Atelier Tanaka

Book 3: Chapter 2 (1)

Conflict 4

Two days ago, I died on the frontlines, travelled to an enemy country, and “captured” the final boss. It’s now been a full ten days since I slept somewhere other than a carriage or on a thin mat in a tent. That’s why the fluffy bed offered to me in Tricklis’ castle was a blessing.

For the first time in a while, I was able to sleep comfortably throughout the night.

“…that was nice.”

In a room with no one else, I quietly muttered to myself.

I was given a private room.

Moreover, it wasn’t just a normal room. It was large and luxurious. If you were to sell a single item from within this room, you could probably live comfortably for the rest of your life. A grandiose chandelier hung from the ceiling. A normal person couldn’t even imagine how much that thing must cost.

Thanks to Ester-chan’s kindness the noble mage, Sophia-chan, Christina, and I were each given extravagant rooms like this. This just shows how nice it is to have rich friends. Even if her love for Allen returns, I’d like us to remain friends.

By the way, the maid assigned to my room was relieved of her duties by Ester-chan. She told her that she would see to my every need. At first, the maid apologized and said it was her job to clean my room and take care of me.

She frantically bowed several times when confronting Ester-chan.

Ester-chan eventually managed to force her out. She’s still acting as if she actually loves me.

“….”

It is nice to be spending time relaxing in bed like this.

There are no urgent matters for me to take care of and I can lounge around as much as I like.

It reminds me of the time I took a trip to the hot springs in Atami.

I spent hours relaxing in the springs. The gentle bubbles massaged my tired muscles as I enjoyed the beautiful view of the nearby sea from my private hot spring. The peaceful sound of the waves washing over the shore brought peace to my mind. For dinner, I ate sashimi with plenty of other seafood.

“….”

Nice.

Very nice.

Maybe I’m just getting old, but I would enjoy living out the rest of my life like that.

Thinking about this caused me to feel homesick.

But, the next moment, the door was slammed open.

“Tanaka-san! This is serious! Es-Ester-sama is calling for you!”

“G-Good morning, Sophia-san.”

I’m happy that I’m able to see Sophia-chan’s face right after I woke up.

***

We believed the conflict between the Penny Empire and the Pussy Republic would soon end. It was now a few days after our time spent in the enemy’s territory and we were now receiving reports that soldiers and some of the residents of that city were outraged.

The soldiers have only just left the city, but they are most definitely headed straight for Tricklis.

According to one of Ester-chan’s spies, following the decimation of their armies and the follow-up attack on their city that destroyed the castle, the soldiers of the enemy army were more fired up than ever before and ready to get revenge for their fallen comrades.

What an annoying turn of events.

“Doris, this is your country causing trouble! Do something about it!”

“…I don’t think there’s anything that can be done.”

“Why not? They’re coming here to rescue you, right?”

“I’ve only been the lord of that castle for a few weeks now. Do you think the people of that city would do something like this to save a noble whose face they don’t even know?”

“…that does make sense.”

We’re currently in the drawing room of Tricklis’ castle. The student dormitory was luxurious but it can’t be compared to this place.

Besides myself, Sophia-chan, Ester-chan, the big-breasted loli, the noble mage, the long-haired man, and Christina were all gathered in the drawing room. Due to the fact that Ester-chan and Sophia-chan were sitting on the same side as me, I felt as if I had started my own mini-harem.

The loli dragon is still in her human form. Because we’re sitting opposite each other, I have a great view whenever she crosses her legs. She’s wearing a surprisingly innocent pair of white panties underneath her red wine dress. This combination had a strong impact on a busamen like me.

Even if Drill-chan is wearing a red dress, there’s nothing for me to look at because her skirt is so long. Seriously, who gave this loli a long dress? I definitely didn’t have a say in that. A miniskirt would add another level to her character. That would be the best combination imaginable.

“How is this a problem? Why not just destroy them?”

“I don’t think that’s the best option.”

Nobody seemed to agree with Christina’s plan.

Ester-chan was the next to speak.

“Even if we were to allow this to develop into an all-out war, no one here would stand to gain anything from that.”

A rational response for any lord.

And there was only one person that argued against her point.

“No, there’s at least one person that would stand to gain a lot.”

“…what’s that supposed to mean, Doris?”

“Liz, this conflict is related to the upper echelons of your country’s government.”

“What does that mean?”

“From what I understand, a spy from the Penny Empire was captured trying to infiltrate the Pussy Republic. This is what drew my country into this conflict and since the beginning, we’ve been devising a plan to gain a foothold in the Penny Empire.”

“Wa-Wait a minute, Doris! Give us more details than that!”

Ester-chan became irate after hearing Drill-chan’s vague words.

I think I can smell something burning.

Should a commoner like me be allowed to listen in on a conversation like this?

I looked at Sophia-chan to see how she was handling the situation. She was standing completely still and looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but here.

This could be my chance to earn some points.

“Ester-san, should Sophia-san and I leave?”

“No, you should hear all of this as well.”

“….”

The noble mage quickly put an end to that idea.

I wanted to earn some points with Sophia-chan.

But in the end, the ossan probably cost me some points.

“Doris, continue.”

“You can’t just order me around like some pathetic servant!”

“Just hurry up and say it!”

“I can’t believe this….”

Drill-chan grumbled quietly to herself. Looking at them, it really seemed like they were close. I guess they’ve known each other since they were young. However, I really don’t know much about their relationship.

“I received several reconnaissance reports from soldiers stationed along the border. They were targeting key locations that would help us in eventually taking down Tricklis.”

“….”

“It was the first time since I was born that there was even a remote possibility of capturing Tricklis.”

“…I understand. By the way, what happened to that spy?”

“He was killed because he wouldn’t give up any information. As if you didn’t know. He was a spy sent from your country and Tricklis would be the most likely place he would’ve come from.”

“That’s not true! That spy must’ve been captured only a few days after I gained control over this territory! I’ve hardly given any orders out since taking over. We’ve been in a transition period and I’ve been spending my time learning how to properly rule a territory.”

“Well…that does make sense…. I guess.”

“What?”

“It was nothing. I’m under no obligation to repeat myself to you.”

They’re both just noisy lolis.

Sophia-chan was trembling violently.

Hang in there a little longer.

“Whatever. How about you come up with a plan to stop your people.”

“And why should I have to do something like that? Are you worried that my people will just trample over your puny castle?”

“Fine, I’ll do it myself! Someone like me won’t have any trouble coming up with a plan!”

“You’re still inferior to me.”

“Nobody is superior to me! I’ll burn them all to a crisp! This will be my victory!”

“Is that so? Make sure you don’t accidentally burn your hair off with those crude flames of yours.”

There’s a clear childhood rivalry that still exists between these two.

But now isn’t the time for this.

This is real and what’s decided in this room could lead to an all-out war between our two countries.

This is a major decision for any experienced lord to make let alone these two newbies.

“Ester-san, what are you going to do?”

For the time being, let’s hear her plan.

“…for now, I’m trying to think.”

“I see.”

Her response didn’t give me a lot of hope.

She’s unsure of what to do, but her indecisiveness isn’t going to stop the enemy army from marching on her city. If things stay like this, a battle will be unavoidable.

If so, this is my time to shine. I made a promise. If there’s something I can do to help her, I’ll put all of my efforts into doing so.

“Ester-san, I’d like to confirm something….”

“Wh-What is it?”

“From where is the enemy army approaching Tricklis?”

“Oh, umm, they’ll be travelling across the Mara grasslands….”

“I see. So another meadow then.”

“Do you know of it?”

“Yes. I didn’t know the name but I know the location very well.”

This is fortuitous.

There may be a way out of this yet.

If we have that guy.

***

“Oh, look who came back!”

It was his usual dazzling smile that greeted me the moment I arrived. However, this beautiful smile wasn’t coming from a cute girl. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

“It’s been a while, Gonzalez.”

“It’s good to see you, but who are those people behind you?”

“Oh, sorry. If you’re not comfortable with them being here, they can wait outside.”

“N-No, that’s not it….”

The people he’s referring to are Ester-chan and the noble mage. The others are here as well but they didn’t enter the camp with us. They were each wearing clothing made from the finest fabrics, causing their noble lineage to be clear to Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was almost the exact opposite of them. He was an adventurer that had been stationed on the frontlines for weeks. It had been a long time since he had cared about his appearance and this was showcased by the caked on dirt covering his skin and clothing.

We were standing at the entrance of a makeshift cabin positioned in the middle of a meadow.

“I can vouch for them. They’re not bad people.”

“…if you say so. I trust you.”

“Thank you.”

Considering what I’m about to ask him, that was a rather difficult thing to hear.

However, there’s no one else I can rely on.

Other than those that were with me this morning, he’s the only other person I can count on.

“But what are they doing here? It’s unusual to see nobles leave their comfortable mansions. They’re not here to reassign me, are they? I told you before, no matter who it is making the request, I have a duty to protect my comrades as the head of our clan.”

“I know.”

“…then what are they doing here?”

Gonzalez looked irritated by the sheer presence of nobles.

He really must hate them.

It may have been better if I had come alone.

I would have certainly had an easier time negotiating with him.

“….”

Gonzalez is the type of person that prefers to talk with his fists. On top of that, he’s also the leader of a clan that has more than three hundred members and most of them are here. I know he’s not an unreasonable person and if I can manage to convince him, the rest of his clan will likely follow.

I know I’d have difficulties commanding a group that large. I barely managed to command the small group we had when we fought the dragon.

If I try to hide anything from him I’ll lose his trust and a powerful ally.

“Please, allow me to introduce them to you, Gonzalez.”

“Oh?”

“Although she’s still a young girl, she’s actually the daughter of the FitzClarence family. Despite her cute appearance, she is the lord of Tricklis.”

“Eh? C-Cute?”

Ester-chan panicked after I introduced her.

I disregarded her reaction and moved on to the noble mage.

“And this is Lord Fahren. A self-described noble mage.”

“….”

Gonzalez appeared to be stunned into silence.

However, after a brief moment of silence, he began to panic.

“Oi, oi, oi, wait a minute. Why would you bring people like them to the frontlines? If it has anything to do with me, I’ve been working hard to defend my country. I follow my orders diligently and fight proudly for this country.”

“I’m sorry, Gonzalez. I’m sure you’re confused, but could you gather your men and listen to what I have to say? This doesn’t just concern Tricklis but the entire country.”

“…we’re just simple adventurers. I’m not sure how fit we are to host nobles.”

Gonzalez left to gather his men and, before long, the members of his clan had formed a large audience that completely surrounded us.

Every single one of them had either a sword, a spear, or a staff in their hand and were trying, and succeeding, to look menacing.

They must really care about Gonzalez.

As expected.

This is why we need him.

Even if we have fewer numbers, the passion they have can lead us to victory.

“And this is actually our enemy. This girl is Doris Ahan. Despite her large chest and small frame, she is actually the lord of the territory bordering Ester-san’s.”

Whoops, I forgot the middle part of her name.

“Eh? Me? Why aren’t you telling us who that man is?”

The big-breasted loli looked frustrated.

I’m just happy that I was able to casually sexually harass her.

If she were my employer, I would’ve already been in court being sued by her.

“Wait a minute, Tanaka-san. What is she doing here?”

“We travelled to her castle ourselves and managed to negotiate a peace between these two. In exchange for an end to the conflict, the Penny Empire would agree to no longer interfere with the Pussy Republic.”

“Oi, is that really true….”

“This just happened a few days ago. The big-breasted one agreed to this and travelled with us back to Tricklis. She did, however, say that complete peace would be impossible without the cooperation of a higher-ranking noble from our country. And this is why we planned to ask Duke FitzClarence for assistance in ending this conflict altogether.”

“….”

“Viscount FitzClarence herself said that this would lead to the end of this conflict.”

“…really?”

When Ester-chan’s father was mentioned, Gonzalez fell silent. It seems that his name carries a lot of weight in the Penny Empire. I’m definitely making a mental note of that.

And I continued my story once more.

“But it seems that the citizens of the Pussy Republic have misunderstood our intentions. They believe we’ve taken her hostage and are currently marching towards Tricklis.”

“…seriously?”

“Yes. The enemy’s army is more than ten thousand strong.”

“Wha–”

“In the hopes of a brighter future for our two countries, we must do whatever we can to avoid shedding any more blood. I know the Penny Empire has already been abusing the use of adventurers as frontline fighters, but if this conflict develops into an all-out war, I can’t imagine how much worse it will become.”

“…an all-out war?”

There were audible gasps coming from the large crowd of adventurers.

I’m not lying either.

“I know this is a terrible position for me to put you in, but please, please, Gonzalez believe me when I tell you that we need you and your clan to end this conflict once and for all. Will you and your clan help us?”

Our chance of ending this peacefully could disappear completely depending on his answer.

I stared at him while saying a silent prayer.

Gradually, his stern expression softened and he showed me a broad smile.

“In other words, Tanaka-san, you wish to avoid any further fighting?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“To be honest, if what you say is true, I’m scared….”

“That’s completely understandable. But I know that if it’s you, you’ll be able to overcome it. No, you and the Twilight Company can overcome any obstacle set before you. I’m sure of it.”

“Oi, oi, just wait a moment, Tanaka-san.”

“…am I asking too much?”

“There isn’t a single member of my clan that doesn’t owe you their life. This is the perfect opportunity for us to repay that debt.”

“There may be a lot of casualties if things don’t go according to plan….”

“Tanaka-san, how could I possibly refuse after you’ve told us we’re the strongest.”

What’s with this macho guy?

I’m telling him just how dangerous this may be and he’s smiling.

That ikemen cowered when faced with an overwhelming force.

But Gonzalez looks thrilled.

“Gonzalez, I can’t tell you how grateful I am. You and your men can count on me to keep you healed.”

And his reply was almost immediate.

“Ah, sounds good.”

“…thank you.”

How can this muscular ikemen look so cool?

***