The story of when Ritaâs pregnancy was discovered was approximately one and a half years after Latina started going to school.
What Dale said as an ice-breaker as well as words of blessing were,
âIf the children are going to increase thenâŠ. would it be better for me and Latina to get out of here?â
and were only words because he was concerned about the landlordâs family growing but, landlord couple replied to that with,
âAh. I donât mind if you leave but, leave Latina behindâ
âTrue. I do want Latina to stay behind. I donât care where you go thoughâ
like so, an unanimous reply.
âHaa?â
âWell, you see?â
âAhh. From here on, with the pregnancy and child-rearing, if Ritaâs time in the shop is limited then, this shop wonât run without Latina. Maybe Iâll ask help from my parents as wellâ
Kenneth says matter-of-factly towards Dale.
ââŠ.You guys, are you really going to work Latina so hard?â
âHow disrespectful. We even pay her properly?â
âHa?â
Kennethâs statement was a first for him. Kenneth mutters, âSpeaking of which, I never told you huhâ, towards Dale, who was astonished.
âLatina is legitimately employed, sheâs ăDancing Ocelot(Our)ă employee, you know. Since sheâs still a child, and since sheâs exempt from working late at night, her part of the pay is lower though. She gets an appropriate sum of moneyâ
He says, puffing his chest out.
âEh? But, I, have never seen, Latina, hold that much moneyâ
Kenneth said carelessly towards what Dale said, despite him shaking slightly.
âIsnât it because sheâs putting it in a savings account?â
Just like that.
âThe beginning of that goes back to more than half a year ago.
Latina who was trotting over next to Kenneth, like a habit, was looking slightly troubled.
âWhatâs wrong? Did something happen?â
Towards Kenneth who was acting like that, Latina started to speak with a troubled looking expression, as if it was hard to say.
âAnone, AnoneâŠ. Latina. I have a request. Is that alright?â
ââŠ.Whether itâs alright or not, I donât know if you donât askâ
Kenneth urges as if perplexed as well.
âAnoneâŠ. Latina, wants, money butâ
âMoney? Is there something you want? Why didnât you ask Dale?â
At Kennethâs inquiry, Latina made a troubled face.
âDale ne, gives Latina lots of various things. If I ask, heâll also buy me lots of things.
âŠ.If I ask that I want money then, I think heâll give me a lot. âŠ.But, I think heâll ask me, what Iâll use it onâ
âWell. Probably. âŠ.You probably have all the things you want right? Whatâs happened?â
âLatina, wants my own moneyâ
Going back and forth repeatedly as if she was slightly troubled, Latina wasnât very used to ăAsking people for helpă. This child was a child which had not, until that point, been selfish nor unreasonable.
Kenneth too, if itâs Latinaâs request then, as long as it wasnât too ridiculous wanted to hear it out. However, he also has a some hesitant feelings, whether itâs good to hide matters regarding money from her ăGuardiană. Which is why he didnât say yes right away.
âDale, always, gives Latina lots of gifts but. âŠ..Latina, canât give anything backâŠ.â
Just like that, she, gave her reason.
âNnâŠ. Ahh. Speaking of whichâŠ. that Daleâs birthday is coming up soon huh?â
âUn. Latina, wants to prepare a presentâ
Revealing a small smile, as if she was embarrassed, she looked up at Kenneth.
This is bad.
Saying such sweet things, and to top that off, that face is against the rules.
And thus, with this kind of reason, he couldnât let something as boorish as inquiring ăthe person himselfă etc happen.
âThis is a secret to DaleâŠ.huhâ
âIf you could keep it a secret, I wonder if Dale would be surprised and happy? If I can make happen, I would be happy. Is it ok?â
Koten. Her act of tilting her head to the side is her bad habit but, at least itâs adorable.
ââŠ.Right now, Latina. While youâre learning how to cook from me, youâre also helping out right?â
âUnâ
ââŠ.Then if you donât ăhelp oută but try your best as ăworkingă then, itâll be alright to give you a salary. How about that?â
ââŠ.Latina, is still a child though? Is that alright?â
At Kennethâs suggestion, Latina tilted her head once again. Just the fact that she is able to embrace that kind of doubt immediately means that she is clever.
âI guess you are still a little young. The norm is to start an apprenticeship as an assistant after finishing mandatory studies at school. And I guess the more excellent ones plan to progress to schools of higher educationâ
âIf itâs an apprenticeship then, they can work, no?â
Latina nods her head âUn unâ as if saying âIndeedâ.
âOr is it that, Latina, do you want to try to progress into higher education?â
Kenneth had been hearing from Dale as he ăBrags about his own childă, about how excellent she was. It was understandable just by looking at Latina herself. That her studies were extremely excellent.
âAnoneâŠ. Latina, is from the ăDemon Raceăâ
âThatâs trueâ
âSince my studies are fun, when I thought that I want to try to become an adult, I thought of lots of things that I want to do, noâ
With those words, it told him that she was compromising with ăHer own long life spană in her own way.
âRight now, Latina, wants to learn lots, from Kenneth, no. So that I can make the delicious meals like what Kenneth makes, thatâs my goal, nanoâ
âIn that caseâŠ. I have to work hard as well, rightâ
âNn? Kenneth too?â
âAhh. For the sake of Latinaâs goal being as it is, I also need to try my bestâ
Thinking about Kennethâs words for a little while, Latina made a small âpuuâ. and puffed up her cheeks.
âIf Kenneth tries his best then, for Latina to catch up, would be really hardâ
Despite that, towards his tiny ăDiscipleă who would not say âGive up.â or âImpossibleâ, Kenneth smiled happily and cheerfully.
âKenneth says as he recalls that time.
âAfter that, didnât Latina, give you a present for your birthday? I thought for sure that you wouldâve guessed it from that though.â
ââŠ.Latina, sewed for me a handmade pouch. Now that you mention it, the materials and the thread for the embroidery too, werenât cheap and were quality stuffâ
It was slightly shoddy but, it was a carefully sewed one needle at a time, a little bag. The vivid embroidery, having been set in as a decoration, while increasing the pouches intensity, is also a design filled with her wishes to protect.
âIt was just not possible to not be movedâ
âI see. Thatâs how ăYouă are.â
âWhat do you mean by thatâ
âBy the way, even the apron Iâm currently using, is Latinaâs presentâ
âWell, I had thought that you were using something unusually cute butâŠ.â
The main body of the apron is black cloth but, the Ocelot embroidery which had been sewed onto its corner is what I suppose the customers associate it with. However, supposing that sheâs able to finish sewing something like this then, it seems that she does indeed have dexterous qualities.
Kenneth takes in a breath and continues.
âNn, so since then Iâve been paying Latina a wage. When I asked what she plans to do, she answered with ăIâm saving money for something because everyone has ită, and then took me over to ăBlue God(Azurack)ăâs Shrine.â
âThen Latina, already has a ăSafeă huhâ
âAhhâ
ăAzurackă is the god who governs over commerce and money.
At that Shrine, you can exchange currency from various countries, deposit money and take out loans â In other words, they are responsible for banking services.
Amongst those who have the divine protection of ăAzurackă, there are many who have the power to ăDistinguish with the person concernedă. Itâll be difficult for a third-party to impersonate another person and steal their bank account.
In ăAzurackâsă Shrine, there are structures which manage peopleâs assets called ăSafesă. Within those structures, you can deposit numerical management of money, as well as large amounts of precious metals â Basically, itâs something which serves as a bank account as well as a storehouse.
And in addition to the contents of this business, they employed a powerful private army at ăAzurackâsă Shrine, itâs as if the armed forces from the Shrine of ăRed God (Afumaru)ă was next to it.
âLatina is clever too. She asked me ăWhy is it alright to deposit money into the Shrineăâ
âSpeaking of which, I had actually never told Latina the story behind the ăShrinesăâ
Even though Dale was nodding his head as if he was convinced, Kenneth was of the same opinion as well.
âIt seemed like that so I explained it to her. Things like, how holders of ăDivine Protectionsă ăWhen it comes to their professional duties, are unable to enact in an unjust conductăâ
âItâs fine for them to act unjust. If it get revealed and is complained about then, they have to receive ăJudgementă. Itâs just that once it comes to that, theyâll just have their ăDivine Protectionă erased, and banished at once.â
The greatest reason why ăShrinesă are responsible for this largely publicized business is because ăGods strongly protect their own territoriesă.
Not even the townspeople, truly think that all of the ăPeople who work at Shrinesă are all benevolent.
However, they believe in ăGodâsă authority.
ăGodsăoffer protection regarding people within their own ăterritoriesă, on the other hand ăGodsă do not forgive criminals. Basically, they provide protection by giving ăDivine Protectionă but, that ăDivine Protectionă would be lost should they ăViolate their professional dutiesă.
Using ăAzurackă as an example, ăAzurackă will not lower any judgement for their own apostles with conducts ăequal to crimeă such as murder, rape etc. However, they will not forgive the conducts which ăDisgrace anothersâ assetsă such as embezzlement or theft.
If you inquire about that to ăGodă â if ăJudgementă is carried out, their ăDivine Protectionă would be extinguished.
There is no compassion there.
ăPriestsă are a job which can be comprised only of those with ăDivine Protectionă. In other words, to lose your ăDivine Protectionă, is the same as being banished from the ăShrineă.
Saying it differently, ăAs long as itâs a matter regarding their professional dutyă, it can even be said that ăPriests who have Divine Protectionă are existences who are sufficiently more trustworthy than others.
The ăJudgementă that Dale had performed previously, can only be permitted through the request of a high ranking priest, an act which was ăMaking an appeal to Godă.
What ăYellow God (Asufaru)ă requests of their apostles is, ăTo guide those who request knowledgeă, as well as, ăTo guide those who are lost in the road of lifeă.
To verbally abuse, and deny a young girl, who is tackling her studies seriously, ăAsufaruă cannot forgive a comrade like that.
Although they were another godâs apostle, Dale, who holds the position of a high ranking priest, was being agreed with repeatedly.
ââŠ..So, Kenneth. How muchâŠ.. has Latina saved up currentlyâ
âItâs only been half a year. However since it is that kid, if she goes on like this, she could at least prepare her own dowry by herself, couldnât she?â
âDonât say something like that even if itâs an example! Because I wonât give away my kid as something like a brideee!â
Yelling out something like that, Dale was serious.
He was slightly teary eyed.
(Authorâs note: I added supplementary information about the previous storyâŠ.
Latina has grown up slightly. Like I want her to hurry up and grow up, and move onto the main storyâŠ.. or to celebrate that she still has the feeling of a child, itâs something to worry about as the writer)
(TL: also the title has changed slightly, from young girl to young lady here, as it shows Latina growing up. Furthermore you lovely readers donât know but, Latina is using more and more kanji in her conversations~ itâs cute :3)