Atelier Tanaka

Book 2: Chapter 26 (2)

Conflict 4

As we continued down the road, we encountered several more bugs that the Dark Elf took care of easily.

Then, suddenly, she stopped walking.

It seems she’s found something.

“Umm, what is….”

“Be quiet.”

“…okay.”

I followed the Dark Elf’s actions and tried to stay hidden amongst the bushes. She positioned herself against a tree and appeared to be looking at something off in the distance.

Then, I could hear the sound of leaves crunching beneath something’s feet.

The moment I heard this, something leapt out towards us from the opposite side of the bushes.

“Damn! A goblin?”

Just as she said, a goblin appeared near us. The goblin must have already noticed us as it was holding a sword out and shaking it violently at us.

At the same time, the Dark Elf grabbed her sword and rushed out from behind the tree. She danced away from the goblin’s first strike before bringing her sword back in front of her to block the goblin’s follow up attack.

As the two blades met, the sharp sound of metal on metal resonated in the woods.

“Gu…that attack was quite strong for a goblin.”

When I saw her on the previous battlefield, this same Dark Elf cut her way through nearly a thousand enemy soldiers. If she’s struggling against it, that attack must have been powerful.

From what I know, based on the information I was able to gather at the Adventurer’s Guild, a goblin is a weak enough opponent that a rank F adventurer would usually be tasked with killing them.

If this is true, the goblin before us must be something else.

I thought about it for a little while, before I finally realized something.

“…ah, could you be?”

“Yoo…I know yoo….”

This guy, is he the goblin that gave me those medicinal herbs? It’s impossible for me to tell two goblins apart, but I can recognize the sword he’s holding.

And it appears that he also recognizes me.

After taking a good look around the area, I was also able to spot another smaller goblin hiding in the bushes. That must be his sister.

So she’s also safe.

Neither of them appeared to be injured. I’m happy to hear that.

Wa-Wait a minute! Stop! Elf-san, stop!”

“Hah!? Why!?”

The Dark Elf quickly took a few steps closer to the goblin and prepared to attack.

I grabbed onto her from behind and tried to stop her.

“That goblin, I know him. Don’t hurt him!”

“…what?”

She just barely stopped her attack before turning to look at me clearly confused about what I just said.

“Please, just leave this to me.”

“I’ve never heard of humans and goblins knowing each other.”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

“…f-fine. Just get off of me, it’s disgusting!”

My sexual harassment attack seems to be surprisingly effective on the Dark Elf.

With just one attempt, I was able to completely stop her from killing the goblin. She lowered her sword and backed away. It’s also possible that because the opponent here is a goblin she may have felt that it was beneath her to fight him.

As she lowered her sword the goblin quickly followed suit.

Still, he hasn’t completely relaxed yet. Although, probably because he recognized me, he was noticeably less tense compared to before. He turned away from the Dark Elf to face me.

“Hooman…iz ben long tyme.”

“It has. It’s nice seeing you again. I think it’s only been a month since we last met, but it sure feels like a lot longer than that.”

“I did juz lik yoo said. I tuk mi sizter und ran.”

“Oh, I see.”

I guess he took my advice and left the area outside the capital.

“So this is where you’re living now.”

“It iz.”

“…I-I see.”

Then, I’ll have to be the one to break the bad news to them.

This area is near the border between the two warring nations. I don’t know where or when these two countries will do battle, but I know this area will be difficult for goblins to live in peacefully.

“This area is also a dangerous place to live.”

“…iz that zo?”

“Two of the human nations are at war and this will become their battlefield.”

“I zee…wut zhood we do?”

“I hate having to say this, especially knowing that you must have just arrived here, but it would probably be best for you and your sister if you left this place. There have already been many soldiers spotted in the surrounding woods.”

“…ef yoo ar the wun zaying et, I know I can truzd et.”

“Thank you, I’m glad to hear that.”

“mi sizter nd I wil ezcape.”

“Good. It’s nice seeing a brother and sister so close.”

“…ar hoomans zha zame wey?”

“I’d say most siblings get along well enough.”

“I zee…no matir how diffrint we ar on ouside, we ar zame on enside.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

I really feel like this goblin is just a kind older brother.

I’d also like a sister.

When I’m finally able to regain my youth I’ll start my own family and adopt a cute girl.

“…I get et…wee leave forist.”

“I’m sorry that humans are forcing you to leave your home once again.”

“Dunt worie….”

Seriously?

He’s being forced to flee from his home for the second time and he doesn’t even seem upset.

He really is a good guy.

Ah, I should really thank him for those herbs.

“We zhood git going….”

“Oh, wait a minute.”

The goblin stopped after taking a step.

The medicinal herb goblin turned back to face me.

“…wut?”

“You should take this with you.”

I took a single gold piece from my wallet and tossed it to him.

With his free hand, the goblin skillfully grabbed the coin out of the air and looked at it.

“Wut iz thiz?”

“It’s something incredibly valuable to humans. If you ever meet another human you feel you can trust, give that to them and they will surely help you.”

“Gib thiz to hooman?”

“O-Oi!? You’re giving this thing a gold coin!?”

The Dark Elf began to yell, but I just ignored her.

“Yes, give it to another human, but make sure it’s one you know you can trust. If the person you offer it to can’t be trusted they may try to take advantage of you.”

“…I onderztand.”

The goblin nodded back to me.

Are coins unknown to him? He kept glancing down at the coin in his hand, flipping it over again and again.

After a few seconds, he seemed to notice something.

“I dunt hav anyzhing to giv yoo.”

“No, I’m giving it to you as thanks for the herbs you gave me before.”

“…yoo zure? Dunt yoo need et?”

“I have more elsewhere. Don’t worry about it.”

“….”

“Your sister is waiting for you. You better get going.”

“…I onderztand. I em gratefol, hooman.”

“It was nothing.”

The goblin gave me a slight bow.

His face isn’t exactly nice to look at, but he’s a little cute.

Is this what they call kimokawa? (TN: Idk if there’s a word for this in English, but it basically means something that is both cute and repulsive)

“Well then, please live a healthy and peaceful life.”

“…bai bai.”

The goblin waved a small hand to me as he walked towards his sister.

He grabbed his sister’s hand and walked through the bushes he first jumped out of.

I stood there for a while, silently watching their figures fade into the distance. Both him and his sister quickly disappeared amongst the trees. The sounds of the rustling bushes soon faded.

And it was now just the Dark Elf and I left standing in the woods.

“…have you lost your mind?”

“You really don’t hold anything back, do you?”

“I won’t deny that. What kind of person just gives out gold coins to a goblin?”

“This person.”

“…you’re insane.”

“I basically owe that goblin my life.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ll tell you more about it some other time.”

“Like I want to listen to something like that! Let’s get moving; we’ve wasted enough time here already!”

“Of course.”

The Dark Elf began walking in the opposite direction the goblin left.

“….”

I’m really glad we ran into each other here. I felt like this encounter with the goblin was able to heal some of the damage to my heart caused by the last battlefield and the insects in this forest.

My mood has been improved. I quickly chased after the Dark Elf.

◇◆◇

After saying farewell to the goblin, we had walked for several uneventful minutes through the forest. I looked up through the canopy and saw the sun was directly overhead. It’s probably okay for us to take a break soon.

The Dark Elf, who had been walking a few steps ahead of me, stopped once more.

“Stop.”

“…what’s wrong?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but there’s definitely something there.”

I stopped dead in my tracks and strained my ears, hoping to hear whatever may be out there.

Then, I could hear a faint sound.

While standing next to the Dark Elf, I could see a strange colour through the normal greenery of the forest. It was as if the light from the sun was reflecting off something.

“St-Sto…I-I don’t want….”

“Huhuhu, what’s wrong? Here? Does this spot feel good?”

“Kuu…st-stop…I don’t…ahn~”

“Did you think I’d show any mercy to an enemy soldier?”

“Ah~n….”

I can’t know exactly what’s happening, but there’s some kind of repetitive motion happening on the other side of a thicket. However, there’s only one thing that comes to mind that can cause such a sensuous voice. I can hear the sound of metal armour rattling, and the location of this event is in the woods during wartime.

Someone’s fucking. (TN: This is actually what the line translates as)

“…t-this is….”

“The emblem on that armour belongs to the empire.”

“Eh? Ah, I guess so….”

This Dark Elf’s vision is amazing.

I mean, I can barely even make out their shapes in the distance. Yet, she’s able to see the small insignia on the armour.

Even though we were hiding, she had already placed one hand on her sword and had begun edging herself closer to the two soldiers in front of us. She leapt out from underneath the shadow of the tree we were hiding behind. At the same time, this caused several leaves to shake free from the branches above me. As the leaves fell down around me, so did several bugs.

Some were able to fly. One insect that looked like a centipede landed right on my face.

“Kyaaaaaaaa!?”

I couldn’t help myself and let out a pathetic yell.

I ran out from the cover of the tree and followed after the Dark Elf. Damn her for causing me even more trauma.

I sprinted forward around ten metres, before emerging into a slight clearing. This empty space was around the size of one tatami mat and was clearly man-made.

And the source of the sound was clearly visible now.

“…ah.”

However, this isn’t quite what I was expecting.

“Wha…y-you’re….”

A knight wearing armour with the Penny Empire’s crest on it was in the middle of assaulting a girl wearing a robe. I assume she’s an enemy soldier. The armoured knight had already removed the clothing covering the robed woman’s lower body. The knight was rubbing all over the robed woman’s body with her right hand.

The robed woman appeared to be restrained with some kind of vine. She was left completely helpless. The clothes covering her lower body were completely removed, and the clothes covering her torso had been shredded with a knife. I’m really able to fully appreciate her body.

She’s pretty cute. I’d say she’s in her late teens. She has beautiful blonde hair styled in a simple bob. Her body is rather modest, but for a slender girl like her, it’s quite nice. Especially when I consider how attractive her face is. It’s something I’m really not surprised to see on a battlefield. Every man would eventually consider rape.

The surprising thing wasn’t the act itself, it was the person committing the act.

“Mercedes-san, w-what’s going on here….”

“No, th-this is…this isn’t….”

Immediately, the female knight’s eyes widened in shock.

She’s definitely wearing armour with the emblem of the Penny Empire.

The Dark Elf was left standing before this ridiculous scene, completely speechless.

I guess she wasn’t expecting to walk in on a beautiful yuri scene either.

“…human, you know this person as well?”

“Y-Yeah, well….”

The imperial knight we were sent to rescue can’t be Mercedes-chan, right?

Now that I think about it, I never even asked for the knight’s name.

No way.

But, everything seems to be pointing to that.

I haven’t seen her recently. I guess that was due to the fact that she’s been here.

“It’s not what it looks like! I-I was just interrogating an enemy I captured! Just interrogating!”

“…I see.”

“Listen up! Tell me everything you know! Where is the enemy’s main force located!”

“Ahii!”

I’m not even remotely close to believing her.

Mercedes-chan slapped the enemy soldier’s butt and she let out a sweet moan.

Sweat sprayed off into the air as her hand connected with her butt. Forest love juices.

This is the best.

I understand your desires, Mercedes-chan.

We bonded over our own perverted desires one night while drinking, so I can completely understand what she was doing in this forest.

I’ll give her the title ‘The Legendary Battlefield Desecrator.’

“I don’t care what you were doing to that woman, but this is good, right?”

“H-How so?”

“Mercedes-san, you’re the missing imperial knight, right?”

“…and?”

“Imperial Knight Mercedes-san, I’ve been commanded to return you to the frontlines.”

“….”

That girl doesn’t seem too happy to hear that.