CH 12

“Latina has become a lost child!?”

At the “Dancing Ocelot” when Dale’s shriek was shouted was some time after Kenneth lost sight of Latina.

Kenneth who noticed Latina searched the surroundings in panic but couldn’t find her. Despite that he still had to deal with the merchant who was going to move the ingredients and such back to the shop after this. There’s also no way he could just keep searching.

Asking the few acquaintances he has in the East District for help, he quickly returned to the “Ocelot”.

He had to do the next best thing, telling her guardian.

“Yeah. I’m really sorry. As I was doing business, I took my eyes off her a little and…”

Kenneth and Dale both, were careless.

Latina is an extremely clever kid.

Finally ‘Something like this should be alright’. Which is something they couldn’t deny had unconsciously crossed their mind.

This kid is reliable so she probably won’t wander around. In any case, it was just an adult’s excuse. In the first place, adults and kids have different viewpoints. The world that they originally view are different. Kids cannot be stopped by the reasoning of adults.

“No, ah. It can’t be helped. It can’t be helped that she’s become lost. AaaAaahhHh… If I knew this would happen it would’ve been better to remember that Search speeellllll, me of the past who said it wasn’t needed, apologize to Latina, sorry, sorry…. no, that’s right, it’s about Latina now… what do, what do? Yes, get, get out a request for the adventurers on the streets to search for Latina…”

“For now, how about go looking for her?”

“That’s it!”

It was savage but, Dale being disturbed to the point of being funny, actually made the surrounding people chill. Dale who was in complete confusion, was told about one of the things he should do, and immediately rushed out of the shop.

“Umm… Rita?”

“In the streets, Latina’s characteristics is seen alongside Dale’s guardianship so, if there was an idiot who wanted to lead her away, they’ll be stopped at the district walls. Even if she’s lost, it’s around the East Districts safe area so…. And if it’s that kid then I feel like she’ll be able to do something somehow but, I suppose…”

After seeing Dale off, if Kenneth could see his wife, she was exceptionally calm. She looks to the regulars inside shop engrossed in chatter.

“Tonight’s alcohol tab is free to those who join the search. There isn’t anything as a reward even if you find her though. Even if you can’t find her, come back before sunset. How about it?”

“Well, it’ll do to kill some time”

“Buying a favour off that guy (Dale) isn’t too bad either”

Hearing Rita’s words, the regulars say while standing up.

Latina is becoming a special existence even to the regular customers.

By the time Latina returned, surrounded by the East District’s kids, there was still some time before sunset.

“Rita!”

Latina slipped past the door smiling and came rushing over to Rita’s side but she suddenly stopped as if realising something.

“Rita, sorry, for disappearing… where’s Kenneth?”

“We were worried. Let me see your face”

Says Rita pointing to the kitchen. To be honest, even Rita was fed up with her husband worrying for Latina to the point where he wasn’t able to concentrate normally on his work.

She quickly headed to the kitchen. Taking a quick look at Latina, the pot Kenneth was holding dropped loudly with a ‘clang’.

“Kenneth, sorry… Latina, disappear, didn’t keep promise”

With her honest apology and her dispirited look, Kenneth couldn’t scold her at all, who understood her own mistakes.

Just patting her head in relief.

“It’s good that you’re safe”

Kenneth carried the dispirited Latina and went back to the shop, where unexpectedly a lot of kids were looking up at him.

“What?”

“It seems that these kids brought Latina all the way here”

Said Rita who had talked to the only girl.

“Well there has to be some thanks for that…”

“Helping a friend is the obvious thing to do!”

The girl raised her voice with dissatisfaction at Kenneth’s murmurs. Latina tilted her small head.

“I see. You’ve become Latina’s friend. It’s already quite late right now… next time, please take your time and come play with Latina”

Rita was grinning, plastering a smile which she normally wouldn’t show off as Kenneth opened the cookie jar made for Latina, skillfully wrapping a share for each person.

Then he bent his knees to hand one to each child,

“Bringing Latina back here, seriously thank you”

properly expressing his thanks. Getting treated so politely from an adult like Rita made the children fidget and couldn’t calm down but, they didn’t seem to be unsatisfied.

When the children were on their way home, Latina sent them off by waving from the shop’s entrance.

As it approached sunset and the regulars returned to the “Ocelot’, Latina apologized to each of them.

“Making you worry, sorry…”

“As long as you’re fine little girly, it’s all good”

“…looking for me, thank you”

Latina once again bowed to the regular who laughed and waved it off.

When she first came back to the shop, Latina was smiling but now, even from behind, you could see she was feeling depressed.

Repeatedly coming back and fro from the entrance, she was looking down at her feet sadly.

Not just the regulars who knew the circumstances but even the guests who didn’t know, at the sight of Latina who was acting different from normal, for some reason silently drank their alcohol one after the other.

That was when Dale came back.

Dripping with sweat, out of breath, he opened the door.

“Rita, after that…”

Wanting to ask if there was any information after that, he noticed the person in question when he looked up.

“Latina!”

Latina’s reply to Dale who joyfully called out her name were large drops of tears.

“!?”

As Dale panicked and got on his knees without a sound, Latina’s tears crumbled and fell even more.

“La, Latina!?”

“I’m… I’m sorry…hic, sorry… Promise, not keeping it, I’m sorry…. hic”

Raising hiccups, what she said were words of apology.

“Dale, Latina was bad, are you angry?”

“I’m not, I’m not angry ok… Ahhhhhh, I was just so worried!”

While Latina was crying, Dale was shaking his head sideways violently but, Latina further continued with her words. As if he was wrong, she shook her head as well.

“Be angry, it’s ok. Latina was bad so hic… But, Latina, was, was scared, I was scared of what if I couldn’t come back, it was scary”

Tears kept flooding out of her large grey eyes.

For a child this young, looking at herself cry was a first, and murmured with what tiny composure she had left.

“Don’t, leave me alone anymore, Dale…. it’s ok being angry with Latina so, I want to be together with Dale…hic”

After safely returning to the “Dancing Ocelot”, it seems Latina thought about many things in her own way.

Even the recollection of despair and anxiety as a lost child was probably manipulated by that big feeling.

After going through with her belief that she has to apologize, she washed away those feelings of anxiety.

–Which is,  what Dale guessed after he calmed down later.

At this moment, in all that confusion, all Dale could do was hold the sobbing Latina tightly.

Right now she’s probably crying for the sake of crying.

Latina just occasionally hiccuped without saying a word.

The attack and defense of Latina continuing to cry without end and Dale comforting her without end, welcomed the conclusion of her being tired of crying.

As Latina switched to sleeping, being tired of crying and being carried by Dale, the surrounding guests were watching attentively while giving Dale a shady grin.

In later years it’s known as “The Wailing and Panic incident”. It was the moment that this shop birthed a new drinking story.