Atelier Tanaka

Book 4: Chapter 2 (6)

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Territory Pioneering 2

I rushed to the front door with Ester-sama following close behind me.

We quickly arrived at the front door which I had grown familiar with despite only living in the dorm for a month now. I unlocked the door and was greeted by the Elf-san.

“It’s the maid again…and also….”

The Elf-san’s face went stiff once she spotted Ester-sama.

My heart had settled down when I heard the Elf-san’s voice, but now it was starting to hurt again. This time it was due to a painful memory. When Tanaka-san and the Elf-san were eating together in his room, Ester-sama was left outside looking in through the window. I should try to avoid reminding either of them of that event.

But Ester-sama spoke before I could say anything.

“You’re that elf that was in his room before. If I remember correctly, you gave him the recipe for the medicine. You’re his alchemy teacher, correct? Sorry if I don’t remember you accurately.”

“…no, that’s all correct.”

Is this that so-called preemptive strike?

The intensity in their eyes increased as they stared at each other.

Should I just stay silent?

“What business could you have here this early in the morning?”

“Well…umm, I just wanted to confirm something.”

“Ah, well that’s too bad, the master of this room is not currently in the capital.”

“Oh, that’s not what I meant. It’s that maid that I need to speak to.”

“Sofi?”

“Yeah.”

They’re both staring at me.

W-What is it now?

“Would you understand if I say it concerns the matter you brought up two days ago? The matter involving that noblewoman.”

“Ah, so you were there as well? With that rude Nannuzzi woman.”

“…you know about that?”

“Sophia told me everything that happened.”

“I see.”

The Elf-san was glancing back-and-forth between Ester-sama and me.

“I’ll ask you again, what business do you have here? I’m sure you can tell that Sophia and I are very close. If it involves her, then it involves me. Or do you just not want me to be here?”

“O-Oh…umm, that’s….”

She must be thinking Ester-sama might not be on our side considering she’s a noble.

“We really shouldn’t be having this conversation at the front door. Should we go inside? Since you’re his acquaintance, we can get tea and snacks ready for you. Right, Sofi?”

“O-Of course!”

“…fine.”

After the Elf-san nodded, I guided her inside to the living room. After they were both seated on the sofas, I left to the kitchen to prepare the tea and snacks.

Seriously, what does that elf want?

My chest tightened just by imagining what she might say.

I hastily prepared tea and snacks for two before running them out to the living room. While I was arranging it on the table, I noticed the Elf-san’s eyes shifting between me and the ground before she finally whispered to me.

“Are you…close with this noblewoman?”

Does she understand the implications this question can have?

I don’t know, but I should just give her a reasonable response.

“Yes, we get along very well.”

“…I see.”

Ester-sama noticed when the Elf-san nodded.

“Ara, are you talking about something without me? I’ll start to get lonely if i’m left out like this.”

“….”

The Elf-san looked embarrassed when she was discovered.

“Because you’re that man’s maid, I thought I’d help you escape.”

The words that left her mouth were nothing like what i expected.

“Eh, umm, well….”

She’s going to help me escape the country?

I’ve seen her many times, but I’ve never spoken with her before today. The only reason i even know here is because she occasionally comes to the dorm to visit Tanaka-san. Just thinking about that man has a strange affect on my heart. I haven’t seen him for days now, yet he’s caused me so much stress and also indirectly offered me salvation.

“Fuu~n, so we’re on the same side.”

“…a noblewoman wants to help a commoner?”

The Elf-san had a defiant look in her eyes.

The answer Ester-sama gave was indifferent.

“I am Sofi’s friend.”

“….”

“Or don’t you believe that?”

“…fine, I’ll believe you.”

After a brief moment of hesitation, the Elf-san nodded.

The bad atmosphere that had slowly been building dissipated.

Thank goodness.

“You were at the conference, correct? I wonder if you could give me a detailed explanation of everything that happened there. I already heard about it from Sophia, but I’d like to hear about it from an expert as well.”

“That seems like a good place to start.”

“Thank you, it will be a big help.”

I’m amazed that the Elf-san is able to speak so casually with a noble. Perhaps this is the power of a famous master alchemist. Tanaka-san did say he got the recipe for the potion that cured the Princess from this elf.

While I thought on this, they began their conversations.

I could tell most of what they were talking about concerned magic and alchemy but, for the most part, they might as well have been speaking another language. I suppose I can just try to pick up whatever I can unders from their conversation. I straightened my back and let them continue.

“…so she claimed that this was what caused the reaction and….”

“…hmm…so that’s how it was.”

The Elf-san spoke while Ester-sama would occasionally acknowledge what she said. They both looked serious. The fact that these two are taking this matter so seriously in order to help me makes me happy.

“…she broiled the pigment in water under a fireball? Why does that sound familiar…?”

“Yes, and then she used what remained of the liquid powder mixture and transferred it to a capsule….”

At the same time, I feel incredibly apologetic to both of them. They’re both far superior to me in society and yet here they are doing whatever they can to help me. I should be able to do more on my own.

What a useless woman I am. I never wanted to become like this. Ah, I’m so miserable. Will there ever come a day when I can stand on my own and, dare I say, even protect someone I care for? Honestly, I don’t ever see that day coming.

“…hmm, so that’s how it is.”

Ester-sama listened to the Elf-san’s story until the end. She closed her eyes and silently nodded. The information I gave her last night wasn’t enough to give her any answers, but after listening to the Elf-san’s story she seems to have realized something.

It’s my fault for being uneducated.

“What do you mean?”

A satisfied look crept across Ester-sama’s face as the Elf-san looked at her, confused.

“Sophia, your suspicions were right.”

“Eh, umm, what do you mean by that…?”

“I was starting to have my doubts when she mentioned the pessari grass pigment, but now I’m sure of it. You’re a good maid, Sophia, and your master should be proud of you.”

“Umm…w-well….”

What is she saying?

It seems like something major has happened but I don’t understand it at all.

***

It was a little past noon the day after the loligon arrived.

“What…have you done?”

A lone building had appeared in the corner of my territory. The sight of it alone nearly caused me to fall to my knees in awe. The building would look at home amongst the most beautiful architecture in the modern world.

Over the past few days I’ve developed a sort of confidence, potentially bordering on arrogance, in my buildings I’ve made using Stone Wall. On more than one occasion the question ‘Am I a genius’ has floated through my mind. This overconfidence continued to build and build within me as I received praise from Gonzalez and the Twilight Company.

The sight of this magnificent building shook me to my core.

“W-What is that supposed to mean!? Haa!? Are you trying to say you don’t like what I made!?”

The loligon seemed to misinterpret my astonishment as she started yelling at me.

It’s rather intimidating.

“You and the other insects make things like this! I-I’ve seen it myself!”

You’re mistaken, Christina.

I’m not disappointed, but —

“This is hard for me to admit, but it’s actually the opposite.”

“…what was that?”

“It’s amazing, Christina-san. Truly wonderful.”

I basically repeated myself, but that can’t be helped when the craftsmanship is this astounding.

“R-Really!?”

“Yes, it’s incredible.”

“….”

The loligon’s face started to turn red.

That seems to have made her happy.

Oh, is she puffing out her cheeks? I want to squeeze them.

“I-I-It is, isn’t it!? Of course it is! What else would you expect from my great self!?”

“No, even for you this is impressive.”

“Fuhahaha, fuhihihi~…fuhahaha, ahahaha!”

Christina-san won’t stop fuhahaing.

But she just proved to me that she’s invaluable.

I wanted to see what she was capable of doing with engineering magic so I sectioned off an area for her to work in. I told her to use her magic to create a decent building here.

So how did she come up with this?

A grandiose gate had been built behind her that took up tens of metres of space. It’s splendor matched the Arc de Triomphe and the architectural style reminded me of the buildings in Bucharest.

Christina’s work looked centuries ahead of the cro-magnon huts I had managed to put together. The only issue was it was just a gate with walls on either side.

“Would it be possible for you to expand upon this architecture? If that’s okay with you of course.”

“Fuhahaha~! Well, if you bow before me and acknowledge my power, I suppose I could build a few more just so you know how superior I am to you.”

“You will? Then, I’ll do whatever you ask.”

I have no problem bowing to someone who’s so clearly more talented than me.

The loligon started to speak when she saw me bent forward like this.

The problem with this was that she was breathing heavily and due to her excitement, she started hyperventilating.

“Fu~ haaaa~! Ha~! Huu~! Ha~, hahaaa~! What a good sight! Fine, I’ll do it!”

“You will?”

“But, don’t forget, haa!? You acknowledged the power of my magic!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t forget. The more amazing your buildings are, the harder it will be for me to forget.”

“T-That’s right! Then I guess I have no choice! I’ll just have to show you what I can do when I get serious!”

Christina shot through the air towards her building.

I stood there for a moment to see if I could learn anything from her way of building. She created Stone walls of differing heights and size and laid these on top of one another in order to create the sharp angles she wanted. It was like watching someone playing with building blocks that somehow manages to make a masterpiece.

I also noticed she was making walls with rounded corners.

“…oh, this is getting my creative juices flowing.”

I can’t let Christina defeat me.

It’s not like I’ve never attempted to make more detailed carvings in the stone or tried to create something other than a wall. I just don’t have that level of control over the magic. Whenever I’ve conjured up a wall, no matter what I imagine in my mind or how I tried to control the magic, I usually end up with a relatively uniform stone slab.

I’m guessing I need to level up my skill more. Until then, I’ll only be capable of making these simple stone monoliths. It takes all of my concentration right now just to carve out the pipes for the sewer system. As I am, I’ll never be able to catch up to the loligon.

“….”

Should I just do that then?

Come on, status window!

Good, my level is continuing to increase.

I’ve spent the past several days continuously using my engineering magic. I’m now sure that the experience points that increase my level not only come from killing creatures but also from many other actions.

That LUC Stat is really starting to concern me.

It won’t be long now until it reaches zero.

But for now, I’m in luck.

I should have the skill points I’ll need.

I already know what I’m going to do.

Look at that. My engineering magic has reached the double digits.

I should now have more precise control over my stone walls. I guess I don’t know this for sure, but when I increased the level of my Fire Magic, the number and power of my fireballs increased as well.

There’s no doubt that Christina’s creation far exceeded anything I had managed to make, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. I will create something even more magnificent than the Arc de Triomphe and bask in the delicious despair that fills the loligon’s face as she stares in awe at my own creation. That face will be far more delectable than any of the cute expressions she’s made so far.

I want to ravish the loligon as she declares me the superior being.

“All right!”

For my dream of a day filled with loligon sex, I have to try my hardest.