CH 2

To be acknowledged as a criminal, the child in front of him was way too young.

The ‘Demon race’ compared to a person of a ‘Human race’ like Dale, was a race that had long lives. Dale couldn’t even guess the ages of the ‘Human race’ are but,  from the face peeking out of the thicket, he could see that she was around 5-6 years old.

It wasn’t an age where there was a lot of difference.

Noticing that the kid who had been watching him motionlessly had her eyes on the fish next to the camp-fire, Dale remembered its existence. He quickly took it off the skewer. It was a little burnt.

“….Hmm…”

If the skewer moves from left to right, so does the kid’s gaze.

Somehow it seems that this was also something that became quite noticeable.

“…Want some?”

It would be awkward if i just started eating in front of the kid like i was flaunting.

Working with that kind of mentality, he called out to her with a an almost uninterested voice. At the same time he grumbles out a startling soliloquy, what the heck did i just say.

From his voice the kid once again turned her gaze towards his face, her neck leaning slightly forward.

[“***?***,****?”]

“Hn? Oh…?”

The words coming out of the kids mouth, this time Dale had to lean his neck forward.

He couldn’t catch her words fast enough but, he remembered that it was a language that he had heard somewhere before.

“Hmm… that guy, definitely…”

A while back about the demon race, he recalled some memories from a fellow adventurer who he had learnt some words from.

He called her over but, Dale was once again dazed.

Next to a strange person you don’t know, not being wary at all, after the kid came closer— it wasn’t just that.

The kid had become extremely thin.

Her arms and feet peeked out from a piece of rag cloth that was probably once a one piece. You could see nothing but skin and bones.

It was a questionable figure, and you could see that there were signs of malnutrition with just a glance.

To kill this kid, you wouldn’t even need something as extravagant as a sword. If i just grip her far too thin neck with my hands, it would probably snap not too soon after.

The demon race were isolated, however they were at the same time recognised as a race with strong camaraderie. That’s why being ‘exiled’ was only for extreme crimes.

Furthermore, as expected from a race with a long life span, their birthrate was considerably low.

Children to the demon race were, treasures.

This kid, even if she became a criminal, the possibility of her being left out here in this terrible condition, Dale didn’t even think that.

“Give… eat….Ahh, what the hell am i saying…”

While Dale was grimacing, he held out the skewer to the kid like he pushing it away. The words ‘Please eat this meal’ doesn’t exist in magic spells.

That’s the reason that Dale was holding out the skewer but, the kid kept staring at the fish, before finally looking up at Dale.

「 ” ******？ ” 」

After waiting for the kid to finish her fish, Dale once again chose his words.

“Ahh,… [Thou, protect, person, together, exist?]”

It’s not like its been decided that her guardian isn’t here. The kid who was just asked kept looking up, had already been replying to Dale’s awkwardly phrased words since some time ago.

「 ” ***、************、****。************、******** ” 」

“Hmm,… together, exist, negative? …beast, refused…?”

Dale could only piece together a few words, but the kids expression was clearly depressed. So that the kid could think for a bit, Dale took hold of her little hand with his arms.

Chasing after the kid who was advancing through the forest with small steps, Dale thinks to himself.

Calling out to her, handing over the fish, if i had to say why then it had to be a whim. As I was wondering what i was going to do from now on.

The kid suddenly stopped in her tracks, causing Dale to look up.

[“What? Ahead?”]

The kid pointed in front of her, shaking her head.

「 ” *********** ” 」

“More beasts? …That shouldn’t be it, right?”

While Dale was thinking about it, something step out of where the kid was pointing.

“Che!”

(…This is, most likely, the demon race. Judging from the shape of the horn… male…)

Neither the possible method nor the time of death could be determined.

The injuries were too severe.

In this forest there were a lot of monsters and beasts.

I don’t know if he was attacked or messed up after he died but, it was probably for that reason.

(The horns are… properly on both sides. …Was it her dad? There was no way he could just abandon her all by herself even if she was exiled, something like that)

I wonder if it’s right to feel like i should help that.

I thought back to the words the kid said earlier.

If i connect the dots, perhaps, that could’ve been what the father requested of her at the end.

—You mustn’t stay by my corpse. In that time the beasts would probably gathered around. If that happens, then the kid wouldn’t even get the slightest chance to protect herself.– or something of the such.

“Ahh… damn it. If i see this kinda thing, then there’s no way i can just leave the kid…”

Dale scratched his head roughly.

He had been given the father’s final wish.

Furthermore, even though she followed the command until she was no where by his side, she quietly survived in the same forest and discovered his body.

[“By the origins of my name, followers of Gaia I commandeth, change into what this one desire <<Gaia Metamorphosis>>”]

I chanted the spell with my hand next to the ground of the corpse. The ground sunk like it was getting the hell beat out of it, opening up a hole.

The kid approached Dale at some point, looking up at him timidly, most likely due to the spell.

After placing the corpse into the hole, Dale covers the hole back up with his magic and watched over the kid silently.

「 ” ***** ” 」

“Was that Thanks? Don’t worry about it.”

On top of the grave that he had just finished, Dale once again exercised his magic.

With earth magic, he summoned a giant pure white stone to place on it.

He couldn’t carve a name on it but, for an improvisation this is probably a pretty good grave.

“… Sigh…, well, i guess this is also fate”

Behind the kid who keeps on staring intently at the grave, Dale sighed.

[“This one’s name, “Dale”, Thou, Name is?”]

Turning her head around, she said with a surprised expression.

“Latina”

And thus with one word, she spun out a sound.

“Latina… huh.    Latina, [This one, Together, Thou, Go?]”

To the words that Dale said, the kid who will also definitely from here on out make even more surprised expression– Latina, sleepily nodded her head.

(Author’s note: Finally Latina’s name is revealed.

Regarding the spell chants, to the people who don’t understand their meanings, it’s just a list of sounds. You can think of it as a  completely different language. The ‘spells’ in this story are chanted with that kind of meaning, or that’s how it’s being represented anyway.)