Atelier Tanaka

Conflict 6

With no further excitement, we managed to bring the lesbian masquerading as an Imperial Knight back to Tricklis. We travelled all day and night while I used my recovery magic to keep us going. By the way, we passed through that unnamed village on our way back without stopping.

Mercedes-chan had been upset ever since she lost her meat toilet and walked through the forest with little attention being paid to her surroundings.

Even though we were still in a dangerous area and even a slight mistake could lead to us being captured.

And this is exactly what I reported to the Adventurers Guild in Tricklis. I followed the instructions of the bald macho guild member and waited nearby with the Dark Elf and Mercedes-chan at one of the tables.

The latter of which was the only one willing to talk to me.

“By the way, where is FitzClarence-sama?”

“I actually haven’t seen her since arriving here.”

“…I see.”

“Did you need her for something?”

“Nothing, in particular, I’m just feeling a little anxious.”

This super les really has a wide strike zone. She’s constantly sending short glances to the Dark Elf’s thick thighs and chest, but she’s still thinking about molesting Ester-chan as well.

I wonder if any hole is good enough for her.

Ah, we really are alike.

“Have you already been to the castle?”

“No, I haven’t even got close to that place yet.”

“I heard that you were travelling with a group of soldiers.”

“A few low ranking soldiers were assigned to travel with me from the Guild. We were sent out on a mission shortly after arriving here; I really had no time to do much of anything else.”

“I-I see….”

I can perfectly understand the feeling of being sent straight to the frontlines.

Mercedes-chan and I continued sharing information for a few minutes. After some time had passed, the Dark Elf became irritated after being forced to wait for so long. She began rapidly tapping her fingers on the table. Eventually, an official from the Guild appeared from behind the counter.

With a somewhat tired expression, the official approached us.

I guess this person is also really busy.

“I didn’t expect you back so soon….”

“Yeah, well, I guess we were lucky.”

“Excuse me, you must be the missing knight?”

“Yeah, I’m Mercedes.”

“I’m sorry for seeming so rushed, but thank you for your hard work.”

The official that had been consistently rude to both the Dark Elf and me, was suddenly polite when speaking with Mercedes-chan. Once again, I realize how great the title of ‘Imperial Knight’ must be. Especially in smaller towns. It’s similar to someone working at a large company in Tokyo then getting transferred to a rural branch. Even if they’re not great at their job, the prestige of their title gets them respect.

So far, the only people I’ve seen treated with such respect has been the noble mage and Ester-chan, but now that Mercedes-chan has a new title, it seems she’s reached the same heights as them.

“I’m sure we have a lot to talk about, do you mind if we do that while travelling to the castle?”

“Sure, that’s fine.”

“Thank you so much. You’re so understanding.”

“From now on, can you just skip the small talk and get to the main point?”

“Y-Yes!”

I have seen a scene like this in the past, but it’s somewhat surprising seeing Mercedes-chan treated with such high regard.

“By the way, do you know this adventurer…?”

“Why do you ask?”

“No, it’s just, I’m a bit curious.”

“This adventurer and I have similar interests, and we’ve fought together before.”

“I-I understand….”

I stared blankly at Mercedes-chan as she said this.

I never thought this day would come.

I felt a strange feeling deep down inside me begin to form.

“So, what are we doing now?”

“Yes, of course. Right now, you’ll be temporarily assigned to the castle. I’m sure it will be trivial to a knight such as yourself, but we’re preparing a welcoming celebration for you. Also, there should be a reward awaiting you from the Lord.”

“I see.”

What’s the reward for?

Didn’t she fail her mission and lose most of her unit?

Well, if I follow I’m sure I’ll find out.

“I have a carriage waiting outside. Please, follow me.”

“Alright.”

Mercedes-chan nodded and rose from her chair.

The Dark Elf and I followed after her.

◇◆◇

[Sophia-chan’s point of view]

I returned to the others after I finished exploring the castle. Apparently, their discussion has already ended. Ester-sama, Fahren-sama, and the Dragon are all sitting at a table drinking tea.

A maid stood in the corner of the room. Only her and the three drinking tea remained in the room. I wonder how long they’ve been waiting.

“I-I’m sorry for being late!”

I panicked and hurriedly bowed my head in apology for inconveniencing them.

But Fahren-sama responded in a gentle manner.

“Don’t worry about it. Would you like a cup?”

“No, I-I’m more used to being the one pouring the tea.”

“Really? If so, I won’t force you, but you can still sit with us, right?”

“Y-Yes!”

He motioned for me to take a seat next to him. There was only one seat open and it was between him and Ester-chan. I’m so nervous, but I just need to bear with it. As soon as I sat down on the sofa, I sunk deep into the cushions. Ah, this sofa is great.

After sitting down, the maid moved from her position in the corner and began to pour me a cup of tea. It feels nice being on the opposite side of this.

This girl really must be a pro. She’s getting me tea even though I refused it. So cool. In addition to that, this tea, it’s the same type Tanaka-san buys. This must be Ester-chan’s doing. It’s just as delicious as usual.

“From now on, you will be working with Lord Fahren.”

“…eh?”

What is Ester-sama saying?

I almost spit out the tea in my mouth.

“Is that not okay?”

“No, u-umm, I-I-I’m just so honoured to be working with Fahren-sama….”

“If you’re with him, that person will be unlikely to refuse him.”

It’s the reason we left the capital in the first place.

The person she’s talking about is Tanaka. The Dragon is still looking for him.

Even so, I don’t know if my heart can stand working closely with Fahren-sama. I don’t think I can take it. I’d like to stay with Ester-sama, or even better, can’t they just let me go home? I’d like to eat dinner alone in the dorm room.

“Umm, E-Ester-sama….”

“As for me, I’ll try to find out his exact whereabouts from the castle.”

“Umm….”

Before I could ask anything, Ester-sama turned to speak with the Dragon.

“To be honest, I don’t like the idea of a dragon freely flying around my territory. I also won’t forgive you if you try to hurt him. If I had the power to stop you I’d do so. But I’m also able to understand that no matter what I say or how I try to stop you, you won’t give up until you find him.”

“Oh, that’s awfully big talk for a human. Do you want me to kill you right now?”

“Do what you must to find him, but know that someday I’ll grow strong enough to stand against you. Absolutely.”

“Your human arrogance is nothing new to me. But you should really understand the limits of your own body.”

“Anyway, Sophie, you’ll be travelling with them. Based on the information I’ve been given, he’s located somewhere along the frontlines. He should be stationed at a base in an open field, so I’m sure you’ll be able to locate it from the sky with relative ease.”

“…y-yes.”

Travelling with Fahren-sama and Tanaka-san on the back of a dragon.

It’s almost enough to cause me to start crying. It’s the worst.

As I was falling into despair, there was a knock on the door.

“FitzClarence-sama, I need to speak with you.”

A gruff voice could be heard.

“You may enter.”

“Thank you.”

It was the man I saw for the first time in the courtyard. He was the man Ester-sama had instructed to find out Tanaka-san’s location. His plump belly and jowls were still unpleasant to look at.

He’s able to speak calmly with Ester-sama and the others. I respect that.

“What?”

“The Imperial Knight dispatched to the Sapele Forest has managed to defeat an entire company of enemy troops. She was, however, left isolated in the forest, but two adventurers from the Guild managed to rescue her.”

“I see. Then, both parties should be greatly rewarded. The Imperial Knight shall receive a promotion and the other two shall be rewarded as well. If they need don’t want a monetary reward, we can raise their rank by two.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“For as long as we’re not receiving proper military support from the capital, we must continue to rely on the adventurers. We need to reward them properly to continue to receive their aid.”

“B-But, to promote the Imperial Knight….”

“Just do as I say. You will not encounter any problems promoting her further. I’ll contact my Father soon and you’ll understand the power the FitzClarence name carries.”

“I understand what you’re saying FitzClarence-sama, but the adventurers need to be kept in line….”

“Those that achieve success should be properly rewarded, and as the Lord of this territory, I’m sure I’m within my rights to reward them as I see fit. Or am I misunderstanding something? If there’s someone else in control of this territory point them out to me or obediently follow my orders.”

Ester-sama is so cool.

Even though we’re both women and I’m younger, I could feel my heart skip a beat.

If she were a man, I’m sure I’d be in love. She’d look really good in men’s clothing.

“…I-I understand.”

“Really? Then you may leave.”

“But, excuse me for speaking, but will this be alright?”

“What do you mean? I have business to take care of.”

“The people of the city wish to see their Lord’s face on occasion.”

“I’m sorry, but I have something more important than anything else that I need to take care of.”

“I understand. I’m sorry for speaking out of turn.”

He gently lowered his head before leaving the room.

There was little sound as the door closed and his footsteps faded down the hallway.

“Anyway, this is what I need you to do, Sophie.”

“Y-Yes….”

Why is she calling me ‘Sophie?’

When I was playing around in the dorm I’d pretend that I was a noblewoman called Sophie-sama.

It was the life I always dreamed of living.

Impossible. Was she able to hear me from her room?

“Is that everything? If so, we should get going as soon as possible.”

Fahren-sama signalled it was time to get up.

Everyone followed his instructions and left the room.

Are we already going to ride on the dragon? After leaving the drawing room, we immediately headed to the courtyard. I followed after the three of them, dreading what was about to happen. Every servant and knight we passed on the way stopped to salute or bow to each of us.

This actually made me feel a little better.

It’s a great feeling for a commoner like me to be treated with such respect.

I was actually in a better mood until….

We arrived in the courtyard.

Now that we were in a more open place, Fahren-sama spoke to the Dragon.

“Alright dragon, go back to your original form.”

“I don’t want to.”

“…what?”

The request from the great nobleman was quickly refused by the Dragon.

But why?

I was curious and the Dragon quickly provided me with an answer.

“That man would enjoy this figure more, right?”

“Y-Yes, that’s definitely true, but….”

She left Fahren-sama’s side and walked into the middle of the garden before flopping chest first onto the ground. If someone were to witness this scene without understanding the context, they’d probably assume she just tripped.

She stretched her arms out in front of her and also kept her legs straight. She became a single stick lying on the ground. However, her gaze never left us and her face was full of her usual confidence.

“…what are you doing?”

“Get on quickly. I’m leaving.”

She had a self-satisfied look on her face.

“….”

Fahren-sama was also lost for words.

She’s asking us to ride her, but no matter how you look at her, she appears to be just a young girl. If someone were to try to ride her, they’d easily crush her small frame.

There are several guards in the courtyard and a few maids that have stopped working. It’s a rather difficult request for us to fulfil given the circumstances.

However, the Dragon doesn’t seem like she’s going to wait long for us.

“What’s wrong? Hurry up.”

“No, nothing’s wrong. But why won’t you return to your original form?”

“Didn’t you say this form was more convenient?”

“That is true, but….”

“If so, I don’t want to go through the trouble of returning to my other form.”

“B-But, it’s just that with that appearance….”

“Hurry up and get on already. Nothing you can say will make me change my mind. It will be fine to travel like this.”

“….”

The Dragon has no intention of returning to her original form.

Is she being stubborn because she’s afraid of meeting Tanaka-san in her original form? Or is there another reason? I doubt a maid like me is capable of understanding the mind of a dragon. But the fact remains that the Dragon is beyond stubborn.