Atelier Tanaka

Book 7: Chapter 3 (2)

Great Holy Land (2nd)

We’ve spent most of the day searching for the Elf-san and the sun was now beginning to set.

『Where did that damn elf go?』

The Dragon-san has been impatiently yelling the entire time.

I’m sure she’s become like this because she knows how close Tanaka-san and the Elf-san are. As the sun got lower, the Dragon-san’s temper grew worse. It’s kind of refreshing seeing the Dragon-san act this way rather than her normal haughty self.

It’s also possible that I’m growing used to her small, cute childlike appearance, but, even if that is the case, I believe she has become more domesticated recently. That being said, she’s still a dragon that every maid should fear.

“…it’s already dark.”

『I-I can see that!』

“….”

『…nuu』

I’m currently atop the Dragon-san, floating in the air above the resort near the Great Holy Land. We’ve been looking for the Elf-san this entire time, but we have yet to see any sign of her.

The sun has fallen and night is here.

I want to go home.

I just want to go home.

But we need to keep looking for her. If she was hurt from the fall, we could have a limited time to find her before it’s too late. Now that I think about it, the Elf-san could use magic so doesn’t that mean….

“Umm, c-can the Elf-san fly?”

“She can.”

Goggoru-san was the one to answer. The Dragon-san and I were floating at a distance greater than a spear from her. With the sun set, some of the Goggoru-san’s features had been obfuscated.

“That’s a good thing then….”

“Still, she’s probably hurt.”

“Eh?”

“She lost contact with the Dragon when we hit the flight barrier.”

“….”

“….”

I don’t know anything about magic, but I can understand that she might be hurt based on what I heard when she fell. Maybe that was the moment we passed through the flight barrier and the force knocked her off.

Even if she wasn’t knocked unconscious, she’d most likely be in a panic and be unable to activate her flight magic. All I could imagine were the many scenarios in which she might be hurt or worse.

But searching is going to be difficult in the dark.

“…we should find an inn.”

“Aah? An inn?”

“We can make it a base for our search. There is a town near here that’s a part of the Great Holy Land.”

The two of them simultaneously glanced at me.

What did I do?

Do they think I’m a burden?

I’m sorry.

Not only can’t I fly but I’m little more than a piece of luggage.

『Gyaaaaaa, I want to do anything but go with your ideas….』

“What will you do?”

『Fine, we’ll do what you want this time.』

“I’ll take you to the city. Follow me.”

『Hmph….』

After their discussion in the sky had concluded, our destination had been decided.

The Great Holy Land.

I’ve heard of this place before.

If you are a citizen of the Penny Empire, you are probably familiar with it. That country is the home of a religion that is followed by many people of my country. Even if you are not a follower of the religion, the prosperity of the Great Holy Land is known across the country.

I’ve always dreamed of visiting the Great Holy Land at some point in my life, but I never thought the day would actually come. Especially not under these circumstances.

***

I rode on the back of the Dragon-san for some time before we arrived in the Great Holy Land.

It was the first time ever seeing this country, but I could tell by the numerous churches and opulent buildings that this was the capital of the Great Holy Land. The city could stand equal to Kalis on every level.

The sun had fallen some time ago, but I could still see numerous people walking along the streets. Particularly in the downtown area. Even if this is the capital of a religious state, the people that live here still enjoy going to bars and visiting entertainment districts.

We landed in a corner of the town and were now walking through the streets.

『Oi, don’t come any closer to me! Y-You’re already too close!』

“…there are a lot of people here. If I get too far away, we might get separated.”

『You’re not reading my thoughts, are you!? Say that you aren’t!』

“I haven’t read any of your thoughts. Sophia’s either.”

『Gurururu』

We continued walking through the streets as we looked for a place to stay. It’s not an easy task for the Goggoru-san to keep her distance from us. It was simple when we were flying, but now done on these cramped city streets with so many people around us, it was easy for that distance to shrink without any of us realizing.

If we don’t keep a set distance between us and the Goggoru-san, she’ll be able to read all of our thoughts. Every time the Goggoru-san takes a few steps closer to us, the Dragon-san will snap and tell her to back off. I’m also worried about her, but I’m not brave enough to say anything.

As we were pushing our way through a particular densely packed street, someone started shouting,

“Oi! What is a free goggoru doing walking around the streets like this?”

The word ‘goggoru’ caught my attention and I stopped in my tracks. I turned back and saw a man with a strong frown creating deep creases in his face. His eyes were locked on the Goggoru-san.

She was standing a little distance away from us after becoming separated by the crowd. She was too far from us for her to read our minds and had stopped walking just as we had when she heard the man yelling.

The man’s frown deepened as the Goggoru-san looked back at him. It didn’t look as if he was looking at another living being. No, he looked at her like he was looking at a piece of trash or a diseased animal that dared cross his path. This is something that I’ve always been worried about when it comes to Goggoru-san. I’ve always noticed that she draws a lot of attention when in public, but I never expected that someone would do something so public.

His yells brought the attention of the surrounding crowd on the Goggoru-san and they all joined in yelling at her.

“That really is a goggoru.” “Does this mean the goggorus have invaded our town?” “How the hell did that thing get in here?” “Isn’t it a slave?” “No, it’s not wearing a collar.” “A goggoru without a slave collar is a public menace.” “Who let that thing into the city?” “Did it find its way in here on its own?”

People all around her started voicing their distaste for the goggorus.

I expected the public to have a distrust of goggorus, but I never expected the hatred to be so blatant. It’s not uncommon to see goggorus walking the streets of Kalis. It’s often that they’re accompanying nobles, but they’re not strictly limited to slaves.

It’s also not uncommon to hear some voice their displeasure at having a goggoru near, but it’s rare for them to say anything more than a displeased remark under their breath. This may be due to the fear felt towards the goggorus, the nobles they accompany, or for the belief that their hate won’t be accepted by the majority of those around them. A goggoru could easily walk to a shop in the middle town and face no harassment.

This is clearly not the case in the Great Holy Land.

“What are the city guards doing?” “Just get it the hell out of my sight!” “Even its skin looks dirty.” “Yes, like it’s been rolling around in mud like the animal it is.” “Does that thing even understand the significance of the Great Holy Land?” “I’m getting sick just being near it.” “It can read the minds of anyone it touches! That’s magic only demons are capable of!” “Is it looking at me? Get your filthy eyes off of me!”

As the first few people began saying horrible things about Goggoru-san, the rest of the crowd began to join in as if their own ignorance had been given affirmation.

It was already late at night and many of the people in the crowd were drunk, so they did little to hold back their strong language. This could turn violent if it’s allowed to continue. I want to help her, but I’m afraid the angry citizens will turn their hatred towards me.

***