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Young Lady, Beautiful Spring
(Author’s note: This one, is a person who loves flower viewing (Hanami))
It was early in the morning when they left Cuvare.
The clouds from yesterday remain, and due the the thin clouds, it feels darker than the time suggests.
“What a shame. I mean, this highway was a place where you can see the sea really well”
“Let’s enjoy it on our way back”
The unobstructed scenery that could be seen from the highway, the grey skies and slowly, sinking sea, was divided by the horizon. It was a view which would definitely be gorgeous should it be a clearer day.
However Latina shakes her head, purupuru.
Expressing her thoughts on the setting and smiled brightly.
“After the sea, we’ll be heading south again. It feels like we’re taking a large detour, heading towards east.”
“Why did we take a 『detour』?”
“Heading there directly, we have to continue crossing are steep mountain slopes. There aren’t any roads either and it’s amazing if there are even animal trails. I wouldn’t want to use that path even by myself”
“Is that so”
“My hometown is within the mountains so, you’ll constantly feel like you’re climbing up…. It’s pretty far from the Royal Capital as well so, it’s pretty run down…”
A reasonable amount of travelers coming and going could be seen down the highway as she walks, listening to Dale’s explanation. However around noon, the moment the two of them separated off the path, heading towards the mountains, there were no longer any sights of people. The path too had become obviously rough.
The fact that they were heading towards a run down direction was incomparably easy to see.
“Latina, want to get on the horse?”
“Not yet, still ok”
Yet Latina continues walking happily.
As if pointing out that the seasons are welcoming Spring, small flowers were blooming on the side of the roads. Having discovered those, Latina was smiling delightfully.
It was then.
A light pink petal crosses into her sights, and Latina looked up.
“Uwahhh”
It’s understandable that she would let out a voice without thinking. The path in front of them had become a path of trees on both sides, with light pink flowers blooming in all it’s glory. Against the grey skies as the background, the small flowers tinged with a faint red were hiding the skies, appearing gorgeous.
“It’s Spring… there’s a village nearby. I wonder if someone plated these….”
Not even Dale’s whispers could reach Latina currently.
Her gaze as well as her consciousness were at the moment, both stolen away by the gorgeous scenery of peak bloom.
Dale smiles wryly and stopped his feet.
“Latina, should we take a break”
“Un”
Calling out to her, Latina responds pleasantly as he had thought. After Dale ties up the reins nearby, he sits down under the row of trees. Latina does so as well.
She continues looking up as is. Her eyes sparkled as they chased after the dancing leaves, fluttering about.
Dale takes out a small wrap that he asked the inn prepare for them. With the sound of the paper wrapping opening, it seemed that Latina finally noticed what Dale was doing.
Inside there were sandwiches lined up next to each other.
They had just had food with fish ingredients, Cuvare’s specialty and, it was a lunchbox he had them make, regretting that he had no idea when the next chance he would be able to eat fish dishes again.
“Which one do you want Latina?”
“Ummm…. Which one do you want?”
“Either one is fine for me”
Thinking for a little while, Latina took the sandwich with the smoked fish and vegetables. Pakun, she sinks her teeth into the corner.
Dale too, started to eat the one made with Oil pickled fish.
At the quiet spot where the two were having their meal, petals came fluttering down.
Chasing his eyes at Braoh who is eating the grass at his own pace, he appeased his thirst with the water from his canteen.
Latina had finally eaten about half of her sandwich when Dale has just finished his second one. She makes a panicked face as the contents of the sandwich get pushed out, beron. Mo, mo, mo. She slowly pulls out a fish slice, holding it with her mouth, then taking it out putting it inside her mouth.
Her every action was truly adorable.
“It was delicious”
“I see”
“The flowers, are pretty”
After they finished their meal, they take a short break, enjoying the spring view.
Up until they stood back up and resumed their travels, Latina had her eyes constantly fixated upon the flowers in full bloom.
Walking next to her, Dale smiles, finding that a single leftover light pink petal is on Latina’s platinum hair, as if it was reluctant to part.
He felt that it wouldn’t be too bad to tell her after some time had passed.
A few days later, Latina stopped moving even for the grass fields on the side of the highway that had become fields of flowers.
While it’s true that there are flower beds and parks in Kroix where you’re able to see flowers bloom, you aren’t able to see a spectacle like this where from one side you can see a variety of flower envelope you.
“It’s alright. Wanna stop by?”
“Is it ok?”
“Be careful of snakes and stuff”
“I’ll be alright”
Rushing into the field of flowers as she replies, the vivid flowers went all the way up to her waist.
Laughing happily, Latina who is having the time of her life, the feeling of being enclosed at all sides by flowers, the adorableness of that facial expression.
(Yup. There’s no doubt about it)
It was an adorably magical sight, enough to bring upon such a comment from that doting parent.
In front of Latina’s eyes a large butterfly flies past.
She follows that motionlessly with her eyes for a little while, far away off to the blue skies.
It seems Latina was enjoying the trip.
It might also be that this season, Spring, was a good time. The climate is calm, and the scenery too, feels like somewhat festive, a brilliant season.
If Latina is this happy then, it probably wouldn’t be too bad to take her out somewhere after they return back to Kroix as well.
He wound up thinking that.
Slowly closing in on the mountain, when they could feel the road slant, the scenery changes it’s feel once again.
They entered a deep forest.
However, you couldn’t feel the gloom like that of Kriox’ southern forest.
There are the presences of magic beasts and wild animals but, they aren’t big enough of a threat to endanger people. This probably means that the inside of the forests are touched up on frequently.
“It’s because there’s a village of the 『Beastman race』 around here. Because of that this area is pretty safe”
“Beastman?”
“Yea. They’re pretty rare in Raband. Although it seems that there are quite a few in countries more to the west. Because they are a race which is friendly with the Human race, there’s quite a few mixed bloods and there are also quite a few adventurers”
“Really…. Latina never noticed”
“It’s ‘cause there aren’t that many in Kroix…. We passed by them sometimes in Cuvare didn’t we?”
After he says so, Latina looked slightly awkward.
She was way too dazed by everything in the town and was likely to have had looked over something like this. You could say that she has the qualities to easily become lost.
The leaves of all the trees were bright green as if they were fresh and new.
Inside that forest, Dale went astray from the highway, onto a thin road little better than an animals trail.
The leaves of the thicket grew rampant right at Latina’s face so, he put her onto the horse. When Latina could finally look around her surroundings casually, she started to shift her gaze everywhere.
“Dale, where are we going?”
“Today we’ll be staying at the Beastman’s village. There aren’t any inns but, I have an acquaintance so we’ll stay there”
“An acquaintance of yours? A friend?”
“Not a friend, he’s sort of a relative… that guy’s mother is my dad’s second cousin”
“Hmmm?”
It seems it wasn’t a relationship that Latina could understand easily. Koten. She tilts her head.
“It’s like, my family’s family”
“Hmmm”
She gives a reply but, it seems she probably didn’t really get it. She was making that sort of a face.
Evening was greeting them by the time the forest suddenly cleared out.
There was a small village there. It couldn’t be compared with any of the towns they had come across until now. It’s as if just by turning around and taking a look, everything about the village comes into view.
Little houses were lined up in a huddle, with stone walls and ceilings left as is, in it’s wooden colour.
“Fuaaa”
“Let’s go in before it gets dark”
Dale heads towards the entrance of the village as if he was relieved. They didn’t even have walls built like the towns up to now. It looked such that all the trees around the village was more or less their fence, fencing in their surroundings.
Looking at the appearance of the villager who was near the entrance, Latina sighed again as if she was surprised.
“Fuaa!  A 『Beastman』?”
“That’s right. They’re a bit characteristic so, I guess it’s surprising the first time”
Dale smiles at Latina.
It seems that he had overheard their conversation. That person from the Beastman tribe headed towards them with a face covered with fur.
“How rare. Guests?”
“Yea. We’ve come to Byunte’s place but, is it alright for us to enter?”
“Byunte’s place huh”
At the name that Dale proposed, he — because of the clothes he was wearing, he appears to be an elderly man — was nodding many times. It seems he’s agreeing.
“At this time, he would probably be home. Do you need me to take you there?”
“No, I’m alright. Thanks”
Even while Dale was having that conversation, Latina was observing the other fixedly. Even that gaze which normally would probably have been something rude, when it comes to her, only formed a honest curiosity with no questionable motives whatsoever. It was a good quality which made the other difficult to hold a bad impression.
Appearance-wise the 『Beastman race』 are unique.
Their physique itself has little difference with the other races. However, everywhere on that face and body is covered with fur. The colour of the fur differs by the individual, brown, black etc.
Even their appearance had a close resemblance to that of animals. The animal they resemble the most if he had to say was, probably dogs. They look as if they were crossed with that and humans.
The 『Beastman Race』 was just a furrier 『Human Race』, with triangular ears that point to the sky and a tail.
“…Dale, is family with the 『Beastman』?”
Dale points to one of the houses in the village and answered the curious looking Latina.
“Look, that’s Byunte’s house…. It’s because that guy is, a 『Mix』 of the human race and the beastman race”
“『Mix』?”
“Yea. Because the Human race and the Beastman race have similar features, their blood can mix. Even their appearances, it’s possible for them to have the appearance of the Human race as well as have the unique characteristics of the Beastman race, inheriting the animal ears and tail”