Atelier Tanaka

Book 6: Chapter 6 (7)

Aufschnaiter Family

The newly reunited brother and sister stood in front of me.

We were still in the office of the mayor’s manor in Dragon City. The people in the room hadn’t changed either. When the pair ended their embrace, it was as if the entire room breathed a sigh of relief. The question on everyone’s mind up until now was, “Did Tanaka kill her brother or not?”

Gon-chan was back to speaking in his normal tone as well.

“I’m sorry if it feels like I was deceiving you. Rock arrived which raised some questions and when you returned with Ash, it made me more than a little nervous. I feel like I did something wrong. Well, I guess I did.”

He bowed his head to me once more.

I finally understand why he was being so cagey with me. The two of them decided to hide Hook until Gon-chan was able to ascertain my intentions. It was all a test. I’m sure they were worried about what I was doing with the JC.

They remained cautious but level-headed and didn’t make any rash decisions that might cause trouble.

If I had kept everything a secret, I doubt Gon-chan would still be in the same room as me.

“No, it’s your family. You were just doing what you thought necessary to protect them.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to bring up Rock’s name like that.”

“She told me about him and the situation the Aufschnaiter family is facing on the return journey.”

I glanced over at my ex-girlfriend.

I’m not surprised they all distrust the nobility.

I’m sure she was worried when she climbed aboard a ship that had Duke FitzClarence’s crest on the side.

“That being said….”

“What is it?”

“Now I can feel confident in my decision to pledge my allegiance to you.”

“…what do you mean?”

Gon-chan’s words caught me off guard.

What does he mean this time?

“It’s a previous matter that I’ve tried to put off, but I think it best if we settle it now.”

“I’m sorry, I’m still not sure what you mean….”

Was there something I promised Gon-chan?

As I thought about it, there was only one thing that came to mind. Before I could say anything, Gon-chan confirmed my suspicions.

“I’d like for you to accept the Twilight Company as your, Baron Tanaka’s, personal knights.”

“What made you decide that so suddenly…?”

Gon-chan mentioned previously that he didn’t want him or his men having any concrete ties to a particular noble or organization. I can’t understand why he’d want to give up on that and devote himself to a strange, flat, yellow faced man who he’s only known for a short time.

Hearing him offer the services of the Twilight Company in such a formal manner made me nervous.

“I know it’s sudden, and I don’t mean to impose, but will you accept and lead us?”

“…are you sure about this? Won’t the members of your company want to weigh in on this?”

“I’ve actually spoken with everyone about it already. I know there are still some holdouts, but I’d say around 80% of them are onboard. Over the next few days, I plan on speaking with the remaining 20% to try to convince them to change their minds. Incidentally, I was still against the idea until yesterday.”

“I see.”

Gon-chan hasn’t taken this decision lightly if he’s already gone that far.

And even his own mind has changed.

“I won’t force you to accept, if your thoughts on the matter have changed, I’d understand….”

“I didn’t mean to give you that idea. I’m happy that you’ve changed your mind.”

I really wasn’t expecting this. I’d almost forgotten about the matter entirely.

This is the opposite of what I’ve come to expect from my life in this world. What happened to the terrible LUC I was dealing with back in Academy City? Everything that was causing pain in my chest has been cleared up, and it could even be said that it turned out well for me. It’s a little scary how well things are going for me.

“Really?”

“I’ve made mistakes in the past and I’m an inexperienced baron, but I look forward to our future together.”

“Oi, oi, no need to act so humble. You’ve always made me feel like your equal despite the difference in our standings. If this makes you treat me any differently, I might have to reconsider.”

“I’m happy to hear it.”

“Of course!”

Things didn’t turn out how I expected, but the end result was good for all parties involved.

The official acquisition of the Twilight Company has solidified Dragon City’s position in the area. The tenuous agreement we had could have ended within a year. I thought if I couldn’t keep them around I might be forced to ask for Richard’s aid.

“We can go over the details later.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

We gave each other a warm smile, the usual joyful smile returning to Gon-chan’s face.

Our happy moment was interrupted by the door opening in a rush followed by a loud bang when it hit the wall.

Naturally, everyone turned their attention towards the door.

The master of the house had returned.

「Mu~, so, you’ve returned?」

“Christina-san, it’s been a while.”

She was covered from head to toe in dust. She must have been busy building a new structure when we arrived. It makes me happy knowing I never even had to pay her a single copper coin for all of her work.

The sight of a little girl covered in dust made me want to apologize to her. Maybe she deserves a reward? What would a dragon want as a gift?

My personal recommendation would be a baby.

“Y-You saw it right!? Everything I did outside! It would be impossible to miss! So, what do you think!?”

She took a few steps close as she yelled toward me before stopping and looking up at me with an excited look in her eyes.

She’s obviously talking about that huge tower. The excited expression she showed captivated me. It was clear she wanted me to praise her. Her cheeks were puffing out and I noticed the hem of her dress swaying as if her tail was wagging.

How can I say no to her?

If I told her she had to destroy her tower and return it to how it was, she’d end up rampaging across the city. No, she wouldn’t stop with the city. The entire country would be in ruins before she’d be satisfied. I could see the joy she got from building and the desperation to be praised.

“Yes, I saw it. It’s an impressive tower.”

「I-It is, right!? I mean, of course it is!」

“I didn’t know you were capable of building something like that. The finer details on the face of the tower are particularly impressive.”

It was an honest compliment. I couldn’t deny the tower was impressive.

The tower was a fine example of craftsmanship that exceeded every other building not just in Dragon City but the entire country.

I doubt that I’d be able to replicate it.

「That’s expected of me! I’ve achieved a level that you can only dream of! Not only did I build the tower myself, the design is also my own! Give it the attention it deserves and examine every minute detail! Every building you’ve created pales in comparison to mine!」

“You’re probably right. I’ll be sure to visit it later.”

“Why can’t you do it right now!? You can e-even go to the top floor! No, I’ll allow you to see the top floor! Nobody but me has ever been up there before!”

“I’m sorry, but I’m tired after such a long journey. In my current state, I doubt I’d be able to give such a magnificent structure the adoration it deserves. Just give me a night to rest and I’ll come visit early tomorrow morning.”

「….」

“…what is it?”

「Well, I-I guess that’s fine. Not that I care…but, sure….」

It was kind of cute seeing the loligon deflate with my rejection.

Everyone else in the room seemed to be thinking the same as me. They all gave Christina encouraging looks as she glanced around. I guess they all understand that any disparaging words against Christina’s creations would end in their deaths.

Nothing can be done about it now that it’s already been built.

「Ah, that’s right, there are some places inside that I allowed the other humans to help with, but they only did a little! I still think humans do strange things, but I can allow some inside!」

The loligon spoke up again as if she seemed to remember something. Her eyes occasionally darted over to Gon-chan and Neumann. I’ve been caught off guard again. I never expected a day would come when the loligon would be considerate towards any humans.

This impressed me even more than her tower.

“I’m glad to hear that you’ve managed to work together in my absence. More importantly, I’m glad that you told me about this yourself and I didn’t have to hear about it from someone else.”

「I-I only said they did a little! Just a little!」

“Even just a little means you were working together.”

「…I knew I shouldn’t have said anything. Forget what I said; it was all me.」

“You can be an honest dragon if you try.”

「Do you  ever shut up!?」

The architect dragon turned her head away with a ‘hmph.’

I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen her do that.

Good, I won’t have to tell Christina to stop.

I think this is the right choice. If anyone ever says anything about the tower, it will be time for Baron Tanaka to make his appearance. The passion the loligon showed gives me the strength to defend her work against anyone, no matter what their title may be. The Loligon Tower is the strongest.

“Thank you, Christina-san.”

“Tomorrow, okay!? You said tomorrow! I’ll come by your room in the morning!”

“I’ll wait for you.”

After saying everything she wanted, the mayor left the room in a hurry as if she were running away.

I’m actually looking forward to tomorrow.

I took a look around the room and noticed that Sophia-chan, who is usually a nervous person and maybe one of the most timid I’ve ever met, had maintained her composure and looked relaxed. This made me think she was suited to her new position as a pseudo mayor of the town.

“Thank you for working with her.”

“That Ancient Dragon has been living among us for a while now. I think it’s possible she could learn to live comfortably among humans.”

“I’m glad that you say that, Gonzalez-san.”

“I should mention that this Neumann guy doesn’t like her.”

“O-Oi, Gonzalez, don’t say that! She’s just a bit….”

“The mayor was building with her Stonewall and didn’t notice this guy was in the area. She ended up launching him about halfway up the tower in an instant before she spotted him.”

“You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone about that, Gonzalez!”

“I see.”

I glanced toward the door the loligon went through as the two of them argued back and forth.

She’s turned into the idol of this town during my absence. I doubt even Sophie-chan could surpass her. I’ve always worried about what kind of future the loligon would have in Dragon City, but now I feel the path of an idol is waiting for her.

Thanks to her sudden interruption, the rest of the room seemed to relax.

“There was actually something else….”

“Something else?”

Gon-chan finished messing with Neumann and turned his attention back to me.

“It’s just that I never expected Master Tanaka to have an interest in Ash. To say I was surprised when you first told me would be an understatement. I guess you never know how things will go in life. I’m still trying to come to terms with it.”

The leader of the Twilight Company spoke with a certain gloomy tone in his voice that I wasn’t used to.

His expression became more serious as well.

“Gonzalez-san, you used that name earlier, but who is Ash?”

“Oi, oi, oi, you don’t even know my brother’s name?”

“You mean the sky pirate?”

I thought he introduced himself to me as Roc Aufschneiter before, but I can’t think of anyone else that would be Gon-chan’s brother. It’s a shorter name so maybe it’s a nickname he has for Hook.

“What? That guy’s name is Rock.”

Gon-chan looked completely dumbstruck.

Who else could he be talking about?

“You said Ash is your brother, right?”

Gon-chan’s eyes scanned my face trying to understand my meaning.

“O-O-Oi, Gonzalez!  That name….”

The JC was still by my side. She hesitated for a moment and looked at me.

She seemed panicked.

Gon-chan continued regardless.

“I never suspected you were interested in men, but I guess it makes sense. You’re always surrounded by such amazing women, but you’ve never laid a hand on any of them. I was actually worried that you might not be able to get it up at your age.”

He crossed his arms and nodded, seemingly content.

His usual cheerful tone returned to his voice as he spoke.

“Excuse me, Gonzalez-san, do you have another brother I don’t know about?”

“No, just Rock and Ash there beside you. I’m proud to call him my younger brother.”

I looked at Gon-chan then down at the JC. Gon-chan’s eyes were focused on the JC whenever he mentioned Ash, his brother.

The JC. It’s the JC.

“….”

I see.