CH 11

Latina was in a pinch.

“What to do…”

Restlessly, she looks at the people coming and going with an anxious face.

Right now where she is, is not where she normally lives in South Kroix. Following Kenneth out to stock up, she came all the way to the East district.

This is the second time Latina has come to the East district.

The first time she came, she didn’t even know the language and even if she worries about her surroundings, there was never a need to since Dale would never leave.

That was good as a result.

This time, she finally took notice of the surroundings.

A row of shops, each of them having their own ingenious ideas to attract the interests of people walking along the road. Kroix with money flow as importance is abundant with goods. It was overflowing with items which up till now Latina has never seen and don’t know how to use.

The South district, is where the atmosphere disagrees with the streets, and snatches away knowledge.

In the first place Latina’s curiosity is strong. And even caution and awareness ended up being surpassed by curiosity, you could even say it can’t be helped.

While she was doing that, by the time she had noticed she had lost sight of Kenneth.

(I promised, to properly, stay with Kenneth… Dale, will he be angry)

Thinking like that, she withered away becoming even more depressed.

Looking puzzled Latina brooded over what to do.

But helplessness won, and she didn’t know what to do.

If I can’t go back, I wonder what I should do.

(What should I do, If we don’t, meet again)

I don’t like being alone anymore.

Even though there is so many people, I’m tormented by a sense of isolation I can’t control.

Bad thoughts, I couldn’t stop leaning towards the bad thoughts.

(No… what should I do, if I can’t go back… if I can’t return…)

My thoughts were wrapped around that.

No matter how smart you say she is, Latina is after all still a young child.

Without reason, having her feelings swinging about like that, it’s a natural reaction.

But, right now there isn’t anyone here to tell her that.

Latina didn’t have the judgement that ‘If you’re lost, you should wait at that spot’ because inside ‘That forest’, it’s not ‘Waiting for someone’s help’ but rather an environment where ‘You yourself have to do something somehow’.

Latina walked towards the approximate direction she came from.

Later, even if she had just stayed there for a little longer, a panicked Kenneth would’ve come back.

“… Where is this?”

Somehow or another Latina who had walked into various streets, and ended up entering an area which she has genuinely never seen before.

She doesn’t know but, even inside the East district, in the boundary called the workers street, are homes lined up serving as both housing and work studios. Compared with the main street of East district, it’s an area with the prominence similar to low-lying part of the city.

For that reason there are also a lot of complicated alleys, and other people apart from the residents might feel like it’s a maze.

And that’s how it was for Latina, even if she was to turn around, she already didn’t know where she came from to get to here.

“… What to do”

Muttered Latina, puzzled.

“What do you want, you?”

A voice came from behind and she jumped in fright.

Turning her head, there was several young boys loitering around. They were frowning, at the sight of a young girl they don’t know.

“You, whose kid are you, never seen you before”

“……”

The one with the biggest physique amongst the youths said to Latina as he came up to her without hesitation. Not knowing what’s the best thing to say, she stepped back from the boy. He doubted her actions more and more.

“It’s a hair colour I’ve never seen before, you a noble’s kid?”

“That’s wrong, Rudi. If she was a noble’s kid, she’d be wearing a dress”

“True. But, it’s a strange colour. It’s like it’s not gold nor silver”

Next to the big kid called Rudi, a calm-looking young kid with a round face and the young kid with light brown hair behind them both said.

“If this kid was moving in, there’s no way we didn’t hear about it”

“Then you, you’re an outsider!?”

With Rudi’s strong tone of voice, Latina once again jumped in surprise.

(Why, is he angry?)

(Latina is… am I somehow, weird?)

(What should I do… why is he angry, I don’t know)

“That’s no good Rudi, this kid’ll cry”

“I’m the one asking over here so, the one who should shut up is her!”

Even though the round-faced boy tried to stop him, Rudi came closer to Latina violently. Latina, completely panicked, with a pale face wanted to run away and did.

“Why are you running! That’s sus yo!”

“Un! <**! ****!>”

However, there was the difference in physique and Latina ended up being caught by Rudi who took a shortcut. The young boys were astonished at the shriek that Latina let out the moment her arms were caught.

“What did she say?”

“It might be a foreign kid….”

The danger from the boys who were grouped in a discussion had already disappeared and only a feeling of confusion was left but, Latina hadn’t noticed in her panicked condition. She was struggling desperately as she shouted out.

“<**, **! ****!>”

“What are you doing!!”

Hearing Latina’s shrieks, a young girl around the same age as the boys came rushing out from a nearby house. As soon as she saw the ghostly pale Latina she rushed right into the middle of the group of boys.

“To such a small kid, bullying is the worst!”

“Uwa, stop, Kuroe!”

“That’s not it, it’s a misunderstanding”

Apart from the brown haired boy who got away quickly, the other two were sacrificed to a punishment of fists by the young girl named Kuroe.

To Latina who forgot about the panic and staring blankly, the young girl called Kuroe was cool.

As the one who was helped Latina ended up becoming the mediator.

“It hurts? … Are you ok?”

“I’m alright! It’ll be fine if I just spit on it!”

“You would say that Kuroe”

In front of the two boys who Kuroe punched and kicked, Rudi and Marcel – the round-faced boy – squat down Latina who was looking gloomy with a seemingly worried face.

“Latina, we didn’t give you a proper reply so… sorry…”

“Making you scared, it was our bad so.…”

After Marcel bitterly laughed, Latina made an even more apologetic face. In front of him, pointing her small palm, tightly straining her expression. Wetting her lips, she spoke graciously.

“<Oh holy light, from thy name grant thy wish, please heal and ease those hurt 《Healing Light》>”

From the palm of Latina a gentle light escaped, surprising the surrounding kids.

Latina also used the same recovery magic on Rudi. Afterwards she frowned and fell down on the ground.

“Are you ok?”

“Ok. Only, a little tired”

Smiling happily Latina answered Kuroe. Taking advantage of that the young boys all unanimously and excitedly surrounded Latina.

“Amazing! A magician!”

“You can use magic even though you’re so small, amazing! Who taught you?”

“I… this is the first time I’ve seen magic!”

Kuroe took a step forward, glaring at them after seeing that their enthusiasm had frightened Latina.

The young men suddenly stop moving and Latina looked out from behind Kuroe.

“Amazing? Latina just, used a simple, healing magic?”

Latina tilts his head and answered.

“Able to use magic, is amazing?”

“Most of the people on the streets can’t use it. Except for the people who work at the temple or the Feudal Lord’s place, or people belonging to big companies. And adventurers I guess”

Even though Anthony – a brown haired young boy – was the one who taught that to her, Latina was nodding like ‘Exactly’.

(Dale is an adventurer. So that’s why he can use magic)

And then suddenly she remembered. That she was a lost child.

“Latina, lost sight….. way back, don’t know”

“Where did you come from, Latina?”

“Nearby… ocelot shop….”

Looking at Latina’s dejected face, the kids look at each other.

“Ocelot?”

“There are no shops like that around here, right?”

“Maybe over there? The place with the green flag”

“The adventurer’s shop?”

Latina brightened up at those words.

“Yea. Adventurer, a lot of shops, come”

The kids look exchanged a look with each other.

The Adventurer’s Shop is a dangerous place where outsiders who do dangerous work gather. Their parents forbid them from playing around that area.

But this is helping someone.

It’s definitely not just them wanting to go and see what it’s like.

–After all, kids hold an interest towards things which adults forbid them from doing.