Atelier Tanaka

Book 1: Chapter 16

Dragon Extermination 6

On that day, the capital of the Peni Empire, Kalis, was in an uproar.

The reason for this is the huge dragon, Christina’s visit.

As Christina landed in the noble mage’s garden, we were quickly surrounded by knights wearing heavy armour and many people wearing robes and holding staves. Apparently, such a large creature landing in the capital can cause a lot of panic.

That does make sense.

The noble mage tried to calm down everyone.

He explained that this was his home and why the dragon was here.

“It’s because you people are so stubborn that you cause all this trouble.” He said something like this and continued complaining to the knights before letting out a large sigh.

Ah, it seems like he managed to clear everything up. All the guards seemed to be leaving to return to their posts. That magic obsessed noble can actually be useful.

Shortly after arriving, Christina seemed to already be ready to leave.

“I will never forget. I will never forget the name, Saito…..” She seemed to have some deep meaning in her words before she left. However, that name is just a pseudonym and we landed at the noble mages mansion so I should be fine. I gave her a quick nod before she left back to Mount Pepe.

And at the same time, the dragon extermination party broke up at that spot.

The next morning. I had met up again with the noble mage at his home, but I just wanted to return home already.

Tired.

I’m so tired.

I just want to go home and sleep.

But I still have an important task to complete. Defeating the dragon wasn’t the end goal.

From here on I need to show my abilities as an alchemist.

I have to continue Edita Sensei’s legacy.

◇◆◇

With Sophia carrying the luggage and the noble mage who insisted he had to come with, I returned to my atelier.

So, that’s why I’m currently being trained in medicine.

“So, I add the solvent here……?”

“Eh? Yeah, well….”

As long as I mix, dissolve, boil, and repeat according to Edita Sensei’s recipe, I shouldn’t mess up. Sensei’s recipe laid out everything that was necessary for me to finish the recipe.

On the other hand, the noble mage seems to see some hidden meaning in the mixing procedure I’m following. After every move I make he mutters to himself.

Incidentally, when Sophia had finished carrying the luggage to my atelier, she went back home. She could have at least stayed to have a cup of tea. I even offered some to her but she refused immediately and ran out of the building.

When she parted with the party it seemed like a wave of relief washed over her body.

Her eyes were even sparkling.

The eyes of Sophia that I haven’t seen in a long time.

Well, it’s probably for the best. This way I can focus on creating this medicine.

“Ah, sorry, but can I see that green medicine there?”

“This one?”

“Thank you.”

I continued mixing with my overzealous assistant.

◇◆◇

The next day.

We brought the finished medicine to the royal castle in the city of Kalis of the Peni Empire. All of the usual members are here me, the noble mage, Team Orgy, Mercedes, and Sophia.

The political power of that magic obsessed noble is clear here too.

He gave his reason for being here and was immediately allowed to enter the castle.

Inside the castle, there were nobles, knights, servants, and even several people from foreign countries. Still, we were able to easily pass through all of these people to see the king. That noble mage must have an incredible amount of trust with the king.

“I’ve heard your reason for coming. Is it true? Lord Fahren, have you managed to create a medicine to cure my daughter?”

A man sitting on a large throne. He looked like a typical fantasy king.

He’s even wearing a crown on his head.

He is supposedly the ruler of this country.

I’ve heard he accomplished a lot when he was young, but he looks more than capable of doing more at his current age. He appeared to be around the same age as the noble mage or me. His body is massive and reminds me of an American football player. He has shiny, blonde hair cut to resemble Beethoven’s hairstyle. There are no signs of balding and I can’t see a single grey hair.

However, due to the stress of his daughter’s condition, he is showing an incredibly tired expression. He seems to be trying to suppress his hope that this cure will actually work. That may be due to there being several other people claiming to have found a cure but the cure never working.

“Yes, please give this medicine to her as soon as possible.”

The noble mage says this and carries the medicine to the King.

That magic obsessed noble is even allowed to approach the King.

I have no idea how to interact with royalty in this world so I have no choice but to sit back and let the noble mage handle everything. As long as I receive the reward I have no problem with that. I just want everything to go as smoothly as possible.

It’s easier for him to hand over the medicine rather than arguing that I am the one that created it. I sincerely doubt the King would take medicine from some stranger from a foreign land and give it to his daughter. Even if her condition is severe, I doubt he would ever do that.

“You there, bring this to my daughter immediately!”

“Yes!”

The king gives an order to someone nearby and a man that looked like a knight quickly ran up to take the medicine.

All of the party members that were watching this were currently kneeling before the King. Even in this world, it seems to be common practice to lower your body to someone important like him.

“I will take it to her right away.”

He took the medicine and quickly ran out of the great hall.

I’m guessing that’s the direction the princess is in.

“But, Fahren, is it true you managed to obtain the liver of a red dragon?”

The King asks the noble mage this.

“Yes. Regarding the loss of the airship, it is as I reported to you earlier. However, on our journey, we managed to obtain even larger magic stones. I, Lord Fahren, promise to create an even greater airship.”

“I’m not concerned with the lost airship. I’m more interested in how you managed to defeat the red dragon. This dragon is said to be the strongest and fiercest type of dragon. More so, I’ve heard that these companions were the only ones that went with you.”

“To kill a dragon, the quality of your companions is more important than quantity.”

“….Well, if you say so Lord Fahren. That must be the case.”

“Yes”

Wow. The King must really trust this ossan.

They must have a history together.

“If possible, I’d like to witness the effects of the medicine with my own eyes. This may be a selfish request, but can you allow us to see the royal princess?”

“That’s fine. If you’re by her side my daughter will be relieved.”

“Thank you.”

“Though, Lord Fahren, even though I’ve heard the story several times, it’s still a surprising story to hear.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, how did you know that you’d need the liver of a red dragon to create the medicine?”

“I’ll give you a detailed explanation of the story later. For now, I’d like to make sure the royal princess is okay. Besides, it is a rather complicated story.”

The ossan seemed to glance over to me.

He doesn’t mean to give credit to me?

“I understand. I would also like to see the effects with my own eyes.”

“I see you’re as stubborn as always…..”

“Stubbornness can also be a virtue. I have no reason to be humble.”

Still, I’m quite surprised at how the King acts with the noble mage. I had heard that the King was above all other nobles in the country and that he even acted this way, but he seems to be on really good terms with the noble mage. Some of the other nobility in the room seemed to be annoyed and are turning their eyes away from the pair.

Thanks to that, the other members of the party are able to follow along without anyone questioning us.

Nice, noble mage.

These two people continued exchanging words for a little while.

But, after a while, the King nodded to end their conversation.

“Well, this is the room she is in….”

There was a large wooden door that stood before us.

With a loud BAN the door suddenly opened.

Everyone stared at the now opened door.

Then, from within the room, a girl’s voice could be heard.

“F-F-Father—…….”

It’s likely that she has been sleeping all this time up until now. In addition to the knight in armour and the nobility in their robes, there was a beautiful girl in her sleepwear. The fabric was rather thin, and beneath her sleepwear, you could see the outline of her body. She had rather big breasts and a big butt and her waist was thin. Nice body.

It was a perfect body for most men.

I want to train her royal pussy.

The King was the first one to say something.

“Oh, Angelica!?”

“Father! I’m able to move my body again!”

“How…..”

Many other people, mostly men, began crowding around the entrance to the room. She runs to her father’s arms not minding how short her sleepwear really is.

With tears in her eyes, the girl called Angelica embraced her father.

“Y-You can move!? You’re okay!? Angelica!”

“Yes! I can move! I can move as if wings were growing from my back.”

“Oooooooohhhhh!”

The King lets out a great yell as he is overcome with emotion.

Just like his daughter, there are tears in his eyes.

Apparently, the medicine worked rather quickly. According to Edita Sensei’s notes, this disease wasn’t actually a disease, it was a curse. Well, I guess they’re kind of similar.

It seems like she has been eating regularly. She doesn’t seem too thin and is actually kind of thick. Her healthy legs that I’ve been watching for quite some time now are evidence of this. I’ve heard that even if you’re bedridden massaging the legs is enough to keep them healthy.

Looking at her now, I’d guess she’s rather strong. I had imagined her being much frailer. I was able to see her entire body between the time she took the medicine and ran up to her father. This princess is really amazing.

“Thank you, Father. Thank you so much! It seems like a dream that I’m able to walk on my own feet again. I’m the happiest person in the world!”

The princess continues talking while hugging her father.

You could hear several members of the audience let out audible ‘awws.’

The large crowd that had gathered quietly left them on their own.

Please, enjoy this family time together.

◇◆◇

The next day we were once again at the castle.

Rather, we had stayed in the castle overnight at the request of the king.

And now, the noble mage was saying it is time for our reward.

There are only ten days left until the debt on my house needs to be collected. I’m pretty happy that I can get all of that debt resolved so soon.

“Thank you! It’s thanks to you that my daughter has been cured!”

The king said this to us with a bright smile showing on his face.

We’re currently in the same spot as yesterday, the great hall of the royal castle.

In addition to the King, there were a large number of nobles dressed in luxurious clothing lined up on either side of the King. This scene reminds me of Jacques-Louis David’s painting of Napoleon’s coronation. Maybe it’s not that extravagant.

“I’d expect as much from you, Lord Fahren. Sincerely, thank you for everything you’ve done.”

The King says this in a tearful voice.

I am a virgin that has no real family. Seeing how much he cares for his daughter makes me think that marriage sounds rather appealing, but if I had a daughter that looked like the Princess I can’t be confident I would be able to resist spying on her in the bath.

“If it were the usual me, I would claim that I did this alone, but not today. On this one occasion, I would not have been able to accomplish this on my own.”

“Truly, what a day this is….To hear those words coming from you of all people.”

“It was all thanks to this man here that we were able to create the medicine. He obtained the dragon’s liver and even made the medicine himself.”

“……..You, raise your head and tell me your name.”

“Yes, my name is Tanaka.”

“Tanaka? That is a strange name and you look different than the people of my country.”

This is bad, I said my family name out of habit.

Most people of this world don’t seem to have a last name. It would seem even more strange to him for sure as almost all commoners do not have a last name. Well, it should be fine. I plan for this to be the first and last time I speak with the King.

“Yes, I belong to a group of nomadic people. I decided to travel on my own some time ago.”

“Nomadic people?”

Everything I’m doing is to get gold. I try to make up a story in order to not be rude.

But the face of the King just looked confused.

Suddenly, a voice that came from the side of me spoke up.

“Your grace, please give me an opportunity to speak.”

It’s the blonde haired Lolita.

She has remained silent up until now, so why does she feel the need to speak now?

“Oh, Richard’s daughter was also helping. To put yourself in such danger in order to save my daughter, you truly have my thanks. I plan to visit with your father. Perhaps I’ll give him some land and the title of Viscount.”

The atmosphere seemed to have changed after the King said these words. It was mainly due to the aristocrats quietly talking amongst themselves. It seems by giving her father the title of Viscount, the power structure of the country has changed. Well, that has nothing to do with a commoner like me.

In response to the King’s words, another man standing next to him spoke up.

Another ossan that had been standing by the throne. He was standing there the entire time yesterday as well. Is he perhaps in the number two position in this country? I’d imagine he has the title of minister or something similar.

“Your majesty, that title is a bit much.”

“Oh, are you saying that the reward is too much for the person that saved my daughter? I think the title is perfect after everything Richard’s daughter has done.”

“S-Still, that title holds too much power in the country….”

“I’ve decided on this as a reward. Do you have anything else to say, Prime Minister Mordred?”

“N-No…….”

“I would expect someone capable of defeating a red dragon is more than worthy of such a title. I am convinced that if it’s this person, they will be more than able to proudly represent that title.”

“….Yes, I agree with you.”

“If so, don’t bother speaking up in the first place.”

“Right….”

The King and the Prime Minister.

I would assume the King is in the top position and the Minister is the second in power of this country. From my position at the bottom, it is impossible to understand the full responsibilities of each of them. It’s like a minion of a large company trying to understand the job of the President.

I remember hearing something about the power of the nobility when I was at the school, but what I do know is that the Peni Empire is a very large country and has a very complex power structure in place. Thanks to my position as a commoner, I doubt I’ll ever fully understand that structure.

The nobility seems to be like typical nobles you’d find in any medieval setting.

Oh, more importantly, what is that blonde lolita trying to do?

It would be bad if she tried to say something to make me lose my reward.

I wouldn’t be able to save my home.

That would be the worst.

My assumption was entirely different than what she actually said.

“I will vouch for this man. Please, believe me.”

“What? You trust this man?”

“Yes. I swear on the honour of the FitzClarence name.”

“Fumu…..”

The blonde haired lolita speaks in a formal tone.

Really, I’m just surprised she’s trying to defend me.

The noble mage also spoke up at this time.

“I feel the same way as the daughter of the FitzClarence family.”

Thanks to these two, the expression of the King seemed to relax.

Thank you both so much. It makes me happy seeing them vouch for me.

“I understand. I will believe in the words of Lord Fahren and the daughter of the FitzClarence family. You said your name was Tanaka? I’m truly grateful for the work you’ve done.”

A few surprised voices could be heard from the surrounding crowd.

Apparently, this was a really exceptional response from the King.

I just thought he was showing me his gratitude, but now I’m starting to feel nervous after hearing the reaction from the crowd. I’m starting to think if it wasn’t for those two speaking up, I may be going back to jail soon.

After all, this is a feudal society.

“Ahahaha! It’s more than you deserve when I’m just taking you at your word.”

Does this mean I’m safe?

“Is there anything you want?”

“I would like to thank you for believing in my words. However, it is as Lord Fahren said, this would have been impossible without every member of the party.”

That is the absolute truth.

It was only as a party that we were able to achieve this goal. Every member of the party was important. It makes me happy thinking about it. It’s a great feeling to accomplish something as a group.

It’s the kind of feeling I could never get while working for a company.

“The only reason we were able to achieve our goal, was because we all worked together. That’s why I wish for the reward to be divided equally among everyone. It is a humble request, but the only reward I want is money.”

“I see. If that is your wish, I am more than willing to grant it.”

“Thank you.”

Yes!

I was able to obtain the gold I needed.

I remember hearing rumours that the King was stingy, so I was unsure if he’d grant my request, but it appears he quickly accepted my request. I guess his daughter was really that important to him.

“Bring the reward here.”

The King says this.

In response, one of the knights nearby approached with a large metal box in his hands.

“To you, for the great service you have done for our country, I give you 1000 gold coins.”

“Haha! Thank you. I will receive it gratefully!”

With my head lowered, I received the metal box with both of my hands.

It was quite heavy.

◇◆◇

After receiving the reward, we went to the noble mage’s house.

We’re now meeting to split up the reward between everyone. When it comes to 1000 gold pieces, it’s incredibly heavy. So we needed somewhere appropriate to divvy up the reward.

And so, we are now in the drawing room of the noble mage’s mansion.

“Everyone, thank you for bearing with me. I will now start deciding on how to split up the reward.”

This man was assuming the position of manager to decide on our pay.

I look at everyone sitting on the sofa.

It kind of reminds me of a net game.

“The reward from the King is 1000 gold pieces divided among seven people, therefore you will each receive 142 gold pieces. As for the little leftover gold and the gold you will get for selling the various materials you collected, that will all be used to cover the costs of the lost airship.”

This time, I was the one that played the biggest part.

However, I really didn’t want to ask for more than everyone else.

“Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah, I’m fine with that.”

“…..If so, I have no complaints either.”

I collected my share of the reward without complaint.

I expected the airship to have a higher cost. Unless all of the materials we collected from the dragon really sold for that much. Or maybe, they’re just forgiving a good amount of the costs because we saved the princess. I don’t know, but either way, I’m thankful it’s taken care of.

And nobody else seemed to have any complaints about the reward.

Or so I thought.

“Please, wait a moment.”

The blonde lolita spoke up.

As usual, this loli bitch is good at causing a disturbance.

Although, she did surprise me when she spoke up in front of the King.

“Did you have something you needed to say?”

“Why did we all receive an equal reward?”

“I just thought that was the fairest way of dividing up the reward.”

Is she trying to get more money? When we were adventuring before, she didn’t seem to need any money. Now that it is a larger amount has her attitude changed?

“Then, I don’t need the reward! You should have it.”

“Eh? You don’t want it? Even for nobility that amount should be rather impressive.”

“That’s because…..I was no help at all. Especially near the end. I was just an inconvenience to everyone….”

The blonde haired lolita looks heartbroken.

I guess I was completely wrong.

“That’s why I don’t need any of the reward!”

Then, a voice from the other side of the room could be heard.

“If that’s the case, I won’t accept my share either.”

Allen

As usual, he is showing a cheerful smile.

“I didn’t help any more than Ester. Besides, just the fact that I was a member of the party that succeeded in killing a dragon is enough of a reward.”

“I-I see…..”

This guy is too handsome.

I bet the girls get wet just hearing him speak. I bet even some guys get that way.

Well, I’m glad that I’m not gay.

“The payment for the airship can be taken out of the gold you get for selling the materials from the red dragon. As for the rest of the reward, I will graciously accept it and use it to fund my research.”

“……I understand. Then, I will distribute it now.”

That’s convenient. My reward will now be three times the amount.

With that much money, I feel like I could slack off at home for a while.

“That takes care of everything concerning your payment. Is everyone satisfied?”

Nobody seemed to have any problems with how the reward was distributed.

With this, the dragon extermination is complete.

The MVP of this quest is the little girl from town and I don’t even know her name.

Thank you, little girl.

Thanks to your advice, I was able to defeat the dragon.

After receiving our payment, this issue had been settled.

◇◆◇

I’ve finally returned home.

Home.

My home.

After returning home from the noble mage’s house, I was now lying in bed. As I was counting the stains on the ceiling, I was thinking about all the different ways I could decorate my home.

Then, I could hear what sounded like someone knocking on my front door.

I must have a visitor.

I walked to the front door, wondering who could be at the door. After opening it, I saw someone that reminded me of the military police.

It was one of the people that had come to visit me earlier.

I’m guessing he’s here to check if I’m able to pay or not.

Fortunately, I had the required amount on hand. Once I pay him, I’ll have one less thing to worry about.

“Are you ready to pay?”

“Yes, of course.”

It’s been quite a while now.

Really, it’s only been a few weeks, but it feels much longer.

Finally, I can truly call myself a homeowner so I have no real reason to complain. I can repaint the walls, build a dog house in the garden, and, if I wanted to, I could completely remodel the entire building.

I don’t know if I deserve such a privilege at this stage in my life.

Owning a home is something usually reserved for later in life.

But from today onward, I own my own home.

However, there is something I need to know.

I’m still rather cynical and need to be absolutely sure about this.

“Ah, I’d like to know one thing.”

“What is it?”

“There’s no remaining debt on this house, right? Aside from the costs of maintaining and operating this house, there’s no chance of some ridiculous debt that would never be normal suddenly appearing?”

“…..What do you mean?”

“Something like, old documents that weren’t filled out properly or maybe a sudden, outrageous  increase to the taxes of this property.”

“Well, in regards to that, I’m not sure I can answer….”

“If any of these once in a lifetime events occur, please refer your boss to that noble mage……Ah, at that time, I’ll ask Lord Fahren for assistance.”

“……..”

The strongest legend.

I learned the importance of bluffing in the battle against Christina.

As soon as I mentioned that noble mage’s name, the face of this military police guy went white.

The effect is extraordinary.

Though, I have received promises from them, in this fantasy world it’s completely meaningless. After all, this city is very similar to a medieval city. I doubt the nobility of this city are too happy that a soy sauce faced foreigner owns a house in town.

“I understand. You won’t have to deal with any obstacles like that. Of course, you’ll also be setting up an atelier here, right? If that is the case you’ll most likely need an assistant. If you’d like, I could help you find one.”

“I-I-I understand. T-T-That won’t be necessary..”

“Thank you.”

The military police guy showed me a smile.

I’m not a god so it’s impossible for me to know everything going on in this city. If something happens in the city, I don’t know who benefits from it and who iS damaged by it.

However, there is one thing I’m absolutely sure of, and that is that the name of the noble mage is incredibly powerful.

With this, even if a powerful person were to accost me, I would be able to win. Well, maybe not if it were Ester’s father.

“Well then, is everything settled?”

“O-Of course. Then, please excuse me.”

The military police guy left and I closed the door behind him.

“Fuu……”

I finally feel a sense of relief.

If I think about it, I feel even more relieved than when the fight with Christina ended.

“……”

Ah, it feels great. I’ve finally got it.

My own house  (Atelier)