If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord: Volume 2

by CHIROLU

  “Well, the sort of stuff they make varies based on the workshop.”

  The children passing by called out to Latina when they saw her, and they waved in her direction. Perhaps nervous due to the intimidating presence of Kenneth by her side, though, none of them came near. But even so, Latina waved back as always, and seeing that, Kenneth’s expression softened.

  It seemed that Latina had many more friends in the eastern district than she did in the south.

  “This is the place,” said Kenneth as he passed into the entrance of the well-established shop. If you weren’t feeling overly kind, you could even call it old-fashioned. That was the sort of establishment this smithy was.

  Passing through the entrance, there was a show space that was a bit of a jumbled mess, with all sorts of swords lined up. At the spot where your eyes would naturally fall first, there were swords clearly of a higher quality than the other items being displayed. You could tell a lot about the owner of the shop from how he handled his wares.

  “Wooooow, there are a lot of swords!”

  “That’s Schmidt’s specialty, after all.”

  As Latina glanced all about the shop, full of curiosity, Kenneth fell into his old habits and started spontaneously scrutinizing the weapons. He may have favored battleaxes back when he was an adventurer, but it wasn’t as if he never used swords. Just as he’d expected, the blades weren’t enough to call their maker a master, but they weren’t half-bad, either.

  “This isn’t the sort of place you should bring a kid.”

  Seeming to have realized their presence, a man with splendid red hair slowly came out of the back. Apparently, Latina understood just who her friend had gotten his hair color from, and she stared in wonder. After he said that single sentence to the two, the shop owner, who didn’t appear to be overly suited to dealing with customers, tried to head back into his workshop in the rear of the store. Surprised by this, Latina hurried over to the man.

  “Hello. Um, Latina is friends with Rudy.”

  Hearing her voice, the owner stopped and looked at Latina. He seemed somewhat surprised.

  “With Rudolf?”

  “That’s right. Nice to meet you.”

  Latina faced him with a smile and politely gave a bow. She didn’t seem bothered in the least by the owner’s rude gaze, which almost seemed to be appraising her.

  “Did you come to play with Rudolf?”

  “No. Latina wants a knife. Did you have any that are the right size for her?”

  “We don’t have any knives for kids. Something like that’d practically be a toy,” responded the owner with a bit of a rough look on his face, causing Latina to turn towards Kenneth with a troubled expression, seemingly seeking help. Kenneth patted Latina on the head and took over negotiations.

  “This girl’s going to head out on a bit of a trip, so she wants a knife for the various tasks that’ll come up. Apparently she mainly wants to use it for cooking.”

  “Is she your kid?”

  “No. I’m just acting as her escort right now.”

  The owner thought for a moment, and pointed towards his workshop.

  “I don’t have any out front, but I’ve got plenty laying around in the back. You can take a look if you want.”

  They followed after the owner into the workshop, and once more found a place with a palpable history to it. As someone absolutely brimming with curiosity, Latina was interested in every nook and corner of the room. She started glancing about even more than before. It wasn’t just the tools and implements she’d never seen before that caught her eye. Even the chunks of metal in the midst of being processed were enough to interest her. She was clearly so engrossed that she wasn’t even watching where she stepped any more.

  “Hey, Latina, it’s dangerous around here, so watch where you’re walking,” said Kenneth, causing her to hurry over to his side.

  In the corner of the workshop was a tabletop made from a thick board, with an even more cluttered pile of swords and daggers than what was in the front of the shop on top of it.

  “Which one should Latina chose, Kenneth?”

  “Let’s see...”

  As Latina poked at the handles of the various blades and tilted her head, she turned to Kenneth by her side and asked for help. As she had no eye for them, she didn’t even know the basics of how to pick out a knife.

  Kenneth picked a few knives of a reasonable size out of the mountain of blades, and started carefully comparing them. Shortly afterwards, he placed two of them in front of Latina.

  “Now you just need to hold them and see which feels better to you.”

  “Right.”

  As Latina repeatedly grasped and released the handles with a serious look on her face, lively voices sounded from the back of the workshop. Looking over, she saw two boys and a girl arguing with one another as they headed in her direction.

  “Just stop making a fuss about it and help out already, Rudy!”

  “Why should I? It’s your turn today, bro!”

  “He’s got other work to take care of!”

  “That’s right! Unlike you, I’m actually busy.”

  “You’re just blowing off helping dad again!”

  If nothing else, they were certainly noisy. With their brilliant red hair, it was easy to tell they were related at a glance.

  “Rudolf, your friend’s here.”

  “Rudy!” Latina added after the owner’s call, and her high-pitched voice reverberated through the workshop to a surprising degree. The three siblings stopped arguing and all turned to look at her. Latina was waving back at them. Rudy looked utterly confused to see the young girl, and his elder brother and sister stood with their mouths hanging wide open in surprise.

  Well of course they are. There aren’t really any girls as pretty as Latina in this part of town... Kenneth thought, taking everything in from a step back. Even though he’d grown accustomed to her cuteness because he saw her every day, it surprised even him every now and again.

  Though she was still small compared to kids her own age, Latina had developed a good bit these past two years. She took good care of her platinum hair, and it now had a brilliant shine to it. Today she had some of it done up in a braid, while the rest flowed down her back. Her round, soft cheeks, her long-lashed grey eyes, and her pink lips all added to her cuteness.

  Nowadays, there was no trace of the small girl who’d been wasting away when she first came to Kreuz. That pathetic-looking child had been given plenty of love and affection and was now a girl who wore a happy smile on her face.

  “Wh-Why are you here, Latina?!”

  As Rudy came running up to Latina in a panic, she tilted her head.

  “Latina came to do some shopping. She wants a knife.”

  “There’s no way you could handle the sort of stuff our place makes!”

  Displeased by Rudy’s words, Latina puffed up her cheeks.

  “Latina will be fine. They’re bigger than what she usually uses for cooking, but she needs one, so she’ll learn to use it.”

  “Why do you need one?”

  “Because Latina’s going on a journey.”

  Rudy’s expression became one of pure shock. “A journey...? You’re leaving, Latina? Why?! Why is this happening so suddenly?!” Rudy exclaimed, grabbing Latina by the shoulders. Latina was clearly surprised.

  “What’s wrong, Rudy?”

  Rather than Latina, who was left blinking in confusion, it was Kenneth, a step removed from the situation, who first realized that there had been a misunderstanding.

  “Latina, did you tell your friends you were going on a trip?”

  “No, she didn’t.”

  “You’d be worried if one of your friends suddenly said they were going away, right? You need to make sure to tell them.”

  Nodding in understanding, Latina looked straight at Rudy. “Um, Rudy... Latina is going to Dale’s home village along with him. It’s a little far, so she won’t be back until summer’s over.”

  With
that, Rudy more or less calmed back down. Realizing Latina’s big eyes were staring straight at him, he hurriedly backed away. “O-Oh... so you’re gonna come back?”

  “Yeah. Latina will come back to Kreuz.”

  Even though Rudy seemed to be awkwardly looking away, Latina smiled back at him.

  “It looks like Latina got so excited for the trip that she forgot some stuff,” mumbled Latina in apology, and she looked up at Kenneth. “After we’re done shopping, could Latina stop by Chloe’s house?”

  “I don’t mind. Just make sure you make it back before dark.”

  After they’d finished talking, Latina brought the knife she had chosen to the owner, who was grinning from having watched all the commotion. She presented it to him, holding it carefully in both hands.

  “Latina would like this knife. How much is it?”

  “If it’s only this one, then you can just have it.”

  Latina stopped and thought, apparently somewhat troubled by the owner’s words.

  “Um... Latina wanted to spend her own money to make a purchase today. She’s always given things, so she wanted to earn something for herself.”

  Her speech was, as always, a little awkward, but the owner nodded in understanding and gave her a price. Kenneth realized that it was quite a hefty discount, but it only showed on his face ever so slightly.

  Latina pulled a wallet with elaborate flower embroidery on it out of her red pochette and started counting her coins with a serious expression on her face. She then thrust them out on her open palm, offering them to the owner.

  “Your hands are awful small... Are you sure this isn’t too big for you?”

  “Yeah, she’s a runt!”

  Latina puffed out her cheeks, clearly displeased at the taunt Rudy added to his father’s concerns. “Latina will get bigger soon!”

  After bringing his fist down on his youngest child’s head, the owner took hold of Latina’s small hand while accepting the payment.

  “Does she still have some time before she heads out? If she’s got two or three days, then I could adjust the grip, at least a bit.”

  “Right, if that’s how long it’ll take, then that should be fine. I was actually planning on asking you myself. Is that okay with you, Latina?”

  Thinking a bit on what the two adults had said, Latina gave a quick nod. “Can Latina ask you to do that? She’d really appreciate it.”

  Seeing that Latina was courteous in addition to being cute, Rudy’s siblings, who were standing a bit further away, looked at one another.

  “She sure is polite...”

  “It’s hard to imagine that she’s friends with stupid Rudy...”

  “Still, he’s totally into—”

  “Let’s drop it, at least for now.”

  The pair were holding back laughter as they talked, but shortly after, Latina came up and started introducing herself. Based on how awkwardly they reacted, they certainly weren’t in any position to laugh at their younger brother. Their father couldn’t help but sigh.

  After parting ways with Kenneth at Rudy’s house, Latina headed towards Chloe’s place. She’d once gotten lost in this same part of the eastern district, but she was now at least completely familiar with the way to her friends’ houses. Because she wasn’t allowed to go freely about the southern district out of concern for her safety, she may have been more knowledgeable about the lay of the land in this area.

  “Latina will tell everyone else at the school. And when Dale gets back, he’ll explain the situation to the temple. Dale and the others say they’re not worried about Latina’s studies.”

  “A trip, huh? They say it’s dangerous outside of town because there are bandits and magical beasts. Will you be alright?”

  Chloe had been shocked at first, and when she finished hearing what Latina had to say from beginning to end, her initial concern was for her friend’s safety. Latina had replied immediately with a smile.

  “Dale will be with Latina, so she’ll be fine.”

  “The customers at the shop said that Dale’s really strong, too. They said not to tell Dale they said that, though,” Latina laughed.

  Seeing her friend enjoying herself, Chloe stopped needlessly worrying. She was, of course, still concerned, but more than that, she wanted Latina to enjoy herself. After all, Chloe knew all too well just how sad Latina got each time she was left behind.

  “Take care, Latina. I’ll be looking forward to hearing all about your trip when you get back.”

  Latina was struck with a good idea. “Latina will write letters! She’ll be moving about so you may not get to respond to her, but she’ll send a lot to Chloe!”

  Latina broke out in a smile, and Chloe couldn’t help but grin as well.

  †

  Meanwhile, Dale had headed to the capital of Ausblick to get official permission from Duke Eldstedt to return to his home village. Because Dale was under contract with the duke, he couldn’t leave his normal base, Kreuz, without notice. It wouldn’t have been an issue if the trip was just for a few days, but the village was on the outskirts of Laband, far enough away that it would take several weeks just to get there. His itinerary had the round trip taking over a month. If he left without giving a report, it would raise unnecessary suspicion, and since he was dealing with one of the leading powers in the nation, that was something he wanted to avoid. That said, he’d already sent a letter on the matter to the duke, and there was no way that he’d refuse at this point. Even so thanks to their contract, it was essential that Dale come in person to receive permission. Though he found it a pain and grumbled about it, it was also something he couldn’t avoid.

  Since it was personal business that brought him to the capital this time around, he couldn’t have a flying dragon prepared for him, so he traveled on a horse he had rented from Kreuz. Dale was fairly skilled when it came to horse-riding.

  It was supposed to be a minimum of three days by horse or a week by carriage to make it from Kreuz to the capital, but Dale ended up arriving in less than two days. Dale was a user of Earth magic, which was good for recovering stamina. While riding the horse all the while, he kept on periodically using healing magic on it. It was an efficient method that could only be employed by an excellent magic user, but it was rather cruel to the horse it was being performed on.

  Even though he’d gotten in contact beforehand, it wasn’t as though he could be granted an immediate audience with the duke, as he was a very busy man. When he was in the capital, Dale normally stayed in a room at Eldstedt’s residence, but this time he ended up finding an inn, then headed out into town.

  I’ve gotta prepare for the trip with Latina, too... Dale thought as he strolled along. It’d be good to get her a girlish cloak. Latina’s fond of pinks and reds. I wouldn’t want to get her anything too plain-looking. She’ll be wearing it for a while, so I should get her something cute that she’ll like. Should I get a magical device armor...? If it’s enchanted, then it won’t just be better at protecting her, it’ll also be easier to keep clean. Yeah, if it’s for Latina, then I should definitely splurge! That’s the way to go!

  Having come to that conclusion, he went looking around some shops. As one would expect from the country’s capital, there was an even larger variety of goods on display than in Kreuz; Dale could tell that much just from the shops he happened to wander into. There were plenty of expensive items, but they were also plenty worth the cost.

  “I should get her a backpack... and just to be safe, it’d be good for her to have a rod to protect herself. And then...” he unconsciously muttered.

  “Oh, is that you, Dale? What are you doing here? Work?” called out a woman’s voice that he recognized. Sure enough, when he turned around to look, he found a face that he was familiar with as well. With her abundant blond hair done up to show off the nape of her slender neck, it was clear that she was well aware of her own charms. There was also something rather seductive about her refined attire. Even though her clothing didn’t show much skin, ot
her women would likely understand that it was the sort of design you couldn’t wear if you didn’t have confidence in your own proportions. That was the sort of woman the blue-eyed beauty who called out to Dale was.

  “Helmine, huh?”

  “I haven’t heard word of any work that’d get you called here, though. Did something good come your way?”

  “I’m just here for a bit of shopping.”

  It didn’t show on Dale’s face at all, but internally, he was sweating bullets. He wasn’t very good at dealing with her.

  Helmine didn’t hesitate in the least to use her feminine charms as one of her weapons. In the past, this had led to some painful memories for Dale, which he definitely would have liked to forget. She was highly skilled as a magic user, and the two of them had worked together often in the past, but whether or not he could handle her was another matter entirely.

  “Shopping?”

  As Helmine stood before him with an alluring smile on her face, Dale strengthened his resolve. If it was for the sake of his cute, charming daughter, then he wanted to get the best items he possibly could. Though he could use magic, he specialized in physical attacks, so his eye for weapons and armor was limited to items meant for frontline warriors. He didn’t have much confidence when it came to picking items suited to magic users, which is what Latina would need. Now that he’d run into a first-rate magic user, his best choice was to seek her advice.

  It was all for Latina’s sake. For cute, adorable Latina.

  Dale faced Helmine’s smile head-on.

  “What luck, running into you here, Helmine. If you’ve got time, could you join me for a bit?”

  “Oh my, you’re inviting me somewhere? How rare.”

  “That’s not true!”

  “Well, I suppose I’ll let it go, then,” Helmine giggled, her laugh sounding like a bell; but to Dale’s ears, it sounded more like the roar of a large beast. Regardless, though, Dale decided to give it his all, keeping the image of a smiling Latina in the back of his mind.

  The principle god of Laband was Ahmar, the god of war. As a result, the country promoted the cultivation of martial arts and spells, so much so that it wouldn’t lose in comparison to even a military dictatorship. Alongside that abundant national power, the king and lords employed rather impressive forces themselves.