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

by CHIROLU

  “You can tell? You don’t have divine protection, right?”

  “Yeah, Latina doesn’t. She just thought it felt similar to a temple. She actually feels like it seems more like a temple than the ones in Kreuz.”

  “Temples in cities are places made for people, for them to worship the gods. The gods’ power isn’t strong in those places, like it is here.”

  “Huh...”

  “That’s amazing, Latina, that you can sense that...” Dale said with a smile. “You really may be loved by the gods, too...”

  And then, he added in, “You’re just too cute!”

  It completely ruined the mood.

  His words were as questionable as always.

  6: The Young Girl Revels in Country Living

  Their stay in Tislow was scheduled to be roughly two months. Latina obviously couldn’t just sit still for that long, so a few days after they arrived, she was already helping out Dale’s mother, Magda. As a result, she was waking up quite early in the morning these days. She would occasionally sleep in when she stayed up late the night before or was feeling especially tired, but she did quite well for a child her age. Even Magda, who managed things in the mansion, thought the young girl had the basics of housework down enough that she considered Latina a plenty capable helper.

  “You don’t eat much bread in Tislow, do you?” Latina said, moving about to watch Magda from different angles as the woman mixed oil and eggs with flour, then used a rolling pin to spread the dough out to an even thickness.

  “So you prefer the sort of food you see in town after all, Latina?”

  “No, Latina enjoys eating all sorts of food from different places.”

  Magda wrapped the stretched dough around meat and potherbs. Today’s breakfast was a soup filled with these dumplings, which was a staple of Tislow’s menu. Compared to Magda’s smooth, quick motions, Latina’s hands moved awkwardly. She did seem to properly remember the steps, though.

  “Latina wants to learn a lot from you, Mrs. Magda, and then she’ll cook for Dale back in Kreuz.”

  “Oh, my. Then I’ll have to teach you how to make all of Dale’s favorites.”

  “Yeah!”

  “Our men are simple folk. As long as you keep their stomachs filled, it’s easy to get them to listen.”

  “Huh?”

  “How old are you, Latina?”

  “Hmm? Latina will be ten soon.”

  “Ten, huh? I see, I see...”

  “Huh?”

  “Kids grow up so fast.”

  “Hmm?”

  As Magda nodded to herself, Latina tilted her head while putting the finished pasta into a pot.

  After eating breakfast and seeing the men off as they left for work, Latina kept helping Magda. Dale helped out his dad and brother and also lent a hand to those who went out hunting, so he spent most of the day out of the house. But in exchange, he and Latina spent the long country nights together.

  As his house was the head household, they didn’t make a living by farming, but they did at least have enough of a field to provide the vegetables for their personal use. It fell to Magda to take care of that vegetable garden, leading to Latina’s first experience working a field. She stared in wonder at the soft buds on the crops.

  “Wow, they’re so small!”

  “It’s still too soon to eat those,” Magda said with a laugh, plucking bugs off of them as she spoke. Seeing that, Latina started doing the same. She wasn’t timid even around magical beasts, so she wasn’t scared at all of bugs, and there was no hesitation to her movements.

  “It’s wiggling all around...” observed Latina, flipping an insect over and then looking satisfied. She reached out for another bug.

  “Ah, you’ll get itchy if you touch that one.”

  Latina quickly jerked back her hand in surprise. “Really? Got it, Latina will be careful.” She gave a serious nod.

  After she was through helping Magda, Latina went to study under Master Cornelio. He was a scholar who had moved here because he was interested in the Tislow clan. From him, she learned all sorts of things she wouldn’t have learned at the school in Kreuz, like about Tislow and the capital.

  Cornelio was also knowledgeable about the other races, so this was a chance for her to learn about her own devil race.

  “It’s almost noon.”

  “So it seems.”

  And so Latina headed back.

  Occasionally, Clarissa would treat her to lunch and she’d spend the afternoon reading. After all, Latina was fond of passing the time that way. She’d also sometimes borrow a book from the Cacace household. When she did, she’d read in Granny Wen’s room, where she’d often lose a battle to the nice warmth of the sunlight and end up nodding off. The thick rugs spread out on the floors of the houses throughout Tislow made it very easy to nap anywhere, making for a terrible temptation.

  When Latina didn’t spend the afternoon reading, she’d go out for walks with Granny Wen. Though Wendelgard was quite old, she didn’t spend all day and night shut up in the house. Rather, the clan thought of her as some sort of phantom, appearing in unexpected places at random times. She knew the village better than anyone else and could pop up anywhere.

  According to the young men who went out hunting, they’d seen Granny Wen bring down a bird in the mountains and then roast it with a bottle of alcohol by her side.

  According to the women, when the children’s pranks started getting a bit too complex, it meant Granny Wen had helped.

  According to the old folks, Granny Wen had once singlehandedly almost wiped out a pack of magical beasts charging the village.

  There was no end to such anecdotes about her.

  When Latina joined Granny Wen, they didn’t take normal walks, but rather, Wen taught the young girl “paths that weren’t paths” throughout the village.

  It was Granny Wen who took Latina to the workplace of those with the job of “Suna.”

  “Dogs!”

  “That’s right. There are a lot of magical beasts and other animals here in the mountains, so we have these guys help us out.”

  Latina’s eyes absolutely sparkled when she saw the countless fluffy dogs inside the hut.

  “We use them for hunting, too. The Suna train and take care of them.”

  “They don’t use Center magic?”

  “There are plenty of people in our clan with the Earth attribute, but there’s no guarantee anyone with a Center affinity will be born, so we need a way to use them that doesn’t rely on magic.”

  Latina nodded along to Granny Wen’s explanation. Also called the Control attribute, Center-attribute magic allowed one to communicate their intentions to the target as well as manipulate the target’s senses. Those who made their living as tamers primarily had Center affinity.

  “Can I pet them?”

  “Well... what do you think, Zabine?” Granny Wen asked the Suna woman, who brought back a single puppy.

  “You can pet this little guy.”

  “Wow, he’s so cute!” Latina said, happily scooping up the brown-furred pup. He looked up curiously at Latina with his big, round eyes.

  “He’d like it if you brush him.”

  “Understood,” said Latina, a serious expression on her face. And so, Zabine taught her the proper technique for brushing.

  Less than ten days later, all of the dogs in the village were putty in Latina’s hands.

  Having mastered this skill that was legendary in Tislow, the Godhand, there were no longer any beasts the world over that could resist her.

  ...That might be going a bit too far, but Latina had grown quite skilled at petting and brushing.

  Part of the reason for her success was that it was the time of year when dogs shed their winter undercoats. To the dogs, Latina was someone who could skillfully scratch their itchy spots.

  Even so...

  This strange sight was enough to make Granny Wen mutter, “This is amazing...” It was half in admiration and half in amazement.


  The girl was beaming. “They’ve gotten attached to Latina!”

  “That’s for sure... There’s no other way to put it...”

  Holding the brush she’d been given after coming to the dog hut several times in her hand, Latina wore an expression of pride and satisfaction. Stretched-out, relaxed, and looking happy in front of her was a big black dog, the leader of the hut.

  “This dog took the longest to warm up to Latina!”

  It was no easy task for just anyone to get this dog to wag its tail. And it wasn’t the only dog with its belly pointed up into the air. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that right now, all the dogs in the hut had been completely and utterly defeated, which a number of them apparently found so pleasant that they were drifting off into sleep.

  “Latina, you’re amazing...”

  “Latina’s amazing? That’s embarrassing...”

  Unable to do anything but praise her, Granny Wen patted her on the head, and Latina blushed.

  Hearing of this incident, the other Suna started seriously considering recruiting Latina... and as a result, Dale ended up hearing all about it later.

  †

  While Latina was reveling in the country living of Tislow, Dale was also enjoying being back home after so long. It was far more relaxed here than it was back in town. This place where he was born and raised was the only place where he could talk with old, trusted friends.

  Today, Dale was lending a hand for the hunt. For the first time in quite a while, he drew a bow with his own hand, aimed carefully, and let loose a single arrow.

  “Alright!” Dale let slip in satisfaction, confident that he’d hit his target the moment he released the string. Seeing his arrow strike down a mountain bird, the men accompanying him all offered praise, saying things like, “Looks like you haven’t lost your touch, Dale!”

  No one person in Tislow specialized in hunting; the duty of felling wild animals and magical beasts, which provided precious food and materials, was shared by the entire clan. Nearly every day a group made up of several young folks, an experienced older person, and the Suna who handled the hunting dogs was sent out, and their outings also served the purpose of keeping an eye on the area around the village. If they encountered a powerful magical beast while on a hunt, they’d request reinforcements from the village and then have several groups attack in waves in order to easily finish it off.

  In a way, their whole clan was an excellent group of hunters. And the one in charge of that important task was the next head of the clan.

  “Wouldn’t it go a lot smoother if you took command, big bro?” Yorck muttered, watching from the rear.

  “Don’t be stupid. That’s your job, right?” Dale replied in exasperation.

  Before he’d left the village, it had been Dale’s job to take charge on hunts. That much was true. He’d been young, so he still needed assistance from his elders, but it was an important chance for him to study how to lead others as the future head of the clan. But things were only that way up until when he was given the role of Reki and left the village.

  “You’re the one who will carry on as head of the clan.”

  Yorck sank into silence, feeling complex emotions at Dale’s words. Not getting a clear response back from his younger brother, Dale could only break out in a smile filled with his own complex feelings.

  The mountains around Tislow were an abundant land, able to support a great variety of wildlife; it wasn’t at all difficult to find prey. The people of the village were indeed excellent hunters, but for them, that was the norm. They didn’t think that they were especially skilled at all. Having gone out into the world, though, Dale knew how good they were. He’d been proud of his skills with a bow, which were enough to earn him the praise of his elders in the clan, but he became properly aware of his talent when he left the village.

  The clan was focused on such a narrow area that the name of “Reki” was given to one fighter who was sent out into the world in order to protect Tislow from the outside.

  The hunt proved plenty successful. Seeing Latina smack her lips at the sight of the bird he’d caught being grilled up, Dale looked incredibly pleased, and the young girl didn’t seem to mind his gaze at all.

  Dale visited his father’s study while waiting for night to come.

  As the effective head of the clan, Randolph’s work involved everything from odd-jobs around the village to negotiations with outside merchants. It wasn’t rare at all for him to work until past sunset. The head of the Tislow clan didn’t rule over everyone, but rather maintained the clan, managing things so they could prosper.

  “Does Yorck still feel indebted to me?” Dale asked.

  “So even you figured it out, huh?” Randolph responded with a strained smile.

  “Yeah. Even him getting married is a result of me pushing things off onto him,” Dale replied with an expression much like his father’s.

  “You guys and everyone else figured it was obvious that you’d be the successor as head of the clan.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Everyone questioned it when you were given the role of Reki by order of the village chief,” Randolph said, looking at his son. “We figured if there was going to be a Reki, it would be Yorck.”

  “That would’ve been fine, if it was a normal Reki. We wouldn’t have been able to make use of the chance to form a connection with the duke without my rare ability, though. Granny made the right choice,” Dale said with a bitter smile, full of sympathy for Yorck and from remembering what had happened. It was the expression of an elder brother who had completely accepted his role and swept away all of his doubts.

  His father thought in the depths of his heart that Dale had truly matured over these last few years. He wasn’t uncouth enough to voice those feelings, though.

  “I hear the duke appreciates your work, too. The Reki from all over have been reporting that it’s become something of an open secret amongst the influential folks that Tislow has the backing of the royal family, even if unofficially.”

  “Right...? I’ve just been doing my work. Yorck just needs to accept that, too...” Realizing that the state he’d been in had distressed his younger brother, Dale once more broke out in a bitter smile. “I’m fine now...”

  “So that little lady saved you, huh?”

  Dale smiled at his father’s words. Whenever he thought of the young girl, he was filled with warm feelings, and of course that overflowed into his expression as well.

  “Latina helps to heal me. She always says what I need to hear.”

  When he returned to his room, he found Latina reading back through her notebook. Nights in Tislow were chilly, so she was wearing a fluffy cardigan she’d borrowed. The sleeves were long, so only the tips of her fingers were poking out. The dress she had on as loungewear was something Granny Wen had hurriedly prepared for her. Granny Wen had taken the initiative and prepared all the things that Latina would need for her roughly two-month stay before Dale could. That was somehow frustrating.

  “Hey, Latina...”

  “Hmm?”

  “Are you happy?”

  “Dale?” Latina questioned with a blank stare. It may have been too sudden of a question. While Dale was wondering how to explain, Latina broke out in a smile.

  “Latina’s happy. She’s together with Dale, after all.”

  He wouldn’t trade that trust-filled gaze and her overwhelmingly positive words for the world, but she didn’t know that.

  “Are you happy, Dale?”

  “...Yeah. As long as you’re happy, then I’m super happy.”

  Dale’s response made Latina’s smile grow even brighter.

  It was this young girl who supported him and let him be himself. In no time at all, she’d become absolutely irreplaceable to him.

  “You’re always looking at that notebook, Latina... It’s a diary, right?”

  “Yeah,” she responded, holding it to her chest with care. “Latina’s really happy right now, so she wants to write things down so s
he doesn’t forget.”

  She wore a mature, farsighted expression, which she could only do because she’d accepted her own fate.

  “Even if Latina is parted from Dale and everyone, and even if you come to hate her... Latina’s really happy right now. She doesn’t want to ever forget that.”

  Understanding the meaning of those words but not wanting to affirm them, Dale was unable to speak for a moment. But there was no point in denying that absolute fact that their lifespans differed.

  “I don’t think I could ever come to hate you, Latina.”

  “You don’t know how Latina will be when she’s an adult, though,” Latina said, her voice just a bit pained. “And if Latina is bad when she grows up, she wants you to properly scold her, Dale.”

  She really was growing up, bit by bit. She could even admit her “crime” to Dale and was now able to face it head-on and accept it.

  “Latina will know that you’re doing it for her sake, Dale.”

  “I may not be as grown up as you think, Latina...”

  After letting that timidly slip out, he hurriedly searched for something to say to smooth things over. But even so, Latina accepted even those words of his.

  “Still, Dale is the most important person to Latina.”

  He really did want her to be happy, not for anyone’s sake but his own. Protecting her happiness helped prop him up and gave him most of the power he needed to keep going.

  “You’re more amazing than I am, Latina...” Because of his modest pride as her parent, he muttered it quietly so he wouldn’t be heard, but he needed to whisper it nonetheless out of respect for his beloved young daughter.

  †

  Having come to the Suna hut once again today, Latina was diligently putting everything she had into brushing the dogs.

  Seeing this, Granny Wen said, “You really love dogs, don’t you, Latina?”

  “Yeah! They’re so cute!” Latina replied with a nice smile, wiping the sweat off her brow while doing so. There wasn’t even a hint of doubt to those words.