CH 40

At the village’s center plaza, holding hands with Maaya, Latina opens her mouth in a daze.

“Boaaaa”

“That boar is so big….”

What Maaya was pointing at was the result of today’s hunt.

“Meateee”

“Maaya-chan, do you like meat?”

“Likeyyy”

The sight of the two girls happily talking to each other like that could heal the soul.

Due to that, Dale was gazing at them for a little while but, Dale came to his senses with a ‘Ha!’.

“….Latina”

“Hn?”

“That’s because that’s a magic beast. If you line it up next to a 『Normal boar』, then the normal boar would look just like a baby, you know”

“Really?”

From what it looks like, she got a real scare from that.

It’s really good that Latina was able to have her mistake corrected before she experienced it herself.

As if a beast with a body incomparable to even houses, could be a 『Normal』 boar.

And two were lined up there.

It seems that the hunt was a big success indeed.

The 『Divine Protection』 that the 『Vanafusegi』 Miko of this town has, was the foresight of the 『dangers』 within a — limited area — of the town’s surroundings.

This time, it was due to that, that she was able to sense the existence of the 『Magic Beast』.

It appears that this type of boar-like magic beasts are often seen around the village, and thus became a meat that the villagers ate frequently.

However, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous.

This is a major reason for the existence of the Vanafusegi’s Miko, as she is able to snip the danger in advance.

“Hey…. the disassembling is gross you know?”

“I thought that this might also be a learning experience”

“…Wouldn’t disassembling be better done at a butcher…. Besides, I don’t think you’ll be able to make much of this since they are, as expected, way too big.”

“Hmmm… that’s true”

The knife that a man of the beastman was carrying around, couldn’t even be called a knife anymore. It seemed more like a greatsword that you would hold with both hands.

Latina didn’t think she would be able to wield that even after she grew up, not even if she tried her best. It wasn’t a reasonable size at all.

“Atiaa. Pwayy”

It seems that for Maaya, this was a scene she saw often and was nothing interesting. She pulls on Latina’s hand with a tug or two. Once Latina turned her gaze, she walked out as if she was satisfied.

“Dale”

“Ahh. Be careful. Don’t leave the village”

“Un”

As she gets pulled off by Maaya, Latina obtained permission from Dale.

The two of them left for a stroll through the village.

“You’re so fluffy, Maaya-chan”

“Kufyufyu”

Latina, who was strolling with Maaya, soon got sick of it and was now enjoying her soft fur. Maaya didn’t hate it either, twisting her body around, squealing happily. It was as if she was being tickled.

“Atiaa, fwuffi?”

“So fluffy~”

Talking about nothing special and laughing together.

Noticing that the fur below Maaya’s head is especially soft, she strokes there and, Maaya laughs, purring as if she was feeling good.

Maaya being so young, her coat of fur was soft and downy. Furthermore it was as if her father’s doting mannerisms could be seen from his efforts full of love. Her fluffiness is at its top condition.

It seems that Maaya is also comfortable having Latina stroke her.

After overcoming her ticklishness, she starts looking somewhat drowsy. Halfway through, her nods betrays her and she takes a stance as if wanting to be stroked more.

“Atiia. Pat paaat!”

“Here?”

“More~”

“Un”

“Kufyuuhyuu~”

Latina stroked the beastman, as if she was trying to be a babysitter. It was the moment that a glimpse of Latina’s new talent could be seen.

When Maaya, who was full of energy and, Latina, who looked tired but was still full of energy returned back, hand in hand, it was well past half a shade.

“Atiiaa~”

Even inside the house, Maaya was chasing after Latina.

“Pway”

At that pleasant sight, even Dale who had been confirming the map inside the house looked over to them with a gentle expression.

“You’ve sure worked yourself hard, Latina.”

“Un. I’ve become friends with Maaya-chan”

The figure of Latina smiling as she hugged the small Maaya even tighter, was such an impact liking to that of a divine revelation that Dale crossed in his heart that he should buy her a enormous plushie as soon as he returned back to Kroix.

He wonders at himself, why he hasn’t bought a plushie for her already.

He hangs his head, looking crestfallen.

“Weird?”

“Hn? It’s nothing. Sometimes Dale will just be like that”

Maaya and Latina’s unexpectedly serious judgement of the situation did not, perhaps luckily, reach the ears of Dale.

Maaya had even dragged Latina into her own bed.

Latina looked over to Dale and hesitated a little but, thinking of tomorrow’s early departure, it looked as if she loathed having to leave Maaya.

The sleeping figures of Latina, with her harmless sleeping expression and Maaya, with her happily satisfied, fluffy sleeping expression, made Dale and Josef (The two doting parents) smile to no end.

And yet, despite them being so intimate, the time for parting has come.

“Nooooooooooo!! Atiaa, noooo!!!!”

Early in the morning in the Beastman village, the crying sounds of Maaya resounded.

Having to leave with Latina, Maaya who was being held by Josef, was trying to struggle free from those arms as she bawled with all her might.

“Noooo! I hate yuu! Atiaa, bettaa!”

Getting wholeheartedly rejected by her beloved daughter, being told she hates him, and that Latina was better, the amount of damage Josef took was unfathomable.

His triangular ears which usually point up towards the sky, has become a miserable sight, drooping down.

Looking next to Dale, Latina, maybe a little influenced by Maaya’s tears was starting to choke up. Sniffling her nose a little.

“….It’s time to say goodbye. We’ll, come by here on the way home,alright?”

“…..Un”

Latina approached Maaya with a saddened expression, whilst Maaya was struggling about with all her might, trying her best to reach out over to Latina with her own short arms.

“Atiaa! Atiaa!!”

“Maaya-chan….”

Latina furrows her brows into an ハ and paused, thinking of words to say.

“Stay safe ok, Maaya-chan…. Is it okay if I come by and play again…?”

“Atiaa…”

At Latina’s words, Maaya stops crying and with a smile, waves at Latina to say goodbye — as if.

“Noooooo!! Atiaa, nooo!!!”

It only turned on the switch which made her cry even harder.

No child that has ever existed would listen from just one sentence.

“Ahhh, geez! It’s fine, just leave already! She’ll calm down afterwards!”

Josef shouted, while battling against her beloved daughter who was trying to escape from him, wiggling about.

“Wahhhhh! Atiiaa! Atiiaaa!”

“If you wait until Maaya stops crying then you won’t be able to leave, even after it’s turned dark. Just go, and stay safe”

Even she was smiling bitterly, looking at her daughter’s wails but Wuute calmly suggests to Dale.

“Alright. Well then….Thanks. I think we’ll stop by when we’re going back home as well.”

“I understand. Be careful”

“We’ve troubled you. ….Maaya-chan, bye bye…”

The reason why he put Latina, who had her head lowered, onto the horse was because he had seen though her, knowing that her steps would probably become heavier.

“Alright, alright, it’s fine already, just go! Be ‘areful out there!”

Hearing Josef’s voice from behind him, Dale pulls along the reins and walks out.

As expected, Latina turned to look around, constantly chasing after Maaya  with her eyes.

Leaving the village’s exit, and even after they couldn’t see any of the Byunt family members anymore, Maaya’s crying voice could still be heard clearly.

(I wonder if we caused some trouble for the village….)

Dale enters into a small trail in the forest as cold sweat trickles down.

He decided not to look at Latina right now, who was sniffling slightly, *sniffles*.

“…It would be nice if you could play together on the way back as well”

“….Un….”

It’s probably for the best that Latina feels separation is lonely as well.

He takes a step forward as he thinks that.

Fine beams of sunlight pours in from the gaps in the leaves of the forest, lighting up their path ahead.

Author’s note:

Think of half a shade as around an hour please.

I want to be fluffy too.

I truly thank you for always reading.