Chapter 2 Little girl, starts a new life
The next morning. It was a fairly early hour when Dale woke up.
The reason might be that he slept early last night. Dale turned his eyes at the presence of another person, then he noticed her next to him.
「…Ah. That’s right. …I picked her up.」
While yawning, he remembers the existence of his cohabitant. Latina who breathes disharmoniously, is firmly clinging on a part of Dale’s clothes.
He thinks about how to leave the bed as to not wake her up.
However, Latina opened her eyes due to Dale who just raised his body.
She hurriedly sits up and follows clinging to Dale.
Feeling a part of her anxiety, Dale smiled. In order to have her feel as much as possible at ease.
「Good morning. Latina.」
Saying so, he patted her head.
When Dale left the bed, he changed in a simple shirt that differ from when he works and wide-cut pants. He takes along only his purse and knife at his hips, then straightens his bed hairs with his fingers. He puts on his boots then lift Latina in his arms.
Because she doesn’t have even one change of clothes, she slept as she was yesterday. The skirt had become a little wrinkled.
Descending to the first floor, he directs Latina toward a table in the kitchen instead of the shop.
「Oh. Good morning, Latina-chan.」
Rita who noticed Dale and Latina, smiles. Of course only to Latina.
Kenneth and Rita are in the middle of the preparation of the breakfast. The fellow adventurers eat an excessive amount from the morning. An incredible amount of ingredients is necessary even comparing to the number of lodgers. On top of that, there is even customers who come only to eat breakfast. That it’s a success means that it’s also too busy to the extent to be busy for the people of the shop at the same time.
Dale goes around to the back without stopping, he washes his face at the washing place that is beside the bathroom. After he washes the towel which he wiped his face with, he returns to Latina and hands over the wet towel to her.
She seems to realized it meaning correctly. she wiped her face with what have been handed over to her.
It’s his morning’s routine until he washes his underclothes. He hangs these in drying ground which is set up in the washing place.
When he returned, Rita was just combing Latina’s hairs. Rita looks appalled, admirative and busy.
「Latina’s hairs have a beautiful color. Wonderful. Dale you idiot. Don’t leave a girl’s hairs unkempt just like yours.」
Indeed Latina’s hairs that went through the comb are glossy to the extent that they cannot be compared to up till now. Whether such things, the novice parent wrote these in his mind’s memo pad.
Rita skillfully arranged Latina’s hairs, then tied ribbons. Her horn is mostly hidden by her hairs and the string.
Rita looking at Dale, whispers to say.
「Not to mention that she is from the demon race, it’s better to be inconspicuous that one of her horn is broken.」
「I understand. Thank you.」
After Dale said so to Rita, he looked at Latina.
There is no change in her body build, however Latina who was clean and had tidy up hairs and clothes, from wherever you look from you can only see a girl. It’s a different person from the unknown gender young child who got a little dirty inside the forest.
「All right, good morning. Hey, it’s breakfast.」
Pa.s.sing as Rita went out, Kenneth who had plates in both hands, comes along. Latina faces Kenneth, after thinking a little,
「Good morenin’.」
She say so seeming not much confident, then she lowers her head.
Kenneth stood transfixed and Dale’s expression distorts.
Being spoken the same word from the morning, she probably guessed that it’s a greeting.
Even so, this child seems to excel in observation power. He was just vaguely supposing whether it’s because she is from a fairly clever kind.
「“＊＊＊? ＊＊＊＊＊?”」
「No, It’s right. “Correct”.」
Dale hurriedly smiles at Latina who looked anxious whether she made a mistake because of Dale’s expression.
「d.a.m.n it, Kenneth, you’ll regret this.」
「You’re childish.」
However Dale who was deprived of her 『first greeting』, complained to Kenneth as he remained smiling. Kenneth also makes a foolish smile for some reason.
「Sure enough, I’ll have Rita give birth soon.」
Kenneth went back to his work place while muttering ‘A child would be nice’.
Dale’s breakfast is his usual menu including cheese and grilled smoked meat in a bread, but Latina’s part was remarkably made. The bread is soaked in milk and egg, the inside is baked to become syrupy and the fruit compote of yesterday is put in. Sliced smoked meat crisply was roasted to accompany.
Additionally well cooled fruit juice was poured in the gla.s.s in front of Latina.
It was a 『magic tool』ー it’s generic term of tools that work with 『magic power』 which is the power that everyone contain, as energyーthat cooled this.
The magic tools are generally in circulation.
It is magic tools of 『Water』, 『Fire』and then『Water/Dark』 which there is firstly in any house. All are magic tools that have to do with the kitchen. In other word, the 『supply of drinking water』, 『ignition』 and 『refrigeration by ice』 are carried with magic tools.
Because it also costs a price in its own way, no doubt it doesn’t mean that there is no one who use a shared well and a fire starter to light up a fire. However, it’s an overwhelming minority. It’s not a match in convenience.
That’s why also cooled food had become not unusual.
Latina who drank her fruit juice, turns her joyful face toward Dale.
「Ah, good for you. …Kenneth that guy, he is seriously taken with feeding her.*」
(TL: He says it like Kenneth his feeding an animal and try to steal her from him)
He mutters the last half with a small voice in order to be inaudible to Latina.
Latina was absorbedly eating her bread. It seems her preference is sweet things after all.
「Say, Rita. Where do they sell thing like girl’s clothes?」
Finishing his meal, Dale asks while carrying his plate.Latina who was still at the half of her meal, settled in a place where he could be seen given that she hurriedly watched Dale. it was his strong sense of duty part to say that it’s natural to help out over stopping what the other party is doing, he started to peel the heap of potatoes as it was.
「After, tell me what I’ll need for the time being. This is something that tend to be neglect when it’s from a man’s standpoint.」
「Let me see… if it’s to get clothes made, the sh.o.r.e of Amanda of the East district have a good reputation. Well, the weather is nice as well and I think the market will also appear in the public square. I wonder if it’s alright to look for second-hand clothes there. Leave the shoes to Barth’s place. It’s the shop of the corner. Well the rest is…」
Rita stop what she was doing, she make a list by sliding her pen.
Dale who was only listening, trembled perceiving a part of the obsession of women towards shopping.
After he took a breath waiting for Latina to finish her meal, Dale went out of 『The dancing ocelot』 holding her.
「First of all, it’s the shoes… Since I can’t afford to let her walk barefoot.」
Although her weight itself isn’t a bother, he also have to carry the goods.
「Dale?」
「How should I say 『shopping』, I wonder…」
He says to himself whether buy a picture book or something and return. It not a cheap shopping, however that much isn’t a burden for him.
As they approach the heart of the town, the figure of adventurers disappear, the residents of the town increase. In the market opened in the central public square, neighboring villagers and traveling merchants display articles as well. There is probably a lot of people who are aiming for these.
Dale makes a turn on the way and go towards the East district.
He went through the door of a store which the craftsman named Barth is running as he heard from Rita.
After several hours, the appearance of Dale who is sitting with a jaded look, could be discover in the public square.
「I-I’m tired…」
He wearily drops his head and mutters. Big bags are piled up next to Dale.
Honestly, cutting down magic beasts is easier. He didn’t think that it would be mortifying to this extent to continue to shop for thing he is unaccustomed to in store where there is only women.
He really wanted the looks that were turned toward himself who hold underwear for girls in his hand to stop. If there was not Latina next to him, they probably would have called the military police for real.
Dale have finish becoming exhausted to the extent that he thought pessimistically such things.
「Dale, “＊＊＊＊＊＊＊?”」
「Ah. You don’t have to worry. “No, problem.” …It’s alright.」
「Al- right?」
「Yes. That’s it.」
Latina who sat next to him, is eating a fruit bought at the market. Before going out, he have been told to provide her hydration and nourishment by Rita until she was blue in the face.
After she ate the juicy fruit that Dale cut and gave her, Latina is lost in thought looking at her hands which got sticky.
After looking at these for a while, he met the gaze of Latina who helplessly looks up to him.
「…Latina, she might be well-bred…」
If it was the kids of around here, they would quickly wipe their hands with the hem of their clothes. When watching her since yesterday, he gets a fairly 『well-behaved』 impression.
Of course, there is probably also the aspect that she is nervous toward Dale.
This smart child seems that much concerned about it.
「“Water, I command you, manifest 《Manifestation: Water》.”」
The water drops that were summoned by Dale’s short chant, burst on Latina’s hands.
「Something to wipe… While I’m at it, I’ll buy some handkerchief for Latina as well, I guess…」
Muttering so, Dale who stood up again to look at the market, still doesn’t notice that the shopping he is doing exceeded by far the original schedule with this iteration.
ーIt was when he returned holding a great quant.i.ty of goods in his arms and astonished Rita and Kenneth that he became aware of it.
Soon after he gathered the thing that he should buy, at that moment Latina had a pretty tired look.
「Latina, Are you alright?」
「Alright.」
However, even if he asks, she answers so and shakes her head.
Perhaps it was a mistake to have teached this simple word to this child who knows consideration.
Dale sighed, after changing his hold on the goods, he lifted Latina in his arms.
「Dale, alright.」
「“cure, exhaustion, not, excessiveness.”」
Warning Latina who still shaked her head, he patted her on the back. Although the goods are unwieldy, even including Latina, it’s not to the extent that he can’t carry it.
Sure enough, a the time when Dale arrived at 『The dancing ocelot』, Latina was sleeping in his arms.
Latina’s breath is disharmonious in some way as before. The sound* of her breath can be hear at the moment.
(*TL: There is no way I’ll write it ‘-’, it would make no sense)
She was in the middle of a nap on an improvised bed made by lining seats up.
Now, There is almost no customers in 『The dancing ocelot』. This time is too early to eat and too late to look for a job, to the point that travelers and adventurers who are seeking information, show themselves little by little.
While watching over Latina’s sleeping face, Dale wa drinking diluted wine.
「Hmm…」
A groan leaks out unconsciously.
「What with this depressed look.」
Rita who is serving the customers at the counter, turns her astonished face toward him.
「Yesterday’s request. I must do the report of completion… Since thing were as they were*, it’s impossible to cut off a part and bring it.」
(TL: It feel quite random, if someone know whether I’m right write it please. ものがものだったから)
「Ah, that. The bad-smelling thing. If you would have brought it, you would be forbidden to enter.」
「Tell me if you knew it.」
「If I told you, no-one would accept the request, wouldn’t they?」
Rita answers quite naturally.
Therefore, he fully understood after, if the condition for achieving the request turned out that way.
「It won’t do unless I go check the spot with the clients. It will probably be late tomorrow.」
This job’s clients was a joint of the doctors of Kreutz.
It said that just before the magic beast had made their colony, there is a colony of medicinal herbs that only grows there in this region.
It was contract to go to the spot with the doctors some other day as a verification process that he did the magic beasts subjugation.
Often the regular requests of this form, are to cut off and bring back a body part of the magic beastsーsuch as earsー. But the『frogs』of this time are an exception. There aren’t many magic beasts that emit a stench of that degree. Since he achieved the request, he’ll take time before this time verification process, he couldn’t afford to make the clients wait.
「There’s no way I can take Latina along, I suppose…」
It’s the habitat of magic beasts. Even if he is anxious to separate from her that he just took charge of, take her along is too dangerous. But he wonder if it’s a good thing to leave alone such a young girl.
「Isn’t it fine if you leave her here.」
Says Rita, simply cutting off Dale’s worry, .
「I’ll add the baby-sitter fee charge to this month rent.」
「…Is it fine?」
「There is no other method, right? Just this time. After that go look for a baby-sitter by yourself.」
If that happens, the next task of Dale was to tell Latina in advance.
the first thing Latina who woke up from her nap, said,
「Dale?」
It was that voice that as if she was going to cry. He could not be more happy as a parent.
「I’m here.」
She clearly become relieved due to his voice that she heard.
After getting off the chairs, she came near Dale who was writing a doc.u.ment at the counter.
her troubled face softened when tightly grasping Dale’s clothes with her little hands, she looked up to him.
「Dang, Rita. I can’t leave Latina!」
「Don’t say stupid thing. It would be dangerous!」
「It’s alright. Even if I abandon of the clients, I would protect Latina to the end.」
There is written, 「Perhaps this guy is no good.」on Rita’s face.
「Dale?」
「Latina… Uwaah… it’s not good after all. Choose Latina rather than the request fee may also be one choice.」
「Idiot. You will also need to go to distant place for the usual 『jobs』 again before long. If you don’t have enough backbone to make her stay at home before that, from the start it was impossible that you raise her.」
Rita’s words are a fair argument.
Because his job is dangerous, it isn’t something which he can go together with a child.
The time when he would make her stay at home alone would be inevitably long.
Rita and Kenneth are there too and he doesn’t need to worry about meals. It should be safe and comfortable enough so that it can’t be compared to when she was alone in that forest.
It will certainly be fine.
However, it’s a completely different matter whether or not this is okay.
He should have known from the start that he would make Latina feel lonely.
「Uh…」
To Dale, saying that he feels bad to leave her alone and entrusting Latina to orphanage at this point of time is not a choice.
He understands that it’s something he must overcome and that it came earlier than he expected.
「It’s such… a harsh ordeal…!」
When he unconsciously muttered so.
On Rita’s face,「Yes. This guy is no good.」 was written.
In conclusion; Latina obediently listened to reason.
When Latina silently listened fixedly with a serious look to Dale’s clumsy words, tightly knitting her brows, she seemed to be decided to swallow her welling up feelings to endure.
「Alright.」
She answers showing a nod.
The adults of the surroundings who was watching, say in chorus in their mind.
‘Pitiful. What with this girl, too pitiful…!’
It was him who was losing sight himself from up to yesterday, showed an especially remarkable reaction.
「I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Latina!」
He spontaneously hugged her tightly. Latina looks surprised.
「Dale? Latina, alright.」
Furthermore the child who says so, looks much more like a grown-up than Dale in a certain sense.
Even though it should be alright to not become mature so early.
Dale who became completely br.i.m.m.i.n.g with pampering intentions, he brings Latina to his room, as he hold her in his arms.
The goods which he brought a little while ago, are piled up in the room. He carried and placed them while Latina was sleeping.
He puts in order the things that he bought in front of her.
It is also to teach her the words that while cleaning up he says her what this is one by one.
The underwear and clothes were put in large-sized basket and the small articles were put in little basket, which are lined up in place which became a dead s.p.a.ce because of the roof inclination in the back of the bed. It’s an arrangement that he thought so that even the little Latina can reach.
Given that he also bought some picture books, he put them on the lower shelf.
Latina was staring fixedly at the things that Dale put in order.
She seemed to realize that the things Dale bought were for herself.
Dale who roughly finished to sort out, after he made Latina sit on his lap, he opened one of the picture books that he bought.
It’s an expensive made book which their names are written jointly to the colored ill.u.s.trations, but the content is very easy.
Looking at Latina’s manner(appearance), he thinks that the content is probably too simple for her.
However, he bought to use it as a textbook to teach letters and words.
Dale was slowly reading out loud the picture book.
She was concentrating on the picture book by leaning forward as if reluctant to even blink her eyes.
After all this child reacts mature enough that she doesn’t match for her age.
「Dale, “＊＊, ＊＊＊＊＊?”」
「Hm? Yes. That’s it.」
Occasionally she points at a picture and mentions a question.
Finishing reading until the end, when looking Latina’s appearance, she seemed to understand the function of this book.
Opening the first page on her own accord, she looked up to prompt Dale.
When he reads out loud with pause between each words, she imitates after him.
「Dog, cat, horse.」
「Doge, kyat, horth.」
Her very serious expression and her excessive lisping were so cute, he missed his chance to correct her.
He was admiring Latina who become absorbed in the picture book, but he noticed that time pa.s.sed from the sunset came from the window. He takes Latina to the bath before the sun sets completely.
What kind of diseases young children can catch is a matter that is difficult to understand to a novice parent, but it’s decision that it would be better to keep her clean.
Because he is still anxious to take her the public bathhouse, he decides to use the bath of 『The dancing ocelot』 in the meantime. He was charged to clean it in return.
「No matter how much she gets a hold of herself, there is no way I leave a child alone in the bathroom. There is many accidents where children drown.」
It’s Rita’s words.
However, Latina looked unwilling today too when he removed her clothes.
The only time this child looks displeased at Dale is right now. Although she doesn’t seem to hate the bathing itself, he wonders what does she dislike like that.
Dale while looking Latina who play scooping up bubbles, was thinking about such things.
After they finished bathing and dinner, lifting in his arms Latina who started dozing off again, returning in his room and put her in the bed. Utilizing the self-examination of yesterday today, he also properly make her go to the toilet.
「…Good night, Latina.」
After he whispered so while stroking her hairs, Latina half asleep,
「Good naith… Dale.」
Repeated his word.
He restrained his impulse that make him want to hug her, because he would wake Latina up.
The night which he feels mild warmth in his arms pa.s.ses, the sun rises and day breaks.
He didn’t think that the morning coming would be this much, this much painful.
Thus, Rita was looking at Dale who was stricken with grief with an appalled look.
「Don’t worry about that, just go quickly.」
「Latina, I’ll come back as soon as possible. Be a good child.」
He can’t help but to say even with knowledge that she mostly doesn’t understand. Dale said while hugging Latina who is standing side by side with Rita in front of 『The dancing ocelot』.
Because he felt the killing intent that seemed would kick him out from Rita if he did more than that, he reluctantly separated. He pats her head while looking at her face.
「I’m going.」
Latina tilts her head at Dale’s words. Then Rita called out.
「It’s ‘have a good day’. Latina.」
Hearing her name, Latina looks at Rita.
「Have a good day.」
After Rita repeated herself, Latina imitated with difficulty toward Dale.
「Dale, Have a good day?」
「Yeah. I’m going.」
Seeing Dale smile, Latina also showed a smile.
†
The morning of 『The dancing ocelot』 is busy.
There is the figure of those who came to check the newly posted request posters next to the adventurers who stayed at the inn take their meal.
The people of the town who bring requests, come a bit later are many, but the urgent requests that wish for correspondence on the same day are not few either. The interactions with such clients is necessary as well.
Among the adventurers who go out for their job, there are those who depart at this hour, such people go generally purchase consumable goods.
It was so busy that one would even welcome the help of a cat.
The tavernー Although, its aspect as a dining hall is strong in this period of time.ー is handled by Kenneth. Rita come out occasionally to the floor, however she is princ.i.p.ally busy with work of 『The agency of Akhdur』and the checkout.
Latina was looking curiously at the state of such a busy shop.
「Whoa… Look out?」
Kenneth who held two plate in both hands, calls out while Latina who was at his feet surprised him.
Latina tilted her head.
Today she wears a pink dress which was just bought for her yesterday. Her hairs that Rita arranged, are shaking together with the big pink rubans on both side of her head. Because Dale enthusiastically bought a stock of hair ornaments, there was enough variety to use every day.
Latina was following with eyes the manner Kenneth brought the food, cleared the empty plates and managed orders.
Because Rita is mostly inside the counter, what the girl who doesn’t understand words is doing now is outside of her lacking scope of understanding.
In that respect, Kenneth’s behaviour is easy to understand for her.
In the period until now, Latina was looking earnestly at Kenneth making meals. Even now he busily dishes up a heap of meals that she don’t known for how many people is it. With a nod, Latina briskly disappeared with small steps in the tumult inside of the shop.
「…Hm?」
It was the moment when turned again toward the work table to arrange the scrambled eggs with smoked meat in it next to big amount of plate of mashed potatoes which he just finished that Kenneth noticed the unusual event.
The plates were increasing.
In the place where dirty plates are piled up next to the washing place, the dishes to be washed increase.
At first he thought that Rita brought them. Although it’s also a busy period for her work, he wonders if she was incidentally a little free
However when he goes in the shop to bring the finished dishes, Rita while doing the correspondence of the clients, manage the sale of general goods and she is even doing the checkout for customers who came to eat.
It would be absolutely unreasonable to come to the floor with this situation.
「Sorry to keep you waiting..」
When he called out and put the dish under this familiar bearded manーa regular customer veteran adventurer.ー, he was absent-mindedly opening his mouth.
「Why the foolish face.」
「Back at you. You hired a pretty small waitress.」
Turning his eyes in the direction the regular customer points at, then Kenneth finally noticed as well.
Latina was walking with a plate.
It seems that even one plate is quite a heavy burden for a little girl. She held it firmly with both hands and headed to the kitchen.
She returns to shop again a short time later and observes restlessly the surroundings. When she found an empty plate, with a nod, she headed with a look which felt a sense of duty in some respects.
She smiled at the customer who was startled by the figure of too small Latina and she seized empty plate.
The nervous gazes from anyone other than the customer of this table turn toward the figure of Latina who staggered a little.
Part 2 comming soon