by CHIROLU
“Yeah. Just the magical beast habitats alone are enough to cause all sorts of problems in terms of security. But even so, things are apparently progressing smoother than expected.”
“I’d heard adventurers from Kreuz had set this place up and were guarding it, but...” Dale’s gaze turned from Gregor to the surrounding area, and he spotted many adventurers he recognized looking back at a distance. Without even thinking about it, he instinctively hugged Latina tight. Latina tilted her head in confusion.
However, Dale’s actions gave that crowd confidence that it was indeed the girl they’d been fighting for who was standing there.
The very earth itself trembled. That’s how the soldiers of Laband accompanying Gregor would later recount it.
“It’s the fairy princess!!”
“Ohhhhhh!!”
“Woohoo!!”
They didn’t give a damn about Dale, but their reaction was almost refreshingly clear. The news that the fairy princess had been found spread around the base even quicker and more precisely than it would have if they were a well-regulated army.
Even the fact that Latina let out a “Wah?!” in surprise was immediately communicated.
“We’ve confirmed a ‘Wah!’”
“That ‘Wah!’ was the same as always!”
“Those guys...” Dale groaned, a look of exasperation on his face.
Latina then looked up at Dale and nervously asked, “Do I say it that often?” Apparently that was what was concerning her. That phrase of Latina’s that she’d used since she was young gave off a childish impression, and despite her own intentions, she’d apparently had no success in correcting it.
Dale averted his gaze just a bit and said, “...It’s cute, so what’s the problem with it?”
“That’s... You’re always saying stuff like that, Dale...!” Latina said with a look of shock, but unfortunately for the girl, Dale wasn’t generous enough to deny that fact at this point. He didn’t want to say something she would know was a lie, after all.
“Woof!”
Dale’s averted gaze fell on Vint, who was gnawing away at a large bone. A little later on, Dale would learn that Vint was given a magical beast bone as a snack whenever he visited this base.
Latina left Dale’s side and headed towards some adventurers she recognized. It wasn’t just a group made up of old veterans, as there were a good number of young adventurers too. Regardless of age or experience as adventurers, they were all regulars of the Dancing Ocelot.
“Um... I’m sorry for worrying you...”
“It’s fine, it’s fine!”
“Don’t worry about it!”
“Um, but...!”
“Just seeing you safe and sound is enough to give us peace of mind.”
“Stuff like this is our job, too. So pay it no mind.”
Latina had tried to apologize, but was drowned out by the joyous voices of those grim looking fellows. When she undoubtedly raised her voice again, it was again drowned out by the middle-aged men’s hearty laughter.
Seeing this, Dale broke out in a smile without even realizing it. It was deeply moving for him, being able to see clearly just how much she was beloved by the people around her.
But he also thought things like But you, who took advantage of the confusion to touch her, and the guy who’s acting overly familiar and holding her hand. And you over there, getting closer than you need to... You’ve gotten a taste of heaven, so it stands to reason that you’ve got to get a glimpse of hell, too. Prepare yourselves. He was completely back to his old self.
The soldiers were dumbfounded at first by the commotion from the adventurers, but then a stir started to spread amongst them, as if they’d realized something. Just as Dale started to wonder what was going on, Gregor clapped his hands together.
“By the way, Dale.”
“What is it?”
“I’m glad you were able to reunite with her, but...”
“But?”
“Did you tell her about that?”
“That?”
While Dale was wondering what Gregor meant, his ears picked up the whispers of the nearby young soldiers.
“...The Fairy Princess? The real one?”
What does “real one”... huh? Ahhh!
Latina had been given the nickname of “Fairy Princess” back when she was a child. “Cute” didn’t even begin to cover it when it came to her, nor did the customers of the Ocelot find “adorable waitress” enough to properly capture things. Dale had been in agreement with all that. And so, when the “Fairy Princess” nickname for Latina popped up, he accepted that as only natural.
He only just now realized that that nickname had gained a different meaning.
“Ah...”
Dale broke out in a cold sweat and looked away, and Gregor gave a sigh.
“So you didn’t tell her?”
“...I didn’t,” Dale affirmed, only for cheers from the soldiers to be added to those of the adventurers coming from behind him.
“H-Huh?” Latina’s eyes darted about in confusion, not grasping what was going on.
The regulars amongst the adventurers (the members of the “Young Girl’s Bodyguards”) immediately understood the circumstances. They hurriedly finished preparations and promptly deployed a formation to protect Latina.
While casting a sideways glance at that commotion, Gregor said to Dale, “Because you made that design with her as the model, her face is now known by the forces of nations the world over.”
“...I suppose that’s true.”
“Seeing her by your side along with those mythical beasts, and hearing her called the Fairy Princess, such a reaction is only natural.”
“Ugh...”
While Dale made a sour face, Gregor pointed out the present circumstances, more talkative than usual.
Dale had been driven into a corner and left in a worrying state, but that had all been completely wiped away. While he was left relieved, Gregor needed to complete one more job before he could meet up with Rose, so he’d also spoken up out of annoyance over that.
Gregor didn’t even try to calm down the sudden chaos caused by the appearance of the rumored Fairy Princess, instead letting slip a slight chuckle.
Dale thought on how he could dodge the issue, but apparently Latina had heard the rough details of the reason behind the situation from the nearby regulars. Even from a distance, it was obvious that she was now flustered and in a bit of a panic.
Realizing that tales of her had spread throughout the world, exaggerated to such a degree that it was less a fish story and more akin to one about catching the legendary Leviathan itself, all Latina could think was... Maybe... I should go back to Chrysos... Latina gazed off into the distance, wondering if shutting herself away from the world may have been the correct decision after all.
Though they had fallen into such a chaotic state, the soldiers entrusted to the son of Duke Eldstedt fell back in line with a single shout from the thundering voice of their commander, Gregor. Meanwhile, the adventurers (who would normally be considered a synonym for “ruffians”) kept themselves even more disciplined than the armed forces, with the “Bodyguards” at their center. Standing by Gregor’s side, Dale was immediately impressed. He’d heard tell that there were iron-clad rules amongst them, but he had no idea what they were, and mentally sighed in astonishment.
“I’d like to let Latina rest, is there a tent or anything we can borrow?” Dale asked.
“In terms of numbers, we do have a surplus of tents. However, the only one suitable for Her Majesty, sister of the queen, is the one meant for myself, the commander,” Gregor responded, looking a little troubled.
“I see. Well, it’ll be fine.”
Gregor’s concern was only natural. He could hardly let the sister of the queen of Vassilios sleep in a tent in a huddle with the normal soldiers. But that girl felt more in tune with the common masses, and would surely not be in any state to sleep soundly if she drove Gregor out of his own tent
.
However, Dale just waved him off with a strained smile, saying, “Latina’s able to sleep pretty much anywhere. If you lend us some bedding, and... just the corner of a storage tent or something, that’d be good enough.”
“That... won’t become a problem later on?”
“It’s not an issue if nobody finds out, right? Besides, Latina and I are only here unofficially, anyways,” Dale bluntly responded.
As soon as the conversation was finished, he then touched Hagel’s armor. With the hindrance of the armor out of the way, Hagel gave a hearty stretch, and the soldiers around him instinctively prepared to flee.
“You’re free until tomorrow morning, Hagel, but what are you thinking of doing?”
“I think that perhaps a walk would be good, to stretch our legs, so I shall take my child along with me.”
“Woof?” Hearing his name called, Vint trotted over to his father’s side.
“I feel like saying ‘take care’... I don’t think you need it, but still...”
Taking Vint along with him, Hagel headed off into the forest. This base was constructed past the forest to the south of Kreuz, a magical beast territory where people didn’t enter.
“Latina,” Dale called out to the girl who had been escorted by a group of adventurers up until now, easily carrying Hagel’s armor as he walked along.
“What is it?”
“We’re going to borrow a corner of that tent there. What do you want to do? Do you want to turn in?”
“You don’t need to worry about me so much. I’ve been sitting all this time, so I need to move around properly at least a little,” Latina said with a strained smile in response to Dale’s overprotective nature. After thinking a bit, she turned to face the grizzled old regulars of the Ocelot.
“And I want to repay you all, for all the worry I caused.”
“Hey, hey!” the regulars responded with a laugh, but even so, Latina pressed further. “There’s not much I can do, but... can I least help out? Like with preparing dinner, for example...”
The second Latina said that, the expressions of the regulars shifted. They exchanged glances, looking somehow restless.
It was common knowledge amongst the regulars of the Ocelot that Latina was a skilled chef. She had studied under Kenneth, the owner, ever since she was young, and had thoroughly polished her cooking skills.
Latina was in charge of part of the cooking at the Ocelot. However, there wasn’t a specific menu of her home-cooking, so to speak. The only exception was the meals she made for Dale, a mix of his personal favorites and dishes from his home village.
That wasn’t prepared for the customers, though. No matter how much they wanted it, they weren’t able to eat the specially prepared home-cooking of that beloved, adorable waitress.
“O-Oh yeah...?”
“If you’re going to say all that, little lady, then...”
“I guess it’s fine if she helps out, right?”
“I’m going to go help out, Dale, alright?” Latina said with a smile while looking at Dale from up close, clearly relieved to have something to do.
There was no way that Dale could refuse when faced with that smile.
However, it was then that Dale suddenly realized something. “Hey, the food for the adventurers here is provided by support from Kreuz, right?”
“Yeah. The supplies are sent here from Kreuz.”
“The portions for the Laband forces fall under the management of the national expenses. They share their tents and supplies, though.”
That was an utterly obvious reply from the geezers, but Dale made a strained expression in response.
“What is it?”
“Hey, won’t it be a problem... if the adventurers end up monopolizing Latina’s home cooking?” The regulars fell silent in response to Dale’s words.
Latina was currently an idol on a global scale, so to speak. From their reaction just moments ago, it seemed clear that she had a great number of fans within the Laband forces. Unlike the regulars of the Ocelot, their feelings of admiration were born from hearsay about the heroine of an epic saga, the Fairy Princess, so they didn’t know how to handle her.
The girl herself, meanwhile, was already entirely focused on the idea of taking on her first work in a while, almost skipping towards the large tent that served as the base’s kitchen.
Dale and the regulars watched Latina happily head off. There wasn’t any great difference between Dale and those geezers, as neither were able say anything when she looked so joyful.
“...I’ll go talk things through with Gregor...”
“That may be for the best...”
The two groups would need to keep working alongside each other, so it would be an issue if relations between them became strained. Thinking the same thing, the men came to the same conclusion.
Gregor heard Dale’s concerns, and so it was decided that for dinner that night, they would put aside ranks and the common folks and officers alike would eat together. And so, Latina ended up mincing up a mountain of vegetables. The occasionally uneven rhythm of her knife’s chopping was somehow incredibly like her. As she steadily worked away, she was watched over by the Bodyguards. Perhaps as a result of their nervousness, they shared the opinion that it was the right way to go about things.
I suppose... that’s the right sort of job for them, as “Bodyguards”...
Of course, Dale would never leave Latina’s side, so he also sat down near her. A heap of onion skins piled up as he devoted his attention to peeling them.
“It seems like you’re having fun,” Dale muttered to himself, hearing how much she was enjoying herself through the constant rhythm of her knife.
“Yeah, I am!” Dale hadn’t said that expecting a response, but she immediately replied with a wide smile.
There was just too much food to be prepared, making it difficult for Latina to manage on her own, so the people who were originally supposed to be in charge of tonight’s dinner also worked nearby.
Even so, Dale remained calm and composed, watching as Latina was in “work mode.”
Normally Latina was so aloof that Dale couldn’t help but worry about her, but when it came to her work, she took things incredibly seriously. Dale was well aware of how thoroughly Kenneth had trained her, so he accepted letting those other bastards watch her too, just for now.
If they grew too captivated by her and neglected their own work, then Latina’s evaluation of them would drop. Rather, it would flat out plummet, or so Dale thought.
Naturally, touching her was still strictly prohibited. With a smile still on his face, he mused that if anyone proved insolent enough to do so, they wouldn’t live to see tomorrow.
Latina apparently didn’t realize what was going on in his head, but she still had a slightly troubled look on her face as she came over to take the peeled onions from him.
“I didn’t think it would be such a huge undertaking... and the work should have been all divvied up... Did I just cause more trouble, by saying something so selfish?”
“I can’t imagine anyone would find it a bother. When it comes to being on duty for cooking for a group of adventurers, there are some who specialize in that, but there are probably a lot more who’d prefer to take it easy. And above all else, it’s quite an event for a place so starved for entertainment. I’d imagine most of them will be grateful.”
“Really...? But I don’t want to cause Sir Gregor any problems...”
“That group makes their own meals when they’re camping instead of on the march... They ought to appreciate a meal made by a professional.”
Gregor was of high-ranking noble pedigree, but he had polished his swordsmanship abroad, and had personal experience walking the path of an adventurer, so his personality belied his station.
“Go ahead and make it as tasty as possible.”
“Right.”
Perhaps because of those words, Latina’s energy showed no sign of waning while preparing the food. She didn’t sl
ow even for a moment. Apparently she had been overly restrained back in Vassilios.
The kitchen for this base was set up far from town and was still in the process of being outfitted, the ingredients available were limited, and the equipment available was the bare minimum. Even so, Latina worked joyfully away, seemingly having no concern whatsoever over the matter.
Looking at her now, it seemed that perhaps her quick recovery had been thanks to the way they’d forced her to rest up out of concern. It was busy now, but she seemed perfectly at home with that.
“Woof!”
“Hmm?”
Dale went out to check on the voice he’d heard from outside the tent, and found Vint and Hagel standing there holding their prey in their mouths. It was a large magical beast that would require the mainstays of the adventurer group to team up and properly equip themselves to take down. Dale wished they’d stop making a face like they just hunted it down because they had a little free time.
Following along after Dale, Latina also peeked her head out of the tent and pointed a carefree smile at the pups.
“That’s amazing! Can I take it off your hands?”
“Woof!”
“Thanks. I’ll be sure to put something together for you two, too.”
Dale thought that if Latina was enjoying herself, then there was nothing else to it, and stood up while rolling up his sleeves.
“You can’t prepare something like this, right, Latina?”
“Yeah. I’d like to be able to someday, though,” Latina immediately replied. Dale couldn’t help but wonder just how far she intended to proceed down the path of becoming a culinary professional.
“I’ll handle the prep work.”
“Thanks!”
Dale’s home village of Tislow was in a land that prospered in terms of hunting. Ever since he was a child, seeing the spoils of such hunts being prepared was a sight he found only natural. In that village, it was assumed that any adult male could manage that much.
As a result of those particular circumstances, by the time Dale had finished skinning it to his satisfaction, he seemed to be enjoying himself a bit. He hadn’t been able to handle such a massive beast very often. It was a rather tricky endeavor, and before he knew it he was wholly absorbed in the task.