Published at 18th of January 2020 8:43 pm

Volume 4, Chapter 3: The Young Man’s Feelings for the Platinum-haired Maiden

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Healing magic didn’t work on illnesses. And the one that ruled over each and every illness was the Fourth Demon Lord. Everyone knew that; it was common sense.

It was thought that the mana of the Fourth Demon Lord brought about all illness; it was called a “magical element” and was said to possess a unique power other mana lacked.

Officially, it was called a “magical element malfunction,” and it threw off the flow of mana and life force. Because such treatments would operate using those things which had been thrown out of order, using magic to directly heal it was extremely difficult, and depending on the circumstances, that magical intervention could end up working against the patient.

The standard treatment was to suppress the symptoms with medicine, use stamina recovery magic if it was possible to do so, and wait for the effect of the magical element to fade and the normal flow of mana to return.

There were afflictions outside of magical element malfunctions, such as malnutrition and parasites, that could be treated with healing magic, but the difference was difficult to distinguish at a glance. It was said to be best to leave it to the judgment of the specialists in the temple of Niili.

Dale was sprawled out slovenly atop the bed that had been assigned to him. He rolled about and finally tossed the thick book he had been holding aside. “Ugh... I’m sick of this.”

By the third day, Dale had already grown tired of taking it easy and resting up.

“I want to move around... They’d find out if I used my sword, but I should be able to get away with some basic training...”

Whenever he stayed at the duke’s estate for work, Dale would read through books and the like to familiarize himself with the latest information that had been gathered using the family’s position as one of the leading authorities in the nation. It was part of his work so he wouldn’t be looked down upon by nobles for something so trivial as being uninformed. He had no intention of giving anyone an easy weakness to attack. In addition, Dale had also been educated by Master Cornelio, so he liked to continue his studies when he had the time. But now that he was able to do nothing but that, he’d grown bored of it.

“Alright, now then, I’ll just sneakily...”

“My servant said you’d be trying something like that soon,” said Gregor, sounding astounded as he opened the door and entered without asking.

Dale had long since recognized Gregor’s presence. That was why he faced his friend with a bitter expression and flailed about unnaturally, then responded, “I’m sick of this.”

“You’re aware that even though Rose’s treatment with her divine protection has limited the effect of the magical element as much as possible, you still haven’t been cured.”

“I know, and that’s why I’ve been taking it easy like I’m supposed to...” “The two others who caught it that you had quarantined are recovering, too. Rose was impressed with how you handled the situation.”

“I grew up out in the country. We didn’t have a temple of Niili, so I needed to learn a certain amount of pharmaceutics and pathology to protect myself.”

That had been part of Dale’s training he had undergone to become the next head of the clan. The training had covered a great range of topics so he could become a leader that could protect his people. Those people were the Tislow clan, and they were feared even by the local lords in the surrounding area. Dale’s education had also been part of the reason the powerful Duke Eldstedt had come to favor him.

“It only happened because of the Second Demon Lord, but my father says he will be punishing the involved individuals who tried to flee and hide to protect themselves.”

“I almost feel sorry for them...”

“We finished investigating the surrounding settlements, but nothing seemed out of place, and we found no one else who was ill. As it’s clearly an abnormal situation, they seem to have kept their distance rather than letting their curiosity get the better of them.”

“In a way, blockading the highway to help cover things up probably helped, too.”

†

After leaving Kreuz and arriving in the capital, Dale was indeed given an assignment.

His task was to confirm Rose’s testimony that she’d had a run-in with the Second Demon Lord after being kidnapped. Normally, just a scouting party would be sent, but because there was a high chance of encountering a demon lord on the mission, it was ruled best to have one with the power to oppose such a being—a hero—accompany them.

The village believed to be the one Rose had testified about had been sealed off from the highway and treated as if it didn’t exist. The whole village had been wiped out in a single night, and anyone who went to check it out hadn’t returned, so the lord of the land had chosen to try to cover things up. According to Duke Eldstedt, he was a small shot who had chosen to handle things without reporting the abnormality to the government and had decided to “solve” the problem by ignoring it.

At a glance, everything in the village looked clean and tidy. But there was an indescribable, unpleasant feeling in the air. That stillness, which was without even the hint of a person’s presence, felt too out of place.

The strangeness of the situation only grew when they checked inside the buildings.

Each and every corpse had been played with, like an infant would handle their toys.

Most likely, to the Second Demon Lord, such things were toys.

In one house, there was a “painting” that made even the investigating party, who were used to the battlefield, feel ill. Using one of the walls as a canvas, those “toys” had been pulverized and mashed so thoroughly that they’d long since lost their original shape, but there was no mistaking what they were. It was a truly, utterly repulsive form of “art.”

This violence had all occurred inside the buildings, sometimes limited to just a single room. That was why at a glance, despite being the scene of such brutal murders, it looked like nothing was wrong in this silent village.

Feeling terribly nervous, the group at last reached the mansion that was their main target. Because of their investigation, they knew it had been built as a villa for a wealthy merchant.

What they had found when they opened the door was so far from what they’d expected that for a moment, they weren’t sure how to proceed. This was the entry hall, where the culprits who kidnapped Rose had been brutally murdered. Countless corpses were... nowhere to be seen.

It had been cleaned so well that not a single chunk of flesh remained, and no blood or gore was stuck to the walls. Only the dark stains on the carpet told of what had happened here.

In the middle of the hall, a young girl in a splendid dress was seated facing them, looking unharmed and as if no time had even passed since Rose had been there. Her empty eye sockets and colorless skin, though, made it obvious that she was no longer alive. She wasn’t an undead monster, either. It gave the impression of a terribly tasteless sort of playing with a “doll.”

This was clearly a trap. Even so, this was likely Rose’s maid Lily, so they also couldn’t just leave her be.

Two of the scouts who excelled at detecting traps approached her body, but because it was difficult to avoid tripping the unmanned proximity- detecting trap, the corpse—which was filled with a high concentration of magical elements—exploded before their very eyes.

It had been a parting gift left by the Second Demon Lord, who had figured based on Rose’s personality that she would surely return.

It was what could be called a disease bomb, and the two scouts had taken a direct hit.

The remaining members of the party had been a distance away, and with swift judgment fitting their first-rate reputations, they cast a simple wall spell to protect themselves followed by a second spell to seal off the source of the contagion, which helped to keep casualties to a minimum.

In the end, there was no sign of the Second Demon Lord, so they concluded that she was no longer there.

Ultimately, the investigators reached the same decision as the local lord, and the village was abandoned. It would take an extraordinary amount of time for such high magical element levels to lose effect. It wouldn’t be at all impossible for a number of high-ranking Niili priests to purify the area, but that wasn’t exactly something that could be carried out overnight.

It fell to Dale to treat the two who had directly fallen prey to the trap and suffered a magical element malfunction. It was harder for priests with strong divine protection to be affected by such an illness, so Dale immediately decided that he was the best choice for the job. After all, the sort of highly skilled personnel in their party weren’t people that could be seen as disposable.

Along with the two sick men he was treating, Dale was quarantined in a carriage on their way back to the capital and until they reached the temple of Niili there. During the trip, Dale also caught a slight magical element malfunction. But with that said, there were many high-ranking Niili priests like Rose in the capital, and the city was also equipped with the best facilities for treatment.

Dale was stabilized without his condition growing severe or even showing any symptoms that made him seem especially sick. Because of that, he didn’t quite feel the need to rest, and ended up being forced into a boring recuperation period.

“Did you send a message to Kreuz?”

“I just explained the bare minimum, but... shouldn’t you have written something yourself?”

“Ah, I... I can write a report, but for some reason I’m just not good at letters... And right now, it’d be... kind of hard... to send it, I guess...”

“...Did you have a lover’s quarrel or something?” Thanks to the strange tension hanging in the air, Gregor uncharacteristically tried throwing out a joke.

“N-No...!” Dale overreacted, even though he should have easily picked up on wisecrack. He leaped out of bed, only for Gregor to force him to lie back down on his side.

That reaction, combined with Dale’s recent string of unusual behavior, made Gregor confident that the source of all this was his friend’s adopted daughter.

Normally, when Dale was called for work, he would throw a tantrum about how he didn’t want to leave her, but this time he’d come to the capital on his own without being summoned. That alone was strange enough to make Gregor suspicious.

Gregor was able to come to such conclusions because in many ways, he knew his friend quite well.

“Did something happen?” “Ugh...”

Dale gave his friend a brief synopsis, mumbling all the while. There was nothing else to do, and he also wanted to spit out what was going around and around in his mind. If Gregor would listen, then that’s what Dale should do.

“Latina...” “Yeah.”

“She, sees me as, y’know, a member of the opposite sex, and... she confessed that she loves me.”

“I see.”

“You’re accepting this pretty easily...”

“Well, it’s not all that surprising,” Gregor said indifferently.

Dale made a strained expression in response and then kept talking. “That threw me for a loop, so I wanted to cool my head a bit and... I ended up running away.”

“What are you, a kid?”

“I know what I did was wrong...”

Even Dale knew it had been the wrong thing to do. He’d been shaken and had impulsively fled, but after about a day had passed, he cooled down enough to realize that he’d done something ridiculous. But with that said, at this point he couldn’t exactly head back to Kreuz with his tail between his legs, so he’d ended up heading for the capital as planned.

“Even if you ask me what I want my relationship with Latina to be like from now on... I’ve realized that I’ve been trying to avoid thinking about it.” “I see.” Figuring this would take a while, Gregor summoned a maid and

told her to prepare some tea, then sat down on a chair beside Dale’s bed. “And then, I realized something else...” Just then, a truly strained expression appeared on Dale’s face. “Latina and I are only about ten years apart.”

“You only just realized that?”

“Yeah.” It really was something rather basic to realize now. “I mean, at the start, Latina was just so small. She was always sitting on my lap and smiling, and that just left so strong of an impression! But when I thought on it again, I realized that it’s more the sort of age difference you’d see between siblings, rather than a parent and child...”

“I only just recently met her for the first time, but the impression I had from your stories was that of a small child, so... I really was surprised.” Gregor thought back on how Latina looked when he met her in Kreuz the other day. He’d found that there was still some youthfulness to her appearance, but she still looked a proper, well-mannered, mature young lady.

“Oh, yeah. Latina’s cute, isn’t she?!” “Well, that’s true...”

“Right?” Dale broke out in a smile that showed he was still the same old Dale. “And thinking more on it, it’s not all that rare to find a married couple with that big of an age gap...” he continued, his expression growing serious again.

His “big bro” Kenneth and his wife Rita were about that far apart. When you’re young, such a gap feels huge, but it feels less and less important as you grow older. That was the sort of age gap it was.

“She was just too young when we first met, and that impression stuck with me, but... Latina’s not a kid anymore.” Dale sighed and averted his eyes. “Even if I’m her guardian, I’m a man who isn’t related to her, so... I shouldn’t always be together with Latina the way I have been, right?”

“...There’s no lack of boors out there with suspicious motives, after all.” “That’s true. As Latina’s guardian, I should’ve realized that...”

When he thought about how Kenneth had pressured him to clearly tell Latina if he was going to accept her feelings, Dale also realized that if he was going to turn her down, he needed to make that clear as well.

If he was going to keep being just her guardian, he’d need to draw a line between them. He would need to clearly distance himself before she became an “adult,” to nip things in the bud before nasty rumors started floating around about her.

As a man, Dale didn’t care about how crass the rumors about him may get. But for Latina, as a girl, it would be a serious matter if that happened to her, and Dale needed to avoid that.

“It was normal for Latina and me to be close.” “Dale...”

“Looking at it objectively, well... it probably looked like we had that sort of relationship.”

He was now well aware that he was treating her like a little kid. That was why he’d been able to sleep calmly, thinking nothing of how he shared a bed with her.

It wasn’t the sort of thing he should be doing with a girl her age. “So, what are you planning on doing?”

“Ungh...”

While watching Gregor sip away at the tea the maid had prepared, Dale searched for words.

“I think I probably... want to stay with Latina... I... don’t want her to become someone else’s, and I want her to stay by my side.”

That was probably the simplest response to the feelings he had inside. Even from an outsider’s point of view, it was a clear, simple wish.

He’d accepted that he could die at any moment and had tried not to wish for anything, but there was still one thing he wanted. That was Latina.

Even now, it was painful to think about dying and leaving her behind. But if he could accept that it would happen, then he could at least indulge his selfish desire and spend their limited time together. She would remain by his side, with that gentle, happy, soothing smile.

“In that case, it’s easiest to just go ahead and do it then, right...?” That was the conclusion he had reached.

If she’d stay by his side happily smiling away, even when she grew up a bit, then that would be a truly happy future, right? And if he could be the one to grant her that happiness, then he shouldn’t hope for anything else.

He decided that it was fine for him to be the one to do that for this girl, who he wanted to be happy above all else.

“In the past, I... used to think that I’d end up in a political marriage.” “Right.” Gregor was also familiar with the unique clan of Tislow. The clan possessed vastly more power than even the lower-ranking nobles of Laband, so obviously the ducal household paid them special attention.

As someone set to become the next head, Dale had no doubts about accepting a political marriage for the good of the clan. He had been prepared to marry someone regardless of their age or appearance, or even someone he was meeting for the first time.

“I was earnestly prepared to marry whoever I needed to, regardless of who it was with or how I felt. I wouldn’t have even had a problem with someone younger than Latina.”

“Such things aren’t at all rare when it comes to political marriages.” “That’s right.”

When he entrusted the duty of being the next clan head to his younger brother, all that had also gone along with it, but Dale simply hadn’t felt like searching for someone to marry.

“So I’m sure that choosing to stay together with my precious Latina will make me happy, too.”

He could already imagine the people around him nagging him, saying he was just worrying about himself.

Latina was a devil. As a devil, she had a much longer lifespan than humans. His own joy came from making sure she was happy, but as time went on, the gap between them would continue to widen.

I may end up turning into an old geezer before I even realize it...

It was easy for those around them to imagine Latina remaining young and putting her happiness second to take care of Dale when he grew old. That was a reason to worry. Thinking on it logically, he couldn’t imagine it ending up any other way in the future.

“Anyway, I can deal with that another time,” Dale said, his tone shifting. “Huh?” Gregor questioned, taken aback.

“I mean, that’s a bridge to cross later,” Dale responded in his usual, carefree tone.

“Is that so...?”

“I mean, Latina’s still just a kid, after all.”

Dale put his hand up into the air and drew a gently sloping curve. Gregor didn’t ask what that line, with hardly any ups and downs to it, indicated.

“Figuring out just what to do can wait until Latina’s a little older.” Dale didn’t have an interest in little girls. As a result, the troubled laugh Dale gave seemed to be half out of embarrassment and half due to awkwardness.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. “Enter.”

The single maid who entered the room with Gregor’s permission looked flustered in a way unfitting of a servant of this estate. As this household was one of the foremost in the nation of Laband, its servants were also thoroughly trained to be first-rate. They should have been able to remain firm when dealing with nearly any situation.

After she whispered her report to Gregor, a look of surprise flashed over his face. Wondering just what was going on, Dale prepared to ask the reason his friend had reacted that way, only for that “reason” to enter the room.

Gregor stood up straight in response, but being in bed, Dale didn’t have a chance to get his appearance in order. He tried to get up and show proper respect, but the man held him back with a single hand.

“Father,” Gregor said. Gregor’s father, a man with a cool gaze and hair that was greying as he entered his twilight years, gave a nod.

His mere presence was enough to make those around him correct their posture. It wasn’t as though he had an especially intimidating appearance; rather, he gave off a gentle, calm air. However, that wasn’t all that there was to the man.

This man, Vladimir Rot Eldstedt, was responsible for the foremost family in Laband, that of Eldstedt. Having “Rot” in one’s name indicated that they were qualified to succeed the Laband throne. In both name and substance, this man came only after the king in terms of authority in this country.

Dale was bewildered as to why the duke would go out of his way to come here himself. Considering the duke’s position, even though Dale was recuperating from his illness, he should have been summoned. But that confusion was blown away in an instant.

There was a girl with familiar sparkling platinum hair staring at him from behind the duke’s back, as if trying to hide.

“It would seem that your condition has stabilized.”

“Yes,” Dale said, looking on the surface as if he’d regained his composure as he responded to the duke. But internally, his disturbance and confusion was boiling up to a peak. The gears in his mind were spinning around so fast that they were almost flying off their axles.

“Your beloved daughter that I’ve heard so much about has arrived. She came out of concern. It seems she truly cares for you.”

“...Yes.” Unable to think up a better response, he gave a short reply. With his mind so completely and utterly out of sorts, that was the best he could manage.

In more ways than one, he just wasn’t mentally ready yet. Would it be bad to run away...?

It took his all to shove that pathetic option back out of his mind.

By his side, the girl he should have been fully familiar with looked quite unfamiliar as she formally thanked Duke Eldstedt.

“I am deeply grateful for your generous favor, my lord.”

He was such a high-ranking noble that a normal commoner could never hope to stand in his presence even once in their entire life. But even so, though she did seem nervous, Latina didn’t tremble or flinch.

Along with her dignified, beautiful appearance, her conduct was also elegant. Even when dealing with such an elite, she didn’t look at all abashed. “Pay it no mind. It’s been a feast for my old eyes.”

From the way his eyes grew gentle as he responded, it was clear that she’d earned his favor. As Dale realized that in the back of his mind, he spotted a fluffy tail wagging along behind her.

He barely avoided bursting into laughter.

No matter how adorable Latina may have been, that alone wouldn’t have been enough to capture the duke’s interest. In his position, the duke would have grown completely accustomed to seeing beautiful noble ladies. However, there likely weren’t so many girls with the natural beauty like she had to overwhelm all those around them.

In that case, there must have been something else about her that had caught the duke’s interest.

First, she was Dale’s adopted child. She was both his greatest weakness and also the easiest way to incur his wrath. It was abundantly clear that if anyone foolishly laid a hand on her, no matter who they may be, he would throw all his might towards getting back at them.

Her unusual hair color also drew attention. It was a rare hue, even though it wasn’t a mana trait. Its shine wouldn’t even lose out to any jewelry, and it was still unusual even in the imperial court, where the rare and curious gathered.

But more than all that...

L-Latina... Why did you bring the “dog” here...?

It would be strange for someone to not be interested if they saw the pup walking behind her. Vint stretched out his wings, which were usually hidden, and scratched away at his neck with his hind leg, relaxing and doing things at his own pace enough to make Dale feel vexed.

It may have spoken to the current chaos in Dale’s mind that, more than Latina’s sudden appearance, he was questioning the fact that Vint had accompanied her. While seeing off the duke, who left the room with an expression on his face that seemed to say he’d want to hear things in detail later, Dale was still internally striving to get a grasp on the situation.

Thanks to the chaotic state of his mind, he thought, I’ll talk as much as you want, as long as it’s about how cute and adorable Latina is, and what a good girl she is! And his thoughts continued on with, Seeing her in person should be proof of just how adorable she is! Though perhaps his confusion had nothing to do with it.

He couldn’t help but feel jealous as Vint opened his mouth wide and yawned.

Latina remained calm, and her sense of decorum didn’t crumble. Dale had never seen her like this before. He’d always thought of her as a cute, little girl. But those words didn’t fit the beautiful girl that stood before him now.

Now, of all times...

Seeing her like this, he had no words left to object to the people around him who had rebuked him for being so blind.

It could only be said that he’d shut his eyes and ignored reality up until now.

Even to Dale, the girl in front of them now looked truly grown up. Some of her childish cuteness still remained, but more than that, he realized she really was maturing into a beautiful woman.

While listening to her voice as Latina greeted Gregor, he realized why it hadn’t felt real to him.

“Latina...” “What is it?” “Why... are you here?”

He was still in shock, so Dale’s question was brief and blunt, but it was still enough to cause Latina’s expression to soften. Her overly composed, almost frightening beauty crumbled, and she regained her usual adorableness.

“I... heard you... were sick, Dale...”

“Yeah.” The second he heard her voice grow hoarse, he thought, Shit. Large tears came streaming from her big grey eyes.

He was already plenty aware of just how terribly, ridiculously weak he was to this girl’s tears.

“B-But you heard that I just need a bit of recuperation time and that it isn’t anything serious, right?!”

“Yeah,” she said, sobbing and giving a small nod, and then she continued, “but, but... I was scared... so scared! I just couldn’t calm down until I saw your face...!”

Dale was left confused, but when she kept on talking, he finally understood the reason behind her dismay.

“I was scared that I’d lose you... like Rag...!”

He’d heard about her real father quite some time ago. She’d been young and her vocabulary had been lacking, so her story was missing some elements, but he’d still understood.

Even though her father hadn’t been especially strong, he had continued to protect her over the course of their journey, until everything caught up to him and he ran out of strength, collapsing in that forest. The direct cause of his death was illness: a magical element malfunction.

She had once lost someone precious to her to illness. Apparently the word “illness” held an even more grave meaning for her than he’d thought.

“Latina...”

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry, Dale. I won’t be selfish anymore. I won’t say anything that troubles you...! So, so... don’t go away...! Please, let me stay by your side...!”

Ah, that’s right. She’d always been like this.

She’d lost her family and home when she was very young, so even though children should never need to worry about such things, she’d always tried to protect her own place, where she belonged. She had decided that she needed to be a good girl, never acting childishly selfish or throwing a fit.

Dale had found that part of her personality heart-breaking. He’d tried to pamper her and would have been fine with her acting selfish or mischievous. Wanting her to let her be herself, Dale had wracked his brains for ways to let her do so.

He’d always wanted her to speak her true feelings rather than forcing them down along with her desires. That’s why that response wasn’t what he’d wanted to hear.

He stretched out his arms and hugged Latina, whose shoulders trembled as she sobbed.

Seeing Gregor tactfully leave the room from the corner of his eye, he pulled her in tight.

“Latina...” he whispered, only for her to draw back. “I’m the one who should apologize. I’m sorry for worrying you, Latina.”

Her response got caught in her throat and she was unable to speak, so Latina simply breathed heavily in Dale’s arms.

“I’m sorry... There’s a lot I want to say, and a lot I need to say, but... sorry.”

Latina lightly shook her head as he stroked her hair. Just when had her hair grown this long? He slid his fingertips through it. It had only smelled of soap when she was young, but now he noticed that it had a sweet perfume- like smell to it.

“Latina... I... I’m not your father, but I’m always by your side, so... No, that’s...”

Latina clung tight to Dale’s clothes, showing her unease. Trying to clear away that worry, he stroked her back and wiped away the tears caught on her long eyelashes.

“I want you to stay by my side... from now on, too. Will you stay with me, Latina?”

“Dale...?”

He forced down his embarrassment and wore an awkward smile on his face.

Dale recalled sitting close to Latina like this before and seeing his own reflection in her teary eyes, and just as he was doing now, he also remembered hugging the sobbing girl tightly.

“I’ll definitely die before you do someday, though.” He had said the words he whispered next before, but she heard a different meaning in them now. “So until that time comes, will you stay with me?”

“Dale...!”

“Can we just leave it at that for now? When you’re a little older... I’ll, um... I’ll say it a little more properly.” Thanks to embarrassment and a strange sort of pride getting in the way, he wasn’t able to say any more.

As Dale spoke ambiguously and his gaze wandered, Latina looked straight at him with teary eyes. “Dale, Dale... Um...!”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“Y-Yeah,” said Dale, his voice cracking. After having spoken so indirectly, he hadn’t expected her to say it so bluntly herself.

“I love you. I’ve always, always loved you. You’ve never been a ‘father’ to me, but you’ve always been the most precious person to me, and the one I loved most of all...!”

“Ungh...” Having her so close and looking up at him, Dale once more realized how almost painfully beautiful Latina was. But even so, he withstood this first blow, then noticed Latina had turned pitifully red all the way to the tips of her ears.

Her teary eyes possessed more than enough impact to make a man’s heart tremble, but they also reminded him of the sobbing girl back when she was young. He felt truly relieved to see that her actions still had some childishness left to them. It showed that there was still a grace period left before they would bare their hearts to one another. When the time came, he’d be ready for their relationship to change.

“Dale... I... I want to stay with you forever...”

“...Right. I promise. I’ll stay with you until the day I die.”

Having regained a bit of his composure, Dale gave Latina a kiss on the cheek, just like he had then.

†

“Split apart?” Vint said from under the bed, looking up at the pair as they hugged one another. Lacking Gregor’s tact, the beast just kept on doing things as he pleased.

“I don’t really get what you’re saying, but I do know that it’s pissing me off,” Dale replied as he glared straight at Vint, even though he knew it was foolish to expect delicacy from an animal. The beast was so out of the ordinary that even though it was illogical, Dale wanted to think he could expect that, but apparently he couldn’t. “Ah, right, Latina, be sure to have Rose give you a proper exam later. It may just be a light case, but I do have a magical element malfunction, so you could end up catching it.”

The possibility was slim, but Latina was so precious to him that he couldn’t help but worry.

“It’s alright. I can’t catch a magical element malfunction,” Latina responded with a smile.

“Huh?” Dale questioned, dumbfounded.

“I can catch mild illnesses, but I can’t catch the really dangerous ones that can be fatal, like magical element malfunctions,” Latina replied as if that were completely obvious.

“Why is that?” Dale had never heard this before. Latina looked confused by Dale’s reaction.

“Rag told me. Just like how ‘the power of demon lords doesn’t affect those who are protected by the gods,’ it also doesn’t affect ‘those who are protected by fate.’ He said, ‘Latina, you’re protected by fate, so you’ll be fine.’”

“I’ve never heard that.”

“Really?” Latina stared blankly, apparently finding what she’d said to be perfectly natural. Dale figured “those who were protected by the gods” likely referred to people with high-ranking divine protection, but he hadn’t the slightest idea what “those who were protected by fate” meant. Now that he thought about it, he felt like she’d said she was “protected by fate” before.

“Latina... what is the ‘fate’ that protects you...?” It took a bit of time for her to answer.

“I don’t really know.”

Dale forced down his desire to press her further. If he let his emotions drive him and threw question after question at her before she could respond, she’d get scared and pull away. She was strangely stubborn, after all. If he made the wrong decision, she probably wouldn’t talk to him about this again.

“Latina... is that... a bad thing for you?”

“I don’t know...” Latina repeated, and then looked at Dale. Seeing how concerned he was, her expression grew a bit troubled. “Um... I really don’t know. That’s how things have been for me ever since I was born, and my parents treated it as completely natural, too... I didn’t know it was different for other people.”

“...I see.”

Now that she’d said that, Dale couldn’t pursue the matter further. He understood because his own divine protection was similar. He knew that it was difficult to explain such a thing with words alone to someone who lacked it.

Dale switched topics to a different question, one he had asked before but still hadn’t gotten an answer to. “Well then, Latina... Why are you here?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, I asked Gregor to send a message to Kreuz after I arrived in the capital... That should’ve only been three days ago. It just doesn’t add up.”

That was the reason Dale found it so strange that Latina was here. Dale knew how to ride a horse, and if he rode one while casting healing magic, he could push things and arrive in two days. Latina didn’t know how to ride one, though, so she would have needed to ride in carriages, and even if she hit every connection perfectly, that would still take at least a week. No matter how Dale thought about it, it just didn’t add up.

When Dale pointed that out, Latina’s body stiffened.

Dale was familiar with that reaction, as well as the expression on her face. It was a reaction that was very easy to read, and he’d seen it since she’d started playing with friends who had gotten up to the sort of pranks and mischief fitting for their ages.

As Latina’s heart would pound as she looked at him, Dale would think, She’s so easy to understand, it’s adorable! What could she be planning?! and then purposefully fall for the prank, just to see her reaction. She’d be on edge as she stared at him when she succeeded, looking pleased with her accomplishment, and it took everything he had to not break out in a smile. Those really were happy memories.

Dale continued to question her, not letting his feelings as he reminisced show on his face. “Did you leave Kreuz without telling Kenneth?”

Latina shook her head in response. “No. I made sure to get his permission. He told me to make sure I was properly prepared if I was heading to the capital.”

As she kept talking, Dale broke out in a cold sweat.

“I tried to run right out as soon as I saw the message, but he got angry and said I shouldn’t...”

Even for an adoptive father and daughter, Dale and Latina really were strangely alike.

“Then Latina... what did you do?”

“Um, you see... Vint and I...” Latina’s gaze drifted about as she hesitated. Finally, she made up her mind and started to tell what had happened as if confessing.

“Woof,” the pup beside her responded, so calm it was almost refreshing.

†

The letter from the capital was short and sweet, but it also conveyed all the information it needed to, clearly noting that Dale’s illness wasn’t serious and that he was currently being treated by Rose and other high-ranking Niili priests.

And yet, Latina was still thrown into an absolute panic.

Sensing that she was ready to impulsively fly out of the Dancing Ocelot, Kenneth firmly restrained her. “Latina!”

“Let me go! I need to go to where Dale is!”

He put some strength into his grip as he grabbed her arm, and Latina wasn’t able to escape by shaking and flailing about. Even so, she looked up at Kenneth with a firm glare. “Let me go!”

A dangerous light blazed in her grey eyes. Kenneth saw it, but quietly yet firmly replied, “You can’t do that.”

Latina recoiled a bit. Kenneth had once led a party of adventurers, so his voice alone was enough to cause that.

“Latina... Trying to run off to the capital like that would be rash...” Having lost her chance to jump into the conversation, Rita hugged Latina from behind, her face pale. Rita was pregnant, so Latina couldn’t forcefully throw her off. Kenneth took his hand off her arm.

“But... but!” Latina’s voice trembled as she powerlessly shook her head. Nevertheless, she kept looking up at Kenneth as if trying to persuade him.

Looking her straight in the eyes, Kenneth quietly stated, “If you’re going to the capital, then you need to prepare properly first. You should know that traveling isn’t so easy that you can just head out without readying your supplies and plotting your route.”

“Huh?”

“Kenneth?” Rita asked, also surprised by his words.

Paying no heed to their reactions, Kenneth looked over towards the regulars. “Sylvester, do you have any trustworthy acquaintances in the capital?”

“I might have a few.”

“In that case, go ahead and write letters of introduction for Latina. Is anyone here familiar with the highway to the capital?”

“Yeah. My clients are mostly around there.”

“I want to know about the latest trends on the highway and the names of inns that are safe for female travelers to stay.”

“In that case, wait till tonight. I’ll talk with some other guys and figure things out in detail.”

“I’m counting on you. And then...”

“K-Kenneth...” Latina spoke up, sounding flustered at having seen Kenneth briskly hand out instructions.

“What is it?”

“You’re not... going to stop me?” “Do you want me to?”

“No. I want to go...”

“Then you’ve got to prepare properly. Go get your luggage and travel clothes together. I’ll look it all over later.”

“R-Right!”

After watching Latina go flying up the stairs towards her room, Rita came back to her senses and questioned her husband. “Kenneth, what are you doing?”

“With her like that, even if we force her to stop, she’ll just sneak out and head to the capital all on her own. If she’s going to be reckless regardless, then it’s better to make sure she prepares properly and does it as safely as possible.”

Kenneth had seen in Latina’s expression that she felt so cornered that if Kenneth were to try to stop her, she’d blow past him in order to do what she felt she needed to. He thought that even if he were to somehow seemingly persuade her and talk her down, she’d go running off to the capital the second he took his eyes off of her. Despite appearances, Latina had been stubborn ever since she was little. Now that she’d made up her mind, there was no changing it.

There was a limit to how closely Kenneth could keep an eye on her. He could talk to the gatekeepers and tell them not to let her leave town, but he didn’t want to let things go that far.

Kenneth looked over at Sylvester with a frown. “To be honest, I’d like to get a party of only women to escort Latina, but...” he muttered.

“Sure enough, that’d be difficult to manage on such short notice,” Sylvester responded with an awkward expression on his face.

There were fewer female adventurers in general, and what’s more, if the condition was a strictly women-only party, even someone as well-connected as Sylvester couldn’t put one together so promptly.

“Rather than leaving Latina to some tactless men... it’d probably be better to leave things to Vint, right?” Kenneth said with some distaste, looking at the “pup” who had popped up to check out the commotion in the storefront.

“Woof?”

“Regardless of how old they may be, this is a time when it’s hard to say if we can trust them,” Sylvester added with a sigh.

As the job of adventurer was essentially removed from gentlemanly behavior, there was no guarantee that someone they hired wouldn’t try to do something untoward to Latina under the guise of comforting her when she was out of sorts worrying about Dale. It was impossible to deny the chance that her “guards” could be the most dangerous element in the whole equation. “The road to the capital is carefully maintained, so I think Latina could manage on her own. I’d still be worried about her safety, though.” “How skilled is the little lady as a magic user?”

“She’s apparently learned some proper attack magic. Her specialty has always been things like defensive wall and support magic. I’d say she’s capable of defending herself.”

With her delicate mana control, Latina was able to easily use magic that would normally be considered highly difficult, and though it had just been for a short time, she’d been taught by Rose, who was an exceptional magic user; the variety of magic Latina could use had greatly expanded.

“As long as she has time to chant, she should be able to manage.” “Then... this ‘dog’ would be the safest bodyguard, huh?”

“Woof?” Sensing that he was now the topic of conversation, Vint tilted his head.

“Sylvester, how do tamers get the animals they’re using into town?” For tamers, who primarily employed Center magic to utilize animals and magical beasts, their beasts were both their weapons and partners. One could call them their most important assets. It was only natural for tamers to take them through town and into lodgings and the like.

“I don’t really know the details myself. I think they have specialized magical devices. Hey, somebody call for Kevin,” Sylvester said, sending off a young lad by his side to go fetch a tamer he knew.

“...Ugh, fine!” Rita had kept silent for a while, but she’d apparently made up her mind. She faced the Akhdar’s message board and started looking into the latest information from around the area.

Rita also knew how stubborn Latina was. She also knew that the girl would be able to force her way through if she had a mind to do so. Furthermore, Rita understood that if the girl was going to do something dangerous, it was better to help her out.

If Latina was being totally reckless and they tried their hardest to stop her, it was still possible they would fail. She was just too skilled, which was a problem in its own way.

By the time that Kevin, the tamer Sylvester had called for, arrived at the Dancing Ocelot, Rita had prepared maps all the way to the capital, and together with the regulars she was writing down all sorts of notes, making for a bundle of valuable information. Just getting ahold of maps to start with was difficult, and as their accuracy increased, the price and rarity grew in proportion. This just went to show the potential of the network of first-rate adventurers that made up the regulars, combined with the Ocelot’s position as an information terminal.

Kevin brought a black-furred wolf with him. He was known for usually bringing two wolves with him on jobs. The female wolf who was missing was the mate of the one he’d brought and had given birth for the first time this spring. She was currently rearing her cub, so Kevin was apparently taking time off of work. As a result, even though he’d been summoned out of the blue, he soon showed up at the Dancing Ocelot.

With the entrance of an unfamiliar beast into his territory, Vint glared at the black wolf from the shadows of the counter. The wolf acted as though he didn’t care, but his ears were moving all about.

“This is the magical device,” Kevin said, pointing out a collar with a metallic plate hanging from it that was around the wolf’s neck. “To be blunt, animals instinctually hate this, so when one is wearing it, it’s proof that they’re either being controlled with Center magic or that they’ve been thoroughly trained. That’s the minimum requirement for an animal to be allowed into town.”

“So if Vint wears this, he could accompany Latina?” Kenneth asked, looking over a spare magical device Kevin had brought. He held it out towards Vint. After sniffing the device as it drew close to his face, Vint made a disgusted expression. Even though he was an animal, the look was quite clear.

“Yuck. Don’t like this.”

“You have to choose between Latina leaving you behind, or putting this on and going with her.”

“Put up with it. Can do,” Vint immediately replied, just as expected. “I’d heard the rumors, but for a mythical beast to do that of his own will, without Center magic... Just how out of the norm is she?” Considering his occupation, Kevin was utterly perplexed by what he was seeing.

“It’s best not to think about it. We’re talking about the little lady, after all,” Sylvester replied, seeing off the man with a lukewarm gaze.

And like that, the preparations were hurriedly carried out.

Latina’s traveling gear was primarily what she’d once used for her trip to Tislow. The cape had become rather small for her, but on the plus side, it was an effective magical device, so she still ended up using it. The design wasn’t one where size mattered much to start with, and she wouldn’t have to worry about getting cold considering the season, so she decided it would still work fine. The passenger carriages that ran between towns were set up so that one could just stop in towns along the way and not have not to camp outdoors. Adventurers never failed to have a cloak or overcoat on them, as they could use them to sleep on when camping, but she didn’t need to prepare for all that.

“You had a staff for magic users, didn’t you, Latina?”

“Yeah. But it’s not really an issue for me to use magic without it.” “That’s true. But it also serves as a way to say, ‘I’m a magic user’ to the people around you. In form only, at least, it makes you look like an adventurer.”

“Do you mean I should take it because people don’t take female travelers seriously?”

“That’s the long and short of it.”

The rod that Dale had once bought for Latina was meant for children to practice with, but it was still more than good enough when compared to the sort of equipment used by adventurers who were just starting out.

To people with wicked intentions, frail women traveling on their own looked like nothing but prey. But when the woman was a magic user, it was a different story. She gave the impression of someone with a strength that couldn’t be gauged based on their outer appearance. If a single staff alone was enough to give that effect, then it was definitely worth bringing.

After Kenneth, Rita, and the regulars finished helping her prepare, Latina left the Dancing Ocelot early the next morning.

“Take care. Seriously, be careful,” Rita said, looking concerned. She had left Theo asleep back in their room.

“I know. I’ll be alright,” Latina responded. Rita’s expression made her feel guilty, but more than that, she felt truly grateful for being allowed to do what she was doing. “Thank you for letting me go.”

“Don’t make any bad choices. Keep your wits about you,” Kenneth said with a firm nod.

“Right,” Latina responded, bowing to the two of them again. “I’m off.” With Vint walking by her side, his tail wagging calmly, Latina left the

Dancing Ocelot behind her, feeling the couple’s gazes on her back.

As she was instructed, she headed towards the carriage stop, (there were no direct carriages to the capital, so she’d need to transfer on the way there), but she suddenly stopped halfway. Her eyes darted around as she confirmed that she could no longer see the people who saw her off. She then squatted down next to Vint.

“Hey, Vint...” “Woof?”

“There’s something I want to try... but I want to keep it a secret from everyone else.”

“Woof?”

“Do you think I could ride you, Vint?”

When she was staying in Tislow, Master Cornelio had once lectured

Latina about the capital, and she’d learned that the highway between it and Kreuz was purposefully set up to be an indirect route, with the intention to buy time to set up defenses in an emergency. There was also the matter of the geography and the placement of bridges, so it was difficult to head straight to the capital from Kreuz or the port town of Qualle farther along the way. That was why it was overwhelmingly faster to take a flying dragon, which could go in a straight line, rather than taking the land route.

Knowing that, Latina wondered if she could rely on her friend to travel by air rather than taking carriages.

“I’ll use magical wall and gravity reduction magic together. I’ll do my best to not get in your way when you’re flying, so do you mind giving it a try?”

“Woof!”

Unfortunately, nobody was around to point out just how ridiculous and out of the ordinary it was to maintain multiple magics for a long period of time. Latina was trying something absolutely reckless that the adults around her hadn’t even considered, and perhaps most surprisingly of all, she had the ability to carry it out.

After leaving the town, the two practiced a few times at a low altitude, then took to the sky and started their trip.

She had done it.

Being just a cub, Vint wasn’t able to fly as quickly as a flying dragon, a magical beast specialized for the task. It was still difficult for him to fly for a long time, or over a long distance all at once. Latina also needed breaks from continually maintaining her magic.

Latina was plenty calm and knew all of that, so rather than letting her feelings rush her, she made sure she and Vint rested when they needed to. They stopped for a night at a town along the way and then arrived at the capital the following day.

Realizing that it was out of the ordinary to be riding a mythical beast, Latina wisely chose to have Vint land a ways from the capital rather than right next to it, and they walked the rest of the way. Because of that, the guards fortunately didn’t take her for someone suspicious and mistakenly shoot her down.

Unlike Kreuz, which was a town fueled by travelers, it was difficult to gain entry through the gates surrounding the capital, but the abilities of the regulars of the Dancing Ocelot—who were amongst the foremost adventurers in Laband—were not to be taken lightly.

The letters of introduction that Sylvester had prepared for Latina were all addressed to people well known about the capital. Just Sylvester’s signature alone, written in his strong, steady handwriting, was valuable. After all, he was a popular adventurer highly renowned for his exploits. It was hard to imagine from seeing him always drinking cheap booze, but he was just that famous of a man. The magical device attached to Vint was also a legitimate, high-quality good.

The girl’s guardian was Dale Reki, who was also famous in the capital; she carried letters of introduction from the legendary adventurer, Sylvester Delius; and she was accompanied by a mythical beast. Nobody would blame the gatekeeper in charge at that time for feeling overwhelmed.

For better or worse, the people of Kreuz had grown used to how extraordinary Latina was. That couldn’t be expected of people in the capital, though.

For that reason, the inspection during Latina’s first time entering Ausblick was surprisingly light.

With the festive streets of the capital sprawled out before her, Latina was at a loss. “What do I do now...?”

“Woof?”

Thanks to the presence of her friend at her side, she wasn’t crushed by anxiety.

Kenneth and the others had warned her in advance: even if she went to the capital, that didn’t mean she was guaranteed to be able see Dale. He was staying at the estate of Duke Eldstedt, who was an elite amongst elite even in the capital. Even if she was Dale’s adopted daughter, Latina was ultimately still just a mere commoner. If she showed up uninvited, it would only be natural for her to get turned away at the gate.

The numerous letters of introduction Sylvester had prepared didn’t change the fact that it would be difficult, but they at least made it a lot more likely than if Latina tried to make an appointment to visit the Duke’s estate all on her own.

“What should I do...?” she muttered as she thought. Just then, she remembered that a particular someone was supposed to be staying in Ausblick. “Lady Rose is supposed to be in the capital right now... Should I try talking to her?”

“Woof?”

“Anybody should be able to enter the temple of Niili... and she may be able to act as an intermediary for me, right?”

“Woof!” Vint replied in agreement, which made Latina feel relieved, and her expression brightened a little. Since the temple of Niili also served as a clinic, anyone she asked around town should immediately be able to tell her where it was.

Having decided her next destination and with Vint by her side, Latina headed for a row of shops aimed towards travelers.

“And then, I got Rose to introduce me while she was out doing volunteer work for the temple.”

Currently, Rose was in the care of the ducal Eldstedt family, so she had no issue entering and leaving the estate without permission. She had also mingled with the people of the Eldstedt family since she was young, so in spite of their actual social statuses, she was in a position where she was allowed to make personal visits.

Accompanied by Rose, Latina had visited the duke’s estate, and Rose introduced Latina to the duke himself, something the girl had never expected. She was truly glad that she had changed into her most formal dress at the temple, having figured it would be improper to visit the residence of an elite noble in her travel attire.

Recalling the etiquette Rose had taught her alongside magic in the attic of the Ocelot, Latina somehow managed to properly introduce herself to Duke Vladimir Rot Eldstedt. Seeing Rose’s indigo-blue eyes look a little calmer, she sensed that she’d gotten a passing mark and felt relieved.

One of his servants had already reported to the duke that Rose had brought a troubled young girl accompanied by a mythical beast to his mansion, the very adopted daughter that Dale was always talking about and doting on. Even the grand chamberlain, who had served the estate for many years, had trouble deciding how to deal with this visitor for a moment. He figured he should at least give an immediate report to the duke, at which point the duke himself said he’d like to meet her, so Rose and Latina were immediately ushered into his presence.

The duke had accompanied Latina when she visited Dale’s room as a mere bit of mischief. As a veteran of a world filled with plots and trickery, he would naturally have learned that even though Dale appeared to be recovering, he was at a peak state of agitation. So he’d just have a chuckle, as if to say, “Got you.”

“And so, Lady Rose brought me here, but... Dale? What’s wrong?” “Just give me a second... I’m still trying to grasp the situation...” Dale’s expression had stiffened as he listened to Latina’s story, until he ultimately ended up holding his head in his hands. The pup had played a bigger role than he’d expected.

Did this girl understand just how abnormal it was to manage to travel through the air without being a Center magic user or receiving any special training? Though with that said, she had been able to pull it off because she and Vint didn’t have a master/servant relationship; rather, they were friends and she was making a request, which was excessively unusual in and of itself. But after his long years of watching over Latina, Dale’s common sense about such things had grown numb.

When the duke asked about how Latina had gotten there, how should Dale explain? Up until now, there hadn’t been anyone who could personally travel through the sky. It wasn’t a matter that could be overlooked, both in terms of military defense and strategy.

However, it was hard to imagine anyone else using the same method. They’d need a soaring wolf to accept them enough that they could pet its stomach unconditionally. Yeah, it was impossible. They’d get their face bitten off before that, and that would be the end of things.

Latina stared at Dale with a slight tilt of her head as he nodded along. When their eyes met, she broke out in a joyous smile.

“...What is it?” “It’s nothing.”

Even as she said that, Latina’s happy expression didn’t change at all. Thinking on it, Dale recalled one of her favorite sayings: “I’m with you, after all.” She was always saying that with a happy smile.

“Well, I guess it’ll work out...” Dale muttered, feeling that his cheeks were a bit flushed.

He realized again that he was with the overly adorable Latina. Rather than worrying about what may happen, he was left wondering just what he should do.

Now that he’d come to understand both her feelings and his own, the rest of Dale’s recuperation period was used more for contemplation rather than focusing on healing.

Contemplating How can this girl be so cute?! and the like.

In terms of vocabulary alone, not much had changed. Comparing before and after, the main list of words he used had hardly shifted at all.

However, Dale had clearly started to see Latina in a different way than he used to. And thinking on it, he saw that it was unavoidable that the people around him had felt the need to rebuke him so thoroughly. It was only natural. In fact, it was obvious to do so. There was a limit to how dense someone could be. He wasn’t an idiot, right? Or was he?

Repeating such masochistic thoughts over and over, Dale recovered less than a week later. Having Latina by his side had caused him to get well quicker. It had just been a minor illness to start with, but his healing capability had been heightened noticeably thanks to her presence.

And during that time, Dale’s awareness of Latina changed day by day. The second she sat at his bedside to talk to him, their eyes would meet, and she’d gently smile back at him.

When Dale would touch a lock of her hair, she’d pull back a bit. He’d come to realize it wasn’t because she was rejecting her “father” due to puberty, but was a sign of shyness accompanied by a slight flush of her cheeks.

Occasionally, her gentle grey eyes would grow moist, and he’d see a heat in her gaze as she stared at him. Now that he understood her feelings, he could also understand the meaning behind that heat. He’d avert his gaze, feeling slightly embarrassed, and she’d let out a wistful sigh, only to then smile back at him once more as if nothing had happened. The “little Latina” box he’d placed her in had been doing more work than he’d thought. Now that he was aware of it and had removed his filter, he could see clearly that she was a maiden in love.

Though it was embarrassing, he reached out and stroked her hair like he used to. Ever since Latina was young, her hair was so smooth and glossy that it wouldn’t lose out to any high-class silk. Originally it had started as him patting her on the head to say that she was a good girl, but it felt so good to the touch that it had become a habit of his. When he did it, Latina looked overjoyed. Seeing that defenseless expression born from trust, Dale unconsciously slipped his hand down to her cheek and glimpsed a hint of interest from her.

This girl was just too defenseless. It was almost shocking how much that was true around a man, like himself. Her guard was so far down, he got the feeling that if he tried to lay a hand on her, she’d just say, “Go ahead.” Perhaps that could be chalked up to her childishness, but Dale had some thoughts on how dangerous that was.

If she wanted to, she could definitely drive men to tears...

Her innocent, defenseless actions served to work men up without her realizing it, so if she did understand and learned how to use it to her advantage, she could become a real femme fatale. The scary thing was the way the people around her seemed to naturally grow devoted to her. He needed to make sure things stopped where they were: with her just having a fan club.

While he knew that she had no such intentions herself, he couldn’t help but hold his head in his hands at the thought that he could make a move whenever.

It’s still too soon. It’s still too soon. I shouldn’t think things like that, he’d repeat in his mind like a chant, making a variety of faces all the while. But Latina just innocently smiled at him.

Latina was still young. He got a faint sense that her build was starting to round out, but... he was surely imagining things. She still had a childish physique; she was developing slower than her friends and was worried about that.

Between the “rebellious phase” incident, the way Latina had distanced herself, and Dale running away under the guise of work, he hadn’t properly seen Latina for over a month. But even so, there was no way she’d change so much in that short a time.

Having no idea that Dale was desperately trying to persuade himself of that, Latina just smiled back at him. Dale, meanwhile, had no way of knowing at this point that she really had entered her growth period, as she’d claimed for some time now.

She was like a butterfly about to emerge from its cocoon and was truly growing into an adult surprisingly fast. Her mother’s genes that she’d been so worried about turned out to not have much of an effect, and over the months and years, she’d become very charming, causing Dale a great deal of worry.

That time wasn’t too far off.

†

It was a strange space. And yet, she didn’t find it unusual to be here. It was a monochrome gathering of light in all the colors, and the space was constructed of that alone. There wasn’t a single color there, and yet every one of them was contained within this monotone world. Surveying the space, it seemed absurdly vast, yet also like it was contained within a miniature garden. She was also aware of why the things that existed in this space did so.

Spaced out equally in a circle were chairs. The shapes and sizes all varied, yet she knew that they had something in common:

These were all thrones.

Each of the seven had a master who should be seated in them. She was unable to see them, but she could strongly and clearly sense the presence of a master about each throne.

She looked them over, one after another. In front of one throne was a blood-stained blade, while another had a jug overflowing with water. She saw a throne with dead branches coiled around it, and one in which a thick book was enshrined. She surveyed the thrones in turn in this way, then stopped in front of the first one.

There, and there alone, a master didn’t exist.

She was also aware that this throne would welcome a master soon. Furthermore, she knew that she was here because she had met the qualifications. This was the choice that she had abhorred most of all. It was the reason she had once lost everything and a choice that would betray the feelings she still wanted to protect.

And so, she gave a small shake of her head and refused it, whispering, “I don’t need it.”

“This isn’t what I want.”

What she wanted, what she sought, was— “What’s wrong, Latina?”

Hearing a kind voice, she awoke. After blinking her eyes, she remembered that she was in the safest feeling place in the world.

The room overflowed with warmth. She’d had countless precious memories here, and her most beloved person of all was here, too.

“Did you have a nightmare or something?”

Ever since she was little, he’d say such kind words and gently stroke her hair. The warmth of his palm would clear away any scary memories or nightmares.

It made her happy when he stroked her hair, and she was overjoyed when he said it was beautiful, so she grew unable to cut it. He surely didn’t realize it himself, but his nonchalant words and actions were all incredibly precious to her.

“I’m alright.”

There was nothing that scared her. As long as she was here, with his warmth by her side, nothing scary would happen. This was the safest place in the world, after all.

“I’m fine now.”

She gave a joyous smile, snuggled her cheek up to his warmth like a kitten, then fell into a cozy slumber.

She didn’t want to think about it. Someday, she’d lose this warmth.

It was the only thing she wanted. The sole thing that she desired. He was by her side, and they shared an almost overflowing happiness.

However, she’d surely lose that someday. And when that time came, what should she do?

So she wouldn’t think about it, she let herself drift off into a deep sleep.

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