CH 107

(Author’s notes: She’s grown up a little bit more)

“What’s wrong Latina? You’re spacing out.”

“Hm…..”

After being asked that, she blinks several times, and tilted her head a little.

“….I don’t know.”

“You’ve been doing that a lot. Spacing out. Are you feeling sick?”

“Uun, no. I’m not sick. I’m fine, really.”

Jiggling a little, she shakes her head similar to how she would when she was younger. Nevertheless, that face from which she smiled back at him, had grown out most of it’s 『immaturities』.

Even though he could sense from within her smile, that there appeared to be a part of her that seemed worried, he made sure not to make it any more serious than it might have been.

“I see.”

I hold onto her hand as if saying that I will always be on her side.

At that time, I suddenly noticed the strangeness present in the air. It seemed that it wasn’t just me who noticed it, and I could hear bustling even from outside the window.

“A rainbow….?”

That was a mysterious spectacle.

The sky being hidden by a rainbow.

A side of the sky was hidden not by just a single rainbow, but several different rainbows from various angles. It’s not like they haven’t seen rainbows before, but it was the first time the 『Sky』 looked like this.

“『Rainbows』, appear when the Gods are looking down towards us….”

“Yeah. ….Is that true for the Demon Race as well?”

“Yes. ….I was told that, when I was born, a rainbow spanned across the sky as well. Rag always said that…. I was born, whilst under the watchful protection of the Gods.”

“Is that so…”

A 『rainbow』, i.e a portion of divine might shown by the gods known as 『The Seven Coloured Gods』. Since it embraces every single one of the colours that represent the gods, it’s said that when a rainbow draws across the sky, it means that it’s evidence that the gods are interfering in some form or another somewhere in the world.

It seems that when Dale was born, a rainbow came out as well. Apparently such phenomena appear for those who possess a high-ranking 『Divine Protection』.

Nevertheless, having so many 『rainbows』 appear all at once, was something that was unheard of.

They could see from out their window, the sights of devoted believers on the ground, praying, and the figures of some shivering in fear.

Almost unaware of it himself, Dale draws Latina closer to him, and she rubs her head against Dale’s shoulders.

Suddenly, she whispers a string of words he didn’t understand.

<“*******、****”>

“Latina?”

Hearing that, she answered him with an expression that she often had on these days, looking like she was dreaming, her eyes cloudy.

“…. a “King…. A new king…. Has been born.”

“Eh?”

“That is what this is telling us….”

“Latina!”

Dale firmly shouts out her name, grabbing her shoulders.

Seeing at how strange Latina was obviously acting, Dale felt a sense of indescribable unease.

With the thought in his head that, 『he had to call Latina back to reality』 immediately.

“Fueh…?”

Her large eyes blinked in an exaggerated manner. With a face looking like she had been surprised by a loud noise, Latina looked towards Dale.

He felt relieved from the bottom of his heart, seeing that innocent face, that normal expression she always wore.

“Are you alright? Latina?”

“What? What’s going on, Dale? You surprised me…”

“I’m the one who’s feeling surprised here. Spacing out like that… seriously, what’s going on?”

“….?”

Hearing Dale’s words, Latina looked confused as she tilted her head sideways.

“….what did you mean, by 『King』?”

“Eh? ….You see, this 『rainbow』, means that a new 『Demon King』 has appeared.”

Dale frowns, his eyebrows in a knot, after hearing Latina tell him the 『answer』 so naturally.

“Does the Demon race, have such a legend?”

“…? I don’t know.”

Being asked that, Latina once again tilted her head to the side in puzzlement.

“Rag…. wait, no… maybe it was…. Mov….? I wonder who I heard this from…? It wasn’t you right, Dale?”

“I’ve never heard about this before.”

“I see…. I wonder who I heard this from….?”

She looked up at the sky whilst standing by his side, trying as she might to remember, but couldn’t.

In another 6 months, Latina will become 16.

It’s been over a year and a half since Dale has recognised her as a woman, and changed what he thought about her, but the two of them kept a subtle distance with each other. It felt as if their relationship had changed, and yet at the same time, not really.

Even though Dale has acknowledged Latina as 『a special girl to him』, he was also thinking that she was still just a 『young girl.』

Although he has finally come to terms that she has grown up, this didn’t mean that he would all of a sudden feel like 『putting a hand』 on her.

He felt like if that was the case, it would make him a failure as a person.

It’s because of that, and some other random reasons, that they came to maintain this current situation — is what he thinks.

Latina herself too, didn’t mention a word about wanting anything from him.

She’s just believing in Dale’s words, and would smile gently at him. With just that mindset, you could say that Dale was being completely spoiled by that young girl.

Although, it wasn’t like Dale was all that calm either.

When she was starting puberty, her growth had been a lot slower than many of the girls her own age, but it seems that it really had been just that. She was just slower.

Her height hasn’t changed all that much, but a 『certain area』 has, for lack of a better description, gotten quite a bit bigger.

It doesn’t seem like those genes of her mother which she had been so worried about, had much of an influence on her. Maybe her father’s genes had something to do with that.

Due to her work, she was moving a lot everyday, leading to her high athleticism. Furthermore, both her arms and legs looked long and slender, but weren’t so thin that they seemed like they were about to snap. Her waist too, because of all the activity she did, had turned out quite slim, forming an enchanting curve around her body.

Plainly speaking, she was very nicely proportioned.

The only feeling of youth you could feel coming from her, was due to the remains of her innocence, sticking to her even after growing up.

Sometimes, the sight of her lost in her own thoughts, would even surprise Dale, someone older than her. She had an appearance such that it was honestly very appropriate for someone to describe her as both 『Beautiful』 and 『Enchanting』.

Frankly speaking, Latina, having grown up, gave off the sort of feeling that — honestly, could not be described with any word other than beautiful.

Despite that, Latina was just as unguarded as when she was younger, and would spoil Dale. She would come up next to him with a completely relaxed face, looking up at him happily.

If this was all part of an act then, how wicked she must truly be…. — Was how effective the assault was towards Dale. So much so that he would run away from reality.

It’s not like he was some kind of enlightened sage, or dead inside either. In front of a charming beauty yearning for him, there was no way he wouldn’t be moved.

Dale, who by now has realised that everything leading up to this point has all been his fault because he wasn’t being honest with her, would sometimes spend his days like that, just worrying about her.

“If you guys aren’t gonna get together then you should just be with me.”

“I like Dale. He said that he’s waiting until I grow up, that’s why. He’s just waiting, mon.”

“You can be with me right now, you know.”

“Dale’s better.”

Something that was commonly seen over the past year and a half in the 『Dancing Ocelot』, was the sight of Latina and Rudolf casually bickering like this.

Rudolf, having declared that he had no plans of backing off, did just as he said and came over to the 『Dancing Ocelot』 almost daily.

Although the two of them were quite awkward with each other at first, especially right after he had confessed his love for her, Rudolf tossed such awkward feelings aside, and would try to woo Latina almost everyday, and so it didn’t take long before Latina became able to immediately reject his approaches.

とりあえずルドルフは、常連の強面のおっさんどもに、吊し上げられた。

だが、それにもめげない気概と、ラティナ当人が、彼とのやり取りを重く受け止めていないことから、次第におっさんどもの態度は軟化した。

ルドルフが、率先してラティナの周囲の露払いをしていることにも、気付いた為である。

ルドルフ当人が、諦めないという意志をラティナに見せているという理由はある。

だが、それだけなら、衆目の中繰り返す必要はない。ルドルフが敢えて『虎猫亭』の中でこのやり取りをしているのは、ラティナを狙う周囲の男たちへの牽制だった。

『憲兵隊の重役たちに可愛いがられている若手の有望株』として認識されている自分自身と、「デイルが好き」というラティナの発言をおして、彼女に近付けるのか、と問うているのであった。

In the beginning, Rudolf was being mean-mugged by those rough-looking regulars – those uncles.

However, having witnessed his resilient tough heart, and the fact that Latina herself didn’t really hate conversing with him, the uncles were gradually less harsh on him.

It was also because they had realised the fact that Rudolf, by approaching her, became the one in lead, among those gunning for Latina.

Rudolf, personally, had a reason why he was showing his unwavering intent to Latina.

However, if it was just that, there was no need for him to keep displaying it out to the public. The reason why Rudolf would even dare to have this conversation within the 『Ocelot』, was to keep in check the other men aiming for Latina. They would put themselves in his shoes, and ask themselves, if they themselves were recognised as 『A young prospect cherished by the executives in the Military』, yet hear Latina say, “I like Dale”, if they would really approach her.

The rush of confessions that those 『Guardians』 of hers were worried of, was stopped because of that, but it had established Rudolf’s current status.

He had worked hard.

“Speaking of which, Latina.”

“Yeah?”

Rudolf, having gotten used to the taste of something other than sweet fruit juice over this past year, called out to Latina as he downed a cup of liquor.

“Right now, there’s a traveler from the 『Demon Race』 in town.”

“Eh?”

Hearing his words, Latina put her head to one side, with a hmm, puzzled.