If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord: Volume 3

by CHIROLU

  “You sound like you actually went and checked it out yourself.”

  “Yeah, I did. And I’ve got to say, if some greedy adventurer went rushing in there, there wouldn’t be even a single bone left of him.”

  “Even you couldn’t handle them?”

  “I talked to the leader of the pack, but I wouldn’t really want to fight him... I could probably take them on one-on-one, but there’s just too many of them. I’d get overwhelmed eventually.”

  “I see.”

  While staying in his home village of Tislow, Dale’s common sense had become skewed, but he remembered something important from Kenneth’s reaction. Normally, having a casual chat with a mythical beast would be unthinkable.

  “The leader seemed pretty fond of her.”

  “Of who?”

  “Latina.”

  “I see.”

  Kenneth had guessed as much midway through Dale’s explanation, so he wasn’t surprised in the least, but his facial expression did grow strained, just like Dale’s.

  It was most certainly an abnormal traveling tale.

  †

  Latina wasn’t a foolish enough child to keep doing the same thing after being thoroughly scolded. She was smart enough to understand that Dale and the other adults were upset with her because they were worried about her. After that point, when she wanted to go play with the soaring wolves, she made sure to get permission first and didn’t go off into the mountains alone. She made that promise to Dale, and she was sure to keep it. By nature, Latina was excessively earnest.

  The soaring wolves’ very existence was a secret, and although Granny Wen and Dale didn’t always have the time, Latina didn’t even think of asking the acting clan head, Randolph, to take her; he always seemed so busy. She thought it wasn’t right to interfere with others while they were working, so she didn’t spend as much time with Randolph as she did with Granny Wen and Dale’s mother, Magda. Because of that, she ended up holding back a bit from talking to him. If she had looked at him with upturned eyes and asked, “Could you help, Papa Randolph?” he would have likely consented right away, although Latina didn’t know that. He was Dale’s father, after all.

  Latina looked forward to interacting with the soaring wolves, even after Dale caught her. And having seen firsthand that the soaring wolves looked forward to that as well, Dale couldn’t just go and ban her from seeing them. It would be no joke if they showed up at the village in full force seeking Latina. In addition to breaking the promise between his ancestors and the soaring wolves that neither would invade the territory of the other, it would also cause an outbreak of panic.

  As a result, Dale ended up visiting the soaring wolf settlement several more times. After they had decided on when they would head back for Kreuz, he also accompanied Latina when she went to tell them that she’d be leaving.

  “Latina’s heading back to Kreuz. It’s been lots of fun. Take care, okay?”

  “Hmm?” The wolf cub looked up at Latina in confusion. “Croots?”

  After checking the position of the sun, Latina pointed towards the northwest. There was a rugged mountain range in the way, but Kreuz was in that direction.

  “Kreuz. It’s a human town over that way. There are a whole lot of people, and Latina lives there, too.”

  “How inconvenient it must be for you children of men, being unable to soar through the skies.”

  It was clear that the alpha’s concerns were pointed solely at Latina, but Dale didn’t especially mind.

  “You look so feeble, lacking fur and fangs, so surely even small beasts can harm you, yes?”

  Seeing the massive carnivore restlessly wagging his tail, for some reason Dale didn’t feel quite as intimidated as he did when they first met. For whatever reason, the geezers who gathered at the Dancing Ocelot sprang to mind.

  While Dale was thinking that, the leader and cubs started staring at them.

  “We bestow this upon you,” he said, indicating several feathers that had fallen where he was sitting.

  “Feathers...?”

  “If you have something awash in our mana on your person, then mindless beasts shall not approach you, due to their fear of us.”

  “That’s a big help. Thank you.”

  Thanks to the shared point of loving Latina, the two were able to establish cross-cultural communication, despite being of entirely different races.

  After returning to the mansion, Dale reported to Granny Wen that they’d received feathers from the soaring wolves. After emptying out the ashes from her pipe with a single clunk, she matter-of-factly said, “We can’t use them for hunting, but we have overcoats that ward off animals while we’re on trips and working in the fields, right?”

  “Now that you mention it...”

  “Those have soaring wolf fur woven into them.”

  Hearing it put so bluntly, Dale found himself chuckling.

  “They’re also used in the ropes to keep beasts away from the fields. This year Latina gathered up an awful lot, so we won’t be wanting for materials for quite some time.”

  When she said that, Dale recalled that Latina always diligently scooped up the pile of fur after she was done brushing and placed it in a bag. Apparently, his grandmother had instructed her to do so.

  “Normally, I have Randolph gather up whatever comes off of them naturally during this season. Thanks to Latina, he has a little less work to worry about.”

  When the season changed over from spring to summer, the soaring wolves shed their old fur. Countless times, Dale had seen the soaring wolves scratch their itchy necks with their hind legs, only for their fluffy fur to then dance through the air. The soaring wolf settlement was a secret limited to the clan heads, and when Dale thought of his father using the limited time in his busy schedule to clean up the soaring wolves’ space... Maybe he should feel grateful for Latina’s work.

  That said, though, it was no simple cleaning. The fur, fangs, and bones of magical beasts carried mana in them and were highly valued as material. They were also used quite frequently to make magical devices. Collecting the material was the quickest way for adventurers to earn money, and when it came to material from mythical beasts, which were even stronger, the value jumped further. It certainly wasn’t a waste of time to gather them up.

  In Tislow, the magical devices made from fur, fangs, and bones were used as work clothes worn out in the fields. This would make not just adventurers, but merchants as well, shed bitter tears.

  “We can’t be open about how we got our hands on the materials, so we can’t sell them to the outside.”

  “That’s for sure.”

  Granny Wen popped up and fished through the drawer by her side. Before long, she pulled out a long and narrow cloth.

  “I made this as a test. I picked out the finest fur possible and wove it together.”

  It was an extravagant ribbon with Tislow’s traditional flower emblem design on the fabric and additional embroidery sewn on top.

  “She can wear it on the way back. That’d help give me some peace of mind.”

  “If you put a price on this, it would be insane.”

  Perhaps because it had been made by fine fur, the fabric was slick, smooth, and lustrous, like satin. Even if it weren’t a magical device, it would be obvious at a glance that it was a valuable item.

  “It may be better not to wear it in town...”

  “It can be something special, for festivals and the like.”

  After shooting an astounded look back at his cackling grandmother, Dale held the gently sparkling ribbon up to the light.

  †

  “And so, she ended up with a new ribbon magical device.”

  “That’s one hell of an item.”

  It would be useless for adventurers who made a living exterminating magical beasts, but there’d be a lot of merchants and travelers who would want one. It wouldn’t just be for when they were moving; they’d want to lower the risk of being attacked when camping, too. It wouldn’t be a good
idea to put too much faith in it, but the world was overflowing with enough danger that it was no surprise that people would cling to anything that could make things safer for them.

  “The craftsmanship is second to none for my village, too.”

  “I don’t know anything about accessories, but I can tell that there was a lot of effort put into it.”

  “It really is beautiful work, isn’t it?”

  Dale was at a loss for words at the sudden intrusion of her voice. He froze, then awkwardly turned around.

  “H-Helmine...?”

  “It’s been a while, Dale. I figured this was around when you’d be returning, so I came to pick you up.”

  There was a blond beauty standing there with a wide grin on her face.

  “Who’s that?”

  Seeing this unknown woman acting so close to Dale, Latina tilted her head and stared at Helmine. Normally, Latina would immediately introduce herself upon meeting someone for the first time. It was rare for her to act so impolite.

  With Latina’s suspicious gaze fixed on her, Helmine couldn’t keep herself from giggling.

  “So this is the ‘little magic user,’ huh? She sure is a lovely little girl, just like you said.”

  “Latina isn’t little,” responded Latina, puffing up her cheeks a bit in displeasure.

  “Wh-Why are you here...?”

  “Like I said, I came to pick you up. I’ve been waiting here for you to return so I could deliver your orders to come to the capital. I’m going to be participating in your next job.”

  Dale was too shaken, so he didn’t have a chance to call Latina out for being rude. To be honest, he wasn’t very good at handling this beautiful woman, and now, right before his very eyes, she’d launched a surprise attack. That obviously threw him for a loop.

  “You’re as bad at dealing with Helmine as always,” Kenneth interjected, with more a tinge of sympathy than surprise.

  “I-I’m bad at that...?”

  “Oh, my, how awful. You’re bad at handling me?” said Helmine, showing no sign of actually being offended. “You used to say such adorable things, too...”

  “Like I said, he can’t deal with you. You really haven’t changed at all since when I was just starting out.”

  “You always gave me the cold shoulder.”

  Kenneth looked at her in astonishment, and she responded with a slight tilt of her head. The crook of her neck was seductively showing. It was a well-practiced action and based on how others looked at her.

  “My type is women like my wife.”

  “You sure are blunt, aren’t you?” Helmine giggled, again seemingly not at all offended.

  Averting her gaze a bit from this exchange, Rita looked at Latina, whose cheeks remained puffed in displeasure.

  “Oh, my...”

  Helmine certainly had no problem earning the animosity of her fellow women. She was always conscious of men’s gazes on her, and she used her feminine appeal freely, so other women instinctually saw her as an enemy and avoided her.

  Rita always tried to remain businesslike, so she didn’t show any clear discomfort. Her husband Kenneth stated that he had no interest in Helmine, which helped with that. No matter how you looked at it, the young couple that ran the Ocelot had a happy relationship.

  “You’re a girl too, aren’t you, Latina?”

  Seeing Latina spin a small souvenir she’d bought in the port town in her hand, Rita broke out in a slightly strained smile. Even after Rita realized how she was feeling, Latina still sat there pouting in silence, only to then suddenly realize something. She got down off her chair, walked over to Dale’s side, and hugged him tight.

  “Latina...?”

  “Dale, you have work? Will it take long again?” Latina asked, with loneliness and sadness written on her face. Their trip, which had lasted several months, had been the longest period of time Latina had had Dale all to herself. Even if he went out during the day, they always spent the nights together. They’d eat together, and talk together, and sometimes even sleep together, snuggling close. She should’ve known that it was something special, but now that it had ended, it was just too painful.

  “Yeah... I’m sorry. I’ll have to have you hold down the fort all the time again.”

  “No, it’s fine. Latina can handle it.”

  Latina unconsciously pushed her face up against Dale with even more force. And then she stayed that way, seemingly unable to look up.

  Dale’s expression softened. He was conflicted.

  Rita and Kenneth whispered some live commentary.

  “How rare, seeing him hold back.”

  “It’s because Helmine is here.”

  “Latina... will wait for Dale. But she wants to stay together just a bit longer.”

  Dale’s hands started shaking and moving strangely. There was a strained expression on his face, and he was left speechless.

  “Oh, my, you sure do spoil her, don’t you?” Helmine asked, landing a mental strike on Dale from behind as he stopped himself right at the brink.

  “It’s my fault for always having to leave her behind! But... but she always tries so hard!” Seeing Latina all depressed, Dale grabbed her and scooped her up.

  “I see. So you’re the one who’s been pampered, it seems.” It was then that Helmine threw out those words, almost as a threat. She let out a high-pitched laugh, finding this truly amusing. “Well, I won’t say you have to head right back out after such a long trip. I’ve got some business to take care of around town, anyway,” Helmine said, then turned around with a grin and a light wave of her hand.

  “See you later, Dale.” Helmine headed for the second floor of the Ocelot, where the guest rooms were. Apparently, she was staying there.

  “Dale, was that person someone you work with...?” Latina whispered after Helmine was completely gone.

  “Yeah. Despite appearances, Helmine’s a first-rate magic user,” Dale replied with a sigh, then lowered Latina down to the floor.

  “Just from work?”

  When Latina asked again with her big eyes staring straight at him, Dale’s gaze wandered a bit. “She’s just a work acquaintance.”

  It wasn’t a lie. But for some reason, he still felt like he was being interrogated.

  Latina was going to say something, but ended up holding her tongue. Her reaction was somehow different than usual, throwing Dale off further.

  “L-Latina...?”

  “When Latina becomes an adult, she’ll get big. She’s still a kid, so that’s why she’s small.” From her puffed-up cheeks, it was obvious that her pride had been injured. She was a bit smaller than other children her age. It wasn’t due to her race; it was just how she was. Her height and weight were steadily, healthily advancing. Her size wasn’t enough of an issue to be a real problem. Even so, Latina didn’t seem fond of how often people around her called her “small.”

  Dale understood how she felt. He had no lack of bitter memories of being made light of for his youth rather than people recognizing his abilities. He felt that same sense of rebellion against the judgments of others, which were beyond his control.

  He understood, but...

  “You’re fine staying small, Latina... You’re cute, after all,” he said without thinking, despite understanding what Latina was feeling. He couldn’t help himself, because even her smallness was just that cute.

  “That’d be a problem for Latina. She wants to be big.”

  Casting a sidelong glance at Dale and Latina, Rita closed one eye and said to her husband, “Latina’s a girl, right? Then she should have a vague suspicion.”

  “A woman’s intuition sure is a terrifying thing...”

  Both of them had known Dale longer than Latina, so they were aware that his relationship with Helmine was work-related. However, they also knew there was a stipulation there.

  After returning to their attic room for the first time in a while, Dale felt a cold sweat rolling down his back as he watched Latina unpack the luggage and clean up
. Her mood didn’t appear to have improved at all. For today, she would immerse herself entirely in this sort of work, rather than helping Kenneth. She silently devoted herself to getting it done. As soon as Dale had spoken up, she went to steadily work away at the not-at-all insignificant pile of luggage. He thought that this silence was the result of that.

  “L-Latina...?”

  “What?”

  “C-Could you cheer up...?”

  “Latina isn’t in an especially bad mood.”

  The conversation ground to a halt.

  “I-I’ve never seen Latina in such a bad mood before...” Dale muttered to himself, so frozen on the spot that he was unable to even wipe away the dripping sweat. He choked back tears, thinking it’d be easier if she would just come out and say she was upset.

  “Dale.”

  “Yes?!” he replied, his voice cracking.

  Latina stared straight at Dale, who couldn’t hide how unnerved he was.

  “W-Well...”

  “You don’t need to worry about it,” she bluntly stated. This girl had had a tendency to be stubborn since the day they met. When she was like this, Latina was unlikely to speak any further.

  “I’ll be on the first floor, so...”

  “Right. Latina will come when she’s done cleaning up.”

  While thoroughly savoring the joy he got from even that brief response, Dale hurriedly chose to make a tactical retreat. As a result, he didn’t see Latina puff out her cheeks again after having been left all alone in the attic room.

  “Latina... really does wish she could hurry up and become an adult...” The brunt of her displeasure as she muttered that was directed both at the fact that she was a child and also at Dale telling her not to worry about it.

  Rather than heading into the shop, Dale sat at the table in the kitchen with his head hung in shame, crestfallen. Kenneth left a steaming cup in front of his “little brother.” The deep-blue tea inside swayed gently.

  “I made it extra strong. Use it to prepare yourself for the worst instead of drinking.”

  “I won’t screw up like that... I’m not like I used to be.” He grumpily puffed up his cheeks, but of course when someone like him did it, it didn’t even come close to Latina’s cuteness.