by CHIROLU
He was an opposing presence that could harm a demon lord. In other words, he held abilities that allowed him to be called a “hero.” While such people were exceptionally rare, it’s not like he was the only “hero” out there. However, just because someone possessed the abilities required to be called a “hero,” there was no guarantee that they’d be a soldier accustomed to the field of battle.
With the threat of the increasing influence of the warlike and dangerous Seventh and Second Demon Lords, a hero with combat abilities who could oppose them, like Dale, was incredibly precious.
Dale definitely had the ability to fight. His divine protection was well suited to being used in battle. His divine protection from Quirmizi was strong even for those from the clan, aiding him in magic related to the earth. When Dale cast Earth magic, he hardly expended any mana. And as a skilled hunter, he also excelled at handling weapons. Studying under Cornelio, his education didn’t fall short of what he’d get in a town, and he learned how to be an adventurer under a skilled young man in the business.
As a warrior, Dale wanted for nothing in terms of nature and nurture.
†
Dale had taken Latina for a walk to the waterfalls.
Latina recited a chant, and a ball of light appeared, floating in front of her. As if reflecting her personality, it had a gentle, tender feel to it. The pair walked side by side down the path it lit.
When they reached the waterfalls, there were several lanterns around, and they reflected off the surface of the water, resulting in countless, trembling rays of light. The place was already mysterious to start with, and now it made for an almost otherworldly sight.
“Wow...”
“Yorck and Frida were just here for the ceremony.”
The final part of the ceremony fell to the new husband and wife. Latina had been waiting in the mansion, so she hadn’t come here. She was glad she was able to see it.
There was now a mountain of flowers offered before the shrine to Quirmizi. The number of flowers alone was an indication of just how many blessings they had received.
“I’m sure Yorck will be a good clan head...”
As Latina looked up at Dale, the trembling light from the lanterns cast complex shadows on her face, and it was hard to tell what she was thinking. Feeling like she was going to suddenly turn into an adult, Dale went to rustle her hair, but not wanting to mess it up after it had been so carefully prepared, he just touched it gently.
Dale had certainly been able to fight. But up until he’d left, he’d only taken a weapon in hand to go out on a hunt or to protect the village from outside enemies. He’d never before taken another person’s life.
If demons all looked like beasts, then he likely wouldn’t have suffered so much. They may have gained power greatly exceeding that of their original race in serving a demon lord, but their appearances didn’t change. The devils who made up most of the demons, in fact, didn’t look any different from humans aside from having horns.
He had no regrets when it came to fighting the invading forces of the Seventh Demon Lord, who brought conflict and strife to humankind. The servants of the Second Demon Lord were mutilated in such a way that it was hard to even think of them as living beings. When it came to accepting their resentment-filled pleas (even if it was impossible to understand what they were saying, it was hard to take them as anything else) and taking their lives, that may have been an act of mercy.
But even so, killing people, an act that only took something away, ate away at his heart. Dale’s true nature was that of the clan head of Tislow, who would use his power to protect his people. It was in his nature to show his true power for the sake of those who needed his protection.
He had been far off from the village he was supposed to protect, and even if he was told it was for the sake of the people, he just kept on killing for the country. He was just too far from the village, so he didn’t feel like he was protecting them; but even so, he wanted to, and therefore he couldn’t run from his duty.
The prestige and money and rewards did nothing to save him. He couldn’t use such things to repair his own broken heart. The solution he found to get used to killing was to crush his emotions so he could carry out his work. But that option meant stifling his true self as well.
But it was then that he met a certain young girl who saved his life. Day by day, he watched over the healthy growth of this weak, helpless child, who even now seemed like she could break at any time. Held in his arms, she’d look at ease, with a happy smile on her face. This girl was someone he needed to protect. Rather than fighting for an unspecified “somebody,” he now fought for her sake.
A town full of strangers had become a place where that girl peacefully lived.
Having a clear person to protect now, he gained the motivation he needed to fight, which he had been lacking. As long as she was happy, then he could keep on going.
And yet, when he felt like his heart was going to break, this young girl had also given him words that helped to save him. That warmth healed him.
Her words gave him enough power to face forward and act brave as her father.
“It’s all thanks to you that Latina is happy now.”
Those words of hers and the smile that accompanied them were the source of his motivation.
“I’m alright, Latina.”
She was so small, but she was kinder than anyone else. He wanted to raise her to keep that pure heart and never be harmed by anyone.
“You saved me, Latina...”
The young girl blinked her big grey eyes in response, looking confused.
Maybe it was alright to speak such timid words every now and again. He could always blame it on the strong liquor he had drunk for the first time in a while.
“Dale?”
“Latina, you say that you’re glad to have met me pretty often, but the same is true for me, too.”
If he hadn’t met her, what would he be like now? Would he be able to smile properly? Would he be able to tell his brother “Congratulations”? Could he have kept on going without losing sight of his memories of this village, which he was supposed to protect?
“I’m glad I met you, Latina.”
“Latina’s glad she met you too, Dale.”
As she smiled gently, he hugged the young girl tight. They were close enough to feel one another’s body heat, as they often were, but it somehow felt a bit different than usual.
“If Latina was able to help Dale, then that makes her happy.”
Hearing her gentle voice, Dale wondered just what sort of adult she’d become. Would she someday stand by someone else’s side, smiling happily like she was now? Surely, it was his job as her father to protect her until that time came.
“Still, I won’t let some spineless guy make Latina his bride!”
“Right.”
“If Latina wants, then he can try to beat me! I won’t fall, though! Nobody will take me down!”
“Right.”
After heading back to the banquet, Dale returned to being his usual self. He kept pace with Granny Wen’s drinking, which was faster than Latina had ever seen before.
“Um... are you alright?”
“You’re worried about me?! You really are kind, Latina!”
He grabbed hold of her, clearly drunk.
“Huh?!”
“Ah, you’re such a good girl, and so cute! I won’t let you be anyone’s bride! I won’t!”
Sleeping drunks needed to be let lie.
Dale could hold his liquor, but when paired with Granny Wen, they drank enough to empty out an entire barrel, leaving him dead drunk. Latina was only used to seeing him drink light wine, which wouldn’t affect him in the least. She had no idea how to manage this crisis. She’d never before experienced being clung to tightly and having a cheek rubbed up against hers over and over and over.
“Waaaaaaagh?!”
Latina let out a strange cry, but that just seemed to make the two drunks in front of her even happier.
“Latina, when you want to get married, just tell me. I’ll find you someone who can beat the hell out of this idiot grandson of mine.”
“Cut it out! With your connections, I feel like you might really find someone!”
Even so, he laughed the same as always.
Dale and Latina smiled at one another.
†
Dale’s coat was finished a few days after Yorck and Frida’s wedding. It wasn’t too different from his previous one and even had pretty much the same design. There were a number improvements made based on his requests, but they couldn’t be seen by the naked eye. It had become a sort of trademark for him, so it’d feel somehow embarrassing to change it now.
He’d seen his younger brother’s wedding, and he’d gotten what he’d come here for. In other words, the time had come to head back to Kreuz.
Things became quite busy once he decided that. The preparations to return progressed smoothly. It was the start of spring when they left from Kreuz, but the seasons were already changing again. They had their lives in Kreuz waiting for them, too. Now that they’d gotten what they came for, they couldn’t stay here forever.
“Thanks for everything,” Latina said with a bow on her last day of studying under Cornelio.
“Think nothing of it. It was rather enjoyable. Having a pupil who truly wanted to learn helped keep me serious.”
With a calm expression on his face, Cornelio looked at his tiny student. Just as Dale had said, she was very clever, intelligent young girl. Cornelio felt that she was still keeping a lot to herself, but if his teachings were of help to her, then that’s all he wanted. And he’d be glad if she helped to reduce some of the heavy burden shouldered by his former student as well.
Meanwhile, what Latina wanted from Cornelio was his assistance in understanding Dale. He didn’t talk at all about Dale’s abilities, telling her to ask Dale directly someday, but in exchange, he taught her a lot about Tislow, where Dale’s roots lay.
After Cornelio started teaching her, she’d figured out in no time at all that there was hostility between Tislow and the local lord. Even Cornelio had to stop and stare in amazement at this.
“If Latina were the local lord, then she’d find Tislow really scary.”
Upon hearing that, he asked her numerous questions to test her out, only for her a troubled look to come across her face as she searched for a response. She didn’t always arrive at the correct answer, but many of her responses weren’t what you’d expect from such a young girl. He sensed the sort of education that would only be held by those who stood above others. Perhaps that was also related to the secrets she was keeping.
“But Latina thinks it’d be better if nobody fought.”
“Even if you don’t want to fight, though, there are invasions and the like to consider. Would you just resign yourself to being overrun at such a time?”
“Latina wouldn’t want to hurt anyone, even if they were the enemy... But she’d also want to protect the people precious to her. It may be impossible to help everyone, but she’d at least want to protect the people close to her.”
Clutching her chest, she added, almost sounding like a prayer, “Latina definitely doesn’t want something bad to happen to everyone because of her.”
There was a bit of discomfort in the clever young girl’s reply. Cornelio didn’t dare to question her further, though. More so than before, he sensed that he was touching at a fragment of something greater. He guessed that those words were tied to the chains holding down this kind young girl.
“Latina wants to become a kind adult, like Dale.”
“Is that so?”
He felt like he’d come to understand why his student was so affectionate towards her. It wasn’t just her outward appearance, but her personality as well that was beautiful. She wasn’t perfect, nor was she a saint. But precisely because of that imperfection, she strongly fascinated and charmed those around her.
While they were sitting in Granny Wen’s room as always, the old woman turned, faced Latina, and suddenly said, “I should give you a souvenir before you leave, Latina.”
“Huh?” Latina tilted her head and looked at Granny Wen.
There was only a little bit of time left for her to see this scenery she’d grown accustomed to before what was the norm for her changed.
“It’s nothing too unwieldy, so it should be perfect for a souvenir. Go call that idiot grandson of mine.”
“Hmm?”
With her head still tilted in confusion, she pitter-pattered off to go call for Dale. He should’ve been in the middle of giving their preparations for the return trip a final check.
In no time at all, Dale had been led to Granny Wen’s room by Latina. He knitted his brows and started by saying, “What do you want? Don’t spoil Latina too much, Granny.”
“Are you really one to speak?” retorted Granny Wen with a laugh, adjusting her posture. Seeing his grandmother act differently than normal, the expression on Dale’s face shifted.
“As the clan head of Tislow, I grant you a name.”
Hearing Granny Wen’s dignified statement, Dale and Latina were speechless.
They understood that she was giving a Tislow role name not just to Dale, but to Latina as well.
“Tislow always accepts members of the clan. With this, you can return here whenever you wish, Latina.”
“Granny?”
“That holds even after I die, and my idiot grandson is gone, and everyone here now makes way for the next generation. Even if this village is gone and moves somewhere else, Tislow values the clan above all else. You can come back any time.”
As Wendelgard said that, Dale patted Latina’s head as he often did. That was something his grandmother used to do to him.
“Normally, you don’t receive a name until you become an adult. But there’s no guarantee that I’ll still be around when that time comes. So hold onto it in here until then, and then you can ask Dale what it means,” said Granny Wen, pointing to Latina’s chest.
It was the duty of the clan head of Tislow to give role names. And to the clan, receiving your name was proof that you had become a full-fledged adult.
Wendelgard was the only one in Tislow right now with the right to grant a name.
To the Tislow clan, it wasn’t simply blood that tied them together. Such links did exist, but it also wasn’t prohibited to accept outsiders into the clan.
As a clan of priests for the god of prosperity, they possessed a great deal of knowledge, so they understood how disadvantageous it was to build up generation after generation from the same bloodlines. Accepting new bloodlines into the clan so their blood didn’t grow thick and stagnant was essential for their prosperity. Most entered the clan by marriage, like Frida, but that wasn’t the only way. The only rule was that new members must live in a way that maintained the dignity of the clan. As long as one could accept that rule, they could join. And it fell to the abilities of the clan head to determine if they were truly capable of that.
Granny Wen hadn’t told Latina not to ask the meaning of the name because there was any sort of custom to hide it. From Latina’s character and the path she was following, Granny Wen had no concerns about giving her that name, but she worried that if she told Latina what it meant now, it would end up restricting the great possibilities the young girl possessed. She told Dale not to ask as well for the same reason. There was no guarantee that her grandson wouldn’t be influenced by her name and limit his own potential as well, and from Wendelgard’s perspective, he was still young and inexperienced.
If Latina decided to live in a way that differed from the name when she became an adult, then that was fine. As a member of the clan, roles were given, but they also had to be accepted.
Her own grandson had taken in this child and saw her as someone to protect, so Tislow at least would be a place she could return to. Even if she couldn’t return to the place she was born, she could create a new place where she belonged here.
&nbs
p; Even if he’d wanted to, Dale couldn’t give her a name, as he wasn’t the head of the clan. So his grandmother gave it in his place. That was her present to her grandson, who lived in a way that maintained the dignity of the clan despite struggling deeply with his weighty role.
“If you get sick of my stupid grandson, then tell me right away, alright? I’ll find you someone better.”
“Dale is the best,” Latina said tearfully, and then smiled. “It’s thanks to Dale that Latina met you, Granny. And Dale always gives Latina whatever she wants.”
While consoling Latina, who was moved to tears, by stroking her hair, Granny Wen wore her usual, bright smile.
“When you grow up, I’ll sure you’ll be fine woman, Latina. Definitely.”
“Latina wants to become a grandmother like you, Granny.”
“Huh? No, you should reconsider that, Latina,” Dale said, visibly flustered at Latina’s statement. Seeing Dale vigorously shake his head side to side, Granny Wen gave a clear click of her tongue, and Latina looked puzzled.
“Now then, today we have a feast. Today’s the day when we say farewell for a while, until you next come again.”
“Right.”
At dinner she was surrounded by smiles rather than tears as they finished out their final day in Tislow.
The pair headed back towards Kreuz with a great number of souvenirs, and not all of them were material.
A Productive Day for the Fluffy Toddler
Today, as always, the father’s and daughter’s voices echoed throughout the Bündte household in the small beastman village.
“No!”
“Don’t say that, Maya. Don’t you want to play with Papa?”
“No!”
“Maya...”
When Joseph heard his beloved daughter declare that so clearly, his triangular ears drooped down pathetically. A beastman’s ears and tail were better indicators of their feelings than their facial expressions. When it came to putting on the poker faces and fake smiles that were essential for negotiations, they needed to first learn to control those body parts.