Atelier Tanaka Volume 3 Chapter 5 part5

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As soon as the final orc was slain, the main male representative said,

"Based on the number of orcs there must be a den not far from here."

That does make sense.

No matter what kind of monster it is, they have to have some place they call home. I'm sure it's some kind of cave where they impregnate the women they've kidnapped. I'm so envious of the orcs. Why couldn't I have been born one? I could just listen to my instincts and impregnate as many women as possible and then die happy to some adventurers on a subjugation quest from the guild.

I'm sure I'd be able to live out my days happily without even thinking about my lost humanity.

"W-Wait just a minute! Why do you think this happened in the first place!?" "Yeah, she's right! We were safe until you men arrived! This is your fault!" "That's right!" "And what do you mean there's an orc next!?" "How is that even possible!?"

The women had returned to criticize the men now that the orcs were dead.

The men obediently lowered their heads and the representative spoke,

"Sorry. You're all right."

"Sorry? You think that's a good enough apology!?"

"We must not have done a good enough job surveying the land before we decided to build here. I sincerely apologize. We need to find the nest right away before their numbers increase any further."

He then turned to us and continued his apology.

"I'm deeply sorry, dear noblewoman, but we'll have to cancel the dinner. We must return to our village and gather more men. We'll return tomorrow to deal with the nest."

That's the smart decision.

I don't see any reason they shouldn't.

"Yes, that's fine, but…."

"Tomorrow!? What do you mean tomorrow!?" "She's right! We were just attacked! You should take care of it now!" "What would we do if we were attacked in the night while everyone is asleep!?" "Exactly!"

However, the women were all still upset over the recent attack and were only looking for an immediate solution. Hearing this, the male representative looked troubled.

"I understand your fears, but, considering we don't know how many they number, I think it would be best –"

"It's not like we're asking that much of you!" "She's right! We're just asking you men to do your job!" "You can't even do this for us!?" "It's only natural for men to protect women!" "That's right! It's normal! Completely normal!" "This is the men's responsibility!"

I was starting to feel bad for the men.

But this is an opportunity for this busamen to shine.

This is my chance to look cool.

I just need to think of a cool line —

"Then, I'll kill them for you!"

Ester-chan robbed me of my moment.

That's right. She's that type of girl.

Full of bravery and lust.

"Y-You will, noblewoman?"

"Of course! If this needs to be taken care of immediately you should accept whatever help available. Besides, it's the job of the nobility to protect the common people, so this is only natural."

"No, e-even so…."

The men all turned their eyes to me.

I bet they're thinking, "A noble and her attendant expect to defeat a den of orcs?"

But I know how strong Ester-chan is and there's no reason to stop her.

"I understand your concern, but despite her young age, she is known as a dragon slayer in the capital of Kalis. If it's just a group of orcs, I don't expect her to struggle."

"Wha –!? A d-dragon slayer!?"

The representative was dumbfounded.

And the other men were the same.

A young girl like her is a dragon slayer? I can understand their disbelief.

"So, what do you say? We can leave right now."

"W-Well, if that's true, I feel encouraged having you by our side!"

The men all dropped to the ground in an instant and gave Ester-chan a deep bow.

And with that, the orc subjugation quest had begun.

***

We were running through the forest using a ball of magical light to guide us.

We could make our way through the forest without the magical light, but it would be slower. The trees here are grown close together and the canopy overhead is thick and the little light coming in from the sky is almost completely blocked off. Without the light, the forest would be completely shrouded in darkness.

Even with the light, I was still tripping over roots and rocks.

And, of course, I was the only one stumbling.

Every time I'd trip and almost fall to the ground, Ester-chan would turn back and give me a look of worry. She'd look me in the eyes and quietly ask if I'm okay, trying to avoid drawing attention to me. She really is a good woman. Oh, I almost fell in love with her just now. She's a dangerous woman.

We continued our run through the forest for a while.

We followed the trail of orc footprints that led to the women's village. Luke, the ranger of the group, was the one who actually discovered the tracks. He possesses every generic 'ranger' ability imaginable.

We ran through the forest for about half an hour before we arrived at the den. It was a cave. There was a steep slope at the edge of the forest that led up into the mouth of a cave. It was a large opening about two metres high.

"This has to be it."

The lolibitch muttered.

I could see a figure sleeping on the ground just outside the entrance of the cave.

That must be the guard.

"Noblewoman, how should we begin the attack?"

The male representative asked.

The Dragon Slayer title appears to be working.

Well, the lolibitch should be able to handle this.

"Charge in from the front!"

"All right."

In other words, Ester-chan's strategy was this: charge in and kill everything we see.

I'm sure we'll be fine.

Unless there's a sleeping dragon deep in the cave, we should be able to handle it. Even if there are High Orcs inside, I feel confident that I'd be able to defeat them. Even Ester-chan should be able to handle them with her magic, and this group of men have already shown us how skilled they are when fighting together.

"Let's get going."

Ester-chan and Soy Sauce Face's cave capture begins.

***

We found several dozen orcs within the cave.

Ester-chan and I slowly made our way forward with the men behind us. Any orcs we came across we blew away with our magic. Fortunately, the walls of the cave are thick so I was able to use my fireballs without causing the cave to collapse.

Thanks to this, we progressed quickly through the interior of the cave.

The moment either of us spotted an orc, a fireball or bolt of magic would fly forward and drop the orc in an instant. Ester-chan seemed like she was trying to show off to me. She'd make a grand flourish whenever she'd take down an orc then glance over to see my reaction.

"As expected of a dragon slayer…."

The men at the back had nothing to do but watch.

They shouldn't have to do much if things continue like this.

We didn't even have to stop walking as we made our way forward. Whenever we spotted an orc, one of us would just raise a hand and the orc would fall to the ground. We'd then continue forward without ever stopping. It helped that the cave was essentially just a straight line. It didn't take long for us to reach the end.

The final area of the cave was a large open area that was around one hundred tsubos in size.

There were about a dozen orcs here.

As well as ten women that were stripped completely naked.

It's probably better if I don't say what they were doing.

"…."

But it was definitely worth the effort to make it here.

It's an amazing sight.

This is a reward in itself.

"L-Let's finish this!"

Ester-chan barked out her order.

I'd rather we just continue watching, but it's not like I can disregard her order and continue ogling the women. Besides, the other men have already charged forward following the lolibitch's orders. There's no hope for the orcs.

The orcs took noticed and picked up their weapons.

I stayed in the back with Ester-chan and healed when necessary but also killed a few orcs with my fireballs.

Once the orcs had been pushed back and it seemed like our victory was assured, I approached the injured women lying on the ground.

The orcs were rough with them.

Thanks to the orcs, tonight's meal has been decided.

I quickly healed the women of their injuries.

The orcs that were living in this cave had impeccable taste. All of the women they had captured were young and beautiful. They also had diverse tastes as well. There were women with long ears and a few that had tails.

I had trouble deciding where I should look.

To my right, large chests; to my left, thighs and butts; and in front of me, the main course.

Once I had finished ogling the women and healing them, the orcs had been pushed back to the far wall and were on the verge of complete defeat. The slain orcs had left a pool of blood on the cave floor. The smell of death was quickly filling the area.

"Are you okay?"

Ester-chan paid little attention to this and checked on the women.

They were all huddled together now.

"T-Thank you so much!" "Umm, are you here to save us?" "Amazing…." "Thank you! Thank you so much! We're saved!" "Thank you very much! U…uku…." "The orc's penis was so big I thought I may die nya~" "I'll kill them all!" "Wan! Wan!"

A few of them said strange things or wanted revenge, but, as a whole, they all seemed grateful for our help.

"Are there any other captives?"

"No, I-I think we're the only ones."

One of the girls answered Ester-chan's question.

She was doing her best to cover her precious places with her hands. There was also a white liquid seeping through her fingers and dripping down her legs. This was an amazing scene. There were times were her hands would slip and I'd be able to see everything.

"Then we should get out of here."

We'll need to return to the women's village so they know we took care of the orcs.

But one of the women asked Ester-chan something that seemed to be weighing on the minds of all of the former captives.

"Umm, w-what are we supposed to do now…?"

Each of the women had their own sad story.

A tragic past that ended with them being dragged into this cave.

Even the ones that didn't speak seemed to have a similar story. Most of them probably no longer have a place to call home.

They were either captured after the orcs attacked their refugee group or as they were fleeing from their village after the orcs attacked. Any family or friends they had were most likely killed by the orcs.

"…if you have nowhere to go, would you like to join our village?"

The male representative offered them a home.

"Eh? Are you sure that's okay?"

"Yes, but you should know we were refugees not long ago. We've only just begun building our new home."

"That's all!? T-Then, umm, I-I'd do anything to join your village! I would…."

The women rushed towards the men.

Seriously?

A group of beautiful, naked women are pushing each other out of the way to get near those guys.

Why can't I have naked women rushing towards me?

Damn it.

Owning your own home really is an attractive feature.

"Then we should be leaving immediately! We have no time to waste!"

Pushed on by Ester-chan's voice, we made our way out of the cave.

***

The men were now returning home from work.

Making our way back was more difficult than expected. Escorting the women, who were still a little out of it after being rescued, made the journey take almost twice as long. But, personally, I enjoyed the feeling of travelling through the forest with such a large group. It felt like the number of my friends had increased.

Above all else, watching beautiful women walking through the forest naked is the best.

A dangerous, nude hike through the forest at night. Amazing.

I'd have to pay hundreds of thousands of yen to get this in my previous life.

I love this world.

They'd occasionally scream whenever they tripped over roots on the ground or bushes or small branches would cut them. I had to keep healing them with my recovery magic which gave me an excuse to stay close to them. This may be the best moment of either of my lives.

Thanks to their screams, the atmosphere surrounding our group grew increasingly tense.

It had grown even darker by the time we arrived at the women's village. The men kept going on with no complaints. I'm really starting to be convinced that these guys aren't bad.

However, what greeted them was anything but what I expected.

At the main gate of the women's village, a group of female villagers were waiting for us.

"Did you get rid of the orcs!? Eh, tell us what happened!" "This was your fault, to begin with!" She's right! So you better have taken care of it!" "Oh, are you expecting words of gratitude? Do you want us to praise you? Ahem, wow, amazing. You guys are so amazing." "And who are those women!?" "T-They're naked!"

A dozen women were just staring at us.

Not one among them looked happy.

"You men should've returned a while ago!" "She's right! We've all been up waiting for you!" "I was so scared that orcs may attack us that I couldn't sleep!" "Did you even think about how scared we might be waiting here not knowing if we were going to die or not!?" "Yeah, that's right!" "It's bad for our skin if we don't get a good night's sleep!" "We have to look after the children early in the morning too!"

Each and every one of the women was only concerned with themselves. While the men just now returned to the village in the dead of night covered in blood and mud. I sympathized with the men.

And Ester-chan felt the same.

"…wait a moment."

She took slow, measured steps towards the group of women.

She looked intense.

"Ah…."

"They went out into the forest with no preparations and spent most of the night out there fighting and killing to protect you. They returned here to assure you that you're all safe and not a single one of you – you who've been waiting here in the safety and comfort of your own homes – can give them a simple thank you."

I don't think I've ever seen Ester-chan this angry.

"…."

The women all fell silent and tried to avoid Ester-chan's fiery gaze.

None of them looked as if they regretted their actions. In fact, they looked like they wanted to argue with Ester-chan but their noble-commoner relationship was keeping them silent.

This silence lasted for a while.

It was the men's representative that broke this silence.

"…I'm sorry for ever troubling you with our problems, noblewoman."

"You've not done anything wrong. At least from what I've seen since arriving here. If anything, they deserve praise for everything they've done and everything they have to put up with. Nothing I have seen has given me any reason to believe they deserve the treatment they get from you."

"N-Noblewoman! The men are hiding the truth from you and trying to make themselves look good…."

"Be quiet!"

This lolibitch is scaring me too.

I'm going to follow the women and keep silent too.

Seeing no way of speaking confidently to Ester-chan, the women turned their attention to the male representative.

"S-Stop lying to the noblewoman! Tell them the truth!" "She's right! It's the middle of the night and we've all been up worried that we might get attacked again!" "Were you just taking your time out there!? Were you not worried about us and what might happen if the orcs returned!?" "And you expect us to thank you!?" "Yeah, they're right!"

They looked as if they were trying to appeal to me now.

But the men were the next to act.

"…the birthrate in our village has declined dramatically in recent years."

The male representative looked at the women. In response, they all turned away, but the group of men all nodded in agreement. These guys rarely use words to communicate.

The representative is the only one that ever speaks. The others remain quiet unless directly spoken to.

They're so cool.

"Our village will fail as things stand. You may have a home you wish to return to or people you loved that may still be alive, but I've decided this unilaterally, and that may be selfish, but I have to prioritize the survival of our village above all else."

He turned away from the women of the village and faced the group of women we rescued.

"Will you return with us to our village as our brides?"

It was an idea that went a step further than the one proposed in the orc den.

A bride. They'll become married.

It's not something you ask a woman so easily.

He's made no preparations and doesn't even have a ring.

But the women didn't care as they all nodded in unison.

"I'll do my best! If you'll have me, I-I'll do anything!" "I-I-I'd love to!" " "Umm, I-I'd also like to…." "Me too! I'll come as well! I'll do anything!" " "I'd even be okay being a mistress if  a bride is too much!" "I like human penises more than orc." "M-Marry me!" "Wan! Wan~!"

They all seemed happy with the idea.

But the female villagers weren't happy with this idea.

"W-Wait, what are you saying!?" "You're going to choose those filthy sub-humans over us!?" "You're going to be with that girl? She looks half your age! Pervert!" "You're just going to toss aside your women!? That's the lowest thing a man can do!" "This is unbelievable! You're all terrible men!" "You're just going to toss aside your wife!? What about our kids!?" "Yeah, exactly!"

The women were yelling even louder than before. I'm sure those within the village can even hear them now. I'm guessing they're doing this to try to scare off the female captives.

I can even see a few women beyond the walls looking out at our group now.

But the naked women didn't seem to mind their complaints as they seemed to be talking with the men. After a moment, the naked women all nodded in unison and the male representative said,

"Thank you. We'll bring you to our village as soon as possible."

The other men smiled in response.

They all looked genuinely happy. I've seen them smile a few times now but this is the first time I've believed they're happy. Their smiles looked natural rather than the forced ones I've seen before. I wonder what was said between them that caused them to smile like that.

"Thank you for your help, noblewoman. We'll be returning to our village with them."

"Good. I think that's the right decision for you all."

The group of men bowed to Ester-chan before turning and starting to walk off in the direction of the forest.

The naked women followed.

The lolibitch looked satisfied.

But the female villagers were all starting to panic and call out to the men as they walked away. I guess they never expected this to happen.

"P-Please, wait a moment!"

The crowd of villagers had begun to grow and a truly desperate voice called out from amongst them.

I recognized the woman. She was the one that was identified as the mayor.

Everyone turned their attention to her.

With the eyes of everyone on her, for the first time, I heard her speak to the men with respect.

"Will you stay if we t-thank you!?"

This is the first time a girl turning tsundere hasn't had an effect on me.

"…."

Ester-chan also turned to leave without saying anything.

The mayor stood there, completely stunned as we slowly disappeared into the treeline.

***

After returning to the men's village, we finally learned the truth about what had happened between the men and women.

We were able to confirm with the other men that the birth rate in their village had sharply declined. The real reason for the division between them was quite simple.

The men said the women used to be more loving.

However, for one reason or another, one-by-one they all started refusing their husband's advances at night.

This lasted a few years without the men doing much to change things before their original village was caught between the Penny Empire and the Pussy Republic during the conflict. Their village was relatively wealthy and they lived luxurious lives for commoners but this conflict led to them becoming refugees and a drastic change in their living conditions.

This led to the relationship between the men and the women to deteriorate even further.

The men wished to separate from the women as they saw no hope of continuing their village if things stayed as they were. Ultimately, this led to them deciding to leave and start a new village. Even so, the men understood that they needed to provide for their children, so they continued bringing food to the women's village.

So I misunderstood the situation. The abuse was the women not wanting to have sex, and the women didn't make the men leave, but, rather, the men felt like they were forced out due to the women withholding sex which would have led to the end of their village.

"…I apologize for revealing such a shameful side of our village to you."

We're currently in a large building within the men's village.

The male representative was bowing his head in front of Ester-chan and me.

Just like the mayor's home in the women's village, this room had a wood floor and a heart in the centre. It's clear that the men claiming to have built the women's village wasn't a lie at all. There were even ivy cushions that perfectly resembled those in the mayor's home.

Apart from the representative, it was just Ester-chan and me.

"I understand the situation. You don't need to apologize."

"R-Really?"

"I'm a woman so I can understand how other women think."

"…of course, I'm sorry."

"To be perfectly honest, the women of that village should be ashamed, but you and your people should also act a little more masculine. It isn't a man's job to serve women and it isn't a woman's job to serve men. It's an equal partnership. There's give and take and you should always be supporting one another."

"You're correct, noblewoman."

"If you're constantly worrying about the other person, you can begin to lose sight of who you are. It was actually him that taught me this and I think it's very important to keep in mind. If you truly care for one another, neither of you should ever feel like your relationship is forced or pretending to be someone you're not."

I could see Ester-chan glancing over at me.

I don't remember ever teaching her that.

But if I were to say something now, I'd tell her I'm over the age of thirty, a virgin, and have no clue who I am as a person.

People can live comfortably together if they have sex.

"I'll keep your words in my heart and I promise not to forget them, noblewoman."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Ester-chan looked satisfied with his reply.

"I think, after a few days or so, I'll return to the other village and speak with the women."

"…are you sure about that?"

"I think it's for the best. We had a loving relationship once and I know we can return to that point someday."

"Really? Well, if you believe so, do your best."

"Of course."

Seriously?

This man essentially just went through a middle-aged divorce but he's going to try to reconcile with his ex-wife in just a couple of days. He has a big heart. If I'm being honest, those women don't deserve such kindness.

"Well then, I shouldn't be keeping you two any longer."

The man nodded and in response, Ester-chan stood up.

"Yes, I think it's about time we left as well."

There were a few things that I still wanted to ask, but I followed Ester-chan and got up to leave.

We have even less time now.

"Thank you for everything you've done. I won't forget your kindness."

The man got to his feet and gave Ester-chan a deep bow.

We both nodded and walked out of the building. It was now just the virgin and the bitch.

***

It was the middle of the night and I was flying through the air while carrying Ester-chan.

Of course, after a desperate plea from her, I was holding her in a princess carry. After running through the forest she had been sweating a lot. The rich smell coming from her body was affecting my lower body even more than usual. Her sweet fragrance was almost unbearable.

Isn't this sweet smell out of place for the Middle Ages?

I've been spending a lot of time with Sophichan and I don't remember her smelling so good.

"Those men will surely repeat their mistakes again."

While staring off into the night sky, Ester-chan muttered this.

"What do you mean?"

"As long as they continue to live in such a close-knit community, they will care deeply for those around them. That in and of itself isn't bad, but they'll allow themselves to be taken advantage of. Not only by the women of their former village but by their children or even their elders."

"I see what you mean."

"I don't believe they'll all be able to be happy until just surviving day to day becomes easier for them."

"I can understand that."

"A man uses a woman just as a woman uses a man. But what's most important in a relationship is for each person to be able to completely trust the other."

"That's a convincing argument."

"…."

Ester-chan's face turned red when I agreed with her idea about the relationship between men and women.

The cool atmosphere surrounding her previously had changed into a cuter one.

I wanted to see the former a little more.

"So you agree? T-That's why you should use me more! I don't know, umm, about doing it during the day, but at night…! We can do it at night! You can trust that I'll be able to please you! You can be as rough as you want with me! However, intense you want to get, I'll endure it!"

"…."

She looked cool earlier but she truly is just a bitch in heat.

"Ester-san, are we close to our destination…?"

"Eh? …oh, right! I-I think I can see it from here!"

"Where at?"

"Radius Grassland is just on the other side of this forest! We're very close!"

"All right."

We're getting close.

I'll finally be able to get a good look at my territory.

Chapter end