Published at 19th of January 2020 1:30 am

Volume 7, Bonus Short Stories

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“Hmph.”

That day, the gaze of the aloof demon lord known as Chrysos was fixated on the luggage of a customer in the Dancing Ocelot. She really was just like her sister, her curiosity so easily sparked by something new.

However, despite being distracted by the similarity, Dale was sure to give her a warning.

“Don’t go touching strangers’ belongings.” “Gah.”

Though she looked annoyed at Dale’s scolding, she was also aware that she’d been starting to reach out towards it, and knew she had no rebuttal.

“What’s up?”

“Hmph. I was simply wondering why that person possesses such a thing.”

Dale looked at the customer again. Just a glance at the man’s flashy attire was enough to recognize that he was certainly a minstrel. As the Ocelot operated not just as a bar but also an extension of the temple of Akhdar, minstrels were generally forbidden from plying their trade in the building.

The luggage by his side was carefully packed away as a result, but it was undoubtedly his instrument.

Dale wondered why she was asking something so obvious, but then he recalled that they had rather different definitions of what counted as “obvious.” The culture and even the very climates of Vassilios and Laband differed greatly.

“He’s a minstrel... He makes a living by singing about history and legends and epic tales and the like... Don’t you have anything like that in Vassilios?”

“So, one whose trade is to perform music, is it?” Chrysos said with a nod.

Dale assumed that she was thinking more of what the people of Laband would call a “court musician.”

She had been raised in such a sheltered manner that it was hard to imagine her so easily grasping such foreign customs.

“Do people in Vassilios not listen to music for pleasure?”

“You speak of the music of the masses? I cannot say that I have not heard rumors of such things, however... I have lived quite distant from the common man.”

“Well, I suppose that’s true.”

“Tell me, what sort of musical performances do they have in this country?”

Chrysos’s interest had been completely captured by the minstrel visiting the Ocelot. Furthermore, the regulars of the shop tended to be quite soft on their favorite adorable waitress, and apparently that favor extended to her identical twin.

Though it wasn’t in exactly the same adorable manner as Latina, Chrysos also undeniably possessed the same sort of aloof nature as her sister. And though it wasn’t as apparent as it was with Dale, people also tended to listen to most of her selfish requests, doting on her like they would an adorable little animal.

Nobody challenged the minstrel as he pulled out his instrument after much pestering. Considering the supposed rules of the shop, it was rather ridiculous the way that Chrysos was leaning forward with excitement as the regulars all happily gazed at her, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

The song the musician played was a tale that was quickly becoming a staple in Laband. It had a simple melody line, which led to it being a popular song for children to sing, too.

“Hmm...” Having listened to the song, Chrysos gave a satisfied nod. “I see, that was quite interesting.”

And then, she started to sing the melody she had just heard. None of the regulars of the Ocelot could hide their surprise, and even Dale looked at her in shock.

“What is that face for?”

“No, it’s just, you...” Dale muttered. “You can sing,” Dale awkwardly forced out, unable to stand her piercing gaze.

“Huh?”

“No, it’s just... I mean, you were actually singing properly...”

“Is this what the people of this country refer to as ‘picking a fight?’ Very well. Do you wish that I bring the force of my nation down upon you in this battle, then?”

Chyros’s indignation was only natural, but there had been a firmly rooted preconceived notion amongst the regulars of the Ocelot. That was why everyone there, not just Dale, had been so taken aback.

Everyone’s beloved adorable waitress was skilled at anything and everything she tried her hand at... except when it came to having a sense of rhythm or pitch. And the twin sisters were so alike otherwise that everyone had assumed that must have held true for Chrysos, too.

“Have Latina sing something for you sometime, and then I think you’ll understand...” Dale replied with a sigh, unable to look the Golden King straight in the eyes.

From the look of suspicion on her face as she furrowed her brows, Dale could tell that Chrysos wanted a further explanation. However, Dale and the shop’s regulars were all simply far too soft on their beloved adorable waitress. None of them felt comfortable so clearly pointing out a fault of hers. And besides, they all found that her having a bit of trouble with that just made her all the more adorable.

And so, thanks to that shameful fact, Chrysos’s question was ultimately left unanswered.

* The Matter Avoided Due to the Young Man’s Deplorable Nature

“Dale, this sweater’s gotten all worn out. Don’t you think it’s about time to get rid of it?” Latina asked while looking through the clothing box in preparation for winter.

It wasn’t the norm for new clothes to be sold by hanging them up on display. Rather, people would generally either have new clothing made by order, or seek out secondhand clothing. As Latina was skilled with a needle though, she could handle everyday clothing on her own for the most part. That was especially true for knitted winter wear, which was a specialty of hers.

“But...”

Dale was unusually hesitant, considering how he was usually so unconcerned about how he dressed.

He held up the old sweater in both hands, unable to hide his distress. He had carefully removed any bits that had started pilling, but it had still ended up getting all worn out.

“I mean... this is the first sweater you ever made for me, you know?”

Latina blinked her big grey eyes and then replied, “So you remembered...” “Of course I did. You had made me scarves and stuff before, but you said sweaters were tricky and that you had trouble making one, right?”

“It really was tough. I mean, I don’t know if it’s because of the amount of strength you use or what, but you can end up with sleeves that are different lengths even using the same number of steps...” Latina said with a bit of a pout. She hadn’t started working on anything for Dale until she had built up some degree of confidence in her knitting skills.

“Still, you made so many of them for Theo, saying it was just for practice...” Dale immaturely grumbled.

“That’s because Theo doesn’t care much about the details of things like that... And besides, he was still growing, so he wouldn’t wear them for long anyway...” Latina muttered. The fact that she reacted like that was because she had gotten to know Dale so well.

Latina had taken up the needle as a child thanks to the influence of her best friend and sewing teacher. It had all started with her seeing knitting needles and wool in Chloe’s house and asking what they were for.

The first thing that Latina completed after giving her all under the guidance of her friend was a simple scarf, lacking in any sort of pattern or frills. However, it ended up shorter than she had expected, and the width was inconsistent throughout the scarf, leaving Latina to slump her shoulders in disappointment.

“It ended up all shaky, somehow...”

“You’re worrying too much. I mean, it’s pretty tricky to make sure you use the right amount of strength while you’re knitting,” Chloe said to comfort her friend. But when Latina saw how clean and straight the one the girl had made as an example was in comparison, her spirits sunk even lower.

However, Dale was utterly overjoyed when he saw what Latina had made.

Well, he had been a doting idiot back then, so it was only natural that he’d want Latina’s first bit of knitting. And above all else, he would have been absolutely furious if someone else were to snatch it away.

And so, Dale ended up bragging about his handmade scarf from Latina at any and every opportunity.

Dale wasn’t the only one who was proud of her, as the regulars could all also tell how hard the young girl had worked just from looking at it. Even so, she couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied with her work. Sadly, though, in his deplorable state, Latina’s guardian didn’t notice just how embarrassing him showing it off was for her.

“Next time, Latina will make something way better and give it to you, Dale.”

“Right, I’ll be looking forward to it!” Dale responded in a happy-go-lucky voice, not noticing the determination behind her statement.

Afterwards, it took quite a while before she made something she had enough confidence in to give to Dale.

* The Little Girl Sees Snow for the First Time

“It sure is chilly today... Hm?” Kenneth muttered to himself and then looked out the window. He gave a nod of understanding.

It was the winter of Latina’s first year in Kreuz, when she was eight years old.

“Snow, huh...? Guess that explains why it’s so cold. Looks like I’ll have to prepare more stew and the like for today...”

“‘Snow’?” Latina questioned, tilting her head as she looked up at him.

Kenneth stopped and thought for a moment, only for Dale to swoop in and scoop the girl up.

“What is it about the snow, Latina?” he asked. “What’s snow, Dale?”

“Huh?”

While Dale was left caught off guard, Kenneth was able to offer a precise reply thanks to the extra time he had taken to think things through.

“Snow is what happens when rain gets all chilly and comes falling down.

You know, like how water freezes when it gets cold.” “Frozen rain...”

“You’ve never seen snow before, Latina?”

“Maybe she comes from somewhere that it never snows,” Kenneth speculated while gazing out the window. He caught the pure white snow constantly falling from the gloomy grey clouds overhead in the palm of his hand.

“This is snow.”

Latina’s eyes went wide as she saw the warmth of his hand cause it to soon melt and become a drop of water.

“Waaah...”

She tried to copy him, but she was so short that that proved highly difficult, even standing on her tippy-toes. Her hand got close enough that it felt like it would reach the fluttering snowflakes, but it ultimately came up short. She hopped up and down with her arms stretched out, and just when she finally thought she had one, she found that it had gone and melted before she could even check.

“It’s cold, so we really need to go ahead and close it.” “Right.”

He felt bad leaving Latina with such an unsatisfied expression on her face, but if he let her curiosity run rampant, the carefully maintained warmth in the shop would get sucked out all at once. It was Kenneth who had made the decision, but contrary to his expectations, Latina actually agreed.

Kenneth breathed a sigh of relief. However...

That day, whenever he looked out into the shop, he found Latina staring out the open window. Unsurprisingly, that led to protests from the regulars, until eventually Dale and Latina ended up going to play outside, settling the matter.

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