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 didnât 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 donât know how to use.
The South district, is where the atmosphere disagrees with the streets, and snatches away knowledge.
In the first place Latinaâs curiosity is strong. And even caution and awareness ended up being surpassed by curiosity, you could even say it canât 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 didnât know what to do.
If I canât go back, I wonder what I should do.
(What should I do, If we donât, meet again)
I donât like being alone anymore.
Even though there is so many people, Iâm tormented by a sense of isolation I canât control.
Bad thoughts, I couldnât stop leaning towards the bad thoughts.
(No⊠what should I do, if I canât go back⊠if I canât returnâŠ)
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, itâs a natural reaction.
But, right now there isnât anyone here to tell her that.
Latina didnât have the judgement that âIf youâre lost, you should wait at that spotâ because inside âThat forestâ, itâs not âWaiting for someoneâs helpâ but rather an environment where âYou yourself have to do something somehowâ.
Latina walked towards the approximate direction she came from.
Later, even if she had just stayed there for a little longer, a panicked Kenneth wouldâve come back.
â⊠Where is this?â
Somehow or another Latina who had walked into various streets, and ended up entering an area which she has genuinely never seen before.
She doesnât 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, itâs 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 itâs a maze.
And thatâs how it was for Latina, even if she was to turn around, she already didnât know where she came from to get to here.
â⊠What to doâ
Muttered Latina, puzzled.
âWhat do you want, you?â
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 donât know.
âYou, whose kid are you, never seen you beforeâ
ââŠâŠâ
The one with the biggest physique amongst the youths said to Latina as he came up to her without hesitation. Not knowing whatâs the best thing to say, she stepped back from the boy. He doubted her actions more and more.
âItâs a hair colour Iâve never seen before, you a nobleâs kid?â
âThatâs wrong, Rudi. If she was a nobleâs kid, sheâd be wearing a dressâ
âTrue. But, itâs a strange colour. Itâs like itâs not gold nor silverâ
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.
âIf this kid was moving in, thereâs no way we didnât hear about itâ
âThen you, youâre an outsider!?â
With Rudiâs 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 donât know)
âThatâs no good Rudi, this kidâll cryâ
âIâm the one asking over here so, the one who should shut up is her!â
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.
âWhy are you running! Thatâs sus yo!â
âUn! <**! ****!>â
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.
âWhat did she say?â
âIt might be a foreign kidâŠ.â
The danger from the boys who were grouped in a discussion had already disappeared and only a feeling of confusion was left but, Latina hadnât noticed in her panicked condition. She was struggling desperately as she shouted out.
â<**, **! ****!>â
âWhat are you doing!!â
Hearing Latinaâs 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.
âTo such a small kid, bullying is the worst!â
âUwa, stop, Kuroe!â
âThatâs not it, itâs a misunderstandingâ
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.
âIt hurts? ⊠Are you ok?â
âIâm alright! Itâll be fine if I just spit on it!â
âYou would say that Kuroeâ
In front of the two boys who Kuroe punched and kicked, Rudi and Marcel â the round-faced boy â squat down Latina who was looking gloomy with a seemingly worried face.
âLatina, we didnât give you a proper reply so⊠sorryâŠâ
âMaking you scared, it was our bad so.âŠâ
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.
â<Oh holy light, from thy name grant thy wish, please heal and ease those hurt ăHealing Lightă>â
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.
âAre you ok?â
âOk. Only, a little tiredâ
Smiling happily Latina answered Kuroe. Taking advantage of that the young boys all unanimously and excitedly surrounded Latina.
âAmazing! A magician!â
âYou can use magic even though youâre so small, amazing! Who taught you?â
âI⊠this is the first time Iâve seen magic!â
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.
âAmazing? Latina just, used a simple, healing magic?â
Latina tilts his head and answered.
âAble to use magic, is amazing?â
âMost of the people on the streets canât use it. Except for the people who work at the temple or the Feudal Lordâs place, or people belonging to big companies. And adventurers I guessâ
Even though Anthony â a brown haired young boy â was the one who taught that to her, Latina was nodding like âExactlyâ.
(Dale is an adventurer. So thatâs why he can use magic)
And then suddenly she remembered. That she was a lost child.
âLatina, lost sightâŠ.. way back, donât knowâ
âWhere did you come from, Latina?â
âNearby⊠ocelot shopâŠ.â
Looking at Latinaâs dejected face, the kids look at each other.
âOcelot?â
âThere are no shops like that around here, right?â
âMaybe over there? The place with the green flagâ
âThe adventurerâs shop?â
Latina brightened up at those words.
âYea. Adventurer, a lot of shops, comeâ
The kids look exchanged a look with each other.
The Adventurerâs 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.
Itâs definitely not just them wanting to go and see what itâs like.
âAfter all, kids hold an interest towards things which adults forbid them from doing.