CH 51

Latina normally wakes up early in the morning.

She believes her work to have started from when breakfast is being prepared. There would be times when she would stay up late or is fatigued and she’ll sleep in but, she was diligent for her age.

The one who managed the inner workings of this mansion was Dale’s mother, Magda.

Even Magda, when she looks at Latina, was more than welcome to let her help.

“The people of Tisroh don’t really eat bread huh.”

The kneaded dough, made from a mixture of oil and egg being put into flour was being evenly flattened by Magda using a rolling pin, and as Latina looked at it rolling around from different angles, here and there, she spoke up.

“Latina-chan, do you perhaps like city food more?”

“Uun, Latina feels happy being able to eat a variety of foods at different places.”

Some meats and herbs were then wrapped into the flattened mixture.

Today’s breakfast would be a soup made mainly from this.

Compared to Magda who was making them in a blink of an eye, Latina’s wrapping technique was a little lacking. However, it seemed like she had already remembered the steps.

“Latina, you know, is going to learn lots from Magda-san and cook for Dale back home in Kroix!”

“Well, well. In that case, I’m going to have to teach you all of the foods that Dale likes, aren’t I?”

“Un!”

“The men in our family are simple you see. As long as you can grasp a hold on their stomachs then, it’ll make it easier for them to listen to you~”

“Un?”

“How old were you again, Latina-chan?”

“Hm? I’m almost 10?”

“I see. 10 years old huh. I see, I see.”

“Hm?”

“Children grow up in a blink of an eye after all…”

“Hm?”

Next to Magda, who was coming to an agreement with herself, Latina tilted her head slightly as she put the finished pasta into the pot.

Latina was helping Magda out even after seeing out the group of men going off to work.

Dale was also helping out his dad and brother out with their work, as well as helping out the hunters, and thus wasn’t at home all that often. In exchange, it seemed that it was decided that he would spend the long nights in the countryside together with Latina.

This family, as the head clan, didn’t have farming as their main occupation. Despite that, they still had enough plots of land to feed themselves.

The management of that was also Magda’s duty.

For Latina, it was her first time working out in the fields. She was looking at the crops with soft buds growing out of them with a fascinated gaze.

“Uwahh, they’re so small.”

“That one’s still young so we can’t eat it, ok?”

Magda laughs as she enthusiastically picked out the pests. Seeing that, Latina started to copy her. Since she wasn’t scared of the bugs, she didn’t hesitate at all.

“They’re squirming.”

She turns them upside down to look at them before reaching an understanding with a, hmm. And then reached her hand out to another bug.

“Ah, if you touch that one, you’ll start getting itchy.”

“Really? Okay, I’ll be careful.”

Withdrawing her hand back quickly in fright, Latina nodded with a serious expression.

After that she went over to Cornelio-sensei’s place to study.

He was a 『scholar』 who moved here due to his interest regarding this entire 『Tisroh』 clan. Latina learnt about 『Tisroh』, the capital, and a variety of things which she wasn’t taught at the 『school』 in Kroix.

Included within his specialised knowledge was also the information about 『other races』.

She even gained the opportunity to learn more about the 『Demon race』.

“It’s almost time for lunch right?”

“Seems like it.”

With those words, Latina started heading back.

After eating the lunch that Clarissa made, there were afternoons where she would be reading. Latina also enjoyed quietly passing the afternoon reading books.

There were also days where she would go to the Cacache house to borrow books and come back.

When that happens, she would read her books in Wen-baa’s room.

There were also a lot of times when she would yield to the temptations of the warm sun and nod off to sleep just like that. Due to the thick rug spread throughout the Tisroh mansion, and with its property of being able to nod off easily no matter where you were, it was a terrible palace of temptation making people corrupt.

When she wasn’t doing that, she would be taking a stroll with Wenn-baa and such.

Even though Wendelgard already had many years in her, there was no way she would trap herself in the house all day.

Rather it was her who was known by the entire clan as someone who would 『appear in the most unexpected places』.

Appearing anywhere in the village, she was an existence who knew more about the village than anyone.

–Summary of the young men going out to hunt, they would hunt down a bird in the middle of the mountains, and then next to a jug of alcohol, cook it and eat it.

–Summary of the women, if they thought something was too complicated for the children’s pranks then it was Wenn-baa mixing in.

Etc, etc, the stories never end.

Because of that, Latina who had been a part of that, day in, day out, came to memorise the 『path which wasn’t a path』.

Although Latina herself didn’t realise it.

It was also Wenn-baa who brought Latina over to the place with those of the duty『Suna』.

“It’s a dog!”

“That’s right. Here, deep in the mountains, there aren’t just a lot of magic beasts. There are also wild animals, you see, and I get these fellows to work for me.”

Inside the cabin, Latina’s eyes sparkled in excitement seeing the several dogs in front of her.

“They’ll be sent out to work during times like hunting. The『Suna』 train and take care of them.”

“It’s not with 『centre』 magic?”

“Maybe it’s because our clan has many of the 『earth attribute』, but those born with the 『centre』 attribute are few, so we have to take care of them without relying on magic.”

Latina nodded in understanding as Wenn-baa explained it to her.

The magic of the 『control』 attribute, in other words, the 『centre』 attribute, is just like as the name suggests, something which can manipulate the consciousness.

A great number of those working as Tamers have the 『centre』 attribute.

“Can I pet them?”

“Let’s see… Zabine, how about it?”

Wenn-baa calls out to one of the female『Suna』, and the woman called Zabine came bringing with her a puppy.

“It should be fine if it’s this pup.”

“Uwahh. So cute.”

Latina happily took the brown puppy into her hands.

“It’ll be happy if you brush it.”

“Okay.”

With a serious face, Latina learnt how to brush from Zabine.

And, not even 10 days has passed since then.

She had made all the dogs in Tisroh as if they were her own.

As a result of mastering one of Tisroh’s oral trades, it didn’t seem impossible for Latina, with what seemed to be some kind of god hand like special ability, to subdue all the beasts roaming the lands.

–Etc. The reality wasn’t like the above exaggerations, she was skilled in petting them and brushing them. It was just that.

Another reason was probably due it being the time for them to shed their fur. She was recognised by them (the dogs) as someone who would be able to scratch right at their itchy spots.

Nevertheless,

“She’s, amazing…”

Wenn-baa would mutter, half with admiration, half with shock. That scene was one of a kind.

“I’m so tired!”

“Right as you should be… That’s all you can say huh….”

Holding the brush that she had gotten in her many times of visiting in one hand, Latina made an expression of pride and satisfaction.

Before her, a large dog was lying down, relaxed. That black dog, looking clearly happy, was one of the leaders in this cabin.

It was lying on its back, showing all of its stomach out, but normally this dog would only lower its guard around its owner 『Suna』.

“This kid (dog), took the longest to be friends with!”

Well of course.

And showing their stomachs with a relaxed body was not just that one.

It was probably alright to say that all the dogs in this cabin have been exterminated.

A few of them seemed to be drunk in the comfort and were about to take a nap.

“Latina-chan, you’re amazing…”

“I am? No way….”

Latina blushed in embarrassment as Wenn-baa praises Latina with a pat.

Zabine and the other 『Suna』, seeing this 『scene』 in front of them, seriously considered recruiting her – this was a story which 『Dale(parent)』heard a few days later.