Published at 18th of January 2020 8:38 pm

Volume 4, Chapter 2: The Platinum-haired Maiden and Her Red-headed Childhood Friend’s Love

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Before long, Kenneth’s back grew damp with an unpleasant sweat.

He should have run full-sprint and caught Dale. He’d made such a poor choice at such a crucial moment; his skills must have declined more than he’d thought in the long period of time since he’d been an active adventurer. Perhaps he needed to retrain himself.

As Kenneth thought such things, Latina stood before him.

“Why...? He’s... never left so suddenly before... I didn’t even get... to say ‘Take Care’...” Latina muttered in a daze, her face ghastly pale and her eyes full of tears as she looked up at Kenneth.

Latina had woken up, come downstairs, and found Dale’s letter on the kitchen table, and her expression had quickly turned to one of shock. After sitting the trembling girl down in a chair, Kenneth figured it would be best not to push breakfast on her, so he just left a hot cup of tea in front of her instead.

“Dale has his reasons. He was called out suddenly... right? He asked me to keep an eye on you,” said Kenneth, taking care not to make things worse and figuring that Dale had likely already mentioned in his letter that he had headed to the capital for work.

“Why didn’t he tell me himself...?”

There was no way Dale could have told her the real reason. If he had told Latina that it was because he had found out how she felt, it would have just complicated things unnecessarily.

Kenneth couldn’t think of anything proper to say and started to sweat even more.

“Is it because I distanced myself from Dale? Because I was selfish? Because I wasn’t able to be a ‘good girl’...?” Latina asked with a quivering voice. She was blaming herself. It was painful to watch.

Kenneth knew that no matter how much he denied that, his words wouldn’t reach her. Ever since Latina was little, Kenneth knew full well that his words weren’t enough to truly move her. For the time being, he couldn’t help but mentally curse Dale for having chosen the worst possible action to take. There just simply weren’t any words to cover things up in this situation. “I’m going... to Marcel’s place. I promised to help out through today...”

Latina was so pale that she looked like she was going to collapse, but she silently stood up. After Kenneth saw Latina off as she staggered on her way, he held his head in his hands and wondered just how he’d tell his wife what Dale had done.

Even though Latina was clearly out of sorts, she didn’t let that affect her work. She served the customers of the Backstreet Bakery as she wore the same smile as always. Even so, having known her for so long, Marcel immediately realized that Latina was in a bad state.

When her hands stopped moving for a second, she’d breathe a sigh. Then with blurry eyes, she’d grit her teeth and put her feelings behind her.

Lately, she had grown skilled at hiding her feelings of sadness and loneliness when Dale was away, but it was rare to see her feeling this down. Just as Marcel was at a loss and wondering what to do, his childhood friend who was now a regular (likely only for a limited time) came into the shop.

“What’s wrong, Latina?”

Rudolph had also realized with a single glance that Latina was out of sorts.

“I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong... Do you just want the usual?” “Of course you’re not alright. Your face is totally pale.”

“It’s nothing!” Latina was taken aback at the way that she’d suddenly raised her voice. She tried to gloss over it and smiled, switching back to a gentle tone. “Sorry, Rudy... It really is nothing. I’m alright.”

However, that was awkward and painful for Rudy, who had been her friend for years, to watch.

Ah, she’s holding down the fort again, huh? thought Rudolph, guessing at what was behind her current mood. She normally enjoyed each and every day with everything she had, but now she was shutting herself off from those around her.

Ever since they were kids, it was readily apparent what was going on when she became like that. Even if Chloe half-dragged her outside by force, Latina’s mind seemed to be somewhere else, and she’d just stare straight at

the ground. Unable to stand it any longer, Rudy would end up messing with her more than usual, which made such times good memories for him now.

He got the feeling that he’d be accused of teasing her when nothing was going on, too, but he figured there was no helping that. After all, when Rudy made Latina’s big grey eyes tear up just a little, she’d look at him. She was plenty cute when she puffed up her reddened cheeks a bit and complained at him, too. He wanted her to look at him and not their other friends, even if it was only at times like that. Ever since they were young, he’d had a genuine desire to keep her all to himself.

Even now, as Latina was swiftly assembling sandwiches, Rudy couldn’t help but wonder what sort of face she’d make if he suddenly pinched her cheek. To start with, she’d definitely be angry. But if it caused her to forget her current depression for even a moment, then maybe it would be worth it. While thinking such things, Rudolph waited silently for the sandwiches he ordered to be completed.

That evening, Latina had just finished her work at the Backstreet Bakery and said her thanks for everything Marcel’s family had done for her during the short time she’d spent there.

“Rudy?” she asked in surprise after she stepped out. Her childhood friend was waiting outside, wearing casual clothes instead of his guard uniform.

“Hmm?”

“What is it? If you need Marcel, he’s inside.” “I was waiting for you, Latina.”

“Me?”

“I’ll walk you home.”

“Huh?” Latina tilted her head. “Why? I know the way back.”

“I’m not worried about you getting lost.” Rudolph looked astounded, but if he’d lose heart over this much, he would never have been able to be childhood friends with the natural airhead. If he wasn’t willing to be pushy, he’d never get anywhere. “Your face really is pale. It’d be a big problem if you collapsed on the way there. There are still a lot of outsiders hanging around from the night festival.”

When Rudolph had gone to the guard station to deliver the sandwiches he’d been sent to purchase, some idle chatter with his superiors led to them finding out about how Latina was faring. Rudolph knew very, veeeeeery well that his superiors were amongst the regulars who doted on Latina at the

Ocelot. Furthermore, as a result of them hearing that her guardian’s absence was the cause of her mood, Rudy had somehow ended up getting dispatched to make sure no insolent men were able to take advantage of Latina while she was out of sorts. He had no reason to refuse, and he couldn’t anyway since it was an order, so Rudolph had headed towards the Backstreet Bakery once more.

“Do I really look that bad?”

“Normally, you’ve got a much more easy-going look on your face.” “Easy...?”

“You’re always spacing out with a grin on your face, right?”

“Rudy, I thought you’d grown up a bit, but you’re still such a meanie...” Latina puffed up her cheeks, and thanks to her roused emotions, she seemed to regain a bit of her vigor. Not letting his relief show on his face, Rudolph kept on running his mouth.

“It’s only natural that I’d feel like hiding what I’m really like around you, Latina.”

Even Rudolph was careful when dealing with his superiors. If he talked casually with them and said something careless, he’d suffer a terrible fate. He’d face hazing under the name of “guidance.”

His training was so hellish that he nearly died several times, but the guards’ headquarters was close to the temple of Niili, and there were guardsmen who could handle healing magic, too. There was a proper system in place to drag him back up out of hell. He was thrust down to the depths countless times, only to be forcefully brought back to life. That training that made one wonder if they were literally in hell created guards with tough bodies and, more importantly, minds.

“Is your guard work tough?”

“I only just became a proper guardsman, so I have my hands full just remembering everything. My training’s been intense since back when I was in the reserve corps, so... I guess I’m used to it.”

“You’re really working hard, Rudy.” “You are, too,” Rudy said.

“I am?” Latina asked, looking confused. “Yeah.”

Latina’s expression softened a little. It made her happy when somebody recognized and praised her effort, no matter who.

“Thank you, Rudy,” Latina said with a bit of a smile, not realizing that Rudolph was repeatedly reaching out to hold her hand, only to give up, pull back, and then repeat the process.

And that’s how the pair headed back towards the Dancing Ocelot, where they found Vint, who hadn’t been seen for a while, waiting in front of the entrance. He had been dozing away, but when he sensed Latina’s presence, he headed over, his tail wagging all the while. When he saw Rudolph, however, he stopped in his tracks.

Latina tilted her head at Vint’s reaction. Meanwhile, Rudolph was on guard thanks to the strange air of intimidation the beast before his eyes was giving off.

After thinking for a while on whether or not to attack, Vint decided to ignore the unfamiliar man-person. He passed right by Rudolph and started rubbing his head up against Latina.

Vint had been told that if any unfamiliar man-people approached Latina, he could attack them. But seeing how Latina was having a friendly discussion with him, Vint realized that if he were to defeat this male, Latina would chew him out. On top of that, for some reason, Vint sensed Latina’s scent on the man.

Since he was having trouble making a decision, Vint decided to just leave him be.

“Latina... what’s that...?” Rudolph said, asking the obvious question about the blatantly suspicious creature in front of him.

“Huh? Vint’s... a dog?”

“Why did you say that like a question?”

“Um... He’s a bit of a different sort of dog? That’s why,” Latina hurriedly replied while straightening out Vint’s clothing.

After saying goodbye to Rudolph and thanking him for escorting her back, Latina and Vint headed for the attic. While giving him a week’s worth of brushing, Latina asked Vint about his absence.

“Where did you go? You suddenly disappeared, so I was worried.” “Went to Daddy’s place.”

“Daddy?”

“Mommy bit Daddy, and Daddy yielded. Mommy’s the strongest.” “...?”

The language and culture of mythical beasts had developed separately from the rest of the world, so even Latina had trouble understanding it, despite having been able to learn the most common language used by humans, that of the western continent, in a week. The expressions and words used were entirely unrelated.

Latina tilted her head now and again, but she managed to grasp that Vint had gone back home to visit, apparently. Without the leader of the soaring wolves knowing it, his own son had leaked the details of his domestic dispute.

Latina hugged Vint tight and sank her face into his now-soft and fluffy fur.

“Latina?”

“Sorry, Vint... Can we stay like this, just for a bit?”

Vint wagged his tail, and feeling relieved to see him not seem to mind at all, Latina brought her cheek up to the wolf cub’s fur again and felt his warmth.

“Why... can’t I do it right...?” Latina muttered with a sigh, the sadness in her voice readily apparent. She’d tried her best to hold it back all day, but the moment she uttered those words of weakness, her vision grew blurry. Starting to sniffle, she closed her eyes tight.

When she was little, all of the adults around her seemed to really have their acts together. She thought they could do anything with ease. She wanted to hurry up and become an adult so she could be one of them. She’d grown taller and was Theo’s “big sis” now, so she thought that she was closer to being an adult than she used to be. But apparently, she was still just a little kid. She couldn’t even hold down the fort without ending up in tears; she hadn’t grown at all. Of course she’d be treated like a child.

If she became a proper adult, she’d surely be able to do things right, too. “Will I... ever become a true grown-up...?”

“Woof,” her friend said in a quiet, gentle voice to comfort her. Unable to stand it any longer, Latina ended up wiping away her flowing tears with her palms, and then collapsed in a heap.

Seeing how red Latina’s eyes were as she returned to the first floor from her room, Rita furrowed her eyebrows in anger.

“What am I going to do about that damn idiot?” Rita muttered in a dangerous tone.

“He was so stupid this time that he even left me speechless, but... I think he’s got a lot on his mind right now, too, so... I think you should take that into consideration, at least a little,” Kenneth said, trying to defend Dale.

“Listen, Kenneth, you’re always soft on that idiot, but I’m only Latina’s ally,” Rita said to her husband. She lifted a single eyebrow. “I need put him in his place enough for Latina. She can’t bring herself to complain.”

“For Sis?” Theo butted in.

“That’s right. You think so too, Theo, right?” Rita asked, seeking agreement from her child.

“Right!” Only understanding that this was about his beloved “sister,” Theodore parroted his mother.

Kenneth looked troubled because he knew that Rita was one of the few people who would squabble with his “little bro” without holding back, and also because he couldn’t think of any further words to cover for Dale.

“Rita? Kenneth? What’s wrong?” Latina asked, tilting her head at the harsh look on Rita’s face. Aside from her bloodshot eyes, Latina didn’t look all that different from usual.

Rita responded with a smile, shaking her hands back and forth. “It’s nothing. Vint sure has gotten fluffy, hasn’t he?”

Latina seemed perplexed by her response as well. She then looked at Kenneth and nonchalantly asked, “Kenneth, do you need help with work tonight?”

“You can just come back to work tomorrow morning. You were working in an unfamiliar environment, so you’re probably more tired than you think. Just get some proper rest.”

Latina looked a little down in response.

Kenneth gave a sigh and then continued addressing his apprentice. “Don’t act so recklessly as to throw yourself so hard at your work that you don’t have time to think about anything else, Latina.”

“Sorry...”

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for.” “But... um... I...”

Latina tried to continue, but Kenneth put his hand, which was larger than Dale’s, on top of her head and patted it like he’d done ever since she was little. He’d always patted her head harder than Dale had.

“Rita will just man the floor up through tonight, too. In exchange, could you dote on Theo plenty? We can’t do that as well as you, after all.”

“Sis?” Theo asked, sounding happy because he more or less understood what his father was saying. He pitter-pattered over to Latina, then looked up at her expectantly.

“Kenneth...”

“It’s a huge help having you here, Latina.”

With Kenneth’s words, the tears that had supposedly stopped blurred Latina’s vision once more.

Right now, she was losing all confidence in herself and her actions, so she wanted a reason to be positive about herself more than anything else. She wanted a reason for it to be alright to be here.

With a tearful voice, Latina muttered the word she needed to say rather than “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you...”

The clash between Rita and Dale may have had its basis in this part of Latina’s nature, Kenneth thought.

For Latina, Dale’s very presence brought her mental stability. When he was by her side, her worries and concerns would be wiped away with his doting. It was when Dale wasn’t around that Latina would become insecure and depressed, looking like a whole different person than her usual cheery self. No matter how much this state was described to those familiar with her, it was hard to imagine without actually seeing her like that. There was just that big of a gap compared to her usual self.

If Dale had seen her like this, he surely wouldn’t have gone and let his emotions drive him to flee. Though he treated her like a child, he had also always doted on the girl who had been mature beyond her years ever since she was young, so he was unconsciously soft on her.

“Sis!”

Vint circled around jealously as he watched Latina hug Theo tight. Watching on, Kenneth thought on just what he could do.

When Latina returned to work in the Dancing Ocelot the next morning, she seemed to have recovered quite a bit, at least on the surface. However, while Latina would bear her loneliness by herself in the attic when Dale was gone, she’d taken Vint with her to her room the night before. Even so, Kenneth and the others didn’t say anything. If the warmth of another helped to heal her at least a little, then that was what she should do.

Even though Latina was depressed, Vint was in high spirits thanks to the girl paying more attention to him than usual.

Seeing Latina dart about the shop in a hurry once more, the expressions on the faces of the regulars visiting for breakfast grew twenty percent brighter. Kenneth figured from the looks of it that tonight would be far busier than it had been this past week, and he decided to stock up more than usual.

Even if she hadn’t planned it, Latina ended up so busy that she didn’t have time to think about anything else, just like she’d wanted.

It was only inevitable, but things were busier at lunchtime, too. Rita was pregnant, but Kenneth no longer needed to try to handle all the work on his own. He had Latina to help with things like buying goods and equipment and cleaning the linens.

Dale wasn’t the only one who’d had to endure Latina’s absence. Even if the workload was something Kenneth originally handled alongside his wife, he hadn’t imagined doing it alone would be that rough. He was made fully aware of just how much of a help his “apprentice” who worked in perfect sync with him had been.

Kenneth thought that Dale running away was stupid, but he also figured that his “little bro” needed time to cool his head. He’d just gone about it the wrong way. Right now, the culprit in question was probably on the move somewhere, holding his head in his hands over what he’d done.

Latina should be a little more selfish, too, and be willing to say that she’s lonely or doesn’t like something.

Latina was such a patient, good child that the adults around her ended up relying on her without even realizing it. When he’d had to toil away without any time for a break, Kenneth realized that he was guilty of that as well.

Just as Kenneth had predicted, that night the Dancing Ocelot started filling up with customers early, and by its usual peak hour it was beyond just packed, with customers willing to stand about and drink. Latina alone wasn’t enough to handle things, so Rita ended up manning the floor, too. Vint was also around, so fortunately he was able to take care of keeping an eye on Theo.

Latina listened to several orders flying in at once and immediately understood them all without even repeating them back. Since she remembered the customers’ faces rather than just their tables, she didn’t make any mistakes when carrying out their food. When she needed to take a second to do calculations for making change, she wore a pleasant smile on her face.

That was the sort of waitress that Latina was. Her presence had drawn this crowd here to begin with, but if she wasn’t around, they’d never be able to handle such a huge workload.

“Rita, you’re pregnant, so you shouldn’t push yourself. I can handle things on my own.”

“I’m not intending to, so I’ll be fine. And you shouldn’t be pushing yourself too hard either, Latina.”

“I’m fine.”

“If I think you’re pushing yourself too hard, I’ll use my authority as one of the owners to force you to take a break.”

“I’m fine! I won’t push myself!”

To a workaholic like Latina, a forced break would be entirely unwelcome. Latina shook her head from side to side in a fluster.

“I get the feeling she really will overwork herself,” Rita said, looking astounded as she watched the girl pitter-patter about hurriedly from customer to customer.

Around then, Latina sensed a new customer coming in and turned to greet him with a smile, only for her expression to return to normal.

“Welco—Rudy?” “H-Hey...”

Looking like he felt a bit awkward, Rudolph’s gaze darted around the inside of the shop. It was like he was overwhelmed by the crowd filling the store. The place was filled to the brim with intimidating, muscle-bound middle-aged men. Even someone like Rudolph, who was used to such sights from his time in the guards, got a small case of cold feet.

“What’s up?”

“The only reason to visit a bar is for the food or the alcohol, right?” Happening to hear his response, a number of the regulars who were also guards wore lukewarm expressions on their faces. It was common knowledge that he didn’t come here for either of those things. Latina, however, didn’t realize that.

“Is that so? Right now, we’re packed, so there aren’t any seats open...” Latina said, looking a bit troubled as she addressed her childhood friend.

“I don’t mind. He can join me,” one of the regulars shouted out. Latina looked fairly relieved, but a chill ran down Rudolph’s spine. “Captain,” Latina said in a tone like she was little girl again, smiling at the man. “You’re alright with sharing a table?”

“It’s not as if we aren’t acquainted. Come on, have a seat over here.” “Thank you.”

To Latina, even this man who led the group of ruffians known as the town guard of Kreuz was nothing more than one of the nice middle-aged men who had doted over her since she was little.

That wasn’t the case for Rudolph, though. As a member who was at the bottom of the organization and still learning the ropes, this man was high up in the clouds at the very top. And all the other members of his table stood in the upper ranks of the guards in terms of position and ability. Rudolph got the feeling that he wouldn’t be able to force anything down his throat at such a table.

To the middle-aged men, it was like they’d found an interesting toy. And with him by their side, their favorite adorable waitress would likely come by their table more often than usual.

That boy was that valuable, and he had ended up at the most terrifying table in the shop.

“What will you have, Rudy?” “Um...”

“Hey, Schmidt, you don’t need to hold back. Come on, drink up!” “R-Right!”

“You’re still just half a man, so start with this much.” “Right!”

Seeing her childhood friend gulp down the mug he was handed, Latina turned around and hurried into the kitchen. At this rate, he’d come crashing down before long. She grabbed a large glass and filled it to the brim with water.

The concepts of harassment from a superior or being forced to drink didn’t exist in this world. If a superior said it, then that may not be enough to turn white to black, but you’d have to think of it as a dark grey. Society was unreasonable like that.

It was improper to have children drink alcohol, but then the question became what constituted an “adult.” In Laband, one was generally said to have come of age when they turned eighteen. But there were also places like Dale’s home village of Tislow where one was treated like an adult at fifteen. As such, age couldn’t be used as the basis for whether or not one was an adult, and generally, such milestones were nothing but a yardstick for roughly deciding when someone could work, be independent, or get married.

In Kreuz, most children started learning a trade while working in a subordinate position after finishing primary school. After that period of apprenticeship, they started to be treated as proper adults.

If one was earning money by their own hand and living independently, it was only natural to say that they were capable of being responsible for themselves. And so there was no reason to find fault with Rudolph, who had become a proper member of the guards, and adventurers of the same age who took on requests drinking alcohol at the Dancing Ocelot.

Even so, Rudolph was still young, and there was no way he could handle the strong liquor recommended by the veteran men, so after chugging it down, he started hacking. As he coughed and choked with tears in his eyes, the middle-aged men who had once faced such an initiation themselves broke out in hearty laughter.

“Are you alright, Rudy?” Latina came running with the water, clearly flustered. While rubbing his back, she rapidly chanted off a simple detoxification spell. “You shouldn’t push yourself when drinking. It’s dangerous.”

She’d lived at the Ocelot since she was young, so she was accustomed to seeing rookie adventurers collapse from acute alcohol poisoning and drunkards pass out from overdrinking. Worried about such customers, Latina learned detoxification magic to heal such symptoms, but that led to a vicious circle, as it made the customers feel more comfortable drinking themselves dead-drunk. In this specific magic alone, Latina was likely more experienced than the priests from the clinic at the temple of Niili.

After having Rudolph drink his water, Latina furrowed her brows a bit and faced the regulars at the table.

“Captain, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Latina asked, trying to act intimidating, but there was no gravity or power behind it.

“Ooh, scary!” Unfortunately, her words only served to delight the middle- aged men.

And as a result, they established that by messing with her childhood friend, they could make the naturally kind, adorable little waitress come running out of concern. They brought their hands together in prayer to thank the gods for this revelation.

By the way, having lived surrounded by drunken middle-aged men since she was little, Latina understood that reasoning didn’t work on drunks, so she gave them some leeway. The men were also aware of this, and they knew they could get away with this much without her hating them, so they didn’t hold back.

As the sad result of all that, Rudolph was promptly crushed. It was bad enough that if Latina hadn’t been around to heal him, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to be immediately carried off to the Niili clinic.

But even after all that, Rudolph wasn’t discouraged at all, and he visited the Dancing Ocelot again the next day.

Many young adventurers saw Dale’s absence as the perfect chance to make a move and get close to their idol, Latina, so they were clearly hostile towards Rudolph, who was unusually friendly with her.

Even the easy-going Latina noticed the strained atmosphere and looked confused.

“Did you get in a fight or something?” “No, I didn’t.”

“Hmm... Well, if anything happens then tell me, alright?”

After having that conversation with Latina, Rudolph took a sip of his sweet cider. At other shops, drinking such a girly drink would get you laughed at and called a kid, but it was a popular item at the Dancing Ocelot. The reason why was incredibly simple: it was part of their favorite adorable waitress’s special menu. Regardless of taste, Latina was bad with alcohol in general, and apparently even sampling was beyond her. She’d been seen having just a sip, a half-filled small glass’s worth, and turning deep red.

“You get along with that lad pretty well, don’t ya, little lady?” Sylvester called out, having noticed Rudolph and Latina talking.

Not seeming to grasp the intent behind the question, Latina tilted her head a bit and approached his table, then nonchalantly responded, “You know him, right, Mr. Syl? He’s Rudy, and he used to come here a lot. He’s a town guard now.”

“Um, little lady...”

“He’s no longer in training, so he’s started coming to the Ocelot,” Latina declared earnestly, and Sylvester responded with an awkward smile.

Staring at Latina as she headed back to work, Sylvester gave a sigh. “You’ve got no room to talk about him either, little lady...” Sylvester

muttered into his glass, so quietly that no one else could hear. Whether it made them feel anxious or jealous, Rudolph’s feelings were clear to everyone around him, but Latina herself remained oblivious. There were those who sneered at Rudolph for that, but Latina was so blatantly clueless that Rudolph’s rivals in love couldn’t help but see themselves in his place and feel sympathy for him.

However, Rudolph wasn’t discouraged, and he continued his daily visits to the Ocelot. He was well aware of how dense his childhood friend was and challenged that fact head-on. That much wouldn’t cause him to lose heart.

He’d gone to see her every day as her old friend only for his feelings to be ignored. He had grown so used to it that he didn’t even realize how sad the whole thing was.

And in that way, he came to realize that ever since the “disaster of the night festival,” the relationship between Dale and Latina had become strangely strained and that Dale had left for work without settling things between them.

Rudolph knew that Latina was always looking at someone else. Though Latina looked like the youngest of all of them because of her small build and her clumsy speech, her friends all knew that in truth, she was mentally the most mature. They were aware of her feelings for her guardian—the feelings which could only be called “love” despite her young age.

Latina had never referred to Dale as her “parent” even once to her friends. She’d been sharp ever since she was young, so she understood that he was her guardian and was responsible for looking out for her. On top of that, she frequently joyously talked about Dale as someone precious to her.

That whole time, she was always chasing after him.

She couldn’t reduce the gap in their ages, but because she wanted to become an adult as soon as possible and be treated as one, she strived beyond her age at work and chores. She was a hard worker by nature, but more than that, she was pushing herself, wanting to be a woman who could always stand by his side.

Rudolph knew all that, and because he knew Dale was the one that Latina had feelings for, he was also striving his hardest to catch up to the other man. That large, far-off back of his couldn’t be easily reached, no matter how hard Rudolph ran or pushed himself. But even so, not wanting to give up on his feelings, he desperately struggled to improve himself and had grown stronger, and even though he was acknowledged and accepted by those around him, it still wasn’t enough, and he pushed himself further.

And so, Rudolph understood how Latina felt better than anyone. They had both spent so much time trying to catch up to Dale, and while their reasons may have been different, their feelings were similar.

After thinking on such matters, Rudolph gave a heavy sigh.

No matter how I look at it, I can’t help but think this is my only chance...

He arrived at the same conclusion no matter how often he thought it over, and he had to hold himself back from sighing again.

If I wait for Latina to get completely back to normal... I probably won’t have a chance to say it...

Dale had been absent for several days now, and at a glance, Latina seemed to be acting like her normal self. But to Rudolph, it still looked like she was pushing herself somehow. He had long since realized that he felt jealous that that guy could cause her to feel so depressed.

Rudolph looked down into his glass and lost himself further in his thoughts. Even though the hustle and bustle around him grew distant, his ears unconsciously picked up on Latina’s voice.

I can’t worry about taking advantage of her weakness...

He wasn’t in a position where he could act cool and say that he’d never do such a thing. He was fully aware that things weren’t so easy for him that he could say that. It was well known that on the field of battle, you needed to take advantage of any chance you got.

If I could just give up on her that easily without even saying anything, then... things wouldn’t have been like this for years now.

Hearing Latina desperately speak up during the night festival, her ears red as she forced the trembling in her voice to stop, had made him feel dizzy. He felt jealous of Dale having that voice and expression pointed towards him, and also despaired at the thought that things would end with his own feelings left unspoken.

Now that he’d been given a second chance, he couldn’t let it slip away so easily.

When Dale was standing watch, it was just too terrifying, and Rudolph didn’t think he could do it. If there was even the slightest chance, it had to be now, when Latina had her guard down.

While thinking rather pathetic thoughts, Rudolph’s determination showed on his face, only for Latina to suddenly pop up far closer than he’d expected. He was so shocked that he almost dropped his glass, but he instead hurriedly put it down on the table. It came down with a clatter that reflected the turbulent state of his heart.

“What’s wrong, Rudy? You look serious. Is something troubling you?”

Her adorable face was clouded with concern, and her big grey eyes stared straight at him without a hint of shyness. She hadn’t changed since they were little.

Oblivious to the sort of affections and desires members of the opposite sex pointed her way, she got every bit as close to Rudolph as she had when they were children. She had no idea how much she was stirring him up as she defenselessly smiled at him and sat close enough that he could touch her just by reaching out a bit.

“Rudy?”

As she called out to him again, he came back to his senses. As he let out a big gulp, he swallowed down his own nervousness as well without thinking.

Latina didn’t realize any of this and instead looked at the glass that Rudolph had loudly set down. She looked happy to see that it was almost empty.

“Rudy, you drink that a lot. How is it? Is it tasty? Or do you think something a little less sweet would be better?” Latina asked, leaning forward and pressing him a bit; she was concerned with his evaluation of the menu she had put together.

“No, I think this is good,” Rudolph responded, giving his assent. Hearing his response, she broke out in a carefree smile, like a blooming flower. In that instant, Rudolph earnestly thought, She’s so cute, and forgot all about the worries that had just been agonizing him. All that was left was obsessive determination to say those simple words he’d regret leaving unsaid.

“Latina.” “What is it?” “I love you.”

“Huh?” Latina blinked her big, wide eyes, not understanding the meaning of those simple words he’d so frankly stated.

“I’ve been coming to this shop to see you.” “...Wha?”

“I’ve always loved you. That’s all I wanted to say...” “Wha...?”

Unable to look Latina in the eyes as she made that strange sound in response, Rudolph ended things there and stood up from his seat. Without even looking back, he headed straight for the shop’s exit.

As the lukewarm night air cooled his flushed cheeks, the energy drained

from him. Even the massive, staggering sound—a sound like a table being flipped over—coming out of the shop that he’d just exited didn’t reach Rudolph over the thumping of his own heart.

“What is it? What happened?!”

Hearing that tremendous sound, Kenneth came flying out of the kitchen and found Latina had collapsed on the floor amongst scattered plates and glasses.

“What happened?!” Kenneth asked about the clearly abnormal situation, a serious expression on his face.

“Wah!” Latina, who had for some reason been absentmindedly hugging a tray, shot up with a start. She started looking over the scattered dinnerware again. “I-I dropped it... I-I’m sorry...!”

“You’re not hurt, are you?” Kenneth asked, softening his voice and expression when he saw that there didn’t seem to be anything seriously wrong. Far later than she should have, Latina realized that everything had broken.

“Wah... I’m sorry, the plate’s broken...! Ow!”

She had reflexively reached out for the shattered pieces only to suddenly pull her hand back. Apparently, she had cut herself.

“Are you alright?”

“It’s just a little cut... I have healing magic, so I’ll be fine...”

“Just stay still and hold on a moment. I’m going to go grab something to clean this up with.”

“Wah... I’m sorry...” Latina said in a pathetic voice, her shoulders sagging. Leaving her behind, Kenneth returned to the kitchen.

Though Latina had helped out in the Dancing Ocelot since she was little, she’d never made such a big mistake before. Kenneth grabbed a broom while tilting his head.

The regulars who had seen her slip-up were flustered, too, though for a different reason than Kenneth. After all, they’d seen their idol being confessed to.

It may not have been true for all of them, but for most of the customers, each and every adorable action of the shop’s signature waitress had become their favorite “dish” to pair with their drinks, so the shop’s regulars were always watching over Latina.

And then, the “confession” happened. Depending on how things played out, they may have needed to punish Rudolph, but before they could even start to threaten him, he had left the shop. And seeing how dismayed Latina was in the aftermath, they had bigger things to worry about.

There was no chance here to tease her or poke fun. This was the first huge incident since the founding of her fan club, so no one could even form a quip.

“Gwah!”

“Latina?!” Kenneth called out, flustered as he saw Latina slip on a small puddle on the floor and fall flat on her rear.

Nobody had ever seen Latina like this before.

After Rudy left, Latina’s mind was clearly somewhere else, so she kept slipping up.

For example: She forgot orders. She brought the same dish to a customer twice. She forgot what she’d just been doing and glanced around. She fell down numerous times.

“Waaaaah... I’m sorry, I’m sorry...!”

Each time, she’d bow repeatedly and apologize, her face red and her voice pathetic.

As the regulars all completely forgave her mistakes and clumsiness, feeling like they’d gotten to see something rare, this was truly a pitiable incident.

Latina remained like that into the next morning, too. She even screwed up the omelets she always made, with half of them turning into scrambled eggs, while she burned a number of the rest. Screwing up even tasks she should have long since mastered, like omelet-making, caused Latina to fall into a deeper and deeper state of confusion, making for a vicious cycle.

“Sis, the eggs are bitter.” “S-Sorry, Theo...”

“You’re hopeless, Sis.” While chewing away at breakfast, Theo spoke his opinion bluntly and with a lack of tact that was only allowed of young children like him.

“Woof!” It was an arrogant comment, but Vint agreed, causing Latina’s shoulders to droop even more pathetically.

After finishing off her morning work in such a way, Latina immediately headed to her friend’s house.

“Um... He did it now, of all times?”

Chloe had been surprised to find Latina knocking on her door earlier than usual, but after hearing what had happened the night before, that was the first question out of her mouth.

“‘Now’?!”

“Well, I guess that good-for-nothing did well for himself, having finally confessed... Still, to think that he’s only just getting around to it now...”

“Huh? What? You knew, Chloe?”

“It’s not just me. Aside from you, everyone else probably already realized it, Latina.”

“Whaaaaaaa?!” Latina shouted out in surprise, and with her cheeks beet- red, she tried to get a handle on the situation. “So... since the night festival, when we saw him for the first time in a while?”

Latina’s guess was far off the mark, and Chloe silently shook her head from side to side.

“No, you see, Rudy’s lovesickness has been getting worse and worse alllll this time.”

Seeing her friend tilt her head after being told all that, Chloe let out an audible sigh. “Rudy’s loved you since before we started going to school.”

“Huuuuuuuh?!”

Chloe had expected it, but Latina’s reaction made her expression grow even more awkward.

“Huh, but... Rudy was always so mean!” “Yeah, he sure was easy to understand.” “He was always teasing me.”

“Yeah, like I said, he was easy to figure out.” “What was ‘easy to figure out’?”

“Yup. That’s the problem, sure enough.”

Over their long years of knowing each other, Chloe had come to get a vague sense that Latina had no idea that someone could end up teasing a person because they liked them.

The natural airhead was completely removed from what was thought of as common sense. Chloe would occasionally forget it, but her friend was a member of a different race, was born in a different country, and had a whole different sense of values.

“Rudy always acted that way to hide his shyness.” “Huh...? Then... Rudy, he... always...?”

“Yup. The whole time.”

“I... didn’t realize at all...”

“Well, Rudy didn’t think we realized either, but we did.” “Chloe... before, you said ‘everyone’...”

“Right, ‘everyone.’ Not just Sylvia, but Marcel and Anthony... and other people probably realized, too.”

“Waaaah...”

Latina’s gaze darted about nervously. Her face was red, and she looked like she was about to break out in tears.

“I don’t know how I can even look everybody in the eye next time I see them...”

“Before that, you should think about what you’re going to do the next time you see Rudy.”

“Wah...! Right, Rudy’s been coming to the shop every day...! What should I do...?”

“He’d been coming to see you, right?”

“R-Right, that’s what he said... What should I do...?!”

Seeing her friend at such a loss and panicking from the depths of her heart shocked Chloe, and that proved that she still wasn’t immune to such situations.

At any rate, the people around Latina have clearly been overprotective. Looking half-astounded, Chloe gave another sigh.

Latina was a true beauty with a great personality, and Chloe would proudly brag about being her best friend anywhere and everywhere, but apparently no one had ever confessed their love to her up until now. Chloe could only figure that the people around Latina had been driving them all off.

There was a limit when it came to being overprotective. Chloe figured there were some folks who wanted Latina to retain the purity she’d had since she was little.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“What am I going to do? How am I going to look them in the face...?” “Not that, about Rudy. What are you going to do about him?” “Rudy said he just wanted me to hear that, but...”

“There’s no way that’s good enough. What response are you going to give him?”

“I really do have to give him a response, don’t I...” Looking like she was at a loss, Latina stared straight at the ground. “I’ve never even thought about it. I had no idea Rudy liked me.” “...I know.”

“Why me?”

“You should ask Rudy that, right?”

“I mean... I’m a devil, and we have different lifespans... and I wouldn’t be able to have children...”

“Latina... shouldn’t that normally be your problem and not his?” Latina’s gaze lifted just a bit so she could see her friend’s face.

“Are you alright with us humans? We don’t live as long as devils, and not all of us can use magic, either. We’re a weak race.”

“Chloe?”

“You think of yourself as being below everyone else way too much. You’re beautiful, which is a special privilege in and of itself. And the way that you’ll pretty much always stay young and pretty, don’t you think that’d be ideal from a man’s point of view?”

“Wha...?”

Of course, Chloe didn’t think her friend was capable of looking at things so philosophically, but she said it anyway because she thought that it wouldn’t be strange at all if her friend actually valued herself that highly.

“You think too little of yourself, Latina.” “But, I...”

“You’re my precious best friend. And I won’t forgive anyone who speaks badly of my best friend, even if that’s you, Latina.”

“Chloe...”

“Do you think I don’t have an eye for judging people?”

“No!” Latina said while swinging her head from side to side, flustered. Her expression brightened just a bit, and Chloe continued on.

“I don’t know happened to you back in your home village, Latina. I only know you as my precious best friend that I met after she came to Kreuz. But that’s enough for me to proudly declare how important you are to me.”

“Chloe...”

“So you can have some confidence in yourself. If you just keep speaking ill of yourself, then it’ll be like you’re putting down Rudy too, right?”

“Right... I got it. I’ll give it some proper thought.”

“Still, it’s a proven fact that he is an idiot, though,” Chloe said with a serious expression on her face as she denounced their childhood friend.

“Wah?!”

Latina was so surprised that she forgot all her concerns for a moment. While holding herself back from laughing at how Latina had acted just as expected, Chloe pointed a mischievous smile at her friend.

“Next time I meet Sylvia, we’re going to talk up a storm about this, so prepare yourself, alright?”

“Wah...”

Sensing that her red-faced, flustered best friend was starting to act more like her normal self, Chloe’s thoughts raced as to what she should say next. Her friend was overly serious, so it was good for the people around her to mess with her every now and again. Or at least, that’s what Chloe had claimed in their long years of knowing each other.

After returning from Chloe’s house, Latina discussed what had happened the night before with Kenneth. She didn’t hide anything, telling him of how her friend had confessed to her and how she’d been so shaken by it that she had become a wreck.

“So I was so surprised that I didn’t know what to do... and I made all kinds of mistakes. Sorry for letting personal matters affect my work.”

“Everybody has times like that. Just learn from it, and do a little better next time.”

“Right. I really am sorry. Also, Kenneth... I think Rudy will probably come today, too. Is it okay if I take a little time off of work then to talk to him?”

“Got it. Just give me a shout when the time comes,” Kenneth responded, holding himself back from sighing. He couldn’t imagine how the customers in the shop would react if the two had that discussion there. At the very least, he couldn’t let them get ahold of anything to stab at the wounds in the kid’s heart and traumatize him. After all, he was one of Latina’s precious childhood friends. That needed to be taken into account, at least to some degree.

So, it’s finally happened, huh?

That thought made Kenneth want to let off a chain of rapid-fire sighs. From Kenneth’s perspective, the reason a bunch of lovestruck men hadn’t swarmed Latina was because her “guardians” gave them glares and sharp looks; also, none of them would let any other fellow pursuer try to get ahead. Now that it had happened for the first time, the current equilibrium would surely collapse.

I was hoping Dale could make things clear before something like this happened...

What invigorated those who had fallen for Latina more than anything else was Dale’s absence.

Latina couldn’t stay a kid forever, so how much should he protect her from now on? How much should he leave things up to her? This was a difficult subject for her greatest supporter during Dale’s absence—her mentor, Kenneth.

Before long, the time finally came.

Sensing a new customer had entered, Latina reflexively turned around and called out, “Welco—”

Realizing it was the person she’d been waiting for, Latina gripped the tray she was holding tighter so she wouldn’t drop it this time. “...Rudy.”

“Hey...”

The memory of yesterday was still fresh, so it may have been only natural that the attention of everyone in the shop fell on the awkward pair.

Latina called out to Kenneth, and then brought Rudolph through the kitchen and out behind the shop. That was the backyard where Theo and Vint often played, and it had a lived-in feel that the storefront lacked.

As if trying to clear away the unpleasant silence, Latina awkwardly but clearly spoke up. “Um... Um, Rudy... About yesterday...”

“Right.”

“I was surprised. I had no idea.”

“I know. I was aware that you never saw me that way, Latina.”

Rudolph silently gazed at Latina as her breath caught in her throat. Then, he kept talking. “I also know that you’ve been looking at someone else all this time, so I didn’t think I’d get an answer from you... I just wanted to express my feelings. That’s what I was thinking.”

“Rudy...” Latina gulped, then looked down at the ground. In order to regain her composure, she took a deep breath. Chloe had told her how Rudy felt, but it was still a little rough hearing it from him in person.

Before long, Latina raised her face again. And then, with slightly upturned eyes and an embarrassed blush on her cheeks, she stated the words he had expected but least wanted to hear. “I’m sorry, Rudy...”

“...I see,” he forced out, his voice hoarse. He was only able to say it because he’d more or less already known what her response would be. “I’m sorry, but I love Dale.”

“I know...”

“Dale still treats me like a child and won’t see me that way at all, but I still can’t give up.”

“I know...”

“So... I’m sorry. I can’t accept your feelings. But...” Latina pointed a slightly awkward smile at Rudolph. It was different from her usual one, but still somehow enchanting. “Thank you, Rudy. Thank you... for loving me.” Her blushing face, her watering eyes, and her gentle, sweet voice... They were all things he’d wanted her to point towards him. That’s why Rudolph gained the courage to push himself a little further.

“I won’t give up, either,” he said, looking straight into Latina’s grey eyes. He realized that he was probably so red that he wouldn’t lose out to Latina, but even so, his voice didn’t falter in the least.

“Rudy...?”

“I know who you like, and that he still hasn’t accepted your feelings... So I intend to keep on waiting until you’re willing to give up on him.”

Latina didn’t say anything.

“I hope that you’ll remember me if that time comes.”

For an instant, the light from the shop reflected off of something hanging in front of Rudolph’s chest. There was no way Latina didn’t know what that was, as it had once been a part of her. She finally understood the reason that he had treated it so preciously.

As she drew close to him and reached a slim finger out to touch it, Rudolph froze. She grasped it and brought her lips close to it, as if to blow on it.

“Thank you, Rudy.” She imbued that former part of herself with her feelings of gratitude. “I’m sorry. But I also really, truly want to say thank you, too...”

For some reason, even when Latina let go, Rudy still felt like a little bit of warmth remained.

After watching Latina head back into the Dancing Ocelot, Rudolph leaned his back up against the wall and then slumped to the ground.

His voice caught in his throat.

Even though he’d known what Latina would say, it was of course still hard to hear. It was obviously still painful.

Regardless, he didn’t regret expressing his feelings. It was a good thing; he’d gone from someone she saw as just a childhood friend to someone she recognized as a member of the opposite sex. That’s what he told himself, at least.

He’d continued to act brave in front of Latina. He somehow managed to make it through.

He didn’t want to look pathetic in front of the girl he liked. He didn’t want to lose to that man whose back he was chasing after. But putting up a front and acting tough was the most that Rudolph could manage as he was now.

“Is everything good?” Kenneth asked as Latina returned to the kitchen. He sounded concerned.

“Yeah,” Latina responded with a nod, looking like she’d managed to clear her head.

She looked like her old self from before her relationship with Dale had gotten thrown out of order. Even the unclouded smile she wore as she briskly carried out her work was the same as it used to be.

Even when Latina changed into her pajamas and combed out her hair that night in the attic, her expression looked as though her sorrows had been cleared away.

“I’ve decided to tell Dale properly,” she said to Vint, who was lying by her side, her voice still remaining steady.

“Woof.”

She hadn’t noticed the feelings of the childhood friend who had been near her for so long. She realized she’d been quite egotistical in thinking she could express her feelings to Dale with such insufficient words. It was obvious that someone wouldn’t understand everything you were feeling just by being by your side.

As long as those were feelings that she couldn’t give up on easily, she would need to be willing to try as many times as it took. She hadn’t thought Dale would accept them immediately, anyway.

“I’m going to try again. And if that fails too, then I can just keep on trying.”

“Woof.”

“Before that, though, I need to apologize to Dale for causing all this trouble. Then, I’ll have to do things again properly.”

She hugged Vint tight, and the grim, pained expression on her face was already gone. Now, only pure determination remained in her eyes.

“I already knew that Dale saw me as a child, so I won’t get discouraged over something like this.”

“Woof.”

“So from tomorrow on, I’ll give it my all again.”

She reaffirmed that her feelings weren’t something she could give up on. She didn’t have any time to lose heart or grow timid. She was still far

from being her ideal woman. Even if she tried harder and harder, she’d still come up short. Even so, there was still someone out there who had told her he loved her. It hadn’t been enough to give her a big head, but she decided to have at least a little confidence in herself. All of her efforts hadn’t been in vain.

“I’ve got no intention of giving up. And if that’s the case, I’ve just got to give it my all!”

“Woof.”

Feeling the warmth from her friend cheering her on, Latina’s determination only grew more firm.

†

A few days later, a single letter was delivered from the capital to the Dancing Ocelot in Kreuz.

It was a concise message: Dale had fallen ill.

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