by CHIROLU
Understanding what he was saying, she broke out in a shy smile. “It’s warm.”
“That’s good,” Dale said with a grin, and Latina’s smile grew all the brighter in turn. He gripped her hand a bit tighter, and she did the same as well.
After leaving the mansion, they went around the village in a clockwise rotation. Not far from the estate, Dale stopped in front of a row of similar-looking buildings and pointed at one.
“This is a public workshop for the village. There’s a lot of dangerous stuff in there, so don’t go playing there on your own.”
“Right.”
This was a facility that the villagers used to manufacture magical devices. As there were a great number of confidential clan secrets involved in the process, even a young child like Latina wouldn’t be allowed to enter so easily.
“Over here is the office, so if you have some business you absolutely have to take care of here, then go there. Next door is the delivery carrier. You can send letters from there.”
The building Dale pointed to had a moss-green flag with an emblem of a letter with wings on it that Latina recognized. The young girl was surprised.
“There’s a letter deliverer here?”
“It’s because our village gets orders for magical devices from all over, and we need it for communication about Laband, too.”
While Dale was telling her that, he brought Latina into the office. He was part of the head family, and as the eldest son of the next village head, Randolph, he had to greet people all throughout the village. Not wanting things to be awkward for Latina, he thought it important to introduce her to the villagers as well.
Finishing his greetings at the workshop, they passed along the thin paths between the houses throughout the village. Passing by so closely gave a good look at each house, which all had gardens, some having small vegetable gardens and flower beds.
“There are a lot of flowers in Tislow.”
“Really? Well, everybody grows them here, since you need to switch them out each day...”
“You do?”
“For the offering to Quirmizi at the entrance.”
“Huh...”
Looking up while discussing this, Latina saw fields gradually come into view in the distance. There were a great number of them on the sloped land surrounding the village. The sight of the scenery, broken up by stone walls as the ground rose, was entirely new to Latina.
“Those are fields? They look like stairs... Amazing!”
“You think?”
Other than the terraced fields, what drew the eyes most was the canal running throughout the village. The pure, cool water flowed without stagnant or dry patches, passing by the side of each house and up towards the fields. The water flowed from springs in the mountains to the center of the village. That they had access to such water for their day-to-day life was thanks to the blessings of the land as well. The village didn’t just borrow the power of the land, but also that of water, which is necessary to sustain life.
Every now and again, when the two passed a villager, they’d look at Dale in surprise, only to heartily call out to him when they realized who it was. Dale would stop and greet them in response. All the while, Latina would hide behind Dale’s back, nervous around the stranger. Her clinging tight to his clothes and peeking out a bit must have been quite the adorable sight, and it made Dale regret that he didn’t have eyes on the back of his head. After all, right behind him was his greatest blind spot. Latina was practically killing him, acting this adorable when they were this close but leaving him unable to see her. Well, she was cute, so he could forgive her for anything.
After passing between the houses, they arrived at the village entrance, which they had come through yesterday.
“This tunnel is the only way in and out of the village, at least officially.”
There was a route through the harsh mountain range surrounding the village. It was managed by the head family and was meant to be used in emergencies. Even within the clan, only a few people knew of its existence.
The village’s main street was a wide path that continued on from the highway. They took it across the village, heading towards the mountains.
“Master Cornelio’s house is this way, so be sure to pay attention.”
“The Asfarian school?”
“He opened up part of his own house to the public, so you could call it that.”
Halfway there, the sloped path turned into stairs, at the end of which stood a single house. It was a little bigger than the other homes in the village, likely because it also served as a school. But aside from that, it was no different than the other houses; it even had a single flower decorating the entrance.
“This is a school?”
“Technically, yeah.”
Latina tilted her head, confused; it was a normal private home, no matter how she looked at it. But Dale, paying no heed to what the building appeared to be, approached the door and flung it open without even knocking, shocking Latina even more.
“Is the master in?”
“D-Dale?! Is it alright to just go into someone’s house without permission like this?”
Seeing Latina so flustered, Dale finally realized what had her so worried.
“Ah. People don’t knock in our village, and none of the houses have locks, so usually you just come in and call out.”
“Hmm... that’s different than Kreuz.”
“Well, I was born in this village, so I sure was shocked when I first saw how busy things were in Kreuz.”
“Latina was surprised when she first arrived to Kreuz, too. There were so many people!”
While they were discussing this, a woman with her light-brown hair tied up in a ponytail appeared from inside the house. As she calmly approached the door, she saw who it was and said, “Oh, is that you, Dale?”
“Yeah. Long time no see, Clarissa.”
“So you’re back, huh?”
“I got back yesterday. Is the master in?”
“He is. Please come in, and the cute girl next to you should enter, too.”
“Ah, nice to meet you. Please excuse Latina.”
This young woman, Clarissa, did things at her own pace and looked to be several years older than Dale. Her dark-brown eyes had a gentle light to them, as if they were reflecting her personality.
“Do you have some business with my dad?”
“We’re going to be here for a while, so I was thinking I’d ask the master to look after this girl, Latina.”
“Huh? You’re picking Dad over me?”
While Dale kicked his shoes off to the side, Latina properly sat, removed hers, and put them down neatly. As he waited for her to finish, Dale kept conversing with his older childhood friend.
“There aren’t any priests like Master in town.”
“That’s true. I can’t deny it.” Clarissa wore a smile as she ushered Latina inside. “Do you mind if I call you Latina?”
“That’s fine!”
Latina was nervous responding to Clarissa, but tried to maintain a composed expression.
“So you came with Dale?”
“That’s right. Latina lives together with Dale in Kreuz.”
“Oh, my. Just when did you find such a cute girl, Dale?”
“I won’t deny that Latina’s cute,” Dale replied, deadly serious, and Clarissa just smiled back at him.
“She really is cute.”
There was no one around to butt in and stop this idiotic exchange.
Clarissa led the pair into a room that looked like a library, with numerous shelves containing a vast collection of books; it made for an overwhelming sight. Surprised, Latina looked all around and took in the room. It was hard to imagine that all of this belonged to one person. The Asfarian school in Kreuz likely had a larger collection, but that was a facility in one of the main towns in Laband, so it didn’t make sense to compare them in the first place.
Passing by the bookshelves, Latina saw a big window, and in front of it was
an equally large desk. While the books were methodically organized on their shelves, on top of the desk was a mountain of documents. But even so, everything seemed to have its place and felt oddly balanced. Buried in the midst of this was a single old man working away.
“Master Cornelio,” Dale called out, and the man at last noticed him, raising his head. His hair was white, and his eyes behind his rounded spectacles were reminiscent of Clarissa’s. His deeply wrinkled face shifted to show his surprise.
“Well, I’ll be. Is that you, Dale?”
“It’s been quite some time,” Dale said, with a firm bow of his head. The man was Cornelio Cacace, the only priest of Asfar living in Tislow. He wore a gentle smile, much like his daughter’s. It was obvious that they were related.
“It seems you’ve been making a name for yourself in town.”
Prompted by Cornelio, Dale sat on a sofa at a low table, and Latina snuggled in next to him. This sort of furniture was rare in this village, and it couldn’t be seen from the entrance to the room.
“I’m surprised you know that, Master, out here in this village.”
“I do have my sources.”
While the two gossiped about the town and the capital, Latina remained a little nervous. That ended thanks to Clarissa, who brought out a teapot and cakes.
“Wow!” Latina blurted out in admiration, before realizing that she’d forgotten her manners. She looked about in shock and found everybody looking at her with charmed gazes, which made her look down in embarrassment. That only made the adults around her smile even more.
“She sure is cute. I wish the kids around the village were this well behaved...” said Clarissa while preparing the tea. Seeing Latina instantly captivated by the sugar dish, she left it before the young girl, where she could get a good look at it. Atop the sugar cubes were various decorative flowers.
“Wow... there are flowers on the sugar... It’s so cute...”
You’re the cute one, Latina. It would seem that even Dale was able to restrain himself enough to not mutter those thoughts out loud in front of his former teacher.
“How do you make these?”
“Oh, shall I teach you sometime? You have the time, right?” Clarissa said, dropping a sugar cube into the tea. The decorative flower rose to the surface. That only captivated Latina all the more. Her cheeks grew just a little red as she gazed into the tea cup and, looking delighted as she grasped it in both hands, she muttered, “Wow. It’s amazing... so cute...”
“You’re the cute one, Latina...” Dale said, his self-restraint passing its limit.
After bringing his tea cup to his mouth and moistening his lips, Cornelio started a new conversation. “By the way, I heard you apparently caused some turmoil in town.”
“Huh?” Dale responded to his master’s sudden shift, but Cornelio’s expression didn’t change.
“Was it related to this girl? I heard a devil child was involved...”
Realizing what he was talking about, Dale could only give a strained laugh.
“You really do have sharp ears, Master. Where did you learn that from?”
“The temples are like a small community. Enough so that a scandal will spread far and wide, rather than being something you can hide.”
Cornelio kept talking, calmly enjoying the scent of the tea. “Of course, the characteristics of those involved spread as well. I figured out it was you right away.”
“Sorry for making trouble...”
“No, I don’t mean to criticize your actions. It’s good for shut-ins to pay attention to the outside world every once in a while.”
Dale was grateful to hear Cornelio say that like it was nothing. He didn’t have even a speck of regret over what he’d done, but he was still embarrassed to have his former teacher find out. Dale wouldn’t feel timid in the least around any of the Asfarian priests from Kreuz, but that wasn’t the case when it came to his master. He may serve a different god, but he was a priest worthy of respect.
“There are a lot fewer Asfarian priests who explore the outside world like you, right, Master?”
“That’s not true. Those of us who serve Asfar simply fall into two groups: those who shut themselves up in the temple and devote themselves to their studies, and those of us who go out and seek new knowledge,” Cornelio said, taking a sip of tea. “Well, those narrow-minded folks who don’t know how to do anything but study in the temples don’t even know how to make a living when they’re expelled out into the world. Even if you didn’t do it with your own two hands, that’s an awful cruel verdict.”
Despite his words, Cornelio looked somewhat amused. He was normally a kind and gentle person, but at the same time, he could also be strict towards others. He was especially indignant when it came to scandals caused by his fellow Asfarian priests.
Those who served Asfar tended to be split into those who sought information on their own and those who spent their lives studying in the temples. The latter only knew the narrow world inside temple walls, and because many of them devoted themselves to their studies from a very young age, they didn’t know anything of society. They could deal with life just fine, as long as it was in the temple. For that reason, on top of losing their natural-born power of divine protection, it was also a big question for those driven out of the temple if they could even survive in the outside world. They’d lived their lives without any hardship, after all. And even if they had worked as teachers, they still faced great difficulty, since nobody was interested in hiring someone who’d caused enough of a scandal to be exiled from the temple. Considering those conditions, Dale’s retribution from ‘that incident’ was far crueller than any form of corporeal punishment.
“Dale?”
“Master Cornelio... I didn’t just come to say hello today. I wanted to ask you if you could help out with this girl while we’re staying here,” he said, looking serious while bowing to his old teacher, not wanting the somewhat worried-looking Latina staring at him to notice. Not only did he not want Latina to remember “that incident,” he also hadn’t told her that he had used his own authority to get revenge on the perpetrator. Latina was a kind child, so even if it was someone who had hurt her, she would be deeply saddened to learn that she was the reason a person was harmed. Dale didn’t want that to happen.
Keeping Latina’s peace of mind came first for Dale.
Being a clever child, Latina sensed that Dale had no intention of telling her everything. She wasn’t happy with that fact, but she docilely held her tongue and looked down.
“Clarissa’s one of the best in the village when it comes to making tea cakes, so you should have her teach you. Her cooking isn’t so good, though.”
“Hey, that’s mean.”
“If you’ve improved, then I’ll apologize.”
“Mrrr....”
“Latina’s probably better than you when it comes to cooking, Clarissa.”
“Huh?”
Hearing him suddenly boast about her, Latina looked up at him in surprise. “But Dale, Latina still has a lot to learn, right?”
“See, look! She knows how to be modest, even though she’s so young! She’s not just cute, she’s also a really great kid, right?! I’m not embarrassed at all showing her off to the master! And she’s sharp, so I’m sure learning new things under the master will be a big benefit for her. I know I’m imposing, but could you please help her out, Master?”
His words themselves may have been questionable, but his expression and attitude were those of a proper parent. Over these past few years, he’d grown accustomed to being her father.
Seeing Dale like this, Cornelio smiled. As a teacher, he was glad to be able to see how his student had grown. As long as he was happy, then he couldn’t wish for anything more.
†
After leaving the Cacace house, Dale and Latina went around the rest of the village to finish up their introductions. For some reason, Latina ended up holding a heap of goods in her arms by the time they were done.
“Why did everyone give Latina things...?”
“Because you’re so cute.”
“Hmm?”
Latina tilted her head, perhaps unaware of her own charm. She was cute enough to stand out even in a big town like Kreuz. In a country village like this, beauty like hers was something they’d never seen before. She was also earnest and polite, so she was very easy to like.
In addition, she always looked happy when she ate. Of course people would want to try to buy her favor by giving her food. More than just one or two folks had had that idea, so wherever the two went, someone would give Latina sweets or fruit as a present.
“Well, we won’t have to worry about your snacks for a while...”
“Is it alright to accept so much...?”
“It’s fine.”
As they talked, the pair finished their lap around the village and then went around the back of Dale’s house.
The path that extended up into the mountains may have been small, but it was also carefully maintained. They walked at a relaxed pace, with the sunlight through the trees casting complex patterns along the ground. Around then, they heard the sound of water.
When they reached the end of the trail, Latina understood why she could hear that sound from so far away: it was coming from waterfalls. Things opened up into a semi-circular space, and all around, thin streams of spring water tumbled down from the bedrock. Each didn’t carry in much water on its own, but the numerous small waterfalls added up to quite a large volume flowing into the basin, making for quite a mysterious sight.
“Wow...” said Latina in admiration, and Dale broke out in a satisfied smile.
Dale took Latina’s hand as they approached the side of the waterfall basin, because the wet, rocky surface was especially easy to slip on.
“Amazing! It’s so pretty!”
Coming close, Latina happily put her hand in the water, then jumped up in surprise at how cold it felt. This was all spring water, so it didn’t warm up, regardless of the season.
“It’s cold!” Even so, Latina looked overjoyed, and once more thrust both hands into the clear water. “It’s so beautiful! It’s like a temple!”
Dale was a little surprised to hear Latina say that. There was a small shrine to Quirmizi by the side of the waterfalls, but it had a modest, simple appearance to it. And yet, Latina had easily recognized that this was a place strong in the power of the gods.