1: A Small Tale After the End of the Story

After their wedding in Tislow, Dale and Latina decided to use their trip back to Kreuz as an excuse for a bit of traveling. They were accompanied by their faithful pup Vint, so it might not be quite right to call it a honeymoon. But still, he was a pup, so even if it was hard to say if he should count in the members of their party, he also didn’t exactly get in the way either.

And besides, there was a clear reason he was with them.

When Dale had traveled to his home village with Latina in the past, he’d prepared a horse to carry their luggage. That was because he wanted to make sure nothing slowed him down if they ran into magical beasts or bandits and he had to fight.

Now, though, he was carrying his luggage in a large knapsack on his back.

Dale’s physical capabilities had gone off the charts since becoming a demon, so that much weight was no problem at all. It was possible he still may need to drop it and lighten his load if something suddenly happened, but by having Vint tag along, they could rely on the pup’s acute sensory skills to avoid such situations. On top of that, Vint could hold his own in a fight, too. He could easily buy enough time for Dale to put down his baggage and for Latina to employ defensive magic.

Most importantly, though, he was a guard who wouldn’t interfere with their lovey-dovey newlywed time together.

And so, Dale and Latina had no reason to veto him accompanying them.

“If we keep heading west, eventually we’ll hit Qualle,” Dale stopped and pointed out when they made it through the mountain road connected to Tislow and reached the coastal highway. If they kept on heading straight towards Kreuz, they would first reach the port town of Qualle that they had once visited.

“Yeah,” Latina replied, holding down her hat so it wouldn’t get blown away as she stared at the light reflecting off the surface of the ocean.

Her ribbon had the traditional flower symbol from Tislow on it, and it fluttered in the wind.

“I was thinking this time we’d head a bit to the east, though, to a place that draws tourists for a bit of a different reason than Qualle,” Dale said, clearly hinting at something.

“Ooh...” Latina muttered, tilting her head a bit as she stared up at Dale. “So I should just look forward to seeing when we get there?” she asked.

“I wasn’t exactly saying that, but if that’s what you’d prefer, I could keep it secret for a bit longer,” Dale replied with a smile.

“Right. I’ll just look forward to seeing!” Latina answered, a wide grin on her face.

However, the one critter accompanying them soon put a damper on this lovey-dovey exchange.

“Is there meat?”

“It’s close to the ocean, so I think there will be fish.”

“Meat!”

“I’m looking forward to the fish...”

Unfortunately, the romantic atmosphere completely dissipated as Latina’s thoughts turned towards food. Vint really had a knack for changing the subject.

They weren’t familiar with the path, but there wasn’t any uncertainty in Latina or Vint’s steps.

Slowly but steadily, they proceeded down the well maintained coastal highway. Dale naturally didn’t show any signs of fatigue, but both Latina and Vint didn’t voice any concerns on the matter either. One would think that meant they were fine, but Dale soon noticed Latina’s pace slowing down.

“Hmm?”

It wasn’t unusual for her to move slower due to the scenery distracting her, but this was still far too slow even for that. Finding this strange, Dale decided to observe her, and he noticed that Latina was looking anxiously at the beach sprawled out before her.

“Ah... Now that I think about it, I’ve only ever taken you along rocky coasts. We’ve never visited a proper beach before.”

“Um, it was mentioned in my picture books, so I’ve heard about it before... But is the ocean really salty?”

“That’s your first question, huh? Well, whatever... That’s right. You only got to look at it last time, right?”

Latina was born in the arid region of Vassilios and then raised inside the walls surrounding Kreuz, so the blue ocean stretching out to the horizon must have made for quite a fresh sight.

“Well then, do you want to check out the beach for a little bit?”

“Is it really okay?”

“Just don’t fall and get all soaked, alright?” Dale warned, instinctively turning protective. That was because he’d thought to himself, For some reason, kids always end up falling at the beach. They really did have a tendency to end up soaked when there wasn’t a change of clothes handy. He had learned that first hand when helping take care of young boys back in his home village.

When Latina heard Dale’s words, she puffed up her cheeks a bit.

“You were thinking something rude, weren’t you, Dale?”

As a newlywed bride, it was hard to overlook her husband treating her as a child.

But the instant she stepped onto the sand by the roadside, her mood improved.

“Wooow!” she excitedly proclaimed, then ran out towards where the waves hit the shore. Or at least that’s what it looked like, but she turned around before hitting that point and came back over towards Dale.

“What is it?”

“Umm... There’s no one around, right?”

Latina glanced all around, and once she confirmed there wasn’t anyone pacing by, Latina hurriedly removed her boots. Then after a bit of hesitation, she also slipped out of her long pants.

It was so sudden that Dale just froze in place, completely dumbfounded.

She may have removed her pants, but Latina was wearing a tunic, so it wasn’t as if her underwear was visible. However, a good bit of the white flesh of her legs that was usually hidden was now showing, so it still made for quite a sight.

“Lati—”

“I’m going to take a dip in the ocean for just a little bit.”

Latina’s eyes were seriously sparkling when she said that.

In fact, it was such a brilliant shine that Dale’s words had caught in his throat when he went to question her.

Right... Guess this makes sense.

By nature, Latina was incredibly shy. And yet she was so excited at the moment that she was seriously cutting loose. Her tendency to dive straight in whenever she was curious about something hadn’t changed a bit since she was a child. And honestly, Dale had vaguely sensed that something like this would happen anyway.

She puffed up her cheeks at being treated like a child, yet she was still acting just like she did when she was little.

“Uwaaaaah!” Latina excitedly squealed as the ebb of the tide pulled on the sand under her feet. And all the while, Dale watched over her in full-on doting idiot mode.

By the way, Latina couldn’t swim.

The thought of her in something even more sensual and exposed like a bathing suit snapped him out of that protective mindset right away, but considering her inability to swim, he couldn’t exactly bring himself to mention the idea.

After a short while, Vint also jumped into the ocean, giving Latina someone to play in the water with. And as a result, this little excursion ended up taking quite a bit longer than first expected. It was the middle of summer, so the cool ocean water must have felt quite pleasant. Dale got plenty of enjoyment just from watching her splash in the water and have fun, though.

“Make sure to be careful out there, alright?”

“Yeah!”

It wasn’t as if she was being reckless or anything, but he gave her a warning anyway.

Latina was enjoying herself, so Dale wanted to let her play for hours on end, but if he did then they would be late arriving at their lodgings. At the same time, enjoying diversions like this was pretty much the whole point of the trip.

And so, Dale gave a bit of a strained smile while following along behind Latina and holding her boots as she walked barefoot on the sand.

When they returned to the highway and continued further east, the path split. And if you strained your eyes and looked past that split in the path, you could see a town, with the red light of the setting sun behind it.

“Looks like we’ll make it before dark, somehow,” Dale muttered in relief, letting Latina know that was their destination.

“That’s where we’re heading?”

“That’s right. That town is called Affe, and thanks to the number of tourists it draws, there are a lot of high-quality inns and places to eat. I talked to Kenneth in advance, and he told me about a restaurant run by one of his acquaintances... Well, what do you think, Latina? Are you interested?”

Latina’s face had already started positively sparkling midway through his explanation, so there was no need to wait for her answer. As he praised himself in his head for doing his research in advance, Latina shot him a smile.

“Since we’ve come all this way, how about splurging a bit on an inn?”

“Ah, but will it be alright that we have Vint with us...?”

“He technically has a magical device collar on, so I’m sure it’ll be fine. And if there’s any trouble, we can just have him wait outside town.”

“Woof!”

“If you don’t want that, then don’t do anything that’ll cause trouble for Latina.”

“Woof!”

Rather than appealing to a sense of morality or public order, it was easier to just use Latina as his bargaining chip with the pup.

Like with other towns and villages, Affe was built with walls surrounding it to keep out magical beasts and bandits. Dale and Latina walked along the highway, heading for the gate that served as the entrance to the town. Many places had restrictions on entering at night, but evening generally wasn’t a problem. And so, Dale paid the gatekeeper the entrance fee and they passed on through.

“Waaah!” Latina exclaimed in surprise as she took her first step into the town. “There really are a lot of inns... I think there are even more than in Kreuz’s southern district.”

“It just feels that way because of how many there are in comparison to the size of the town.”

Both sides of the main street were lined with old-fashioned yet well-kept-looking inns. Some had gardens out front to add an air of refinement, and as a whole, the place seemed to be very welcoming towards customers.

“Dale, you said Affe gets a lot of tourists, right...? Maybe the inns feel so different because they don’t focus on serving adventurers like the ones in Kreuz?”

She looked all around, seemingly unable to settle on just one thing to focus on.

“Even so, there are apparently cheap inns, too. And even ones specialized in customers planning on long stays.”

“Ooh... The ones suited towards long-term customers sounds like how the Ocelot does business. I wonder how big the rooms are... How often do they change out the linens, and what schedule do they have for their cleaning?”

Dale was taken aback at this completely unexpected turn in the conversation, but then he breathed a sigh. Latina really was a tried and true workaholic.

“Dale?”

“Ah, it’s nothing... It’s just the inn we’ll be staying at may not be too useful for answering those questions.”

Latina tilted her head upon hearing that, but Dale just smiled and led her by the hand.

“This was the inn I thought hit the mark when I heard it’s reputation, but...”

“Waaah...!” Latina muttered, unwittingly letting that sound of admiration slip out. Latina had seen the extravagance of noble manors and the royal palace first hand in the capital, but she was still immediately impressed by the refined, high-class layout of the inn. It seemed like a building with a storied history, yet every bit of it had been carefully polished, so it greeted them with a pleasant air of cleanliness.

And that impression only improved when they saw how friendly the employees were in dealing with customers. You could really sense how carefully they had been trained. And from how they didn’t show any concern towards Vint, they even seemed to be fully aware of what the magical device around his neck was.

“I’m Dale Reki. I contacted you in advance, so...”

“Sir Dale Reki, is it? I shall take care of you. Welcome, please come this way. She will be your guide.”

The employee who calmly greeted them was a man in the prime of his life, and his behavior was every bit as refined as what you would expect from a servant in a noble manor. And the female employee who served as their guide had flawless manners as well.

“It sure seems like a nice place, just like I heard.”

“Yeah.”

Latina wore an earnest smile, but Dale was evaluating the inn’s employees with a bit more of a shrewd eye. He saw that even though he was carrying his luggage personally in a knapsack rather than having a servant or attendant carry it, they didn’t look down on him as someone not worthy of greeting properly. Of course, it was impossible to deny that his name may be having an impact, but he could always be a fake or simply someone with the same name, so it wouldn’t do to make a judgment based on that alone.

The place really did seem even nicer than he had expected.

There wasn’t a speck of dust to be seen along the long hallway they were passing through, either. In the back of his mind, Dale thought to himself that he would really need to thoroughly warn Vint again.

“Hey, Dale.”

“Huh?”

“Is the big surprise still a secret?”

“Hmm...”

As Latina looked at him with slightly upturned eyes, Dale hesitated a bit. But then, he figured he should probably at least explain before she saw it in person.

“The town of Affe is famous for its hot springs.”

“Hot springs?”

“Do you know what they are?”

“Yeah. I read about them in a book. They occur when underground water veins heated by geothermal energy come bubbling up, right?”

“The influence of Ahmar is strong around here, you see. And so, apparently the hot springs here are more effective than normal ones. That doesn’t come from the temple or anything, though. It’s more like a folk remedy, honestly.”

“Hmm,” Latina replied, seeming like she didn’t quite get it. And so, Dale intentionally shot her a clear smile.

“Considering the spring sources around the area, it should be quite a sight. I’ve traveled all around for work, but I still find this place makes for some really unique scenery. We should go check it out tomorrow,” he earnestly stated.

Latina had never experienced a hot spring or its source up till now, so she didn’t have anything to compare it to, but surely she would appreciate it at first glance.

“You’ve never seen a hot spring before, right? I hope that you like it.”

“Yeah!” Latina replied with a smile. That was because she didn’t realize that naturally, Dale had ulterior motives this time around.

After all, they were heading to a hot spring, so it couldn’t possibly be any other way.

Of course, Dale and Latina had gotten all lovey-dovey in the past, but they had only just gotten officially married, so it wasn’t as if that passion would have suddenly cooled off. In fact, Dale felt that only gave him all the more reason to be flirty with her.

Latina was very shy by nature. And that wasn’t something that had changed in the least with their marriage.

But if she was in a completely different circumstance than usual, maybe she would feel more open-minded. And what was so wrong with the thought that that could lead to them being even more lovey-dovey than usual?

They were newlyweds, after all, so that was only natural.

And so, he settled on a hot spring. Yes, a hot spring.

The one to put a damper on that thought, though, was the female employee, who had an incredibly apologetic look about her.

“Um... Currently, the path to the spring’s source in the depths of the forest is off limits.”

“Huh?” Dale questioned, completely caught off guard.

He looked so shaken that it was hard to imagine he was the same hero revered for his ability to remain calm and composed on any field of battle.

“Oh, really?” Latina calmly asked, not seeming overly concerned.

“It’s currently being investigated, but it seems there’s been some sort of incident with a magical beast, and apparently it will take some time to summon an expert. The soldiers stationed in this town specialize in dealing with crimes such as theft, so I hear they’re finding this matter quite difficult to handle.”

“Ah, I see.”

“There is some distance between the town and the forest, so there’s no danger. So please, be at ease.”

“Right.”

“Of course, there are also spring sources in town, so you should still be able to enjoy some hot springs.”

“Oh, really? I’m glad,” Latina replied with a smile, but Dale had to hold himself back from muttering, “That’s no good.”

The room they were led to was equipped with a magical device key, showing that they were paying close attention to security. The second they stepped inside Latina’s face lit up, making it readily apparent that she was satisfied with the accommodations.

“What a wonderful room.”

“As long as you like it, that’s all that matters.”

The wooden furniture had been so thoroughly polished that the grain positively gleamed, and though it all had high-class designs, the reddish brown of the wood also gave off a bit of a warm feel. The chairs in the table set and the wallpaper both had surprisingly large flower designs to them. Rather than feeling overly flashy, though, they seemed to play up the spice of being on a trip and experiencing something entirely different from your everyday life. On the other hand, the fabric for the bed covers and curtains was rather plain, like it had taken just one color out of the flower design, creating a nice subdued atmosphere.

Latina took off her hat and tunic and stowed them away in the closet, then she held out a hand towards Dale as he sat down the knapsack in the corner of the room.

“Dale.”

“Right.”

Without even having to ask what she wanted, he passed her his overcoat.

Though they were newlyweds, they didn’t have any of the awkwardness about them that you might expect.

It seemed that Vint had found a spot he liked on the corner of the rug, too. Apparently he had already determined it would be where he would sleep tonight, as he laid right down and relaxed.

“Wah...” Latina exclaimed as she opened the window wide and leaned out. Fitting of such a high-class room, it provided just about the best possible view of Affe imaginable. Thanks to that, she was able to take in the refined sights of the inn town from an entirely different angle than when they were walking down the street.

“Amazing... It’s so pretty...”

“By the way, you said your dream was to someday open an inn every bit as good as the Ocelot, right, Latina...?”

“I have no idea when it may happen, but still... I think it would be nice if I could make it come true. A place where travelers and customers could feel nice and relaxed... And where they could eat delicious food with a smile,” Latina replied with a smile of her own, the brilliant sunset providing a backdrop behind her. “You see, Kenneth said that for a lot of people it seems like nothing’s ever going right, but if you can enjoy delicious food and cooking, then a day might not feel so bad. And so, I want to make a place where people can feel that way, too.”

“I see.”

Considering she was the sister of Vassilios’s ruler and the wife of the Platinum Hero who saved the nation, it was hard to call the dream of just running a single inn and bar all that realistic.

Her thinking was more in line with common folks, and she had a bit of an escapist streak, but she was a clever girl by nature, so she must have understood that.

And so, Dale decided not to deny her dream and instead just silently nod and smile, causing her to smile back. However, her smile looked just a bit more mature than usual.

“I have no idea what form it’ll take, but I’m sure it’ll come true one day. And then, I can take what Kenneth and Rita taught me and teach it to someone else in turn. I really think I’d like to try that,” Latina said with her hands together as if she was praying. Then, in the next instant she returned to her previous brilliant smile and pointed out the window to a large building in the center of town. “Hey Dale, what’s that building? I can see a lot of people coming in and out of it...”

“Ah, that’s a communal bath. This inn also has a bath, but residents and travelers in less equipped inns use that instead.”

“Ooh...”

“The public bathhouses in Kreuz are already way larger than the bath in the Ocelot, but this one is a whole lot bigger than even those.”

“Really?”

“I think there’s some value in giving it a look. Right, since it’s still too early for dinner, do you want to go give it a try now?”

“Yeah!”

Latina suddenly turned away from the window, looking like she was ready to go flying out of the room this very second. Shooting her a bit of a strained smile all the while, Dale closed the window and then followed after her.

†　†　†

It was a time after the small town along the highway between Laband and Vassilios had been built.

The lordship of that land, built up by adventurers, had been given to someone who wasn’t even part of Laband’s nobility out of recognition of a certain hero’s exceptional achievements.

Some loudly proclaimed that little bit of land on the frontier was hardly a fitting reward for the hero’s great accomplishments, but the man himself showed clear disdain for becoming a member of nobility. And besides, the land fit the needs of the hero and his wife perfectly, so it ended up coming to fruition.

If Laband loudly insisted on its ownership of the newly cleared land, it would have the real possibility of causing tension with their new ally of Vassilios. And since Laband’s strength as a nation had been weakened by the assault of the demon lords, it wouldn’t do to cause unnecessary friction with their neighboring country.

However, the wife of that hero charged with the lordship also happened to be the younger sister of Vassilios’s ruler.

And so, they yielded that land in the midst of magical beast territory to the hero and his wife, as proof of the friendship between the two nations.

The greatest accomplishment by the hero was his battle with the demon lords, but there were a great many casualties in the process. And additionally, a great many also found themselves far worse off as the world at large suffered.

And so the couple running the land took it upon themselves to charitably aid such folks, with the wife in particular being especially involved. They worked particularly hard for the children, making sure that the kids left all alone in the world could have a proper upbringing in their domain.

The wife was seen as a motherly figure to many of those children, yet she disapproved of all the praise that she received. For some of those who knew her personally, they would describe these kind acts seeking no reward as her seemingly trying to atone for some sort of sin.

And in one part of town, there existed an inn called the Singing White Cat.

It was a famous inn known even in other domains for its excellent customer service and delicious food, and it was opened by the couple who ran the domain.

The wife had made the decision to open the place when thinking of the children she was helping to raise, to give them a greater number of options for their futures. Obviously there were jobs for adventurers in the land, but not everyone would grow to be one. After all, people existed who were not skilled in either physical strength or magical ability. For that reason, it was important to have a place where they could let their respective skills develop, in order to give them a better footing for heading forth into the future. And as a result, the children who helped in this inn were valued highly when they went to work elsewhere in the service industry or cuisine, which in turn raised the inn’s reputation even further.

The wife was also famous for having a mythical beast follow her around like a bodyguard, but he was a wolf, so the reason she used a cat in her inn’s name remained a mystery to most.

However, that was all still a while off...

†　†　†

Dale and Latina had lightened their load by leaving their luggage in the inn, then resumed their relaxed stroll through Affe. The destination they had in mind was the communal bath that they had seen from their room at the inn. Since it was a facility used by a large number of people, it was separated into men’s and women’s baths in order to maintain order and security. In that way, it was hard to call it a place that would help fulfill Dale’s blunt desire to get all lovey-dovey.

However, he was able to put off such trifling matters for later when Latina was getting all excited right in front of him.

He truly was a man who stuck to his convictions.

“Affe gets a lot of tourists, so just like with Kreuz, it doesn’t have much of an issue with folks being prejudiced against other races. But there are weirdos who talk about stuff like human supremacy everywhere, so you should still take care.”

“Yeah. But it’ll probably be perfectly fine.”

“It’s true that the roots of your horns are hidden in your hair and hard to see, but it’s still not good to be overly optimistic about stuff...”

Dale had brought that up before they entered the communal bath out of concern for Latina. And it was just like him to say that, so Latina shot him back a strained smile.

“But Dale... Only heroes can harm demon lords. I don’t think it would be very likely for me to just happen to be harassed by a hero in the bath.”

“Only heroes can put the life of a demon lord in danger, but as long as it doesn’t go that far, anybody should still be able to mess with you.”

“I think you’re worrying too much, but still, I appreciate the concern. Thank you, Dale.”

“Seriously, take care.”

“Right.”

They were only parting for a short while, yet they were still so flirty about it.

It was the sort of sickeningly sweet exchange that would make someone long for that pup lounging about the inn to butt in. However, in a way, perhaps it was fitting for a newlywed couple to be having such an exchange in front of a public facility without even thinking about it.

When they stepped into the communal bath, they were first greeted by a lobby. As she watched Dale pay enough for the two of them at the desk, Latina also noticed numerous people showing what looked like wooden tags and then heading inside. After a bit of thinking, she realized from their clothes and the like that they must live in the town. And so, those wooden tags must have been proof that they paid in advance to use it for a period of time.

If you pay all at once like that, does it get a bit cheaper...? Or maybe this place is cheaper for residents of the town in general...?

Those thoughts running through her head just went to show that her thinking really was more in line with the common folk.

Behind the desk, the paths for men and women split off to the left and right. And so Dale and Latina separated, and she excitedly continued further in.

“Bath time, bath time!”

However, when the path separated into two again, Latina stopped and tilted her head.

“It says it splits off into a bath exclusively for humans... Maybe Dale wasn’t worrying too much...”

Normally Latina didn’t ever really pay attention to the differences between races, but when it was so clearly thrust in front of her like this, it caused her to feel a bit depressed. However, when she noticed that even customers who were clearly human weren’t heading to the exclusive bath, she tilted her head yet again.

“Hmm?”

It was bugging her, so she went ahead and promptly stopped a passing employee to ask.

“Ah, it’s true that this bath is exclusively for humans, but it’s pretty small, so most of our customers prefer to use the large shared bath.”

“Really?”

“More than catering to racial supremacists, we have it because we know some folks don’t like beastman fur or merfolk scales floating in the water.”

“I see.”

“And at the turn of the season, the shared bath is designated exclusively for beastmen. If we left it like normal, it would be completely packed.”

“That certainly must be something...”

The distinguishing points of beastmen were their triangular ears, tails, and fur covering their whole body.

Since Latina habitually brushed Vint, she found it easy to imagine how much fur beastmen must leave around when shedding, considering their greater surface area.

“We also rent soap and hand towels, but beastmen use multiple times more soap than other races, while merfolk prefer to use hard brushes to clean themselves rather than washing by hand. We’ll also occasionally have angel customers, but they generally aren’t fond of staying in the water for a long time, so they mainly use the steam bath. So well, the races all have their own preferences.”

“They have their own preferences, huh...? That’s good to know.”

Having cleared up her doubts, Latina started humming and heading back down the path. Alongside the relief she felt, she was also glad to have gained new knowledge, so she was in quite high spirits.

“The baths in Vassilios were really lukewarm... And apparently Chrysos isn’t good with hot baths, either. I’m not too fond of it being overly hot myself, so maybe that’s a preference for the devil race.”

As someone who also worked in the service industry, she really was impressed by how flexible they were in responding to the likes and needs of their customers.

At her core, Latina’s thinking really was more in line with her role as the Ocelot’s adorable waitress rather than the princess of the neighboring nation, even more than Dale had thought.

Even back in Kreuz, most ordinary folks used public bathhouses. However, Latina had rarely ever been to one, seeing as the Dancing Ocelot was equipped with a bath. That bath was meant to respond to customer demands, but when Latina was little no one felt comfortable having her go to the bathhouse on her own. And when she was older she was an important part of the shop’s staff, so she bathed there for convenience’s sake in order to ensure she was available during work hours.

She had gone to the bathhouse purely out of curiosity after hearing about them from her friends who lived in the eastern district, but that had only been a handful of times.

So frankly, it left a strong impression on Latina when she slipped into the bath so large that even if she stretched out her whole body, she wouldn’t come close to reaching the edges.

“Waah...”

As she felt the slightly more viscous-feeling water against her skin, she sunk down to her shoulders and breathed a sigh of admiration. She really could stretch out as much as her heart desired, unlike with her usual bath.

“This is wonderful. I think I might really like big baths...”

If she were to voice that opinion in front of Dale, though, he would surely say they should go ahead and install a large bath in the Ocelot. The thought of it caused her to unwittingly let out a little giggle.

After a bit of time enjoying the bath while humming cheerfully, Latina’s attention returned to taking in her surroundings.

The soap that she had borrowed from the desk at Dale’s suggestion smelled of essential oils. It was different than what she usually used, but it was a vibrant aroma that most girls would probably enjoy. And so, she headed over to the spot for washing yourself off, looking forward to giving it a try.

“Now that I think of it, we passed a shop selling soaps on the way here. I thought it was unusual, but maybe it would be nice to try all sorts out while we’re here, and then bring some back as souvenirs,” Latina mumbled to herself while making even more bubbles than when she usually bathed.

Her thought process was that since it was a special occasion she would splurge, but that was in line with the thinking of the common man, too.

“I think I’d like some pomade that goes well with the scent of the soap, too. I’ll have to ask Dale if we can make a detour,” she happily muttered as she washed herself off.

Even as she was doing that, she subconsciously kept an eye on her surroundings. And her gaze didn’t fail to stop so she could observe the uniquely shaped sponges people who seemed like locals were using, or the brushes favored by merfolk.

Using something to clean yourself roughly like that may be popular with adventurers, too.

Latina really did have endless interest in such tools, the likes of which she didn’t ever see in her day-to-day life.

If she could get them for a good price, she really would like to try to buy a few to bring back with her.

As she had those thoughts that were hardly consumer-like in nature, she was awash in a mild bliss while being wrapped up in the lovely aroma of the soap.

As a result, when she met up with Dale after finishing her bath, they had a different newlywed-hot-spring-town date than he had expected.

Since Affe was a town with a lot of tourists, they made sure the streets were lit up at dark as well, out of consideration for guests traveling from the communal bath to their various inns. That was accomplished by a portion of the stones making up the paths giving off a gentle light. They weren’t magical devices, but rather were manufactured from a material containing trace bits of mana, called phosphorescent stone. It was a unique material which gave off light once the sun went down, but in the light of day it looked identical to any other stone. Surely they chose that method so as not to impact the overall scenery.

“On the other hand, it’s more of a pain to maintain and adjust than just using a magical device. Plus, the amount of light and how long it lasts is based on the amount it stores up during the day, so it isn’t exactly fixed. That can definitely be a problem too. But it’s cheap enough that you don’t really have to worry about anyone trying to steal them, I suppose.”

“I see... How interesting.”

The smile on Latina’s face at that moment was absolutely, undoubtedly adorable.

It was an entirely different look than the usual innocent expression she gave off, with her freshly washed hair worn up and her skin still ever so lightly flushed red. She really was absolutely beautiful, and it was hard to imagine anyone arguing with that.

And yet, there was something off.

They were in a refined town with just a bit of light out. So why exactly was he giving a lecture on the town’s fixtures in the midst of all this romantic atmosphere?

Being all lovey-dovey, and exchanging sweet words with one another...

Wasn’t that the stuff newlyweds were supposed to do when it wasn’t a strategic marriage or an arranged one, but one born out of piping hot passion for one another?

“Ah, that’s the shop! Dale, can we take a bit of a detour?”

“Of course.”

Naturally, he was ready and willing to respond to Latina’s request. He didn’t mind doing more shopping, especially when she looked so adorable asking for something. And he was confident that his savings and earnings were more than enough that it wouldn’t be a problem.

Still, something definitely seemed off.

“Maybe we should have gotten married just a bit earlier... If we did, then would things have been more lovey-dovey...?”

“Hmm?”

Dale had asked that question without expecting a proper answer as he watched Latina contently pick out a scrubbing brush made from a dried out plant, as they stood in the corner of a plain, unadorned general store favored by the locals.

Still, Latina sure did look cute when her eyes sparkled, perhaps because her curiosity was being satisfied.

Dale really was acting just like his usual self too, with the way that his thoughts weren’t straying from that subject in the slightest.

And when they went to a shop specializing in soaps next...

“I know normally you would never go in a shop like this. But I couldn’t help but wonder a bit what type of smell you would like, so I’m really glad to have you come along,” Latina said, looking just a bit bashful. That singlehandedly washed away the frustration that Dale had been feeling. His thought process really was exactly the same as always, and was every bit as unshakably regrettable as usual.

After that, they headed over to a restaurant run by one of Kenneth’s acquaintances.

Dale had been sure to mention in advance that it was a really high-class establishment, but it was still a serious surprise to see it in person.

Secretly, Dale felt relieved when Latina said that they should just purchase the scrubbing brush on their way back. After all, he definitely would have hesitated to walk into such an establishment holding a plain bag full of everyday goods in one hand.

“Kenneth sure is amazing...”

“I wouldn’t say your connections are something to scoff at, either...” Dale muttered, then he took Latina by the hand. “Now then, shall we head on in?”

“But we just got out of the bath, and we’re in casual clothes. Is it really alright?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Dale shot her a smile to calm her down, then stood in front of the shop. It wasn’t decorated with a flashy sign or anything, but they were greeted by a rather refined-looking doorman, and the finely ornamented emblem carved into the door told them that this was the right place.

“Amazing...” Latina sighed, her gaze fixed on the emblem of a flower in full bloom. It was both gorgeous and refined, and it was certainly beautiful enough to be worthy of admiration.

“We have your reservation. Sir Dale Reki, yes?”

“Yeah.”

“We’ve been awaiting you.”

The polite doorman didn’t question Dale and Latina’s identities or even so much as raise an eyebrow when he saw them in casual attire, and instead just held the door open for them.

Dale seemed to say with his eyes, “See, I told you it was alright,” so Latina shot him back a relieved smile.

Just before they passed through the door, the air about them completely shifted. Dale straightened his posture and escorted Latina along, looking like a perfect model gentleman due to his training in the capital’s high society. Following along without even thinking about it, Latina shifted to the sort of graceful actions fitting to her nickname of the Platinum Fairy Princess.

The doorman had presented first hand just how first-rate this shop was, so they felt the need to respect that and respond in turn. And even if Latina was in clothing that prioritized comfort... No, precisely for that reason, she needed to behave herself like a princess traveling in secret.

Dale had given his own name when making a reservation, and it was easy to assume the person with him was the Fairy Princess, so as a first-rate establishment they made sure to be thorough in their arrangements. That was just how much influence the name “Dale Reki” held. Dale was perfectly aware of that fact, but sure enough, Latina didn’t quite seem aware.

Well, she hardly ever leaves Kreuz, and I’m sure the fact that she doesn’t remember anything from when I was traveling all around has a big effect, too, Dale thought to himself with a strained smile as he watched Latina excitedly run her hands over the high-class tablecloth and cutlery in the private room they were led to.

Apparently Latina had decided to indulge her natural curiosity and enjoy herself, as they rarely ever visited any high-class restaurants. However, whenever an employee was looking, she was sure to behave herself like a proper refined lady. It really was just plain amusing to watch her act like that.

“I know you always enjoy picking out a meal from the menu, but for this time, I already placed our orders along with the reservations.”

“Really?” Latina questioned, looking a bit disappointed for a second. However, what he said next caused her to brighten back up.

“At Kenneth’s recommendation, I made sure to include the chef’s specialty when placing my order. That was because Kenneth said we should be absolutely sure not to miss it. And also, I asked them to make your portions a bit smaller so you could make it all the way to the end.”

Dale had meant to explain as just a bit of idle chatter, but Latina didn’t seem to take it that way. Currently, she had an incredibly serious look on her face as she pondered.

“Um, Latina...?”

“If I ordered based on just my curiosity and interests, I’d surely make a mistake, right?”

“How in the world did you reach that conclusion?”

“A specialty... Right, a dish like that serves as the face of a restaurant, so you can’t miss it. It’s important not to forget that when ordering.”

Dale felt like you should just eat what you want when you want, but he couldn’t exactly say that in the face of how seriously Latina was treating the situation.

“You mean to study it...?”

“It’s a shop Kenneth recommended. I’m sure there’s all sorts of things I can learn from it!” Latina clearly answered, completely resolute on the matter.

Latina’s status had changed to a shocking degree over the last several years, but her master-and-disciple relationship with Kenneth hadn’t been shaken in the least.

Apparently, as a chef, Latina had a great deal of admiration and wonder at the town of Affe. It was close to the ocean, and it also enjoyed the abundance of the nearby mountains. It didn’t have the convenience of being a major hub for trade like Kreuz, but since it was in an area focused so heavily on production, it was possible to get ahold of a lot of fresh and unique ingredients.

That could be seen right away in how the ingredients used in the appetizer were rather difficult to obtain in Kreuz. And the way steamed young greens were adorned with flower buds made for an absolutely stunning presentation. Dale looked like a real glutton as he gobbled down the dish from atop his plate, while Latina carefully ate it bite by bite, observing and savoring the flavor as she went.

The seasonal summer potage soup had a lovely pale green color to it and a wonderful texture, making for a light and refreshing dish. For their seafood dish, they were presented with a shrimp tart, and when they cut into it, there were countless clear, brilliant layers that could be spied in the cross section. Such technique would take far too much time and labor for a shop aimed at the general public, so you really could see the chef’s efforts in the dish.

Dale wished that Latina would stop making such a serious face and just enjoy the food, but that was her way of enjoying it, so he didn’t boorishly comment on the matter.

As for the specialty, it turned out to be a surprisingly simple white fish saute. It certainly was tasty, but it wasn’t anywhere near as flashy as the other dishes. Dale tilted his head at that fact, but Latina’s first bite had a serious impact on her.

“I see, so that’s it... That sure is amazing...”

Sadly, Dale had no idea what had moved her so greatly, so he couldn’t exactly relate. He was only able to share in her surprise upon hearing that the accompanying fresh flowers weren’t decorative, but rather grown specifically to be eaten and arranged as a salad.

The meat dish was also arranged beautifully.

“I’ve tasted this flavor before, at the beastman village... So it can be prepared like this, too...” Latina muttered in admiration upon tasting the green sauce accented by a bittersweet flavor. Dale, meanwhile, was more knowledgeable about the perfectly cooked red meat.

“You don’t see wild game meat in Kreuz that often. Most of it’s from domesticated livestock.”

“I see, so it came from hunting... The cooking in Tislow was yummy too, but this is what it’s like when it’s prepared in the Labandese style, huh?”

During the meal, Dale enjoyed some wine paired with the dishes. Latina, meanwhile, cursed her own weakness with alcohol, leaving Dale to feel quite guilty as he tilted his glass. Normally Latina didn’t show any fixation on alcohol, so this sort of reaction was certainly unusual.

But perhaps it was only obvious that she would have an interest in the wines the shop recommended to pair with their perfectly prepared dishes.

“Even if you get drunk I’ll make sure to escort you back safely, so do you want to try a bit?”

“I want to, but I would be even more upset if that dulled my taste, so I’ll just bear it...”

“I see.”

She really did hold firm to her convictions.

Dale was also worried that a sweet tooth like Latina would find the dessert portion too small, but she shook her head when he raised the point.

“I’m already full. I couldn’t even eat another bite.”

“I see.”

“I really enjoyed eating a bit of everything. Thank you, Dale.”

Upon hearing Latina’s earnest gratitude, Dale naturally broke out in a smile. That alone was enough to make all of his effort worth it.

After that relaxed conversation, the employee informed them that the owner who served as the head chef wanted to say hello to them. He was also Kenneth’s acquaintance, so he was definitely trying to accommodate them. But they also wanted to meet him too, so they agreed. In no time at all, a well-built old man approached.

He gave a completely harmless and bland greeting... or at least, that’s how it felt to Dale, but Latina was more than a little excited about meeting him, so she probably wouldn’t agree. In fact, her reaction was probably closer to how most folks would feel meeting an idol or hero. Latina herself may have been the heroine of a world famous epic, but apparently the people she admired most were skilled chefs.

The chef certainly didn’t look at all dissatisfied when Latina’s eyes sparkled with respect as she looked at him, either.

Normally, Dale wouldn’t be able to hide his displeasure at her looking at another man like that and him smiling back, but...

“I could tell that you chose this place to open your shop in order to make that fish dish. That’s really amazing.”

He was completely taken off guard by Latina’s comment, so he decided to just remain silent.

“I see. I had heard Kenneth had taken on an apprentice, but it seems he really did find a fine successor.”

“Ah, I still have a lot to study, though,” Latina replied with an embarrassed smile, but she looked like the remark made her truly happy. In fact, she looked far more overjoyed than she did back when countless nobles praised her as the Fairy Princess.

“Latina really does have the mentality of a chef more than anything, huh...?”

He didn’t put much value in his title of hero either, so he didn’t have much room to talk, but he still muttered it while sipping his coffee.

“You used a special type of salt for the specialty, didn’t you?”

“You noticed?”

“Yes. And I knew it was smoked, but I didn’t recognize the scent so I don’t know what variety of wood was used.”

“That certainly is something, to be able to say you just couldn’t recognize the specific type of wood. It’s a lumber with a good smell, but there aren’t many trees of it around. The fact that they grow around this area is another reason I chose this spot for my shop.”

The conversation had gone far afield from Dale’s realm of understanding by this point.

Meanwhile, the shop owner definitely seemed to appreciate Latina’s responses. Dale could also tell that she was carefully listening to what he had to say, and that the conversation was steadily heating up.

“The tree blooms with white blossoms a lot like apricots, but the fruit has a weak taste and isn’t really suitable for eating. Thanks to that it’s called a false apricot, but in old scholarly books it’s called a deep mountain apricot, which I thought sounded better.”

“Ah! So that’s why the shop’s motif is an apricot blossom, isn’t it?”

“It may not be suitable for eating, but it has quite a fragrance to it. And so I use a liqueur steeped in that fragrance to make the sherbet that was brought out mid-course.”

“So that was what that sweet smell was...”

The coffee was now gone from Dale’s cup, but the conversation showed no signs of ending. And so, he stared at Latina with a look of defeat in his eyes, seeing she was just as absorbed in the discussion as her mentor Kenneth would be.

But still, Latina looked like she was really enjoying herself, so it was perfectly fine.

“In the period between late spring and early summer, mushrooms grow at the base of the deep mountain apricot trees. It’s a type that doesn’t appear around other trees, so only a very small number of them can be harvested. And so, it’s an extravagant ingredient that can only be experienced in the immediate area.”

“Mushrooms...”

“The freshly harvested ones have an especially wonderful aroma. It’s particularly outstanding when the deep mountain apricot wood is lightly roasted along with it, enhancing it further. It’s rather difficult to bring out its best as a chef, though.”

“Ooh...” Latina muttered, looking spellbound as her thoughts were racing.

Her expression would make a minstrel want to write a love ballad, but her thoughts were full of nothing but cooking ingredients, making for a bit of a regrettable situation.

“It’s just that season right now, isn’t it? Can I eat those mushrooms anywhere?”

The head chef had been quite talkative up till now, but he looked a bit uneasy when he heard her question.

“No...”

“Are they already out of season for the year?”

Various elements in the environment could easily shift the harvest period one way or another. And so, Latina had voiced that assumption while looking just a bit disappointed.

To her surprise, though, the chef shook his head.

“This year had a bumper crop with a great flavor, but the deep mountain apricot trees grow near the part of the forest with the spring source, which is closed off. Apparently it’s caused by a magical beast, but by the time that’s resolved, the season will surely have passed.”

With that response, Latina was clearly feeling dejected.

If it was simply impossible, then she probably wouldn’t have felt so down. Like if the season was over, or if there was a poor harvest this year. If it was a reason like that, even if she was disappointed she could just give up on it and move on.

But when there were plenty of them just there but it was hard to get at them, it was hard to bring herself to just give up. It was impossible to tell when they would next visit this town, and there was no guarantee it would be the right season. But it was clear that it wouldn’t be easy to just put it off for the next opportunity.

That was why Latina was feeling so thoroughly down. And yet, she wasn’t the sort to make selfish requests. It was written clearly on her face that she was feeling disappointed, but she wouldn’t bring herself to voice such a request.

As they walked side by side down the path back to the inn, Dale called out to Latina, as she hadn’t really been saying much. His tone wasn’t angry or astounded, but just quiet and gentle.

“Latina, I think you can be more selfish and ask for stuff...”

“Dale?”

The phosphorescent stone gave off a pale light.

Latina’s sorrowful expression was illuminated by that glow, with a strangely beautiful fleeting feel to it.

That wasn’t the expression Dale wanted to see most, though.

“I can work pretty hard for your sake, you know.”

He wasn’t the sort to do charity work, nor did he have any interest in being praised as a hero. But he was prepared to do absolutely anything for the sake of Latina’s smile.

Even taking down demon lords to protect that smile was nothing at all.

“I’ll do anything in my power to see your desires through.”

“Dale...”

In the fairytale-like atmosphere created by the pale light from the path, the extraordinary hero took the hand of his princess with her sorrowful face. He urged her on, and eventually she voiced her forbidden request.

“I want to try eating a mushroom...”

Despite the situation being like something out of an epic tale, what Latina said was far from romantic. It was also hard to say that it was fitting to hear coming from a demon lord. If the demon lords defeated by a certain deplorable hero heard that, they would surely turn in their graves.

“Right. You and Vint will have to hold down the fort a bit tomorrow, then,” Dale said, breaking out in a big, happy grin at having finally dragged a request out of his beloved younger wife.

†

A black leather coat, a gauntlet on his left hand, and a longsword hanging from his hip; after putting on that usual equipment, Dale slipped out of the inn in the dead of night. It would have been perfectly fine to take care of it in the early morning too, but he wanted to avoid interfering with Latina’s peaceful sleep. That worried Latina, but Dale had needed far less sleep ever since he’d become a demon. In fact, even going a few days without sleep wouldn’t be a problem.

He had little need for food either, which allowed him to travel quite lightly.

Dale had visited the hot spring source in Affe’s forest once before. Originally he had actually planned to bring Latina there, so he was already plenty well aware of the geography around the place. Though with that said, visibility was obviously poor at this time of night. And so to be on the safe side, he went ahead and weaved his mana even more carefully before entering the forest.

“Oh earth and the spirits dwelling within you, by my name of Dale Reki I order you...”

What Dale chanted was a spell that he used especially frequently even among the Earth magics that he was adept with, and was one for grasping the surrounding geography and the direction he was facing. It was a spell that could even be called his specialty. Now having an intuitive sense of the lay of the land, he moved forward with fully confident steps.

It wasn’t as if Dale knew the state of the forest in detail. But at the very least, he could guess from the vegetation and the like around him.

He strained his senses, searching carefully for any presences out in the darkness, or anything out of place among the smell of plants and earth. Any time he was struck by even the slightest sense that something was out of place, he immediately hunted down the reason behind that.

It was truly a frightening display of concentration and skill.

Even before becoming a demon, Dale had specialized in exploring forests. But he remained fully focused, as being too used to a job could cause you to let your guard down.

“A burn mark...?”

As Dale stopped and checked the damage, he knitted his brow. The scar was relatively fresh, with the bark melted and burnt. On the other hand, though, there weren’t any signs of fire showing on the surrounding grass. Even considering spontaneous combustion, it was just too unnatural.

Dale contemplated, and started theorizing about the cause of what he was seeing. Several thoughts came to mind, but the chances of any of them seemed exceptionally low. Still, working through such possibilities was an essential step in coming to a firm conclusion.

Naturally, upon hearing that there was serious danger due to a magical beast being the cause, he left Latina at the inn and was acting on his own, in a way due to his own deplorable nature.

When he was tackling a serious job, he acted in such a way that would bring no shame to his fame as a hero. He had a sharp gaze, a serious expression betraying not a hint of fear, and an overall appearance that marked him as an experienced adventurer.

Latina knew nothing of that side of him, though.

If she saw the gallant look in Dale’s eyes now, she would probably directly praise him by saying how cool he looked. She would likely even blush at seeing that unknown side of him.

However, this side of Dale could also only be seen because Latina wasn’t around. When she was by his side his tension would naturally all loosen, and he would dote on her full force without fail. No matter how serious his expression and the air about him may be, that would be crushed by an even greater doting mood.

Thanks to all that, Latina had never seen Dale’s more heroic side. And it seemed pretty unlikely that she would get that chance anytime soon, either.

If that wasn’t worthy of being called deplorable, then what was?

Even as the morning sun rose and it got brighter out, his field of sight didn’t quite clear up.

There was a thick fog hanging about. Perhaps this land got a lot of fog because it was close to the sea. But it wasn’t a type of weather that could occur all the time, considering temperature and season.

If this was caused by the magical beast too, though, he could see why this one area was closed down. This white, murky field of vision must have made it difficult even for locals familiar with the area to search about. And so, they must have closed it down to guard against accidents, too.

“Still, that fog sure was pure white,” Dale grumbled, looking utterly exhausted as he reported that to Latina while they ate breakfast.

“Wah... I wish I could see that, too. But maybe I’d end up getting lost...”

“I would never lose sight of you, though, so it would be fine.”

“Split apart,” Vint interjected while wagging his tail and sitting politely at Latina’s feet.

“This inn’s breakfast sure is tasty.”

“Yeah.”

It was breakfast time when Dale returned to the inn like nothing had happened, and sat down across from Latina to eat.

To Dale, the main focus was making sure Latina enjoyed her trip, while the magical beast search was nothing but an aside. Their routine was to eat breakfast each morning, and he could see no reason to neglect that daily blessing.

“I was thinking I would have the inn’s owner introduce me to someone who knows the details, so I can ask why they determined a magical beast was the cause for these circumstances. And if it matches up with what I was thinking, then I should really wrap this up as soon as possible.”

“Right...”

Dale said it so lightly that Latina was unable to tell whether or not to be worried about him. Just from looking at him, it seemed like it would be an incredibly simple matter.

But we heard the stationed soldiers couldn’t deal with it, right...?

“You can go ahead and take a walk around town with Vint in the meantime, but just make sure you take care.”

He was actually worrying about her instead.

Latina obediently nodded along, but mentally she was tilting her head again.

Dale had the air about him like he was just going for an after-meal walk. Was it really alright to take a magical beast extermination so lightly?

Ultimately, Dale remained lighthearted till she saw him off while enjoying her post-meal tea.

But for the time being, she decided that there was no point in getting fixated on something she wouldn’t know no matter how much she thought about it.

Since she had the day open, she was thinking about touring around the general stores. She got the feeling that she may find some interesting stuff by looking around some shops other than the one she visited yesterday. Ah, and she should try to go to a big bath again, too. As one thought after another came to mind, she started filling up the day’s schedule.

“It would be nice if you could get in a hot spring too, Vint,” she muttered, wishing that her accompanying pup could share in the enjoyment since he also came all this way.

“Woof?”

“They do let beastmen in, though... So I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

Naturally, Dale had no idea that the lovey-dovey mixed bathing date he had so desired was becoming a reality for a certain pup while he was out.

There existed a type of magical being called a slime.

It was thought to be a simple organism that multiplied by splitting apart, but many aspects of it were shrouded in mystery. As a result, though normally the naming of “magical beast” was given to biological entities, it instead was classified as a magical being, which was normally meant for non-biological creatures.

The high amount of mana they possessed was one of the key reasons for that. That led to the hypothesis that slimes were originally man-made biological organisms, and the ones seen today had simply gone feral.

They also had the unique feature of varying depending on their environment. And as a result, it became known as a type of magical being with all sorts of subspecies.

“Just like I thought...” Dale muttered, seeing a pool of limpid water filled to the brim near the spring source.

Underneath the water’s surface, there was a strange wriggling. Unlike the ripples on the water’s surface caused by the wind, the thing underneath looked dense and was quaking heavily.

As slimes relied on liquid to make up most of their body composition, they were fond of waterside areas. On top of that, they could also use their large stores of mana to magically increase the moisture concentration in the surrounding area. The fog from the morning must have been the aftermath of that.

“You weren’t at the hot spring source, so it seems like you aren’t so good with heat.”

That was definitely something of a silver lining here. The amount of damage would have been unfathomable if it had entered the town of Affe through the spring source and hot springs.

And more than all that, Latina would have been endangered if that had happened.

He could never just overlook something like that. And so, he really did feel grateful that he found it before the flexible slime could manage to adapt to warmer temperatures.

Physical attacks weren’t effective on slimes.

What looked at a glance like a single being was actually more like an aggregation of many tiny slimes. Thanks to that, the whole hardly took any damage at all when whacked with a sword or club or the like. And since it had such a simple makeup, it didn’t feel pain. That meant it wasn’t possible to use pain in order to restrict its movements, either.

The liquid inside its body was a strongly acidic compound capable of digesting its prey. And so, interacting with it carelessly could lead to your weapons being corroded or even your skin getting burnt.

For that reason, Dale decided to employ magic without even a hint of hesitation. He kneaded his mana, chanted a long spell, and finally proclaimed the spell name.

“<<Manifestation: Earth>>”

With that different spell than his usual <<Ground Transfiguration>>, a crystal rose from the depths of the spring as Dale had desired. Like with real gemstones, it was the kind of spell that was quite rare to see as it required high amounts of mana and affinity, though that wasn’t necessarily the case in places with abundant resources. The cage of quartz formed in a shape that would be impossible in nature, separating the slime from the outside world. Based on what he knew about them, it was clear to Dale that this slime was far larger than average.

It must have realized what was happening, as a portion of the slime exploded. That self-destruction was an attack performed by sacrificing a portion of itself for the sake of the whole. With that, fluid came pouring out, seeping into the surroundings.

Seeing that, Dale continued on chanting.

The walls of quartz grew even thicker. Having more or less lost any place to go, the little bit of acid that had leaked out now swayed atop the slime’s body.

The slime had been trapped in what looked like a distorted pestle made of quartz, and when it started probing around for a way out, Dale muttered, “It sure is a big one... If Latina was here she’d probably find it super interesting, but that’d be dangerous...”

He really didn’t sway in his convictions.

“Maybe I should’ve brought Vint along with me. After all, Hagel’s Fire magic was really useful when I was traveling around dealing with the demon lords.”

He couldn’t help but think to himself with a strained smile that having things too easy really ruined people.

Even so, Dale focused in order to cast another round of magic. Quirmizi’s blessing didn’t affect anything but the Earth magic he specialized in, so other types used up mana. However, when Dale was strengthened by becoming a demon, that applied to the amount of mana he possessed, too. Plus, since his opponent had been sealed from escaping, he could even chant off a long spell without any problem. Thanks to that, all the typical drawbacks of casting a big spell had been cleared away.

When the magic finally activated, it had an overwhelming effect.

The maelstrom of cold it whipped up froze the slime’s liquid body thoroughly, attacking each and every cell. And as the murky transparent white of the slime’s liquid body froze over, there was a slight high-pitched cracking sound.

Standing in front of the now completely frozen icicle, Dale gave a single sigh.

“Before I clean this up, I better make sure there aren’t any more around the area.”

Surely there wouldn’t be any more this big. But there was still a chance there could be some little ones lurking around.

“It’d be nice if I could find those mushrooms Latina wanted, too,” Dale muttered, adding a mushroom hunt to his search for any remnants as he pushed his way through the forest.

“And so, this is a dried out slime,” Dale had stated lightheartedly after returning to the inn like he was just continuing on from breakfast, pulling out a scraggly, semi-transparent lump.

“Slime?” Vint questioned, sniffing the substance with great interest.

It was a great deal different from how Latina imagined a slime to be.

“It’s not all bouncy and jelly-like?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t go that far...”

“It’s so hard.”

“Ah, that’s just because it’s dried up.”

Afterwards, Dale had gathered up several small slimes and froze them, then used magic to suck all the moisture out of them. The reason he dried them all out was because it allowed him to have some proof that they were dealt with to deliver to the proper location.

“There may still be some left, so I was planning on telling them to hunt them down across the mountain when I handed this over. Slimes have a lot of subspecies, but they’re easy to figure out how to deal with if you can peg what type it is.”

“Hmm...”

The fact that Dale headed out and returned in the evening so nonchalantly made it hard for Latina to grasp the seriousness of what had occurred. And in the first place, she had grown up in Kreuz with Dale heading out daily to exterminate magical beasts, so she didn’t see how amazing he really was.

“Are slimes edible?”

“It’s like a bundle of acid, so I’d say no,” Dale replied, only for an unexpected comment to come from Vint at his side, who had reached a conclusion after thorough sniffing.

“This thing, really gross, so no way.”

“You’ve eaten one before?”

“Orange-colored ones, a bit sour. Easy to catch. Like a little snack.”

“So you’ve eaten them...?”

Apparently soaring wolf cubs treated an orange subspecies of slimes as snacks. Dale could actually see how they could look kind of tasty depending on how they were colored.

Still, it would be a problem if Latina ended up getting any more interested in the subject.

“Ah, Latina,” Dale called out to intentionally change the flow of the conversation, forcefully driving it away from what they had just been discussing. “I found the mushrooms you wanted to eat. I handed them over to the inn’s chef, so I think they’ll probably be used for tonight’s dinner.”

That had an immediate effect, as Latina broke out in a wide smile as her head was filled with thoughts of that night’s dinner. She just looked so happy that Dale couldn’t help but grin too, feeling that today’s mushroom hunt really had been worth it.

And when Latina finally got to eat the mushrooms she had so desired, her joy was even greater.

They were lightly roasted over deep mountain apricot wood and just had a bit of salt for seasoning. And biting into them turned out to be an honestly moving experience. The savory taste it overflowed with made it feel like a waste to simply swallow it, as chewing it was so enjoyable.

“Amazing... This is delicious...”

Dale, of course, was fully satisfied by the dish, but he enjoyed taking in Latina’s smile even more than he did the food.

†

There was also one more reason Dale had felt the need to take care of this extermination job.

Seeing the source of the hot springs with Latina was one of the reasons Dale had decided they should visit Affe in the first place.

It wasn’t as if it’d been reopened right away, but the original reason for the closure had been resolved, and there was nothing further to fear from it.

And so, this is pretty much the perfect opportunity!

Dale shot Latina a wide grin, not even hiding his thoughts. She simply viewed this as a pleasant stroll, though, and smiled back without any hesitation.

Latina stopped in the shade of the forest’s trees and stared up at the clear blue sky.

She had been raised in the city of Kreuz, so the sight and smell of such dense greenery was apparently quite novel to her. Her expression was full of emotion, eloquently displaying what she was feeling.

Even when she started moving again, she showed no hesitation walking through this unfamiliar location.

Since he could see how much Latina trusted him through her actions, Dale was also wearing a blissful grin.

Even Vint’s tail was happily wagging along as he walked ahead of them.

The small dirt path through the woods had tree roots jutting out into it, making for rather poor footing. But apparently, Latina even found joy in the path being so unkempt, as she hopped along while avoiding the hazards. Just when Dale began worrying about her tripping, she suddenly lost her balance, but she was fortunately able to catch herself on her way down.

Latina looked embarrassed by her own clumsiness, causing Dale to break out in a strained smile and completely forget to scold her.

A unique smell then filled the air, signaling to Dale that their destination was nearby. The accompanying loud sound of water also informed Latina of where exactly they were heading.

“I thought it would be a river, but it’s not...?”

“Yeah,” Dale lightly replied as they started heading downhill.

Occasionally Dale offered Latina a hand so that she wouldn’t slip. And since the footing was so bad Vint decided to fly instead, which he was rather skilled at.

“Wah...” Latina exclaimed in wonder as she looked up, seeing an impressive waterfall. A large amount of water was flowing ceaselessly from the rock face, making for quite the display. “It’s amazing...”

“The waterfall’s really something, but it’s not the only amazing thing around here.”

“Huh?” Latina questioned while tilting her head.

As they approached the waterfall, it became clear that the basin had been carved out rather deep and looked like a fountain. When Latina dipped her hand in she immediately looked shocked, and then after a moment she turned to Dale.

“It’s warm?”

“Up above the spring source joins with the river and then they fall down together. Thanks to that, this whole waterfall is a hot spring.”

“Wow! That’s so amazingly wonderful!”

Apparently she hadn’t expected this at all. With her eyes positively sparkling, she put her hand back in the waterfall basin and started excitedly stirring it around.

Seeing Latina like that, Vint apparently decided that meant it was time to play in the water, so he leapt into the waterfall basin. And as it turned out, he was a far better swimmer than Dale had expected.

“It’ll be like getting in a really big bath, right?”

“It’s pretty famous among adventurers. Lots of folks use it, and it’s known for providing a different experience from the bath house in town.”

“I see.”

Dale nonchalantly explained all that, but he also had an ulterior motive in coming here.

Latina was incredibly shy. Several years had passed between their engagement and their marriage, but she hadn’t really changed in that regard over that period.

And yet on the other hand, Latina was also quite curious.

This sort of environment entirely unlike what she saw in her everyday life was exactly the thing to stir up her curiosity. And by creating such a situation, Dale would surely be able to enjoy a more lovey-dovey time together with Latina than normal. They would surely be able to feel completely free to enjoy bathing together.

It was fortunate that the aftermath of the magical being incident would limit people from coming there. They weren’t even likely to run into other travelers. And so, that would definitely help to give her a push.

Dale had known her for so long that he was very well acquainted with her personality by now.

This was sure to go well.

Or at least, that’s what he had thought.

“It sure is amazing.”

Dale wasn’t the only one watching Latina innocently splash around in the water, though.

No, a good number of folks from Affe were also there, acting as a gallery.

Dale stared at them with dead eyes, but then his expression shifted right back as he looked at Latina again. His inner thoughts were showing to an almost alarming degree.

Of course, Dale himself was the reason things had ended up this way.

He had wanted to make Latina happy. With that in mind, yesterday he had entrusted the inn’s chef with mushrooms that only grew in this area. On top of that, he had also handed over the dried slime to the inn’s owner who had previously told him about the magical being incident.

The reason the inn’s owner had revealed that information that could be damaging in the first place was because he was aware of Dale Reki’s reputation as a hero. And then, he had reported that the incident had been settled.

It was only natural that people would come to check the state of things.

Having realized all that as soon as he saw the townsfolk, Dale’s eyes had gone dead.

And naturally, even he couldn’t ask that Latina fulfill his secret ambitions with so many people watching.

Dale’s desires had been thoroughly crushed, while Latina was seriously enjoying the sights. And so, the one who got to enjoy the beautiful hot spring most of all was the utterly unconcerned pup, Vint.

Things were wrapped up nicely, and everyone, the townsfolk of Affe included, were more or less satisfied. And they all lived happily ever after.