcel had expected some, but when Latina was sweeping, there was an unnaturally large increase in male customers coming to the shop for the first time.

During the pauses in her work, Latina looked at the baking bread with great interest. It was still her first day, so she wasn’t allowed in the kitchen; but because she’d spent many years assisting Kenneth, she didn’t miss even the slightest detail, such as the distance and workflow between Marcel, who was the assistant in this shop, and his father, who took the lead. Latina said that she just wanted to learn the basics of baking and didn’t need to be paid. It was a very fitting request for the girl.

Normally, bread-making techniques would be considered a trade secret. It wasn’t the sort of thing that you taught to just anyone. Marcel managed to convince his parents to accept her request despite that because they had heard her story back when the two were still in school. In Vassilios, where she came from, they didn’t eat bread. Latina had it for the first time when she came to Laband.

Marcel had never even imagined there could be a country without bread, and his friend had grown up in such an entirely foreign nation. Latina had expressed a desire to see how bread was made, and as a boy who’d had bread as a big part of his life ever since he was born, he wanted to show her.

Latina somehow managed to make it through the lunch rush, too. Unsurprisingly, she was no match for a veteran, but she was doing exceptionally well for her first day. After business passed its peak, Latina took a break and filled her cheeks with some bread she received for lunch. Seeing her look so overjoyed, Marcel’s parents couldn’t help but smile themselves.

The Backstreet Bakery’s business day ended before sunset. Even if they stayed open past when most households bought their bread for dinner, there would be no customers, and they’d just be putting themselves at risk of being robbed. And of course, they also had to open early tomorrow.

Once they’d finished closing up shop, Latina watched as Marcel and his family prepared for the next day. Unable to hold herself back, Latina asked a number of questions while this was going on. She had a particular interest in the yeast that was so essential to baking bread and wanted to know how it was used. It must have felt nice to knead that soft-looking dough, and it was great fun to watch the bread get shaped and lined up in rows. However, Latina knew that wasn’t all that it took to make bread. After all, her long years of learning under Kenneth had taught her just how important pre- cooking preparations were.

By nature, Latina liked learning new things, so her mood was on a bit of an upswing on her way back from the Backstreet Bakery. She may not have been able to get hands-on experience, but just being able to watch bread getting made from nearby was enough to greatly satisfy her curiosity. On top of that, she’d been able to interact with different sorts of customers and do a different kind of work than she did in the Ocelot, making for a very fresh experience. She was also promised that she could watch the bread being baked early tomorrow morning. Normally, she’d handle the Ocelot’s nighttime business hours alongside Kenneth, but today she figured it would be better to turn in early.

While thinking on such things, Latina made it back to the familiar front of the Dancing Ocelot. Not realizing that the regulars were making strangely unpleasant expressions and awkward smiles upon seeing her, she circled around to the back.

“Kenneth, I’m home!” “Hey.”

“You seem busy. Do you need me to help out after all?”

“No, you’re off, so take it easy. You’ve got to properly take advantage of times like this.”

Latina felt terribly guilty seeing Kenneth struggle to handle the kitchen by himself as the shop headed into its peak busy period, but he just smiled back. She had been so very depressed, and Kenneth was relieved to see her come back looking so clear-headed. He got the feeling that it was a little ridiculous that that was her method for refreshing herself, no matter how much she may have loved to work. But cooking was every bit as much a hobby as it was a job for him, so there may not have been much difference between the two of them.

“Do you want to eat dinner out in the front?”

“Where’s Theo? I’m burdening Rita, too... so I should at least help take care of Theo at night.”

“Then I’ll leave that to you. Theo’s at his grandmother’s place. He should be back before much longer.”

Kenneth’s in-laws, Rita’s parents, had entrusted the shop to the young married couple and moved into the residential area of the southern district. They weren’t normally seen around the shop, but when Kenneth and Rita were shorthanded, they’d occasionally show up to watch Theo or help man the Akhdar’s message board. Vint wasn’t around today, so they were taking care of the mischievous little rascal instead. Rita’s mother wouldn’t be able to handle doing this every day, so they only asked her to when it was crucial.

When Theo returned a little while later, he shouted out “Sis!” and ran straight for Latina. His grandmother found the way that her grandson went straight for Latina without even turning around just a little dejecting.

“Theo, have you had a bath?” “Not yet.”

“Then let’s do that before eating.”

After seeing off Theo’s grandmother, Latina held the boy’s hand and went into the kitchen.

“I don’t wanna wash my hair!”

“That won’t do. I’ll wash it for you, so you just need to behave yourself.” Even as he said that, Theo clung tightly to Latina. He hadn’t gotten any attention from his precious big sister since morning, so he was seemingly trying to get in a full day’s worth now.

Looking over at the two of them in his spare moments during his work, Kenneth unwittingly broke out in an awkward smile. He honestly felt like his son may have been a bit too attached to his “big sister.” But even so, he figured it was a good thing for the boy to have someone like Latina to pamper him when Kenneth and Rita needed to be strict with him.

Still, the very air itself felt like it had grown more relaxed from Latina’s return alone. That effect she had on others seemed to be a sort of rare, difficult to achieve virtue.

Latina grabbed a change of clothes for Theo and then headed to the bath in the rear of the shop. Unsurprisingly, Theo followed close behind her all the while like a puppy.

Theo hated getting soap in his eyes, so he never wanted to wash his hair, and when Kenneth told him to do so he’d throw a massive fit. When it came to Rita, Theo would often be found getting harshly scolded with tears in his eyes. Latina, however, was able to get him to behave himself and let her wash him, and she handled the boy quite skillfully and made things quite a bit easier on his parents.

“Sis!”

“Theo, you took your clothes off all by yourself. Good job!” “Hehehe!”

Their conversation, which Kenneth could hear from the rear of the shop, made Latina and Theo sound even more affectionate than real siblings, and Kenneth broke out in a smile.

After the bath, Latina took Theo to the storefront of the Ocelot, where she spotted Rita hurriedly working away past the faces of the familiar customers.

“Rita, I’m home. Sorry for taking time off.”

“Welcome back, Latina. Don’t worry about it. I need to keep myself moving anyway.”

Rita wasn’t quite as graceful as Latina when it came to serving customers. That could be seen clearly from the way that she’d slap down mugs with a loud clunk. When it came to waiting on customers, that was the norm for bars like this, and nobody minded.

“Theo, can you be a good boy and have a seat?” “I’m a good boy!”

After Theo sat down with a self-satisfied look in his chair, Latina headed into the kitchen. After serving up the food Kenneth had prepared while they were in the bath, she once more headed back into the shop.

Seeing Latina take care of Theo, Sylvester broke out in a somewhat awkward smile, like he was concerned about something.

“You’re really good at taking care of the kid, little lady.” “Really?”

Not aware of the awkward look on Sylvester’s face, Latina simply smiled back. All the while, she nonchalantly lent Theo a hand as he ate.

“Yeah... Little lady, y’see...” Sylvester had trouble finding what to say. “Um, Mr. Syl...” Latina interrupted, now looking troubled.

“Please hold on. I need a bit longer... I still can’t just yet.” “R-Right...”

Despite the uncomfortable atmosphere, Latina gave a giggle and a smile. Sylvester had heard the details of the catastrophe that had unfolded in this shop the night prior. He hadn’t been there in person, but the main topic of discussion in the shop today was Dale’s dismay and unease, and the absence of a certain adorable waitress.

Having watched over the girl since she was little, Sylvester had long since realized that she had feelings for her guardian. When it came to Dale, Sylvester had no problem teasing him to his heart’s content, but he took great care when dealing with this young girl. He was afraid of stepping on a landmine and ending up being hated.

“I’ll probably be able to get things back to normal... so I just want a bit of time to get my thoughts back in order.”

“Little lady...” Sylvester gave a sigh and then changed gears. He purposefully switched over to a brighter expression and voice. “If you need help, then I’ll lend you a hand. Even an old guy like me has a few tricks up his sleeve.”

“Right. Thanks, Mr. Syl!” Latina’s smile as she responded seemed to display her earnest feelings, which relieved Sylvester.

Not long after finishing dinner, Latina brought Theo to his parents’ room and lulled him to sleep. Once she confirmed that he was peacefully slumbering, she quietly exited the room. She shut the door without making a sound so she wouldn’t wake him up.

She then turned around and happened to find Dale standing there, having returned from an outing. Immediately seeing that he didn’t have on his usual equipment for such excursions, Latina figured that he didn’t go out to the forest today.

She suddenly turned around. It was clear that she was even less mentally prepared than she thought. She wasn’t even able to look Dale in the eye. Her heartbeat felt deafeningly loud. Bringing both hands to her cheeks, she felt that they were getting hot. Right now, even her ears were probably red.

Forgetting to walk quietly, Latina ran up into their room in the attic.

In response, Dale thought, She... She won’t even look at my face...! This damn rebellious phase...!

Latina didn’t even realize that Dale had dropped his head, crestfallen and powerless, and let his emotions flow forth as tears.

†

Latina headed for the Backstreet Bakery early in the morning again the next day.

After the morning peak passed, there was time for a breather. “Huh? What’s wrong, Rudy?”

“I should be asking you that, Latina. What’re you doing at Marcel’s place?”

Latina gave a troubled smile in response to Rudolph’s words. Seeing her expression caused Rudolph to remember the catastrophe of that night, and he awkwardly averted his gaze. He then rather unnaturally stated his reason for being here.

“Y-You see, my superiors sent me here. They told me to go buy something for a snack.”

He had been ordered by his superiors in the guards on an errand to this shop in particular. It was already well known amongst the regulars of the Dancing Ocelot that their favorite adorable waitress was working as a temporary employee of a bakery. They didn’t head there themselves because they had an unspoken rule to not bother her.

Thanks to the fundamental hierarchy of the guards, it wasn’t possible to interrupt a superior when they were giving an order, nor could one ask for further clarification. That was the kind of work environment Rudolph had.

“I’m still not used to working here, so it’ll take a bit. You’ll need a lot of sandwiches, too.”

“That’s true,” Rudolph responded while Latina started preparing the bread. She pulled out a number of pieces of bread and then slid a knife into one from the side. She skillfully smeared on some butter mixed with mustard, showing off the results of all her experience with food since she was young.

“Are there any ingredients I should avoid?”

“You don’t have to worry about every little thing like that. It’s fine.” “I see.”

After laying down a heaping helping of colorful vegetables, she layered slices of smoked meat on top. In the blink of an eye, she’d completed a delicious-looking sandwich. Seeing that it was a big order, Marcel’s mother had come out to help and started wrapping up the completed sandwich in thin paper. When Latina saw that Marcel’s mother was taking care of it, she returned to making the sandwiches once again.

In a short time, the order was done. Looking at the mountain of completed sandwiches, Latina couldn’t help but tilt her head.

“Rudy... are you going to carry these all back by yourself?” “Ugh...”

“Do you need a hand?”

“I-I can handle this much. And you’re helping man the store right now, so you can’t just leave your post so easily.”

“That’s true. Take care, Rudy.”

Latina opened the door for Rudolph and saw him off, as he had both hands full carrying the masses of bagged sandwiches. She watched in concern for a while as he headed off towards the guard station, but since she couldn’t do anything more to help, she headed back into the shop.

Rudolph, who had been offered help from Latina but refused her, ended up finding his afternoon training unusually rigorous. Thanks to the special treat of handmade sandwiches from their favorite adorable waitress, the old men in the guards’ upper ranks got huge boosts of energy. If Latina had helped Rudolph carry the sandwiches to the guard station, they would have had a chance to show off outside of their usual drunken state, so Rudolph’s afternoon training ended up being especially harsh.

One way or another, though, things would have ended up bad for him. After finishing up her work at the Backstreet Bakery, Latina visited

Chloe’s house. On the night of the festival, she had worn a new dress that her friend had made, and she’d left the clothes she’d been wearing at Chloe’s house. She’d borrowed makeup tools and the like, too. Even though Latina knew she needed to take them back, she was a little reluctant to do so.

As if to support that premonition, when Chloe greeted Latina and heard about what had happened after they parted ways, the girl let out a large sigh and drooped her shoulders. And then, a chop descended upon Latina’s head.

“Ow!”

“You’re so smart, but you really can be dense in some strange ways, Latina.”

“B-But...!” “No ‘buts’!”

Chloe let loose another chop. She wasn’t moved at all by the way her friend’s grey eyes watered up in response to the blow.

“Why did you have to say it that way?” Chloe was so astonished because Latina had told her how she’d worded the confession that had led her “guardian” to say she had entered her rebellious phase. What she ended up saying had lacked too many key words to get her point across.

“But...” Latina looked down sadly in response. Even so, she didn’t hold her tongue. Through the pitter-patter of her teardrops, Latina told Chloe everything that had happened.

“I always tell him that I love him... So I thought I should try to phrase it differently...”

That was why she’d told Dale that she didn’t think of him as a replacement for her father. To her, he was a precious man she loved. She had been trying to tell him that it wasn’t the sort of affection one had for a father.

“I never thought he’d question if I even cared for him at all...!”

Dale had reacted like his child had rejected his very existence. Latina had thought that her telling him how much she loved him constantly was obvious evidence to the contrary, but Dale had ended up questioning that. His reaction had been just too great of a shock and had left Latina at a loss for words, awash in pure confusion.

“I should have told him he was misunderstanding and that I loved him...

But my mind went blank, and I had no idea what to say...”

Depressed, she looked down at the floor the same way she often did when she felt like this.

“So... why have you been sulking ever since?” “Wah...”

In response to Chloe’s unrelenting questioning, Latina slowly looked back up, her eyes filled with tears.

“Even I don’t understand myself right now...” “Huh?”

“I decided to confess my feelings... I wanted to have a different sort of relationship with Dale... That should’ve been how I really felt, but...!” She was holding her voice in check, and it certainly wasn’t loud, but it felt like Latina was screaming out the feelings in her heart to her friend. “When Dale didn’t recognize that I’d confessed to him, I felt really relieved...!”

“Latina...?”

“I was relieved... that things could stay the same... I wanted to do what you told me, but... I realized that even more than that, I wanted things with Dale to stay the same way that they had been...”

To Latina, being held in Dale’s arms made her feel more relieved than anything else in the world.

She’d felt that way ever since he’d saved her and hugged her tight when she had given up on everything, even her very life. When she was lonely and when things were painful, the warmth of his arms helped support her. When she felt like her heart would break and when her tears wouldn’t stop flowing, he’d tell her everything was okay in a gentle voice and hold her tight.

And Dale would likely continue to protect her with great care. He’d hug her with those arms and gently stroke her head with the warm palm of his hand. As long as she remained his “cute daughter.”

Even if Dale fell in love, got married, and started a family, he wouldn’t abandon her. She knew better than anyone that he was deeply kind and caring.

But if she wasn’t his “cute daughter” anymore...

Dale had never seen her as a member of the opposite sex to begin with. After all, he still saw her as a young, tiny girl. On top of that, she may not have even been someone Dale saw as a potential target for romantic affection.

Unlike his “work acquaintance” she had once met, she wasn’t mature or composed, nor did she have the sort of physique that fascinated men. She had wanted to become the sort of woman Dale could love, and she’d tried her hardest to do so, but to be honest, she didn’t really know what sort of woman she should become to start with.

At the very least, she’d be better off if she were at least a human, like he was. Just by being the same race as him, the other women around him must have seemed far more wonderful than she was. Latina couldn’t help but tally up all the things she lacked.

Confessing to Dale may do nothing but trouble him. And... if their relationship became more awkward as a result...

She’d lose the one place she could be at ease... The one place she could return to.

To Latina, that thought was absolutely terrifying.

It was true that Dale not realizing she had confessed was so embarrassing that it left her feeling depressed and not wanting to see his face. But at the same time, she also couldn’t deny that she felt truly relieved.

“And so... I wanted a little more time. To distance myself from Dale a bit until I could say I was sorry, and that everything could go back to the way it was, and until I could smile again...”

Latina honestly felt that now that her feelings and her desire to change their relationship hadn’t gotten across, she wanted to bury them deep in her heart and let things stay the same.

The feelings Sylvia had pointed out were the result of all sorts of contradicting emotions tangling together. Latina was no longer able to do anything about the unrest and disturbance in her own heart.

“I just want... a little more time...”

She at least wanted enough time to get her heart in order and figure out just what she wanted to do.

†

Five days had passed since Latina started going to the Backstreet Bakery. It could also be said that it had been five days of Dale barely being able to talk to Latina.

During that time, Dale had considered going to look in on the Backstreet Bakery several times, but he hadn’t actually done so. If he got caught, he felt like Latina might end up hating him for real. That thought frightened him more than the idea of facing any massive monster.

Latina’s very presence helped soothe Dale. Seeing her smile, hearing her voice, and spending time close enough to feel her warmth... Such happy moments gave him the energy he needed to get through the day. Having suddenly lost all that, he’d grown haggard. He hadn’t withered away physically, but he’d lost all of his vigor and looked like an invalid as he sat in a corner of the Dancing Ocelot and gathered dust.

“Latina... I’ve got a Latina deficiency...”

As his good friend would put it, this was Dale at his worst.

This was a truly deplorable fact, in a way, but when Dale was like this, his combat skills and judgment weren’t dulled in the least on the field of battle. It was precisely because he was able to cut himself off from his emotions and remain composed that he had come to be called first-rate at such a young age.

However, that was a story from the battlefield, so now, the young man burning out for all to see looked like nothing but a hopeless good-for-nothing. “Rita... How long does it take for a girl’s rebellious phase to pass...?”

“You wouldn’t exactly call something that only lasts a few days a ‘rebellious phase.’”

“Dying... I’m dying... Ugh... Just how much penance must fathers the world over endure...?”

“You’ll be fine. She told you she doesn’t think of you as her father, right?”

“Waaaaaaaaah!”

Not realizing the meaning behind Rita’s biting words, Dale let out that pathetic shout and then collapsed on the table. His reaction only made the irritation behind Rita’s smile grow as she continued dealing with paperwork. Surely there was a limit to how dense someone could be. Rita was well aware of just how much Latina had been hurt by this man’s thick-headedness. Seeing Latina bravely try to share her feelings, Rita, as a fellow woman, couldn’t help but feel irritated at Dale.

“Kenneth...” “What is it?”

“Is that thing alright?”

Looking over towards Dale, at whom Sylvester was pointing, Kenneth let out a big sigh. “Apparently, he intends to take a wait-and-see approach until Latina calms down.”

“The little lady, huh...” Sylvester wore a serious expression and folded his arms. “She’s a smart kid, so... I get the feeling she may end up admitting defeat...”

“Yeah...”

Dale wasn’t the only one who had watched Latina grow and come to feel affection for her. Sylvester was near the top of that list.

“I’m worried that the little lady’ll decide to act like nothing happened and go back to just trying to be a ‘good girl.’”

Kenneth had also watched over Latina, so he truly understood what Sylvester was saying. He’d also realized that ever since she was little, Latina had always been just too good of a kid. She was a clever child.

Not only was Latina naturally reasonable and a good listener, she also seemed to have always kept her situation in mind, even back when she was very young. Because of that, the adults around her worried that her actions were because she thought she needed to be a good girl.

That’s just the kind of girl Latina was.

Now that even such a clear display of affection hadn’t gotten through to Dale, Kenneth and Sylvester couldn’t help but feel that Latina would jam all of that back down inside and act like everything was back to normal. She was skilled and clever, so as painful as it was, she’d surely be able to pull it off.

“The little lady really is a good kid... so I at least want her to have a chance to clearly settle things.”

“Right...”

The two men wanted Latina to have a proper answer, even if it was rejection. She was still maturing; the experience would help her grow. If Latina kept on like this, hiding her feelings deep inside, it wouldn’t be good for her.

Nobody was concerned with the man slowly becoming a member of the living dead over in the corner. When it came to picking sides between a full- grown man or a girl entering puberty, the one who would get Kenneth’s and Sylvester’s support was a natural choice.

As they thought about the girl’s mental state, the two men folded their arms again and gave a sigh.

That night, Kenneth called out to Dale. The young adventurer couldn’t help but worry about Latina and when she would return, but he pathetically lacked the courage to directly deal with the matter. He made for a horribly pitiful sight.

“Dale... How long do you plan on staying like that?” Kenneth asked listlessly as he watched Dale listen attentively with a bitter expression on his face for the sound of footsteps on the stairs in the kitchen.

“Until... Latina’s rebellious phase... is over, I guess...?” “You mean it’s up to Latina?”

Dale looked deeply troubled by Kenneth’s question.

“I mean, I’ve only got a little brother... I really don’t know how to deal with a girl at a sensitive time like this...”

Seeing that his “little bro” seemed to be serious, Kenneth heaved a sigh. At this rate, it felt like things would turn out just as Sylvester had feared. There was no way that such a clever girl would fail to realize that Dale was in this state, and she’d hide her own feelings and smile, just like he wanted. That was the sort of girl she was. In that case, if Kenneth waited until Latina was mentally ready, it may be too late.

But even if Latina did have lingering feelings of hesitation, choosing to leave things as they were wasn’t inherently an unfortunate decision. If she did so, she’d end up swallowing down her painful feelings, but she’d be able to remain in that happiness, like a warm, sunny spot. And from then on, the two would be able to keep enjoying that calm, gentle contentment. That was one of the options open to her.

If that was the case, then what Kenneth was trying to do may have just been meddling, and it could lead to little but his own self-satisfaction. While thinking that, Kenneth poured an amber liquor into two glasses filled with ice, then placed them in front of his “little bro” and himself.

When Kenneth plunked the glass down in front of him, Dale stared back at him questioningly. “Kenneth?”

“Pretty much all of the customers have left, and my job is done for the day,” responded the other man, and he brought his glass to his lips and took a sip. “Dale, hurry up and figure it out already.”

“Figure what out...?”

“Latina told you she didn’t think of you as a ‘father.’ She didn’t say that because she’s hit puberty.”

“Kenneth... what are you...?”

“Latina may have considered you a guardian this entire time, but not a replacement for her father.”

Dale still looked befuddled even after Kenneth said all that, leaving Kenneth completely astounded with his “little bro’s” troublesome personality.

“Do you really not get it?”

“Like I said, what are you talking about?”

“For a long time now, Latina has seen you as a ‘man.’”

“...Huh?” Dale squeaked out in a strange voice, looking like even more of a blockhead. He stopped and thought on what Kenneth meant for a while, then broke out in an awkward smile. “Wh-What are you saying, Kenneth? That’s not poss—”

“How can you say it’s not possible?”

“I mean, Latina’s my cute little daughter... We’re not blood-related, but still...”

“Latina’s not as much of a child as you think. Devils may have long lifespans, but still, that girl’s almost an adult.”

“I know that. That’s why I’m always so worried—”

Seeing that Dale really hadn’t realized, Kenneth brought his glass to his mouth again and then interrupted. “You may say that, but you’ve been treating Latina like a kid all this time.”

Not allowing Dale time to deny it, Kenneth thrust the problem with Dale that he’d realized long ago right in his face. “That’s because you want Latina to stay a child.”

At first, Dale looked shocked, but the next instant he was awkwardly smiling again. “What are you saying...? Why would I...?”

“If you recognize Latina as an adult, then you’ll have to let her go... right?”

Dale froze in shock. Even if he knew that what Kenneth was saying was the truth, he was avoiding thinking about it and instinctively rejecting it. But even so, that didn’t mean that he’d realized his own problem just yet.

“You don’t want to lose the way things have been with Latina, right? Even from my point of view, I can clearly tell how much you’ve changed since she came. It’s no surprise that you feel that way.”

“Th-That’s right! What’s wrong with wanting to stay together with my cute little Latina...?!”

“When that girl becomes an adult... all sorts of guys will pop up wanting to marry her. Even if you were to count her being a devil against her, with her personality and looks, she’s absolutely a catch.”

“That’s true, too...! That’s why I’ve gotta keep an eye on her, to make sure no vermin get too close...!”

“What do you plan on doing if someone shows up that Latina wants to marry?”

Dale’s expression grew clearly strained in response; even so, he squeezed out words fitting of a “guardian” in a low voice. “I’d want to tear him to shreds, but... if he was who Latina wanted, I’d let her marry him.”

As long as she was happy. Her happiness was all he’d ever wanted. “That’s what I figured you’d say,” Kenneth said, looking like he’d expected that, and then continued on, “If you acknowledged that she’s an adult, you’d have to face that matter head-on. That’s the first reason you don’t want to accept it.”

“‘The first reason’...? You mean there are more...?” “Have you thought about why Rita’s so angry with you?” “There’s no way I could figure that out...”

“Latina has always confided in Rita. There are things that a girl like her can’t ask you or me.”

For example, the changes involved in growing up, and everything that came along with it. There were all sorts of questions that were hard to ask men and that they wouldn’t have even been able to answer, anyway. Rita was the closest grown woman to Latina, so that was who she turned to.

To Latina, Rita was a different sort of confidant than Kenneth. Rita had been right there at Latina’s side as she’d grown up. She’d realized that ever since Latina was little, the young girl had had feelings for her own guardian. Rita had seen the young girl’s innocent and pure affection, as well as her painful, heartrending feelings. Rita had been by her side the whole time, watching as she’d matured.

“Rita says that what she finds the most unforgivable is how dense you are when it comes to Latina’s feelings.”

“Like I said... there’s a chance that you and Rita could just be imagining things...”

“It took me a while to figure it out too, but I’m certain that Latina has felt that way about you for some time now.”

“Wha...?!”

“I figured it out for sure around when the two of you returned from your trip. According to Rita, she’d already been that way for a while.”

Dale was clearly shaken and astonished; it seemed he truly hadn’t realized how Latina felt.

Kenneth may not have been Rita, but he couldn’t help but call Dale dense. All of the regulars in the shop were also aware of who Latina had feelings for. She tended to wear her heart on her sleeve—in more ways than one. It was far less of a secret than she herself imagined.

“Latina hasn’t been hiding her feelings for you. In her expressions, and her voice, and each and every action... Everything that girl points your way makes it perfectly clear how she feels. And yet you don’t realize it, which is what makes Rita angry.”

“Even if you say that, I...”

“You didn’t ‘realize’ for the same reason I mentioned before. You refuse to think of Latina as anything but a little kid. That’s how you’ve been looking at her.”

Dale saw Latina as his “adorable daughter.” Even as she was becoming an adult, he still saw her through a “cute little Latina filter.” Latina’s affections were clear to everyone else around her, but they were blocked by that filter and never entered Dale’s field of view. Out of the people who knew how Latina felt, Rita wasn’t the only one who wanted to tell him off.

The people around her had seen Latina’s pained expressions as Dale failed to realize her feelings, which she then buried inside and bravely forced a smile. It was only obvious that Rita would want to scream, “Why don’t you see it?!”

“Now that I’ve said all this, even you aren’t stupid enough to say that Latina’s just in a rebellious phase, right?”

“But... but... I...” Dale’s gaze darted about as he muttered, before finally wringing out something meaningful to say. “But to me, she’s my ‘cute little Latina’... I just can’t think of her that way, so...”

That was certainly a fair enough reason. Latina was a young girl who was still growing. But Kenneth kept going, not willing to accept that as a complete answer.

“It’ll be difficult to say that in a few more years, right? Do you think you’ll still be able to say that then?”

“That’s... I won’t know until that time comes.”

Kenneth refused to let Dale run away, because his “little bro” still hadn’t yet realized the biggest problem with himself.

“Why are you so desperate to avoid accepting Latina’s feelings?” “L-Like I said... Latina’s still...”

“If either you or Latina marry someone, then you two won’t be able to keep living the way you are now. But if you marry Latina, you can keep on going like you have been, right?”

Having watched them from so close, Kenneth didn’t see any space for someone else to enter Dale’s and Latina’s lives. They were dear to each other, supporting each other mentally and sharing in their happiness. Not only that, Dale was also relying on Latina far more than he likely realized in his day-to-day life. Kenneth had watched the young girl gallantly struggle to help out, taking care of all the housework as well as figuring out Dale’s tastes and preparing meals accordingly.

Compatibility between two people is something that can only be seen after they get together. It was no surprise that Dale argued this and that right now. But when it came to looking for a spouse, it would be hard to find someone as great as Latina. Other women would likely hate to even be compared. If Dale let her go, he would need to hunt for someone who may not even exist.

Kenneth knew above all else that his “little bro” wanted to be with the girl. Even if Dale didn’t realize that, his actions made it clear.

“I’m not saying you have to do it now. You could wait a few more years. So why aren’t you even willing to consider the possibility?”

If Dale wanted their current lifestyle and the happiness they shared to continue, that option was open to him. Even Kenneth didn’t think they should form that sort of relationship immediately, but he did think it was at least important to consider the possibility.

“Anyway... that’s your problem. I’ve more or less guessed at why you haven’t tried to get yourself a girl, and I think that Latina has long since been prepared for what you’re thinking.”

Kenneth thought of Dale as a serious and kind person, and he had watched over him since he was a boy, so he was more or less aware of how Dale really was, too. Dale may have liked having stupid conversations with his fellow men, but it wasn’t as if he was unpopular with the ladies. There were even times when there were hints of him growing closer to a woman. It would honestly be stranger if a healthy man doing such hot-blooded work didn’t have such desires. And yet, Dale hadn’t tried to form a special relationship—the kind of relationship that could come between him and Latina—even for an instant.

For an earnest, serious person like Dale, it was unnatural. But from what Kenneth could tell, it was precisely because Dale was so earnest that he chose to maintain that sort of a distance.

“It’s because... for a long time now, you’ve tried to prepare things so that everything would be alright no matter when you die...”

As Dale sat in silence, his face looked like that of a toddler forced to swallow something bitter.

“That’s why... when you decided to have Latina stay by your side, I was relieved. You’d gained a reason to cling to life: you wouldn’t want to die and leave her behind.”

“I...”

By their nature, those called adventurers lived side by side with danger, and many of them chose to simply live in the moment. They never knew what tomorrow may bring. It was never certain that they’d live to see another day, so they reveled in the joys of life when they were able, not worrying about what they left behind.

Dale was a little different, though. He was diligent and serious and so solemn that the “adults” who had grown close to him couldn’t help but find it worrying. They weren’t just concerned about Latina; Kenneth and Sylvester saw Dale as someone to worry about, too. They’d known Latina since she was young, but the same was also true of Dale.

Dale had only been able to find things to die for. He’d been that way ever since he took on the responsibility of being contracted by the nation of Laband to eliminate the threat of the demon lords. He knew that the demons who served under the demon lords and the devils who followed them had their own reasons for doing what they did. He was unable to ignore the fact that they had friends and family, too.

If he had to kill them, he wouldn’t regret doing it. They had their own reasons that they couldn’t yield, so he would accept that they tried to end his life, and he wouldn’t hate or hold a grudge. That didn’t mean he’d let himself be killed so easily, but he had accepted that he would be killed someday. And so, Dale—

“So from the very start, you’ve counted yourself out as a possible partner for Latina.”

Dale opened his mouth to deny Kenneth’s claim, but he was left at a loss for words.

“What you want is for Latina to be happy. And you think that since you’ll die first, you can’t give her that.”

That was the biggest problem with Dale. He was so earnest and kind that he didn’t form a special relationship with anyone because he didn’t know when he might die. If he passed away first, he would make the other person suffer, so he chose to keep his distance to begin with.

And that’s what he did with Latina, too. If someone showed up who could make her happy, and protect her after he died... If there was someone else he could entrust her to, then his role as a guardian would be over. Regardless, he didn’t want to let her go, to lose her. That’s why he wanted the two of them to keep being a guardian and his little child for just a little while longer.

“W-Wait... Hold on... I...!”

“Latina’s long since prepared herself.” “Wha...?!”

“She’s accepted that she’s a devil... It won’t just be you. Me, and Rita... and even Theo... We’ll all get old and die before her, and she’s prepared for that.”

Even so, she—

She said she was happy—

She said the time they spent together now was precious—

She was always, always smiling—

Kenneth was speechless as he watched Dale chug the contents of his glass down in a single go; it most certainly wasn’t a weak drink. As the glass clonked down onto the table, only ice remained inside.

“Dale... you...”

Dale had likely done it out of embarrassment. If asked, he would blame it on the alcohol, but the blush running over his face was likely due to all the facts he’d been forced to confront.

After watching his “little bro” stand up so fast that he almost knocked his chair over and then practically fled to his room, Kenneth stared into the glass in his hand.

Seeing that it was almost empty, he figured maybe he had also drunk too much, and while swaying the glass, he quietly muttered, “So he finally realized it, huh?”

With this, things would change at least a little, right?

Those two were close to start with. It surely wouldn’t be a bad thing for Dale to understand how Latina felt and face his own true feelings in turn. Dale’s unconscious actions made his feelings all too obvious, so Kenneth couldn’t help but want to speak up, even if he knew he was being meddlesome.

I think you could stand to live for your own sake at least a little more...

With that thought, Kenneth gulped down the remaining contents of his glass.

Then, the next morning...

When he went downstairs to start his morning preparations like he always did, Kenneth was left dumbfounded. Someone was sneaking around the kitchen suspiciously, as if they were plotting to skip town.

“What are you doing...?” “K-Kenneth?! Why are you...?!”

Dale was clad in traveling clothes, and as he turned around in surprise, he looked just like a brat caught plotting a prank. From his reaction, it seemed clear that he really was planning on running away. Latina was on break, so Kenneth needed to wake up and get started earlier than usual to compensate for that; as a result, he also ended up coming downstairs earlier than usual.

Apparently, Dale had been aiming to leave while Kenneth was still asleep and without saying anything to anyone.

“I-It’s for work, you see! I should be getting a request any minute! I just figured I’d head out first myself this time!” As Dale hurriedly spat out his excuse, he looked exceptionally desperate.

“No, you see, you...” Kenneth, utterly stunned, started to warn the other man against doing something so foolish. However, Dale looked at him, almost in tears, as if begging him to not say anything more.

Kenneth suddenly realized something. His “little bro” should have built up a fair amount of life experience, but he’d avoided being in a relationship. In other words, he was lacking in that field. He was more naïve than Kenneth had thought.

“I-I made sure to leave Latina a note! Take care of the rest, alright?!” Dale shouted, then opened the door and sprinted out full-force. He was moving so quickly that it was hard to imagine he was the same man who had been turning into the living dead just the other day.

Dale had run away. Taken flight. In a way, he’d done the same thing Latina had. The two really were strangely similar. After fleeing, Dale also planned to throw himself into his work, just as she’d done.

But it’d be bad for you to do that, right...?

By the time Kenneth had that thought, the person it was meant for was already nowhere to be seen.

Share