by CHIROLU
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...”
“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.