by CHIROLU
“In addition to humans, elves can also have mixed children with angels. But the two races’ values are just too different, so they never associate with one another to start with.”
Angels were even shorter-lived than humans. They stuck to their own villages and lived according to their own cycle. There were also very few of them. The area they lived in also didn’t overlap with the elves’ territory, so elf-angel mixes were virtually nonexistent.
“That ‘half’ is key. Half-elves only live half as long as pureblooded elves. But that’s still an excessively long life compared to humans... And so we’re left alienated. Do you get it?”
Dale silently shook his head, so Helmine continued on, like a teacher admonishing her student.
“Elves are different than devils. It takes time for them to reach maturity. Far too long, compared to humans. A human parent can’t raise a half-elf child. And...”
A dark shadow fell over Helmine’s face. There was a bitterness mixed into her voice.
“An elf parent’s half-elf child will grow old and die before them.”
“Does this have something to do with your list of lovers...?”
“It does. I don’t have a need for anything but a human or half-elf child. If I get together with anyone but a human man, then there’s a chance of birthing a child of some other race, right?”
She glossed over her bitter expression with her impish actions as she easily uttered that vivid line.
“If I’m with a man from another race, there’s a chance I could become pregnant with an elf. In that case, I wouldn’t be able to raise the child. I just wouldn’t be around long enough... Well, at any rate, the odds are low to begin with.” The races with long lifespans had low birthrates.
Dale reflected internally how he had thought of her as just “playing around.” He washed away his youthful memories with the contents of his glass.
“Why are we suddenly talking about this...?”
“Who knows? I wonder...” Helmine said, giggling once more and hiding away the bitter expression she’d just shown. She may have still been off in some place that he still couldn’t reach. “We long-lived races have our own troubles, and our own reasons too. Don’t forget that even your human reasoning can hurt us. You’re a parent, right?”
He obviously knew who she meant. He figured with her powers of observation, Helmine had already realized.
“Someday, after I die, will you help Latina out...?”
“I don’t want to,” Helmine bluntly responded. She looked at Dale, a gentle smile showing in her eyes as they narrowed. “If she’s precious to you, then you’ve got to live for as long as you can, alright?”
The ice in the now-empty glass let out a high-pitched clink.
4: The Young Girl’s Wish
I want to become an adult, she thought.
That person who had saved her was precious to her, and she loved him so much.
In that forest, she was so scared, and lonely, and hungry, and hurt, and she thought for sure that she was going to die. But his final wish had been for her to live, so she felt like she needed to keep on fighting.
That precious person had saved her, heart and body—her life.
He was the first person outside of her family to say that he loved her. He was also the first one other than her family to hug her.
He brought her to that warm, happy place where she could feel safe.
She really loved everyone.
She was grateful to them for letting her do new things, and praising her, and scolding her when they needed to.
So she wanted to hurry up and become an adult...
Up until now people had always done things for her, so she wanted to grow up and be able to give something back. She wanted to become someone who could save someone else, like that person, who was kinder than anyone else.
And the things that were impossible for her now would surely become easy when she was an adult.
When she became an adult, she’d be able to be there for him when things were hard or painful. He wouldn’t just tell her “I’m alright.” That kind person had told her it was alright not to smile when she didn’t feel like it, and he’d let her cry. She’d be able to embrace him when he felt like crying, too. And she could stay by his side when he went out on work, when he might get hurt.
She wanted to stand by his side and support him, rather than be a child who was only someone to be protected.
Surely, she just couldn’t do all that properly because she was just a small child right now. If she were an adult, she’d definitely be able to do it. That had to be the case.
And so, she wanted to hurry up and become an adult.
And... And if she were an adult, then she could learn about herself and about how Dale was before she met him, and she wouldn’t lose to anyone else.
“Latina... wants to hurry up and become an adult...”
“That again? You’ve been saying that a lot, lately... You should take your time growing up. You don’t have to force yourself to be an adult.”
Dale wore an awkward smile as he responded to the girl’s usual muttering as of late, patting her head all the while.
He remembered how he’d felt like he needed to be an adult right away back when he left his village. It was hard to not be an adult, and to not be treated like one. That awkward smile was because she reminded him of his old self. This pair may have been quite alike.
That’s precisely why he thought what he did.
He wanted her to take her time growing up. He wouldn’t say it was wrong to try to push yourself, but once you were an adult, you could never be a kid again.
He wanted her to grow up healthy and carefree, without any worries. As a parent, it was his duty to protect her time as a child, as well as the privileges that come with that.
†
Rita was super cool. She did a lot of work and was firm even with the large men who came to the shop.
Latina needed to work hard so the customers saw her as a proper, full-fledged employee rather than a “little lady.” Latina couldn’t hope to become bigger than Kenneth, but she wanted to become a cool woman like Rita. Not someone who was thought of as cute, and would get told that while working. If she could be firm like Rita, then maybe they wouldn’t say that.
And Rita looked really, really cool protecting Kenneth’s precious baby in her big belly, too.
Was she kept safe in her mother’s belly as well? Did she get gently stroked across the divide of her mother’s stomach each and every day like that? Did her mother wish for her to be born?
Would she be able to do that herself someday? That would be nice...
“You really are a lifesaver, Latina.”
“Really? Latina’s happy to be of use.”
“I’m not very good at needlework.”
They needed to prepare a lot of diapers for the coming baby, and it was Latina who sewed them. She’d learned the basics of needlework from Chloe’s mother, and then studied further under Granny Wendelgard in Tislow. With one created by Rita’s mother as an example, it wasn’t very difficult work for Latina.
“It’s just straight stitching, so it’s not hard.”
As she said that, the needle in her hand kept on swishing along. Latina seemed like she could even manage to make the baby clothes if she were taught the method to do so, but instead that task fell to Rita’s mother, who was eagerly awaiting her first grandchild.
Family-oriented jobs were already Latina’s forte, and she was by and large better at them. But even so, Latina earnestly respected Rita.
Rita truly excelled when it came to her ability to process paperwork, as well as the accounting surrounding both jobs and stocking that was essential to running a business. Latina wasn’t bad at math, so she understood just how skilled Rita was.
“Around when will the baby be born?”
“In the fall. I couldn’t handle giving birth while suffering through the summer heat.”
“You’re not goo
d with heat, right, Rita?”
While they were having this conversation, Latina decided to think on how to best keep Rita cool this summer. She liked making frozen sweets, and Rita enjoyed eating them. But Kenneth did warn her that it wouldn’t be good for Rita if she overate, either. She needed to think up another method.
Latina didn’t mind being warned by Kenneth, as she didn’t want to have a negative effect on Rita or her baby. She was kind by nature, so that was just how she thought.
“Latina wonders if the baby will be a boy or a girl.”
“I’m fine with either. I just hope it’s born healthy.”
As Rita said this with a smile, Latina thought she looked truly cool.
†
Latina could only spend every day together with her friends up until the end of summer. When fall came, their second year at the temple of Asfar would come to an end, and everyone would have their own schedules.
It made her somehow feel slightly lonely. It wasn’t as if they were saying farewell, and they’d still be able to play together like always, but it’d be a bit different.
Chloe said that she’d work at her home as a tailor, just like her mother. When Latina said she’d use her pay from the Ocelot to commission clothes from Chloe, her friend responded with a smile, saying, “I’ll make something special to suit you, Latina.”
She liked cute pink and flowing clothes, but Chloe said, “It’s a waste, always sticking to that!”
Latina did admire more mature clothing. But Chloe always said that clothes you like and want to wear aren’t always what suits you best. When Latina grew up, would she be able to be stylish? Could she look cool wearing clothes, like Chloe did?
Sylvia decided to go into the temple of Akhdar. They wouldn’t be able to meet up much anymore, but since the Ocelot had an Akhdar flag, there were plenty of means to contact one another, Sylvia had told her with a somewhat mischievous smile. Latina thought that was just like her.
Sylvia said she’d be learning magic, as well as training in self-defense. Akhdar priests traveled all over the world and would seek out dangerous places no one had ever been before. She said she’d like to someday visit Vassilios, the country of the devils. When she made it there, would there be a new First Demon Lord? That may make it a little safer for her to visit there.
Marcel planned to train at his family’s bakery. He always shared bread from his family’s place at lunch, so Latina was well aware of how tasty it was. The Ocelot got their stock from a different store, but she thought maybe she should buy from there every now and again.
He was helping out in the shop even now, and often got worked up talking about taste and ingredients. He promised he’d teach her how to bake bread sometime. Kenneth said he couldn’t compete with professionals when it came to topics like yeast and kilns, so this was a great chance to learn firsthand!
There was still quite a lot that she needed to learn. Meals in Kreuz and Vassilios were completely different. There were surely lots and lots of recipes and ingredients and cooking techniques out there that she didn’t know, and she wanted to learn as much as she could.
Also, it made her really glad to hear someone else say that the food she’d made was delicious.
Anthony was continuing on to advanced schooling.
Speaking of which, the teachers at the temple were all really surprised when they heard how Latina had studied with Master Cornelio. Apparently, he was quite the renowned teacher. It would seem that she’d learned quite a bit already, even without continuing on to advanced schooling. She may not have studied any math or foreign languages, but she’d learned all kinds of things and greatly enjoyed it.
She’d have to ask Anthony what sort of things he was studying when he started going to advanced schooling.
And Rudy would do something other than carrying on his family business.
“The town guard?” Latina asked, tilting her head.
“That’s right. After graduating from school, I’ll join the reserve corps, where I’ll undergo training and do subordinate work in order to become a guard,” Rudolph responded, averting his gaze a bit. It would be embarrassing if she asked him why he wanted to join the guardsmen, who maintained public order around Kreuz.
The town guardsmen were the only ones who could face the adventurers head-on.
He wasn’t born with any special abilities, and though he was born and raised in a place with plenty of weapons, he had never studied how to handle them. Even if he decided to be an adventurer, it was very likely that he’d end up dead before he could build up his skills.
In that case, it was far more logical to take advantage of the fact that he’d been born in one of the biggest towns in Laband, and join the reserve corps to undergo training to become a guard. As someone who wasn’t even yet a guard, he couldn’t even imagine just how inferior he was. He hadn’t even reached the starting line of being able to be compared. He was prepared and would do whatever he needed to get closer to being his ideal self.
Rudolph may have often been called an idiot, but when he wasn’t in the vicinity of Latina, he was able to think calmly to at least some degree.
“There are a lot of guards who are customers at the Ocelot. Latina hopes you’ll come too, Rudy!” Latina said with a smile, seemingly having no interest in why Rudolph had chosen that job. This made Rudolph feel the complex, conflicting emotions of relief and disappointment.
“It’s not just adventurers who visit the shop?”
“Yeah. Guards and gatekeepers come a lot, too. The other gates are too far, though, so it’s only ever just gatekeepers assigned to the south gate.”
“Do people from the reserve corps visit...?”
“No... The guards said to Latina before that people from the reserve corps work themselves to exhaustion each and every day. They don’t have much time to go out and have fun, he said.”
The guardsmen reserve corps lived in barracks. This was not only for training, but also to drive the organization’s rules and hierarchy into them.
It wasn’t as though he wouldn’t have any spare time whatsoever, but he and Latina certainly wouldn’t be able to see each other as often as they had up until now. But even so, if he could at least manage to become a guard, it wouldn’t be strange at all for him to brazenly visit the Dancing Ocelot each and every day.
That was his goal for the time being.
At this point, Rudolph hadn’t even imagined... what it meant to be introduced to the regulars of the Ocelot, who were recognized even by the guards to be of especially high positions and ability.
He hadn’t even considered how he’d look to those regulars when their idol, who some of them called the “Platinum Fairy Princess,” introduced him to them.
In many ways, Rudolph would have eyes on him from all around soon after joining the reserve corps.
That wasn’t all bad, though. Having such attention on him when it came to training meant he’d receive more enthusiastic coaching than the other trainees.
However, that would prove far more intense than he could possibly imagine.
†
Today as well, that person she loved so much hugged her tight and told her “goodnight.”
This was the place where she felt most calm. It was a precious place where she felt warm, and relieved, and relaxed.
Perhaps this made her childish, but though she thought of saying she could sleep on her own many times, she was never able to do so.
When she was left at home and went to bed by herself, she always felt her heart tighten. She’d curl up into a ball in the cold sheets and hug her pillow tight as she closed her eyes.
Now and again, she’d wake up in the middle of the night. Sometimes, in the midst of that pitch-black room, she wouldn’t know where she was. Feeling like she was all alone in the world, she’d press her tear-stained face into the sheets. There were also times when she’d have a dream of running from something frightening in that forest, and she couldn’t help but feel afraid. She’
d end up thinking that maybe she was still there. She’d even wonder if perhaps these happy days were just a dream she had while shivering in those woods.
But then thanks to that beloved person’s warmth and scent, she’d remember that she was safe, and that this was truly the real world.
“Hrngh... What is it, Latina?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Ah, did you have a bad dream...?”
He’d say that and then pat her head and calm her down, and everything would truly be alright. Nothing scary would happen. This was the safest place in the world, after all.
And so she thought, I want to hurry up and become an adult, but even so, things aren’t so bad like they are now...
5: The Platinum-haired Maiden’s Everyday Life
The first thing Latina did after waking up in the morning was tie up her hair. Her hair, which she had grown out long, was a secret point of pride for her. She never neglected to take care of it, using her favorite pomade. But it was necessary to tie it up tightly so it wouldn’t get in her way while working.
While hearing Dale’s regular breathing as he slept, Latina quickly changed behind a partition screen, as she’d grown used to doing, then went down the stairs, taking care to be quiet. After making it downstairs, she first headed to the rear of the shop. She washed her face at the washing station there, then did the laundry for her and Dale. Since she made sure to take care of things before they piled up, it didn’t take too long. She then skillfully snapped the wrinkles out of the laundry, making a satisfying sound. For some reason, it made her feel good when she made a clear, crisp snap.
When she returned to the kitchen, she found Kenneth carrying buckets of vegetables out of the pantry.
“Good morning.”
“Yeah, morning.”
After exchanging greetings, they sat down in front of their respective buckets. They’d done this same sort of work day in and day out for years now, so there was no need for unnecessary conversation. She still wasn’t as quick as her master, Kenneth, but she was able to properly carry out the work at a rate that wasn’t at all slow.