Atelier Tanaka

Book 2: Chapter 24 (3)

Conflict 2

Just as Henry said to me earlier, most of the allied soldiers fighting here are from the Adventurers Guild. The reason I can tell this is that all of the soldiers that were originally a part of the army are wearing matching armour. All of the adventurers that are here are wearing their own personal equipment and gear.

Not to mention the fact that the adventurers clearly value their own equipment more than the normal soldiers value the armour and weapons given to them by the military. Aside from the equipment they have, the way they fight and the things they yell are all different from the normal soldiers.

From what I can tell there are very few captains or generals on the field. There are some that were already in the position of captain or general and were sent here to command the soldiers fighting or there are also some that were nominated to become captains amongst the soldiers.

In other words, it’s like a large corporation deciding to promote an employee to the position of manager of a failing business. They don’t have to sacrifice any of their higher paid employees and if the business fails, they can blame that newly appointed employee for everything.

Most of these captains seem to have already been killed or seriously wounded.

Many of them are lying on the ground, motionless.

I don’t know how skilled these men were compared to the average soldier. Whether they were chosen for their superior fighting abilities or they were groomed to be the best soldier possible. It really doesn’t matter. Even now the number of the normal soldiers is quickly decreasing…oh, just now, another soldier was hit with a fireball. Everything above his shoulders has disappeared.

The frontline is still standing though. It seems to be made up of an equal mix of normal soldiers and adventurers.

While I desperately continued healing the injured soldiers, I tried to think of the best way to end this fight.

“Thank you so much! You saved me!”

“It was nothing.”

I heard the same words of gratitude that I’d heard from the others several times already.

No matter where I went or who I picked up to heal, they were all men. War seems to be considered a man’s job in this world. Speaking of how very few women there are here, I can see that Dark Elf fighting amongst the soldiers on the frontline. She was wildly swinging her sword amongst a large group of enemy fighters. That Dark Elf really is amazing. She’s effortlessly cutting down enemy after enemy using her sword and magic.

From my vantage point, I didn’t see a single soldier, amongst the enemy or my allies, as active as her among the fighters on either front line. Whether it was the mages shooting offensive magic from the back or the soldiers fighting at the front, nobody was as effective as her.

Without a doubt, the MVP of this fight is that dark-skinned elf.

I guess using your hatred for a certain race as your motivation is rather effective.

“I’m sorry but there are more injured that need my attention.”

“Thank you for saving me. Thanks to you, I can get back into the fight now!”

“If you’re injured again in the fight, please scream out as loud as you can. It will make it a lot easier for me to find you.”

“Thanks to your efforts I can continue fighting with confidence!”

Every single one of these guys is so hot-blooded.

They’re seriously burning up.

But I’d rather they not act so rashly.

“Good luck out there.”

“Here I come you bastards!”

Someone I don’t even know, showing me a broad smile while he rushes in to fight the enemy. He was a young man that was several years younger than me. Even though only moments ago, he was crying out in pain, the second he was healed he was ready to rejoin the fight.

“I bet he’s a good guy….”

Or at least that’s what I think.

I wonder how he ended up fighting here?

I really don’t know.

The man I just healed returned to his friends.

Among them, I could see the dog-eared girl that I had healed earlier.

“Thanks to you, I can continue helping my friends!”

I actually am really envious of them.

I wish I had someone that was that close to me.

“Tanaka! I need your assistance! I was unable to help those people with my magic, but I’m sure you’ll be able to! I’m sorry for having to ask you, but please help them!”

I don’t have any time to be jealous of them right now.

“Right!”

I flew in the direction of Henry using my flight magic.

I really am popular when it comes to these muscular men.

If the ratio of men to women on the battlefield was reversed, I’d be much more motivated.

“I’ll help you at once!”

I really wish I had some time to take a break.

Thanks to everyone needing constant aid, I’m starting to get tired.

◇◆◇

[Sophia-chan’s point of view]

Several days have passed since Tanaka-san left the dormitory.

There are no signs of him returning anytime soon.

Thanks to my everyday maid duties becoming easier due to his absence, I have a lot of extra time to do whatever I please. Today, as well as yesterday, I woke up early and ate a meal that was prepared for the nobility. I would then relax on the sofa in the living room while reading a book I got from a store in town.

I’m able to afford most things I want due to the money I earned from the dragon extermination party.

“Being a maid at the school really isn’t so bad….”

I spoke out loud to nobody in particular as I sat on the sofa basking in the warm sunlight that was coming in through the window.

I can only hope that this peaceful life of mine can last until I’m old. I wonder if I were still living with my parents what I’d be doing now. I’d probably be drenched in sweat getting everything ready for dinner. But now?

“…I’m a noble.”

Fufu.

Ufufufu.

I’m living the life every commoner dreams of.

“I am a noblewoman….”

I held out my cup of tea for no reason in particular.

That sounds quite nice.

I never thought I’d be able to drink tea out of such a beautiful cup.

In my parent’s house, I’d be drinking soup out of a wooden bowl right now. Well, the soup my father makes is actually really good, but what’s most important is the atmosphere of the place you are in when drinking it.

Yes. The atmosphere is everything.

“Tonight, I’ll be attending the ball with the Crown Prince.”

I tried to pretend as if I was an actress in a play.

As a girl that was born as a commoner, that was a line I’ve always wanted to say at least once.

I don’t even know what the Prince looks like, but it’s still my dream to do that.

Of course, in reality, I realize that someone like that is not within my reach, and I should really go after someone more attainable. I’ve learned that a girl should be more realistic in life.

I learned this from my Mother who divorced my Father in the hopes that she could marry into a wealthy family. Of course, this dream of hers never came true. She ended up losing all of her money, never remarried, and started working in the red-light district in the city.

Still, I feel that it is good to have lofty dreams

I realize that it’s something that will never happen, but it’s still fun to pretend.

“After the ball ends…the Prince will bring me to his room and….”

I can’t hold back my own desires and my mind begins to fill with perverted thoughts.

When my delusion starts to become filled with these thoughts, I started to feel an extreme sense of bliss.

“Ah, Prince, a…actually I’m…I’m really the daughter of a commoner….”

My important first time will be taken by the Prince’s hard and strong….

Then, please show me it.

I want it. I want it now.

Ahn~, I’ll do my best.

I’ll make you feel good.

It’s so good. Keep going.

I could feel my hand moving down below my waist of its own accord.

“Oi!? Where is that man!?”

Bang!

With a loud crash, the door to the living room suddenly opened.

“Hii…!”

W-W-W-W-Who is it!?

Fahren-sama? What is Fahren-sama doing here?

I don’t understand what’s going on. There wasn’t even a knock on the front door.

Wasn’t the front door locked? Does he have his own key?

“Hmm, is he not here?”

“U-umm, w-w-well, that’s….”

I’m glad I wasn’t masturbating.

Otherwise, I don’t know if I’d ever be able to face Fahren-sama again.

The second I heard him enter, I immediately moved the hand that had been moving towards my crotch to my side.

“Waitress, where did he go?”

“Tanaka-sama, umm, he was sent to Ester-sama’s territory….”

“The territory of Richard’s daughter!? No way, he hasn’t gone to Tricklis, has he!?”

“Y-Yes!”

I stumbled over my own words as I nodded repeatedly. My body was also trembling just from standing near Fahren-sama.

Fahren-sama is very scary.

For those that are talented with magic, he will treat them with great respect. However, for those that are unable to use any type of magic, he treats them as nothing more than a small stone on the side of the road. And, of course, I belong to the latter, so he doesn’t even treat me like a person.

I heard he cut the legs off of one of his maids without even hesitating.

“Kuh, what terrible timing….”

“….”

Hmm, who is that young girl standing beside Fahren-sama?

She’s rather small and, if I had to guess, I’d say her age is in the single digits.

She has very pale skin, but her hair is jet black and it extends down to her waist. Her eyes are also strange. She has gold coloured eyes, but the strangest part about them is that the whites of her eyes are completely black. She isn’t normal. Perhaps, she belongs to a subhuman race. Even though I’ve been living in the city for all of my life, I’ve never seen anyone that looks like her before.

She’s wearing high-class clothing similar to Fahren-sama.

It’s a bright red dress with frills on the neck and hem.

It’s very cute.

“Oi, that man isn’t here?”

The girl asked Fahren-sama this.

She speaks rather frankly to him.

Does that mean this girl is a nobleman too?

“Hmm…it seems he’s gone out.”

“What did you say? That man just left me alone and decided to go out and do whatever he pleases. Who exactly does he think he is?”

“Were you two keeping in contact?”

“…he left without permission, so he’s the one in the wrong.”

In response to Fahren’s question, the girl looked upset and turned away from him.

She really reminds me of Ester-sama.

But maybe she’s a bit more selfish than Ester-sama.

“So you haven’t spoken to him since that time?”

“Of course not. I’ve been away from the city ever since then.”

“W-Well, it’s fine. You can still follow after him….”

This is an incredibly rare sight.

Fahren-sama seems to be intimidated by this child.

If he was behaving normally, he’d almost never say anything like, “W-Well, it’s fine.” So, who is this girl?

Fahren-sama doesn’t even change the way he acts in front of Ester-sama. So, of course, I need to know who exactly this girl is.

“Where is Tricklis?”

“Do you know where the border between this country and the Pussy Republic is?”

“I don’t know anything about the world of humans.”

“I see. It’s located a few days from here by carriage.”

“Hmm, if that’s the case, if I use my wings it shouldn’t take more than half a day to get there.”

“I-I see.”

Fahren-sama seems to be panicking.

It’s a very rare thing to see. I feel like I need to enjoy this sight.

“Alright, I’ll be heading there straight away!”

“Right, I hope you are able to find him safely.”

“What are you talking about? Of course, you’ll be acting as my guide.”

“M-Me!?”

“Are you saying you won’t do it?”

“Guh….”

Fahren-sama immediately backed down.

I want to leave this room right now.

I just know something terrible will happen if I stay here.

“You, waitress, you’ll be coming with. I’m sure that man will enjoy seeing you.”

“Eh….”

What is he suddenly talking about?

Why do I have to go?

And, is this man he’s talking about Tanaka-san?

Because Fahren-sama is such a high-ranking noble, I can’t even say no to him.

“…I…I understand.”

Recently, I really do feel like my life has become just too hectic.

And it’s absolutely, in no way, my fault.

“Alright, let’s go.”

And so, at the words of Fahren-sama, my short-lived life of spending all day peacefully as a noble, came to an end.