by CHIROLU
“It’s embarrassing, so you can’t look.”
Dale pushed her further, but Latina simply shook her head. This was rare for Latina, who almost never told Dale she didn’t want to him to do something.
That just makes me more interested...
Just what had she written? And what had she written about him? No wait, what would he do if she didn’t write about him at all? That would be absolutely heartrending. But if he forced her to show him and she ended up hating him, then he’d probably never recover.
After thinking things like that, Dale changed gears and went around checking the locks in the room. As he’d said to Latina, it was important to rest when you had the chance, and last night, he’d only managed naps. He couldn’t let himself get so tired that he couldn’t cope with it.
When Dale got into his bed after checking the room, Latina looked a bit panicked. She came running over and quickly tapped Dale through.
“Dale, Dale. Um...”
“Hmm?”
“Can Latina sleep next to Dale?”
“Is it because we always sleep together?”
Because Dale replied to Latina with another question, she thought a bit before responding.
“Latina’s a little scared when she wakes up in an unfamiliar place. But she’ll feel safe if Dale’s by her side.”
“I see... And you’re not used to going on trips. That’s sure to have you anxious.”
Satisfied, Dale slowly sat up and looked around. The beds in this inn were meant for a single person, so it was a little tight for two people to sleep together in one of them. The bed in their room in Kreuz was a good bit wider in comparison.
“Then I guess I should take this chance to teach you 〈〈Gravity Reduction〉〉. I’ll chant it slowly, so listen carefully. It’s pretty convenient, so learning it is sure to come in handy.”
Dale stood beside the other bed, and slowly, carefully recited the spell.
“Oh darkness and shadows, I order you by my name, cut loose the bonds to the celestial bodies. 〈〈Gravity Reduction〉〉”
He placed his hand on the bed. Thanks to the magic lowering its weight, he was able to easily lift it. Taking care not to make any loud noises, he lined it up perfectly with the other bed.
“The heights are a little different, but is this alright?”
“Yes. Thank you, Dale!”
With a joyful smile on her face, Latina slipped into the other bed. Seeing her so happy, Dale smiled as well.
It might not just be Latina... I think I might be more comfortable this way, too... Dale thought before slipping off to sleep, so close to Latina that he could feel the warmth of her body.
3: The Young Girl Visits a Port Town
After departing from Haase, Dale and Latina camped out several times and passed through a number of other post towns before finally arriving at the port town of Qualle. The appearance of Qualle differed from the towns that they’d visited up until now. While the roofs were still a brilliant red, the walls of the buildings were plastered white and had a vivid blue design drawn on them. This was because the people here sought the protection of not just the principal god of Laband, Ahmar, but also the god who governed business and the sea, Azraq. In addition to this peculiarity, the salt water-scented town of Qualle was known for its beautiful, vibrant, and unique scenery, which drew many tourists.
“It’s the ocean!” Latina yelled out joyfully, the sea entering her view as soon as they came into Qualle. “Dale, Dale! It’s the ocean! Can we go?!”
“Calm down, Latina. We need to rent a room first to drop off our luggage,” Dale said with a strained laugh. He then pointed at their trip companion, who was currently at Latina’s side.
“We need to let this guy rest, too.”
“That’s true... Sorry, Blau,” said Latina, stroking the tip of the horse’s nose. Apparently, she had named the horse without Dale knowing it. The plan had been to part with it when the trip was over, but Dale suddenly realized that Latina could end up getting attached before then. What would he do if she ended up crying?
Dale ended up settling on a slightly more expensive inn than what they’d stayed in up until now. In exchange for that higher fee, the inn offered an additional layer of security. Each room used a magical device key, so it was well known as an inn that prided itself on safety. Unlike the other places they had stayed, this meant they had a guarantee that their luggage would be relatively secure if they left it there as they went out and about.
The plan was to stay in Qualle for three days.
This was around the point when their exhaustion would start to show. After Qualle, they’d be traveling mountain trails, so their journey would get steadily harsher. Because of that, Dale wanted to let Latina completely recharge. And since they were on a trip, he wanted to let her do some sightseeing, too. Those reasons were why he made his decision to stay that long.
Dale dumped the luggage in the room and removed his gauntlet. He left his coat and longsword as they were, though. When he looked at Latina, he saw that she had removed her rucksack and knife. Thanks to her methodical nature, she was sure to leave them in the corner, out of the way.
“Hey, Dale, can Latina send a letter to Kreuz from here?”
“There’s regular service to and from here, so it should be fine.”
“Then later on, Latina will write letters to Chloe and Rita,” Latina cheerfully declared, and Dale mischievously grinned in return.
“We’ll have to explore Qualle so you can write about it, then.”
“Right!”
It had been quite some time since Dale had gone sightseeing himself. He went on trips fairly frequently, but that was generally for work. It was refreshing to get to travel for pleasure. But most importantly, with Latina by his side and completely overjoyed by being on this journey, Dale was, of course, in high spirits, too.
The pair hurriedly headed out for a stroll around town. They’d walked quite a bit on their way to Qualle, but Latina didn’t seem tired in the least. She had a greater stamina than her slender build would imply, so she didn’t complain at all about being tired or her legs hurting, though Dale was admittedly walking slower to match her stride.
The scenery in Qualle was rather unique, and that wasn’t just due to its buildings. As a portal to foreign nations, the town had the atmosphere of being somewhere outside of Laband.
Its uniqueness was even also apparent from looking at the people walking about town. Every now and again, Dale and Latina would pass by someone whose looks, speech, and even attire differed from those of this nation. Dale silently watched over Latina as she stared at such people. Sometimes, she stopped and even turned around completely.
They passed through the center of Qualle and arrived at the port itself.
“Woooow...” Latina exclaimed with her mouth hanging wide open.
Dale blissfully watched her. He felt so glad to see her react this way; it was truly worth having brought her. He almost wanted to openly pat himself on the back.
As the sunlight glittering on the horizon reflected in Latina’s sparkling eyes, a merchant ship entered the port.
“It’s amazing, Dale! Where did that ship come from?”
“Hmm... You see the flag hanging there? That’s the crest of...”
The country that Dale mentioned was a large one to the west. It seemed Latina had heard of it, as she nodded her head in understanding.
“That’s a far-off country, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“It’s amazing! It’s all so new to Latina!”
As Latina leaned out to better view the ship, Dale gently supported her so she wouldn’t fall. From the way he took such care, it was clear that he was already a splendid father.
Latina seemed like she’d never grow tired of looking at the ship, but at lunchtime, she accepted that it was time to move on.
At Latina’s request, they headed towards the marketplace, where the rows of shops had their competing
wares lined up under large overhangs. Lively voices calling out filled the air, and as one would expect from a port town, it was the abundant seafood that stood out most.
Fish from the ocean were also sold in Kreuz, but because of the associated shipping fees, they were so expensive that your average citizen rarely ever got to taste them. The variety on display here was so vast that Kreuz couldn’t compare, and it made for quite a spectacle to see the seafood lined up like it was.
“There are a lot of fish!” Latina exclaimed, her eyes open wide as she walked by and looked at everything for sale. There were an abundance of different shapes when it came to sea creatures. When she came across a massive, flat fish laid out on the ground, Latina leaped up in surprise, but a moment later, she was hurrying over to the next shop.
“Wooow... How do you eat this?” Latina asked with a tilted head, looking at a sea urchin covered in hard spikes.
“You eat the insides.”
“Ooh...”
Apparently, the urchin was still alive, as the spikes were slowly moving. Latina nodded along, completely captivated by it.
As she looked into the bucket next to it, she stopped moving entirely. Curious, Dale looked in himself and found that it was filled with a large number of bivalves. Latina watched as some them stuck out their siphons. She moved to stick her hand into the bucket, but since the creatures were being sold, she thought better of it and decided not to, instead settling for putting her hands on its rim. When the bivalves started shooting out water from their siphons with a pshew pshew, Dale prepared himself to be here for quite some time.
It was a little later than they had planned, but they ended up settling on a restaurant for lunch. They had no choice but to eat at a shop in the marketplace, since they couldn’t help but want to have some seafood after seeing so much on display.
“Dale gave Latina a fish when she first met him.”
Latina was clearly enjoying herself as she grilled up a variety of seafood and skillfully salted it at the personal grill at their table.
“That’s right.”
Even when she flipped the fish over with tongs, they showed no sign of falling apart, and they looked truly savory and delicious. Dale smiled as he watched over Latina carefully paying attention to how the heat was being applied.
“Today, Latina will give Dale fish that she grilled. Eat up, alright?”
“Yeah. Go ahead and keep on grilling them. If you’re the one preparing them, then I’m going to want to eat a ton!” He was clearly his normal self today, as always.
Having eaten their fill at the restaurant, they resumed their stroll through the marketplace.
As you moved away from the port, the number of shops focusing on seafood decreased. In exchange, there were more shops full of all sorts of goods from other countries. Amongst the shops, was one showing off fabrics lined up like a pallet of various spices, all with designs clearly different from the sensibilities of what you’d see in Laband. If you looked into a shop selling bowls, you’d find ones with unique and vivid designs carefully painted on them.
In a way, all of these jumbled and assorted pieces made this town a “foreign nation” overflowing with goods from various other countries. Travelers, foreigners, and merchants all came and went here, and the peculiar atmosphere made for a truly extraordinary world all its own.
All throughout their stroll, Latina’s eyes were absolutely gleaming. The curious and energetic girl couldn’t help but have her attention captured by each and every thing here.
With a smile on his face, Dale called out, “Latina.”
“What is it?”
“There’s a lot of people about, and I don’t want you to get lost. Give me your hand.”
Latina held out her tiny hand, and Dale grasped it firmly. She was a bit surprised at first, but once she got over that, she looked up at Dale with a smile. The two continued their walk about the town, holding hands and occasionally exchanging a happy glance at one another.
Once they were done looking around, they returned to the inn. They pulled their nice clothes out of their luggage and got changed. While the place they were going for dinner may not have been a five-star restaurant, it was still clearly a grade higher than the cheap eateries they usually visited. It had been recommended to them by employees of the inn when they had asked around. Set up so you could enjoy fresh seafood while listening to their in-house band perform, the restaurant gave you a special dining experience beyond what their prices would imply, and their seafood dishes were good enough to satisfy even residents of a port town like this.
As always, Latina wore her cape because the night air was too cold for her, but underneath she wore a pink dress she was fond of. She’d been sticking to shorts that were easy to move around in for a while, so right now, she looked even cuter than usual. Furthermore, she had her hair done up in her beloved lace ribbons. It was clear that her expectations were high.
She normally wore her pouch with the ocelot design on her belt, but now she had it across her chest with a long string and was using it like a purse.
As Latina spun about taking in the whole of the hotel room, her skirt and hair spun out in an arc along with her.
“Don’t get too worked up, Latina.”
“Right. Latina’s just excited about the restaurant.”
Dale was dressed up more than usual as well, wearing a neatly pressed shirt and pants. He did have a knife at his hip, but that was because it would be dangerous to go out completely unarmed. This knife, which he always had on him while on trips and work, saw more use for odd jobs than actual combat.
“It’d be terrible if you got kidnapped, so don’t leave my side, no matter what!” Dale said as he opened the door to the inn, looking back at Latina behind him.
No matter how Dale looked at her, Latina was just so cute that he just couldn’t help but worry. Dale could even see an otherwise upright citizen succumbing to temptation if they saw such an adorable girl. He was terribly concerned about such things.
On the off chance that Latina got kidnapped, Dale would find her, even if he had to look under each and every blade of grass the world over to do so. And if he leveled a town or two in the process, that’d make it all the easier to search. The culprit, of course, wouldn’t get off lightly, either. Dale would make anyone who laid a hand on Latina experience the very depths of hell itself.
He found himself lost in thoughts like that. That’s just how concerned he was.
“Um, Dale... is it alright if we hold hands, then?” Latina quietly requested.
Dale responded immediately. As he grasped her hand with his own, Latina cheerfully smiled. The sun had finished setting, and the pair walked side by side, awash in the darkness of night. In such dim light, the town of Qualle felt even more unusual than it had at noon. The vivid red of the roofs were dulled by the darkness, and the white walls looked pale blue. The patterns that were spread across the walls throughout town were now so dark that they almost appeared black. Here and there, though, the colors regained their original hues in the light leaking from the houses. But the edges were a pale haze before melting once more into the blue world of the night. It was almost as if the town had sunk into the depths of the ocean, like some underwater city out of a fairytale. It was a truly fantastical scene.
“They say that Qualle looks its most beautiful right after the sun sets.”
“Amazing...”
Perhaps overwhelmed by the wonderful sight, Latina almost whispered those words. It was as if she was worried this ephemeral world would crumble away if she spoke too loudly. She stood silently in admiration, her eyes sparkling, and just then, the flow of people passing stopped, allowing the pair the luxury of having this beautiful scenery all to themselves for a little while.
After passing through the quiet, blue town, they arrived at the restaurant, the Silent Seagull, whose theme differed entirely from its name.
It felt like yet another completely separate world unto itself. The moment Dale and L
atina opened the door, they were awash in such dazzling light that it almost made them forget it was night. It was packed with people, both customers enjoying the food as well as uniform-clad employees clad bustling about. On a raised stage in the center of it all, there were musicians playing a gentle, brilliant melody.
“Woooow...” said Latina, temporarily enraptured by the enthusiasm of the people inside and the flow of music. Her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes were sparkling. While she was holding back her urge to start hopping all about for now, Dale could tell how excited she was as he stood by her side. He could hardly keep from smiling himself.
Apparently, the little princess wanted to act gracefully to match how dressed up she was. While being led to the table, she was even better behaved than usual, not even letting her gaze dart all about like she normally would. As she sat down and acted just a bit prim, she looked even cuter. She was just so charming that Dale couldn’t help but go slack jawed. Perhaps he didn’t quite meet the qualifications to serve as a lady’s escort.
At the cheap restaurants that Dale and Latina usually frequented, all of the food was usually served together on one big plate. But here at the Silent Seagull, each dish was arranged in a gorgeous, tasteful manner and served on its own platter, which excited Latina greatly.
Latina gazed at the péla placed before her, enthusiastically trying to decide how to approach it. The young girl couldn’t eat a large amount of food, so she’d made her choices from the menu very carefully. If she could, she’d like to try all sorts of different hors d’oeuvres and main dishes. She was even interested in the food in front of Dale, too. But she understood that if she ate too much now, she wouldn’t make it to dessert.
The scales were fried up with the pale pink skin still attached, making for a truly interesting texture. Just what was the flavor of the orange-colored sauce, which seemed to be made from citrus?
As Dale put his fork into the fish, which had been cooked to be nice and flakey, Latina was paying even more careful attention than usual. Dale came and went from the duke’s estate because of his job, so he’d picked up basic manners. When he wanted to, he could conduct himself properly when dining, thanks to having at least a little worldly wisdom. Having never seen him act this way before, Latina seemed to have realized that this was a precious chance to observe proper dining etiquette, even though Dale wasn’t explaining anything to her. While glancing intermittently at Dale, she mimicked his movements.