The Rising of Tanaka – 28 Part 2
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Pasifista
A few days later, at a certain tavern in the city of Gokuri. There seated Tanaka, enjoying a cup of milk in ease.
「Phew, despite being hunted down by the country, here I am seated in the tavern while coolly drinking a glass of milk. So hard-boiled!」
For some reason, Tanaka was intoxicated with his own coolness. He didn’t even realize that the tavern old man was looking at him with a strange gaze.
Initially, Tanaka was intending to directly flee the city. However, as the whereabouts of his comrades were still unknown, he was unsure of where he should head to. In the end, he wounded up staying in the city’s tavern.
There seated Tanaka, an indecisive character who was stuck in a dilemma.
Today, Tanaka was carrying himself like a hard-boiled man he was as usual, however, it had to come to an end here.
A person stepped into the tavern. The atmosphere in the tavern took a sudden turn upon their presence. The person, who didn’t fit to appear in such a tavern, proceeded forward without minding the surrounding people. The person proceeded forward without hesitation before stopping at Tanaka’s side.
「So you’re here, Sergeant-san, I’ve been looking for you. I’d like to ask you to come back. Everyone is very restless after the incident the other day.」
It was Taisa, who was looking for Tanaka.
As of right now, the Alliance had yet managed to find out the identity of the spy from the other day. They had been on high alert ever since, but no one had particularly been caught in the net as of yet.
The peace they had been dreaming of was just around the corner. Such a situation had involuntarily turned each and every one of the Alliance army into a coward. Everyone was beginning to feel restless.
If there was a ray of light in the midst of all those darkness, it was none other than the presence of Tanaka. No matter what kind of enemies there were lurking in the darkness awaiting them, as long as Tanaka was with them, he would definitely be able to deal with all of it somehow. Everyone firmly believed that.
Understanding this situation, Taisa moved to bring Tanaka back.
She knew that Tanaka was moving around on his own to find out the identity of this mysterious enemy. However, above all, she wished for him to return to headquarters for the sake of everyone.
It was impossible for him to know what was going on in Taisa’s mind, so Tanaka was in a state of inner panic. ‘Oh shit! As expected, it really turned into a big deal, huh. Moreover, to think they’d even traced me back to this hard-boiled tavern. What to do now? To overcome this crisis… Fortunately, Taisa-chan seems to be by herself here. My only option is to take advantage of her kindheartedness, mislead her and then make my escape!’, and so he thought–.
Tanaka suppressed his impatience with his hard-boiled tavern mode. And then, he started to make his move for escape.
「Colonel-dono, huh. I’m sorry, but I can’t go back. I have to go. Even if everyone in the world stands in my way….」
That was right, Tanaka was a man who could discard everything away to save his own skin. He would never give up to the bitter end, even if everyone in the world were to turn into an enemy and tried to capture him.
A man who wouldn’t hesitate to miserably shed tears, shed excrements, and beg for his life in order to survive. That was Tanaka.
Tanaka slowly rose to his feet. He then gritted his teeth as he forced his trembling legs to move, heading for the tavern’s exit.
Seeing his actions, Taisa was shocked. The new enemy whose identity they couldn’t grasp even after mustering all of their power. And yet, it appeared that Tanaka had already perceived everything about them.
What was most shocking was the airs Tanaka gave off. An enemy so powerful that even Tanaka, who they believed to be the strongest existence alive, couldn’t help but hesitate.
And right now, he was about to depart to face such an enemy by his lonesome….
「Why… why do you have to go….」
Why would he lend them a hand to such an extent? Taisa couldn’t understand at all.
Tanaka stopped on his legs at her words.
「My soul is trembling. I’m merely moving following its lead.」
Tanaka spoke over his back. To Taisa, that back of his looked very large.
「Even though there’s nothing to gain from this….」
He was about to depart for a battle for their sake without even asking for anything in return. Taisa involuntarily burst into tears.
「Nevertheless, even if there’s nothing to gain, I still have to go. Believing in this surging out feeling.」
Tanaka began to move forward again. Taisa was frustrated, and also sad. Toward how powerless they were. As they were right now, they were nothing but hindrances to him. They couldn’t fight side by side with him.
「I’m sure the day will come when you understand it, Colonel-dono. That there is something we have to do, even if it means casting everything else aside.」
Tanaka’s departing figure was blurred by tears. And yet, she continued to watch the back of the great man. Engraving his words onto her heart.
「Farewell, Colonel-dono. Should fate permit it, let’s meet again someday.」
Tanaka departed. Leaving something for certain in the heart of the girl.
「What the hell are these two doing?」
Along with a question in the tavern old man…..
◇ ◇ ◇
Two shadows appeared in front of Tanaka as soon as he stepped out of the city.
「We’ve been waiting for you-degozaru.」
「At long last, we‘re finally reunited again.」
They were Suke-san and Kaku-san. Kaku-san seemed to possess a kind of detection ability. As they had come to this city especially to chase after Tanaka.
However, the two of them didn’t head into the city as they’d gather too much attention inside. As they were pondering about what to do while crossing their arms just outside of the city, Tanaka happened to begin to make his way out, so they decided to simply wait for him there.
「Me waz lonely-degozaru.」
Tanaka immediately clung to the two of them in tears. For some reason, he attached Gozaru in his sentence. However, there was nothing new for Tanaka to act in a strange manner, so the two weren’t particularly bothered by it.
「So, what should we do? Now that we’re together again, should we play around somewhere around here for a while?」
Kaku-san asked Tanaka, showing a side-chest pose to calm him down.
「No, I’m done with this city. Or rather, this country is a no go. Let’s hurry up and get out of this country!」
Tanaka decided at once. It wouldn’t be strange for an officer to suddenly come flying to capture him anytime there, so that was an inevitable decision.
「What’s wrong with you? I don’t mind taking our time here for a while, you know?」
Unusually, Kaku-san was being considerate to Tanaka. While diligently changing his pose. It seemed that he had been diligently training on it since they were parted with Tanaka. Suke-san’s movements had also grown a lot more exquisite as he posed to match Kaku-san.
Tanaka, for his part, found their extra thoughtfulness unnecessary.
「It’s fine! This country is a total disaster. Everyone avoids me like a plague and doesn’t give a damn about me simply because I’m an outsider… You won’t understand how much suffering I’d had to go through here. Moreover, I fell into a trap and am being wanted now… I want nothing more than getting the hell out of here! I can’t stand it anymore! My soul is trembling!」
The cries of Tanaka’s soul began to reverberate in the air.
「That sounds rough-degozaru.」
「In that case, let’s get going!」
The two didn’t seem to be particularly bothered by the cries of his soul, however. It was just the usual business.
Thus, team Tanaka departed for another journey.
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