Chapter 4 young man, being away. His circ.u.mstances.「Latina is too cute, I don"t want to go work.」
「You"re saying rubbish again?」
Rita retorted the usual negligent reaction because the usual line from Dale started to talk with an awfully serious expression.
「Noooooo!! I can"t come back within a day and I can"t predict how many nights stay it will be! What kind of comfort is there, apart from Latina, keeping company to those s.h.i.tty old men of pandemonium!!」
Falling prostrate on the counter, he strikes his fist. It"s needless to compare the person hitting noisily even with his feet to a fretful child. That alone would be a stressful situation for him.
「If you say that, then why don"t you bring Latina to the royal capital?」
「No. If I entrust Latina to those fellows, what may happen… I can only have an obnoxious feeling.」
Dale who returned to his natural in a blink of an eye drooped limply his head on the counter.
「I understand… I can"t help it since it"s work. When I think that Latina will be waiting, compet.i.tion will appear more than ever before… Latina, because it seems like she was able to make friends, she would be distracted while house sitting. …So, I understand!」
He clenches tightly his fist. The joints turn white as to show the emotions that are put into it are great.
「Even so, I don"t like what I don"t like!!」
"Ah. This guy is no good after all."
Rita"s eyes like seeing something hopeless turn toward Dale who declared conclusively.
「If you know that it"s a helpless matter, then go buy a present or something that is likely to please Latina in the royal capital.」
face known as "is it such a situation to be awaken to the truth?" turns toward Rita.
「The clothes and such have size, she will not be able to wear it in no time so cut it out. …Let me see. That child likes sweets very much and why don"t you try check up famous shops in the capital?」
「A present…a present…」
It was frequent that he heads for the royal capital for work. For that reason there wasn"t the idea to 『Buy a present』 in him. It"s to the degree that he is asked occasionally by Kenneth to deputize for stocking of the hard to obtain articles in Kreutz.
"The full smile of Latina due to the newest popular sweets in the royal capital. Also the 「Thank you」 of grat.i.tude, no doubt that she will properly say it with a lovely voice. No doubt about it. It"s certain. She might also add 「I love Dale」. What shall I do. She is too cute. I might go live with only that."
「I, might do my best.」
「Oh. Yes. Sure.」
Rita already returning to her work and didn"t look at Dale.
The morning of the day when Dale head to the royal capital, Latina got up in order to see him off. Earlier than the usual time she wakes up, to the extent that the still thin rising sun peek through.
「Don"t over do it, you can go sleep.」
Swinging her head unwillingly because of the words of Dale, Latina crawls out of the bedding.
But she is quite sleepy. Her appearance trying to go downstairs is extremely unsteady. All the more since the ladder is the spot to go down from the attic, where their room is.
He lifted her up in his arms while smiling bitterly.
He felt relief because her body certainly gained weight despite not much time pa.s.sed since they first meet.
Repeating waking up with determination again and again when she is about to doze off, Latina is also in the middle of a dream now.
「Sorry, Latina… I"ll be away for a little while, but will you do your best?」
Opening her eyes at the feel of the palm of his hand, she answered showing determination in an extremely serious look.
「I do my best. I be properly with Rita and Kenneth. So, please come back.」
「Yeah. Since I"ll bring back presents. …Take care staying at home.」
Finally hugging her firmly, he separated from Latina. He entrusted Latina to Kenneth, who came to the entrance of the shop.
「I"m leaving Latina to you.」
「Yeah. Don"t overdo it too.」
「I can"t since Latina will be waiting.」
The appearance of Dale, who smiles and answers so was something he did not until now.
「Then, I"m off.」
「Dale, have a safe trip. Be careful, work.」
"Yeah, I will do my best."
He left Kreutz while thinking about her few words.
†
Three days by horse-riding from Kreutz to Ausblick the capital of the Raband country, there is a distance such as one week for travel by carriage. The highway is maintained, many merchants and travelers are coming and going, it is one of the greatest important traffic route of circulation within the confines of the country.
But the destination, where Dale headed for was direction of a suburban wood which diverged from the highway.
The suburb of Kreutz. A huge creature was resting its wings in that place becoming an opened gra.s.sland.
It was a wyvern. Even out of the dragon kind recognized as one kind of magic beasts, these creatures which possess the specific ability to fly is cla.s.sified as fairly small-sized among the dragons. Even among those wyverns, the specimen here now seem to be a small one. It was obviously belonging to the Raband country because the scarlet equipment that stands out even from a distance attached to it.
A young man who was walking around with a nervous look could be seen next to it.
The same scarlet color as the wyvern was adorning the clothes of the young man too. The outfit of the uniform and an armor of plain jet-black make use of the rare magic attribute the 『Central attribute』 and was showing that he is a 『Dragoon』 who is using a wyvern.
「Uwah… what to do, t.i.ty. He said to be a terrific difficult person…」
The companion the young man complained to was the partner at his side.
The wyvern called t.i.ty who cried "Kyuu?" was the female specimen of calm character. Because It doesn"t have the character fit for fighting, their main duty is the transport of goods and persons.
Wyverns are not suitable for night flight. They spent one night this place, currently they are waiting for a person to send to royal capital.
「Although it seem to be an adventurer whom the duke is contracting. …I heard that my predecessor was relegate to a remote region because he offended him… And yet I was able to become a well-paid worker of the royal capital office with much effort… Uuh… Would this be alright…」
His present duty is to send that adventurer to the royal capital.
That adventurer in spite of still being young had achieved a number of meritorious deeds. The trust in him of his excellency the duke, who is serving the right-hand man of the king called Raband country"s chancellor was deep and he had a considerable influence as well.
His own standpoint it is only an adventurer raised by the duke, but it is said that if he offends him, the circ.u.mstances will be transmitted to the duke immediately. Under usual circ.u.mstance, there is no matter like one of the greatest man of power in the country to comply with the words of the likes of a mere adventurer, however he seems to be extraordinary.
It is said that the predecessor of the 『Dragoons』 belittled that adventurer as immature and looked down on him. That act brought wrath upon him, consequently the general opinion was that he was sent to a region more remote than the life of the duke.
It is to the degree that the duke dispatches wyverns expressly for him, who live in Kreutz. He might find a preferential degree*.(TL:not sure at all)
「! t.i.ty, there he is!」
『Her』 who worry about her master"s affair expressed her agreement with a "kyuin".
A young man with a black leather long coat come walking in the landscape which the rising sun illuminate.
The dull and luminous metallic glitter on his left arm should be a magic gauntlet. He is wearing a long sword at his hip. As the appearance he had heard of.
The still young dragoon corrected his posture and approached him.
That young adventurer is a powerful person to the extent that his companion t.i.ty can be cut down under even a single stroke of his sword.
Although it is not quite combative, it is a wyvern. And yet it said that in the case of 『Normal』 adventurers, making a team to confront it is the standard strategy.
「By order of his excellency the duke Eldstedt, I"m here to pick you up!」
「Yeah. I"m Dale Reki.」
The young man, who answered with a low and calm voice looked at him and his companion with a composed expression. The young dragoon swallowed his saliva due to seeing the presence that he could not possibly match, of him who is younger than himself.
「This way, please.」
Leading him toward the saddle attached on t.i.ty"s back, taking charge of the baggage that he had and fastens these.
The saddle of the wyverns occupy a much higher position, so much that it cannot be compared to horses, but he mounted it effortlessly without losing his balance. He is also getting used to make preparation for fastening the belts.
He, the dragoon also grasped the reins across from his saddle in haste.
These reins is made with a particular material that easily transmit the magic power of the dragoon.
It is possible by grasping the reins to give detailed instructions to the wyvern, the thoughts of the wyvern also pa.s.ses through and are conveyed to the dragoon. It was the most important and valuable equipment for the dragoons.
「Go. t.i.ty.」
He crisply calls out and transmit his magic power. When the wyvern spread its wings in accordance with this instruction, it raises a distinctive cry and gathers the wind magic power in the surroundings.
It"s a dragon species with celestial species characteristic, the wyvern which is wrapped in wind magic power let its big body float toward the sky with only one flap of its wings.
After soaring high in the sky with the second flap, it begins moving in the direction where is the royal capital with the third flap.
In the case of the speed of a wyvern, the journey to the royal capital takes no more than about half a day.
It is the reason that the people with the apt.i.tude of dragoons can work for a good pay. the mean of displacement known as flight is limited. In the first place it is impossible to compensate with magic and It is a privilege restricted to being with celestial species characteristic.
For that reason, some techniques with also a military significance are managed strictly. In the case of wyverns, big power such as countries grasped the method for rearing and the method of maintenance of specialized tools like the reins. People like individual 『Wyvern rider』 doesn"t exist. There is no alternatives other than serving a country in order to ride a wyvern.
(Uuh… It"s awkward…)
"Kyui?",t.i.ty cries. It appears to be worrying about his state which is different than usual.
The top of the back of the wyvern differ greatly from the surroundings where the wind magic power swirls, It is very quiet. It is a feeling like the eye of a typhoon.
But this quietness is now regretful.
A soft breeze reaches nicely his forehead slick with sweat.
(Can it pa.s.s as it is… without speaking… But it"s awkward…)
He didn"t have the confidence that he could resist this silent pression for nearly half a day after this. He is overly thirsty due to the presence in his back.
He put his hand under his saddle and pulled the thing that he wanted out. Because it was a usual behavior, it is also a familiar movement that he skilfully takes out the content and puts it with one hand in his mouth.
It didn"t have profound meaning in the fact that he held out the container behind.
his brain now isn"t working enough to think of profound meaning.
「Would you like to eat it if you don"t mind?」
「…Candy?」
He immediately got stiff because of his low voice.
(I"m finisheeeeed!!)
The biggest taboo toward 『Dale Reki』 is, to despite him due his age.
While showing a cramped smileーwithout noticing that this face can"t be seen by the other party who faced his back.ーhe rested his words to mend this situation.
「It"s a commodity much-talked-about in the royal capital currently! the taste is different depending on colors. besides look, these have more various colors the candies until now did not have and the colors are bright! It is beautiful as a jewel and it is a popular commodity from the common people to the n.o.bles!」
The bottle disappears from his hand.
He seemed to be interested for the time being. He(the dragoon) press him now with a way to prevail.
「It is also a bottle of elaborate craftsmanship don"t you agree? Detailed design has been applied up to the cap. Because of that, it seems that for women and children to make emptied bottle into accessory case is becoming quite a trend! Large, medium or small and various kinds are also provided for the size, from a gift to a small present, depending on budget and use, it can answer to the various needs of the customers!」
He, who is talking like a salesman of a candy shop because he was desperate, wonders what he would have seen if he had looked back this time.
(Now that he mention it, I haven"t bought candies to Latina yet. She will probably put candies in her mouth and puff out her cheeks. The colors are beautiful as well, a girl is likely to be pleased. When I bought Latina hair ornaments, she followed shiny things with her eyes after all. Even though she is small, she is a girl. She will like it sure enough. Ah, come to think of it There was also a girl in the friend of Latina. Is a share for that girl also necessary? Latina will probably like the same thing with friends. Besides…)
At least, he should have realized that it is not necessary to steel himself to entertain Dale more than necessary for a period of travelling to the royal capital.
If it was the former Dale, it was him(the dragoon) who stepped on the thing that was a landmine without fail, however that landmine was a trivial thing unworthy to think now for the person in question.
There isn"t the room to think about such things in Dale"s mind now.
There is no one who know that the small Latina saved the future of one promising young man, in a place where the said person has nothing to do with.
Part 2 coming soon