It's an Asfar school, all the same.
But it really is totally different from Mr. Cornelio's house.
Latina!
Chloe.
Welcome home!
Thanks. It's good to be back, Chloe.
I was lonely without you,
so I wore this every day while I was waiting for you!
Is that my...?
Yep. It's your broken horn.
It looks like a gem.
I was thinking about what to do with it when...
I can fix that up for you.
We've got files and other tools at my place.
Rudy did that?
It's been my treasure ever since.
I would always look at it and wonder when you'd be back.
Good to see you again, Latina.
I'm glad to see you doing well, Sylvia.
Well, Kreuz is the same as usual.
Nothing new here.
More importantly, tell us about your trip!
Chloe told me about the route you took, more or less,
but what kind of gear did you use? What kind of food did you eat?
Were there a lot of magic beasts?
What about bandits?!
One thing at a time...
The Young Girl and the Kitty Paradise.
Dale...
What's up?
Well...
I've got a bad feeling.
A bad feeling?
Yeah. Over by those trees, something feels wrong.
Bandits, huh?
They're not after us.
So, what do I do?
Dale?
Guess I'll take them out.
(Spirits who embody the earth,)
Kunil luodov tiera...
(I, Dale Reki, entreat you.)
Dale Reki leduuro.
(Surge forth as I see fit,)
Mofusnaato imu elize
(and shift your form to swallow all.)
uorous gufutailev niidop.
(Earth Metamorphosis!)
Tiera Egunak!
Wh-What the...?
Bastard!
Stay back!
Dale, are you okay? Are you hurt?
I'm okay, Latina.
You really are a sweetheart.
I'm glad you're okay!
You guys lucked out.
An encounter with bandits?!
That's the real fun of traveling!
What are you talking about?
I bet it was scary.
Not really.
Even when magic beasts attacked, Dale would beat them, no problem.
M-Magic beasts?!
Oh, please tell me all about it!
Actually, I have presents for you two!
It's beautiful.
Thank you, Latina.
I bought one for me, too.
The color's a little different.
We match.
I'm telling you, it's true. This place was really amazing.
Hey, look!
Is... Is she...?
Is who?
I still think magic beasts and bandits sound scary.
Really?
L-Latina?!
You came back?!
Good to see you again, Rudy.
Man, Latina when did you—
The teacher is here, so we'll talk later.
Oh, okay.
Good morning, children.
Fighting bandits?
That doesn't sound like you.
I wanted to avoid exposing Latina to danger,
so I thought about ignoring them.
That would've been for the best.
But then, what if Latina had noticed and been disappointed with me?
I don't care what society thinks,
but Latina going, "Dale, you're so cool!" makes it worthwhile!
Dale, I got this from Latina. I wanted to thank you.
A Quirmizi charm?
Quirmizi is a fertility god,
but they're hailed for safe childbirth and child prosperity, too.
I know all that.
But did you make this?
Well, Latina mentioned wanting to give one to Rita.
And I am, technically, a priest.
I see.
What?
Nothing. That's just the first time I've ever heard you admit that.
I'm sure the baby will be born healthy.
Hey, Kenneth. Are you going to start doing baby talk when the kid's born?
What brought that on?
Aw, no cwy for Daddy now...
Dat hurts!
Atia!
Y'know, Kenneth, the thing about raising a kid...
It's... yeah.
It's really something. In more ways than one.
Seriously, what's gotten into you?
Wow, you went really far, huh?
A port town... It sounds like it has lots of tasty food.
Yeah! The food there was delicious.
That sounds so nice. I'd love to try some.
Can we maybe enjoy the food we've got first?
Actually, Rudy, why do you have some of my horn?
Rudy, that's gross.
Wh-Wh-Why do you ask?
Well, because it's mine.
I could tell by looking.
I never noticed until now, but it really is.
Come on. I gave you the one that turned out better.
That's not the real issue here.
Wh-What's the big deal?
It's really hard, which made working it down difficult,
so I wanted to practice first.
Is that a crime?
Well, I guess it's fine.
You could tell by looking, Latina?
Well, I can see something like a trace of magic power.
Can the rest of you not see it?
I can't.
Not at all.
Dale told me that I might see things differently from other people.
That's impressive.
It is?
Anyway, why do you have it?
It's... because...
Because?
Because it's rare!
You're right. I guess it is.
She bought that?
I'm glad you're taking such good care of yours, Chloe.
Of course.
It's because your horn is so pretty, Latina.
That makes me happy.
Thank you, Chloe, Rudy.
I-I was just... y'know...
So, how was coming to class for the first time in a while?
Well...
I was relieved to see that nobody had changed.
And that Kreuz hasn't changed, either.
I've lived here my whole life and never seen it change.
A kitty!
Do you like cats?
Yes, I love them!
But I can't seem to make friends with them.
Speaking of cats, I saw a gathering of them the other day.
A cat gathering?
That's right. They tend to gather around each other at night.
And... And there are a lot of kitties?
You bet. A whole bunch!
Kitties... Kitties....
You've been repeating that word for a while now, Latina. Are you okay?
A bunch of kitties...
Tabby cats, white cats, maybe even black ones...
If there's a whole bunch, maybe one of them would let me pet it?
But...
Latina. Latina!
What's wrong? You feeling all right?
Yeah. It's nothing.
Here's your order.
What's wrong, missy? You look out of it.
Did something happen?
No. I'm doing okay!
Maybe it's romance problems?
Don't be stupid. She's only ten!
Nah, man.
Doesn't matter how old they are, women will be women.
Hearing that coming from your smug face makes me want to deck you.
Yeah, let's clobber him.
Hey!
Whatever the reason, she's acting kinda weird today.
Latina, what's wrong?
It's nothing important.
You can't brush me off about this.
Is something worrying you?
Dale...
I mean, if you don't want to talk, we don't have to.
Listen...
I want to see the cat gathering.
Cat gathering?
Well, I heard that they get together in the central marketplace at night.
But I'm not allowed out at night.
Cats, huh?
Well, that's the kind of thing a kid would have on her mind.
How cute can she be?!
Well, if you insist.
But only if I go with you.
Yay, Dale, you're the best!
Come on, now. You'll make everyone else jealous.
This is it!
Dale?
If you wanna see some cats...
You don't have to go out at night.
There's a fella who lives next door to me
who's famous in the western area for having a bunch.
A bunch of cats?!
I was too slow!
Mr. Jil, do you think your neighbor would let me come over? Or no?
I've known him for long enough.
I'll ask him about it.
Really?!
Thank you, Mr. Jil!
Jilvester, you jerk!
He's this old bachelor named Gojo Shihesu.
Comes from some island country.
Weird name, right?
Gojo Shihesu...
That sounds familiar.
Old man Shihesu...
There was a guy from our generation who helped out a lot of adventurers.
I faintly remember an old guy with that name coming to my grandpa's funeral.
Before Grandpa married the old bag, he was an adventurer,
so maybe he knew this guy from back then.
Wasshoi! Wasshoi!
Let's go together!
Dale!
Kitties!
There are so many! They're so cute!
R-Right.
Sorry about the wait.
I'm Shihesu.
I'm Dale Reki.
Thanks for—
Reki? Are you...?
It's okay.
So you're Wendelgard's grandson.
I want to apologize for the trouble my grandmother caused you.
That takes me back.
Your grandfather, Reinhardt, was quite the skilled chap.
Good with magic and swords, and on top of being handsome,
he had his pick of the women.
Yet he goes and chooses Wendelgard, for some reason.
I'm her grandson, and I don't get it, either.
Well, he was odd, too.
Never one for glory or fame.
It seemed that he had a different outlook from most.
And he was a little too talented, which might've been part of the problem.
That's...
My grandmother has a similar-looking pipe.
This is from my homeland.
Reinhardt was interested in them, so I gave him a few.
I see.
But the one my grandmother uses has a flower pattern on that metal part.
I don't think that's one I gave him.
It's not?
Are you talking about Grandma's pipe?
Yeah.
Grandma said that her pipe was something that your grandpa made for her.
Well, he was talented enough to be able to manage just about anything!
Grandma said that Grandpa wasn't very strong,
but he was really talented and good at stuff like that.
No, the old bag's just got warped standards!
Wendelgard would think that, because she's absurdly strong!
Latina, don't worry about us. Go and play with the cats.
Okay!
Well, there's always demand for foreign goods.
After I retired from adventuring, I used the connections I'd made to go into trade.
You need anything, and I can give you a deal.
Well, I don't really need anything in particular.
Now, I'm no expert, so I can't give you all the details,
but it seems there are cultural differences in how people approach visiting temples around here.
Well, yeah, we have different practices than Laband in my hometown, too.
See, in my homeland, we've got a relatively high child mortality rate.
So there are a lot of traditions meant to celebrate the healthy growth of children.
For the growth of kids?
For example, after a certain age, they put on a special outfit
and head to a temple to participate in a service.
Let's see. I'd say...
It's usually children around her age.
It's a practice meant to wish for the healthy growth of children.
Wouldn't it be nice if it were adopted in this country, too?
Well, sure.
The outfits worn are a good sign of the cultural differences, actually.
Here it is, sir.
Right, just like this!
You have them wear this fine robe and visit a temple.
Since you're here, maybe you should have her try it on.
Well...
No pressure, of course, but...
I think Latina would look better in something with a lighter color!
You think so?
She seems better suited to a stronger color, to me.
She looks good in anything, of course,
but as her guardian, I believe that it's my responsibility
to make sure she wears the cutest outfits possible!
Dale, you shouldn't waste money.
Money I spend on you would never be a waste, Latina!
I'm going to grow up soon, so I don't need a lot of expensive clothes.
That's true.
You are going to keep growing.
The little Latina I have now is for a limited time only.
Wait a second, Dale.
Cats run away if you squeeze them.
Okay, that settles it!
Latina! You're so cute!
That's a hard outfit to put on! Don't mess it up!
But wow, you really are cute, Latina!
I mean, you always are, but today it's on another level!
Devastatingly cute!
It doesn't look weird?
How could it?!
It looks super cute!
See, not too bad, right?
Which is why I think this practice would be great in this country.
Getting the temples to start new traditions
isn't the kind of thing someone with my influence can pull off.
I'm not saying you should, right away.
But when you have enough influence to sway the practices of a single town church...
Just remember the rantings of an old man.
Let's see. Ten years from now, you ought to have that kind of pull, I think.
Ten years, huh?
I can't make any promises, but...
Oh, it's fine. This deal alone was plenty for me, this time.
What's wrong?
Uh, nothing!
So, I'll pay in cash, then.
I see.
Well, you've bought yourself a fine item!
He laughs the same way the old bag does.
So they wear this overseas, huh?
Seems hard to get around in.
Does it look weird?
Nah, it's what you'd call exotic!
There's something fresh about that.
Yeah, looking good, missy.
Very sharp!
Thank you.
I see Shihesu gave the folks I introduced to him the hard sell.
Though, they seem satisfied, so I guess I'll give him a pass.
Latina even looks cute in foreign clothes!
I'm glad I bought it, after all.
But wasn't it pretty expensive?
That's a silly question, Rita.
There is no upper spending limit when it comes to Latina!
What else did you think he'd say?
Sure, sure.
Celebrating the growth of children, huh?
That sounds like a fine tradition to me.
She's so little, so it's easy to forget,
but she's going to grow up someday, isn't she?
Let's see. Ten years from now, you ought to have that kind of pull, I think.
Ten years...
Latina will be grown up by then.
I wonder what will have become of us by then.
Bored.
Bored!
What's the fuss?
Latina's gone. Bored!
The child, eh?
The young one did indeed have a pleasing scent.
Daddy.
What's up?
I'm going to Latina's place.
Daddy...
My child.
You are still young.
You lack the strength to venture into the outside world.
Don't care! Going.
I just told you that it's too soon!
Don't care!
Going to see Latina!
You're too young!
She's gonna pet me. Lots! Just me!
Stop trying to make me jealous!
Gonna tell Mommy.
That's playing dirty, and you know it!
Going to see Latina!