Published at 19th of January 2020 1:28 am

Volume 7, Chapter 3: Sequel: The Platinum-haired Maiden and the Golden-eyed Maiden Make a Grave Visit

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

As of late (which is to say ever since returning from Vassilios), Dale had spent each and every day lazing about and being an all around good-for- nothing. If it were just a few weeks, that could be written off as him taking a vacation, but when that became a few months, those around him couldn’t help but start looking at him differently.

Meanwhile, Latina unsurprisingly spent every day working busily away. The fragile look she had about her while recovering was completely gone now. It seemed that having something to do really was good for her.

“At a glance, it kind of looks like Latina is supporting you, doesn’t it?”

“I feel like Latina really could support me just fine, even if I became completely dependent on her,” Dale replied, punching holes into the documents that Rita had eliminated from the mountain in front of her and then binding them with string. More than helping out, he was just killing time. And Rita didn’t feel comfortable trusting him with any complex work, as his gaze was constantly following Latina around.

Rita continued to pile up the documents she was finished with in front of Dale, feeling exasperated by him all the while.

“This has to be presented to the temple of Akhdar, so leave it separate... Well, it may be true that you don’t have to work, but how about searching for a new place to live?”

“I worked several years straight without ever taking time off, so I’m just taking a bit of a vacation. That’s all...”

The reason Rita had said he didn’t need to work was because Dale was a hero on the global scale, one who had carried out the great task of eliminating the demon lords. On top of that, it had been more than just one. He had been responsible for the defeat of the Second, Fourth, and Seventh demon lords than just the Calamities. That was because he had carried out his vengeance on those demon lords like a skilled assassin, ensuring he didn’t leave behind any evidence.) The reward he had received for that was enormous. He could quite literally spend the rest of his life fooling around, never working again.

Even just having a direct contract under the duke had been earning Dale more money than a normal adventurer could ever dream of. The reason that Rita and Kenneth didn’t try to stop Dale when he first said he would take in the young Latina was because they were aware of his robust finances. Those hefty savings also made it so Dale could buy all sorts of things for the young girl without worrying about the cost, even including expensive magical tools from time to time.

Despite being raised by a man like that, Latina had remained extremely frugal. That was a result of her own personality.

Before responding to Rita, Dale glanced over at Latina. And then, in a bit of a quiet voice, he said, “I just can’t right now. Latina still isn’t back to her old self yet, right?”

“...I see,” Rita agreed after having her voice catch in her throat for a second.

Rita had also watched over Latina all this time, as a guardian. And as a woman herself and the mother of two children, Rita was able to notice things that Dale and Kenneth couldn’t.

“A whole lot happened... so at least for now, I think it’s best not to change things too much. And I want Latina to be there when we decide on things like that, too.”

“That girl really does push herself too hard...” Rita said with a sigh, looking at Dale. Her expression showed clear concern.

“...Is it really best to just leave things up to the passage of time?”

“I’m not sure she has things all sorted out in her mind just yet... She was pushing herself the whole time during her visit ‘back home.’ It feels to me like she’s only just now gotten a chance to relax.”

Dale felt that even though her sister was now its ruler, Vassilios wasn’t a place she was especially comfortable staying in, especially seeing how she had once been exiled from there.

She had also really strained herself in order to be as little of a hindrance as possible.

She really did look relieved ever since returning to Kreuz and their everyday lives there. Dale didn’t feel like she would welcome another sudden change in environment.

At the same time, Latina also felt more than a little responsible for Dale’s cruel annihilation of the demon lords, leading to some emotional instability. Dale wasn’t especially aware of that, though.

Ever since he was young, Dale made a clear distinction between his

“work” and the rest of his life. If not for that, he would have fallen apart long ago.

However, Latina couldn’t do that. Unlike Chrysos, in her position with so many responsibilities, there wasn’t anything she could do about things right now.

And so, she swallowed her feelings of wanting to atone, knowing all the while that she would eventually have to find a way to do so.

Latina insisted on sticking to her normal everyday life as part of her quest to bring some stability to the whirlwind of emotions in her heart.

Dale may have had his hidden deplorable bits about him, but he actually did have more reasons behind his current vacation than just his economic status.

First off, now that he’d eliminated the Demon Lords of Calamity, there were no more enemies left that he needed to fight. So for the time being, Dale wouldn’t be getting any work as a hero.

Another big reason was the fact that his basic abilities had been so greatly elevated by him becoming a demon.

Dale had been accepting such frequent work in the forest despite his robust finances in order to keep up with his training. It helped him to maintain his muscles and temper his sword and magic techniques. It also served the crucial purpose of throwing him into a dangerous environment, so that his combat senses didn’t dull.

Now that he had become a demon, though, his basic abilities had been elevated, and he didn’t have to worry about them ever degrading. His combat senses may dull a bit, but after discussing that with a certain demon lord, they decided that may actually be for the best for the sake of world peace.

Thanks to all those various reasons, Dale didn’t have any need to force himself to work, so he was enjoying a long period of time off.

And also, he didn’t want to work. Or to be more accurate, he didn’t want to have to leave Latina’s side in order to work.

“If you’ve got free time, then there’s something I’d like to ask you to do...” Kenneth said, poking his head out from the kitchen. “What is it?”

“There are some young adventurers who just broke out on their own, and they made a request... They want to take on an escort job, but they don’t have much experience, so they’d like someone to give them guidance...”

“...I’ve hardly ever done any escort jobs at all. The only times I did any were when I was with your party.”

Dale had built up experience as an adventurer alongside Kenneth, who

He had been well-versed in combat and camping skills even for someone with a background like his, but that alone wasn’t enough to make it as an adventurer. Kenneth taught him all sorts of things, like the tricks to traveling and negotiating with clients. When Kenneth retired as an adventurer and married into running the Dancing Ocelot, Dale also set out on his own and began taking requests directly from Duke Eldstedt.

After that point Dale primarily undertook extermination requests, so he hardly had any experience with escort jobs.

Kenneth should have also been well aware of that fact.

“You see... those adventurers and Latina hit it off with each other. The conversation went in a direction where they figured they could handle it if the person they were escorting was also skilled, even if the task took them to a somewhat dangerous place...”

“It won’t go so easily though, right?” Dale replied, his expression growing grim for a different sort of reason.

Just when did Latina hit it off with these adventurers? he was wondering. They sure had guts, getting close to Latina when he wasn’t around. He would make sure they realized thoroughly just what they’d done.

“Even if Latina was all on her own outside of town, she could probably manage somehow.”

Dale had said that because of her blessing as a demon lord, which meant she wouldn’t lose her life even if some enemy attacked her. On top of that, she was also a highly skilled magic user, which meant she should be capable of dealing with a great variety of situations even all by herself.

However, that was ultimately something he had to keep to himself.

“But if some lesser bastards were there dragging her down... she’d try to back them up, and it would end up being more dangerous than going solo.”

“Yeah.”

Cooperation between multiple people relied on more than individual ability, it was a different type of skill. And as she hadn’t practiced or trained in that field, it was a skill that Latina lacked.

That was why Kenneth simply agreed with Dale’s words of concern.

“So what about if you accompanied them? You could also handle a request to gather a ton of information in order to make a map of the forest while you’re at it.”

“A map of the forest?”

“They’re making a map in order to open a path to Vassilios, but apparently first they want to fill in the numerous gaps in their knowledge. There wouldn’t be any concerns about you getting lost, so you’d be perfect for the task, right?”

“Well... I guess that’s true, but...”

Because Dale specialized in Earth magic, he didn’t have to worry about losing his way. Even if he walked into an area he was unfamiliar with, that magic would be able to save his skin.

“What are you talking about?” Latina asked, suddenly poking her head in.

Emma was walking behind her, clinging to the elder girl tightly.

“Latina...”

“Exploring the forest, like we’d been discussing. It wouldn’t be any problem if Dale accompanied you, right?”

The instant Kenneth replied to Latina in that manner, Dale realized he’d been had.

Just as Dale had expected, he saw Latina’s expression brighten. Seeing that look on her face, there was only one option left to him.

However, the words Latina said next were a little bit different than what Dale had expected.

“From you, Latina?”

“I could have just asked you directly, but since it had to do with Vassilios, I wanted to involve a lot of the adventurers who come to this shop, too, so I went with a request.”

“...Was it a request from Chrysos?” “Yeah.”

Dale was perplexed as to when Latina had apparently gotten into contact with her sister.

In actuality, Latina hadn’t gotten into contact with Chrysos directly. As the ruler of a nation with plenty of responsibilities, Chrysos couldn’t so lightly exchange letters with her sister in a foreign nation.

However, Sylvia was in Vassilios. Sylvia had previously abused her privileges to have private exchanges with Latina using the Dancing Ocelot’s Akhdar message board. With Sylvia acting as an in-between, the sisters were able to use the information network of the Akhdar temples to carry out a basic exchange of information.

“And then, we happened to have that discussion about them wanting to take on an escort job, so it kind of turned out that way.” “I didn’t even notice...”

“Their request came through Mr. Syl. They’re pretty close to my age, and being in the Ocelot was kind of worrying for them...” Latina said, then thought for a bit after seeing the sulky look on Dale’s face. She then followed up by saying, “They’re a party of all girls, after all.”

With that statement alone, Dale’s mood recovered drastically.

Female adventurers received a great deal of escort requests.

Because he knew that fact, Dale finally accepted all the details of the conversation up until now. It was a truly deplorable reaction to have.

When the client requesting an escort was a woman, they often couldn’t help but be hesitant about dealing with a grim-looking, vulgar male adventurer. After all, there was no guarantee that adventurers always behaved themselves properly. When hiring someone, it was important to make sure their character could be trusted so the client wouldn’t be sexually assaulted. However, that was very difficult to do when it came to someone you were meeting for the first time.

As a result, such clients generally sought female guards, or at least a party that included women.

When the client was a man, there was a tendency to request someone who looked strong, choosing based on appearances. But on longer jobs, the sort of attentiveness characteristic of women led to the added benefit of raising their names as adventurers.

It was a different story when it came to parties whose behavior was already well known and proven, but when they had that much of a reputation, they would also have to be a group with significant skill that would require a great deal of money to hire. And above all else, when a party became that skilled, there was no need for them to accept escort requests.

Considering those circumstances, it made more sense for female adventurers to focus on the sort of skills required for escort requests, rather than those needed for magical beast extermination and harvesting requests.

It was praiseworthy, seeing young novices seeking to better themselves by gaining the skills they expected to need down the line.

“For a while after first starting out as adventurers, they had done harvesting and small magical beast extermination work for a party Mr. Syl introduced them to.”

“The standard routine for beginners, huh?”

“That’s what Mr. Syl said, too. The basics of using weapons and tools, and how to accept work, and report things... It’s a little like all the stuff I learned while traveling with you, I think.”

“How to travel and camp are essential skills... Novices are generally all folks who only know life in towns and villages, even when it comes to adventurers,” Dale said, and Latina nodded.

“And so, they said they wanted to be taught what they needed, and then when they didn’t need the support, they would take on jobs on their own.

But they’re all women, so Mr. Syl came to me, thinking I could relate.” “Ugh...” Dale groaned, but grasped what had happened.

Latina served as a sort of cushion between the veteran and novice adventurers who used the Ocelot. When faced with their idol, both the old- timer veterans and the youngsters wanted to show their good sides. As a result, there was less quarreling and trouble-making, to everyone’s mutual benefit.

Female adventurers found it easier to use compared to other shops in the same business to start with, as one of the owners, Rita, was a woman. With the addition of Latina’s presence, it made for an environment that was especially friendly to women.

Thanks to that conversation it was decided that Latina was to depart from Kreuz for the first time in a while, accompanied by Dale. As Latina was unconscious and carried when she went to Vassilios, she didn’t count it.

“Dale, Dale, what sort of clothes should I wear?”

“Any clothes would look cute on you, Latina,” Dale responded, swerving a bit from the intended meaning of the question.

Hearing Dale’s response, Latina’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she complained in a dissatisfied voice, “That’s not what I mean. It’s not like we’re going on a trip, so is it alright if I don’t worry about dressing too heavily?”

“Well, the season being what it is... It also got pretty chilly at night when we went on our trip before. But with that said, if you wear too much, you may end up getting overheated while moving about.”

“Hmm...”

Dale smiled while watching Latina prepare, standing and thinking in front of her clothing storage.

“Well, this time you’d probably be fine even in casual wear. I’ll be preparing all sorts of equipment, after all. However, we’ll be going through thickets and stuff, so try not to have any exposed skin.”

Latina kept on preparing while they had that conversation, looking like she was getting ready to go on a picnic.

The place they were going to wasn’t so safe and secure that you could just take it easy and play around there. The fact that Latina was able to act so casually in spite of that was proof of her absolute trust in Dale.

“Woof, woof, woof.”

Vint made a sulking appeal for attention, announcing that he would hold down the fort and intentionally rolling over into Latina and Dale’s point of view, but unfortunately, he was ignored for the time being.

The following day, before noon, Dale and Latina headed for the southern gate together. When Latina laid eyes on the party of three standing near the gate, she enthusiastically waved hello.

“Adelina,” Latina called out, and the group seemed to notice. The three girls straightened their posture, unable to hide their nervousness as they greeted Dale and Latina. Latina tilted her head a bit at that reaction from her friends.

“Are you nervous because of the job? This is everyone’s first time meeting, right? This is Dale, my, um... fiance.”

That introduction from Latina alone had been enough to provide Dale’s motivation for the day.

“I’m Dale Reki. Pleased to meet you,” Dale said, giving a brief introduction. He was wearing his usual equipment of a black magical beast leather coat and a gauntlet on his left hand, as well as a sword and knife for weapons. The only difference was that today, he was carrying enough luggage that it made it hard to imagine he was just heading into that familiar forest.

Having heard Dale’s introduction, the three =girls stood up even straighter.

“My name is Paula Zenkel. Thank you in advance for your guidance today.”

Paula, who had taken a step forward and got things started, was lacking in anything especially valuable. That was fitting for a novice, but her gear was worthy of a passing mark. Dale judged that her equipment would serve her reliably in her role as a vanguard fighter. He had also sensed a bit of her leadership skills. That was just what he would expect from someone introduced by Sylvester, though.

“This is Elvira Wentz. And the other girl is Adelina Beinl. “I’m Elvira.”

“I’m Adelina. It’s my pleasure to meet you.”

The two girls Paula had introduced repeated their names, looking rather nervous as they did so. Judging from their equipment, Elvira also appeared to be a warrior, while Adelina was apparently in charge of rear support.

Without Dale even needing to interject, Paula took the lead as they exited Kreuz through the southern gate, while Adelina continued to provide logistical support. Taking up the rear in order to properly surround targets they were guarding was Elvira. It was a by-the-book approach, but at the same time you could also say this demonstrated a good grasp of the fundamentals.

Dale was carefully observing the three girl team he was technically in charge of providing guidance for. Latina on the other hand seemed to be enjoying herself, and wasn’t feeling nervous in the least.

“It really has been a while. I just don’t seem to get out of town very often,

you know?” Latina said, turning this way and that as she did so.

The way she was acting made her seem younger than she was, and was proof of how much Latina was enjoying herself.

While almost bouncing along as she walked, Latina looked up at Dale.

“Dale, that’s a lot of luggage, isn’t it? Are you alright? Should I help you carry it?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Dale was carrying so much luggage because today’s outing was “training.” “Normally we’d be done and head home before the day was done, so we wouldn’t need all this. But today I want to check their ability to make camp, too.”

“But you’ve got my share of the luggage too, right...?”

“That it’s your share only makes me all the more alright carrying it.”

It was immediately after their departure, and they were already having such a sickeningly sweet conversation. Though such sights were common around the Ocelot, it really was something everyone had already had more than enough of. In fact, the three girls were already starting to look sick of it themselves.

“Thank goodness the weather is looking so good.”

Latina was clearly enjoying this outing, so much so that her bad habit of getting distracted and letting her gaze wander all over was showing. Though with that said, Dale had no intention of giving her a warning today.

There was no guarantee that the target one was escorting would always be attentive and vigilant, after all.

It most certainly wasn’t because Dale found Latina enjoying herself to be utterly adorable and a joy to watch.

“Preparing for bad weather is also an important part of training, though...” Dale responded, while also thinking that he wouldn’t let Latina camp in bad weather in this chilly season. Naturally, he would immediately decide to postpone. She may say that would be fun, too, but there were some things he just couldn’t allow.

“You’ve got a lot of luggage, too, Adelina. Are you okay?”

Not realizing the contents of what Dale was currently muttering to himself, Latina smiled and asked that to Adelina, who was walking ahead of them. Adelina dropped her walking speed just a bit to come up alongside Latina and replied, “It’s because I can’t get directly involved in combat. This way, the two of them can immediately jump into battle without having to worry about their luggage.”

“I see... Before, when I went on a trip with Dale, we got a horse to carry it all, but I guess you can’t do that, huh?”

“I’d love to be the sort of person who could use a carriage to carry our stuff, but that can be difficult depending on the details of the job.”

From looking at them as they carried on this conversation, Latina and Adelina seemed to be fairly close.

From Dale’s point of view, the three girls had been exceedingly stiff and nervous the whole time, ever since they left Kreuz. But that seemed to fade a bit for Adelina as she was talking to Latina.

Even though they may not have been used to such things, this line of work required a firm grip on one’s own nerves in order to make sure the client was safe. However, Dale thought with a strained smile that this situation probably wouldn’t last for long, and was trending in a good direction.

It would be no exaggeration to call Latina’s natural ability to calm down those around her a “special technique.”

Dale thought such things to himself, having no idea that the greatest reason for that nervousness was being faced with a hero who was becoming a modern-day legend. He had no self-awareness at all regarding his reputation as some amazing champion, a target of admiration for novice adventurers.

Partway through her conversation with Adelina, Latina looked up at Dale and smiled.

“Adelina can use simple chants for healing and defensive wall magic. But she can’t get them to consistently activate, so she’s been consulting with me.”

“Huh...”

That was definitely something, being able to use magic despite being a novice. If she could use that in real combat, then that would be plenty worthy of praise.

Latina could handle magic even more easily than Adelina could now since back when she was a small child, but that was just because she was so out of the norm.

“Normally if someone wanted to learn to use magic, even just simple chants, that would require quite a bit of compensation. But... Latina said not worry about that.”

“That may be the case when it comes to teaching someone from scratch.

All I did was offer a little advice, though. And it was just second-hand from

Lady Rose, at that.”

While listening to Latina say that, Dale thought on how Rose was acknowledged as one of the foremost priestesses and magic users in all of Laband by the duke himself. He also considered the matter that Latina had happened to be granted the opportunity to study under the sorts of instructors one normally could never learn under, no matter how much they

Since it was the winter there was a somewhat dreary, lonesome feel to their surroundings. But as they were blessed with good weather today, there was also a warm, gentle, pleasant-feeling sunlight shining down upon them.

Naturally, until they reached the forest they weren’t in magical beast territory, so it wasn’t very dangerous. Watching these girls of the same age have a pleasant chat as they walked along made for an incredibly peaceful sight. Of course, Dale also had an extremely gentle expression on his face while watching Latina.

It was then that Dale suddenly sensed a presence and then glanced to his side. Elvira, who had been serving as their rear guard, was now standing a step closer than she had been before and was looking at Dale. Elvira was taller than Paula and Adelina, so that meant her gaze was all the closer to Dale’s. Unlike Paula, who had such a plain appearance that she could be mistaken for a man, this girl had a feminine appeal about her. She shot Dale a smile, acting a bit flirtatious.

“Sir Dale, you’ve been taking on harsh jobs as an adventurer since you were even younger than us, right?”

Not even breaking out in a strained laugh, Dale readily replied, “...An adventurer shouldn’t be trying to entice each and every one of her clients.”

Dale remained calm and composed as he saw through the fact that Elvira’s actions were intentional, and he also wasn’t the sort to get taken in by a girl so many years his younger. Of course when he thought about his relationship with Latina, who was the same age as these other girls, he openly exposed his hypocrisy and ultimately dodged confronting the subject, but that just proved how special Latina was to him.

Even when getting involved with noble high society, Dale was able to calmly deal with whatever came his direction. In a way, his deplorable actions when Latina was around didn’t allow for a proper assessment of the man.

Though with that said, it was also hard to say that the “proper assessment” of society at large captured his true essence.

Elvira looked half-disappointed, half-relieved by Dale’s reaction.

Ultimately, though, the satisfaction of not being let down by the hero she idolized brought a smile to her face.

“It’s my secret to success in life. I mean, Paula’s the way she is, too. So I figured if someone was going to look at me as a woman, then I should at least try to use that to my advantage.”

“You may be thinking highly of yourself, but don’t underestimate what others are capable of.”

“Thank you for the warning.”

Perhaps because of the long period of time he had spent as Latina’s guardian, he was far more accustomed to seeing things from the perspective one would expect from someone of his age.

Dale found it hard to judge whether it was an honor or otherwise to have Kenneth and the others give their stamp of approval as overseers of her safety.

Before long, the forest came into view.

This forest was one of the reasons behind Kreuz’s growth. As magical beast territory, it was a place where many adventurers gathered with their eyes on its many resources, supporting the abundance of Kreuz greatly even now.

“According to Kenneth, they’re planning to open a path through here when diplomatic relations with Vassilios are established.”

“Vassilios is isolated from other countries by this forest and a desert. Chrysos also said that she’d like to someday construct a port beyond the desert, but that her main priority was to develop this path between her nation and Laband,” Latina responded with a smile, apparently having heard of her sister’s hopes for the future.

“Up until now there have only been animal trails... And those paths haven’t been carefully marked on maps, obviously.”

“But even so, thanks to the cooperation of the regulars, we more or less have a grasp of the lay of the land. When they traveled on foot to Vassilios they were accompanied by an Akhdar priestess, so apparently there are detailed records.”

Those records would in turn act to provide a portion of the funding for the temple of Akhdar. The principle conduct of priests of that god was to gather information, and there was no guarantee that would directly lead to profit. It was also possible that their expenses could overtake their earnings. Information like this, which one could expect great profit from, was an important source of income.

“Then what is the new information they want?” Dale questioned.

“You see, this job is also a sort of personal request from me and Chrysos...” Latina replied with a somewhat lonesome smile, and then spread out the rough map of the forest before them. She pointed out an area a little removed from the irregular line indicating the shortest path between Vassilios and Kreuz.

“This is around where you and I first met, right, Dale?” “Hmm? Yeah.”

“This is the area that Chrysos wanted to know about. Where Rag and I passed through... I’m not able to remember everything myself, though. But Chrysos said she wanted to know what it was like when Rag and I came to Laband after parting with her.”

“...I see,” Dale responded, intentionally using a cheerful tone of voice.

Doing so meant following her memories through to the point where death parted Latina and her father, as well as touching upon the painful memories of when she was exiled. But even so, she had apparently steeled herself for facing her past head on.

Dale hadn’t expected Latina to tell him the precise reason why she decided this investigation should be carried out now. But she had told him anyways because they had decided they wouldn’t hide things from each other any longer.

However, she was a bit of a natural airhead. Which is to say, at times she couldn’t quite read the room or the like. Dale could tell that, having raised her while pretending to be the same way himself.

From the moment they stepped into the forest, the group of three was immediately on edge once again. Figuring there was no helping that considering their current abilities, Dale gave an awkward smile. As they were still just starting out the girls had primarily stuck to the outskirts of the forest, but now they were treading deep inside alongside Dale and Latina.

The magical beasts would be showing up a lot more often, and they’d be a whole lot more dangerous, too. Dale and Vint may have often wandered into this part of the forest without a care in the world, but that was quite different from how adventurers at large would approach it.

Even just a little rustling in the brush was enough to cause the group of three girls to jump. Dale found it interesting that it wasn’t them but Latina, an ordinary citizen, who was able to maintain her composure.

“Latina?”

“There’s no feeling of danger. And since you’re not putting your hand on your sword, it’s alright, isn’t it?” Latina responded without a care, looking at Dale.

Apparently she wasn’t any more on edge than she needed to be thanks to her natural ability to sense danger, as well as her absolute trust in Dale.

“I won’t tell you to relax as much as Latina, but...” Dale started with a strained smile, looking at Paula tightly gripping her weapon. “An escort job isn’t about beating magical beasts or anything like that. It’s about securing the safety of your client above all else. You should focus your attention on carefully watching your surroundings and predicting potential dangers.”

There were a great deal of trees and undergrowth around, making for a great deal of cover, so that was easier said than done in this place. But put another way, if they could succeed in such a task in this forest, it would make the group of three a great deal more experienced.

That was why Dale had made that remark, but as soon as he said that, a large shadow flitted in between the trees in the distance. In that instant, Dale saw both Paula and Adelina brace their shoulders.

“Don’t make any noise. We’re downwind, and it hasn’t noticed us.” Paula had been readying herself to launch a preemptive attack, only for Dale to hold her back with a quiet yet sharp voice. “There’s no need to fight each and every magical beast. You should consider just letting them pass, depending on the situation. It’s also important to choose to retreat when things get out of control.”

Dale glanced over at Latina, and found that she had made the correct judgment and was calmly holding her breath. As she could cast delicate magic even without a tool to assist her, Latina would be able to deploy a magical barrier to protect everyone here if push came to shove.

Even though they were just getting started, they were adventurers, a group that claimed to specialize in fighting skills. Dale couldn’t help but give an awkward chuckle at the fact that she was more accustomed to such things.

Just as Dale had said, the magical beast in the distance passed on by without noticing them. The tension visibly drained from Paula and the others. They shouldn’t have let their guard down so readily, but Dale wasn’t harsh enough to tell them that right now.

The pressure one felt facing a small magical beast didn’t even compare to that from a medium or large one. It was no surprise that just the thought of having to face it had caused them to freeze in place.

We really do have a different foundation to work off of, seeing how I participated in the hunting groups ever since I was a kid...

His home village of Tislow had a culture and customs separated from the world at large, and were a clan of exceptional ability.

After having numerous such encounters with magical beasts, they arrived at a slightly more open area. The place had repeated a cycle of being overgrown and then that growth withering away, and was now covered in a great deal of weeds.

“It’s because we haven’t come for a while...” “Yeah...”

The tip of a large white stone could be vaguely seen from within the growth.

While showing clear guilt at having left her father’s grave untended for such a long period of time, Latina slipped on leather gloves and looked ahead with a tense expression. It was the expression of someone with a passion for cleaning.

“...You three, take lookout. If you discover a magical beast, you don’t necessarily have to attack it. And depending on the circumstances, I can join in.”

As Latina’s objective right now was obviously stationary, it wasn’t possible to retreat this time. That was why Dale had made that statement, but the reaction from the girls was a little different than what they had shown before. Dale had no idea whatsoever that that was because of the possibility of seeing a legendary hero in battle.

Weeds that had withered in the winter could be pulled free without having to reap them, but even so, it was no easy task.

“We should’ve brought Vint along...”

That pup who had announced he would hold down the fort specialized in Wind magic. He was strangely good at reaping down weeds and gathering them up, so he could have easily taken care of the task.

A little bit removed from the gravestone, Dale used his Earth magic to open a hole and threw the withered weeds into it, then dealt with them using a fire-starting magical device. He also kept an eye on things to make sure that the flames didn’t spread to the dried surroundings. Since Dale was able to use Water magic, putting out fires was a specialty of his.

Latina kept on diligently working away all the while, and thanks to that, the area around the grave was soon looking neat and tidy. She brought forth some water using a magical device, and then wiped away the dirt and filth from her father’s gravestone. And then, Latina knelt silently for a while in front of the now pure white gravestone.

Far sooner than Dale had expected, Latina stood up and turned around to face him.

“Was that really enough? That was pretty brief.”

“Yeah,” Latina responded with a somewhat lonesome-looking smile. “I was able to check that it hadn’t fallen into ruin and managed to clean it up, so it’s fine. And also...” After being at a loss for words for a moment, Latina continued on as if it was nothing at all, “I managed... to tell him that I got to see Chrysos, so that’s enough.”

Dale guessed from Latina’s expression that she didn’t want to expose too much of her inner self in front of Paula and the others.

I guess if she let herself get too emotional, she’d end up crying...

And so, Dale put his arm around the girl who was trying to act tough and pulled her in close, then gently stroked her head to console her.

“Now then... shall we continue a bit further in? I don’t know how you made it this far either, Latina, but I guess we’ll need to head towards Vassilios and confirm the terrain either way, right?”

Based on what he had heard from Latina, Dale guessed that her father wasn’t accustomed to camping and the like, but he was apparently a prudent person with a great deal of knowledge. The young Latina hadn’t understood the details at the time, but Dale supposed the man had decided on a precise destination, carefully navigating based on the positions of the stars. If he was aiming for a place where people lived, then his goal had most likely been Kreuz.

“I don’t think... we should be straying too far from whatever path you took, probably.”

The path they hoped to construct to Vassilios would be a highway. For the sake of the future, the goal would be to create a road that carriages could use, to facilitate trade between both countries. As such, it would be necessary to avoid swampland and places with bad footing. Checking the area for potential hazards was also one of their objectives on this trip.

Latina sneaked a peek at the notes Dale was jotting down while walking along and tilted her head. His writing was overly concise and used plenty of symbols, so Latina couldn’t quite understand what it all meant.

“It’s ultimately just notes... I just need to be able to understand it myself later, so I use abbreviations.” “It’s like it’s in code...”

“Well, that’s more or less how things go when it comes to handling information.”

Dale continued his investigation nonchalantly until the time came for him to select a location to camp, before the sun went down. He set down the luggage he had been carrying, and then began assembling their tent without asking for Latina’s assistance.

“Latina...” Dale called out to the girl who had just stood up.

“Right. I won’t go far, and if anything happens, I’ll call for you,” Latina responded with a slightly strained smile.

Latina’s gaze fell on the group of three, who were sitting about in a state of exhaustion. They hadn’t ended up in combat a single time, but being in such a constant state of alertness had pushed their mental fatigue to the limit.

Latina entered into the forest and started to gather up firewood. It was a dry season, so there was fortunately no lack of kindling to be found. Latina worked at a brisk pace, and after several trips to and from the campground, there was a mountain of firewood to work with.

It grew chilly at night during this time of year, so there was no such thing as too much firewood.

Latina then started to prepare the fire itself. She went with an open-air fire rather than constructing a furnace so that they could warm themselves around it at night. Then, she set up a pole over it so that a pot could be suspended there.

“It’s going to get even colder, so... it’d be good to be able to get even a little warmer...” Latina muttered to herself, and then got started preparing food as if it were routine. As she was their client, her actions left Adelina looking flustered, but Latina reined the girl in with a single glance.

“Alright, I’ve prepared the meat with salt and herbs.”

As she cheerfully worked away at her outdoor cooking, it seemed quite apparent that she was enjoying the circumstances.

“I’ll let it cook nice and slowly, so I suppose it’ll be done around when the sun sets... And I’ve also made a dessert to go with it. If I heat that up a bit, I think it’ll make for a good meal.”

What Latina considered “outdoor cooking” had somehow diverged from what was the standard for adventurers.

She skillfully set up the pot at the proper distance from the flame, so that the salted meat would simmer just right over low heat. Once she had finished making a clear soup base, she added in some diced up vegetables.

The taste went without saying, but the way that she had also chosen to focus on its ability to warm someone up really showed her attention to detail.

Once Dale finished preparing the tent and his other tasks, he approached the fire and was the first to be handed one of the smoked meat sandwiches Latina had prepared. Latina then went about preparing portions for Paula and the others.

“I made a lot of soup, so eat as much as you want, alright? You don’t need to worry about leaving food for tomorrow morning.”

As a light eater, Latina simply lightly toasted a slice of bread with just a single slice of cheese on top and then bit into it. She also took a taste of the soup, and gave a satisfied smile at her own work.

Everyone else present also seemed to enjoy the meal. Looking ecstatic to see the pot now completely empty, Latina then swiftly cleaned it out and filled it with hot water. She started preparing tea in it, and then went into the tent with her and Dale’s portions of dessert.

“Everyone else’s portions are over there. You can eat them as is, or I think it would also work well to heat them over the fire for a bit. And feel free to pour tea for yourselves, alright?”

The tent that Dale had brought along was big enough for Latina and himself. Latina looked a little guilty that only they got to relax inside, but there was no way that it would be alright for adventurers to occupy their client’s tent.

And also, the three girls had been tense the entire time. It would be no surprise that they’d want to have a little time to let their hair down, free of the watchful eyes of their observer. It was for precisely this reason that Dale had hurried Latina into the tent. It most certainly wasn’t because he wanted to spend some blissful time alone together.

When Dale had taken Latina on a trip to his home village, he hadn’t put up a tent. That was because it had been a more comfortable season for spending time outside, and also because there hadn’t been anyone to watch over them. As a highly experienced adventurer, Dale had wanted to avoid a situation in which his vision and their escape route were obstructed.

This time, though, it was a chilly time of year and they had people outside to keep watch, so he had prepared a tent. He had proper reasons for doing so. It most assuredly wasn’t to monopolize the sight of Latina wearing a blanket and holding a piping hot cup of tea.

“Hey, Dale,” Latina said, handing Dale a slice of baked pie with fruit compote filling.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Chrysos said that she’d come visit Laband in the not too distant future.”

That caught Dale off guard, causing him to sputter. They were fortunately spared having to deal with a serious mess inside the tent, though, because his mouth had been empty at the time.

That reaction was only natural, as her statement was one worthy of being classified as a national secret. Calling her decision to blurt it out here “airheaded” wouldn’t even begin to cover it.

Latina calmly kept on talking, paying no heed to Dale’s reaction.

“Before, Chrysos said that she wanted to visit Rag’s grave... I think that this investigation will also help contribute to that.”

“I don’t think... that’d be easy to pull off, you know...?” Dale wrung out, breaking out in a sweat. Latina tilted her head a bit.

“There will still be some time before diplomatic relations between the two countries are officially established.”

“That’s true...”

“But apparently when she was talking to Lady Rose, she learned that the way of life in Vassilios and Laband differed an awful lot. So much so that she figured she wouldn’t know how to entertain Labandese envoys... So it seems she plans to come and learn at least a little about Laband’s customs.”

“Even so, I don’t think that’s the sort of job you’d normally have the ruler of a nation handle...”

“It’s because the best speaker of Western Continental in all of Vassilios... is Chrysos.”

Latina may have said that, but they were talking about a demon lord with a serious sister complex. It was a given that Chrysos had hurriedly set up an opportunity to meet with her twin, and then come up with a reason for doing so afterwards.

Dale was always saying that Chrysos’s comments about him were awful, but the same could clearly be said about his opinion of her, especially at times like this.

Really, they were both at fault.

“It may be difficult to set up, but it sure would be nice if we could meet, even for just a little while.” Latina’s entirely sensible statement was said with a smile on her face.

By normal standards, a townsperson like Latina would never have a chance to meet with a foreign dignitary such as Chrysos.

But I’m sure Chrysos would definitely make it happen...

The reason Dale was mentally sweating was because Laband’s elite were surely aware of the fact that Chrysos wanted to meet with her sister. If Chrysos visited this country, Latina was sure to receive an invitation to the capital. And the duke and the like would also be aware that the famed Fairy Princess was Chrysos’s twin sister.

At this rate, her relationship with Vassilios’s rule may end up a well known fact amongst high society.

Just what sort of standing would that leave him in? Dale gave a sigh and then hugged Latina.

He paid no heed to the blank look on her face, simply embracing her tighter. The looming end to his time of relaxation was all the more reason to enjoy himself while he could.

“Dale?”

“Hmm... Now that I think of it, there’s something I wanted to ask, Latina.” “What is it?”

“Did you really not have any concerns, introducing me to members of the opposite sex?”

“Huh?”

Latina’s big grey eyes blinked in surprise, and she stared at Dale with a look of bewilderment. Since he was her “guardian,” she had introduced her friends to Dale ever since she was a child. This was the first time he had ever asked her something like that.

“You mean Adelina and the others?”

“So you’re... fine with me getting near other girls?”

There was a hint of teasing to Dale’s question. He wasn’t overly serious, but Latina still thought on what he was saying.

Latina was aware that she did get jealous, in her own way. Her own low self-esteem contributed to that.

But at the same time, she trusted Dale.

“I mean, I know that you don’t look at them that way. And also...” Latina started to continue on, only to suddenly stop herself. She averted her gaze from Dale and remained silent.

“‘And also’?”

“It’s nothing...”

“You’re not acting like it’s nothing.”

“I don’t doubt you. That’s the truth,” Latina said while wiping away sweat, clearly acting suspiciously.

“Oh right, you were jealous because Chrysos and I were getting along before, right?”

That had happened back in Vassilios.

Dale and Chrysos had found themselves to be kindred spirits in terms of underhandedness. Latina, however, took that as them getting along exceptionally well, making her a bit jealous.

Apparently Dale’s comment had hit the mark, as she was clearly panicking.

The result of that jealousy had been a complex situation that left Latina red-faced and wiping away sweat. That was because the deplorable hero had been left with limited options to clear away Latina’s doubts.

“I’m not jealous! I’m not...”

“Hey, Latina. It actually makes me a bit sad to hear you say you’re not jealous at all, you know?” “Then, what should I...?”

Naturally, the tent wasn’t completely soundproof.

As their voices grew steadily louder, that sickeningly sweet argument leaked out. Latina wasn’t aware, but the group of three were lined up outside, listening with dead eyes.

Dale was even more awful, as he knew they were there but pretended otherwise.

In other words, it was business as usual.

When morning came, the three girls greeted Latina with incredibly lukewarm gazes as she crawled out of the tent. Latina looked bewildered at first, not immediately grasping the meaning behind those gazes. Then, her cheeks went beet red.

“W-we didn’t do anything! We just slept together, because it was cold... but we didn’t do anything, alright?!”

“Ah... Yeah. We know. It’s fine.” “Do you really mean that?!”

Even from outside the tent, the girls could tell that the pair really hadn’t done anything. But even leaving that matter aside, they had still been so sickeningly sweet in their intimacy that the girls felt on the verge of a stomachache.

While Latina and Adelina were carrying on in that manner, Dale also stepped outside. Judging from the glares they were shooting him, Paula and Elvira seemed to now find him utterly deplorable.

That was the usual state of affairs for Dale lately, having people immediately go from respecting him to finding him despicable.

Latina hurriedly prepared breakfast despite the unbearable gazes on her.

Though she struggled in vain to rein in her embarrassment, it had already passed its breaking point. She was only barely resisting the urge to flee in the face of the occasional “ah”s and “ugh”s surrounding her.

“Still, considering the circumstances...” “Yeah.”

“It sure is tasty, isn’t it...?”

Regardless of her distraction, the food Latina had made was more than satisfactory in both volume and flavor. And despite their differences in occupation, the group of three saw the overwhelming difference between them in terms of feminine appeal, making them break out in slightly awkward expressions.

†

Latina’s first real outing in some time ended without any other real issues, aside from that brief bit of embarrassment. However, the explosive statement she had made at that time came to fruition even more quickly than Dale had expected.

The Dancing Ocelot acted as a sort of “branch office” for the temple of Akhdar, which served as an information gathering agency. That made it a place where one could always obtain the latest information.

And so, through completely natural means, Rita ended up being the first one to hear about it.

“Apparently a group of envoys from Vassilios is coming to Laband.”

“So quickly?”

Kenneth’s reaction was entirely natural, but Dale, on the other hand, was left wearing an awkward expression. Latina, too, averted her gaze a bit.

Her reaction didn’t escape Dale’s notice. “Latina, do you know something else?” “...I can’t say.”

“You do know more, don’t you? I mean, considering that phrasing...” “Hold on a second. Are you two hiding something?”

Dale glanced at Latina one more time, and then responded, “Apparently... um... Latina’s sister... is mixed in with that group of envoys.”

Kenneth and Rita both froze.

They were well aware of the position Latina’s sister held.

Latina wouldn’t meet the gazes of anyone present. As always, her reactions left her an open book.

“Latina?” Kenneth questioned, causing the girl’s shoulders to jump. “All I know... is that Chrysos is mixed in with the envoy group...?” “No, you definitely know something.”

“It’s true... just...”

“‘Just’?” Dale pushed, and Latina looked back at him, seeming like she was at a loss.

“I just thought... that Chrysos might be plotting something.”

“Well, that’s for sure,” Dale immediately agreed, causing Kenneth and Rita to make awkward faces. Dale bluntly stated to the two of them, “She’s Latina’s sister, after all.”

“Ah...”

“Well... I guess there’s no surprise there, then...”

That fact alone was enough of an answer to satisfy them.

All Sylvia told me... was that Chrysos was coming here, though...

As she thought to herself, she let out a little “Umm...” and tilted her head.

It wasn’t as though Latina was hiding anything, as the information she had heard really was just, “the Golden King is heading to Laband.” However, it was also true that she had a bad feeling about something.

But... hmm... it couldn’t be, right...?

Still, that was ultimately just a sense of foreboding, rather than anything she could be confident of. That was why she hadn’t discussed the matter with Dale and the others.

Before long, it had become a hot topic in Laband. This was especially true in Kreuz, which served as a relay point between Vassilios and the capital, Ausblick. Though they would be few in number, the visitors were envoys from a foreign nation that had remained closed off up until now. Kreuz was a town that was very open to visitors, so there were very few negative reactions to the fact that they were members of a different race. On top of that, there were rumors that the ruler of that nation was a beautiful young woman, so it was no surprise that the town was in such a welcoming mood.

Of course, it would be hard to say that all of Laband welcomed the arrival of this group of envoys, or even the idea of a cultural exchange with the country of devils in general. There were so-called “human supremacists” who held prejudiced views regarding other races, as well as a growing fear left in the wake of the damages caused by the Demon Lords of Calamity. Since people didn’t know that not all demon lords were alike, many judged them all to be just as awful as the Calamities.

Kreuz could actually be called something of an exception for maintaining a friendly atmosphere in spite of all that.

“Well, the young queen will serve as a pretty easy to understand symbol.

Just seeing her should help to change the minds of folks like that.”

Apparently soldiers from the capital would be showing up to act as protection when the time came. It was easy to see the narrow-minded sorts who preached human supremacy showing up in Kreuz and doing something extreme, after all.

“Though with that said, I hear this town is apparently the most friendly to devils in all of Laband.”

A certain large non-profit organization in Kreuz had a big hand in that. As long as that group held authority within this town, people like that would never be able to cause trouble for their idol’s sister.

“So this town is relatively safe for devils...”

“Hold on a second,” Dale interjected. He raised his hand to his brow and shook his head, then looked at Latina.

“Latina.”

“Yes?” “Explain.”

“I don’t really know what to say...” Latina said with a strained smile, tilting her head a little. “You had to go to the capital because the envoys from Vassilios are coming, right...?”

“Yeah.”

Dale had spent the last few days away from Kreuz, just as Latina had said. He had expected to be called away for that, but what he hadn’t foreseen was a formal request to come back to the capital with Latina when the envoys arrived. As that missive had come from the duke himself, Dale couldn’t possibly refuse, no matter how much his jealous side was flaring up.

Dale was called to the capital because this was a visit from a foreign ruler and defense secrets were involved, so a single letter giving him his orders wouldn’t cover things. Once all the arrangements were in place, he took the

flying dragon prepared for him back to Kreuz.

However, what Dale found waiting for him when he got back home was a situation he had never expected.

“It happened while you were away... I was just doing laundry... and then I sensed her there...

“What is she doing here?” Dale asked, an exhausted expression on his face.

“I don’t know, either...”

Dale’s finger was pointing at a woman who looked identical to Latina. It went without saying, though, that her eyes were golden. She was wearing a very normal Labandese dress, a dark red bolero, and a matching hat.

She turned her focus towards the task of shelling nuts rather than paying him much attention, even after he had interrupted.

“Rita is the one who welcomed her in...”

“I don’t know what to tell you either, though,” Rita responded with a troubled look, despite being the first one to find her. “She just walked in through the front door.”

“Well, I guess she wouldn’t be coming in through the window or anything...”

That really was a sudden occurrence.

When the door to the Ocelot swung open, Rita smiled and launched into her usual greeting. “Wel...come...?” Her voice had tapered off like that because the customer looked so similar to a girl she was thoroughly acquainted with, to such a degree that her identity required no explanation. That was also precisely what caused Rita to freeze up.

This customer was someone who would never be in a place like this.

The regulars also realized a second later, causing them to freeze in place. None of them moved a muscle. One of the customers was even so shocked that they dropped their mug.

Kenneth came out of the kitchen with a frown, having heard the crash.

“Just what’s going—?”

And then, Kenneth froze too.

It felt like the very air itself was standing still as everyone was left at a loss as to how to react. Then, a certain pup who had no idea how to read the mood wandered in. He trotted along forwards while paying no attention to those around him, then rubbed his head up against the visitor.

“Been a while.” “Indeed.”

“Call for Latina?” “Please do.”

After that brief exchange, Vint turned back around the way he had come.

Before long, he returned to the shop with Latina.

Latina was wiping her hands on her apron, looking confused as to why she had been called for. However, her expression soon shifted to surprise when she saw who Vint was heading towards.

As a result, Latina’s hysterical voice ended up reverberating through the Ocelot.

“Chrysos?!” “Platina!”

Rather than shaking off her twin sister’s affectionate hug or trying to return it, Latina just stood there blinking in amazement.

“That all happened a bit before you came back, Dale.” “Seriously...?”

Dale had walked through the door before anyone could even grasp what was going on, which only added to the chaos.

Chrysos may not have known what the conversation was about, but she still had a satisfied look on her face, having finished placing all the shelled nuts onto a small plate by her side. She didn’t particularly look like she intended to eat any, though. Perhaps since she always had servants handling her every need, the very concept of a nut with a shell was intriguing to her.

“So, why are you here?” Dale asked, having regained a bit of his composure.

Having finished building her mountain of nuts, she looked at him and responded, “Vassilios has long refused contact with the outside world, so misconceptions regarding demon lords and devils have spread amongst the humans, yes?”

“Well, I guess that’s true. If you mention demon lords in a human country, everybody will just think of the Calamities. And both devils and demons tend to get lumped together, too.”

“Demons” referred to those who a demon lord granted a portion of their power, making them into retainers. There were few restrictions when it came to becoming one. It wasn’t even necessary to be a member of the races of man, as just having some degree of intelligence was enough. But with that said, demon lords came from the race of devils, so the same tended to be true of their retainers.

On top of that, the only real visual identifier of a demon was the “name” that their master branded them with. That name served as a symbol of their ownership and obedience, so it was always placed in a vital position like above their heart or on their forehead. In other words, on a body part they could never get rid of, no matter how much they came to despise the brand.

Dale’s divine protection that allowed him to tell them apart was an exception, as differentiating them was nearly impossible for most people. As a result, it wasn’t at all rare for humans who were only vaguely familiar with demon lords and their demons to lump devils in as the same lot.

“One purpose of this visit of mine was to help to correct such misconceptions. I have found, though, that there are indeed some with truly unpleasant manners of thinking.”

“Well, I can’t deny that...”

Humans had the greatest population amongst the seven races by a long shot. That meant that depending on the circumstances, they could live their whole lives never interacting with a member of another race. Or sometimes, it even led to apprehension towards anyone who looked different. So-called human supremacy was blatant discrimination, but it was also hard to say such feelings were rare amongst humans as a whole.

“Such groups do not think fondly of my visit, yes? Some may even try to harm me directly.” “Yeah, I suppose.”

“Therefore, I have left a double of myself with the envoys and headed off for this town on my own.”

“Right. That definitely is strange,” Dale interjected without even thinking, only for Kenneth and the regulars to nod along.

“That’s right, Chrysos. Even though demon lords can’t be hurt by anyone but heroes, to go off on your own...” A good portion of those present found it strange to see Latina being the one to interject. “And you can’t really take care of yourself on your own, can you...?”

“If you are able to do so, Platina, then I can as well.”

“It’s true that Labandese clothing is easier to wear than the outfits from Vassilios, but... that’s not all there is to it.”

Latina’s interjection strayed off course somewhere along the way, it seemed. And Chrysos’s response also felt unusual somehow.

It was then that Dale suddenly had a thought.

Back in Vassilios, Chrysos’s appearance had been suitable for the ruler of a nation. There had been no doubting that she fit the role. But when she was removed from her position and placed in an unfamiliar nation, all that was left was an airheaded girl who had grown up secluded from the outside world.

“You two really are a lot alike...” “Wah?”

“There is no helping the fact that we resemble one another.”

Dale sensed that Latina’s identical twin may have been even more lacking in common sense than she was.

Amidst all this, the other airheaded twin bluntly blurted out, “But still... I don’t think there’s anything we can do now that she’s here, honestly.”

This wasn’t really the sort of thing that could be written off so easily.

Her comment had shocked not just Dale, but also everybody else around.

Latina then continued on with a slightly troubled look on her face, “And there was also something else that had me a little worried...” “Huh?”

“The food in Vassilios is completely different from the stuff we have here in Laband.”

Latina’s concern was rooted in the truly deplorable culinary state of her sister’s country. It wasn’t particularly surprising just how deeply that had shaken her.

“Latina...”

“Um, so for people coming from Vassilios, the food in Laband should all be completely unfamiliar.”

“Right...”

Unlike Dale, who looked just plain astounded, Kenneth appeared to be thinking things over in response. “So you’re saying the reception for the envoys from Vassilios could end up being a problem, Latina?”

“Yeah. Chrysos had heard from Sylvia that the culinary standards here were different, but... At this rate, manners may not be the only thing that ends up being an issue.”

“I see,” Kenneth nodded in understanding. The others around the two of them weren’t quite as worked up about the matter, though. It wasn’t just Dale, but also Sylvester and Rita, who looked a little astounded at the cooking-obsessed pair.

However, Kenneth shot them back an exceedingly serious look.

“At this rate, it’ll be difficult to welcome the envoys from Vassilios if we don’t handle things real carefully. Right, Latina?”

“Yeah... They don’t have bread in Vassilios. None of them will have ever even seen it before. And when the envoys arrive, regardless of it’s in Kreuz or the capital, there’s sure to be a welcome banquet, right? So will someone have to explain each and every dish to them...?”

“That’d be tough to do in and of itself. They don’t even have a lot of the base ingredients there, do they?”

“They should understand concepts like ‘grain’ and ‘meat’... Put another way, though, that may be all they’ll get.”

“Is it really all that tricky of a thing?” Dale asked, tilting his head. “There was a country I went to before where bugs were a staple food, and a common source of protein. To them, that wasn’t strange in the least, so they brought it on out like normal when entertaining. I didn’t get all worked up over it because I knew of plenty of places where people sometimes eat insects, but it still definitely left a strong impact on me,” Kenneth said, offering a rather blunt example.

If the insect was a large magical beast then there would be many portions that would be considered edible, so it wasn’t all that unheard of. Still, Kenneth preferred to avoid using such ingredients for aesthetic reasons, if nothing else.

“The Akhdar priests with me apparently found the novelty amusing, but still...”

Priests of that god, Latina’s friend included, were rather unflappable due to their personal interest in the unknown.

“You couldn’t say everybody would react that way, right?”

“If you know in advance then you can mentally prepare yourself, though. And I mean, it takes a good bit of guts to head off and dine in a country when you don’t have any idea what the food there will be like. Plus, that’s not even the only cultural difference here.”

Latina looked to be thinking on Kenneth’s words.

“Hey, Chrysos. I remember hearing Rag say that Mov ate more modest meals than the townspeople, but was that really true?”

“Hmm? Mov believed that was the way that a leader should be. I hold the same belief.”

Hearing that reply, Latina turned to Dale with a troubled look on her face.

“Latina?”

“Um... In Laband, a banquet is when you lay out a whole lot of unique, tasty food in front of people, right?” “Well yeah, that’s just hospitality.”

“In Vassilios... you’re not supposed to lay out so much food that it couldn’t possibly all be eaten...” Latina said, looking at Chrysos.

The young ruler seemed to have finally grown bored of just watching, as she was now chewing on the nuts as she nodded along.

“It is a sin.”

“Is it really that bad?” Dale asked, looking surprised.

“Vassilios is not suited to farming, so we have many problems related to food. If the privileged class were to monopolize the food in order to indulge themselves, the people would starve. That must not be allowed to occur,” Chrysos bluntly responded.

“And also, devils may be alright eating much less than humans... but someone needs still to regulate supplies, right...?”

For a while, silence fell over the Ocelot.

It was an unexpectedly direct example of the issues with intercultural communication.

The one to finally break the silence was Kenneth.

“We’re talking about the duke, so I’m sure he’s received a report and made preparations... But still, it may be a good idea to let him know about Latina’s concerns.”

“Yeah...” Dale replied with a sigh, looking like he just wanted to bury his head in his hands.

Meanwhile, Latina seemed to have shifted moods as she turned to her twin and asked, “So you plan to meet up with the envoys here in Kreuz?” “That is my intent.”

The information that the envoys would be heading to Kreuz after departing from Vassilios had only just arrived. The procession was to cross the desert that surrounded their nation, and then would have to travel by foot through that magical beast-filled forest. That meant it would still be quite some time before they arrived in Kreuz.

“So where are you going to stay until then?”

“You need not worry about that. There is a manor in this town which I had prepared previously, as a base to use during my search for you.”

“...Huh?”

Latina assumed that the “manor” Chrysos mentioned was the one in the western section of town, where they had been reunited not-so-terribly long ago.

“Even now, it serves as a place used by contacts between this country and my homeland, so it has been maintained. It should not have fallen into disrepair.”

“Um, but, Chrysos... you came alone, didn’t you?” “Indeed.”

“So how do you plan to take care of yourself...?” Latina asked in a trembling voice.

“If you are able to handle such matters, Platina, then the same must be true for me,” Chrysos responded, overflowing with confidence.

“Kenneth, Mr. Syl, what’ll we do?! Do I need to live there with her for a while?!”

“Calm down, little lady.”

“If you make a careless move, then it’ll attract unnecessary attention.”

Latina hadn’t asked Dale the same question because she knew exactly how he’d react. He’d either adamantly protest to Latina going to live with her sister even for just a little while, or insist that he also be allowed to come along. And if she heard that he was coming along, Chrysos was sure to end up looking utterly disgusted. That reaction would be completely understandable, though, seeing how the couple would surely be all over one another day and night.

Latina was able to calmly assess the situation so well precisely because she knew just what sort of personalities they had.

Kenneth’s concern certainly wasn’t unfounded. Latina’s fame in parts of Kreuz easily exceeded that of even the town’s ruler. If she were to do something out of the ordinary, it would draw no small amount of attention.

“We could get some tight-lipped folks to keep watch over the area...”

“The trick is going to be who we’ll get for inside the manor, possibly to take care of her depending on how things go.”

It made for a strange sight for a bar on the outskirts of town, seeing a discussion being held about the details of how to guard a VIP from a foreign nation. But there were just that many powerful people who gathered in this specific bar, hence the current chaotic state of affairs.

“In that case, I think it might be good to have someone who doesn’t know Chrysos’s background. Her being a devil should be enough to explain how she doesn’t know about Laband... And if they’re not so worried about formalities, then they’ll probably stand out less...”

Everyone was in the midst of that noisy debate when Rita called out, “Ah, welcome.”

The room went silent as everyone turned to look at the entrance.

“Are you in the middle of something?”

Adelina and the other girls seemed displeased to find everyone staring at them.

“...If they’re around my age, they wouldn’t stand out as much when walking around town and stuff, right...?”

“Is that a preamble to her wandering about town?” Kenneth asked.

“Latina’s a bundle of curiosity and they’re sisters... And I mean, if she wasn’t the sort to wander around, she never would’ve done something like this to start with, right?” Dale replied with a defeated look.

“Well, I guess that’s true.”

And so, without them even being given a chance to object, it was decided that the three girls were to be offered up to the aloof demon lord.

†

The characteristic aroma of butter being heated wafted through the air.

Latina then nimbly added bread that had soaked in egg yolk to the metal pan. The flame was low, so it cooked slowly.

“Sweets burn easily, so it’s important to manage your flame,” Latina said while using the time it took to heat to quickly prepare plates. She laid them out on top of the table and then placed cups alongside them. Her timing had been spaced out perfectly so that the bread was done cooking just as the pot full of boiling hot water and tea leaves began letting off steam.

When the time was just right, she flipped over the bread, revealing a perfectly grilled surface. It was mouth-watering just to look at, which seemed to make Latina earnestly happy.

“Children tend to like sweets, right? They say that’s because sweetness is the easiest taste for us to comprehend. Bitterness and sourness can bring to mind the flavor of spoiled food, so I think they tend to be more of an acquired taste.”

“Is that how it works...?”

“So I think it’s best to become accustomed to new food by starting with something sweet. I mean, back when I was a kid Kenneth started out by giving me nutritious dishes that were only ever lightly seasoned.”

Latina carried the pan containing the now-finished french toast to the table as she conversed with Dale. The egg had soaked all the way through, leaving the bread sweet and fluffy. It had been one of her favorites ever since she was a child.

“Here’s Emma’s portion. And this is for you, Theo,” she said, leaving a plate in front of each of the siblings. Both of them were now completely attached to her, so they broke out in wide grins at the sight of Latina’s homemade cooking.

“And here’s yours, Chrysos.” “Alright.”

It looked as if the number of children had suddenly grown by one.

Dale looked at the sight with a lukewarm gaze.

Latina poured out tea from the pot into the cups. There was no plate in front of Dale because he wasn’t all that fond of sweets, but Latina had been sure to prepare a cup for him. But unfortunately, before he could even take a single sip of it, his gaze was stolen away by Latina. She looked happier than anyone else there as she sat down at the table.

“And this is my share.”

“You really do look happy eating that, Latina...”

“It’s out of necessity. If I’m eating it, then Chrysos can eat it too without worrying...” Latina said, sounding like she was grasping for an excuse. “Indeed,” Chrysos agreed with a nod.

The synchronized way they moved their forks really did bring to mind the fact that they were twins.

“Even if it is something which I have never seen before, if Platina places it before me, there is no way that it could cause me harm.”

“You never change, do you?” Dale quipped, ignoring the fact that he wasn’t really one to talk.

“Still, I thought that if Chrysos felt that way, we may as well use that to our advantage.”

“I guess... I suppose if their ruler is eating away without any hesitation, her subordinates won’t exactly be able to refuse.”

In Vassilios, the demon lord held not only held absolute authority in the political realm, but the religious one as well. If she ordered the envoys to eat blindfolded or even chow down on poison, they would clear their plates with smiles on their faces.

There was no consideration for the rights of the individual when it came to stuff like that.

That having been said, Chrysos’s deep concern for her retainers was well known, so they would know she wasn’t forcing them to do anything unreasonable. She wouldn’t be met with any great opposition.

“And so, my plan is to introduce Chrysos to as many different dishes as I can.”

As Dale and Latina were having that conversation, a plate was thrust in between them by a boy who didn’t know how to read the situation. “Sis, seconds please.”

“If you eat too much now then you’ll spoil your meal, Theo.”

“Indeed.”

“You need to be careful not to overeat and make yourself sick too, Chrysos.”

Chrysos had been holding her plate out just like the young boy, and had received the same sort of response back from Latina.

“It really is just like we’ve got more kids hanging around the place...”

Dale looked exasperated and gave a sigh as he refilled Emma’s cup with tea. The little girl was happily chewing away at her snack all the while. “By the way, what ended up happening with Adelina and the others?” “They’re taking a break in the shop right now,” Latina responded.

Hearing that, Dale moved from the kitchen out into the shop and found Adelina, Paula, and Elvira looking completely and utterly exhausted.

“Um... are you alright...?”

“...Huh? ...Oh... Mr. Dale... Thanks for all the hard work always...” “Yeah...”

“No matter how I look at it, I’d say you all have been working way harder than I have, actually...”

Dale couldn’t help but give a strained smile at the way that they remained limp while greeting someone who was standing up straight.

“Um, anyway... yeah... Sorry for all the trouble Chrysos is causing you...”

Dale came to the conclusion that since Latina was his fiancee, that made Chrysos a relative. As such, he felt the need to apologize for the source of all their exhaustion.

The three of them looked up at Dale with pitiful looks on their faces.

“I never imagined guard jobs would be this rough...”

“...I think this is probably a whole different beast compared to your average guard job...”

It wasn’t exactly everyday that the ruler of a foreign nation snuck in for a visit, not bringing along even a single servant.

“I mean, with the way she keeps on acting, it’s hard to tell if she has any common sense or not...”

“There seem to be housekeepers who come around and handle housework, but we’ve got no clue as to when they even show up...”

Oh, so there are technically people around from the Vassilios side of things, huh?

Dale couldn’t reveal Chrysos’s background, so he was hesitant to explain that those “housekeepers” may have really been intelligence operatives. However, as the girls were ignorant of the circumstances, it must have seemed truly bizarre to find the housework getting done without them even knowing it.

A single drop of cold sweat ran down Dale’s back. He truly pitied the girls.

“And she seems to act like she finds it totally natural to have people guarding her, only to then wander off on her own without paying us any heed...”

“Last time she suddenly disappeared and we had to hunt her down, we found her crouching down in front of a stray cat... I almost shouted out ‘What’re you, a kid?!’ without even thinking.”

Ah, Latina does that too.

Dale always had to hold Latina’s hand when they were out walking around town so that the bundle of curiosity wouldn’t wander off and get lost at the first sight of something that caught her attention.

“And yet she keeps wanting to go to the less organized, rougher parts of town...”

“We thought we had lost her when we took her to the eastern district, only to find that she had wandered into a workshop and was drinking tea with the owner...”

Their exhaustion was no surprise, all things considered.

Dale had guessed things would turn out like this with Chrysos, prompting an awkward laugh from him. After all, she had behaved much the same way even on her short trip from the Ocelot to that manor where she was now staying.

†

Adelina and the others had been half-forced into having to take care of Chrysos, but the ruler herself didn’t appear to give any real thought to the matter.

After all, as the king of Vassilios, it wasn’t as if she knew each of her servants on a first-name basis. Owing to her position, she was simply accustomed to being waited upon by relative strangers.

Meanwhile, the girls also didn’t seem to have any serious questions about

Chrysos’s background. Everything she wore was high-class and expensive. That alone was enough to tell them that she had come from an affluent household. Most importantly, though, she was the spitting image of their friend Latina. The fact that the two of them were twin sisters hardly needed pointing out.

“Chrysos, when I saw the place before, I got the impression that it hadn’t been thoroughly cleaned... Do you need any more help?”

“That was because circumstances at the time demanded I move quickly. It was not even originally planned that I would go myself. Therefore, it was reported to me that only the places that would be used were taken care of.

That is not the case in this instance, though.”

The way that Latina and Chrysos were happily chatting away in front of the group of three served to further support the assumption that they were related.

“Um... I believe it was this way.”

Worryingly, Chrysos didn’t seem to remember exactly where the manor was located in the western district. When Dale pointed that out, Chrysos’s cheeks puffed up a little, just like Latina’s did when she was upset.

“Would it not be unusual for one to accurately remember the layout of a town that they have visited but once? And I also continuously had guides alongside me at that time.”

As a result, Latina was the one currently leading their party. Following behind were the group of three girls, and even farther back were Dale and Vint. Dale felt strangely confident that even if Latina became uncertain as to where to go, the exceptionally skilled pup would get them through it somehow.

“I think... it should be around here.”

“Hmm... Platina, should we not take that path over there?”

“Ah... Right, this is the way.”

The twin sisters made their way past the high-end residences of the western district in this way, by supplementing each others’ memories. At any rate, Dale noticed that the three girls, being mere common citizens, looked like they were feeling terribly ill-at-ease surrounded by so many extravagant manors. The place just had a totally different feel to it compared to the southern and eastern districts where commoners lived.

Before long Latina stopped in front of one of the residences, looking relieved.

“Thank goodness we were able to remember...”

“Indeed,” Chrysos agreed with a composed nod, and then entered through the gate to the manor without any hesitation. She pulled an elegant key out of thin air and inserted it into the door’s lock. And then, she tilted her head.

“...Hmm?”

“Um, you have to turn keys to use them,” Latina gently pointed out, quickly realizing her sister’s mistake.

Structures in Vassilios were rarely built with doors, so Chrysos had no experience with locks in her everyday life. Latina had offered advice because she was aware of that, but hearing that caused the expressions of the three girls behind her to freeze. They seemed to take it as a sign that Chrysos was even more ignorant of the ways of the world than they had expected.

As the heavy single door swung open, the stuffy air characteristic of closed-off rooms came rushing out. It wasn’t dusty in the least, though, causing Latina to breathe a sigh of relief.

“So it was true... In that case, I suppose it won’t need much cleaning after all.”

It seemed she still hadn’t entirely discarded the possibility of her doing some cleaning.

“The room that I shall use is on the upper floor, in the center. The parlor and kitchen meant for guests, as well as the rooms for servants, are on the first floor. You all may use them as you please,” Chrysos briefly instructed the three girls while giving them a fleeting glance. They were guards rather than visitors, so the guest rooms weren’t open to them. And besides, they were terrified of the thought of getting even a single scratch on the furnishings in a ritzy place like this. The absence of such an offer actually left them relieved rather than disappointed.

“Do you intend to stay the night, Latina?”

“If I do, then I’ll miss out on work tonight and tomorrow morning.”

Latina’s workaholic nature led to a prompt rejection of her sister’s proposal.

Latina wandered around, looking at everything with great interest. Before long, she turned around and called out to Chrysos, unable to hold back any longer.

“Hey, Chrysos, is it alright if I look at the other rooms.” “Do as you wish.”

“Adelina, do you all want to come with me...? Since you can’t take your eyes off your client, you need to know the whole layout of the house in order to do a proper job, right?”

Hearing that, the three girls hurriedly stood up. After seeing them off, Dale called out to Chrysos while watching Vint make himself at home.

“The plan is to have some trustworthy folks keep an eye on the area surrounding this manor, so feel free to ask for help if anything happens. In fact, they’ll lend you a hand even with simple things like directions or finding somewhere to buy food, not just stuff strictly related to security...”

“Hmph.”

“On the off chance that something happens to you, Latina would be sad.

And I’d like to avoid the blow that’d deal to relations with Vassilios, too.”

“There is no way that I would do something that would upset Platina,” Chrysos said, puffing up her slight chest with pride, causing Dale to break out in a strained smile.

On that single point, Chrysos and Dale were in complete agreement. The reception room they were in was furnished with luxurious furniture, and was completely in the Labandese style. Chrysos sat down on the sofa there just as naturally as she did in Vassilios.

The way that she didn’t even so much as offer him a seat was the norm, so Dale paid that fact no heed and simply stood there quietly as he waited.

Before too terribly long, Latina returned. The other three girls were apparently still wandering about figuring out the layout of the place. Latina had come back alone, and was tilting her head a bit.

“Latina?”

“Hmm?”

“What’s up?” “It’s nothing...”

She stood there for a while longer with her head tilted, and then decided to tell Dale what she had realized.

“There’s also the matter of the cleaning, but... it looks like people have been coming and going here.”

“Well, yeah, but... Why do you think that?”

“We went to go check out the kitchen, for example, and even little things like soap were properly prepared. Chrysos would never pay attention to stuff like that herself. And also...” Latina stopped for a second, looking like she was finding it hard to say. “In the kitchen... there was food... from Vassilios... and it looked to be fresh...”

“Hey, don’t make that face... I mean, food from back home is best... Or, well, even if it’s not the best, you’re at least used to it, right?”

He spotted a pained look in her expression that he never wanted to see, and wasn’t able to hold himself back from making a strained smile.

Latina suddenly regained her composure and turned to face her sister, who was still relaxing on the sofa.

“Chrysos, come to the Ocelot for a meal whenever you want, alright?” “Hmm?”

“I always make Dale’s portion, and I’ll do the same for you... So let’s eat together,” Latina said, desperately trying to persuade her sister.

“Right,” Chrysos responded, none too concerned in comparison to her twin.

There was a reason behind Latina’s desperation. Latina would never accomplish her goal of getting her sister accustomed to Labandese food if Chrysos just kept on eating Vassilios-style meals even after coming all this way.

And Latina also had a further wish beyond that: For the exchange between Vassilios and Laband to lead to the improvement of her old home’s culinary culture. Since her sister was the nation’s ruler, this visit made for an unparalleled opportunity to advance that goal.

As someone who had grown up in a foreign nation and gained a different point of view as a result, Latina found the state of cuisine in her old home country bad enough to make her want to cry.

“Let’s eat all kinds of tasty foods together, alright?!” “Hmm?”

Latina was filled with determination to at least make sure her precious other half was exposed to deliciousness while she was here in this country.

And so, that was how Chrysos’s stay in Laband started.

That was how things went immediately after her arrival, setting a level of expectations for how things would proceed.

As Latina was unreserved around her sister and Dale was also his usual deplorable self with Chrysos, there was nobody around to really call her out for her actions. In addition, she had no real self-restraint in the first place. To top it all off, sadly, Adelina and the others just weren’t experienced enough to handle the task of reigning her in.

“Ah... Well, at least when she’s in the shop, I’ll take care of her... So go ahead and rest up properly now, alright?” “We’ll take you up on that...”

“Yeah, we will...”

“Yup...”

As Dale looked at the three dead-tired girls, he thought to himself that they seemed more like babysitters than bodyguards.

Chrysos took a fleeting glance at Dale as he returned to the kitchen, and then said without any hesitation, “I wish to use this opportunity to see things that I would normally not, as one who was invited as a guest of the nation.” “...How has that been working out?”

“I have seen many interesting things, from your technology to your culture. Everything I see is so very amusing. At the same time it is also a useful opportunity, to determine what things exist only in my own nation.”

Latina tilted her head a bit.

“The magic techniques really are amazing, aren’t they? Rag always seemed to do everything so easily back then...”

“Platina... Rag was a foremost user of magic amongst those of our nation.”

Dale figured from that response that Latina’s “common sense” really didn’t match up with that of Vassilios at large after all.

“With that said, it appears to be true that our nation is superior in terms of magical theory. We also appear to possess unique techniques in terms of processing ores and minerals.”

“I’ve actually got some interest in that myself.”

“That is how one begins trading, yes?” Chrysos said with a smile. The look on her face really was that of the ruler of a nation, one who stood above others.

But well, that was indeed what she was.

“Still, you should try not to overwork the girls too much.”

“They have been of great use as guides. I am unfamiliar with the layout of this town, after all. Though to speak earnestly, I would prefer those who were more familiar with economics and distribution...”

“You should invite some scholars for that when you come as an official guest of the nation.”

“Neither Chrysos nor I face any great threat from anyone but a hero, now... There aren’t any other demon lords right now, after all. And I mean, you may complain about Chrysos an awful lot, but I can’t imagine you’d ever harm her, right?”

Latina looked at Dale with pure trust in her eyes, and though he felt embarrassed, he couldn’t deny what she had said. “Ugh...”

“So normally, there wouldn’t be any need for either of us to have bodyguards...”

“Um, Latina, you should think a little bit more about the influence you possess,” Dale interjected with a sigh.

“Huh?” Latina tilted her head, looking confused.

It was true that their lives wouldn’t be endangered.

Even ignoring the fact that Chrysos was a demon lord, nobody in this town would ever lay a hand on someone with such a clear connection to the Fairy Princess. That was in a large part due to how many members of a certain organization there were scattered about town.

Even now, there was something akin to bloodlust emanating from the regulars seated in the Ocelot while they stared into the kitchen. That was where their beloved Fairy Princess and her identical twin currently were. And because they were aware of Chrysos’s background, they knew that if they let this chance slip them by, they may well never be able to gaze upon this lovely, precious sight of the two twins together.

Besides, since she had the same face as his adorable Latina, Dale was also ready in the depths of his heart to forgive anything she did. In that matter, he truly was beyond redemption.

As for the “bloodlust” from the regulars, it was directed at Dale for hoarding the twins all to himself. The easy-going twins were completely oblivious, though, prompting another sigh from Dale.

“We’re talking about Sis though, so no helping that...” Theo said with a knowing look.

“No helpin’?”

Theo nodded back at his sister.

†

Once she had more or less had her fill of sightseeing in Kreuz, Chrysos expressed interest in visiting her father’s grave (though there was still time before the envoys arrived).

“Well, I’d expected that this was coming...”

“I’ll go along, too. There’s some things I want to tell Rag, after all,” Latina said. Chrysos’s own expression displayed no surprise.

“Should Paula and the girls... stay behind?”

“Maybe Chrysos and I should just talk in the devil language... but I’d feel like we were keeping secrets from you, Dale.”

“That would be a little miserable.”

In the end, it was decided that the group of three girls would be left behind in Kreuz.

They couldn’t reveal Chrysos’s background, and Dale had no confidence that he’d be able to cover properly for their inattentiveness. There was also the risk that in front of their father’s grave, the twins would reminisce even more than usual and let some secrets slip.

That... may have actually been one of the reasons Chrysos came alone... Dale recalled that back when she was in Vassilios being waited upon by her ladies-in-waiting, the First Demon Lord always remained a professional.

Perhaps she wanted to be able to simply reminisce with Latina about their father without any reservations, sister to sister.

Well, still... Most folks wouldn’t actually come on their own...

As he thought to himself, Dale set about checking his equipment. Though with that said, he was just clad in his usual attire of a black magic beast leather coat with a gauntlet on his left hand and a sword at his hip. He had none of the sort of camping gear he had brought the other day.

When he went downstairs and headed into the shop, he found Latina and Chrysos having a friendly chat over some tea.

Latina was wearing sturdy boots on her feet and, unusually for her, had on long pants. She had on a shoulder bag in order to keep her hands free, and a knife held in a red leather scabbard at her hip. Combined with the way that her hair was done up, she was giving off a rather outdoorsy impression.

Meanwhile, Chrysos had on the crimson bolero, hat, and dress that she had been wearing when she first came to the Ocelot. It was an appealing outfit, but it didn’t give off the full-on femininity of Latina’s usual fashion. She also had a long walking stick on her, perhaps in place of the scepter she usually carried around in Vassilios.

The old-timers watching the proceedings seemed to enjoy seeing the identical sisters sporting such a different look from usual. Meanwhile, Vint was standing at their feet, wagging his tail.

Kenneth spotted Dale and called out in a half-astounded voice, “There may not be any need to worry, but... Still, don’t let your guard down.”

“Honestly, I may not even have anything to do...”

Dale alone was more than enough to handle any combat situation. And then on top of that, there were the two sisters with their own specialties as magic users. Latina excelled in fine mana control, while Chrysos was born with a great deal of mana and possessed the skill needed to wield it. Finally, they had a mythical beast capable of carrying his own weight as a member of their party.

Together, they were a group that would easily match any typical adventurers.

“Let’s get going,” Latina said with a smile, betraying not a hint of tension.

She’d been the same way on their trip of just a few days ago. It seemed she really didn’t feel endangered in the least, even when heading into a magical beast habitat. Latina looked to be in a truly good mood as she waved to the regulars and left the Dancing Ocelot.

Dale took the lead, while Latina and Chrysos walked side-by-side a little behind him. He wanted to walk alongside her too, but he knew that it would just turn into a competition with Chrysos. And besides, it’d actually be bad for his heart if she betrayed his expectations and walked a bit removed from the two of them, as he’d be left constantly worrying that her curiosity would get the better of her and she’d wander off. So in the end, the twins ended up in the center of the group, with Dale taking the lead while the faithful pup took up the rear.

“The forest isn’t too far, so we should be able to make the round trip within a day. A lot of folks would still bring camping gear just to be safe, but... we’ve got Vint with us this time, so we should be fine traveling light.”

“Right.”

“Indeed.”

There was a real danger of ending up lost in the forest, which could prove disastrous. However, Dale would never lose his way due to the Earth magic he was blessed with, and on top of that Vint could also search someone out over a vast, wide range. This group had no need to worry about playing things by the book.

For a few days now the weather had been rather comfortable, so much so that Dale could feel the warmth of the sun even through his black coat.

Latina was apparently worried that it still may feel chilly in comparison to the arid climate of Vassilios, as she gave her sister a concerned look.

“Are you alright, Chrysos? You’re not too cold, are you?” “Hmm? This much is no issue.”

“You spend most of your time in the temple, don’t you? You shouldn’t have much experience with going outside like this, right? Take care that you don’t fall ill, alright?”

“Do you not think that it is precisely because of the fact that I spend all my time in the temple that I must not let such things prevent me from enjoying this sense of freedom, from being outside?”

Hearing Chrysos’s voice from behind him, Dale gave a strained smile.

Latina was in high spirits as always, but Chrysos wasn’t falling behind her in the least.

“Just don’t push yourself, and be sure to let me know if you feel off. I can use Earth healing magic, and if it comes down to it Vint can carry you.” “Woof.”

Vint may have still been a pup, but he was more than capable of easily carrying a full-grown woman.

“What about yourself? With my magic, I can raise or lower the temperature around you freely.”

“I’m used to it, so don’t worry about me. And anyway, I could easily

imagine you going ahead and freezing me in the confusion.”

Chrysos just smiled back in response to Dale’s statement. She made the wise choice not to foolishly affirm that suspicion, as doing so would run the risk of making Latina seriously angry.

Despite the time of year, not many leaves had fallen in the forest, leaving the trees all around quite dense. The warm sunlight was blocked before it could reach the ground, so the place was dimly lit even though it was mid- day.

Chrysos surveyed her surroundings and gave a single nod.

“I had heard this place possessed the blessings of Quirmizi and Azraq, as well as Akhdar, but still...”

“Is that so?” Latina asked, tilting her head.

“It’s not quite the sort of place we’d consider sacred land, but yeah. It’s something common to the locations where magical beasts live.”

“They also frequently settle in places that are difficult to cultivate. As human settlements are sparse, the number of magical beasts grows great, in turn only further discouraging settlement.”

“And then when the vegetation grows out of control, you end up with a place like this forest. I imagine these factors will all make it difficult to carve a path through here...”

“It may be difficult, but we shall see it done. It is not a foolish, prideful plan such as converting this whole forest into a settlement, so we should be able to succeed one way or another.”

Dale couldn’t help but feel a little impressed by the level of confidence her eyes were fixed on the future she desired. She must have had clear plans laid out for how things should progress.

The thought left Dale feeling a little embarrassed, so he glanced up into the sky.

After they stepped into the forest, they took a slightly different route than the one they had taken during their last visit. Latina didn’t notice at first, but as she realized how unfamiliar her surroundings were, she began to suspect it.

She poked gently at Dale’s back and called out, “Dale? Are we... taking a different way than last time?”

“Oh, so you noticed? We’re just taking a brief detour. When I heard you rustling around this morning, that was you preparing lunch, right? So I wanted to at least find a little clearing where we can take a break.”

Apparently his words had hit the mark, judging by the way that Latina held her bag with a smile.

Before long, their field of vision opened up and they found themselves in a space with a clear stream running through it.

Vint went running off into the water, looking as if he had found some new toy to play with. He ran all about while wagging his tail, kicking up water from the shallow stream as he went.

“Ugh... well, there goes that. And it would’ve been pretty easy to catch fish here, too...”

After that big of a splash, there was no way there’d be any fish hanging around. Wearing a calm expression on her face, Latina gently wrapped her arm around Dale’s as she watched Vint play.

“Latina?”

“...This is the place where you first found me, isn’t it?” Latina said, her smile displaying a complexity of emotion. Upon seeing her face, Dale put his arm around her and brought her in closer.

“Are you sure this isn’t where you found me? I mean, you’re the one who spotted and approached me back then.”

“That was... because you said it would be alright to come to your side.”

“It would be pretty normal to be too scared to approach some stranger with a sword. I really do think that you taking that step forward is the reason we met.”

“Dale...”

Chrysos’s gaze remained fixed on the pair, who had drifted off into their own little world in no time at all.

“Split apart,” Vint muttered to himself, temporarily halting his frolicking.

Chrysos gave a brief order to the pup, spinning her walking stick around all the while.

“Vint, are you able to send water flying at the two of them?” “Can send lots, with Wind magic.”

“Alright, then proceed.”

Immediately afterwards an incredibly localized blizzard kicked up, physically causing that lovey-dovey warmth that cared not for place or time to suddenly plummet in temperature.

When the blizzard abated, it became apparent that his instincts as a hero (albeit a deplorable one) had kicked in. Pure white ice clung to his black coat, but he had apparently succeeded in using it to cover Latina. It seemed that Latina had made it through the blizzard without weathering the storm

Owing to the platinum hue of Latina’s hair, the snow on top of Dale’s black hair stood out far more in comparison.

They both opened their mouths to say something, but before they could do so, Chrysos said in a disappointed tone, “Are you not aware of the phrase, ‘there is a time and a place for everything?’”

With that, Latina seemed to realize the two of them had gone off into their own little world, causing her to look down at the ground and say, “Sorry...”

“It’s always the time and place for Latina and I to flirt.”

Dale, however, remained unrepentant.

“Woof!”

Dale didn’t falter in the least, despite not only Chrysos but also the pup looking at him with eyes that said they found his open shamelessness to be truly deplorable.

In a certain way, though, the stare down between Dale and Chrysos was simply business as usual.

Latina’s downhearted expression softened a little as she watched this exchange.

“Dale, Chrysos, how about you stop fighting so we can have lunch?” “Meat,” Vint immediately responded, wagging his tail and rubbing his head up against Latina.

It was then that the other two finally realized: Vint was running all around Latina, like it was totally natural. That loyal pup was monopolizing that position by Latina’s side.

The girl with the sister complex and the doting idiot drooped their shoulders in tandem, then sat down awkwardly close side-by-side. These two really did think identically, choosing to sit across from Latina at the exact same time.

“I just made some simple boxed lunches.” “Meat?”

“I have some for you, Vint. It may only be enough to qualify as a snack, though,” Latina said, spreading out what looked like slices of ham from a package. Since she had prepared it for Vint, she specifically hadn’t added salt.

Afterwards, Latina pulled out several more packages from her shoulder bag. It really did feel like they were having a picnic, no matter how you looked at it. That image was only strengthened when she began pouring cold water from a canteen-shaped magical device into cups.

“I knew you had gotten up early this morning, but still...”

“I was just enjoying myself so much that I ended up really getting into it. We’ll have less to carry on the way back, so it should be fine, right?” Latina said with a smile, handing Dale the heaviest of the packages with both hands. The other two were at least a size smaller.

Chrysos, meanwhile, was busy examining the canteen Latina had used with great interest.

Chrysos and Latina differed not only on the amount of mana they possessed, but also the attributes they had affinity for. As a result, Chrysos knew better than anyone else that her sister was unable to use Water magic.

“...It certainly is impressive, even for those who lack the affinity or even the ability to use magic in the first place to be able to employ Water magic.”

“Well, it still only lets you bring forth water. And there’s a limit to the number of times you can use it, so you need to replace it every now and then.”

“Still, it is a great thing, not needing to transport drinking water. Even amongst our devil race, there is no guarantee that one will be able to use Water magic... But would different issues arise as such things spread...?” Chrysos muttered, absorbed in her own thoughts.

Latina gave a strained smile, opening her own lunch. The vegetable and meat packed sandwich was soon visible from within the paper wrapped around it.

“Our portion is smaller than Dale’s, but I also brought some baked sweets for after the meal.” “Right.”

“Still, you sure did go all out with the fillings, huh?” “I really got into it.”

“It looks real tasty...”

It was a harmonious, lively mealtime.

Latina had carefully drained the water off the fresh vegetables, then marinated and salted them. They served the role of a sauce, bringing the flavor of the whole dish together. And despite the amount used, it still went down smooth. At first she had planned on just using smoked meat, but apparently she ended up deciding to add grilled chicken, too. And the fragrance of the herbs and juices from the meat only added to the deliciousness. Dale couldn’t help but break out in a bit of a strained smile when he thought about how much effort Latina had clearly poured into preparing the food.

Still, it sure is tasty... Dale thought to himself, having already eaten half of it. He then licked up the sauce lingering around his mouth, then lifted up his gauntlet on his left hand.

With only a quick glance to the side, he fired off two mana arrows.

Then, his gauntlet casually moved back to where it had been, and he resumed eating as if nothing had happened.

Vint turned and headed off in the direction Dale’s arrows had flown, his tail wagging as he went.

All the while, Latina and Chrysos carried on with a calm, gentle conversation, not noticing Dale and Vint’s actions. Their point of discussion had turned to the box of sweets Latina had brought along.

“Latina, what is that?” Dale pointed and asked.

“It’s made by baking fruit compote into batter. That cuts the sweetness of the batter, but... it may still be too sweet for you, Dale,” Latina explained, picking up the sweet Dale had pointed out.

“I see.”

“This one is made with dried fruit so it’s only as sweet as that usually is, which means you should be alright with it.” “Right.”

“You two truly do not back down in your clinginess, do you?” Chrysos said while chewing on the sweet she held in both hands, her gaze fixed on the passionate pair.

“Hmm?”

Latina tilted her head.

In Latina’s mind they were acting totally normally, but Chrysos could see that they were already in full-on lovey-dovey mode.

Vint was now diligently grooming himself, having returned at some point. He had a look about him that said he now boasted a full stomach, but rather than commenting on that, Dale simply tossed the dried fruit sweet Latina had handed him into his mouth.

A large, pure white stone stood silently not far from the stream.

Dale thought to himself that the presence of a source of water nearby must have been a big reason Latina had been able to survive despite being so young when she was parted from her father. Since she could only use Holy and Dark magic, she wasn’t able to magically procure drinking water. And no matter how hardy the race of devils may be, they could still die of thirst.

Plus, thanks to the great utility of Holy healing magic, even a young child like Latina could use it to deal with problems that arose, at least to some degree.

Thinking on it, that man had sought to find a way to save his daughter up until the very end, even as he sensed his own death approaching due to illness. Dale thought that must have just been the sort of man he had been.

“...Your father was an amazing man, wasn’t he?” “Yeah...”

“Naturally.”

The gravestone had been cleaned not too long ago, but it was already covered in dead grass and dirt, likely carried in by a parched wind. Dale started to gather up the grass, figuring it wouldn’t take as long as last time.

Then, he used simple Water magic to wash the stone clean.

“While we’re at it, Vint, go ahead and gather up all the grass from the area. You can do that, right?” “Woof.”

When it came to Wind magic, this pup had earned his father’s seal of approval.

Having roughly finished cleaning, Dale turned around to call out to Latina and Chrysos... only for his voice to get caught in his throat.

Chrysos was standing up in a dignified manner, and had started to sing. A little afterwards, Latina joined in reciting similar sounding words, though more awkwardly than her sister.

The song was in the devil language, so Dale wasn’t able to pick up all the meaning of the lyrics. But as a priest of Quirmizi, he could sense that it was some form of ritual.

Right... Neither of them are priestesses, but they were born and raised in a temple...

It wouldn’t be strange at all for them to be intimately familiar with etiquette and rituals and the like. It was just that since Banafsaj wasn’t a god worshiped much in human towns, Dale wasn’t familiar with such rituals. This was actually his first time seeing it.

Even so, he could tell this song was meant to grieve for the dead, and to pray that they rest in peace.

Even after that song of prayer ended, the sisters remained close together, not lifting their faces. Before long, though, they did look up. It just looked natural for the two of them to be holding hands, as they were always doing so. It really was easy to imagine them always being together like this, back when they were young.

Dale simply watched over them for a while, but he was the one to eventually break the silence.

“Hey, Chrysos...” That was because a certain question had come to mind. “Should we have him buried in a proper grave, instead of here in this forest? If you want to bring him back to Vassilios, I’ll help to make sure things go smoothly.”

“Hmm...”

Chrysos seemed to be thinking.

Dale then looked at that beloved girl by her side, and voiced a matter he had hidden up until now.

“And... there’s that matter of the priestess of Banafsaj who served the Second Demon Lord... That was your mother, right? It’ll be necessary to make arrangements to have her body delivered to Vassilios too, won’t it?” Chrysos already knew, but Latina surprisingly didn’t seem to be visibly shaken, either. “Latina...” Dale started, his voice filled with guilt.

“I already learned that Mov has passed from this world... back when we were in Vassilios...” Latina responded with a slightly strained smile. “You met her, didn’t you, Dale?”

“...Yeah.”

“She sure was beautiful, wasn’t she?”

Dale hadn’t expected Latina to respond that way at all. He was frankly a little dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Latina and Chrysos exchanged sad, lonely smiles. “Rag always used to say we looked like Mov, didn’t he?” “Indeed he did.”

“I was a little worried if I’d grow up to be as pretty as her.”

“She was a strong person as well. As a ruler, I wish to strive my hardest so as not to sully Mov’s name.”

“Rag and Mov... I feel like I still have a long ways to go till I catch up to them.”

“I feel much the same.”

Dale felt relieved, hearing their conversation.

Though they mourned the loss of their parents, having someone to share memories with helped greatly.

Still, though... it’s a little disappointing that I’m not the one supporting Latina... Dale thought to himself. He was just a bit jealous that those two had spent time together that he wasn’t a part of and knew nothing about. But... there’s probably a lot of stuff that those sisters only made it through because they had each other...

Their deep feelings towards their parents could be seen not in just the girls’ prayers for the repose of their souls, but also in the way that they reminisced. Dale could tell just from looking at them that those weren’t all bitter memories, too. There was a calm, gentle air about them as they talked.

Normally Vint would just shove his way in as he pleased, but he apparently sensed that now wasn’t the time for that, as he had stretched himself out and was simply waiting. Still, from the way that his ears occasionally twitched, it was clear that he was keeping watch over their surroundings. Even from Dale’s point of view, the loyal pup was more than carrying out his role as a guard dog.

There was no danger to Latina and Chrysos, even in a magical beast habitat such as this.

“Chrysos, Mov and Rag... They both cared about us an awful lot, didn’t they?”

“Indeed.”

“Considering Mov’s position, it wouldn’t have been strange for it to be a political marriage, but... they never seemed that way to me.”

“I wasn’t able to ever ever ask her directly, but from what I heard from others... apparently Mov was the one who fell for Rag.” “I see...”

Their conversation suddenly stopped there. After both being lost in

thought for a while, they opened their mouths in sync, as if they had planned it out in advance.

“Hey, Chrysos.” “Yes?”

“About Mov and Rag...”

“I have thought it through as well.” “Right.”

Apparently, the twins had reached an understanding with just that brief exchange. They gripped their held hands tighter, and smiled at one another.

He knew it wasn’t the time to be saying such things, but Dale felt a little jealous of their relationship. And to be brutally honest, he felt a bit frustrated.

Dale was a man who didn’t waver on such matters.

Chrysos turned to face him, a gentle look in her eyes.

“I was thinking of constructing a mausoleum on this land and interring Rag there. And I would like to do the same for Mov.”

“Is this place really alright? You don’t want to bring them back home...?”

Dale asked.

“Um, Mov was a member of the clergy, but Rag wasn’t. In Vassilios... a powerful priestess like Mov would be buried in the temple’s graveyard. Rag couldn’t be buried there, though,” Latina added.

“I would at least like them to be together from now on... I realize that may be mere sentimentality from those of us left behind, though.”

Dale didn’t have anything else to say, having heard how they felt. “Well then, I’ll try to help make sure everything goes smoothly, too.”

“Right. Thanks, Dale,” Latina said with a smile. By her side, Chrysos wore a gentle expression similar to her sister’s. It was a real rarity for her to direct such a look towards Dale.

“I was thinking that once Rag’s mausoleum is constructed, it would also be good to have the highway between Vassilios and Laband pass alongside it.”

“Ah...”

It would be diverting the path a bit from the shortest distance between the two nations, but not enough to make for a large detour.

They would need a facility to maintain a highway through this land, so

“Rag and Mov... They were both very curious people, who enjoyed learning new things. I think that they would prefer being able to watch over a great many people in a place between Vassilios and the town that is Platina’s other home, rather than being buried in some corner of their native land.”

“They were both beloved by a lot of people... It would be nice if the people who came to remember them kept on going and visited Laband, and relations between the countries advanced.”

The two sisters imagined that sight, which they would hopefully see for real in the not-too-distant future. The smiles they shared gave off a similar impression, going beyond just their identical appearances.

That gentle, solemn time...

“Bam!”

Came to an end with a certain pup getting bored and ramming into the back of Dale’s legs.

“Hey...! Read the mood a little...!”

Even though it was a sudden, close range attack, Dale just barely managed to dodge it and avoid falling over. However, Vint seemed to take that as a sign that he was up for playing and launched another attack.

“I said cut it out!” “Woof!”

“Are you really alright, Platina, being with fools like that?” Chrysos asked, glaring at the squabbling pair with a cold look in her eyes.

“Dale’s the one for me, after all,” Latina responded, looking at them with a smile. And then, she turned and faced the pure white gravestone and said in the devil tongue, “I’m really happy now, just like you wished back then... I found happiness.”

Hearing her sister’s report to their departed father, Chrysos added in a somewhat blunt voice, “Just finding happiness is not enough. After what we’ve been through, I think we’re owed more than that.”

“I suppose we are demon lords, aren’t we? Is it alright to be a little selfish, do you think?” “Of course.”

Both of them broke out in smiles at the same time.

“I am glad that you’re here, Chrysos... Ryso.” “I am as well... Latina.”

Then, they turned to smile at the pure white gravestone one more time, then left the place.

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