Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]

This title is too long!:Volume3 Chapter5 4

2018-03-21T20:15:20Z

JFerg: /* Chapter 5-4 - June 19, I remembered */

==Chapter 5-4 - June 19, I remembered==

On the departed train, I went to the usual carriage.

The aisle was narrow, and the train was shaking, so it was really difficult for me to walk.

But so what?

If the paths have been paved for me, I won't be able to reach the place I want to reach.

Today, I'm going to pursue the matter,

"Your bastard! Why did you forgive me! You were nearly killed by me!--Answer me!"

I didn't care whether I was on the train.

No way would i miss out this chance again.

Once I was done walking down the large carriage, I reach the deck where the toilet and washroom were.

It was here where I once committed a sin.

That thereafter, the person I wanted to kill saved me.

So to know the reason, I entered the carriage sensei was waiting in.

"Ah! You're here! I'm talking on the phone! My ticket's on the seat! If the conductor drops by, please take over!"

And then, with a smartphone in hand, he passed me by, ducked into the deck, and vanished before my eyes.

"Huh?"

 

Since it was something I could do nothing about, I leaned my back on the seat, and waited.

The empty windowside seat to my left had a bag and the ticket on it, so I took care of them for him. Of course, I would never peek into his bag on my own volition again.

Soon after, a middle-aged male conductor came to check the tickets, and I showed two.

Sensei did not return in a while, but he could not have hopped out from the moving train, so I could deal with waiting for minutes, dozens even. There's two and a hour hours until the destination.

I guess the call was from the editor. No way was I ridiculous enough to disturb others at work all because I had something important to discuss.

There's no need for me to panic. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait. So I waited patiently, pondering over the choice of words, and waiting for that moment.

So another five, ten minutes passed.

Sensei returned to my side while I was leisurely waiting.

I stood up to let him pass through. Once I saw his face, I was rather surprised, saying,

"Wh-what is it...?"

Sensei's face was as pale as a corpse.

What's with him?

Not feeling well again? But his face was really pale.

"Thank, you."

Sensei stumbled forward, and took his bag, sitting down.

"I forgot...I forgot!"

He said, and took out his computer from his bag.

He tossed his backpack aside, and placed it on his thighs, opened it, switched it on, and the monitor flickered.

 

"What is it?"

I tidied my hair, and sat down again. I asked the same question, and sensei's neck turned to the right like a rusted machine.

Looking really pale, sensei said,

"I forgot a join...the really short story of 'Vice Versa' that was to be submitted by yesterday...it was supposed to be published on the digital 'Dengeki Bunko Magazine'..."

"Eh?"

"Actually, the deadline was supposed to be Tuesday...the editor-in-charge delayed the deadline, but I forgot about it…"

"Eh!"

"I haven't written a line...if I don't go all out to focus on writing, it'll be a mess ...it'll be really, really bad…"

"Th-then--"

"Sorry Nitadori! I got to work! I'm going to focus on writing before we reach Tokyo."

I could have seen his password, but he entered it anyway, and stared at the watch.

And then, once he booted the word software, he stared at the screen as he kept typing.

What's with this situation?

What does he mean?

Is he asking me to 'disturb sensei and keep asking! Don't care about the deadline!' or something?

No, of course not.

I am not so insensitive.

 

Thus--

On the ride that lasted more than two and a half hours, sensei spent two hours and twenty minutes typing at the keyboard.

And I remained seated by the side.

Sometimes, I would glance to the side, and see the words on the screen accelerate at an astounding rate, but I never read it.

This time, I bought some consomme flavored chips, but I could not hand them to him in this situation.

I had checked the script an umpteenth time.

From time to time, I would check on sensei's sidelong face, and he looked grim and desperate.

I guess it's a rare experience to be able to personally witness a professional author at work.

If not for this being the day it happened--

"Ooh, so this is how 'Vice Versa' is written!'"

As a fan, I might be able to enjoy this.

Fifteen minutes before the train arrived at the terminal,

"F-finally done...sent a message for the editor to check. We'll have a meeting immediately after the After Record, should be fine…"

Sensei finally spoke up after two hours of silence.

This is great, really great.

But do I have to give up this week and wait another week?

You got to be kidding.

I decided to ask on this day. I brought along my weapon primed for this purpose.

So i thought, what should I do, what should I do.

And then, I thought of something.

 

I got up, pulled along Miss Akane seated next to me, passed through the automatic door and towards the deck.

"Is there something…? Milady?"

Miss Akane showed a rare surprised look,

"Let's called aunty!"

And so I whispered sharply.

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| Back to [[This_title_is_too_long!:Volume3_Chapter 5_3|Chapter 5-3]]
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Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure!:Volume 2 Chapter 7

2017-07-08T05:24:57Z

JFerg:

Chapter 7

Summer vacation starts tomorrow.

The last day of school for the first semester is finished. I took my bicycle from the parking lot and rode while listening to music on my iPod.

The songs are called "The holy cuddle", "23 year old summer vacation". Recently I've been listening to these songs often.

I was listening to these songs all the summer last year. Last summer I listened to these songs, and this summer I also want to listen to these songs. It's because the song lyrics I can sympathize with very much.

But this summer is not like last year where I do not have plans to go anywhere. This year I have plans to go out with Hasegawa to Odaiba!

I kept pedaling in good spirits and stopping the urge to shout out in joy. I stopped in front of a local bookstore and dropped in.

I looked over a date magazine’s Odaiba's feature collection (I don’t have money to purchase) and I looked up Odaiba's recommended dating spots.

Joypolis, Venus Fort, Big Ferris Wheel ... not what I am looking for.

Since I was going to go to a park by the sea, I have to go to Odaiba Beach Park.

Odaiba is the only thing I've ever visited besides the Big Sight Comiket and the Fuji Television during my Social Studies Tour at elementary school.

That's right, Koigasaki is going with me, so I want to talk to her. I wonder what she is going to do while in Odaiba.

I sent an email to Koigasaki.

"When I asked Hasegawa where she wants to go, she said she wants to go to Odaiba! What kind of places in Odaiba should I take her? "

A reply came soon.

"Well. . . Joypolis or something? But I've never been there before, so it's a pity. . . Well, it is important to decide where to go, but don’t you think you better buy new clothes, too? Are you planning to wear that elder brother's clothes? "

Clothes……. I see, it was ....

It was not like I would be wearing that outfit.

Before now I have not had money, but tomorrow will be my first salary. I think that it is a little more than 10,000 yen.

I have to buy the clothes for my date to Odaiba with Hasegawa.

I returned Odaiba date magazine to where I was and I moved to the corner where the male fashion magazines are.

Then, a magazine for cosplay was placed there for some reason with the other male fashion magazines.

Somehow I can’t browse it as it is tied by a string.

I have to buy cosplay costumes .... The cosplay event with Suzuki is at the end of this month, so there is not much time left. I have to purchase it early or I might not make it on time ... ....

However, I don’t want to fail in my choice of clothes like last time.

Even if it seems to me to be cool looking clothes, there is a great possibility that ... girls will not see it in the same way.

As it is, it is probably best to have my clothes looked at by Koigasaki first in order to find which ones are fashionable (for me).

"Koigasaki, do you have plans for tomorrow?"

For some reason I made a mistake in my email to Koigasaki, I have made the her name in lowercase letters. Too late to stop sending it ....

"Tomorrow. . . I can’t go since I have work from lunch to night. . . "

An awesome negative aura appeared from the mail coming from Koigasaki. Working in a maid cafe is too depressing for her ...... Just like working in the karaoke work for me.

If Koigasaki is not available, I think I will change the day when I go shopping. But the next day I have my part-time job. I stopped thinking and got out of the book store, rode my bicycle and went home.

When I got home, my sister was watching TV in the living room.

"I'm home"

"............"

"Hey, you did you hear me?"

"Noisy Naoki! Keep silent as Mr. Mi's beautiful voice is being drowned out with your noise!"

"Ha ... ....?"

Looking closely, my sister was watching a DVD of someone singing.

Oh, this is .... the live DVD performance of a handsome voice actor from Ikemen, "Takumi Mizukami (Famous Name from Fan)" being watched by my sister.

My younger sister Akari is an Otaku, as well as a fujioshi.

"You bought this ... ?"

"I borrowed it from my friend, well, Naoki look look! He is so cool!"

Although I am not interested in Ikemen voice actors, since Akari told me, I have no choice but to look at the screen.

There, the Ikemen who are good looking idols were singing and dancing on the stage.

...... Certainly, I think they are cool. I agree with Akari.

Their faces are cool, so is their hairstyle and fashion sense.

Especially Akari’s favorite, the lively "Mr. Mi." who has a red mesh in his black hair, and a costume based on red pink and black, which looks outstanding.

"Nice ...."

"Aren’t they nice!?"

"Where are these clothes sold ...?"

"Mr. Mi’s? Do you like his clothes too? Because it's so fashionable! There is a punk-based brand shop in Harajuku where you can buy them!"

Akari gave an explanation about the clothes of "Mr. Mi." with excitement, and also mentioned the name of the shop where the clothes can be bought.

"Thank you Akari!"

"Why are you interested in the brand name? No way ... ... If you are going to wear it, it will definitely not suit Naoki, definitely not ..."

I thanked Akari then went to my room where I searched the net with my personal computer. I felt that Akari was telling me something when I left, but I could not hear her well.

The brand's official website is found quickly by google. Looking at the image of the clothing that I am interested in, it was strange but only the cool clothes were posted.

When I looked at where the store is located, it is from Harajuku station by one road.

The price is somewhat higher, but somehow compared to the places where Koigasaki went, it feels somewhat cheaper.

" ...This is good!"

I can buy this with my salary even if I am alone tomorrow!

Even if Koigasaki is not with me, I can buy clothes on my own!

The next day, I went to the bank and got my salary. It is more 14 thousand and it becomes a little over 15,000 yen when I combine it with my current one thousand yen. I went to Harajuku quietly.

Reaching Harajuku station, I was guided by a map on my mobile and I arrived at the building called Laforet Harajuku, a five minute walk from the station.

I went up to the floor where the brand shop was located, and as soon as I got off the escalator there was the shop.

"Customer ~, what kind of clothes are you looking for today ~ !?"

When I entered the shop and saw the clothes, I went to speak to a clerk as soon as possible.

Will I make a mistake like the last time? I did not pick right away, I decided to take my time in choosing my clothes.

The clerk brought 3 sets of clothes and I decided to try them on.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror of the fitting room.

...... It may be because the clothes are cool, but I myself can’t look better than usual.

"Customer, how is it!?"

A clerk asked and opened the curtain.

"The size is perfect as well!! This clothes is very suited to your body shape ~!"

As much as I am usually being criticized, I feel good when praised.

I tried on three sets of clothes in succession and decided to buy the clothes I thought were the best for me.

I also decided to buy only T - shirts to wear because I have to leave money for cosplay costumes.

The skull's sketch is printed and it's a T-shirt designed like a hem tears.

I will manage somehow with something that is in my house.

This time I was able to curb my expenses to 4,000 yen.

I was satisfied and left the store, and since I wanted to suppress extra expenses I did not look in other shops and headed straight to the station.

"Sorry"

There, I was called out.

A young woman from The Lord of Voice called me. She is a young woman with bright hair color and a slightly unique hair style. She is very fashionable and pretty cute.

Being called out by a pretty woman on the street is a first time for me. I took notice and stopped.

What could she want from me? Would she sell me some products on discount?

"I am a hairdresser in the beauty salon near here,"

I got her business card.

The store name, the hairdresser name, and a map are on the business card.

Indeed, is she a hairdresser? It certainly looks like she is. Is she soliciting?

"I'm looking for a person who can be a coloring model now.I would provide it with a special price of 1000 yen, how is it?"

Hair coloring for 1000 yen!?

Normally, coloring from a hairdresser cost about 3,000 yen. It is quite cheap if it is 1000 yen.

"Well, is it a thousand yen?"

"Yes. I will provide hair coloring now if you agree."

In other words, is it like a laboratory test? So this is why it is cheap?

"Which hair color would you like?"

I had thought of the time I dyed my hair blonde... that was a disaster as I did it myself. But if it was done at a hairdressing salon, it might have been a different story.

"I want to keep my dark color, but ...."

"Do you want, for example, red hair meshed in with your black hair ... ...."
In my head, the appearance of a handsome voice actor "Mr. Mi" completely emerged.

"Of course, I do not mind that"

"Well, then ... would you come with me, please?"

Walking for about five minutes, we came to the hairdresser salon.

As I waited for a while, the lady hairdresser and a senior male hairdresser appeared, and they talked for a while.

Later on, I was asked more about what color I want. They brought color samples and I was told to choose which color I want, so I chose a brilliant red.

As I was asked which part I wanted to dye, I decided to have a part of the same forelock dyed as a handsome voice actor "Mr. Mi" that I saw on a live DVD yesterday.

Then they proceeded with the hair dye. After blowing my hair dry with a hair dryer, I looked at myself in a mirror.

Only a part of my bangs are stained in bright red. It became a hair color close to "Mr. Mi".

As my hair color changed, I feel like I was reborn to a new person.

Perfect. If I wear my T - shirt of the "Wish - like" wish brand I purchased, my transformation into a different person is complete.

"How is it ~?"

I was asked by the hairdresser,

"Oh, it is really nice! Thank you!"

I answered with excitement.

Then I paid 1,000 yen fee and went home with a floating feeling.

I arrived home and I thought of something before opening the door to the living room.

My hair color that is definitely not suitable with my current appearance.

If I meet my family in this form, I would look very stupid.

I took off the plain brown shirt I am wearing and replaced it with the T - shirt I just bought.

In my new get-up, I opened the door to the living room with the doya face.

"I'm home!"

"Welcome back ...."

In the living room Akari was sitting on the sofa and playing with her cell phone, then she saw me and she stiffened.

I wondered if my change in appearance had caused her to become a statue.

"... Naoki ... ...?"

As she called my name, my sister's expression grew stronger.

"What do you think?"

"I went to Harajuku and bought the same clothes like your favorite voice actor wears!"

At that moment, something flew toward me and hit my face.

It seems that a stuffed animal was thrown by Akari.

"Oi, what are you ... ...."

"Why did you think that by wearing the same outfit will make you look the same? Because you are different! Naoki does not resemble him a bit, not even a millimeter!! "

My younger sister got up and began to deny me with excitement.

"Why, what is it ... my outfit and looks are not that different from the original, don’t you see!?"

"Don’t mess with Akari! Stupid Naoki! What clothes are cool for someone is not cool for you! I even asked you not to wear the brand ... ... Akari told you it won’t suit you but did you listen at all!? As I thought it did not suit you indeed! Mother!”

"Why are you two bickering about now!?"

Mother who at Akari’s call came down the stairs from the upper floor,

"Naoki ... ... Hu, what strange clothes ... ...."

She was laughing at my clothes.

"Why ... ... doesn’t this garment and hairstyle look cool on me?"

"Even if Naoki wears them, it does not suit you and it's not cool at all, it's uncomfortable so please return it soon!"

Akari threw me a lot of complaints while crying.

"Are you serious……"

I got a tremendous shock and returned to my room.

I look at myself once again with a whole body mirror in my room.

...... At least I think I look cool ....

I couldn’t trust the words of Akari and my mother when it comes to fashion.

That's right, I just have to ask Momo. I don’t want to have Hasegawa have a bad impression of me because of my clothes.

I turned my cell phone towards the whole body mirror in my room and photographed my whole body.

"Address • Koigasaki Momo

Subject • what do you think about my hairstyle and outfit?

Body • None (with attached image) "

I attached my own image and I sent the email and to ask for her opinion.

A reply came in less than a few minutes.

". . . How did you get those clothes? Please don’t say you bought them?

"I purchased it today.” Fearing Koigasaki, I used honorific language for some reason.

"Why did you buy such clothes!? Do not go outside wearing those! Especially when going out with girls; those clothes mean a death flag. "

...... Death Flag!? Such Otaku jargon comes out from Koigasaki. I did not know whether she heard that from Sakurai or on the net, but she seemed to be much more otaku than before. Although I feel her usage is not that good yet.

Is there a death flag just by dressing up? What is that? To put it simply, this garment is the worst acceptance to girls, is it something like that!?

"What are you saying? It is really cool! I bought the clothes of the brand of a handsome voice actor."

"I do not know who is that voice actor. . Whether the Otakus’ reception is okay or not, but at most girls dislike such clothes.”

She has a point. Now, I mentioned my hair color.

“About my hair… my hair was put in a red mesh by a hairdresser '

"Ahhhhhhhhhh! Why do not you understand my meaning every time? It doesn’t look nice for you at all, and only a very few girls would like such a hairstyle”

My shoulders slumped.

I wonder if I can change my hairstyle. Also, can this pattern be changed?

I wonder why fashion I think is good is the fashion that girls say is bad. Why is there a large gap?

Well, before I go with Hasegawa to Odaiba, I decided junk the outfit and went to a convenience store. While crying alone, I returned my hair to its original color.

The next day was my part - time job.

I prepare with a melancholic mood and head for work that is located two stops from the local station.

I decided to work to make money, but my legs felt heavy while heading to work because I am depressed.

I'm sure I will be working again with a Chara man without getting into a group conversation.

I got to work and changed to my uniform. I was told to go into the front for the time being and went there.

I took some instructions from Chara man. I'm used to the job, but I don’t like working with him.

"Kato goes to the barbecue this time?"

Kato (Chara Male) was invited by the woman working in the kitchen.

When there are no customers, employees are often talking in the kitchen. Of course, I have never joined in their conversation.

"Oh, of course I will go"

"You told me that you can go with Aya-chan, aren’t they all going to go?"

"Oh, you were obsessed with me"

Barbecue ... ... Maybe, is there an event concerning the workers? Of course I have not been invited. Of course, I do not mind going but I am not eager to be invited.

"Oh, Kato, would you take this to Room 302, because I do have to bring this to another place."

"OK."

"Well, then ... Kashiwagi, are you afraid to be alone?"

"Oh, it’s ok …"

Kashiwada, she meant but it is okay.

Takayama (a woman who was in the kitchen) and Kato (Chara Male) went to bring the food to the rooms, so I finally became alone. I have already learned about the job at the front desk and I feel much better if I am alone.

There, another male employee came back. I met him only once before, a man named Mr. Yamamoto.

"Oh, newcomer, are you doing the front desk again?"

Mr. Yamamoto cried to me with a smart smile.

A tall and refreshing person, perhaps a college student. He was a really nice person, I had a good impression on him from the beginning.

"Oh, yes……"

"By the way, have you been invited to the barbecue? It seems to be for a workmate this time,"

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah, next Sunday, we are going to visit Showa Memorial Park in Tachikawa.

"Ah, I have a schedule for that day ... I'm sorry"

Of course.

"Oh, that's too bad"

Mr. Yamamoto is a good person who is easy to talk to. He is liked by other employees, and I wonder if I can become such a person.

"By the way, Kashiwada is a high school student, what grade are you?"

"Oh, I'm in first year high school."

"Really? My sister is also a first year high-schooler."

Until a visitor came, I had a nice conversation with Yamamoto. It was the only momentary break in my part-time job.

I ended work and I went back home and checked the bulletin board of used cosplay costumes buying and selling on my personal computer.

After I went to the cosplay shop the other day in Akihabara, I attempted to purchase cosplay costumes cheaper by making use of the net. The net auction was the best, but I gave up because I was prohibited to register as I was under 18 years old. The bulletin board of used cosplay costume buying and selling is displayed there. You can purchase 2nd hand cosplay costumes directly at a cheap price, because you can buy and sell directly without going through a middleman. I have been checking whether the costume of the character I'm planning to cosplay is sold for the last few days.

Today as usual I searched the bulletin board by character name, three cases were listed. The first, the buyer was selling for 3,000 yen and I was attracted by the discount. However, it is stated that costume is has a no return clause and it is handmade by an amateur. To be honest I am not going to be very concerned about the costume because I only cosplay to help with Suzuki and Koigasaki 's relationship. I sent an e-mail from the personal computer to the poster of the article.

A reply came in a few hours and I got an image of the costume sent. It seems that there is no problem with the image. Since there are other mails coming from people who are considering purchasing, the contents of e-mail said that the item is “first-come, first-served”. I know it is impossible to buy cosplay costumes for 3,000 yen. Some costumes even cost more than 10,000 yen. I soon sent my reply to the e-mail saying "I decided to purchase so please". It seemed that my mail was accepted and I could purchase the item.

Just to be careful of being caught in a fraud, I decided to pay for it cash on delivery. I am not worried about the matter of a cosplay costume now.

My current balance is less than 10,000 yen, and after I purchase a cosplay costume it becomes less than 7,000 yen. I purchased my cosplay costumes cheap, so I got to save some money.

I decided that my remaining money will be used to buy nice clothes for when I'm going out with Hasegawa this time! To be honest I currently have clothes that are from my junior high school days and the “onii-san clothes” that I bought a while ago and was made fun of by Koigasaki and the ones I purchased yesterday (the Punk T - shirt that was made fun of by my whole family and Koigasaki) ... No, I cannot use any at all ...

I thought about checking by purchasing it on my own again, but I am afraid to look ridiculous. I thought I should consult what kind of clothes I should wear to Suzuki but something that looks good with Suzuki may not suit me. My money could run out if I fail again.

I decided my resolution and sent an email.

"Address • Koigasaki Momo

I do not know what kind of clothes I should buy for my date with Hasegawa... I do not want to fail anymore, please can you go shopping with me!? "

As usual, reply comes at a tremendous speed.

"You are certainly about to fail again … It can’t be helped. In return, you must help me properly at the cosplay event!

In other words, can I interpret this as acceptance?

I did not think that she would accept so easily. I wonder what Suzuki would think when he sees his favorite character being cosplayed.

Since we are both free tomorrow, we agreed to meet at Harajuku in the afternoon. We finished the email exchange.

*

When I arrived at the Takeshita Dori mouth of JR Harajuku station the next afternoon, Koigasaki was already waiting.

"Wow, thank you ... ...."

"Well, let’s get going quickly!"

Koigasaki started walking with a dash.

"Well there is no work today."

I feel Koigasaki reacted badly to my words.

"Oh ... I worked for two consecutive days, yesterday and the day before yesterday ..."

She is obviously in a bad mood. Do you dislike your work so much?

"Ah, also, I have something I want to say before buying ..."

"What?"

"If possible, I would like to ask you to find something cheaper as my budget is low right now ..."

I braced myself for her complaints.

"I thought about going to Arrows, or is it impossible?"

"Arrows!? Impossible impossible impossible!"

Koigasaki and I went to Arrows before. There were a lot of fashionable clothes there, but for me who is poor right now, the average price was high, I could not buy much there.

"It is because you spent money on strange clothes and a strange hairstyle … why are you always spending money so uselessly ... ok I will help you now."

"That's exactly right ..."

Oh, I came to feel that it would be better to stop buying clothes without asking the opinion of Koigasaki at all.

"Well ~ Well ...... It might be cheap if we went to Hanjirou, the men’s wear are on sale"

"Is this Hanjiro?"

Accompanied by Koigasaki we arrived at the clothes shop "Hanjiro", opposite the street that passed through Takeshita Dori.

It seems that they are selling clothes for both men and women. When I looked at the price tag of the items, I was relieved from the bottom of my heart that they are not expensive.

"Why is it so cheap here?"

"Because it's old fashioned clothes"

Old fashioned clothes ...... I see.

I disregarded Koigasaki and took some of the cheap clothes and looked at them.

These looked like nice clothes, I think.

"Look at you and those strange clothes! If I don’t say anything, you will buy those!"

"What's wrong !? These clothes look nice!"

Koigasaki made a deliberately grand sigh.

"You don’t have any fashion sense ... The clothes you think are cool when you look at them are different from the clothes that look good when you are actually wearing them."

"Haa ..."

In other words, do you say that the clothes that I currently have in my hands and the clothes that I bought before do not suit me at all.

"If you want to motivate a general girl,"fun"is the most fashionable thing, depending whether the girl is the type that likes the style back home, punk, gothic lolita or even a superfamous idol. You can try out the same line of clothes for that girl, but I think that it would be better to stop if you don’t have confidence in your fashion sense. I do not understand well, but it seems that it every individual has their own fashion that suits them even if they are wearing ordinary clothes."

"Oh, I see ..."

I did not understand anything from what she said, even if I try hard to understand ....

"And here’s more, Hasegawa looks like she is not interested much in the latest fashion. She looks like a standard neat type. Besides, it’s OK as long as your clothes are calm clothes (no loud colors) and with normal fashion.

Seriously ... when I went to karaoke that the last time, I failed in my clothes; I do not know what I am supposed to wear ....

"Well, if you are a fashion beginner and you are not wearing children’s clothes, you are almost sure that normal clothes will fit you!"

"I cannot tell from one fashion to another in clothes!"

At the moment I moaned, I was handed some clothes by Koigasaki.

"These are the clothes I choose now, please try them on. After you put them on, open the curtains so I can judge."

"Oh, Ok ..."

As I was told by Koigasaki, I was going to try 5 sets of clothes, including shirts and pants. I tried the first then opened the curtain as told, and showed myself to Koigasaki.

"Well, this may not suit you because of your unexpected short legs ... Next."

Next.

"Ah, you look miserable in this. Next."

What, I look miserable!?

"Ah ... so that’s the case then ... ... next."

What happened now?!?

"Oh, well ... well it’s not bad."

Five fittings finished and we decided to purchase the short-sleeved light blue check shirt and the beige chino pants.

"Thank you."

It was unexpectedly reasonable at 2000 and 4000 yen, so somehow I was within my budget.

By the way, the clothes purchased by Koigasaki looks fashionable, although it looks like ordinary clothes. I was wondering if these are really cool clothes.

"Thank you for helping me buy them!!"

"If you wear the clothes now, I will manage your eyebrows and hairstyle to match them ..." Koigasaki says while looking at me and sighed.

"How many days before did you do them?"

"Oh ...... I trimmed them yesterday, but ..."

Koigasaki was shocked by my words.

"You just did them yesterday? ... That's funny! It's still too thick! How do you trim?”

"Well, I shaved some unnecessary hair growing around the eyebrows for the time being ..."

"Even so, it’s not enough to make it look better!"

Koigasaki sighed exaggeratedly.

"Have your eyebrows done at a hair salon so you can learn how to do them next time."

"Hairdressing salon –I can only go next month, after payday ..."

"............"

Koigasaki turned to a cool face and thought of something. That's OK, my eyebrows are ... ....

"You... are you free after this?"

"eh?"

Suddenly I can’t hide the surprise from the words that came out of Koigasaki.

"I am free all day today, but ..."

"I can tell you how to properly trim your eyebrows ... ...."

"Why?"

"Because you are too useless ... ..."

She told me that straight up, although I did not reply anything to Koigasaki.

"Well, you told me Suzuki's favorite characters to cosplay ... ...."

"Ah……"

Is that supposed to be it? Surprisingly religious, this person.

"So, do you want to come? Are you coming?"

"Well, what do you mean?"

"We have to do something about your eyebrows; I do not carry any scissors, so we have to go home."

Am I going to the house of Koigasaki now?

"Well, what!?"

"Yes, I will go!"

While shaking, I agreed with my whole heart.

After about 30 minutes by a train, we arrived in Koigasaki’s home. The station is also the nearest station of the high school where we go to.

We walked from there and reached the house of Koigasaki. Although it is my second time to enter the house of Koigasaki, as usual, it is a mansion house and I am afraid to enter.

"Oh, my Mama is not yet home today"

When I was told that there is no one else in the house, I get more upset. As mentioned by Koigasaki, there is no one at home; so I just go straight to the living room and up the stairs to the room of Koigasaki.

At the front of the door of the room,

"I will change my clothes so please wait here for a while"

I stood waiting in front of the door of Koigasaki’s room.

"You can enter now."

Koigasaki called and opened the door.

I saw the appearance of Koigasaki and was awed.

"You look something like a princess ... ..."

"Ha ha, what princess? This is just room wear, I just don’t want my uniform to get wrinkles"

That "room wear" she is wearing is a long pink dress up to the knee. Wearing such clothes like a dress for home .... I wore a normal jersey when home.

"Well, first wear this."

Koigasaki handed me the paper bag containing clothes we purchased in Harajuku.

"Why should I wear it now ..."

"Wear it now!"

"Ok, ok ...."

When I started removing my uniform …

"What are you doing?! Why are you undressing in here! Pervert!"

She shouted suddenly. Koigasaki throws a heart-shaped cushion to me.

"You told me that I should change now!"

“Don’t do it in front of girls ...... I do not believe you!

...... Please let me know when you are finished! "

After complaining, Koigasaki went out of the room and closed the door vigorously.

"I’m ok."

I finished and I called Koigasaki back. After she entered the room, Koigasaki did not mention anything about my clothes; she just told me to sit on the chair in front of the mirror stand.

Next, Koigasaki takes out small scissors from her drawer.

"The best way is to have a salon do them, but since you can’t do that today ... I have no choice but to cut it. Will you sit this way, please?"

"Huh?"

Following Koigasaki’s instructions and turning my body towards her, Koigasaki started cutting my eyebrows with her scissors.

"What’s this, you are not good at trimming your eyebrows! This is super terrible!"

"Then please tell me how to do it!"

The nice looking face of Koigasaki was in front of my eyes, and a really good smell comes from her fluffy hair. Koigasaki's clothes sagged when she bent forward... the breast part opened wide, and I can see the breasts of Koigasaki and her some of her underwear; my heart started racing. I was afraid my heart would burst out of my chest, but Koigasaki just continued cutting my eyebrows with a very serious expression, so I could not make a noise.

"You should do this now."

"Oh……"

I saw my face reflected in the mirror and received a different impression than usual. My eyebrows are neatly arranged, but I am wondering whether my total image will change so much just by trimming the eyebrows.

"Oh, and this. This is a stiff wax that I bought by mistake but I think this will be good for hairdressing for men.

"Huh ....?"

She passed the hair wax to me. I was surprised when I opened the lid.

"It is different from the wax I bought before ..."

I was more surprised when I held it in my fingers. It is very hard. What I bought before was much softer.

"Don’t you like it because it’s too hard?"

"Seriously? Because I am used to soft wax for my hair."

I tried to make my hair stand up with the wax. It stood surprisingly tight.

"Hard wax, wow!"

"You're really terrible...."

Koigasaki was looking at me with pitying eyes.

"But if you do it properly, you can look better than usual."

"eh……?"

"The whole-body mirror is over there, please see yourself in it."
I stand in front of the whole-body mirror in the room as told.

"Huh……"

When I saw myself reflected in the mirror, I lost my words.

"This ... is ... me ...?"

There is a cool guy standing there.

"I’m handsome!"

My hair set with wax, stylish clothes that look like it came from a fashion magazine, eyebrows trimmed just right (not too thick or too thin).

"You’re not handsome at all, at least you’re finally at a normal level, I guess."

Thanks to Koigasaki who looks proud at me.

"Oh .... Thank you very much!"

I kept staring at my figure in the mirror without getting tired.

No matter how many times I look, I can’t believe this is me.

"You're really sweet, but do you think you can do all this by yourself?"

The complaint of Koigasaki also passes from my right ear to the left ear for me now.

"You will go with Hasegawa-san to Odaiba, so that you need to do it on your own!"

"Oh, oh! I understood! I will do my best!"

I can do it, I should be able to do it if I practice!

"The eyebrows will not grow soon, but after about three days it will grow again, so you need to trim it again."

Koigasaki started her lecture with my face facing the mirror.

"First of all, hair that grows away from the eyebrows is plucked out or shaved with a razor.Hair growing out of the current eyebrow line is cut with scissors. You should not shave so much underneath. "

"Anyway, why are you able to trim the eyebrows of a man?"

"When I tried it for the first time, I can do it surprisingly; men or women make no difference."

I was touched by my transformation so much afterwards, continued to watch my appearance in the mirror, and photographed my whole body through a mirror with a mobile camera. (Meanwhile I was told by Koigasaki that this is awkward many times)

"By the way did you buy the cosplay costume properly?"

"Oh, I am waiting for it to arrive, are you done with your costumes?"

"Yeah, I made it with Azuki-chan in her house and they were finally completed yesterday! Do you want to see?"

While Koigasaki was talking, she opened the closet before listening to my reply.

What came out is the costume of "Ekonon Ruru”.

"Wow! It is seriously made!?"

" Well I just followed the instructions of Azu-chan, and I just helped ..."

Sakurai ... she is great. I can’t think of this as made by an amateur... While looking at the costumes, I was stopped by Koigasaki. She wanted to show something else ....

"Oh, one more ah, this!"

Koigasaki pulled out something from the desk.

"Azuki made this too! This is my business card! Cool, isn’t it!?"

There was a photograph of Koigasaki cosplaying Riku Ekono and the name "MOMO", the email address of her mobile was also printed.

"That MOMO was the name of my cosplay! I thought it was good have Aka-chan make this!"

"I thought, it was not a real name ..... wait, why is your image here?"

"Oh, Azuki-chan wanted to have pictures on the name card, and she took my picture for this!"

I wondered how often she went to Sakurai’s house for the costume .... No, no, I do not mind ....

"Do you want to expose your email? Aren’t you afraid of Personal information Data leakage?"

"Even though my email is there, I will not distribute it to men, I will distribute it only to girls who are also cosplaying!"

Indeed, it is common sense for a cosplayer to have a business card.

"Ayaba! Mom is coming home soon!"

Koigasaki sees her mobile phone and panics.

"This may turn troublesome! Even when I brought you here before this, I might be scolded by this!"

"Really? ..."

I hurriedly took away my clothes and baggage.

"My clothes! I can’t change clothes!"

I was just trying on the clothes I just bought today.

"Well, it's okay if you take them off immediately after you get home."

"Seriously ...... Well, okay!"

I gathered all my baggage and left the house of Koigasaki.

"Do you know the way to your station?" I was asked by Koigasaki who went to the entrance with me.

"Yes, I won’t get lost."

"Oh, that's right."

"What is it this time?"

As long as you are not hurt, Koigasaki’s mom hasn’t come back and it is not troublesome.

"I mailed Hasegawa that I could not go Odaiba"

"Hmm ... ... ... ... ... eh!?"

I almost tripped due to that ridiculous fact that came out from Koigasaki.

"When we went to the karaoke before, I went because I wanted to exchange the mail addresses. I didn’t join the family trip that day, so I promised that I won’t go out for a time in return.”

"I ----!"

"Please appreciate it."

In other words, that means that Hasegawa and I will go alone to Odaiba ... that is, it is a date!

"Wait a minute, Mom what ... ..."

"Indeed I am disciplining myself. You have helped me so much that I can talk with Suzuki and when you go I'll still be working with you so you can rest at ease! Ah, mama will come soon! "

I was forcibly forced out of the entrance and she closed the door.

Date ....

Hasegawa and me on a date ... ....

To be honest, at the present stage, my feeling of anxiety (I will fail) is stronger than my feeling of "fun".

If I do something bad there, there is a big danger of me crashing the flag.

Ah, Koigasaki did something irritable!

I walked down the road from Koinsakasa to the station with a stupid feeling.

If Koigasaki did not come, I have no choice but to handle it myself.

For the time being, I decided to send a confirmation email to Hasegawa. While I was troubled on the way back in the train, I finally completed the mail.

"Subject line • It is Kashiwada.

Body • Hello! Three days have passed since the summer vacation started! Are you enjoying your summer vacation? I only get work and staying at home now. (Lol)

Does Hasegawa live a regular life even during the summer vacation! (Lol)

By the way, this is about going to Odaiba on August 3rd, but it seems that Koigasaki can’t come with us .... I'm sorry, but are you OK with just me either? Sorry about this... "

As I was told by Koigasaki before, I did not use Decome, I put emoji in various places, and tried to improve my sentences as much as possible. But maybe it is too long for this email ...... It seems that the first e-mail is too long ... .... I tries to reorganize it into a simple mail by shaving some portions off.

"Subject line • It is Kashiwada.

Text • Tired! Are you enjoying your summer vacation?

About Odaiba on August 3rd, but it seems that Koigasaki can’t come ... ... Sorry about that. Are you OK with just me alone?"

I was able to summarize the main points as much as possible and make short sentences. While thinking that, I think that I got better. I sent the mail after reading it over again many times.

Unlike Koigasaki, there is no reply soon.

...... Or if she did not reply ... I think that she doesn’t want to go with just the two of us ....

After I arrived at the local station I took out my cell phone many times even before arriving at my house to check the mail, but no mail arrives. I was uneasy as to whether what I said was rude in the mail I sent so I reread the mail many times, but I can’t see anything wrong with it.

I returned home and entered the living room.

"I'm home"

"Welco.......!?"

My sister Akari was lying on the living sofa wearing a T - shirt as usual, but dropped her game controller when she saw me.

"Wha … what is it?"

"Nana Naoki! ... What's that you’re wearing!?"

Akari looked at my whole body while upset about something.

I forgot that I went home with clothes I bought ....

Moreover, do I look stupid for wearing these clothes?

"I just bought them today, but ..."

"Why did you suddenly wear such clothes! Why ... ... they don’t suit you at all!"

"... ... whaaa…."

Just like the last time, I was criticized by Akari, I was hurt.

I do not know why Akari seem to be upset this time, what is going on in her my mind?

"Well what’s with your hairstyle ... ... you idiot !? What did you do to it? Super kisho!"

Although Koigasaki praised me, the reaction of Akari is different... ....I may not succeed in my dressing up... ....

"Oh, Naoki Welcome back! What's with your clothes!?"

Mother who came out of the toilet also reacts to my clothes.

Looks like Okaa-san also thinks of my outfit as stupid ......

"You bought nice clothes this time ... you've become quite fashionable! You also have a good hairstyle! You look refreshing!"

……Huh?

"Hey, Akari, doesn’t your brother look cool?"

"Ha ha ... oh! He is not cool at all!"

"What are you talking about, don’t you want your brother to look cool?"

"Well, that, that's ... ..."

Until this moment, Mother’s reaction ...... I guess she likes me? My clothes and hair style.

"Did you buy them yourself?"

"No, I got a girl in the class to help me pick them ..."

"Oh - you really have no fashion sense!

... ... Don’t say it so clearly like that!?

However, the fashion sense of Koigasaki is truly amazing.

"Even so, going shopping with a girl classmate, Naoki is having great progress! It was a date! I did not hear you going out with anyone when you were in junior high school! Akari ... ... Akari? "

Akari who was annoying until a while ago was suddenly quiet.

"...... Baka! Shopping with a girl classmate! Going on a date! Why are you in hurry! Maybe Naoki is just being played and will be tossed and thrown away later! That's it!”

I was suddenly cursed with amazing momentum.

"What are you suddenly saying Akari! Don’t you want your older brother to have a girl friend?"

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Akari rushed into her room while leaving her game.

"Ha ha, that child is in her rebellious period. Suddenly crying out, I don’t get it."

"She's recently more hard to handle."

Although she has an angry personality from a long time ago, it was worse than now. When she entered middle school, she may have entered a rebellious period.

After that, I moved to my room to change my clothes, and when I took out my cell phone, I received an email.

When I opened the email thinking it’s spam mail or something ... ....

"Sender • Midori Hasegawa

Hello. I have heard the story about Koigasaki. I don’t mind at all. Is Kashiwada OK with just the two of us? Whatever it is, I am still willing to go. "

"Oooh oh oh!"

when I read the content, I was full of delight in the from Hasegawa.

It was written in polite and beautiful Japanese unlike the mail I get from Koigasaki. I read it over and over again.

However, although Hasegawa didn’t mention anything about the date, Koigasaki probably meant to find a schedule that would fit Hasegawa and me.

Changing the date here, Koigasaki not coming leaving 2 people ... ... I am overwhelmed by what is going on.

I sent a reply,

"Thank you for your reply! I am fine even if there were just the 2 of us. Is Hasegawa good about the schedule as it is?”

With this e - mail, I am anxious that what would happen if I went out with Hasegawa alone ... ....

Until the mail from Hasegawa arrived, I could not do anything but wait.

"I do not care about that. What time and place will we meet? "

... Although it was a short email, it was decided that we would be able go out so I was pleased.

I kept reading this email for the time being.

Looking for Odaiba on the net, I thought of our meeting time and place.

"Well then, how about at Odaiba Beach Park Station in the afternoon? "

When I sent it, the reply arrived just about five minutes later,

"OK. "
Her reply said.

Although it was a short reply, I kept rereading this mail.

After that I sent, "Yeah, that day is good ~!”
I wrote but that no reply came.

*

In the next two days, I worked two days in a row and I was lonely as Yamamoto did not come to my shift. I am still in the state that I can’t feel comfortable with anybody other than Yamamoto.

When I came home that day, my mother said,

"Oh, there was a package delivered to you."

I receive the package from mother. It was definitely the cosplay costume I purchased on the net buying and selling bulletin board.

"I paid for it because it was cash on delivery. Please pay me back."

"Oh, I am sorry"

I take 3,000 yen from my wallet and gave it to my mother.

"How much was the shipping fee and cash on delivery handling fee?"

"Is it about a hundred of yen, that much is fine."

While thanking Okaa-san, I can’t let her know the contents, so I brought the baggage to my room and opened it. I was relieved that I was not scammed because my cosplay costume was in order. But…

"Damaged ..."

The damage was not obvious in the picture. I'm convinced it was why the costume was cheap. But I don’t have money to buy anything else, so there is no choice but to use this costume. Although it was somewhat damaged, I was convinced myself that I will still go to the event ....

| Back to [[Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure!:Volume 2 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
| Return to [[Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure!|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure!:Volume 2 Chapter 8|Chapter 8]]
|-
|}
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<noinclude>
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3

2017-07-02T08:14:07Z

JFerg: /* Part 2 */

==Chapter 3 - Necromancia's Attack==
===Part 1===
The month of Aries had ended and it was the arrival of the month of Taurus.

The problem concerning Eco's lodging was put on hold and no decision had been made yet because of the incident where Angela had become a teacher in just a flash.

In short, Eco was still sleeping on Ash's bed.

The problem they were facing was, Apollo House which was the dormitory where Ash was staying at is a male's dorm. Furthermore, Eco is an extremely beautiful girl as long as she kept her mouth shut.

And Ash was staying with such a beautiful girl.

It was obvious some weird rumours would emerge among the students who were living in Apollo House.

===Part 2===
The class room of the first year advanced course.

When school was about to dismissed, Raymond walked towards Ash's table.

“Yo, Ash. Why don’t we go and have some fun since we are free?”

“Sorry, I have to go to the student council’s office.”

Raymond’s eyes widened.

“Student council…? Why?”

“Err, the president asked for me.”

Rebecca had informed Ash to find a free time to visit the student council’s office about a week ago. Since Eco had gotten used to the campus life, it should be about time for him to make his visit.

“Is it true? I think Rebecca Nee-san should have many questions for you. Or many she wants to blame you for something… Just by thinking…Haaa… Haaa.”

“I have nothing to say to you…”

“Err… did ''it'' go well?”

“What is ''it''?”

Ash asked while Raymond pushed his face nearer.

Raymond was looking totally serious.

“You… Aren’t you teaching Eco on the bed?”

When Raymond had ended his sentence, the entire class turned silent.

Everyone was looking at Ash with suspicious eyes. Everyone in the academy knew that Ash’s pal was born as a beautiful girl.

“Don’t say something that will make people misunderstand! Don’t you know that Eco is a dragon?”

Raymond smile sinisterly.

“Right, anyway I knew that you don’t even have the guts to do ''it''.”

“Then just don’t say something that will make people misunderstand!”

“Haha… Could it be that you are the one who was being taught?”

“Urgh…”

Because Raymond who had hit the bull’s eye with just a guess, Ash was a little taken aback but he dare not speak back.

===Part 3===
The student council office was located at the highest floor of the academy’s centre tower.

Ash gulped when he was standing in front of the grand door.

From a long time ago, Ansarivan’s student council had a huge power. They not only dealt with the academy’s council but they also have the right of speech in the city council. According to some rumours, the student council president’s power is superior to the mayor.

“Please enter.”

Before he even knocked, the student council president’s voice could be heard. This made Ash tremble a little.

“Sorry for interrupting.”

He timidly opened the door and walked into the office.

Rebecca was crossing her arms while standing by the window that was at the far end of the room. There wasn’t another soul in this room. When he noticed that they were alone, Ash who had felt uneasy from the start was now sweating nervously.

“Ahhh, Ash. You finally came!”

Rebecca turned around and stared at Ash.

With her marble statue like beauty together with her crimson coloured hair, it let out an amazing feeling. Even her body proportion outshone other people. Her curves were perfect and not even her uniform could hide it.

“Err…”

Rebecca Randall who had received the Ark-Dragner title was not only well known in Ansarivan. Her name was widely spread in the entire Knight Country.

Even in the well known Holy Dragners of Lautreamont had only one in a ten of their members who received the title Ark-Dragner.

Judging from that, the requirements to obtain the title Ark-Dragner is very strict.

“Fuu. Don’t be shy. Just take a seat.”

“Y-Yes…”

Ash sat at a corner of the sofa, frightened.

Rebecca sat beside Ash without even a second thought. He smelled something refreshing.

Ash was uneasy.

“That…”

Ash was nervous because of their close distance where they can feel each other’s breath. Since there was also a sofa located right opposite, logically speaking, Rebecca should have sat there.

However, Rebecca showed a playful smile.

“To get to know another person better, sitting side by side is the best choice, this is common knowledge for dating.”

“I-Is it…?”

“Young man, you must remember it. Next time, if you are on a date, remember not to sit opposite of her.”

“No, dates or whatever… It is still a far away dream.”

Ash was blushing in embarrassment while Rebecca unexpectedly was enjoying that.

“Hmm… In another words, no one had noticed your true value yet.”

“True value?”

“If for me, I still haven’t determined how good of a man you are.”

Rebecca suddenly stopped smiling and moved towards the main topic.

“In short, I am here to discuss the things regarding Eco with you… Saying that, what is she doing when you are in class? You can’t just keep her in the man’s dormitory right?”

“Ahh, Cosette is helping me with that. I don’t think that it will be a problem.”

After the kidnapping incident a few days ago had ended, Ash had told Cosette his trouble when they were chit chatting. Cosette immediately volunteered to help take care of Eco. Since Costte also had nothing to do when Silvia was attending classes, she can accompany Eco in Ash’s
place.

The only think he worried about was whether Eco will accept Cosette. Until today, it seemed like there was no such problem. In front of Cosette, Eco was always acting mature.

“Hmm… Cosette huh? There won’t be a problem if it is her. I had met Cosette a few times before and she is not someone to be underestimated.”

“So Rebecca-san also thinks so?”

Ash gave a wry smile because he was thinking something bad about Cosette.

“Umm… It is said that when the Paladin sent Princess Silvia to Ansarivan, about a hundred maids and guards were sent together.”

“Uwaa! It must be troublesome…”

“The Princess of course had gone against the Paladin’s will. In the end, because the Paladin insisted, she brought Cosette alone along with her. Judging from that, Cosette is something.”

“It is true…!?”

“Back to the topic, you are also something.”

Rebecca was looking at him sharply until he started to sweat.

“W-What are you talking about?”

“When had you started to have this close relationship with Cosette?”

Rebecca’s beautiful face was getting closer. The refreshing smell was getting stronger.

“Err…About that…”

Being asked something unexpected, Ash’s head started spinning.

“How dare you hide something from me? It isn’t good you know. By the way, you are not thinking that Rebecca Randall is someone simple right?”

Rebecca’s face was getting closer and closer.

Even thought there was a faint hint of a smile by her lips, her eyes were not smiling at all.

“A-Alright! Please promise me that… Don’t tell anyone about this.”

“Alright, I guess.”

Rebecca nodded and moved her head backwards back to her original position.

Ash took a deep breath and told her everything about the incident where Eco had been kidnapped.

===Part 4===
The seventh dragon house was specially built for Maestros. Apart from Rebecca’s Cú Chulainn, there were four more Maestros.

“Take it slowly, there are many more.”

Seeing Lancelot was gulping down the thickly sliced meat, Silvia smiled.

Normally, jobs like feeding, preparing the beds, balancing the nutrients, cleaning… were done by the groom of the dragon house. The breeders on the other hand just need to focus their thoughts on studying.

However Silvia had always taken care of Lancelot on her own.

Everyday, she will always visit the dragon house five times. She will feed it on her own, clean the dragon house and even give Lancelot a bath. If Lancelot felt itchy, she will sure to be there to give a scratch on that spot.

Under Silvia’s care, Lancelot who was born as a Strada had grown into a beautiful Maestro.

Her achievement was acknowledged and she had received the title Dragner in the young age of fourteen.

The title Dragner can only be received by a breeder whose Pal is a Maestro. It had been a tradition in the Knight Country.

Of course, Silvia was never satisfied with her current achievement. Her aim was to become a ‘Great Dragner’. Just the title Dragner could never satisfy her.

“Alright Lancelot… Next will be an Ark-Dragner.”

Silvia patted Lancelot after she spoke out her thought. Its silvery white fur was thick and felt nice.

Suddenly, Silvia pressed her hands against her chest.

Silvia’s proof of a Breeder the Seikoku was at the middle of her chest.

Her memories when she was seven came into her mind.

To obtain an orphan from the mother dragon, Silvia had entered Albion Forest alone. However, she injured her leg and was crying while standing. She left the palace with the thought that she will definitely become a breeder but-

Then there was a young boy who reached out to her.

Like Silvia, the young guy was here on the same day for the Orphan Ceremony.

''-I will give you a piggyback while we look for mother dragon together.''

Silvia’s heart beat increased when she thought about the guy.

If not for his help, Silvia would never have become a Dragner.

“That’s right… I had made a promise with him. I will become a great knight. If I did anything that should not be done by an owner, I want you to scold me.”

Sadly, Lancelot only had its eyes on the meat and was not bothered by Silvia.

“Tsk, what a child you are.”

Silvia shook her head and gave a wry smile. Although it had become a Maestro, it was still a young dragon. Compare to Cú Chulainn, its body size was definitely smaller.

“Speaking of that…”

Silvia was thinking about Ash.

The only student who dared to challenge Silvia Lautreamont.

In the end, Silvia had won the match but she didn’t have the feeling of victory. On the other hand it can be said as a losing feeling.

Ash had given Silvia a help on the race’s position arrangement.

She clearly understood her attitude of looking down on her enemy.

Only that she had never thought that such a despicable method will be used. If not for Ash who made use of the chance, Silvia would not be able to win.

“Ash Blake… I have never seen such an irregular guy. He could even ride on other people’s Pal as he liked which is out of common knowledge. In the end, what is the trick he was using-?”

Just when Silvia was mumbling, there was a cry of help from outside of the dragon house.

“A dragon has gone mad!”

===Part 5===
After Ash had told her everything, Rebecca sighed.

“Hmm… For such a thing to happen. Angela-sensei is also a troublesome person. She is one of the best in the continent in dragon researching.”

“I had never thought that teacher could be such a great person…”

“She is a total dragon maniac. She had thought of becoming a Dragner since she was still a child. In the end, she was not selected in the Orphan Ceremony…”

“I would never hand an orphan to her if I were the mother dragon.”

“Perhaps not being selected had left her with trauma until today. However, Angela-sensei’s skills and knowledge are the real stuff. Lets observe her for the time being.”

“Observe…”

Ash couldn’t hide his sad looks.

If it is possible, he doesn’t want to have anything to do with her for a second time…

“That’s right! There is one more thing about Eco. It is about when you were in the forest and you said that you had encountered some uninvited guest.”

Ash with a ‘Hah’ lifted his head.

Many things had happened after Eco was born and he had forgotten about it. The suspected to be Empire’s soldier was lurking around in the Knight Country territory. This is not something to be overlooked.”

“In the end, just who are those two?”

The masked man called Milgauss with an extraordinary temperament.

The girl who wanted to have Ash killed.

“Hmm… ‘Milgauss’ should be a nickname. It doesn’t look like an Empire’s surname. Perhaps he could be the Empire’s agent. If that’s the case, this is not a problem that a mere student could solve.

Ash had never thought of Rebecca as a ‘mere student’, but he chose to keep this thought to himself.

“Anyway, I will pass your message to the peace keepers’ office. However, if the masked man is from the Empire’s army, I am afraid that the peace keepers will also be helpless.”

Although she remained calm, the way she had spoken was terrifying.

“It should be alright, right? Ansarivan is an academy for breeders and not a military school. It shouldn’t be targeted by the Empire.”

“That’s right. We are not the military’s backup. The paths that a Breeder can take is not only limited to joining the Knight corps or the dragon elite troops. What’s more, Lautreamont Knight Country was built with the rules that no dragons were allowed in the military. However, it is still the truth that '''THAT WAR''' had changed Lautreamont Knight Country and Ansarivan.”

-That war.

That is the ‘Xenoglavia War’ that was triggered fifty two years before.

Since Lautreamont Knight Country was established, it was the first time that the dragons were sent to war.

It all begins when the Zepharos Empire’s armies from the north attacked Chevron Kingdom’s territory in the south.

The Empire’s armies were armed with many mechanical weapons and had a huge amount of destruction force. In just a short moment, Chevron’s Royal Knights that was said to be strongest mounted troops in the whole continent was wiped out.

The Chevron’s king who was worried sent a secret messenger to Lautreamont Knight Country.

In the end, the dragons who were not involved in any wars for four hundred and fifty years flew towards the battle field once again to save
their allies.

The Holy Dragners of Lautreamont led by the Paladin himself joined the battle and the Empire’s armies that had suffered great casualties were forced to retreat.

After that, the Kingdom and the Empire signed a truce.

“To the Empire, Ansarivan was not only a place for the military backup, but also a factory that produces mass destructions weapons. In another words, it is a military base. Just by judging from this, it is highly possible that Ansarivan is their target for the preparation for the next war.”

“That…!”

Seeing that Ash had turned pale, Rebecca smiled.

“Don’t have to be surprised, Ash. Who do you think that the Ansarivan’s student council president is?”

“That… It is you, Rebecca-san.”

“That's it. Cú Chulainn and I will protect Ansarivan at all cost. That is why I want you to join us.

“Even me?”

“Yes, even you.”

Rebecca pressed forward and their shoulders were touching each other.

“Do you not want to join the student council?”

Ash was shocked by the unexpected invitation.

“That’s impossible! Since all the student council members are Dragners.”

“So one cannot join the student council if they are not a Dragner? I don’t remember such rules. It was just by chance that it looked like that in this year.”

“But…!”

“I heard from every person around you that you are called as ‘The Boy Who Can Ride Any Dragon’.

“No, that exaggeration is…”

“You don’t have to act humble. Even I could not ride on another person’s Pal.”

Before anyone noticed, they are at the distance where their nose could touch. Rebecca’s beauty was drawing closer.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 149.jpg|thumb]]

Ash suddenly noticed that Rebecca’s palm was on his knee.

Rebecca’s body heat could be felt by Ash.

Ash’s heart was at the verge of exploding.

“To be exact, I want you.”

“Rebecca-san…”

“Can you please think about it?”

“No, but… If I… The student council-”

At this moment, as if helping Ash who was getting anxious, the bell rang. Compare to the normal bells, this bell doesn’t sound stable.

Judging from the continuous ringing of the bell, it should be the emergency bell.

“Level two emergency state…?”

Rebecca had recognized the meaning of the bell in just a short time and moved towards the side of the window. Ash too was taking a peep outside.

The ‘level two emergency state’ in Ansarivan means that a certain dragon had caused havoc and had flown out from the dragon house.

The entire school ground could be seen from the student council office.

Just as expected, a Strada was running amok. Its body was small and it looked as if it was just born days before. It still couldn’t spread its wings let alone flying.

Rebecca gave a wry smile.

“Haa, this happens usually during this time of year. It will end in a short while.”

As expected of the student council president Rebecca, she was calm.

A few grooms had arrived at the scene and had the dragon surrounded with nets.

Dragons are living things with high intelligence, however they are also short tempered. Especially during the times when they were young, it was not unusual for them to turn mad because of some small matters. Even their owners could do nothing about it.

Of course all the grooms working in the dragon house had undergone special training to handle such situation. Just as Rebecca had said, the incident could be settled in a short moment.

Ash himself had lost interest in the incident and wanted to leave the window side.

“This is bad!”

Rebecca suddenly shouted.

“Princess-sama…!”

Ash’s eyes widen.

Silvia who arrived at the scene jumped on the young dragon that had gone mad.

She looked like she was trying to suppress the young dragon with her own power. Her actions doesn’t match her usual self for it was a foolhardy decision.

Apart from their owner who they acknowledged, the dragons will never allow anyone to ride on their back.

Just as expected, Silvia was trying her best to just cling on the dragon’s back. She was in a fix because she could be thrown out anytime.

Silvia’s action had obviously caused trouble to the grooms.

Ash mumbled:

“Is she an idiot! What is princess-sama trying to pull…?!”

“It is most probably because of her ambition to surpass you.”

“Me?”

Ash couldn’t understand what Rebecca was saying.

“From what I can see, Her Highness is a perfectionist. No matter what kind of losing it is, she hates it. When there is a classmate who can ride any dragon exist, she was burning with the ambition to surpass you.”

“Just because of such things…”

Ash frowned.

“To Her Highness, it was never ‘Just because of such things’.”

“Urgh… If that’s the case, I will go and help her!”

“There is no need for that.”

The voice that hurts like a whip forced Ash to stop.

“It is true that you have some unusual talent. However, are you confident enough that you will be able to suppress the young dragon and at the same time prevent Her Highness from getting hurt?”

“About that…”

Rebecca’s sharp words had made Ash speechless. If it was to calm down the young dragon, Ash himself was more than enough.

However, Ash doesn’t have to confidence to guarantee to be able to save Silvia without getting her hurt.

“So, what should we do…?”

“Didn’t I had said it just before. Who do you think that the Ansarivan’s student council president is?”

Suddenly, Rebecca humped onto the window frame. Her red hair that looked like it was on fire was dancing with the winds.

“Hold on…! Rebecca-san? What do you think-”

“I will end this quickly.”

With that, Rebecca disappeared.

“Rebecca-san!”

Rebecca jumped down from the window.

Ash was shocked and took a peek downwards from the window.

''“Answer my summon…Cú Chulainn!”''

Out of a sudden, there was a twist in the space beneath Rebecca and Cú Chulainn appeared majestically.

When she had landed safely on Cú Chulainn’s back, she spoke strictly:

''“In my name Rebecca Randall, present me the Ark you created!”''

Cú Chulainn roared in respond to Rebecca’s summon.

There was light surrounding Rebecca’s body.

Her uniform that she had worn until just now had dissolved in the sea of lights.

In just a short time, her naked body was exposed. However, because of the excessive brightness, Ash was unable to look at her clearly.

The next time Ash opened his eyes, Rebecca’s body was already surrounded by a dazzling knight’s armour.

She was just like a knight from the legends looked godly.

“That is… the Ark!”

Ash had heard before about it in the rumours but today was the first time he witnessed it with his own eyes.

The Ark was the proof of an absolute loyalty from a Maestro to its owner.

The moment a Dragner received an Ark from his Pal, he will be known as an Ark-Dragner.

''Whoosh!''

Cú Chulainn’s huge body had flew up into the sky.

The strong wind pressure nearly had Ash who was standing by the window blown off.

“Kyaaa!”

Silvia’s scream was heard from down below. She was floating in mid air as if she was sent flying by a chariot.

Ash leaned his body out from the window frame and shouted:

“Princess-sama!”

Just before Silvia lands on the ground, Cú Chulainn accelerating downwards. In Ash eyes, Cú Chulainn was like teleporting.

When Cú Chulainn was again flying upwards, Rebecca had caught Silvia

“Ash, Her Highness is in your care!”

“Huh?”

Before Ash could even respond to it, Rebecca had her eyes poised at the student council’s office’s window and threw out Silvia.

Although the distance was not even two meters, but to throw a country’s princess, it was not at all normal.

“Uwaa!”

Ash shouted in surprise and caught Silvia. They were in the so called ‘Princess carry’ situation and he must stand firm no matter what.

In Ash's arms, Silvia had lost her consciousness.

“…”

Even under such situation, Ash’s heart was beating rapidly. His left hand that was supporting Silvia’s lower half was touching something soft and elastic. Also, the was a flower like fragrance coming from her dazzling golden hair.

At that moment, he heard Rebecca’s spell coming from outside of the window.

''"Appear… The certain hit magic spear…”''

The was a flash in respond to Rebecca’s spell and an enormous spear had appeared.

That is the Ark-Weapon that only an Ark-Dragner could use.

An Ark was not just simply an armour.

The Ark was stored with strong magic and it comes with a one and only Ark-Weapon.

''“Gáe Bolg!”''

Under Ash’s eyes, Rebecca swung the magic spear Gáe Bolg!

The strong magic transformed into a ray of light and was shot down onto the ground. There was a small explosion on the ground beside the rampaging young dragon.

If there was a slight mistake, the young dragon would definitely die. However, it was Rebecca that we were talking about. The shock from the explosion had caused the young dragon to faint.

===Part 6===

“Uuh…”

After a while since Rebecca had the young dragon suppressed, Silvia woke up while lying in Ash’s arms. When she found out that she was carried by Ash-

“Wha…! What are you doing…!”

She was blushing.

“Uwaa! Don’t move around! I can’t hold on any longer!”

The moment he warned, Silvia fell.

“Urgh… What are you doing!”

Silvia was glaring at Ash with tears in her eyes.

“Didn’t I warn you that you will fall! Anyway why did you do that? You would have been dead if not because of Rebecca’s help!”

“You… Don’t even understand how it feels!”

At the same moment she shouted, tears were dripping from her eyes.

“…Princess-sama?”

“Urgh…!”

To hide her crying looks, Silvia turned around and ran out from the student council’s office.

“What is the matter, Princess-sama…?”

Ash mumbled. Next, there was a voice coming from behind.

“Don’t worry. It is my duty to deal with the Princess.”

Turning around, Rebecca who had changed back into her uniform was sitting on the window frame and was with a smile full of confidence.

===Part 7===
The next day after the young dragon’s incident was a school holiday.

Ash had again accompanied Eco to Ansarivan City. In truth, Ash wanted to pass his time in the dorm, but-

“The crepes are calling out to me!”

With this reason alone, Ash went out with Eco.

“Alright, let’s hunt down the crepe stall!”

After passing by the main door that separates the academy and the city, Eco immediately dragged Ash with her.

“Does a food made by a stupid and ignorant human being taste that well?”

“Sh-Shut up! It is the humans that are stupid and ignorant! The crepes had nothing to do with this!”

Eco’s face turned red when she replied to Ash’s tease and she continued to march on forward. Eco’s response made Ash feel a little bad… Maybe he should reflect on that a little. Ash chased after Eco’s small back and knocked into someone.

“Kyaa!”

Ash just lost his balance for just a moment but the other person had fell on the
ground.

“Sorry, it was my bad!”

Ash immediately held out his hand.

“No… Me too. Because I am careless…”

The person answering was a girl at Ash’s age range. There was also a flower basket by her feet. The combination of her black hair and her oat colour skin was very striking. Her worrisome looks together with her exotic face gave a
special feeling.

The moment she saw Ash, her face stiffen.

“Y-You…”

Her eyes widen.

“Is there anything… On my face?”

“Nooooo!”

The girl grabbed the flower basket and fled. In a short moment, she managed to blend into the crowd.

All the pedestrians beside them were looking at Ash with the eyes that listed him as a pervert.

“T-That’s not the case! I did nothing at all!”

After he explained to the people around him, Ash left the place as if he was running away from something.

“Running away after looking at a person’s face, what a rude child she is…”

While cursing, he arrived at the crepe stall. Although she doesn’t even have any money with her, Eco was calling out to the stall keeper just like a regular customer.

“Give me one Ansal Crepe!”

“Stop!”

===Part 8===
Anya who was the girl who pretended to be a flower seller was breathing heavily while hiding in an alley where there were no other signs of life.

Previously, the moment she saw that guys face, she thought she had seen a ghost.

Last month, the guy who should have been dead was walking on the streets leisurely. Just that had given her a great shock.

“That’s impossible!”

''He should have been dead.''

He had fallen into a pit less ravine and it was impossible for him to be unscathed.

It should have been more logical if it is another guy with the same looks.

“No, that’s not it!”

It can’t be a mistake. That face, that voice, that tone… He was the one Anya met and killed in the forest.

''If that’s the case, why is he alive?''

According to logic, the chances for him to be able to survive were zero.

However, it was still the truth that he was alive. She had seen it with her own eyes, it was undoubtable.

It was surprising for the guy not to recognize Anya. However, thinking carefully, during that time, Anya had a mask on her face and she was wearing her Tantalos battle suit.

On the other hand, no matter how you look at it, right now, Anya was just a flower seller. It was understandable if Ash couldn’t recognize her. That is her only life saver.

“What should I do…”

That day, when she had returned back to Milgauss from the ravine, Anya had thought that it was impossible for the guy to survive so she reported with ‘He was terminated’.

Milgauss only replied with a ‘Thanks for the hard work’. Apart from that, he didn’t ask the specifics. To Milgauss, that guy was not at all important.

Anya was lost. Should she change the report that she had told Milgauss?

''-The guy who fell into the ravine was actually still alive.''

“Damn!”

Only until today she was going to show her report to Milgauss, that’s ridiculous. Also, the problem was not that simple.

For some time, Anya felt that there was a thorn that was piercing her chest.

At the time when the cliff was falling, the guy had given Anya a push. Thanks to that, it was not Anya who fell down the cliff.

Even at the moment he was fated to die, he had chosen to save Anya.

To Anya who had spent her life living in the mountains, she couldn’t understand any of his actions.

If the guy used her as a stepping stone and saved himself, she could at least understand that.

In Anya’s village, there were many people who acted that way. From another perspective, if they are not tough enough, they mustn’t think about surviving.

“I… What should I do?”

Anya mumbled while she was staring at the basket of flowers blankly. Her mind was in a mess. If she did not meet up with the guy, she wouldn’t have to face any trouble.

“Anyway, if I was born as a flower seller… Would I be happier?”

Anya suddenly turned angry and her flower basket fell on the ground.

She won’t allow herself to think about stupid stuffs for even a single moment.

She stomped on the flowers that had scattered on the ground.

“I am an idiot! I had already decided to follow Milgauss-sama! Being besides Milgauss-sama is my source of happiness!”

When Anya was shouting out to her own self, the bell that signified noon rang. It was about time for her to return to Milgauss.

===Part 9===
The noon bell had rung.

Ash and Eco arrived at St Durham square after leaving the crepe stall.

Eco immediately took a bite of the vanilla flavoured crepe.

Because she was not allowed to buy the ansal flavoured crepe, Eco didn't seem happy after leaving the crepe stall.

“Hmm… Vanilla is also not bad!”

Eco’s eyes glittered.

“That’s good to hear.”

Ash was thankful for the vanilla flavoured crepe from the bottom of his heart. With just a mere fifty Glorins in exchange for a smile, it was worth the price.

“Hmm, a holiday like this is not bad at all.”

While Eco ate the vanilla flavoured crepe as if she was in heaven, Ash looked around the entire square.

In addition to the locals, there were many tourists. They should be tourist from Chevron Kingdom that was located adjacent to the Knight’s country. Although they were the same race as the Knight Country’s citizens, they could be differentiated by their speech pattern and their clothing design.

“Hey, why are they gathering there?”

Eco asked after she finished her crepe.

“Of course they are there to look at the sacred statue.”

Ash was looking at ‘St Durham’s statue’ from afar. It was one of the most important cultural properties in Ansarivan.

“Whose statue… Is that?”

“The first Paladin, Durham Lautreamont. He was a historical figure dating to five hundred years ago.

“The armour on the statue… Isn’t it like an Ark?”

Ash was proud of Eco for her to be this sharp.

“You knew it?”

“Of course. The blue print for the Ark was kept in the Dragweiss.”

“So, using that blueprint, could you make an Ark?”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Eco was glaring at him and Ash was shrinking.

“Are you an idiot? That will be just a mimic. The blueprint design passed down by ancestral-sama is only intended as a reference. The exact thing could never be re-created.”

“Is that so… Now I see.”

Ash believed everything she said.

“So, Eco, you will create an Ark for me, no? Before that, you should first become a Maestro- Ouch!”

His foot was stomped on by Eco and made him jump around in pain.

“What are you doing!”

Ash barked back however Eco’s face was unexpectedly red. She was acting shy and was avoiding Ash's sight.

“…What happened?”

“Quit joking! Why would I… As the owner make an Ark for my pet dog? Isn’t that illogical!?”

After that, Eco ran off.

Only then, Ash remembered his past lessons.

''To the dragons, to present their owner with the Ark also bears the important meaning of ‘Giving their everything to their owner.’''

“So I see.”

No wonder Eco denied it with her face red. At the same time, Eco was a little cute at that moment.

“Hey, wait for me!”

Ash smiled and chased after Eco.

===Part 10===
They had been walking until Eco stopped her steps in front of a café that was facing St Durham Square.

The café was called Essarois. It is famous for its herbal teas and is especially popular in among the girls. The designs of its interior are also stylish.

The shop is always full of couples during the weekends. For Ash who had never dated before is a must avoid spot.

By looking through the glass window, even at that moment, the shop was full of couples.

Ash sighed.

“Just in case, there is something that I would like to make sure… Are you interested in such shops?”

“What a nice smell.”

Eco was sniffing around. Although she looked like a girl, she is totally like a young dragon when she was doing so.

“This is…”

Ash finally noticed the sweet smell coming from the shop.

“Isn’t this Ansal! No, definitely not!”

Since the shop is famous for its herbal tea, of course Ansal tea would also be on the menu. Naturally, Eco who is a dragon would also react to it.

“Uuh… Why bother. Don’t you know that Ansal is in the cultural of the dragons and it is the so called taste of an adult dragon."

“What are you even talking about! You are still a young dragon! Do you even want to repeat the previous incident again!”

“What happened previously?”

“Great! So you don’t remember anything after you became drunk! I guess all the more we should just forget about this conversation! From now on, you are forbid to go near any Ansal till you become an adult!”

“Huh! I won’t forgive you! I won’t allow such thing to happen!…Nnnn!”

Eco suddenly squeaked and bend her body down. She was rubbing her thighs against each other as if she was trying to endure from using the toilet.

“…Eco?”

Ash had a bad feeling.

“Unn…!”

Just as expected, Eco embraced his chest. Even though he had his clothes on, he could still feel Eco’s hot breath clearly.

“Hey, don’t tell me that… You had gotten yourself drunk just from the smell?”

“Haa… Haa… Please… My chest is tightening.”

Eco’s eyes had turned wet and her cheeks had turned red. Her entire body was heating up. Ash felt like he was hugging a massive pile of flame.

“Damn… What a troublesome shop!”

His priority is to bring Eco away from this shop.

If such a thing continues, Ash feared that he could not remain calm. Just in case is he was spotted in a place like this by his schoolmates…

“Hey, isn’t that Ash? Doesn't he look lovey dovey!”

Unfortunately, it happens that it was Rebecca who was talking from behind. Besides, there was also a girl who was standing behind Rebecca.

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash was shuddering. Again, he had prepared himself to face Silvia’s iron fist, but-

“…”

Perhaps she was still troubled by yesterday’s young dragon’s incident, she was hiding behind Rebecca and remained silent.

===Part 11===

To go to a place where the Ansal is absent, Rebecca brought the gang to the Dragon Fang public restaurant in an alley.

“This is… Dragon Fang?”

Ash was slightly disappointed because he thought that Rebecca would bring them to a classy restaurant.

Dragon Fang is a restaurant for the public that provides good food with low price.

“Hmm. It is a good restaurant. I have no complains on its quality and quantity. Also, it is half price for the student council members.”

“So I see…”

It was a lively shop full of laborers with well built bodies.

Since there is just an empty table for four, Rebecca sat together with Silvia while facing Ash and Eco on the other side of the table.

Rebecca and Silvia.

Namely, Scarlet Empress and Ice Blue Princess.

The two great beauties of the academy were sitting together with Ash. If they are spotted by Raymond or the rest, it would be natural if they died in a fit.

Silvia turned her head to a side since she don’t intend to even utter a word. She was definitely still shadowed by yesterday’s incident. Even though he felt like comforting her, however he had his hands full with Eco.

“Fyunn…”

Eco still looked like she was not fully awakened yet. Since that’s the case, he tried feeding her a few sips of water.

After Rebecca ordered a three people’s sets, she smiled wryly at Ash and Eco.

“To be frank, you had never failed to impress me.”

“…Sorry.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize. Rather than that, I am actually enjoying myself.”

“Enjoy…”

Ash was distressed and heartbroken.

“Anyway, remember to be careful and beware of the Ansal herb. Next time, it is better for you not to get close to Essarois. Though the Ansal Tea there is of top quality, it is still too early for Eco.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

After Ash answered, no one spoke a word. The reason was caused by none other than Silvia. She had kept her mouth shut for whole time caused the people around her to become nervous.

“That being said… It is rare to see Rebecca-san together with Princess-sama.”

“Ahh, it was me who invited her out.”

After the incident of the young dragon had ended yesterday, Rebecca had indicated “ I will take care of the Princess herself.” However, it seems that what is happening today had nothing to do with yesterday’s promise. It is also a surprise that Silvia would accept Rebecca’s invitation.

Even if it was an order from the student council president, Silvia is still the country’s princess. She could have rejected the offer anytime.

Rebecca smiled cheekily and took out a piece of paper.

“Do you still remember the ticket for the one day date? The attached prize for the dragon riding festival. I must fulfill my promise and Silvia had her duty to perform as the winner.”

“Ahh… Now I remember.”

Now it had started to make sense.

Ash had totally forgotten about it. The winner in the dragon riding festival, could have a day’s date with Rebecca.

For the stubborn Silvia, the words ‘Duty of the winner’ is definitely the irresistible sure kill words.

“Together with yesterday’s problem, the princess had her mind crowded with many problems. Though I did try my best to help her, she had been this way since the start.”

Although Rebecca was regretting this, she still managed to squeeze out a cheerful smile.

“Sorry for the wait.”

Right at the moment, the waitress had arrived with their dishes.

===Part 12===
“I am back, Milgauss-sama.”

Milgauss was enjoying the full view of Ansarivan, in the clock tower. With his mantle waving in the direction of the wind, he looked like a veteran solider.

Anya was in the disguised of a flower girl while Milgauss himself was dressed up as a mercenary.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 173.jpg|thumb]]

It was very silent on the top floor of the clock tower of the old shrine.

Even the noisy streets looked as if they were from another world.

Gazing at Milgauss back from behind, Anya thought that he was an ‘Unpredictable man…’

The shrine that was facing St Durham Square was indeed very old. Usually it was not open to visitors. In addition to problem that was cause by technical errors, the renovations for this shrine could not be continued and since then, it had remained closed for ten years.

Moreover, the security was light and anyone could break into the shrine after breaking open the lock at the back door.

The person who knew this information is none other than Milgauss. Even when it is only information that only the locals knew of, Milgauss treated it as if it was obvious to anyone.

Anya had always been curious of Milgauss's origin since the beginning.

Even when he was a military man in the Empire’s army, his movement had always been graceful. It even felt like he was born in a noble family. Even his pronunciations are beautiful and are fluent in both the Chevron language and Empire’s language.

“How are the streets?”

Milgauss’s question brought Anya back to her sense. Even though he was looking at her coldly through the mask, it still made Anya nervous.

Apart from Milgauss and Anya, there was not a third person in the clock tower.

Even though they are still on the job, Anya was a little disappointed. She certainly could not show the girly side of her.

“It was peaceful on the streets. Nobody is thinking about any wars.”

Ansarivan is a lively city. Anya had initially thought that the city that teaches breeders should be filled with killing intends. Yet, not even a hint of war could be felt from this city.

When she was walking on the streets in disguised as a flower girl, Anya found out something.

To the residents of Ansarivan, the dragons are called ‘lovely beasts’ and not a military weapon. Ansarivan is never the so called
“military base for dragon training’.

“That’s right. In this street, not even a single soul thinks that dragons are military weapons. Ansarivan is a very friendly city."

Milgauss spoke in a nostalgic tone but it only lasted for a second.

“However, Anya, there is no meaning behind the friendliness.”

Milgauss took a step forward and there was a coffin like box next to his feet.

Milgauss silently opened the lid of the box. There is no corpse but a single sword in it.

It is not a normal sword. It was a broad sword with the size of a grown man.

It looked like a typical zanbatou<ref>斬馬刀a type of long sword</ref> from the ancient drawings but its blade is black and its hilt was decorated with beautiful jewels just like a refined masterpiece. With a closer look, they were bright dragon crystals.

Milgauss lifted the huge black sword and chanted the incantation.

In just a little while, the clear blue sky was covered by dark clouds.

===Part 13===
Saute duck, Beef fillet cooked in wine, spare ribs, vegetable and mushroom soup, walnut bread…. All of the dishes were served one after another and they took away Ash’s attention.

The smell of the gravy and spices were stimulating his appetite.

“Uwaa!”

Suddenly, Eco reacted.

Once she found out about the smells of the foods, Eco had snapped out from the drunken state. Eco who cares for only crepes is after all, still a dragon. Her eyes were nailed to the meat dishes.

“Don’t worry about the amount, just enjoy yourself.”

Before Rebecca could finish her sentence, she had already started stuffing herself with the duck. The skin was roasted nicely and its gravy was dripping.

“Mmm… This is the first time that I had tasted such a nice meat.”

Eco’s eyes were glittering from being touched had her sight on the beef. She just simply took a piece of the beef with the fork and gave it a bite.

“Funnn...”

The beef seems to be very tasty since Eco looked as if she was in cloud nine.

Ash was also happy just by looking at her.

On the other hand, Silvia was working her knife and fork silently. Whenever Ash and her eyes met, she would glare at him to keep him away.

Just then, Ash remembered what Rebecca had told him.

''In my opinion, the princess is a perfectionist. She had always wanted to be the first. When she met a classmate who can ride any dragons, she will take you as her rival.''

In another words, the reason she tried to suppress the young dragon on her own is because of none other than Ash’s fault.

Ash made up his mind and spoke to Silvia:

“Hey, Princess-sama… Is it really my fault?”

“I don’t know what you mean by that.”

Her sharp glare pierced his forehead.

“I am talking about yesterday’s incident… The way you acted yesterday isn’t really like you at all.”

Immediately, Silvia’s cheeks had turned red.

“D-Don’t be too full of yourself! Why would I even do it because of-”

At that moment, a loud bang came from outside.

“Kyaa!”

The sudden thunderstruck had shocked Silvia. She was covering her ears with both her arms and was shaking tremendously. No one would ever thought that she had this side to her.

“What a weird weather...”

Ash had a bad feeling about this and looked out from the window.

The once clear sky was now covered by thick black clouds. The darkness outside made it hard to imagine that it was still noon.

“Hmm… That’s not a good sign.”

Eco who was still eating suddenly stood up. Her face sank was staring intently at the sky outside of the window.

“Eco?”

Ignoring Ash’s call, Eco ran out from the shop.

===Part 14===
“…Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Appear! Child of magic technique. Thou shall be…”

At the same moment Milgauss finished the incantation, under the sky filled with dark clouds, a change was happening on the streets.

Anya’s eyes widened.

A dragon appeared in the middle of St Durham Square.

“That’s… A Necromancia...!”

Anya sub-consciously speaks of the word that should never be spoken of.

Letters of blood red colour appeared on the surface of the huge sword that Milgauss was holding. They were words of an ancient language that Anya could not understand.

It looked as if blood were actually flowing out from the sword itself. The cloud had become thicker and sounds of the thunders had become more and more frequent.

The Necromancia- A dragon that was resurrected using ashes.

Though she had heard about it before from Milgauss, it was still her first time seeing it.

Summon the Necromancia and analyze its combat strength.

With that, determine whether it could be used in actual combat.

This is the main purpose for the infiltration. Ansarivan is the selected location for the experiment.

It is like a hammer that smashes off the previous peaceful atmosphere.

This situation made Anya who just finished her investigation in the town bite her lips.

It made her think about her homeland that was full of blood and destruction a few years ago.

''-But…. This is war.''

Anya reassured herself and clenched her fist while looking at Milgauss from behind.

===Part 15===
The group went chasing after Eco in the alleys had finally arrived at St Durham Square.

The Square was in a mess.

The locals and the tourists were standing still like statues.

Even when they should be running away for their own sake, everyone just remain still and stare at the monster.

“W-What is that thing!?”

Ash was shocked when he entered the Square.

The huge beast was landing on the Square.

“Is that… A Dragon?”

Its entire body is covered with fur what made it look similar to a Maestro.

However, though it looked like a Maestro, its body fur was deep grey in colour and it smelled bad.

“Its body is rotting…”

Ash gasped.

Apart from that, its body size was surprisingly huge.

The Square that can hold thousands of people and right now had a quarter of it being occupied by a sole dragon. If it lifted its head up, it height should be around the same height as the towers around.

A roar that made people shivers was heard under the dark sky.

It sounds like hundreds of flutes not being blown uniformly. The sound was so terrible that it could even wake up the dead.

The loud roar that followed was a strong gust that managed to topple the St Durham’s Statue in the Square.

In a little while, the entire square was filled by a rotten smell.

Only right now the people started running for their lives. While confronting with such a supernatural situation, the situation was no longer under control. Although the Ansarivan’s security tried their best, it was obvious that they are lacking man power.

Followed by sounds of agonizing cries for help, many helpless people were continuously being pushed down. Even the customers in the shops facing the Square were running out one by one.

“Eco!”

The base for the St Durham Statue was in rubbles and the stone statue itself was lying on the ground. Eco was standing beside the statue.

Right in front of Eco was the dragon that brought all the troubles.

“What is she even thinking!”

Ash was panicking and was trying to drag her back. However, he was blocked by the rest of the tourist who were running for their lives.

Eco suddenly removed her Beret and showed her horns.

It seems that she was trying to show that she is a dragon.

“Refrain yourself, you lowly beast! Don’t you know who I am! Don’t you know that there are many excellent shops in this street?”

For just a moment, the entire square turned still because of her loud voice.

Her imposing attitude touched Ash.

Even if it is just a little, after all, that weird thing is still a dragon and just maybe it understood Eco.

The dragon’s gaze slowly turned towards Eco.

For just a moment, they made eye contact with each other. But suddenly there appeared tentacles from its body and started attacking Eco.

“Kyaaaaa!”

“Eco!”

Ash shouted but the tentacles continued to wrap around Eco’s body and her four limbs and she was now hanging in mid air. Her uniform were torn by the tentacles and her undergarments and skin were exposed.

“You! Knock it off!”

It was useless no matter how she struggled. Also, the more she struggled the tighter the grip of the tentacles became.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 184.jpg|thumb]]

Once again the dragon roared and showed its pink mouth. A few teeth in its mouth that was arranged nicely dropped off. Only now Ash
noticed that even its teeth were rotting.

“Damn… What should I do?”

At that instant, a light ball of purple electric appeared in its mouth.

The purple electric light ball was then released followed by another roar.

''-Don!''

A building facing the square was swallowed by the ball of light and was covered with dust.

“Attacking magic…!”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

It was a high level magic that could only be performed by Maestros.

The building that was destroyed was a four story building. The first floor was Café Essarois while it was an apartment from the second floor onwards.

“That…”

Ash was dumbfounded. Just how many innocent people were involved right now.

A few moments later, the smoke cleared out.

“That’s…!”

Not only the building remains, but also there isn’t even a single causality.

“Rebecca-san!”

Ash shouted in joy. Rebecca who was riding on Cú Chulainn in her Ark had cast the defence magic and neutralized the attack.

“Essarois is a place filled with the dreams of the girls. I as the student council of Ansarivan, I will have it protected until my death.”

Rebecca’s declaration received cheers from the residents.

Of course, Rebecca wouldn’t let such cheers get over her head and she started reciting the spells.

"Appear! The certain hit magic spear!"

The summoned weapon appeared above Rebecca’s head.

“Gáe Bolg!”

The magic spear turned into light particles and was shot towards the loathsome dragon.

“Huh…!?”

Ash’s eyes widened.

A new ball of light appeared in front of the dragon and it turned into seven layers of shield.

“It even knew defence magic!”

“Gáe Bolg!” pierced through the first layer of shield.

Then it continue was also broke apart easily.

However it was obvious that it had slowed down.

Every time it broke through a layer, a large amount of magic was used up.

The fourth, the fifth… the sixth was penetrated.

Ash was praying while looking at Gáe Bolg’s path.

And then, there was a crack in the seventh shield and it was pierced through.

“Yes!”

At the same time when Ash was cheering, Gáe Bolg exploded at the dragon’s head.

The flash caused their eyes to be blinded and it was followed by a loud bang.

The thick smoke had the dragon covered.

Everyone was thinking that Rebecca had won.

Even the securities that should have led the people to safety were cheering happily.

Then, the smoke started to clear up.

Everyone turned silent.

The cheers were silent up by a hole in a head caused by the explosion. Even so, the dragon shouldn’t be able to live on after its brain was destroyed.

“What in the world is that thing…?”

Ash was shivering.

The dragon has not yet fallen and Eco was still hanging in mid air.

The next moment, the wound on the head started regenerating.

It felt as ifs the wound itself is another living being.

After the wound was healed, the dragon returned to its original looks but its eyes looked even more menacing.

Suddenly, it swung its tail.

After seeing it using high class magic, Ash was surprised to see it change its style to physical attacks. It seems that Rebecca too, was also caught off guard by it which led her to being slow in her reactions.

“Damn…”

Rebecca shouted in surprise.

Although it was just a simple physical attack, the buildings behind the dragon were demolished like toy bricks.

Right now, they could only pray that the people inside the buildings could escape safely.

“Curses…!’

Ash clenched his teeth.

He could only watch the dragon turn the city in ruins as a bystander.

At that moment, Ash thought of a single person.

''-Milgauss, the masked man.''

Since the day he met him in the forest, the still cog had been connected and started spinning. However, it was his instinct that told him that. There was never a single proof.

“W-What in the world is that dragon?”

Once he heard the familiar voice, Ash was brought back to his sense.

Turning around, he saw that Silvia had arrived at the Square.

When Silvia saw the weird dragon, she fell on her backside and was shivering in fear.

Ash immediately came to her side.

“Get a hold of yourself! Princess-sama!”

Though Ash was shouting loudly, Silvia never answered. Seeing such a supernatural sight had caused her to lose all her sense.

Right at that instant, a flying dragon appeared on top of St Durham Square. It was obviously a Maestro since it had silvery white fur.

“Ash! Bring the Princess as far away as you can!”

It was a familiar voice.

He was in charge of the accounts in the student council and also one of Ash’s few friends.

“Max!”

“Leave this to me!... Uwaa!”

Max wasn’t able to finish his sentence.

The grey dragon seeing that a new opponent had appeared immediately gave out a loud roar.

At the same time, it released its ball of light with purple electric.

“Arian!”

Under Max’s command, Arianrhod immediately cast its defence magic. Though it managed to reduced the strength of the light ball, still it had hit and fell towards the ground.

Originally, a dragon shouldn’t be able to fly with such a build. It’s wings are only for decoration purposes. It was magic itself that
enables it to fly.

Ash was shocked when he saw Arianrhod fell towards the ground.

“For it to even bring down Arianrhod with just a single hit…”

Arianrhod had no longer any magic to defend against the second attack.

Rebecca who foresaw that ordered Cú Chulainn to glide down in the area in front of Max and Arianrhod. Without delaying a single moment, she cast her defence magic.

“Rebecca-san!”

For the defending party, Rebecca had totally lost her mobility.

This is the worst situation.

The only choice left is to wait for the Holy Dragners of Lautreamont to arrive. But could the town people really hold on until then?

After all the entire town was already used to the peaceful life.

For example, the entire strength of the security office was just hunting rifles and wooden batons. For offices where they have dragner working there could only be found in the big cities.

The dragon was approaching Rebecca slowly. It probably thought of Rebecca as first to be removed as a target.

Every time the weird dragon took a step, the earth shook and the beautiful tiles turned into rubbles.

It felt as if it was a moving hill. Numerous tentacles had appeared right now and were gripping on Eco.

“Aahhh! What the hell is this thing trying to do!”

Eco continued to struggle. Even though she lost all her mobility, she still had decided that she is not going to ever give up.

“Eco…!”

''That’s it. I must save Eco.''

After all, Eco is Ash’s Pal.

She is none other than Ash’s Pal.

“If it is me… Am I able to do it?”

Ash questioned himself.

An answer flashed through his mind. It gave Ash shivers. But still, it is a gamble.

Right at the instant, Ash remembered Eco enjoying her crepe happily.

“Hold on, it still hasn’t reached that stage yet… Eco!”

There were still many nice things in this word that Eco knew nothing of.

He was not going to let her die like this before teaching her everything.

Ash finally made up his mind.

“I will protect this city. Everybody. And also Eco!”

Yet, there was still one more problem.

Ash needs Silvia’s cooperation to make his plan success.

“Princess-sama! Please get a hold of yourself!”

He shouted towards Silvia who was still sitting on the ground in shock.

However, Silvia’s expression was still blank and continued to shiver. It was as if she is a totally different person from her usual majestic self.

Ash was getting mad.

“Don’t joke with me…. What kind of a Princess are you! Where is the usual family motto! In such times shouldn’t you prove to us what exactly is a royalty made of!”

Ash lifted his right hand.

“I will apologize first! Sorry!”

And he gave Silvia a slap on the face.

The sound was clear.

“…Ash?”

Silvia was staring at Ash dumbstrucked. At least her thoughts were now focused. Although her red cheek was hurting, she had finally calmed down.

“Princess-sama, I had a request. Please summon Lancelot immediately and bring me with you!”

“Bring you? Where to?”

“There!”

Ash was pointing at the moving dragon.

To be more specific, it was above the dragon’s head.

Immediately Silvia knew what he was thinking right now.

“Definitely not! Are you even thinking properly!”

Silvia’s anger raises and stood up suddenly.

''Good, this is great. This is the Silvia that I knew of.''
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 006-007.jpg|thumb|'' Ash stood in front of Silvia. He took a step forward, took a deep breath and shouted to the dragon: “Your opponent is me!” '']]

Ash stood in front of Silvia. He took a step forward, took a deep breath and shouted to the dragon:

“Your opponent is me!”

Strictly speaking, Ash didn’t even know if the dragon could even notice his voice. Basically the reason for him to shout was to keep his thoughts from wavering. Still, the dragon did stop its footsteps.

It turned its head slowly and glared at both Ash and Silvia.

Silvia facial expression changed immediately.

“Are you an idiot!”

“I'm alright. Princess-sama please summon Lancelot immedi…!”

Before Ash could finish his sentence, the dragon shot a ray of light at them. It was definitely a different type of magic.

Ash only understood that a strong energy shot pass the area above his head.

He raised his head in terror only to find out that the building behind him was crumbling. The three storey building behind him experienced a direct hit from the attacking magic.

How high exactly is the temperature need to melt debris of the building? Before Ash could even think about it, the building had crumbled.

The pile of wreckage was falling towards Ash and Silvia like a waterfall.

“Urgh!”

On the spur of the moment, Ash tried to protect Silvia. He could only shut his eyes and pray.

===Part 16===
“Hey…! Until when are you going to stop acting in such manner?”

“Huh?”

Silvia’s cold voice had given him the push to open his eyes.

Ash though that he was buried under the pile of wreckage, but-.

He felt the wind blowing.

“I am flying…?”

Both Ash and Silvia were in mid air.

Only then Ash realized that he was riding on Lancelot’s back.

Seems like Silvia had summoned Lancelot in the nick of time.

The streets down below looked far away.

Even St Durham Square looked miniature.

The huge body that occupied a quarter of its space still exists.

The problem is Ash was grabbing on to Silvia who was holding the reins from behind and his right hand was even grabbing on to her breast.

The soft feeling made him lost his calm. Since just now where the building started to crumble, his thought had always been blank.

“Uwaaaaaa!”

“Don’t loosen your grip! You may fall!”

Silvia’s warning made him calm down his thoughts and he started apologizing to Silvia. However, he continued grabbing on her.

“…Sorry.”

Obviously Ash had also shifted the position of his right hand. It was probably that he was thinking too much but somehow Silvia’s face had turned red.

At that moment, the dragon released its second attack.

Lancelot in return roared loudly and cast its defence magic. A huge amount of pressure could be felt. Yet, Lancelot remained unharmed.

“Just as expected.”

Ash praised.

“This kind of level is child’s play for Lancelot. Back to the main point… Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Ahh, please bring me to the appointed location. It must be none other than me to execute it.

“… Then I can only have faith in you. Lancelot!”

“Ooooon.” Under Silvia’s order, Lancelot roared.

They were gliding downwards towards the dragon.

The third and the fourth wave of attack were released but Lancelot avoided all of them with an amazing speed without even activating its defence magic.

The distances between both parties were getting shorter until their entire fields of vision were covered by the dragon’s body.

Ash was looking for Eco.

Ash had prepared himself for the worst possible situation, where Eco was swallowed whole by the dragon.

Until now, this is the only chance where he can save Eco.

He made up his mind and stood on Lancelot. To keep his balance, he held on to Silvia’s shoulder. Silvia remained silent while allowing him to do so.

The countdown begins.

-Ten, nine, eight, seven…

They were getting closer to the ground.

-Three, two, one…

Lancelot flew pass the weird body in a very close distance.

“Now!”

Ash jumped towards the wall of grey furs.

With a ‘Bump’ Ash landed safely. However, he slipped and nearly fell off but managed to cling to the furs.

The dragon felt something on its head and was pissed. It shook its head vigorously. For that short moment, Ash felt like he was going to fall off anytime.

He crawled with all his might until he finally reached the space in between the two horns.

Thought there are still many places that could be considered, it was his instinct that told Ash that this was the best place.

With both of his foot on stable ground, Ash immediately stood up.

At the same time, he thought about the feeling of his first ride on a dragon. Basically the situation was the same as yesterday where a young dragon lost control.

A newborn Starda had gone rampage because its master had mistakenly fed it with Ansal Tea.

Just when the Grooms were in a fix trying to keep the situation under control, Ash who had just passed by, by a chance jumped onto the rampaging dragon.

He just had a hunch that he was able to do it.

In the end, he received a good amount of scolding from the school’s director even though he managed to calm the dragon down.

''That’s right, that young dragon was called- Lancelot.''

“…That’s right. I totally forgot about it.”

Ash smiled wryly. The Maestro that Silvia was riding on and the drunken Strada fitted perfectly in his memories.

He finally realized why Silvia was obsessed comparing herself to him.

At the same time, Ash gained his confidence. Since he was able to calm Lancelot down, this weird dragon should not be a problem.

“Let’s begin…”

Through his feet, he forced his conscious into the dragon like growing tree roots and spoke to the dragon gently.

“From now onwards, I am your master.”

The dragon stopped its footsteps in reply to Ash’s words. Although it still continued growling, at the least it had stopped moving.

“That’s it. This is how it should be.”

Ash was smiling from the bottom of his heart.

Just when Ash was thinking of giving it one more push, the dragon swung its head upwards like a trebuchet.

“Uwaa!”

Ash who was not prepared for this was thrown out.

Just moments before knocking into a building, Lancelot flew to his rescue.

“Phew… Saved.”

Ash sat on Lancelot and was just behind Silvia.

“I have never seen an idiot like you!”

Silvia scolded while she was holding Lancelot’s reins.

“Just a little more I could have...”

Ash was speaking with a serious tone. There was not even a hint of him joking. Silvia who had turned speechless looked just like a graceful woman from the back.

What Ash said made sense. He was going to ride it.

===Part 17===
“Haaa… Haaa…”

Eco looked pale. She was hurt by her inability to break free due to her lack of strength.

“Tsk… For a descendant of a mighty dragon…. To lose to a low born dragon…”

Just when she was provoking the dragon…

“Uwaa!”

Ash was thrown out and had made a nice curve with it but was saved by Lancelot.

“What in the world is he trying to do?

Eco was horrified.

What Ash was doing was reckless.

That’s right. Ash was trying to tame this weird dragon by riding it.

If there is to be a single error, Ash will be squashed like a bug.

“Hold on! What are you doing? Why don’t you run away!”

Eco who could endure it no longer shouted.

“Eco! I will save you!”

Ash replied while sitting on Lancelot’s back. He seemed confident judging from his tone.

That sentence had made her realized that Ash tried to save her instead of running away.

“Urgh…!”

Eco was struggling to escape the tentacles.

But the more she struggled, the tighter their grips became.

Right at that moment…

“…Huh?”

Right in front of Eco, the dragon’s belly split open.

On both of the sides of the belly were aligned with row of sharp fine teeth.

It looked like an insect eating plant.

“I-It must have been a bad joke.”

Eco’s face turned pale.

Numerous tentacles appeared and Eco was swallowed into the mouth that looked like the gates of hell.

“Eco-!”

Just when she almost lost conscious, she could barely hear Ash’s cry

===Part 18===
“It seems that you have woken up, my sleeping beauty.”

The bewitching voice had woken Eco up and she hurriedly looked around.

“This is…”

A mysterious room.

The floor was laid by square tile of black and white alternating.

Beside the four walls were statues that had not been completed. An incomplete human body. Incomplete beasts. Models of castle and shrines. And also transports that Eco had never seen before.

Right in front of Eco who was sitting on the bed was a suspicious lady. The lady was sitting on an antique chair lazily. Her brilliant red dress looked extra conspicuous in the monochrome room.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 205.jpg|thumb]]

On the lady’s head were horns of an adult dragon.

“This is the Dragon Workshop. Also, I am called Navi.”

“Navi…?”

“You just have to take me as another personality that is responsible to teach the immature you… Don’t you think that this is great?”

“I don’t really understand. Also, what’s with your appearance?

Eco was getting uneasy since the first time she saw Navi.

Her looks, hair style and skin colour were exactly like Eco’s. The only difference is that Navi was a few years older.

“Hee hee. Are you worrying about my body? This design is based on a five years older version of you.”

“Wh-What!”

Still, this is just an assumption. You just may not grow up this well. Especially your breast.”

Navi purposely put emphasis on the breast and deliberately shook them.

Eco was getting mad for being made fun of..

“Hmph! It is not like bigger is better!”

“Of course, even the shape is important. But for you… Worrying about the size should be your main concern.”

“What a detestable woman! I will squash you!”

“…Now lets us stop this useless talk as he is going to die if we let him continue what he was doing.”

With a single wave from her right arm, a crystal ball appeared. A high concentration of lights was released by it and a projection of Ash struggling with the weird looking opponent could be seen.

“He is still reckless!”

Eco was looking up towards the screen which was the ceiling.

“In a first look, this is not a bad idea. After all he was born with that gift to ride any kind of dragons. However, this opponent is too much for him to handle. He had no chance of winning against that Necromancia.”

“Necromancia?”

“That’s right. It is a dragon that died once but was resurrected by human technology.”

“Tsk! What should we do…? There is nothing in my ability to help him.”

Eco was saddened.

“Hey, do you know why a holy dragon is called a Maestro.”

Eco was puzzled by the sudden question.

Before the existence of the secret agreement of Albion, the holy dragons were craft workers. This dragon workshop was built by a group of great Maestros. The Ark is only one of the many things created by the Maestros.

Eco finally understood what Navi was trying to say.

“You are telling me that he is lacking an Ark?”

“Good answer. And of course the only person who can present him with the Ark is only you as his Pal.”

“But… How can I…? That’s it!”

Eco remembered her conversation with Ash in St Druham Square.

''-Hmm, if it is the blueprint for the Ark, I have the access to it.''

''-If that’s the case, can you use the blueprint… To create an Ark?''

''-Are you crazy! That’s is nothing but an imitation.''

Even though it is an imitation, it is still an Ark. Certainly, Eco's pride does not allow her to make a copy from her ancestor, but this was an emergency.

Eco accessed the Dragweiss immediately and focused her thoughts. Without delay, the projection on the ceiling started changing.

“It is not like I have a choice either.”

Since year 10 of A.S.B where the secret agreement of Albion was made, there were many blueprints left by the dragons. Apart from the Arks that were worn by humans, there were also those that were made as a trial.

The total amount of blueprints easily exceeds a thousand.

“This…”

Eco was disappointed after read the blueprints.

Every single blueprint was full of details and even copying may become a difficult task.

“Come on! How am I to copy this!”

Just when she was feeling troubled, the thought of St Durham’s Statue flash pass.

She instantly summoned St Durham’s Ark’s blueprint.

Time of production Year 846 A.S.B/ Month of Libra/ 2nd day.

Name of knight Durham Lautreamont

Ark Weapon Magic sword Caliber

Compare to the present, the design and structure five hundred years ago was simpler.

“If it is this Ark, I should be able to do it!”

“You’re naïve.”

Navi smiled coldly.

“Why? Supposing I had no experience in making an Ark, I still inherit the basic knowledge. So what are you even-”

“It just doesn’t work that way. An Ark is an armour that was custom made for its knight. If you just make a copy of a previous work, he
won’t be able to wear it. If you force it on him, it may even endanger his life.”

“What! Then this isn’t even an option to begin with!”

“Hehe. When did I mention that? The Dragweiss had collected a huge amount of blueprints since the old times. It is possible to select parts of the armour that fits him from this amount of blueprints.”

By shaking a crystal, an infinite amount of blueprints appeared on the ceiling.

“…Could it be that!”

Eco finally understood what Navi means.

“That’s right. We will select parts of the armour that fits him and reorganized them.”

“But, can I do it? For starters, how am I going to know if the parts suit him?”

Eco was worrying about the most important part.

Before an Ark was made, it requires that data of the person wearing it. First is the height and then follow by a mountain full of information.

“That’s impossible!”

“Ara. If you are talking about his data, I already have it here with me.”

Navi smiled cheekily touched Eco’s forehead with the crystal ball. In an instant, all the information in the crystal ball flowed into Eco’s head.

“This… Is his data?”

Eco was able to construct a three dimensional structure using the huge amount of information.

“-!”

Eco blushed. Ash image in her mind was stark naked. Every single detail on his body was clearly recorded.

“A-A perfect data…. But how did this data get into your hands?”

“I was expecting something similar to this to happen. Just before you were born, I sneaked into his dream. Actually I finished collecting my data in just a night but since he is too cute, I had been doing that for a whole week.”

“H-How dare you toy with my pet dog!”

Navi was laughing in front of the angry Eco.

“I can see that someone is jealous.”

“T-There is no way that I-I….”

“Is that so? But why are you blushing?”

“I am gonna squash you!... Erm, this is not the right time and place to argue!”

“That’s the spirit. So let’s begin.”

Navi slowly stood up.

“I don’t know whether I am capable of doing it but… this is the only choice left!”

Eco finally made up her mind.

===Part 19===

Even though it had been three times, Ash never gave up. On the other hand, he was saved by Lancelot every single time.

Lucky for him, the grey dragon had Lancelot locked on as its target. Every single attack was directed towards Lancelot which in turn, reduced the amount of destruction towards the city.

However, there is a limit to the amount of magic that Lancelot possesses. In truth, it flying speed had been greatly reduced.

“Lancelot is at its limit…”

Ash understood her frustration from her words.

“I understand. This time will be the final!”

Silvia signal Lancelot to change its direction and dive down towards the middle of the square. Right at that moment…

“Tell me that is not true…”

Eco was suddenly swallowed into the dragon’s belly.

“Eco!”

Ash shouted in dismay.

They are not able to make it in time.

Eco was eaten whole by that monster right in front of Ash.

“Damn!... It's my fault for being weak…!”

“Don’t give up!”

Silvia reminded Ash who felt that he was going to break apart in despair.

“She may still be alive! If you give up at this moment, she will definitely die for sure!”

Ash immediately kept his cool. Silvia was right. If not because of she was holding the reins with both hands, she is sure to give him a slap on the face like what he did to her.

Suddenly, the Seikoku on his left arm started hurting. It was the same feeling as the time where Eco was kidnapped by Angela.

“Eco…!”

The reaction from the Seikoku made him felt relief.

This proofs that his link with Eco had not yet been cut off.

“Yeah… I mustn’t give up yet. Princess-sama! Please bring me to where the monster is!”

“That’s the spirit!”

Once again, Lancelot started diving downwards.

===Part 20===
“Give me a break! Why can’t I get it right!”

Eco was shouting in desperation.

The opponent that Ash was battling was a Necromancia.

Its element is ‘dark’.

Naturally, the Ark that she is going to present to Ash should have the ‘light’ element in it. It had been a common knowledge since the ancient times that light can conquer darkness.

“Urgh…! Just as expected, this is impossible…”

Eco was sitting on her knees in disappointment.

Tears were dripping from her eyes. It was the first time Eco ever cried from the feeling of regret.

''“Don’t give up!”''

At that moment, Eco heard something.

The owner of the sound was none other than Ash.

“Is it him…?”

Eco lifted her head up.

Ash was still continuing his fight.

While fighting against the dragon, he was calling out to Eco.

''“I will save you! I still believe that you are still alive! That is why… That is why, you mustn't give up!”''

These were not spoken by words. They were spoken through the Astral Flow that connects the dragon and its breeder.

She felt warmth from the bottom of her heart.

Eco knew from where this warmth came from.

Druing her time as an Orphan, Eco had always been inside Ash.

She could never forget about this warmth.

Even when he was going against the odds, Ash never ran away from anything.

He even dare face such a monster.

For how many times had he stood on the dragon’s head and for how many times had he been thrown off. Right now, his clothes were like rags and there were many obvious bruises and wounds on his body.

Even so, his eyes never stop glittering.

“He…”

Eco clenched her fists.

''-Unforgivable!''

That’s it. Ash was fighting for her sake and her pride doesn't allow her to stay still while waiting to be saved.

“That’s right… It is totally unforgivable… That is why…!”

Her tired body was once again filled with magic.

Her overflowing amounts of magic crystallized outside of her body and were sparkling.

“This is…”

Eco never once expect herself to have such a large amount of magic.

Her field of vision widened.

“I can see it!”

Eco could not keep herself from smiling.

''“Almete, Gorjal, Peto… Espaldar……”''

Even thought the amount of blueprints in the Dragweiss is abnormally large, the Eco right now had the ability to handle all of them.

''“Brafoneras, Faldaje… Escarcelas……”''

In among the parts that suits Ash, Eco selects the ones with light element and combined them.

''“Bufetas, Hombreras, Brazales… Codales….., Antebrazos……. Manoplas……….”''

Compare to those who create the Ark from scraps, Eco’s actions may seem detestable.

Eco could never be able to object for shaming the tradition and placing a curse on her ancestral.

''“Quijotes… Guardas… Grebas…… Escarpes……….”''

However to Eco, it would be a worst sin to just be a bystander and witness all the fun.

Eco no longer hesitates.

With mixed emotions, she had chosen the final part.

''“-Espolón!”''

At that instant, Eco had opened the gate that leads to a brand new world.

===Part 21===
No matter how badly he failed, he had lost count of the number of times he returned. Right now, he was lying on Lancelot’s back in anguish.

The pain was so immersed that he could no longer feel his limbs.

“Lancelot is really at its limit. This will be the last chance we have...”

Silvia’s voice was obviously shaking. They really must succeed. The moment Lancelot used up all its magic and can no longer fly, everything that was done will be in vain.

Ansarivan will be in ruins and Eco will definitely die.

It will be impossible to save all the refuges unharmed.

“Tsk… What should I do…!”

Just when Ash was in a pinch…

''“You are the one who shouldn’t give up!”''

Eco’s voice was heard in his mind.

“Eco? Eco! You are still alive!”

It had been sometime since she was swallowed by the dragon but Ash could clearly hear her voice.

''“Isn’t that obvious! No matter what I do, I can never look for a substitute for my useless pet dog, so just take this as a gift.”''

“Huh? Take what?”

The next instant, Ash was surrounded by dazzling lights.

“This is…!”

His eyes’ widened.

An outline slowly appeared in the light and transformed into a brilliant armour.

“I-Isn’t that an… Ark! It is godly…!”

Silvia squeaked when she turned around.

It had a strange feeling.

It was a heavy looking armour but it doesn’t feel that way.

Perhaps it was the strong amount of magic that removed the weight.

Even though he just wore it, he could feel an overflowing amount of magic.

“With this… I can never lose.”

Ash smiled confidently and spoke facing Eco who was inside the dragon’s belly.

“Thank you Eco! I had received your feelings!”

Unfortunately, Eco replied with a scold.

''“D-Don’t joke with me! That is just a mimic! Not an original! I have never thought of presenting you with it at all!”''

Eco was certainly full of objections.

Ash smiled bitterly.

“Let’s go, Princess- sama!”

“Understood!”

Ash who had been equipped with the Ark was full of spirits.

Silvia didn’t waste a single moment and ordered Lancelot to dive down.

Although it had used up most of its magic, it still answered Ash and Silvia’s call by raising its speed.

“Princess-sama!”

Ash was speaking to her from the back.

“… What is it?”

“Lancelot is a good dragon.”

“What does that have to do with this?”

“That is why you should never again try to ride on another dragon.”

“A-Are you an idiot! What are you saying at a time like this…”

“This is the best time to tell you this. You had Lancelot who is the best Pal. So, what is the thing that you are craving for?”

“I-I… Definitely knew that!”

Lancelot made a great roar in reply to Silvia.

They are getting faster.

The huge grey body was getting closer.

“Now’s the time!”

Ash jumped.

He felt that his body had blend into the wind.

After drawing out a curve in the air, Ash landed on the dragon’s head.

Thanks to the Ark, Ash could even stand on the dragon without clinging to its fur.

He could even feel the dragon’s body heat through the armour.

Right at this moment, Ash was one with the dragon.

It can’t be wrong. The Ark had pushed Ash’s gift to its maximum potential.

“Alright!”

From his feet, his consciousness was growing into the dragon like roots.

If Ash was to be described as a tree, then the dragon is the earth.

At the same time, Ash could feel the dragon’s rejecting feeling in his mind.

Ash shouted.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are god or even the devil himself…”

Ash was like a tower in between the two horns.

“For what I know, every dragon will bound to be ridden by me!”

Suddenly, there was a change in the dragon’s body.

Its folded wings were suddenly flapping.

The dragon was flying towards the sky.

===Part 22===
“…Seems like we had stepped into an ambush…”

Milgauss sighed when he saw the Necromancia flying away from the town.

Milgauss was the person controlling the Necromancia.

The huge sword in his hands was not only the switch, it was also the controller.

However, Milgauss was never successful in making the Necromancia fly but that boy had it proved to him.

Even so, Milgauss was dead calm. It was just as expected.

Anya was sweating when she looked at Milgauss.

It was a cold sweat.

The boy who was riding the Necromancia away from the city is THAT BOY.

Anya had never reported to Milgauss about their meeting in the streets. She didn’t expect the boy to appear right there.

“Where exactly did I meet that boy before…?”

Anya was trembling from that single sentence.

“Well, whatever.”

Luckily, MIlgauss never question any further.

“The experiment ended with a failure, but we still obtain some useful results. That boy and also… that girl.”

“Girl?”

Anya was confused. Did he mean Rebecca Randall the Ark Dragner?

Or is it Princess Silvia who was flying on Lancelot?

However she was wrong.

“Didn’t the Necromancia capture a girl? The one with horns. She is probably the one who presented the boy with the Ark. Even though she looks human… She might be descendant of a dragon.”

“I never…!”

Milgauss had no intention of speaking anymore. He silently kept the huge sword and gazed at Anya through the mask.

“We will retreat for now.”

Anya knelt down immediately.

“…Understood!”

===Part 23===
“I did it…!”

The grey dragon spread it wings and flew up towards the sky with Ash.

It was getting higher and higher and further away from the town.

Right now, Ansarivan town, the plains beside and Fianna Forest looked like toys.

This was all according to his plan. First he had to bring this dangerous dragon away to ensure to safety of the townspeople.

Ash could understand the dragon’s thought through the Ark.

The muzzy thoughts suddenly turned clear. If felt as if the Ark had translated the dragon’s feeling into words that Ash understands.

There was anger.

Sadness.

Hatred too.

And also- Love.

“I see. You also had a master in the past.”

Ash didn’t know where this dragon came from.

He only knew that this was just a normal dragon that grew up in Ansarivan.

At the same time, it told Ash its wish through the Ark.

Ash understood the sad wish.

“…Necromancia? Something that disobey the logic of this world? Do you really want that?”

It once again assured Ash.

It trusted as like it did to its master.

“Are you really sure that you want that?”

The Necromancia was asking for Ash to kill it.

That is the only way out.

“But… what about Eco after I killed you?”

Ash was worried about killing the Necromancia because Eco was still inside the Necromancia.

After knowing what Ash thinking was, the dragon reassured him.

“Ermm… Can I really trust you?”

The Necromancia nodded its head.

It promised to protect Eco.

“…Alright. Leave everything to me.”

The moment he had made up his mind, an image of a sword appeared in his mind.

Although the Ark was created hastily, Ash still had obtained the same power as an Ark Dragner.

Similar to Rebecca’s Gáe Bolg, every Ark Dragner must possess an Ark weapon.

The Ark was glowing and an immense amount of magic flowed out.

The details of the Ark Weapon were circulating inside Ash.

It was a sword. A sword with light as its element.

Following the information, Ash chanted the spell words.

''“Appear! The sword that was graced by the light! Please lend me all your powers that are able to repel darkness…”''

The area on Ash’s forehead was flooding with light.

A tremendous amount of magic was flowing.

A huge sword that was taller than Ash appeared.

''“Aix-les-Bains!”''

After lifting Aix-les-Bains easily, Ash jumped.

“Uuoooooo!”

Ash was falling. Starting from the dragon’s head to its belly, the sword that wields light slashed through.

The dragon split into two.

The sword transformed into silvery lights and cut through its bones and flesh.

The tough body of the dragon burst into parts like a paper.

Then-

The destroyed body turned into grey particles and was blown away by the winds.

“Kyaa!”

At the same time, Eco was thrown up into the sky.

She was probably thrown up by the dragon before the attack.

“Eco!”

Ash was diving at Eco’s direction.

He was also accelerating using the magic of the Ark.

There was not even a hint of fear.

Ash stretched out his arms.

Eco stretched out hers too.

Both of them were close, but yet so far away.

The pressure from the strong wind seemed to be able to cut through skin but Ash still shouted:

“Eco!”

He made a kick in the air by releasing the magic in the Ark.

Eco once again stretched out her arms further after being called.

“Ash…!”

This was the first time Eco call his name.

The fingers met.

Then they felt the weight on their palms.

Now they were grabbing each other’s hand.

Not wanting Eco to leave his side again, Ash made a pull.

Eco was embracing his chest.

While hugging the delicate body, Ash could feel her body heat. He had decided to land on the plains below.

With the protection from the Ark, they remain unharmed even after falling from a few hundreds of meters from above.

The dark cloud in Ansarivan had disappeared.

At the horizon, the sun appeared once again.

“We did it!”

Just when he smiled, the Ark broke into light particles and disappeared. Similarly, Aix-les-Bains which was in his belt had also disappeared.

Just as Eco had said, this was just hastily made.

However, it did actually manage to save Eco.

“Thank you, Eco.”

“I-Its nothing!”

Just as expected, Eco turned to a side. She really hasn’t changed at all.

Just when he started smiling, his smile turned into horror.

“Hey… What’s with your fist?”

Her fist was bleeding.

Surely it was hurt when she was caught by the Necromancia.

“T-This is nothing.”

“What are you even talking about.”

Ash held her hand and licked her wound. It was a usual practice in Ash’s hometown when children hurt themselves.

It may be obvious to Ash but-

“W-What are you doing!”

Eco was getting mad and started rampaging.

“Stop! It is just for disinfection, disinfection I say!”

Eco who turned embarrassed bit his neck.

“Stop! This is not a joke! I might even die…!”

Eco who was probably tired finally calmed down.

“Hey, Eco?”

Ash was getting uneasy but Eco was already fast asleep. He showed sign of relieved and smile bitterly.

“A boy who can ride any dragon?”

Some corrections should be made.

Or at least until he found a way to handle Eco.

''End of "Dark Grey Invasion ~A.S.B.1365.5~".''

<noinclude>==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T08:08:23Z

JFerg: /* Part 16 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprise, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he had hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the upkeep of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash couldn't understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she could walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgot…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelief.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amazement. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathed a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really helped me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprised that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What did you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama feed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It has become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t know that Princess-sama, who dosen’t even have a friend, would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had no interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, don’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, that is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, hasn’t everything turned out well? At least you found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she was a Maestro, you would just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this was not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying that, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should have born earlier... had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained things going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Compared to Ash, who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak of such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly past humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there was anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she didn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ came the sound for the rusted hinges rubbing against each other.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distance was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly look weird.”

Ash too had stopped in his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It was not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they didn’t have the time to do any investigation before they found out about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia, who was timid, hurriedly chased after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceiling and was tied up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she was a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treated a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosened the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr. Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t know that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolize our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appearance.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

The way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield?!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that could be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoking, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissected, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash moved towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew past. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favor to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It could be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smile, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, were you watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who has retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honor to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouths open.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T08:06:03Z

JFerg: /* Part 15 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprise, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he had hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the upkeep of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash couldn't understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she could walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgot…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelief.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amazement. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathed a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really helped me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprised that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What did you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama feed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It has become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t know that Princess-sama, who dosen’t even have a friend, would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had no interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, don’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, that is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, hasn’t everything turned out well? At least you found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she was a Maestro, you would just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this was not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying that, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should have born earlier... had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained things going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Compared to Ash, who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak of such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly past humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there was anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she didn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ came the sound for the rusted hinges rubbing against each other.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distance was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly look weird.”

Ash too had stopped in his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It was not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they didn’t have the time to do any investigation before they found out about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia, who was timid, hurriedly chased after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceiling and was tied up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she was a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treated a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosened the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr. Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t know that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolize our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appearance.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

The way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield?!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that could be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoking, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissected, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash moved towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew past. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favor to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It could be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smile, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, were you watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T08:00:55Z

JFerg: /* Part 14 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprise, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he had hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the upkeep of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash couldn't understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she could walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgot…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelief.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amazement. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathed a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really helped me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprised that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What did you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama feed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It has become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t know that Princess-sama, who dosen’t even have a friend, would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had no interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, don’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, that is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, hasn’t everything turned out well? At least you found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she was a Maestro, you would just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this was not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying that, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should have born earlier... had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained things going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Compared to Ash, who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak of such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly past humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there was anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she didn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ came the sound for the rusted hinges rubbing against each other.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distance was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly look weird.”

Ash too had stopped in his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It was not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they didn’t have the time to do any investigation before they found out about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia, who was timid, hurriedly chased after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceiling and was tied up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she was a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treated a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosened the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr. Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t know that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolize our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appearance.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

The way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield?!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that could be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoking, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissected, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash moved towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T07:41:52Z

JFerg: /* Part 13 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprise, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he had hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the upkeep of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash couldn't understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she could walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgot…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelief.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amazement. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathed a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really helped me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprised that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What did you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama feed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It has become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t know that Princess-sama, who dosen’t even have a friend, would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had no interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, don’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, that is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, hasn’t everything turned out well? At least you found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she was a Maestro, you would just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this was not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying that, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should have born earlier... had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained things going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Compared to Ash, who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak of such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly past humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there was anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she didn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ came the sound for the rusted hinges rubbing against each other.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distance was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly look weird.”

Ash too had stopped in his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It was not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they didn’t have the time to do any investigation before they found out about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia, who was timid, hurriedly chased after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceiling and was tied up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she was a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T07:35:13Z

JFerg: /* Part 12 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprise, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he had hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the upkeep of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash couldn't understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she could walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgot…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelief.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amazement. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathed a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really helped me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprised that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What did you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama feed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It has become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t know that Princess-sama, who dosen’t even have a friend, would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had no interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, don’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, that is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, hasn’t everything turned out well? At least you found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she was a Maestro, you would just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this was not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying that, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should have born earlier... had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained things going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Compared to Ash, who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak of such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly past humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there was anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she didn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ came the sound for the rusted hinges rubbing against each other.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distance was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly look weird.”

Ash too had stopped in his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It was not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they didn’t have the time to do any investigation before they found out about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia, who was timid, hurriedly chased after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T07:26:44Z

JFerg: /* Part 11 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprise, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he had hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the upkeep of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash couldn't understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she could walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgot…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelief.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amazement. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathed a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really helped me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprised that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What did you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama feed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It has become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t know that Princess-sama, who dosen’t even have a friend, would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had no interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, don’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, that is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, hasn’t everything turned out well? At least you found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she was a Maestro, you would just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this was not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying that, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should have born earlier... had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained things going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Compared to Ash, who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak of such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T07:14:01Z

JFerg: /* Part 9 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprise, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he had hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the upkeep of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash couldn't understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she could walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgot…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelief.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amazement. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathed a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really helped me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprised that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What did you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama feed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It has become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t know that Princess-sama, who dosen’t even have a friend, would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had no interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, don’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, that is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, hasn’t everything turned out well? At least you found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she is a Maestro, you just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this is not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should had born earlier, had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained stuff going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Comapre to Ash who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak off such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T07:02:05Z

JFerg: /* Part 9 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprise, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he had hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the upkeep of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash couldn't understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she could walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgot…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelief.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amazement. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathed a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really helped me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprised that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What did you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama fed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It has become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t know that Princess-sama, who dosen’t even have a friend, would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had not interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, don’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, that is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, hasn’t everything turned out well? At least you found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is one of my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she is a Maestro, you just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this is not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should had born earlier, had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained stuff going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Comapre to Ash who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak off such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T06:45:45Z

JFerg: /* Part 7 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprise, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he had hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the upkeep of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash couldn't understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she could walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgot…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelief.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amazement. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathe a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really help me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprise that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What had you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama fed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It had become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t knew that Princess-sama who don’t even have a friend would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had not interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, didn’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, it is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, doesn’t everything turned out well. At least you had found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at a first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is one of my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she is a Maestro, you just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this is not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should had born earlier, had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained stuff going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Comapre to Ash who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak off such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T06:38:40Z

JFerg: /* Part 6 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprise, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he had hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the up taking of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash could understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she can walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgotten…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelieve.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amaze. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathe a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really help me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprise that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What had you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama fed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It had become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t knew that Princess-sama who don’t even have a friend would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had not interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, didn’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, it is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, doesn’t everything turned out well. At least you had found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at a first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is one of my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she is a Maestro, you just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this is not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should had born earlier, had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained stuff going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Comapre to Ash who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak off such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T06:34:13Z

JFerg: /* Part 5 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprise, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the up taking of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash could understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she can walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgotten…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelieve.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amaze. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathe a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really help me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprise that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What had you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama fed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It had become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t knew that Princess-sama who don’t even have a friend would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had not interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, didn’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, it is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, doesn’t everything turned out well. At least you had found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at a first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is one of my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she is a Maestro, you just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this is not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should had born earlier, had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained stuff going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Comapre to Ash who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak off such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T06:33:37Z

JFerg: /* Part 5 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walked approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a gift for me who has just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and banged into the ceiling like a frog being run over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprised, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have some interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the up taking of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash could understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she can walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgotten…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelieve.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amaze. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathe a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really help me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprise that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What had you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama fed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It had become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t knew that Princess-sama who don’t even have a friend would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had not interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, didn’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, it is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, doesn’t everything turned out well. At least you had found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at a first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is one of my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she is a Maestro, you just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this is not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should had born earlier, had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained stuff going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Comapre to Ash who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak off such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T06:27:24Z

JFerg: /* Part 4 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fell off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The form that Rebecca gave him was used by students to apply for the funds for the upkeep of their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she is always busy, the date to examine Eco has not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I have many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walk approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is a common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a give for me who had just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and bang into the ceiling like a frog being ran over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprised, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the up taking of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash could understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she can walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgotten…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelieve.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amaze. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathe a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really help me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprise that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What had you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama fed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It had become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t knew that Princess-sama who don’t even have a friend would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had not interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, didn’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, it is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, doesn’t everything turned out well. At least you had found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at a first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is one of my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she is a Maestro, you just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this is not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should had born earlier, had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained stuff going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Comapre to Ash who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak off such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T06:17:10Z

JFerg: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He didn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But this right now was reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually be seen done by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It didn’t feel bad being nibbled by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even endanger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fall off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The piece of form that Rebecca gave him was used by student to apply for the up taking funds for their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she was always busy, the date to examine Eco had not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I had many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walk approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is a common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a give for me who had just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and bang into the ceiling like a frog being ran over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprised, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the up taking of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash could understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she can walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgotten…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelieve.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amaze. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathe a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really help me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprise that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What had you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama fed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It had become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t knew that Princess-sama who don’t even have a friend would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had not interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, didn’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, it is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, doesn’t everything turned out well. At least you had found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at a first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is one of my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she is a Maestro, you just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this is not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should had born earlier, had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained stuff going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Comapre to Ash who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak off such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T06:11:19Z

JFerg: /* Part 2 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash had given her and moved towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he didn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He doesn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But right now is reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually been seen doing by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It doesn’t feel bad being nibble by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even danger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fall off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The piece of form that Rebecca gave him was used by student to apply for the up taking funds for their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she was always busy, the date to examine Eco had not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I had many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walk approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is a common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a give for me who had just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and bang into the ceiling like a frog being ran over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprised, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the up taking of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash could understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she can walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgotten…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelieve.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amaze. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathe a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really help me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprise that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What had you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama fed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It had become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t knew that Princess-sama who don’t even have a friend would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had not interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, didn’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, it is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, doesn’t everything turned out well. At least you had found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at a first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is one of my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she is a Maestro, you just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this is not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should had born earlier, had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained stuff going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Comapre to Ash who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak off such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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|-
| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2017-07-02T06:08:36Z

JFerg: /* Part 2 */

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she got from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoved Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash didn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties; the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash gave her and move towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turned aside, his heart was beating non-stop.

“Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!” Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into something pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rested himself on the laid out futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he doesn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He doesn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But right now is reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually been seen doing by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It doesn’t feel bad being nibble by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even danger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fall off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The piece of form that Rebecca gave him was used by student to apply for the up taking funds for their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she was always busy, the date to examine Eco had not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I had many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walk approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is a common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a give for me who had just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and bang into the ceiling like a frog being ran over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprised, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes given by Rebecca was a cute dress that had a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matched Eco perfectly. As for the beret, it could be used to cover up Eco’s horns.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco didn't seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I said… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco wanted him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still didn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly had probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the up taking of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash could understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she can walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgotten…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her cheeks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelieve.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amaze. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her cheeks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathe a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really help me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprise that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What had you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama fed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It had become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t knew that Princess-sama who don’t even have a friend would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had not interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, didn’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, it is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, doesn’t everything turned out well. At least you had found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her cheeks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at a first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is one of my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his cheeks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she is a Maestro, you just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this is not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should had born earlier, had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained stuff going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Comapre to Ash who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak off such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1

2017-07-02T05:52:19Z

JFerg: /* Part 8 */

== Chapter 1 - Eco the Dragon Girl ==
=== Part 1 ===

Ash's body shuddered. He clearly felt the presence of someone sneaking into his room and crawling onto the bed.

''You're not letting me off tonight either... ?''

In the pitch-black darkness, the girl's hair and skin had a piercingly cold radiance.

The full moon outside the window overhung the horizon, despite Ash clearly recalling that he had closed the curtains before sleeping.

"Fufu... it's a beautiful night, don't you think so?"

The girl looked at Ash disdainfully with the eyes of a conqueror, her lips showed a bewitching smile.

"Uuu!"

Ash, who was lying on the bed, suddenly could not move.

The girl had sat on Ash's abdomen with her legs spread out. Instead of any weight, however, Ash could feel warmth coming from the part of his chest that was in contact with the lower half of the girl's body.

A faint aroma permeated the room.

What a bewitchingly beautiful girl. 

She had pink waist-length hair which shone silver, snow-white skin and ruby-coloured eyes.

She was only wearing the bare minimum of clothing and was almost naked.

The two big bulges on her chest in front of Ash's face shook slightly.

On each side of her head grew a horn that was no different from a dragon's.

"Who are you? Why are you always- uuuuu!"

Ash's question was forcefully interrupted. The upper half of the girl's body slowly approached and hugged Ash tightly.

Her smooth white skin came into contact with Ash's body.

Her luscious lips whispered into Ash's ear.

"I will also dote on you well tonight."

After letting out a hot breath of air, the girl nibbled Ash's earlobe. <nowiki>*</nowiki>Kaa—* The sound was similar to that of biting the ear's bone.

“N-no...... Don't do that......!"

Ash's body trembled non-stop as if struck by lightning.

The girl greedily devoured Ash's body. Neck, chest, waist, arms…… the numbness from her tender tongue and sparkling teeth sliding across his skin almost made Ash lose his mind.

As usual, the girl shifted her body as she pleased. It was like a dance.

It had been seven days since the appearance of the mysterious girl: the girl who appeared at Ash's bedside every night, and spent every moment teasing him playfully.

Who on earth is she? What motive does she have? Why are there two horns growing on her head?

The girl never answered questions. Instead, she always danced on Ash's body and left taking light steps slowly.

The girl's teasing was in full force. Ash would always end up lying on the bed exhausted after the ordeal. Sitting by the window, the girl lifted her beautiful slender legs and demonstrated a composed expression.

According to his experiences from the past six days, the girl was now going to disappear before Ash's eyes.

''After all, this is only a dream...''

When he opened his eyes, he would just see morning as usual.

At least, it had been so for the past six days.

"My name is Navi."

Ash was shocked from suddenly hearing a name that he did not recognise.

This was the first time hearing the girl say her own name.

Ash gathered the last bit of his strength, barely managing to lift up the upper part of his body.

"Navi...... Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

"To entrust myself, the one who is about to be born soon, to you... consider it a form of ritual."

"I don't get what you mean."

"See you, until next time when we meet in real life!"

Navi's figure became countless silver particles and disappeared in the bright moonlight.

=== Part 2 ===
<nowiki>*</nowiki>—Dong*

At dawn, Ash was abruptly awoken by the sound of a large cannon being fired.

A few seconds later, he then realised that the huge sound was actually from the releasing of fireworks using Oracles. 

Ash was in Apollo House, the dormitory where male students of the Advanced Course lived<ref>There seems to be another name for the courses such as Yunios for Basic Course as seen in the manga, since my raws used the terms "Basic Course" and "Advanced Course", I shall leave it be</ref>.

A few months earlier, after completing three years of basic courses, Ash had successfully become a first-year student of the Advanced Course and earned the qualification to live in Apollo House.

The biggest difference between Apollo House and other dormitories was the one person, one room system. Compared to the past whereby three people had to squeeze into one small room, life in Apollo House was like heaven.

"Uuu......it's cold!"

Ash's shoulders shivered the moment he got out of bed.

The dawn of early spring still carried a deep chill. Resisting the impulse to rush back into bed, Ash pulled open the curtains.

Ash's room was on the third floor. One could see a whole field by standing by the window.

There were many students in the field at dawn carrying out preparation work for the "celebration". There were also a lot of riders on their dragons.

Teams of Stradas<ref>Literally air/winged dragon (second interpretation was from my translation from Chinese), the only dragons other than Maestros that can fly</ref> swept across the horizon in preparation for the celebration that was about to start.

The giant lizards running back and forth on the field were the brilliant Asias.<ref>Literally land/earth dragon, it's pronounced as "Aahsia" instead of the way we pronounce the name of that particular continent</ref>

"It is about to start."

The field of such a size was shrouded in a mysterious and unusual atmosphere. Ash started to get nervous.

"Yo, Ash! Time to get up!"

At that moment, Ash heard his friend's voice accompanied by the sound of door knocking.

"Raymond? Give me a moment!"

Ash frantically took out the bandage from the first-aid box.

He wrapped the bandage around his left hand to cover up the «Seikoku»<ref>"星刻", literally star-marked/carved</ref> on his arm.

The pattern on his arm was the proof of a Breeder.

At the age of seven, Ash took part in the «Orphan Ceremony» held in Albion Forest and had a dragon larva put into his body.

Unfortunately, Ash's memories of that time were foggy with a lot of parts missing.

Since he obtained the «Seikoku», by logic he should have seen Mother Dragon within the deep parts of the forest. However, Ash did not even have the slightest impression of having any memories of that scene.

''I really messed up'', Ash thought in self-mockery.

Compared to other students, the «Seikoku» pattern on Ash's arm was unusually large.

Similar to a tattoo of a unique design, it extended from his elbow to his wrist like a jet-black snake.

"......Sorry to keep you waiting."

Finished with wrapping up, Ash opened the door to his room.

His good friend, Raymond Kirkland, was standing at the door with a hearty smile.

"The bandage again? Why don't you try something new?"

"Hmph, a normal person like you won't understand my feelings at all."

Ash was displeased. Raymond could not help but shake his head with a bitter smile.

"Sorry, it's my fault...... Hnn? Your face is red. Do you have a fever?"

"No. Actually,......I had weird dreams for the past week."

"Weird dreams? What kind of weird dreams?"

"A beautiful girl crawled into my bed, then......she did a lot of things......"

It was really embarrassing to speak about this sort of things. Ash blushed while recounting what happened.

Raymond could not resist laughing.

"Are you ''that'' desperate for a girl? That is too exaggerated!"

"Are ''you'' any better? We are in the same situation!"

"Nonono, I am different from you. It's not that I'm not popular with the ladies; it's just that I have not yet found someone suited for me."

Raymond took out a small mirror and started admiring himself.

Almost all the students of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy knew that Raymond had severe narcissism. To be fair, everyone acknowledged that Raymond was a handsome young man. However, people did not dare to get close to him due to that personality of his that destroyed the great impression he gave due to his looks. It was like ruining your own image the moment you speak.<ref>This is a more literal translation of the expression used</ref>

"......What are you visiting me for so early in the morning?"

Ash said unhappily. Raymond walked into the room as if that did not concern him.

"Did you forget? The competition that we were looking forward to for so long starts today. Speaking of the competition, you must not forget about flirting with girls!"

"What has flirting got to do with the competition? You should also get out there and enter the competition!"

The righteous Ash raised his volume, but Raymond had an evil smile.

"If I didn't remember wrongly, you should be the first Advanced Course student since the founding of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy to still have a larva in his body?"

"Uuu......"

Even if he did not wish for it to be so, Ash could not deny that fact. That's right, Ash's dragon companion was still sleeping in his body without any single sign of waking up.

There was not a single change since that year when he was chosen to be a Breeder at the age of seven.

To the students of Ansarivan, to rouse the dragons in their bodies from slumber was the most basic mission.

Other students had obtained their pals in the first year of basic lessons. All except Ash.

—Pal.

This was a very sacred word, representing "the dragon nurtured by the Breeder himself". A larva still sleeping within the Breeder's body cannot be addressed as a pal.

"Ash, to participate in today's competition, you seem to need something."

"Yeah, I need a dragon."

"That's right. So, do you want to borrow my pal?"

Raymond's pal was called Brigid.

Borrowing Brigid was, of course, one of the options Ash was considering. Actually, Ash already knew that Raymond was planning to skip the competition this time.

However, just accepting Raymond's suggestion like that really hurt Ash's dignity so Ash decided to refuse tactfully.

"I can also borrow Arianrhod<ref>A goddess from Celtic mythology, "arian" meaning silver and "rhod" meaning wheel, many names used in the series are related to Arthurian legends or myths of the same culture</ref> from Max. He's a member of the Student Council and thus cannot take part in the competition."

Student Council members made up the executive committee of the competition and were unable to participate. Max also clearly stated his intention of not participating in the competition.

"You're too naive, Ash. Do you think that Max will lend you his pal?"

"What is it about me?"

"Uohh!"

Raymond jumped in surprise. Turning around, Max was there leaning on the side of the door in perfectly good condition.

"Good morning, Max."

Ignoring Ash's greeting, Max silently adjusted the position of his glasses with his hand.

Maximillian Russell: Ash's classmate, honour student bestowed the title of Dragner by the Paladin, and also the Student Council's treasurer.

"You two being so noisy early in the morning, what happened?"

"Ash was crying and begging me to lend him Brigid to participate in the competition."

"Who's crying and begging to you?! Max, can you lend me your Arianrhod? It's just for today."

Yes, for a particular reason, Ash had to participate in today's competition no matter what.

"You want to borrow my pal? In your next life."<ref>Chinese expression meaning that it is impossible to do or achieve it.</ref>

"There's no need to be so ruthless, right?"

"Let's not discuss this matter right now......"

Max sized up Ash with his sharp eyes.

"You should see for yourself the state this room is in! Didn't I remind you again and again that you must keep your own room clean?"

The overbearing Max walked into the room with big strides and immediately started cleaning. Ever since moving into the Apollo House, there has never been a day when Ash's room was clean and neat.

"This scene sure brings back memories."

Gazing at Max working hard at cleaning, Raymond could not help but shake his head with a bitter smile.

—Ash, Raymond, Max.

When they were still Basic Course students, they had gone through sentimental times together at Merk<ref>Couldn't really find a name with a mythological reference, so I chose one that had Scottish links, do tell me if you found the right name that sounds the same</ref> House. At that time, having a room to yourself was still a faraway dream and the three of them had to squeeze into a small room. Ash and Raymond had a hard time dealing with Max, who was a neat freak almost to the point of it being an illness.

"......I have always wondered."

Done with cleaning, Max turned around and looked at Ash.

"Why can you ride other people's pals?"

"Well......how should I say this......"

"By logic, dragons only allow their own masters to ride them. There have been many Breeders in the past who have tried riding other people's dragons but they all failed."

"That is indeed true, but I have obtained consent from the teacher, so it should be all right?"

"Why are you still so indecisive when doing things, just like in the past? Sigh, if you really intend to participate in the competition, just borrow Brigid. I'll inform the Student Council president."

Ending with that authoritative tone, Max left without turning back.

"I wonder who's the one that hasn't changed at all."

Raymond shook his head with a bitter smile once again.

Ash suddenly drew close to Raymond.

"You will lend me Brigid, right?"

Raymond nodded his head, his eyes having a peculiar glow.

"Of course, you must make that princess change her impression of you!"

Hearing that, Ash's expression instantly became serious.

"I have that intention, too."

=== Part 3 ===

The grand fireworks were dazzling.

There was a tense atmosphere in the academy, accompanied by excitement in the air.

The "race" Raymond spoke of was one of the names it was commonly known by. The official name was "Aries Dragon Riding Festival". An annual grand event held in the month of Aries (fourth month).<ref>The names of months in the story are taken from the names of the horoscopes in order.</ref>

It was also a springtime activity held by Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

Ash, having changed to a Dragsuit,<ref>Term for the clothes worn when riding a dragon</ref> arrived at the academy's sports field.

It was a cloudless sunny day, weather suitable for a race.

Many students on dragons had already gathered on the sports field.

By a rough estimate, there should be around fifty plus people.

Ash was riding on Brigid, which he borrowed from Raymond, using the reins in his hands to guide Brigid towards the middle of the field.

"You're in a good mood today, Brigid."

Brigid replied Ash's greeting with a low cry like a spoiled child.

Brigid was an Asia fancied by Ash. Having four greatly developed legs and no wings, Brigid did not look like a dragon but more like the large types of lizards.

Cheers suddenly arose from the students on the field.

"A good morning to all students."

The radiant Student Council president appeared at the centre of the temporarily constructed stage.

The Student Council president did not have a loud voice, but her words were full of confidence and had a penetrating power.

Fiery red hair, elongated eyes, her beautiful body emitted the cold radiance of a marble statue and terrifying killing intent. Even the petals dancing in the wind paled in comparison.

Rebecca Randall.

The «Scarlet Empress».

Her red hair, bold personality and unparalleled strength were her attractive points as the school idol of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

Even the academy's combat skills instructors could not beat Rebecca on her Maestro Cú Chulainn.<ref>An Irish mythological hero. Do google it if you are interested.</ref> When talking about the strongest student of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy, 99 percent of the students would immediately think of Rebecca.

"The weather is great today— sorry, I don't want to talk about such nonsense."

The students on the field lowered their heads snickering. "The weather is great today" was the principal's pet phrase, but the festival was an event held by the Student Council, thus the principal did not have to go on stage to deliver a speech.

"Students of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy, not only is the Aries Dragon Riding Festival a sports competition, it is also Ansarivan's fine tradition with the results of the race included in the official records. Since you all have decided to participate in the race, then you should aim to stand on the victory podium.<ref>The place medalists in sports competitions stand on when they received their medals.</ref> However, I'm aware that fine tradition and official records are not enough as reasons to motivate you to achieve victory."

The students started snickering again, but the snickering stopped quickly.

"So I decided to award the winner a day-long date ticket as a prize. As for the person you are dating, that will be me, Rebecca Randall."

The moment Rebecca finished speaking, cheers immediately arose from the students.

"Silence!"

Rebecca roared. Instantly, the students were quiet like before.

"Next would be a speech by the representative of the participants. Advanced Course first-year, Princess Silvia Lautreamont."

At Rebecca's signal, a female student's figure appeared at the other side of the stage.

Ash subconsciously clenched his fists.

"The princess is actually the representative of the participants......!"

Silvia's dazzling golden hair was tied up at the back of her head. Wearing a Dragsuit with the royal coat of arms sewn on it, she leapt off her pal— Maestro Lancelot<ref>One of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend</ref> and slowly walked up the stage.

The Lautreamont Knights royal family's fourth princess Silvia.

The «Ice Blue Princess».

She was the daughter of the ruler of Lautreamont Knight Country, who holds the title of Paladin.

Ash, whose pal still had not been born after such a long time, had always borrowed the pals of other students during practical examinations.

Otherwise, he would have been retained for the year.

To other students, riding other people's pals was suicide; but to Ash, not only was it not dangerous, it was something natural to him.

No matter how short-tempered the dragon was, it would obediently allow Ash to ride on its back. Whether was it a Strada, Asia or Hydra,<ref>Literally water dragon</ref> he could control it with ease.

Unknowingly, the "Genius Dragon Tamer" Ash's reputation increased, becoming a famous figure of the academy.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 027.jpg|thumb]]

That accident happened a few days ago.

Ash borrowed Raymond's pal Brigid to participate in dragonback combat training. Being skilled in combat, Ash defeated his classmates one by one in a short time.

It would be a lie to say that he did not feel proud of that.

Concentrated on combat training, Ash did not notice Lancelot walking behind him at that moment.

Not only was physical contact between dragons very dangerous, it was also a situation the academy did its best to avoid.

Everytime before class, the instructor would always patiently remind them.

Fortunately, Brigid's butt only gently bumped into Lancelot's left leg. Both dragon and rider did not suffer any injuries. However, Ash's presumptuous actions infuriated Silvia.

"What do you take combat training for? If you come to the lesson thinking that it is just a game, you will get into trouble sooner or later!"

Other than her special status, Silvia's strict and hardline way of dealing with things was one of the reasons for her being one of the academy's famous people.

Her serious attitude in class and her feat of letting Lancelot grow into a Maestro in only a short time undoubtedly gained her the admiration of many. Her unreasonable demeanour, on the other hand, was widely criticised.

Everyone acknowledged that Silvia was a born beauty but not even one student was willing to be friends with her.

"Urk......sorry, it is my fault."

Ash jumped down from Brigid's back and bowed his head respectfully, apologising.

If this was the usual Silvia, she would have calmed down. Facing an opponent who had admitted his mistakes, Silvia had always been forgiving. It was said to be one of the knight family's precepts.<ref>Basically a set of principles that family members have to abide by. You usually see this in families with prestigious backgrounds</ref>

However, it was not the same this time.

Silvia, still angry, examined Ash from head to toe, not intending to let him off yet.

"You should think with that pea-sized brain of yours! Who exactly is paying the fees for your schooling, uniform, food, accommodation and teaching materials?"

"......Are you talking about the palace?"

"Of course not. Though the one paying is the palace, but the money used comes from the people's taxes. If you continue to have that mindset that this is just a game, then you should just quit school as soon as possible so that you would not continue wasting the hard-earned money of the people!"

"What? Quit school? Are you serious?"

"There is no free lunch in this world. That is one of the Lautreamont family's precepts!"

There was contempt in her ice blue coloured eyes. At that moment, Ash realised why Silvia was called the «Ice Blue Princess». There had been almost no points of intersection between Ash's and Silvia's paths during the phase of Basic Course. This was the first contact between the both of them.

Even if she was a princess, Ash's pride did not permit him to give in.

"The Lautreamont family's precepts are none of my business! I have already apologised. What else do you want me to do?"

"This is not a problem that can be solved by just an apology! You still do not have your own pal, right?"

"Uu......"

A sensitive issue of his having been mentioned, Ash was rendered speechless. It seems Silvia also knew some things about Ash.

"Hmph, like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!"

Hearing that, rage burned in Ash's heart.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Let it be, Ash. She is the princess, you cannot win against her."

Behind him, Raymond tried to stop him but Ash ignored him.

This was not the first time that he suffered such humiliation. It was no wonder that Ash was the target of humiliation from everyone since he still did not have his pal.

If the insults were directed toward him, Ash could still bear with it.

However, if it was an insult directed towards his pal, he would not let that go easily.

Ash would fight back with all his strength till the other party apologises.

Similar situations having occurred several times, Ash, who should have been the victim, slowly became the problem child in everyone's eyes.

Talking about the most troublesome person in the academy, ninety-nine percent of the students would think of Advanced Course first-year Ash Blake.

"Take back what you said immediately."

Even if she was the princess of the kingdom, she should not humiliate others as she pleases.

So, Ash took a step forward, having no intention to hide his anger.

The lesson was interrupted. Everyone's attention was on Ash's confrontation with the princess.

=== Part 4 ===
Silvia, who had ascended the makeshift stage, observed the students whom had assembled in the sports field. 

Finally, her blue pupils stopped abruptly at one place. 

“………” 

It was evident where Silvia was looking. She was, obviously, staring at Ash. 

That day, Silvia had not withdrawn her words. If the other party had been a boy, at that time Ash would’ve clouted him. However, as expected, even if he wanted to, Ash couldn’t hit a girl. Moreover, she was a princess in the palace circle. 

Instead, he had, reluctantly, proposed an condition. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki> If I am victorious in the race in a few days, you will take back the words you said a while ago! 

Silvia, nonchalantly, had commented: “That would be fine” and agreed. 

That was the answer that Ash wanted. 

Silvia, once she stopped staring at Ash, opened her mouth. 

An icy voice shook the atmosphere, reminding everyone of the winter that had just passed. 

“You must try your best in any competition. That is my family’s motto <nowiki>------</nowiki> no less” 

Silvia then descended quickly from the stage and, riding smartly on Lancelot, returned to the sports field. 

After a few seconds of silence, only a sparse amount of applause arose from the sports field as everyone was taken aback by Silvia’s haughty attitude. 

“What?” 

“It is obvious that Lancelot is the outstanding one, not his owner.” 

“What is so great about his master?” 

“Wasn't the first paladin originally a knight of the Chevron Kingdom. In other words, only just a fortunate soldier, nothing more. Definitely not royal.” 

“As expected of that brother’s sister”<ref>Chinese phrase that basically refers to the fact that brothers and sisters are the same ... something along the lines of that</ref> 

Ash nonchalantly glanced at a few same grade female students, who were murmuring quietly behind him. 

At first, Ash had taken no notice of their conversation, however: 

“That brother’s sister.” 

That part of sentence caught his attention. 

The ‘brother’ that the female students had said, obviously referred to Prince Julius. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki> Dragon Slayer Julius. 

Although he was the eldest son of the Knight family, he violated the biggest taboo. 

No one knew why he would slay his dragon, as he was publicly executed for breaching the taboo before he could disclose his motive. 

To bring his name up at this occasion, really wasn’t thoughtful. 

Even if he had shamed the Royal Knight Family, that was ten years ago. There really wasn’t any good in bringing up these old matters. 

“…… She really doesn’t have an easy life.” 

Ash, suddenly, began to sympathize a little for Silvia’s plight. 

=== Part 5 ===
The competition was about to start. 

The row order of the contestants had been sequenced according to the results of the mock competitions that had occurred during training class. 

Usually, the fastest riders were placed at the front. 

However, this year’s dragon riding competition was different. 

The players who were placed at the front, were the worst scoring students of the mock competitions. 

Apparently, it was Rebecca’s suggestion; her reason being that the competition would be more exciting. 

As a result, based on the new rules, Silvia, who had scored top in the mock competitions, had no choice but to be placed in the last row. 

Aside from Silvia, Ash was also in the last row. 

Although the student council had made an exception to the rule to allow him to use another student’s pal to participate in the competition, just to be fair, his starting position had been purposely positioned in the last row. 

Without doubt, this type of order doubled as a safeguard against a sudden surge of contestants once the race had started. 

Nevertheless, despite these new rules, this situation could be said to be favorable to him. <ref>Chinese phrase. Basically the equivalent of "play into the hands of (Ash)" </ref> 

To be allowed to participate in the competition, was already a one in ten thousand chance <ref>In other words, very lucky</ref>. Furthermore, to be placed beside Silvia, was the perfect opportunity to execute their showdown. 

With every minute and second that passed, he gradually became more and more focused <ref>Chinese phrase that literally translates into "retracted his state of mind"</ref>. 

Silvia didn't talk to him. 

Likewise, he felt that there wasn’t a need to converse with her. 

Finally, the preparations before the race were finished. 

The cheers coming from the audience around the sports field’s border had reached a climax. 

All around, a unique sense of tension filled the atmosphere. 

Ash clearly felt his own heartbeat gradually quickening. During the mock competitions, he had never felt so nervous. 

“On your marks!” 

Rebecca’s voice emanated from mid-air. 

Clad in a uniform, she was riding on her pal’s back. Essentially, this was breaching the school rules, however, as today was the annual Dragon Riding Festival, no one had raised that issue. 

Arms akimbo, she now stood majestically on top of Cú Chulainn’s head. Her high-spirited heroic bearing immediately attracted everyone’s attention. 

This was her riding position. 

As Cú Chulainn’s body was too big to find a suitable saddle, and also, because she had publicly expressed that she did not want to restrain her beloved pal with a rein and saddle, this evolved into her current unique riding position. 

A suffocating silence enveloped the audience, as she lifted a magic carbine <ref>A carbine is a gun used by horsemen, do Google it!</ref>. 

Only the sound of one’s own heartbeat and the deep breathing of the dragons could be heard. 

“Get set ------” 

The carbine’s muzzle was aimed at the sky. 

Then, when the flash of an Oracle illuminated the horizon, the gun let out an enormous bang. 

Around fifty dragons, at the same time, started to run, leaving behind a cloud of dust. 

The Stradas, whose tails a smoke bomb had been tied to, formed into a column and, at the same time, flapped their wings and flew. While that was happening, the smoke from the smoke bombs formed a seven-coloured rainbow in the sky. 

=== Part 6 ===
Brigid did not betray Ash’s expectations. After his flawless start, he ran flat out, hot on Lancelot’s tail. As they moved around the academy’s sports field, the competitors maintained a distance between each other. 

Then, in the midst of loud cheering, they passed through the school gate that led to the city district. 

“Full speed ahead!” 

At Ash’s urging, Brigid let out a roar. 

Ash intended to, with all his strength, rush through the avenue leading St. Durham Square. 

Maestro Lancelot, possessed an astonishing speed. Within a blink of an eye, he had already overtaken many competitors. 

Brigid tailed closely behind Lancelot’s body, where the effect of air friction was the least, ascending the ranks with him. However, when Lancelot was about to enter a narrow city road, which was connected to St. Durham Square, he suddenly slowed down. 

“……… That’s odd.” 

Ash, who had been following Brigid, raised his head and looked ahead. 

“Them ………!” 

Four competitors, side by side in a row, had obstructed the way ahead. Upon closer inspection, Ash immediately realised that they were the same four female students who had slandered Silvia before the competition. 

Ahead, the narrow city road meandered endlessly, plagued with numerous challenging turns. It seems that until I have exited the city district, I will have to be patient, Ash thought to himself. 

All of a sudden, he grasped their intentions. 

“Those people ………” 

They were probably here to target Silvia. 

Whenever other competitors approached from behind, they would, at once, automatically create a small gap to allow them to pass. 

Bit by bit, Silvia’s ranking was deteriorating. Soon, she, along with Ash, would be last. 

Ash was at a loss. 

Overtaking Silvia wouldn’t be hard. The female students obstructing the way ahead should let him pass. After all, he was a bystander to them, so there wasn’t a need to make things hard for him. 

“You people really have taken things too far!” 

Infuriated, Ash couldn’t help but shout at them. 

“Do you really not care?” 

He exclaimed, in a loud voice, as he spurred Brigid to Lancelot’s side. 

Due to the difference in height between the Maestro and Asia, Ash had to look up at Silvia. 

In contrast, Silvia glanced down at Ash, her face etched with contempt. 

“……… There is nothing that can be done about this, whether it is blocking our way or working together, it doesn’t violate the rules of this race.” 

“Now is the time to act noble! Could it be that you aren’t angry at all?” 

“I don’t want to talk to enemies! Go away, it’s none of your business!” 

“You excessively prideful person, no wonder you can’t make any friends!” 

“Y-You, what did you say!” 

Ignoring Silvia’s protests, Ash spurred Brigid ahead, quickly leaving Lancelot behind and approaching the four female students, whom were blocking the way ahead. 

As expected, as soon as one of the four girls noticed him, she promptly shifted over, creating a gap on her right. 

Ash, without looking at any of them, spurred Brigid straight towards the gap that she had created. 

They probably had thought that he was just going to pass through. 

“Fu ……… you are wrong!” 

With a flick of the reins in his hand, Brigid’s enormous body immediately moved to squash the female students beside him. 

They were now extremely close together, almost reaching the point of breaking the competition’s rules. 

“Hey, what are you trying to do?” 

One of the girls paled <ref>Chinese phrase 花容失色. 花容 - Literally means flower colour / radiance [And it referrers to a beautiful girl] and 失色 - means to lose colour</ref>, due to fright. 

Due to turmoil caused by Ash, the four riders who had been in an orderly row, were now shortening the distance between themselves. Soon they would collide into each other. 

There was only one option to prevent this; to relinquish their positions. However, if they did so, they would destroy their row formation. 

Without doubt, this was the goal Ash had aimed to achieve, and, after achieving the upper hand, he didn’t overlook the chance to gibe at them: 

“I’m very sorry for the trouble I have caused. This dragon was borrowed from someone and it seems to be a little disobedient!” 

The expression of one of the girls, suddenly changed. 

“You are Ash Blake!” 

Whether it was luck or not, Ash’s name seemed to have an profound effect on them. 

“It’s the Number One Problem Child in the academy!” 

“Uhh! Stay away from me!” 

“Kyaaa!” 

The four female students promptly broke formation and, after a brief period of turmoil, they all fell hopelessly at the side of the road. 

Their high-pitched shrieks, along with the roars of the dragons, reverberated endlessly in the narrow city road. 

Silvia, who had been behind, deftly dodged the female students and dragons, and quickly picked up speed. 

“W-Who told you to meddle in other people’s business!” 

In spite of her brusque tone, her cheeks, however, turned slightly red. 

=== Part 7 ===
After leaving the city district, he journeyed north on the main road, arriving at Fianna Forest. 

The forest was also a part of the competition’s course. The skills required here now, were vastly different from the ones needed to navigate through the city roads. 

After just entering the forest, a strange thing happened. 

“……… Brigid?” 

Brigid, who had been tailing Lancelot the whole journey, suddenly slowed down. 

Silvia, obviously, took advantage of this opportunity. In a nick of time, she had disappeared. 

“What’s wrong ………?” 

Brigid, finally, stopped walking. 

He was breathing heavily and his expression was one of great pain. 

Ash, now, had finally realised the mistake he had made. 

“I was too careless.” 

While Ash had been preoccupied with following Silvia, he hadn’t noticed that Brigid had run out of stamina. 

From the start, Brigid had always maintained the same speed as Lancelot, in spite of the difference of stamina between a Maestro and an Asia. Generally, in order to successfully finish the competition, the pace to complete it at, should have been determined from the stamina of the dragon. 

“………Sorry, Brigid.” 

After he had apologised, Brigid let out a soft snort, as if he was ashamed of his physical strength. 

Now, groups of competitors, bit by bit, had caught up. One by one, they raced past Ash’s side. 

The sound of thunderous rumbling shook the earth, as the air filled with dust. 

The sight of a group of Asias running in the forest was spectacular to behold. Ash could sense the ground incessantly rocking. For a very long time, it didn’t subside. 

Ash’s competition, at his point of time, had concluded. 

Between him and Silvia, a winner had been determined. His goal to force Silvia to take back her words, in the end, wasn’t achieved. 

If this was described as unfortunate, it would be a lie. Ash had really wanted to complete the competition. For the entire time, he had made a bee line for the finish line. 

However, oddly enough, Ash’s mood was rather carefree. 

“It turns out that competing with the princess is quite interesting.” 

No matter how reluctant, he couldn’t deny this fact. 

Then, at this moment<nowiki>------</nowiki> 

A rustling noise, without warning, came from behind. 

“<nowiki>------</nowiki>!” 

Ash instinctively looked back, staring at the forest behind him. 

“………Who is it?” 

For safety reasons, Ansarivan’s security guards would, during the race, patrol the forest. 

In the forest, to sense another person’s presence, wasn’t something to make a big fuss out of. 

However, whoever it was, hadn’t replied. If it was really a security guard, he should have already appeared directly before Ash, who had been eliminated. 

Ash heightened his awareness and cautiously surveyed the surroundings. 

Although he hadn’t discovered any suspicious figures, he felt as though someone was watching him.
He could feel a sense of foreboding growing within himself. 

“Wait for me here.” 

After leaving Brigid there, Ash walked into the depths of the forest. 

=== Part 8 ===
Fianna Forest, bordered on the west by Rubina Lake, was located northwest of the city Ansarivan. It’s one of the largest forests within the borders of Lautreamont Knight Country. 

As Ash ran in the forest, so as to not trip over the tree roots that crawled over the earth like a web of intricate blood vessels, he constantly looked down at his feet. 

Then, once again, he sensed the presence of someone else. 

“Found you!” 

Trusting his own intuition, Ash threw a stone at the bushes in front of him. 

The bushes rocked left and right, making a rustling sound. 

“Your intuition is quite keen. It really is one of your talents” 

Stated a voice that possessed both the vitality of youth and the staid of seniority. 

“You are ………?” 

From the bushes, a tall thin man emerged. In his left hand, he held the very stone that Ash had just thrown. 

Though he was dressed in a traveller’s garb, which wasn’t out of the ordinary, Ash was shocked into silence. 

This was because that man was wearing a silver coloured mask on his face, which covered everything except for his nose and mouth. 

In addition to this, his gleaming sliver hair was streaked through with strands of crimson hair, which brought to mind an image of silver silk slowly shedding blood, as well as the blood used to write cursed scripts. 

In his right hand, he held a black object that emitted light. 

“A mechanical weapon from ……… the Empire<ref>Although the sources don't say so, this 'empire' refers to the Zepharos Empire</ref>?” 

Ash, dumbfounded, stood on the spot, unable to move. 

It’s not like he didn’t know about it. 

On the other side of the steep mountain range, lacking the blessing of dragons, the Empire, nevertheless, had a highly developed civilisation based on machinery. 

The weapon that the masked man held in his hand probably was the product of mechanical engineering. If he remembered correctly, it was a ‘short machine gun’, a gun that combined the portability of a pistol and the rapid fire of a machine gun. Ash didn’t dare to act rashly. He knew that man could easily, at a moment’s notice, riddle him with so many bullet holes that he would look like a honeycomb. 

Perhaps it was because he had perceived Ash’s wariness, the corners of the man’s mouth twitched faintly upwards. 

“Young man, you are very bright.” 

“You are ……… a soldier of the Empire?” 

“Do I look like one?” 

Ash didn’t know what to decide. 

That object in the man’s hand was a weapon manufactured by the Empire. 

However, that man didn’t have an Empire accent. Instead, he had a strong Chevron Kingdom accent. Aside from that, the way he spoke was highly refined. To be more precise, he was speaking so-called ‘King’s Chevrish’. 

Ash realised that he was in a precarious situation. 

If the masked man was from the Empire, why would he be lurking around the outskirts of Ansarivan for? 

Maybe, he was an Empire spy. 

The Chevron Kingdom and the Zepharos Empire, the two great powers of this continent, had been in a Cold War which had, already, lasted five decades. 

Sandwiched between those two countries, was the Lautreamont Knight Country, the Chevron Kingdom’s child country. 

Initially, the Knight Country was part of the Kingdom<ref>Kingdom here refers to the Chevron Kingdom</ref>, therefore, the relationship between these two countries would, naturally, be much closer than any of their allies. 

Currently, should armed personal from the Empire appear within boarders of Knight Country, this country could, and would, interpret this as a military operation of the Empire. 

However, Ash’s strength was finite. He was definitely incapable of opposing the man before his eyes. 

“Young man, how old are you?” 

The masked man’s unexpected question distracted him for a moment. 

“……… Sixteen. Is there something wrong with that?” 

“That’s strange. Why do you still have larva within you?” 

Ash, astounded, subconsciously retreated a few steps. 

“H-How do you know?” 

“The curse on your body allowed me to clearly perceive that.” 

“Curse ………?” 

Ash frowned. He never would ever have expected to hear, from the mouth of a person from the Empire, words so unscientific. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the time to ask what those words truly meant. 

“Get away from Milgauss-sama” 

A tender, yet commanding voice resonated in his ears. 

Reflexively, he looked back and saw a petite figure moving towards him. Then, immediately after pulling an object from its left bracer, the shrill sound of air being sliced sounded by his ear. 

“Argh!” 

Moving his body quickly, Ash awkwardly dodged the surprise attack. A pitch-black serpent passed through the space where his head had been. Actually, upon closer inspection, the pitch-black snake was actually a long whip, the preferred weapon of the Tantalos Tribe. 

Those who master this weapon are said to have an unpredictable attack. Even soldiers armed with swords, guns, or cannons aren’t a match. 

Ash dived onto the ground and began to roll, attempting to distance himself. 

Although his attacker was also wearing a mask, from their exposed eyes, he determined that it was most likely a young teenage girl. 

Her beautiful jet-black hair was fixed at the back of her head and, despite her petite stature, her eyes were filled with murderous intent. 

Ash, improvising on the spot, got up from the ground, grabbed a handful of dirt, threw it at the girl, turned and ran. 

“Argh ………!” 

The girl flinched and, for a brief moment, shielded her eyes. Then she began to pursue Ash. 

Ash, sprinting, plunged into a nearby thicket. 

“Damn ……… why am I so unfortunate!” 

Upon rushing out of the forest, his field of vision immediately widened. 

Above him, a dazzling blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see, forcing him to narrow his eyes. 

Barren rocks, big and small, littered the ground. 

Ash swallowed. This situation wasn’t good. Ahead of him there was a ravine. Its edge was around ten steps away. Ash looked around but couldn’t find a bridge. 

“Obediently accept your fate!” 

The girl appeared from within the forest. 

Ash, with his back to the cliff, confronted her. 

“When did I ever wrong you?” 

“Meeting us. This was your greatest misfortune.” 

The girls tone was flat, lacking any rise or drop in pitch, making her sound emotionless. 

“That’s absurd!” 

“War needs no reason.” 

“Isn’t there an armistice?” 

“Armistice? That nothing more than something we pretend to adhere to. In reality the war between the Empire and the Kingdom hasn’t ended!” 

The girl kicked the ground, and, brandishing the whip in her hand, slowly forced Ash towards the edge of ravine behind him. 

Though Ash scored quite well in the class of fighting techniques, this girl’s movements were too fast. He could only, step by step, retreat backwards. 

In a few more steps, he would fall into the ravine. 

“Hmph ……… I wonder how long you can continue to struggle for!” 

She sounded irritated. In fact, she was most likely an impetuous person. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki> Now! 

Ash grabbed the end of the whip, which had missed him, and then, with a great pull, broke her balance. 

“Uooo!” 

He grabbed her by her collar and, using her own momentum<ref>Do google Aikido !!!</ref>, hurled her away. Her body traced a parabola in the air. Ash was surprised, as he hadn’t expected her body to be so light. 

“Kawaa!” 

Falling heavily, the girl gave a painful cry and her right hand involuntarily released the whip. 

“Uguu ………” 

Still conscious, tears of misery appeared in her eyes. Aside from that, she was constantly squirming, as if in great pain. She probably wouldn’t be able to stand for a quite a while. 

Steading his breathing, Ash slowly extended his right hand towards the mask on her face. He wanted to see what she looked like. Then, just at this moment. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki> Bishi! 

A peculiar noise, similar to that of an object fracturing, could be heard. 

“Eh ………?” 

Ash could hardly believe his eyes. 

The outcrop <ref>Exposed bedrock</ref> supporting their weight, unexpectedly, had begun to collapse. 

This was most likely due to a geological fault in the rock. This fight should never have been performed in this kind of location. Then he noticed it, a warning sign labelled “Beware of Collapse”. 

“Ku ………!” 

Ash had no time to ponder. He lifted the girl and threw her forwards. 

She landed safely on a stable piece of outcrop. 

However, in doing so, he didn’t have enough time to escape. Instead, he fell along with the rocky debris into the ravine. 

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

The immense drag of the wind almost tore his skin. 

Ash was scared of falling into a bottomless ravine. Then, at this moment, he felt his left wrist heat up. 

“Eh ………?” 

A flash of light burst through his clothing. The «Seikoku», which extended from his elbow to his wrist, suddenly began to emit heat and scarlet light. 

The shrill sound of the wind was silenced. 

In fact, all sound was silenced. 

“Ugh ………!” 

Ash felt an excruciating pain within his chest, as if it was being torn in half, as though something was trying to break out of his body. 

The pain almost caused him to lose consciousness. 

While bearing the pain, he looked down at his chest and found that it was exuding a dazzling radiance. 

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

Ash gave a great scream as his consciousness gradually began to fade. 

However, within his hazy vision, he saw something clearly. 

A girl was floating in mid-air. 

Completely naked. 

With her eyes tightly closed and her arms open, she floated next to him. 

Subconsciously, Ash reached out with both his hands towards her petite body. 

She slid with no resistance into his arms. 

Around them, a blinding light had, unbeknownst to them, enveloped their bodies. 

Not only that, but their descent had slowed down. 

Hugging the girl, Ash slowly floated down, like one would within a child’s fairy tale. 

Before long, they landed on a rock beside a creek. 

The ball of light, which had protected them, instantly turned into countless particles and disappeared without a trace. 

“Am I safe now ………?” 

Ash mumbled to himself, as he looked down at the girl in his arms. 

The breathing of the girl, whose eyes were still closed, sounded rather peaceful. 

“Uwaa!” 

Ash felt a little ardent as he realised that the girl was naked. 

Her dainty figure, along with her slightly bulging chest, and her smooth and delicate white skin was definitely something that was hardly ever seen within this world. In fact, it gave rise to the illusion of an angel descending into the world of mortals. 

Her age was probably around fourteen or fifteen. 

Gently laying her on the ground, Ash swiftly took off the coat of his Dragsuit.[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 055.jpg|thumb]] 

Just with this coat, he was able to sufficiently cover her petite body. 

“Fuu ………” 

With this done, Ash feeling relieved, sat on the ground. 

Yet again, he looked at the face of the girl. 

“Could she be ……… Navi?” 

Within his mind, an image of the girl who had, since the start of this week, been teasing him within his dreams, surfaced. 

“No, you are similar for sure ……… but still a little different.” 

To draw an analogy, Navi would be a succubus from a Gothic novel, possessing a face that retained the innocence of childhood and also the charm of a mature woman. 

On the other hand, the girl before his eyes was just a girl. Ash couldn’t feel any mature charm from her. 

“……… eh?” 

Ash frowned. Something small, circular and ivory coloured, protruded from top left and right of sides her head. 

“What is this?” 

With his fingertips, Ash gently probed the mysterious protrusions. 

It was soft and a little flexible and seemed to be made of some kind of cartilage. 

The mysterious protrusions had a peculiar feel to it, making him want to touch it again after touching it. However, Ash resisted the urges to touch it again, as it would be impolite. 

Looks like those mysterious protrusions weren’t accessories but part of her body. 

“Could it be ……… horns?” 

The little protrusions on top of her head, indeed, seemed to be identical to the horns of a young dragon. 

Ash couldn’t help but recall the details of the events, that had happen prior to now, in his mind. 

The girl had emerged out of his body and she had two horns growing from top left and right sides of her head. 

As a result, there could only be one conclusion. 

“……… is this young girl my pal?” 

Ash was dumbfounded. 

He had always wished to rouse his pal from sleep, however, why was his pal a girl when everyone else’s were dragons? 

“Uuu ………nnn ………” 

The girl’s long eyelashes quivered a little. 

“Huwaaa ………” 

The girl, in contrast to her beautiful appearance, gave a great yawn. 

One of her double eyelids slowly began to open. 

Ash, subconsciously, leaned forwards and looked at her face. 

Her ruby coloured pupils were very fascinating. 

Bleary eyed, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and her facial expression became one of shock. 

“Hugiyaaaaaaaa!” 

“Oooof!” 

Ash, receiving a slap on his cheek, fell backwards and his head became immersed in the creek. 

Fortunately, the stream wasn’t deep, so aside from his sorry figure, he wasn’t hurt. 

“S-Such great strength ………” 

With blood trickling from his nose, Ash struggled to get up. 

“To go so far as to take advantage of a sleeping lady really is too much! Don’t you know who am I?” 

Blushing hard, she suddenly stood up. 

The jacket that Ash had draped over her body, slid off. 

Her dainty naked body was clearly visible. 

However, she made no move to cover herself. 

“P-Please put on your clothes first before you talk!” 

Ash quickly looked away. 

“Clothes? Ridiculous! Clothes are just items humans create to hide their ugliness.” 

“What?” 

“That’s right, a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes!” 

“I don’t care whether you need clothes or not, just put them on!” 

After saying that, Ash turned his back on her. 

“I know that you are a dragon! Well ……… strictly speaking I’m not sure. However, even if you’re a dragon, right now, you are a girl!” 

“So what?” 

“That ……… naked girl standing in front of me ……… is making me lose my calm” 

“Hmph! Such a useless guy. Like I said, humans are really <nowiki>------</nowiki>” 

At this moment, a strong gust of wind blew through the ravine. 

Though it was now spring, it still felt chilly when a gust of wind blew on the body. 

“A ……Ahchoo!” 

Compared to her arrogant attitude just then, her sneeze was extremely cute. 

After her sneeze, an unimaginably huge gust of wind headed towards Ash. 

“Uoo!” 

Immediately, Ash clung onto the rock next to him and, like this, prevented himself from getting blown away. 

“A dragons’ sneeze turns out to be quite formidable ………” 

After calming himself down, with his back towards the girl, Ash proceeded to defend his opinion: 

“You’re right, clothes make people look better. However, apart from that, they also protect against the cold!” 

“Muuu ………” 

The girl pouted, as if she didn’t quite agree with Ash’s point. However, in the end, she accepted his opinion. 

Before long, there was a rustling sound. 

Cautiously turning his head around, Ash saw that she had obediently put on the jacket. 

As her body was very petite, just the jacket was enough to cover her important parts. However, her legs were still exposed. 

Her white tender thighs caused Ash to hold his breath. Wearing just a male jacket, her current appearance, compared when she was naked, caused one to fantasize even more. 

After directing his gaze away from her thighs, Ash sighed a few times. 

“There is something I want to confirm. You should be the dragon that was within me.” 

“Strictly speaking, I was only temporarily borrowing your body.” 

“Weren’t you within my body for too long? I’ve already become a first year Advanced Course student!” 

“What did you say?” 

The girl eyed Ash with an ominous glint in her eyes. 

Her expression, as sharp as a sword, rested on Ash’s chest. 

“N-Nothing ………” 

Ash, a little overwhelmed by the girl’s reaction, could only reply like this. 

“I am not an ordinary dragon. Do not lump me with the others.” 

“Whaa?” 

Clearly displeased, the girl planted both her hands on her hips and looked at Ash. 

“Listen carefully, I do not think that you think that you are my master at all! Who cares about the secret agreement of Albion ………” 

Ash was a little surprised when the girl mentioned that historical term. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki>The secret agreement of Albion 

Long ago, confronted with the crisis of extinction, the dragons stipulated a treaty with humans who wanted their magic. 

“……… That being said, you and I share a common destiny. Although you can't see it, we are bound together by an invisible thread.” 

What she was talking about was probably the so-called Astral Flow. 

“After combining with humans, dragons are able to get a supply of the Astral. As a result, dragons obtained the strength to survive, thus overcoming the crisis of extinction.” 

This knowledge was taught during the Basic Course. The Astral was something similar to “qi”<ref>Look it up here! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi</ref> and was the source of greatly-needed strength. 

The history of the dragons was far longer than that of humans. With each new generation, the Astral contained within their bodies decreased. 

Due to the lack of the Astral, before becoming fully grown, many young dragons died prematurely. 

If young dragons were unable to mature into adult dragons, sooner or later, dragons would go down the path of extinction. 

Concerned by the current situation, the dragons decided to combine with the humans who possessed the most Astral Flow, thus avoiding extinction. 

“Quite so. However, even so, I don’t believe the dragons owe humans one. Instead, humans should feel honoured.” 

“No, shouldn’t you at least feel a little thankful?” 

Having just finished speaking, Ash’s abdomen received a blow from the girl’s elbow. 

“Gah!” 

“By the way …” 

After glancing at Ash, who was writhing in pain, the girl, thinking about something, suddenly turned away. Her vigour, that she had displayed just then, disappeared and was replaced by bashfulness and embarrassment. 

“M-My name ……” 

“Ehh?” 

Ash, puzzled, frowned. The girl turned a shade of bright red and shouted. 

“My …… name, my name! Give me a name! T-This is a, somewhat, very important thing!” 

“Do you really want me to give you a name?” 

“It can’t be helped! Although I don’t approve of the secret agreement of Albion, I too, can't break the rules! You must give me a name for the contract to be complete!” 

“Is that so? The dragons also have so many difficult rules.” 

“I-I don’t need things like your sympathy!” 

Faced with the girl's extreme attitude, Ash made a bitter smile. 

“If that’s how it’s going to go, relax. I have already thought of your name” 

Ever since he had become a Breeder, he had always remembered this name. 

“Your name is Eco” 

Compared to Lancelot and Cú Chulainn, it was a little out of fashion. However, it was a rather historical name, frequently appearing in historical or religious textbooks. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki>First year of A.S.B. <ref>(After Saint's Birth)</ref> 

For the first time in human history, a young maiden succeeded in rousing a larva from its slumber. 

Her name was Rosa Maria. 

After her death, people referred to her as a saint, as she was the primogenitor of Breeders. 

At that time, her pal’s name was Eco. 

“Eco ……” 

The girl looked distracted and her dangerous expression eased up. 

“Nnn, not bad. Eco …… congratulation for thinking up this name. Fine, for now I’ll spare you!” 

“Phew, luckily you quite like this name.” 

If the name chosen had been deemed unacceptable, perhaps he would have become a victim of violence. Coming to this conclusion, Ash could feel cold sweat starting to form. 

“Oh, by the way, although you had just awoken, you seem to be quite knowledgeable about the secret agreement of Albion and Astral Flow.” 

Although Ash didn’t say this with the intention to flatter, she, nevertheless, puffed out her chest in pride. 

“This is the greatest difference between wisdom-filled dragons and the stupid, ignorant humans.” 

“Seriously, humans aren’t that bad, are they?” 

“<nowiki>------</nowiki>Dragweiss” 

“Ehh?” 

Eco suddenly began to stare off into the distance, taking Ash by surprise. 

“In order to survive, the still slumbering larvae will automatically inherit relevant knowledge. As this inherited knowledge is beyond generations, there is no need for others to teach them.” 

“Wow, that’s amazing …… By the way, since you are a dragon, why do you take the appearance of a human?” 

“This ……” 

Eco lowered her head in thought. After a while, she could only helplessly shrug her shoulders. 

“It’s no good, the Dragweiss doesn’t contain records pertaining to this …… No, there should be related records, except they can't be accessed. Forget about it, I don’t know! Don’t ask about it anymore, or I’ll crush you!” 

“That’s no good ……? I still want to live for a few more years!” 

Thinking about Eco’s unordinary strength, Ash shuddered. 

At this moment, Ash suddenly remembered something, he still hadn’t introduced himself! 

Thus, he calmed his wild heartbeat, and extended his right hand towards Eco. Regardless, Eco would always remain his pal. 

To obtain his own pal had been his wish for many years. 

“Muu …… what are you doing?” 

“I’m called Ash, from this day on, I am your master!” 

“What?” 

Eco not only refused to accept Ash’s goodwill, but also widened her eyes and stared at Ash. 

“W-what’s the matter?” 

“You seem to have misunderstood something, I think I’d better clear it up. You are not my master.” 

Straightening her runway-like chest, Eco’s eyes began to emit a strange aura. 

“I’m the one who is your master!” 

Once again, a bone-chilling icy wind blew through the ravine. 

=== Part 9 ===
…… A few hours later. 

Sure enough, Silvia didn’t betray people’s expectations, with a manner befitting of the Jedi in ‘Return of the Jedi’, she claimed first place and<nowiki>------</nowiki> 

Security guards within the forest found Brigid, decided that the rider must have encountered a mishap, and immediately formed a rescue team, and began to search for the rider. 

The rider was called Ash Blake, a first year Advanced Course student who rode his friend’s pal to compete, the Number One Problem Child of the academy. 

The student council president, Rebecca, and many other students all joined the rescue team. 

As Fianna Forest covered an extensive plot of land, at first, they believed that the rescue operation wouldn’t succeed; however, before long, they found Ash and Eco. 

Cú Chulainn, with Rebecca riding on its head, without turning back, flew straight towards the ravine bordering the forest, as if attracted by some sort of force. 

Afterwards, Rebecca commented: 

“Today was the first time Cú Chulainn disobeyed my order.” 
 

''End of “The Awakening of Sleeping Beauty ~A.S.B.1365.4~”.''

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
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|}
</noinclude>

Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure!:Volume 8 Chapter 6

2017-05-18T05:45:49Z

JFerg:

The next Saturday.

Because Murasaki sent an email for me to come to Roppongi station at twelve o'clock, I headed to Roppongi station with a nervous look.
Maybe this is a date ... what is it? Even so, it's a meeting in Roppongi, a fashionable city ...My heart is palpitating since morning. Of course its my first time to come to Roppongi.
I arrived at the station and I did not know exactly where to go, so I sent an email to Murasaki.
While I was e-mailing, the vibrator of my cell phone rang. Looking at the characters that appeared on the screen, I am amazed.

"From: Koigasaki"

A call from Koigasaki.....Why?!?
Hurriedly, I pushed the call button and took the call.

"Well ... ... Hello ... ...."

"Hello Kashiwada? Where are you now? "

Finally I heard Koigasaki's voice after a long time....

"Can you hear me?"

I was silent for a time and Koigasaki spoke again.

"Oh, now? I am in Roppongi, but...."

"How far from Roppongi Station? Roppongi station, what exit? "

"We..well, on the Hibiya line, I am not far from the ticket gate ..."

"Please wait near Exit 3"

After being told by Koigasaki, I went up looking for exit 3. I was told to wait there, so I spent some time there.
What on earth are you up to...? I do not understand the meaning of all this, especially having a conversation after a long while.
And then, a car stopped in front of me.

I am not interested in cars, so I do not know the car type, but the shining black car has a low ceiling.
It is a fancy car, a luxury car.
At the next moment, the door of the luxury car's backseat opens ... ... from inside, a beautiful woman wearing a bright red dress appeared.

"........Koi...gasaki?"

Incredibly ......The beautifully dressed woman was Koigasaki. Her makeup and clothes seem to be more mature than usual, and I didn’t recognize her for a moment.
Suddenly this beautiful girl who came out of a luxury car was very conspicuous and was drawing attention around her.
That sight ... ... was like from a painting or from a movie scene.

"........................"

I was struck by the sight and couldn’t move or say anything.
Soon Koigasaki noticed me and came near me.
So Beautiful…….
She really is......unbelievably beautiful....

"............"

For some reason, Koigasaki seemed to check my whole body from top to bottom, and wrinkled her brows.

"Well ... no, in that outfit...."

Suddenly I was pulled back to reality.

"Haah ... ...!! What's up...?!?"

My clothes of today are black cardigans on the gray shirt on top and jeans on the bottom.
The cardigans and jeans were recently purchased cheaply through Amazon's mail order. The number of evaluation ★ was 4
The review said, "Good looking without being pricey and with a simple design anyone can wear”
I remembered Koigasaki’s advice that "safe clothes are the best" and purchased them. I think I bought well, too....

"My clothes look stupid, don't they!?"

"Wow! Oh, it's different ... Unexpectedly they are normal and safe, nice clothes ... but that's not the case."

While I'm pleased for being praised for the first time by Koigasaki, then I wondered what the hell was wrong.

"This"

"Huh?"

Koigasaki stuck a paper bag toward me.

"Change your clothes. In the car"

"...What is.......?"

"Because I cannot stand that look, change your clothes quickly"

Looking inside the paper bag from Koigasaki, there were clothes and shoes.

"What the ... change clothes, why ..."

While I was in a state of confusion, the door of the driver's seat of a luxury car opened, someone came out. A middle-aged man is standing. I wonder if he is about forty. Overall, he looks fashionable and cool, with a dandy atmosphere

I bowed to him.

"Thank you for your hard work..."

Although I do not understand the situation at all, I returned a greeting.

"Here, we don’t have much time, change your clothes quickly."

"Whoops!?"

Koigasaki pushed my back and forced me into the rear seat of the car and closed the door.

"What, what is...."
Anyway, I took out clothes from the paper bag. There was a white shirt, a black jacket, black pants, then leather shoes. Somehow ... I thought it was clothing in for a formal atmosphere.
I do not know the reason at all, but I decided to change my clothes, as ordered by Koigasaki.

"Hey ... ... I changed my clothes ..."

After changing my clothes, I opened the door of the car and told Koigasaki.

"... ... Hmmm ... ...not bad…"

Koigasaki commented when she saw me as she also got out of the car.

"……Huh?"

The dandy old man also got into the driver's seat and closed the door.

"Okay, let’s move out."

Since Koigasaki closed the door of the car, she told Dandy. With the words as signs, the car starts running.

"Wha......! ... ... ... Ko..Koigasaki .....Where are we going...!"

"Noisy, I want a peaceful ride"

"Whaa.....!?"

Who is this Dandy...? Where are we heading? Why is Koigasaki here?! Koigasaki's appearance is surprising! Why did you made me change! What is it with these fancy clothes? There are plenty of things I wanted to ask, but I kept silent until the car arrived at our destination.
I got out of the car.

"............"

I saw Koigasaki sitting in the back seat. Her hair is made up more than usual.
Sharp shining earrings. A silver necklace that shines in her white chest. Crimson lipstick. A tube top dress that exposes a little flesh, exposing the shoulder and collarbone. When she scooped her hair, the scent of perfume different from usual drifted faintly, and my heart throbs.
......She has the sexy allure of a mature woman....
I was staring too long at Koigasaki, who became aware that I was watching. I panicked a little.
After running for about three minutes, the car stopped.

"Well, thank you Dad"

!!!Dad!!!

"Shall I pick you up on the way home?"

"No, how many times have I told you I don’t know what time I can be back."
"Don’t stay out too late, ok?"

When we got off, the car departed.

"Hey, is that your….."

"Yep, that's my dad"

Koigasaki replied. I still can’t understand anything.

"Where is he going to...?"

"Enter this store,"

Koigasaki pointed to the fancy looking restaurant in front of me.

"What? What is this place!? But I have a promise to go with Murasaki ..."

"Don’t talk back, just go in!"

I was pushed back at Koigasaki, I opened the door of the restaurant without any help, and went inside.
Next moment....

"Happy birthday!” “Congratulations!"

I heard the party poppers inside the shop ...Inside were Sakurai and Murasaki.

"Eh... Eh ...!"

I still cannot believe the situation inside of the restaurant.
It looks luxurious and fashionable, but there are no other guests besides us.
There are several round tables inside, but no chairs. There are a few sofas in the corner of the restaurant. What is going on here...?

Ms. Sakurai and Ms. Murasaki were also dressed up. Perhaps, I changed clothes was because for this fancy restaurant...is that it? I heard that there are dress codes in high-class places and ...

"Kashiwada, are you surprised?"

Sakurai who wrapped herself in a pure white lace dress asked me delightfully.

"Huh, are you so surprised you cannot say anything?"

Murasaki who is wearing a light purple, slightly sexy dress with some breast exposed, says laughingly.

"Why are all of you here......."

"Don’t you understand yet, this is your birthday party"
After I was told by Koigasaki who is behind me, I finally grasped the situation.

A birthday party...?
Just for me, everyone dressed up for this fancy place...? Even though Ms. Sakurai celebrated with me the other day….I am deeply impressed.

"Seriously ...... all of you... bothered for me..."

I wonder how blessed is this year's birthday...?

"Well, let's eat before the food cools down!"

When I heard Murasaki from the back, I noticed that the dishes were lined up in a Viking style. Salads, roast beef, pizza, doria, pasta ... ... They all seem to be very tasty. We go side by side to get the food.

"Why there are no other customers ......?”

“Well, we reserved the place...!"

If you rent out such a high-class place.... How much will it cost? And with a fancy menu... how much money did you spent on my birthday??
Imagining this, cold sweat flows unexpectedly from my forehead.

"It’s not much, since the place is owned by a friend of dad's, so my dad asked it for me so we’re fine."

Koigasaki said that ... I do not know which part of story is true, however.
Again, I feel that the family of Koigasaki is rich. At least, I was able to thank her father who I met a while ago. I was not polite enough... ___ ___ 0
Anyway, Koigasaki...... I thought that she was avoiding me for some time... why....
Then, she asks her father for this party....? I have no idea what she is thinking about.

"Here, Kashiwada, if you do not eat soon, your food will get cold."

"Oh, oh, that's right ..."

Talking to Murasaki, I hurriedly started eating.

"U ... ... good ............"

The dishes were very tasty, I was impressed.
Oh, how happy I am now....
My tears seemed to overflow.
I have enjoyed fine dining at last.

"Well then, let’s move on to the main event soon!"

Sakurai spoke to everyone.

Main event.....?

"Well then, then for first ... Murasaki-san, please do it"

"Yes, I understand!!"

Murasaki was nominated by Sakurai... Murasaki took out a gift from a paper bag and handed it to me.

"Kashiwada-kun, happy birthday!!"

"Oh ...... yes .....thank you ... ...."

This is a birthday gift... That's it! She prepared such a thing...! I am very impressed.

"Well then ... let me open it ..."

The package is flat and about B5 sized. Is it a book or something? It was carefully wrapped...

"............ What!?"

I was surprised at the contents of the gift and raised a strange voice.

It is a doujin magazine... In the middle of the cover is a boy wearing a uniform in black hair ... (somehow he feels similar to me ... but looks more cool) is drawn and with three different girls around him.
I wonderedabout what ... ... The looks of these girls seem familiar.... No, it is due to....?
The cover has Murasaki's picture as well, and I could see that it was a doujinshi she drew.

"Please try looking inside, ♪"

"Oh, ok...."

While being puzzled, I looked at the contents.
Inside, similar to the front cover, Murasaki's cartoon was drawn.
Like the cover, I was in the middle of the first frame, with dialogue beside it.

"I am Naoki Kashiwada. I am a healthy male high school student who turned sixteen today. "

"............ っ!?"

Reading the doujinshi this far, I gazed at Murasaki.

"Okay, what is this ...?!?"

"Please continue reading♪"

I was told by Ms. Murasaki so I read the continuation of her doujinshi.

"Kashiwada! Today ... ... It is your birthday, is not it? ... well... I have a place I want to go out with you...."

"Kashiwada-kun ... ... Please let me celebrate Kashiwada's birthday today! "

"............ !?"

In the next scene ... ... a character looking like Koigasaki and a character very similar to Sakurai suddenly appeared. There can be no mistake.

"Is that a doujinshi drawn by Murasaki? I want to see it!"

"I also want to see it!"

"Well, wait a while ... after I finished reading ... ...."

I see, this doujinshi by Murasaki, was not yet seen by Koigasaki and Sakurai....
Somehow I got a bad feeling, and I hid the pages so that they cannot see...

"... ... Huh?"

I turned a couple of pages ......the character similar to Koigasaki is now half-naked and hugging me tightly, saying "I will not give you to anyone!"...

Then the character resembling Sakurai is getting to be a dramatic character...... Somehow it looks like she wears her uniform in bed and blushes her face when she says "I did everything for Kashiwada…”

Ouchh!!! I don’t like to see what happens next!

"Hey Kashiwada, let me read it a bit, don’t monopolize"

"No, I’m not finished yet!"

I turned the pages further ... ... then I dropped the doujinshi on the floor.

"What ... What is this, is this!?"

Next scene, the character similar to Murasaki apeared... ... tempting me and acting like a slut. It is over! This is real!
After screaming I hurriedly picked up the dropped doujinshi in a panic.
Then I saw on the cover…On the right side of the front cover there was a notation "R16" in red letters.

"R16 !?"

"Well, it's your 16th birthday, so I tried drawing a for 16-doujinshi magazine ♪It was hard work to adjust the eroticism for the 16 year old ban?"
Why bother doing such a thing! It really is going around the sixteen year old prohibition! The content may not even pass the 18 year old ban! But I have never heard of a sixteen year old ban. How devious of Murasaki....!

At the bottom of the cover ... "* This comic is fiction. It has nothing to do with real people and groups*”

Although I found out the notice ... Does this person think that even if she put this notice, that she will be forgiven for this?

"Have you already finished reading?

"Yes, but it's useless! I will never show you this!"

PIC P113

Koigasaki put up her hands, but I hid the doujinshi and refused to give it to her.

"What...! ... Because Murasaki it drew for you, you want to have it all for yourself!? ... .... Hmm, that's fine if that’s what you want!"

Koigasaki seemed to be in a bad mood because of this, she sharply stared at me, then turned her face away.

"Well... so that’s it... and I wanted to see as well, this is disappointing ..."

Sakurai disappointedly dropped her shoulders.

No ... ... I have a perfectly good reason for not showing you...!

I saw Murasaki who is the root of all this, laughing all the time.

"Huuu...after this ... I will read it slowly ..."

I cannot read more of this horrifying doujinshi here, I will tell her without strength.

"Well, that might be better ♪ If possible, when nobody is in your room ... ...."

"!? ...Whaaa….I don’t mean it like that!"

I heard Murasaki's whisper and made a loud retort as I threw the magazine into my bag before someone gets hold of this dangerous item.

"Well then ... ... the next present is from me!"

Sakurai then took out a box from her bag.

"eh……!?"

But Sakurai already gave me present the other day...

"Even if I already gave one... ... Today is a bonus"

I received a slightly larger box from Ms. Sakurai.

"Oh, thank you ... can I open it?"

"Yes, please!"

I put a box on the table and opened it.... A delicious pound cake for one appeared

"Here, this is ... ..."

"I was really thinking about making everyone's part, but the big pound cake failed and got burned ...Because only a small sized cake could be made with the remaining materials, it is only enough for Kashiwada..."

Sakurai's homemade cake!
Sakurai is really like a regular girl.... It was my first time to receive a handmade cake from a girl, I was greatly touched.

"It looks great!Azuki is good at cooking! "

"Yeah, I don’t usually cook, so I am a little worried .... Kashiwada, have you had your fill of delicious dishes....?"

"Not at all! Thank you! It looks really delicious and I will eat some now!"

"Well, really?"

"Yeah, I will!"

I used a fork to get some of the handmade cake of Sakura.

"……whaa…?"

I stabbed the fork but could not get a piece of the cake.

"... ...?"

I have no choice but use my mouth...... At this point, I was stupid so I did not have any doubt.....

"...... !?"

What the….My teeth couldn’t take a bite out of the cake. I took another bite with more strength.

"Gwaa"

...... When I bit, I heard a strange sound that a cake shouldn’t make.

Sakurai's handmade cake ... was rock hard. To be honest, I thought that my teeth broke.
And I cannot taste anything, I wonder why if I suddenly got a taste disorder

"Uh ......, water ......!"

From the moment when I put the cake in my mouth...... All the moisture in my mouth was sucked by the cake, the inside of my mouth became dry and it became difficult to speak.

"Goho ... ... Keihod, Gehok ............ Gaho!!"

Due to the lack of moisture, a part of the cake got stuck to my throat, I think I am about to die in too much pain.

"Well, Kashiwada, are you OK?"

Sakurai gave me water with a worried face.
In a panic, I gulped a lot of water... I am saved......
I was wondering if I could have been killed by a cake ...my eyes are teary.

"Sorry, sorry ... Was it a failure...?!? I made a cake for the first time ... ...."

Sakurai gave me a look that bordered on crying and asked me. Oh…no....

"Wha.....What are you saying?! It was so delicious and that I greedily bit too much!"
I strongly denied her words. Your face told me that you baked it with great pains...!

"Well ... .... Well, is that....?"

"Of course! It's better than a store cake!"

I thought that I should also show by action, so I ate the rest of the cake at once. I immediately drank water to wash it down, just in case. It was almost a very magical experience to swallow a hard tasteless cake. I feel like I'm eating a sponge used to wash dishes. No, it's harder than that. I mean, I have never eaten a sponge before.

"Garigarigari ... ...."

It's strange ... I'm supposed to be eating pound cake ....what are these sounds coming from me....?

"... ... Ha, ha, ha ... ...."

After swallowing, I desperately breathed hard. Ha, it was nice to swallow that.... Still a strange taste remained in the mouth ....I want to eat something delicious soon....

"Kashiwada-kun ......"

Sakurai-san looked like she was scared.

"Oh no ... well ... that was good! You can eat as much as you want even in a full stomach!"

In a panic, I told Sakurai about my impression.

"Wow! Why didn’t you share it with us?! Why did you eat all of it?"

"Since it was so tasty, I definitely wanted to try it ... ... Azuki's handmade cake ......"

Koigasaki and Murasaki seems to be envious.

"Oh, I'm sorry! It was so nice, I ate it all at once..."

"You, aren’t you full yet?"

The taste of Koigasaki's cooking was also intense ... ... Sakurai-san may have lost here.... What on earth did she do to make that horrible cake? Even if I die, I will never tell my true impression of the taste...
However, as I am thankful that she took the trouble to make a cake for me, my response was not wrong at that....

"Well, er ... ... then the last is Momo-chan ..."

Sakurai introduced Koigasaki....
She took a paper bag from a chair.
Even Koigasaki? A present even after all this...?

"Congratulations"

Koigasaki gave the paper bag to me.

"Oh, oh ... ... Thank you ..."

I did not expect that Koigasaki would still give me a present, so I thanked her while receiving the paper bag.

"Can I open it ..."

Because Koigasaki nodded, I opened the paper bags on the spot.

"Oh, this is ..."

Clothes came out from inside.
It is more than 1 item. When I opened the... shirts, pants, belts, cardigans ... Koigasaki bought all this...?!?
These are all very fashionable clothes...... I could not buy them myself.
In other words, Koigasaki ... got me a second set of clothes... what is that...?

"You, this is too much ............"

Not surprising, she does not reply. I wonder how much these clothes are worth....?

"Well, apparently, even today you bothered about my clothes..."

"Oh ... those clothes are hand-me-downs from father. I asked for them, so you don’t have to worry about it"

"Well, that ... ... is that ...?."

Hand-me-downs...? I thought they are new items since they are in a beautiful state....

"It looks great on you! Kashiwada-san, please try it by all means" ♪

Murasaki told me so I borrowed the rest room in the restaurant and changed to the clothes I got from Koigasaki.

After finishing changing clothes, I looked at the large mirror in the restroom... the clothes suited me very well. The size is perfect and also well suited for my skin color with white and gray as a keynote. Simple but very fashionable, makes you feel the good taste of Koigasaki.

Murasaki and Sakurai praised me when I got out and returned. Koigasaki praised me as well.

"Well, I guess you look better than usual, is it?

"Yes, you can choose clothes like this yourself, right?"

"Oh, ah ... ... That's right ... ... Thank you ......"

Today I was not angry at Koigasaki’s remark. I meekly thanked her.
I do not understand, but I thought she was angry with me...? If so, why are you giving me such awesome gifts...?

Of course, a gift is a gift ... ... I don’t know why Koigasaki was avoiding me before, but I am very happy that I can talk with Koigasaki like this now.
You can still look down on me. If I stumble, you can still abuse me a little bit. Hopefully, from now on... I want to continue as before this so far. Please do not avoid me anymore.
How happy it is for me to be able to spend my time with Koigasaki as usual.... I realized that again today.
I still don’t know why she was avoiding me until today, but if this state continues at school, on Monday, I will be able to get through from day to day. Oh, it truly is good…….

Suddenly the doors of the restaurant opened.

"eh……!?"

Anna Nikaido, a senior at the high school of Murasaki and a writer as well. She was wearing a beautiful chic black dress.Behind her, another friend of Murasaki, who is also a writer, also appeared. She is also dressed up wearing a simple green dress.

"Shino, Anna-san!"

Murasaki calls the names of the two. Why are they here...?
Nikaido and Nagase came into the restaurant and went to me.

"How are you Kashiwada? Happy birthday"

"Congratulations, Kashiwada"

"Oh ......! Oh, thank you ...."

Nikaido and Nagase are congratulating me.

"I called them"
Murasaki explained to me with a smile.

"Well, that was ... ...."

Both of them came all the way here for me....

"No way, I did not even think to refuse an invitation to come with Anna-senpai!"

Murasaki ran up to Nikaido and grips her hand.

"Huh, what ... what kind of wind blowing around for you to come over to me with a smile?”

Nikaido is wary as Murasaki's attitude is different from usual.

"Wow, you smell of sake! Purple ... you're drunk!?"

Mu…Murasaki san...... If you thought you were just getting more cheerful than ever, but are you already drunk...? If I think back it certainly seems like she was drinking wine a little while ago....

"I'm not drunk, I guess ....Anna senpai, let’s also drink together ♪"

"Don’t stick to me, you drunk! Nagase do something about purple!"

"Anna-san ...... I feel sad"

"Wha.... what the hell! Don’t just look! Please help!"

Murasaki was holding Nikaido's arm, but Nikaido is trying to remove it violently.
Both Nikaido and Nagase will not go all the way to my birthday party if they don’t want to go. I also wanted to thank Murasaki for calling them.

"Kashiwada, are you enjoying yourself~ !?"

"...... っ!?"

I was surprised to hear Murasaki suddenly from behind me when I was picking dessert. I was also surprised to see Murasaki get entangled in my arms.
She seems upset as I look at her. Her face is not very red, but I guess she's pretty drunk at the moment....

"I can see ... Four people getting excited talking about a popular game so I cannot participate,"

"A popular online game...?"

Murasaki says, as I look at Koigasaki, Sakurai, Nagase and Nikaido. Certainly, the four are talking excitedly and enjoying themselves. No way that these four people are riled up because of a game....

"It seems to be popular now?? I haven’t played it at all and cannot participate.... and Shino said,
"Do not butt in if you don’t understand, you drunk" I was told earlier..."

"Haha ... ... Nagase-san, as usual is merciless towards Murasaki..."

Then Murasaki stared at me suddenly. I got excited when I noticed our close distance....

"Kashiwada-san, did something happen at the cultural festival last time?"

"……eh!?"

Murasaki asked such a question abruptly while looking at my face.
Did something happen from that...? Speaking of that big event, there is one thing that came to my mind.
I confessed to my favorite child and I was dumped.
However, it was such a dumpy story, an unhappy story that I don’t want to talk about it in the first place.

"No, nothing in particular...."

When trying to respond properly.

"That’s a lie!"

Pointing at my head with a bishi-bishi sound, Murasaki continued.

"I can see it in your eyes…?"

"I feel that something is quite a bit different from the last time I saw you... I guess the boy has experienced something and became an adult, isn’t it?"

"Whaaa...... !?"

I should not have made a strange sound, but when I heard the remark of this person, I cannot stop myself, I am in trouble....... I mean, it is serious.... Even drunk, this is a sharp person....
I was trying not to remember being dumped by Hasegawa today, I was having fun in this place where everyone is celebrating my birthday. While I was trying to behave well, she was able to see my heart like that?

You're too sharp....

"What happened? Why not talk to your onee-san?"

"Well ... well, I wish I could talk to someone who is not drunk...."

Ignoring Murasaki's drunken behavior, I also forgot that she was four years older, and spoke in a rude manner. Well, whatever. Anyway she was drunk.

"I am not being rude! And I am not drunk at all!"

"........................"

I look at her with cold eyes.

"Wait a minute, you can tell your onee-san anything!"

...................

Well ... OK. Since you are drunk, you will forget everything after you become sober....

"... ... I've been heartbroken"

I took a dessert and said it.

"……Huh?"

Murasaki made big eyes on my words.

"............"

With my eyes wide open, I look at her face. At that moment.... Why she didn’t look drunk at all.

".....broken-hearted ......? That’s heavy, is it?"

Then she looked away from me. It is unusual for her, was she upset?

"It's heavy, that's it, I got hurt like hell."

I've repeated the words I said like a drunk in a drinking table ... ... I feel like I am in such a state right now. As I was not drunk, but I felt drunk to myself, and I feel like more drunk than her.

"Is that so……"

Murasaki kept silent while keeping her eyes off me. What on earth happened?
Then she raised her face again and looked at me. Her face had its cheerful smile back.

"So even attractive men like Kashiwada ... can be broken-hearted"

The next moment.....Murasaki suddenly turned her arm and tangled it at my neck.

"Oh ......! Choke…hey...!"

I shook violently and turned my eyes towards Koigasaki. Unfortunately, the four of them are still going on with their conversation, so no one was concerned about us, but I feel that she is aware of us. I immediately put my dessert on a nearby table.

"Oh, thanks for the compliment ...... Thank you very much!"

Because I am miserable and being wrestled by a drunk, I desperately pretended to feel nothing and responded.

"That is nothing, Kashiwada-san is so attractive."

"What are you doing, what ... ...."

Naoki Kashiwada never believes in the words of drunks!

When I looked down at her face-to-face faced state, I saw her white chest from the opening of her dress. Oooh, this is a pretty good... just a little closer ... oh yeah! I am looked too long! I hurriedly removed my gaze from her chest.
...... At that moment, she laughed.
Huh……? Did she notice...?

"Oh? Kashiwada-san ... ... What were you looking at just now?"

"...... っ!?"

To her ridiculous question, I'm about to spurt.

"Oh no ... ...! I didn’t...look anywhere..."!

"Huh, you can tell me the truth, I will not be angry about such a thing ... ... What have you been seeing?"

Murasaki brings her face closer and gazes at my eyes while grinning at a close range.
It seems that she intends to make me confess that I was watching her chest. I am in deep! I mean, I do not know exactly where I was watching!
...... And this drunk will probably strangle me.... even in front of other people....

"............ so much, if it's painful ..."

"eh……"

Next moment. She looks staring at me with a serious look with a completely different appearance from when she was joking around.

"Will you let your sister...comfort you?"

Her eyes are not laughing and she looks terribly upset and miserable.

"............ っ"

Ku ... ..., I'm trying to reply something that will not be misunderstood by my partner, but I am not ready. Her line is so outrageous, its almost like foul play. My face is now as red and perhaps I look drunk as well.
I cannot look at her due to my embarrassment. I can’t say anything.

"Hehuu"

When she saw how I was, she laughed satisfactorily. Finally, she lets go of my neck.
... ... I feel relieved... and so lonely....

"Kashiwada-san ... ... is so cute!"

"You’re making fun of me...... I'm not glad that a man is called cute...."

"Well, please be happy about it!"

"Well, what ... ...."

I could never say what I thought about her.

"Whenever you need me, I will be there!"

She spreads her hands towards me with a full smile.

".................."

...... Absolutely, one hundred percent, definitely ... I guess she’s joking.
She is drunk ... ... certainly, I do not think seriously about what she said.
Although I felt like I was saved in her words ...for now.

"Kashiwada-kun! Murasaki-san! Well, what on earth are you doing in that place!?"

"Hey purple ... ... It is unbearable for Kashiwada to be with a drunk...!"

Sakurai and Nagase came and called us.
Sakurai comes close to me with a look that seems to be slightly suspicious.
Nagase is also staring at Murasaki with a lot of doubts.

"How rude! I have not done any weird things to Kashiwada"

Funny thing is ... I feel like I was told that I was done ....
Sakurai and Nagase left with Murasaki for dessert, leaving me all alone.

... ... Huh ... .... Calm down me.....!
That person is just being strange as usual...... However, today's she is too much! She is drinking sake! She is getting more drunk than the time we went to the Okonomiyaki restaurant at the launch of the last month's sanctui!
...... No, well, honestly, it would be great if she did not get drunk like that....!
Even so, if only ... ... Murasaki's "Shall I comfort you?" "Please let me comfort you!” What is going on?
What does she mean by "comfort"...? How was she supposed to comfort me? In what way?
From her that erotic way of saying, it is somewhat different from the ordinary meaning of "comforting"? Am I thinking too much...!?
Is this a virgin thinking...?!?
In my brain, delusions are starting to fill my thoughts.
Okay, I calmed down once, but then I got excited again....
Ahhh! If I just have more calmness and boldness ... ... I wonder if something nice expansion might have been waiting...!

"Kashiwadawa-kun ... ... What's on earth?"
"Oh!"
Sakurai - san is asked to call me back to reality in a panic. Apparently, it seems like I was staring blankly into space while eating dessert. It was bad, I was unconsciously thinking....

"No, no, no ... ...."

"............?"

Sakurai tilted her head and looked at my face strangely.
Then Sakurai, Murasaki and Nagase returned to Koigasaki and Nikaido, and had drinks and dessert while enjoyed talking with each other.

"Oh, I need to go to the washroom a bit..."

Koigasaki went out to go to the bathroom.
I panicked and chase after Koigasaki.

"Hey, Koigasaki"

When I called, Koigasaki turned around.

"……eh!?"

Looking at her face, I raise a surprised voice.
Looking at the face of Koigasaki ... ... It seemed messed up.

"Wh, what with your ...?!?"

When you were with everyone a while ago, you seem to be having fun.

"What about my face?"

"No, no ... ... it's so bad, so ...."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….”

"... What is ...?"

Why does it make me overly conscious if I point out to Koigasaki that she is in a bad mood? I do not understand Koigasaki.

"...... I mean, what are you doing in that place away from everyone? What were you thinking? Are you unsatisfied with your birthday party...?

"What?! I feel fine, I was not alone, I was with Azu-chan ..."

"So, so what are you talking about a while ago!?"

I stopped the words of Koigasaki by rubbing her shoulders, or she will not stop until she verbally abuse me.

"...... ___ ___ ___ 0 ... ... Do not touch me!

At that moment, Koigasaki shook my hand from her shoulder with strength.

"...... !?"

She was red in the face and she sharply stared at me. To that excessive reaction, I went out the door to distract her. This fellow is obviously acting strange....

"... you ... what the hell are you talking about? What crazy thing are you talking about... What is it?”

"............ If you do not understand, good."

She said in a low voice, muttering.

"... What was ...?"

Koigasaki who turned her face from me was sullen.

I wanted to talk to her because I could not understand why I was abused suddenly like that, but if I talk about it more, she may get serious.
This person, I'm scared of her... Why are you so suddenly acting like this....?
Although I was worried a lot about the reason why she was scared, I could not put Koigasaki in a bad mood and destroy the festive air in this place, I could not help it any more.
I gave up for the time being.

"So, what did you want to say to me?"

"Oh, ah ......"

I was worried for a moment whether to tell her this thing troubling me that I could not understand ... but for the time being, I need to say something I have to say, so I opened my mouth.

"No ... ... Today, I want to thank you ..."

"……Huh?"

In my words, Koigasaki who had a cranky expression just made her eyes round.

"Renting out such a good place to have a birthday party..... I got up to such a big present ..."

Because I thought that I this is a good time to thank her, I took this opportunity.
I owe a great thanks to Koigasaki for this delightful feeling today, so I must thank her properly.
Sometimes, Koigasaki thinks about something for someone. Then, after a breath, she opened her mouth.

"No, I guess you misunderstood, but I just took care of the place, so it's not all from me."

"……eh!?"

I cannot hide embarrassment in Koigasaki which I say with a cold appearance.

"I asked Dad to prepare a place and planned today's party because Azuki-chan asked me to… "

"Well, that's right ......"

Clearly, Koigasaki asked his father to ask the father to rent out the restaurant, so I was convinced that Koigasaki hosted it. Did Sakurai-san do the project? .... I would like to thank Ms. Sakurai a second time... Even though I celebrated my birthday with her, she still put up this party....

"Ah, but thanks a lot for your present..."

Tell the gift of giving back to Koigasaki again.

"... Well, it also serves as a thank you for the last time..."

"Thank you for what time...?"

"When I cooked at Suzuki’s place... You did a lot of things,"

"Oh, that...."

On the way home of from Suzuki's pot party, I was abused and beaten in the ass, and was about so many things... Is she thanking for that day? ......
She is still hard to understand.

"Kyō, because we have an agreement relationship, so we help each other well"
I am embarrassed so I replied with my usual excuse.

"Agreement relationship ............"
Koigasaki mutters in a low voice.

"...... Well, Kashiwada"

I turn my body towards her to see her straight.
Why ... Why, do I have a bad feeling…

"Well, what is it about... ...."

"Our Agreement... will you end it now?"
Koigasaki said with blank expression.

In that word, my thinking stops.

"...End our Agreement relation......?"

I can’t read the meaning of her word, so I parrot the line that Koigasaki said.
What, what are you talking about ... ?
Because today, I can talk as usual for the first time in a while ....
From now on, I think that we can finally get back to the relationship as before....
Even though I was glad ... ....

"Wh ... ... why? ..."
I could finally say a word.

"In the first place ... you're giving up Hasegawa... Because I can no longer help in your love affairs with her.... we no longer have a basis for our Agreement..."

"...!"

Certainly, what Koigasaki said was right.
But, still I....

"Well, that's fine ... That's OK, if you keep doing things like helping me choose my clothing as usual, I will still be thankful... but ... separately ...... Besides, you already have a relationship with Suzuki, still, I do not mind if you ask for my help from time to time...."

I was desperate. I do not want to cancel our agreement relationship. I do not want to let go of my friendship with Koigasaki ....

"... ... that, that isn’t fair ... ...."

Koigasaki sets up her breath and starts talking again.

"... well ... It's okay even if you don’t want to cooperate anymore .... Even if I do not have rely on you .... And then, with my own power.... I manage to do something ..."
Without seeing my eyes, Koigasaki said.

I heard the words of Koigasaki, and her words did not shock me that much.
Is that so.... Oh yeah, that's right...

Because Koigasaki and Suzuki's friendship...has already progressed enough for them to go on dates by themselves.
I was trying not to think about it... the clothes that Koigasaki got for me... maybe she bought with Suzuki during their date in Harajuku....
They are going well so far ...so my cooperation is no longer necessary. The rest ... as she said, it seems that Koigasaki is at the point where she can handle it with her own power.
I was supposed to have known that the time will come for when our cooperation is no longer necessary. But, once again, when I was told that our agreement relationship is no longer necessary again ... honestly, it was a shock to me. I felt sad. I am no longer useful for Koigasaki.
On the other hand... If she stays with me unnecessarily, Suzuki may misunderstand. This also bothers me.

"Well, that's why ..."
Koigasaki kept her back on me, without waiting for my reply, left me in front of me.

I wonder how far I was helped by Koigasaki.
After having broken hearted by Hasegawa ... ... If Koigasaki was not there, it would have been harder for me. Even today, I was able to enjoy because of Koigasaki. I realized how big the existence of Koigasaki is for me recently.
I thought that Koigasaki's avoidance is probably a temporary thing.
There is no basis for this.
I was convinced that we would be able to speak again normally.
But, from now on ......Koigasaki will be out of reach for me.
Surely in the future, Koigasaki will keep avoiding me at school.
If we dissolve the agreement relation ... ... I will lose the reasons to be with her.
Before, there were times I wanted to end our agreement relation ... ... At that time, we always fought each other.However, this time is different. We have not quarreled, and Koigasaki was quite calm. Probably, I think that she made the proposal after thinking carefully.

I feel lonely just imagining that I could not stay with Koigasaki anymore.
I do not want to admit ... ... I was sadder now than when I was dumped by Hasegawa.

"... .... Kun, Kashiwada-kun !?"

"eh!?"

Sakurai spoke from behind me. In a hurry, I returned to myself.

"Wait a minute ... are you OK?"

Sakurai saw me with a sad look and was worried.

"Oh, sorry! It is nothing, I’m OK!"

I made a smile as much as I could so as to not let her worry any more.

Today, everyone has gathered to celebrate my birthday.
For Sakurai who hosted this birthday party, I will not show a sad face. I forced myself to smile and then returned to the party.

Koigasaki returned and also rejoined the circle.
I tried as much as possible to behave normally around like Koigasaki as if nothing had happened. Even Koigasaki did not do anything like avoiding me today, so as not to seem strange to everyone. We acted normally as before.
Oh... acting like this, it would seem that our previous conversation never happened... It would have been nice if there really was nothing. I could not help thinking so.

"Oh, that's it! I completely forgotten my purpose today!"

Nikaido, who was talking with Murasaki and Nagase while eating dessert, walks out suddenly holding a shiny tea that she put down on the table. Before she came ... she was talking to Koigasaki.

"Momosaka Juliet ..."

"...... っ!?"

I almost spurted.

Momosaka Juliet ...... It was a pen name when Koigasaki used as a writer. At first I asked her to stop using a name like "Peach-Princess". Momosaka Juliet was a name that was playful enough, but I thought it would be somewhat better than Peach Princess, and I approved it.
How did Nikaido know the pen name of Koigasaki...? Does she only know Koigasaki by her pen name?

"Oh yes... ...."
Koigasaki is replying, although confused.

"I am planning to make a joint magazine under a creative doujin event called comitia... and I want you to write a manuscript for it"

"…………Huh?"

To Nikendo's remarks, Koigasaki is stunned. I ... well ... I can’t swallow the situation at all.
A joint creative magazine...... Although it is a doujinshi, it will be an all original work, not secondary works.

"The number of pages is limited to five pages to ten pages. If it is not enough, you can increase it.
Of course, I will pay the reward. Although I can’t pay a very big amount .... "
Nikaido sets up Koigasaki as a side stop and speaks unilaterally.

"Oh, of course, there is no age limit designation, but a healthy story-oriented doujinshi! It is about omnibus form of romance, so I'm going to pick the themes...."

".................."

Suddenly, Koigasaki seemed surprised and could not say anything.

"... ... You are silent for a while, but do you have any questions?"

"Well, no ... .... Ah, that ... ... Why are you asking me, a no-name and without a fan base or track record?"

"Why... I read your doujinshi"

By the way, Nikaido bought a doujinshi of Koigasaki from the internet.

"To be honest, I do not know the art, what caught me was the original story of that doujinshi.... I could not enjoy it enough. The composition of the story was also good, and it was also very well developed to expand the minds of the female readers who would probably be the main target. "

Nikaido began praising Koigasaki's doujinshi from the start. Indeed I am surprised to hear that from her.

"The joint magazine we make will have a high quality so I am by calling out to those who I feel would make wonderful work and that’s why I would like you to write a novel by all means"

That means ... Nikaido, you read the doujinshi of Koigasaki and you accepted her skill...? I thought that I also wanted to read that doujinshi and with a manuscript written by her...
Koigasaki, please say okay ...!

"Of course, I don’t expect a reply soon."

Nikaido tells Koigasaki who is still silent. Koigasaki is probably ... perplexed. She did not know well about writing for doujinshi at this time. Even if she were suddenly told by a person who is very friendly, to write a manuscript in a joint magazine ... ....

"Oh, I want to try ......"

"...... !?"

However, Koigasaki promptly decided on the spot. I was surprised because I did not expect to her to undertake it so soon.

"Yes, thanks!"

"But, really ... Is it okay....?"

"Of course, I read that doujinshi and wanted you to write it by all means"

"But ... ... that, that novel ... ... it was something I while looking at people, so ... well ..."
Koigasaki ...... After looking at me for a moment, told Nikaido.
...... Certainly, I gave advice to that novel, so Koigasaki is saying that....

"If it is so, this time also, Kashiwada-san please cooperate as well♪ Please help Momo, how reassuring, is it not!"

"Eh!?"

Murasaki suddenly touches my shoulder and says it.

"Kashiwada-san, of course, would you cooperate with me?"

"... ha…ha ... OK...."

Because I can’t refuse here, I accepted it for the time being.

"Momo, I am glad he accepted! You can write a manuscript with confidence again!"

"Oh, oh, um ... ... ... ... yes ..."
Koigasaki looked at me for just a moment, and immediately she turned her eyes off.

Are you serious…….
It became troublesome ... ....
Even at the moment I was being avoided by Koigasaki. In addition, we just canceled our agreement relationship, our relationship is already ... ... when I agreed to cooperate with Koiagasaki for her novel, our relationship is totally changed....
But ... ... I also realized that I had an excuse to be with Koigasaki .... I also realized myself that I am happy.
Of course, I am the only one who thinks like that, Koisagasaki ... is probably confused. Finally, from now on, she’s about getting along with Suzuki without me with her own power. Now, that I'm involved again
she needs to to get away ... ....
With Koigasaki who is thinking like that, how can I cooperate with writing her manuscript for doujinsh ... ... what can she do?

Eventually it seems that the closing time for the restaurant has come, so we decided to leave.

"About you purple! Well, in the entrance I thought that the picture was bad but it got all better soon.... So you always know pen-pen, well, you were always smiling and trying to calm everyone down, inner conflict fighting against our seniors! What was a real disgusting junior!”

Leaving the restaurant and walking to the station ... ... Nikaido is involved with Murasaki while walking with an inadvertent footstep. Nikaido drank so much that she could defeat Murasaki .... She was also completely drunk as well as Murasaki.

"Oh ~ Anna ahead, that, can you accept it as a compliment?"

"How would you know what I am talking about, how would you say it was a compliment!?"

"Its fun to drink alcohol! If we become adults, I'd like to try drinking with three people!"

Sakurai said such a thing while being drunk. Well, I do not want to get drunk like that ... ... but it certainly looks fun.

"Hey, it is still seven o'clock! Anna senpai, you haven’t been drinking at all!

"It is natural! I am stronger than you!"

Nikaido ... ... It seems that Murasaki sees her as a rival but she does not have to compete in such a place ... ....!

"I have come so far ... Well, I will go one more!"

"Of course you can have a bottle of wine or two yet!"

A little ... ... Are you going to drink this drunkard .... Well, which one is on good terms or bad?

"Huh ... .... Uh, well then.... for the moment, I will accompany you because I am concerned about the drunkards, but time is too late so please let the high school student go home, Okay ... I'm sorry to be a disappointment... "

For some reason Nagase apologized to me. She is a true woman.

"No……"

"Eh - ──────────────────────────!

"Drunkard please do not expose the adult's useless uselessness to a healthy minor any more"

Murasaki who tried to get close to us, Nagase put out her hand and stopped her. As usual, Murasaki is a partner and remarks are unrelenting.
Anyway, Murasaki, Nagase and Nikaido, who seems to want go drinking without the high school student, so we decided to break up here,

"Ah, that ... .... Everyone, today, thank you so much ...!!"
Finally, I thanked everyone on the spot.

In such words, it is not enough. I have to thank you properly in some form....
Especially, to Sakurai who organized today's party and hosted it ... ....

Away from the three adults, we walk the way to Roppongi station.

"Today, it was a lot of fun ~ The food was delicious ... .... I am the first time to come to a fashionable place in Roppongi ~"

"Even I am able to eat out here with my family occasionally"

"Wow, Momochan, do really to eat out in Roppongi?"

While we were talking things that have nothing to do with love, we arrived at the station in no time.
I ... well ... it was a lot of fun today.
I hope everyone will have a good day to have fun today, but I wish I could keep it all the way....
But ... I can not do that.
I and Koigasaki are already ... ....

"Oh, I ... You are supposed to pick me up to the station, Daddy"

"Oh! Is that so!?"

Sakurai and I are surprised at the line of Koigasaki. To be sure, during the day, Koigasaki refused the offer of her father to pick her up .... Did she change her mind?

"Today is already late and it's dangerous ... ... Please escort Azuki-chan home, Kashiwada."

"……eh!?"

Sakurai and I raise a voice at the same time.

"Well, that kind of ... ... That's okay! Even though it's going to be about this time, it's normal ... ...."

"Azuki's home is far away.....the roads are fairly dark road and dangerous ...., Kashiwada"

Koigasaki asked me with her eyes.

Certainly, it is already dark all over, so it may be better ... ... Why does Koigasaki have to ask me for such a thing?

"Oh ... I got it."

Since Koigasaki has seriously asked for it, I agreed.

"Well then, both of you... ... be careful on the way home."

"Yeah, see you again Monday ~!"

"See you……"

We waved goodbye to Koigasaki, we got off the stairs at the station and headed for the subway.

"Er, um ... ... Momo worried about it, but it's okay!"

"No, I will escort you home properly"

I promised, so I have to fulfill my promise.

"But, but ... well, it's quite a distance from the station, will Kashiwada return home late?"

"It's okay that we're going to be late today, you really do not have to worry."

"Sure, is that ...? ... Well then ... thank you."

Finally Sakurai gave up, so I decided to escort Sakurai to her house.
I bought tickets to the nearest station to Sakurai - san 's house. It is the second time that I went to her home, the last time I went on my bicycle ....
As we got on the train, we had a seat to ourselves.

"Well, I was really surprised today .... Koigasaki came to pick me up at the station by her father's car and forcibly got me on the car ... I was wondering what's going on!"

"Er ... Momo, did not say anything about that, didn’t she, Kashiwada !?"

"That's right! I thought that I was being kidnapped!"

"Hahahaha!"

"Even so, Murasaki, I'm pretty drunk, is not it?"

"Really, right! Also, Nikaido-san!"

"Will they be drinking more now?"

"Because Nagase-san is a drunk, it will be serious ... ...."

We talked about having fun today. While talking, the time has passed in quickly and soon we arrive at Sakurai's station.
We both got off the train, left the ticket gate, and walked the way to Sakurai's house.

"Kashiwada-kun is ... really nice,"

"……Huh!?"

Suddenly Sakurai said such a thing on the way walking in the street.

"Oh, no ... you do not have to worry, really ... ...."

Because I was told by Koigasaki, there was no idea of sending me originally, so if you told me like that ... I'm in trouble.

"Oh, no ... ... of course it is also to send it ...."

Sakurai turned her face to me and stopped for a moment.

"The cake I made ... really it was not delicious, is it ...?"

"…………eh!?"

I will never tell Sakurai.

"Well ... why, why ...?"

I thought that if I shut up, it is as good as saying its true....!

"No, no, that's not the case ..."

I tried to withdraw my remarks in a hurry, but I could not withdraw successfully and my words got entangled.

"It's okay ... ... I already know ... ... I'm sorry ... I'm sorry! I will let Kashiwada eat a failed work .... I was able to do it, so I thought it was a success. I'm sorry but ....After all, I should have tasted it ... "
Sakurai apologized to me for feeling sorry.

"No……"

It is useless, I can no longer deny ... as Sakurai herself seems to be aware ...

"That ...how did you notice ...?"

"I saw how Kashiwada was eating, I understood."

Dammit, I thought I acted perfectly, but was seen through...?! I don’t have much talent in acting....

"Yet Kashiwada ... you desperately ate it all, as though it was delicious, and said it was delicious several times…so as not make me sad. And not shame me in front of everyone ..."

"Sakurai-san ... ...."
I thought....

"Kashiwada Kun ... ... Sorry, you are too kind."

Sakurai smiled with a somewhat disconcerting face.
No way, I never thought she would blame herself ... ....

"No ... because I was happy that you made a cake for me ...."
It sounds shallow, but this is my real feeling.

"Not only that ...Sakurai, thank you very much for today."
I thanked Ms. Sakurai a second time again.

"Well, that, ... that ..."
Ms. Sakurai hid her face with her hands.

"I thought the party would not happen without Sakurai. Today's party"
It was Sakurai-san who sponsored the party today and spoke to everyone. I cannot thank her enough.

"What? ... No, no, I have not done anything in particular ... ...."
Sakurai tilts her head curiously and says such a thing.

"Huh?"
I feel a little discomfort in that remark. Oh, maybe, is she being humble?

"Oh, yes, afterwards! I also celebrated my birthday in the evening ... No, I, honestly.... I was struck in various ways but thanks to Ms. Sakurai, I was saved..."

"Well, that kind of ... ... It's exaggerated ... ...."

"It's not exaggeration .... I, how can I thank Sakurai...?"

It is easy to return presents or return things for things. But... Sakurai did something I could not easily repay.

"Well, that ... ...."

"No, my feelings about this will not change!"

"Thank you, ... ...."
Sakurai makes a point of departure.

"Yeah ... ... If there is something you want me to do, whatever ... ...."

"anything……?"

She raised her face and looked at me.

"Well then……"
Look at me with a serious look.

"... ... please remember"

"Huh?"

... .... Memories?
I do not get the meaning of Sakurai and as she speaks, she steps toward me
She approaches me ...

To my cheek ... ... lightly, for a moment ...... Her lips touched.
She kissed me.
She steps back from me.

"With this ... ... It is not possible to forget me"
She has a strange smile. That face was red.

"What .......Eh..........!?"

...... Now, what the heck ... ... what happened...?
I could not understand my situation, I fall into a state of confusion.
We already walked far from the station, so there is almost no traffic. Because there are not many cars, I am alone with Sakurai in the quiet night road. My heartbeats rises steadily.

"... .... Ah, that ... ... "

Sakurai's voice breaks the silence.
She shouted at the bottom of my clothes, with a word.

"...... っ!?"

I am surprised to see her face. Her face is red and she face and is watching me with lavish eyes.

"Well, as I said a bit ago, but ... that I am a no good otaku girl in school .... I am weak around boys like Kashiwada…without asking for anything, Kashiwada helped me and trusted me like the time he asked me to help Momo ..."

Suddenly Sakurai started talking while shaking. So that was the attitude the first time we met after all ...? I asked her for help and trusted her...when I asked Sakurai for help when Koigasaki's cosplay costume was damaged.....? But why is she suddenly repeating that old story ...?

"At first, this person, I thought that he was different from the boys and girls who were rude and insensitive with sex ... ... Somehow I started to worry ... If I do not come and sort of fidgets, I mind myself carelessly ...... Such, for the first time...... "

Huh……? Huh…………?

"Kashiwada-kun is chasing girls, running wild or acting strange…
Even if he says something, he accepts everyone for who they are..."

"Every time he is so gentle to me, I am crushed each time .... He is also kind to Momo-chan, so he is gentle to others as well...."

"When we talk, we have so much fun, we tend to forget the time .... It's my first time talking with a boy so much, so I'm happy.... I heard that you like me, I'm so shocked, as you are also on good terms with other girls. Look at me, my chest hurts ..."

"Sakurai-san...."

"... .... a little hentai, sometimes insensitive, but always working hard, sincere, more gentle than anyone ...... Kashiwada is not an ideal person… but for me, he is the ideal person...... I am saying that Kashiwada-kun........”

Her voice is trembling.

Before I knew it, there was tears in her eyes.
She stared straight into my eyes and inhaled her breath.

"I love you! My favorite person is Kashiwada! This feeling ... absolutely will not lose to anyone!"

"…………Huh……?"

"Thank you for escorting me! Good night!"

As soon as Sakurai finished speaking, she turned her back and ran away.

I still haven’t understood all the events that have happened, my brain is stumped and not working.
Sakurai - san, kissed me... and then....
She..... confessed.....?
Each and every one of her words still resonates in my mind.
Her serious look is burned to my eyes and does not fade away.
I thought whether it was a dream. Everything about today's events.... I find it difficult to believe that everything that happened today is a dream.
Standing alone in the dark street, even after Sakurai's presence has long disappeared, I was still standing in that place forever.

=========Continues to Volume 9===========

| Back to [[Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure!:Volume 8 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
| Return to [[Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure!|Main Page]]
|-
|}
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Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure!:Volume 8 Chapter 6

2017-05-18T05:38:43Z

JFerg:

The next Saturday.

Because Murasaki sent an email for me to come to Roppongi station at twelve o'clock, I headed to Roppongi station with a nervous look.
Maybe this is a date ... what is it? Even so, it's a meeting in Roppongi, a fashionable city ...My heart is palpitating since morning. Of course its my first time to come to Roppongi.
I arrived at the station and I did not know exactly where to go, so I sent an email to Murasaki.
While I was e-mailing, the vibrator of my cell phone rang. Looking at the characters that appeared on the screen, I am amazed.

"From: Koigasaki"

A call from Koigasaki.....Why?!?
Hurriedly, I pushed the call button and took the call.

"Well ... ... Hello ... ...."

"Hello Kashiwada? Where are you now? "

Finally I heard Koigasaki's voice after a long time....

"Can you hear me?"

I was silent for a time and Koigasakispoke again.

"Oh, now? I am in Roppongi, but...."

"How far from Roppongi Station? Roppongi station, what exit? "

"We..well, on the Hibiya line, I am not far from the ticket gate ..."

"Please wait near Exit 3"

After being told by Koigasaki, I went up looking for exit 3. I was told to wait there, so I spent some time there.
What on earth are you up to...? I do not understand the meaning of all this, especially having a conversation after a long while.
And then, a car stopped in front of me.

I am not interested in cars, so I do not know the car type, but the shining black car has a low ceiling.
It is a fancy car, a luxury car.
At the next moment, the door of the luxury car's backseat opens ... ... from inside, a beautiful woman wearing a bright red dress appeared.

"........Koi...gasaki?"

Incredibly ......The beautifully dressed woman was Koigasaki. Her makeup and clothes seem to be more mature than usual, and I didn’t recognize her for a moment.
Suddenly this beautiful girl who came out of a luxury car was very conspicuous and was drawing attention around her.
That sight ... ... was like from a painting or from a movie scene.

"........................"

I was struck by the sight and couldn’t move or not say anything.
Soon Koigasaki noticed me and came near me.
So Beautiful…….
She really is......unbelievably beautiful....

"............"

For some reason, Koigasaki seemed to check my whole body from top to bottom, and wrinkled her brows.

"Well ... no, in that outfit...."

Suddenly I was pulled back to reality.

"Haah ... ...!! What's up...?!?"

My clothes of today are black cardigans on the gray shirt on top and jeans on the bottom.
The cardigans and jeans were recently purchased cheaply through Amazon's mail order. The number of evaluation ★ was 4
The review said, "Good looking without being pricey and with a simple design anyone can wear”
I remembered Koigasaki’s advice that "safe clothes are the best" and purchased them. I think I bought well, too....

"My clothes looks stupid, don't they!?"

"Wow! Oh, it's different ... Unexpectedly they are normal and safe, nice clothes ... but that's not the case."

While I'm pleased for being praised for the first time by Koigasaki, then I wondered what the hell was wrong.

"This"

"Huh?"

Koigasaki stuck a paper bag toward me.

"Change your clothes. In the car"

"...What is.......?"

"Because I cannot stand that look, change your clothes quickly"

Looking inside the paper bag from Koigasaki, there were clothes and shoes.

"What the ... change clothes, why ..."

While I was in a state of confusion, the door of the driver's seat of a luxury car opened, someone came out. A middle-aged man is standing. I wonder if he is about forty. Overall, he looks fashionable and cool, with a dandy atmosphere

I bowed to him.

"Thank you for your hard work..."

Although I do not understand the situation at all, I returned a greeting.

"Here, we don’t have much time, change your clothes quickly."

"Whoops!?"

Koigasaki pushed my back and forced me into the rear seat of the car and closed the door.

"What, what is...."
Anyway, I took out clothes from the paper bag. There was a white shirt, a black jacket, black pants, then leather shoes. Somehow ... I thought it was clothing in for a formal atmosphere.
I do not know the reason at all, but I decided to change my clothes, as ordered by Koigasaki.

"Hey ... ... I changed my clothes ..."

After changing my clothes, I opened the door of the car and told Koigasaki.

"... ... Hmmm ... ...not bad…"

Koigasaki commented when she saw me as she also got out of the car.

"……Huh?"

The dandy old man also got into the driver's seat and closed the door.

"Okay, let’s move out."

Since Koigasaki closed the door of the car, she told Dandy. With the words as signs, the car starts running.

"Wha......! ... ... ... Ko..Koigasaki .....Where are we going...!"

"Noisy, I want a peaceful ride"

"Whaa.....!?"

Who is this Dandy...? Where are we heading? Why is Koigasaki here?! Koigasaki's appearance is surprising! Why did you made me change! What is it with these fancy clothes? There are plenty of things I wanted to ask, but I kept silent until the car arrived at our destination.
I got out of the car.

"............"

I saw Koigasaki sitting in the back seat. Her hair is made up more than usual.
Sharp shining earrings. A silver necklace that shines in her white chest. Crimson lipstick. A tube top dress that exposes a little flesh, exposing the shoulder and collarbone. When she scooped her hair, the scent of perfume different from usual drifted faintly, and my heart throbs.
......She has the sexy allure of a mature woman....
I was staring too long at Koigasaki, who became aware that I was watching. I panicked a little.
After running for about three minutes, the car stopped.

"Well, thank you Dad"

!!!Dad!!!

"Shall I pick you up on the way home?"

"No, how many times have I told you I don’t know what time I can be back."
"Don’t stay out too late, ok?"

When we got off, the car departed.

"Hey, is that your….."

"Yep, that's my dad"

Koigasaki replied. I still can’t understand anything.

"Where is he going to...?"

"Enter this store,"

Koigasaki pointed to the fancy looking restaurant in front of me.

"What? What is this place!? But I have a promise to go with Murasaki ..."

"Don’t talk back, just go in!"

I was pushed back at Koigasaki, I opened the door of the restaurant without any help, and went inside.
Next moment....

"Happy birthday!” “Congratulations!"

I heard the party poppers inside the shop ...Inside were Sakurai and Murasaki.

"Eh... Eh ...!"

I still cannot believe the situation inside of the restaurant.
It looks luxurious and fashionable, but there are no other guests besides us.
There are several round tables inside, but no chairs. There are a few sofas in the corner of the restaurant. What is going on here...?

Ms. Sakurai and Ms. Murasaki were also dressed up. Perhaps, I changed clothes was because for this fancy restaurant...is that it? I heard that there are dress codes in high-class places and ...

"Kashiwada, are you surprised?"

Sakurai who wrapped herself in a pure white lace dress asked me delightfully.

"Huh, are you so surprised you cannot say anything?"

Murasaki who is wearing a light purple, slightly sexy dress with some breast exposed, says laughingly.

"Why are all of you here......."

"Don’t you understand yet, this is your birthday party"
After I was told by Koigasaki who is behind me, I finally grasped the situation.

A birthday party...?
Just for me, everyone dressed up for this fancy place...? Even though Ms. Sakurai celebrated with me the other day….I am deeply impressed.

"Seriously ...... all of you... bothered for me..."

I wonder how blessed is this year's birthday...?

"Well, let's eat before the food cools down!"

When I heard Murasaki from the back, I noticed that the dishes were lined up in a Viking style. Salads, roast beef, pizza, doria, pasta ... ... They all seem to be very tasty. We go side by side to get the food.

"Why there are no other customers ......?”

“Well, we reserved the place...!"

If you rent out such a high-class place.... How much will it cost? And with a fancy menu... how much money did you spent on my birthday??
Imagining this, cold sweat flows unexpectedly from my forehead.

"It’s not much, since the place is owned by a friend of dad's, so my dad asked it for me so we’re fine."

Koigasaki said that ... I do not know which part of story is true, however.
Again, I feel that the family of Koigasaki is rich. At least, I was able to thank her father who I met a while ago. I was not polite enough... ___ ___ 0
Anyway, Koigasaki...... I thought that she was avoiding me for some time... why....
Then, she asks her father for this party....? I have no idea what she is thinking about.

"Here, Kashiwada, if you do not eat soon, your food will get cold."

"Oh, oh, that's right ..."

Talking to Murasaki, I hurriedly started eating.

"U ... ... good ............"

The dishes were very tasty, I was impressed.
Oh, how happy I am now....
My tears seemed to overflow.
I have enjoyed fine dining at last.

"Well then, let’s move on to the main event soon!"

Sakurai spoke to everyone.

Main event.....?

"Well then, then for first ... Murasaki-san, please do it"

"Yes, I understand!!"

Murasaki was nominated by Sakurai... Murasaki took out a gift from a paper bag and handed it to me.

"Kashiwada-kun, happy birthday!!"

"Oh ...... yes .....thank you ... ...."

This is a birthday gift... That's it! She prepared such a thing...! I am very impressed.

"Well then ... let me open it ..."

The package is flat and about B5 sized. Is it a book or something? It was carefully wrapped...

"............ What!?"

I was surprised at the contents of the gift and raised a strange voice.

It is a doujin magazine... In the middle of the cover is a boy wearing a uniform in black hair ... (somehow he feels similar to me ... but looks more cool) is drawn and with three different girls around him.
I wonderedabout what ... ... The looks of these girls seem familiar.... No, it is due to....?
The cover has Murasaki's picture as well, and I could see that it was a doujinshi she drew.

"Please try looking inside, ♪"

"Oh, ok...."

While being puzzled, I looked at the contents.
Inside, similar to the front cover, Murasaki's cartoon was drawn.
Like the cover, I was in the middle of the first frame, with dialogue beside it.

"I am Naoki Kashiwada. I am a healthy male high school student who turned sixteen today. "

"............ っ!?"

Reading the doujinshi this far, I gazed at Murasaki.

"Okay, what is this ...?!?"

"Please continue reading♪"

I was told by Ms. Murasaki so I read the continuation of her doujinshi.

"Kashiwada! Today ... ... It is your birthday, is not it? ... well... I have a place I want to go out with you...."

"Kashiwada-kun ... ... Please let me celebrate Kashiwada's birthday today! "

"............ !?"

In the next scene ... ... a character looking like Koigasaki and a character very similar to Sakurai suddenly appeared. There can be no mistake.

"Is that a doujinshi drawn by Murasaki? I want to see it!"

"I also want to see it!"

"Well, wait a while ... after I finished reading ... ...."

I see, this doujinshi by Murasaki, was not yet seen by Koigasaki and Sakurai....
Somehow I got a bad feeling, and I hid the pages so that they cannot see...

"... ... Huh?"

I turned a couple of pages ......the character similar to Koigasaki is now half-naked and hugging me tightly, saying "I will not give you to anyone!"...

Then the character resembling Sakurai is getting to be a dramatic character...... Somehow it looks like she wears her uniform in bed and blushes her face when she says "I did everything for Kashiwada…”

Ouchh!!! I don’t like to see what happens next!

"Hey Kashiwada, let me read it a bit, don’t monopolize"

"No, I’m not finished yet!"

I turned the pages further ... ... then I dropped the doujinshi on the floor.

"What ... What is this, is this!?"

Next scene, the character similar to Murasaki apeared... ... tempting me and acting like a slut. It is over! This is real!
After screaming I hurriedly picked up the dropped doujinshi in a panic.
Then I saw on the cover…On the right side of the front cover there was a notation "R16" in red letters.

"R16 !?"

"Well, it's your 16th birthday, so I tried drawing a for 16-doujinshi magazine ♪It was hard work to adjust the eroticism for the 16 year old ban?"
Why bother doing such a thing! It really is going around the sixteen year old prohibition! The content may not even pass the 18 year old ban! But I have never heard of a sixteen year old ban. How devious of Murasaki....!

At the bottom of the cover ... "* This comic is fiction. It has nothing to do with real people and groups*”

Although I found out the notice ... Does this person think that even if she put this notice, that she will be forgiven for this?

"Have you already finished reading?

"Yes, but it's useless! I will never show you this!"

PIC P113

Koigasaki put up her hands, but I hid the doujinshi and refused to give it to her.

"What...! ... Because Murasaki it drew for you, you want to have it all for yourself!? ... .... Hmm, that's fine if that’s what you want!"

Koigasaki seemed to be in a bad mood because of this, she sharply stared at me, then turned her face away.

"Well... so that’s it... and I wanted to see as well, this is disappointing ..."

Sakurai disappointedly dropped her shoulders.

No ... ... I have a perfectly good reason for not showing you...!

I saw Murasaki who is the root of all this, laughing all the time.

"Huuu...after this ... I will read it slowly ..."

I cannot read more of this horrifying doujinshi here, I will tell her without strength.

"Well, that might be better ♪ If possible, when nobody is in your room ... ...."

"!? ...Whaaa….I don’t mean it like that!"

I heard Murasaki's whisper and made a loud retort as I threw the magazine into my bag before someone gets hold of this dangerous item.

"Well then ... ... the next present is from me!"

Sakurai then took out a box from her bag.

"eh……!?"

But Sakurai already gave me present the other day...

"Even if I already gave one... ... Today is a bonus"

I received a slightly larger box from Ms. Sakurai.

"Oh, thank you ... can I open it?"

"Yes, please!"

I put a box on the table and opened it.... A delicious pound cake for one appeared

"Here, this is ... ..."

"I was really thinking about making everyone's part, but the big pound cake failed and got burned ...Because only a small sized cake could be made with the remaining materials, it is only enough for Kashiwada..."

Sakurai's homemade cake!
Sakurai is really like a regular girl.... It was my first time to receive a handmade cake from a girl, I was greatly touched.

"It looks great!Azuki is good at cooking! "

"Yeah, I don’t usually cook, so I am a little worried .... Kashiwada, have you had your fill of delicious dishes....?"

"Not at all! Thank you! It looks really delicious and I will eat some now!"

"Well, really?"

"Yeah, I will!"

I used a fork to get some of the handmade cake of Sakura.

"……whaa…?"

I stabbed the fork but could not get a piece of the cake.

"... ...?"

I have no choice but use my mouth...... At this point, I was stupid so I did not have any doubt.....

"...... !?"

What the….My teeth couldn’t take a bite out of the cake. I took another bite with more strength.

"Gwaa"

...... When I bit, I heard a strange sound that a cake shouldn’t make.

Sakurai's handmade cake ... was rock hard. To be honest, I thought that my teeth broke.
And I cannot taste anything, I wonder why if I suddenly got a taste disorder

"Uh ......, water ......!"

From the moment when I put the cake in my mouth...... All the moisture in my mouth was sucked by the cake, the inside of my mouth became dry and it became difficult to speak.

"Goho ... ... Keihod, Gehok ............ Gaho!!"

Due to the lack of moisture, a part of the cake got stuck to my throat, I think I am about to die in too much pain.

"Well, Kashiwada, are you OK?"

Sakurai gave me water with a worried face.
In a panic, I gulped a lot of water... I am saved......
I was wondering if I could have been killed by a cake ...my eyes are teary.

"Sorry, sorry ... Was it a failure...?!? I made a cake for the first time ... ...."

Sakurai gave me a look that bordered on crying and asked me. Oh…no....

"Wha.....What are you saying?! It was so delicious and that I greedily bit too much!"
I strongly denied her words. Your face told me that you baked it with great pains...!

"Well ... .... Well, is that....?"

"Of course! It's better than a store cake!"

I thought that I should also show by action, so I ate the rest of the cake at once. I immediately drank water to wash it down, just in case. It was almost a very magical experience to swallow a hard tasteless cake. I feel like I'm eating a sponge used to wash dishes. No, it's harder than that. I mean, I have never eaten a sponge before.

"Garigarigari ... ...."

It's strange ... I'm supposed to be eating pound cake ....what are these sounds coming from me....?

"... ... Ha, ha, ha ... ...."

After swallowing, I desperately breathed hard. Ha, it was nice to swallow that.... Still a strange taste remained in the mouth ....I want to eat something delicious soon....

"Kashiwada-kun ......"

Sakurai-san looked like she was scared.

"Oh no ... well ... that was good! You can eat as much as you want even in a full stomach!"

In a panic, I told Sakurai about my impression.

"Wow! Why didn’t you share it with us?! Why did you eat all of it?"

"Since it was so tasty, I definitely wanted to try it ... ... Azuki's handmade cake ......"

Koigasaki and Murasaki seems to be envious.

"Oh, I'm sorry! It was so nice, I ate it all at once..."

"You, aren’t you full yet?"

The taste of Koigasaki's cooking was also intense ... ... Sakurai-san may have lost here.... What on earth did she do to make that horrible cake? Even if I die, I will never tell my true impression of the taste...
However, as I am thankful that she took the trouble to make a cake for me, my response was not wrong at that....

"Well, er ... ... then the last is Momo-chan ..."

Sakurai introduced Koigasaki....
She took a paper bag from a chair.
Even Koigasaki? A present even after all this...?

"Congratulations"

Koigasaki gave the paper bag to me.

"Oh, oh ... ... Thank you ..."

I did not expect that Koigasaki would still give me a present, so I thanked her while receiving the paper bag.

"Can I open it ..."

Because Koigasaki nodded, I opened the paper bags on the spot.

"Oh, this is ..."

Clothes came out from inside.
It is more than 1 item. When I opened the... shirts, pants, belts, cardigans ... Koigasaki bought all this...?!?
These are all very fashionable clothes...... I could not buy them myself.
In other words, Koigasaki ... got me a second set of clothes... what is that...?

"You, this is too much ............"

Not surprising, she does not reply. I wonder how much these clothes are worth....?

"Well, apparently, even today you bothered about my clothes..."

"Oh ... those clothes are hand-me-downs from father. I asked for them, so you don’t have to worry about it"

"Well, that ... ... is that ...?."

Hand-me-downs...? I thought they are new items since they are in a beautiful state....

"It looks great on you! Kashiwada-san, please try it by all means" ♪

Murasaki told me so I borrowed the rest room in the restaurant and changed to the clothes I got from Koigasaki.

After finishing changing clothes, I looked at the large mirror in the restroom... the clothes suited me very well. The size is perfect and also well suited for my skin color with white and gray as a keynote. Simple but very fashionable, makes you feel the good taste of Koigasaki.

Murasaki and Sakurai praised me when I got out and returned. Koigasaki praised me as well.

"Well, I guess you look better than usual, is it?

"Yes, you can choose clothes like this yourself, right?"

"Oh, ah ... ... That's right ... ... Thank you ......"

Today I was not angry at Koigasaki’s remark. I meekly thanked her.
I do not understand, but I thought she was angry with me...? If so, why are you giving me such awesome gifts...?

Of course, a gift is a gift ... ... I don’t know why Koigasaki was avoiding me before, but I am very happy that I can talk with Koigasaki like this now.
You can still look down on me. If I stumble, you can still abuse me a little bit. Hopefully, from now on... I want to continue as before this so far. Please do not avoid me anymore.
How happy it is for me to be able to spend my time with Koigasaki as usual.... I realized that again today.
I still don’t know why she was avoiding me until today, but if this state continues at school, on Monday, I will be able to get through from day to day. Oh, it truly is good…….

Suddenly the doors of the restaurant opened.

"eh……!?"

Anna Nikaido, a senior at the high school of Murasaki and a writer as well. She was wearing a beautiful chic black dress.Behind her, another friend of Murasaki, who is also a writer, also appeared. She is also dressed up wearing a simple green dress.

"Shino, Anna-san!"

Murasaki calls the names of the two. Why are they here...?
Nikaido and Nagase came into the restaurant and went to me.

"How are you Kashiwada? Happy birthday"

"Congratulations, Kashiwada"

"Oh ......! Oh, thank you ...."

Nikaido and Nagase are congratulating me.

"I called them"
Murasaki explained to me with a smile.

"Well, that was ... ...."

Both of them came all the way here for me....

"No way, I did not even think to refuse an invitation to come with Anna-senpai!"

Murasaki ran up to Nikaido and grips her hand.

"Huh, what ... what kind of wind blowing around for you to come over to me with a smile?”

Nikaido is wary as Murasaki's attitude is different from usual.

"Wow, you smell of sake! Purple ... you're drunk!?"

Mu…Murasaki san...... If you thought you were just getting more cheerful than ever, but are you already drunk...? If I think back it certainly seems like she was drinking wine a little while ago....

"I'm not drunk, I guess ....Anna senpai, let’s also drink together ♪"

"Don’t stick to me, you drunk! Nagase do something about purple!"

"Anna-san ...... I feel sad"

"Wha.... what the hell! Don’t just look! Please help!"

Murasaki was holding Nikaido's arm, but Nikaido is trying to remove it violently.
Both Nikaido and Nagase will not go all the way to my birthday party if they don’t want to go. I also wanted to thank Murasaki for calling them.

"Kashiwada, are you enjoying yourself~ !?"

"...... っ!?"

I was surprised to hear Murasaki suddenly from behind me when I was picking dessert. I was also surprised to see Murasaki get entangled in my arms.
She seems upset as I look at her. Her face is not very red, but I guess she's pretty drunk at the moment....

"I can see ... Four people getting excited talking about a popular game so I cannot participate,"

"A popular online game...?"

Murasaki says, as I look at Koigasaki, Sakurai, Nagase and Nikaido. Certainly, the four are talking excitedly and enjoying themselves. No way that these four people are riled up because of a game....

"It seems to be popular now?? I haven’t played it at all and cannot participate.... and Shino said,
"Do not butt in if you don’t understand, you drunk" I was told earlier..."

"Haha ... ... Nagase-san, as usual is merciless towards Murasaki..."

Then Murasaki stared at me suddenly. I got excited when I noticed our close distance....

"Kashiwada-san, did something happen at the cultural festival last time?"

"……eh!?"

Murasaki asked such a question abruptly while looking at my face.
Did something happen from that...? Speaking of that big event, there is one thing that came to my mind.
I confessed to my favorite child and I was dumped.
However, it was such a dumpy story, an unhappy story that I don’t want to talk about it in the first place.

"No, nothing in particular...."

When trying to respond properly.

"That’s a lie!"

Pointing at my head with a bishi-bishi sound, Murasaki continued.

"I can see it in your eyes…?"

"I feel that something is quite a bit different from the last time I saw you... I guess the boy has experienced something and became an adult, isn’t it?"

"Whaaa...... !?"

I should not have made a strange sound, but when I heard the remark of this person, I cannot stop myself, I am in trouble....... I mean, it is serious.... Even drunk, this is a sharp person....
I was trying not to remember being dumped by Hasegawa today, I was having fun in this place where everyone is celebrating my birthday. While I was trying to behave well, she was able to see my heart like that?

You're too sharp....

"What happened? Why not talk to your onee-san?"

"Well ... well, I wish I could talk to someone who is not drunk...."

Ignoring Murasaki's drunken behavior, I also forgot that she was four years older, and spoke in a rude manner. Well, whatever. Anyway she was drunk.

"I am not being rude! And I am not drunk at all!"

"........................"

I look at her with cold eyes.

"Wait a minute, you can tell your onee-san anything!"

...................

Well ... OK. Since you are drunk, you will forget everything after you become sober....

"... ... I've been heartbroken"

I took a dessert and said it.

"……Huh?"

Murasaki made big eyes on my words.

"............"

With my eyes wide open, I look at her face. At that moment.... Why she didn’t look drunk at all.

".....broken-hearted ......? That’s heavy, is it?"

Then she looked away from me. It is unusual for her, was she upset?

"It's heavy, that's it, I got hurt like hell."

I've repeated the words I said like a drunk in a drinking table ... ... I feel like I am in such a state right now. As I was not drunk, but I felt drunk to myself, and I feel like more drunk than her.

"Is that so……"

Murasaki kept silent while keeping her eyes off me. What on earth happened?
Then she raised her face again and looked at me. Her face had its cheerful smile back.

"So even attractive men like Kashiwada ... can be broken-hearted"

The next moment.....Murasaki suddenly turned her arm and tangled it at my neck.

"Oh ......! Choke…hey...!"

I shook violently and turned my eyes towards Koigasaki. Unfortunately, the four of them are still going on with their conversation, so no one was concerned about us, but I feel that she is aware of us. I immediately put my dessert on a nearby table.

"Oh, thanks for the compliment ...... Thank you very much!"

Because I am miserable and being wrestled by a drunk, I desperately pretended to feel nothing and responded.

"That is nothing, Kashiwada-san is so attractive."

"What are you doing, what ... ...."

Naoki Kashiwada never believes in the words of drunks!

When I looked down at her face-to-face faced state, I saw her white chest from the opening of her dress. Oooh, this is a pretty good... just a little closer ... oh yeah! I am looked too long! I hurriedly removed my gaze from her chest.
...... At that moment, she laughed.
Huh……? Did she notice...?

"Oh? Kashiwada-san ... ... What were you looking at just now?"

"...... っ!?"

To her ridiculous question, I'm about to spurt.

"Oh no ... ...! I didn’t...look anywhere..."!

"Huh, you can tell me the truth, I will not be angry about such a thing ... ... What have you been seeing?"

Murasaki brings her face closer and gazes at my eyes while grinning at a close range.
It seems that she intends to make me confess that I was watching her chest. I am in deep! I mean, I do not know exactly where I was watching!
...... And this drunk will probably strangle me.... even in front of other people....

"............ so much, if it's painful ..."

"eh……"

Next moment. She looks staring at me with a serious look with a completely different appearance from when she was joking around.

"Will you let your sister...comfort you?"

Her eyes are not laughing and she looks terribly upset and miserable.

"............ っ"

Ku ... ..., I'm trying to reply something that will not be misunderstood by my partner, but I am not ready. Her line is so outrageous, its almost like foul play. My face is now as red and perhaps I look drunk as well.
I cannot look at her due to my embarrassment. I can’t say anything.

"Hehuu"

When she saw how I was, she laughed satisfactorily. Finally, she lets go of my neck.
... ... I feel relieved... and so lonely....

"Kashiwada-san ... ... is so cute!"

"You’re making fun of me...... I'm not glad that a man is called cute...."

"Well, please be happy about it!"

"Well, what ... ...."

I could never say what I thought about her.

"Whenever you need me, I will be there!"

She spreads her hands towards me with a full smile.

".................."

...... Absolutely, one hundred percent, definitely ... I guess she’s joking.
She is drunk ... ... certainly, I do not think seriously about what she said.
Although I felt like I was saved in her words ...for now.

"Kashiwada-kun! Murasaki-san! Well, what on earth are you doing in that place!?"

"Hey purple ... ... It is unbearable for Kashiwada to be with a drunk...!"

Sakurai and Nagase came and called us.
Sakurai comes close to me with a look that seems to be slightly suspicious.
Nagase is also staring at Murasaki with a lot of doubts.

"How rude! I have not done any weird things to Kashiwada"

Funny thing is ... I feel like I was told that I was done ....
Sakurai and Nagase left with Murasaki for dessert, leaving me all alone.

... ... Huh ... .... Calm down me.....!
That person is just being strange as usual...... However, today's she is too much! She is drinking sake! She is getting more drunk than the time we went to the Okonomiyaki restaurant at the launch of the last month's sanctui!
...... No, well, honestly, it would be great if she did not get drunk like that....!
Even so, if only ... ... Murasaki's "Shall I comfort you?" "Please let me comfort you!” What is going on?
What does she mean by "comfort"...? How was she supposed to comfort me? In what way?
From her that erotic way of saying, it is somewhat different from the ordinary meaning of "comforting"? Am I thinking too much...!?
Is this a virgin thinking...?!?
In my brain, delusions are starting to fill my thoughts.
Okay, I calmed down once, but then I got excited again....
Ahhh! If I just have more calmness and boldness ... ... I wonder if something nice expansion might have been waiting...!

"Kashiwadawa-kun ... ... What's on earth?"
"Oh!"
Sakurai - san is asked to call me back to reality in a panic. Apparently, it seems like I was staring blankly into space while eating dessert. It was bad, I was unconsciously thinking....

"No, no, no ... ...."

"............?"

Sakurai tilted her head and looked at my face strangely.
Then Sakurai, Murasaki and Nagase returned to Koigasaki and Nikaido, and had drinks and dessert while enjoyed talking with each other.

"Oh, I need to go to the washroom a bit..."

Koigasaki went out to go to the bathroom.
I panicked and chase after Koigasaki.

"Hey, Koigasaki"

When I called, Koigasaki turned around.

"……eh!?"

Looking at her face, I raise a surprised voice.
Looking at the face of Koigasaki ... ... It seemed messed up.

"Wh, what with your ...?!?"

When you were with everyone a while ago, you seem to be having fun.

"What about my face?"

"No, no ... ... it's so bad, so ...."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh….”

"... What is ...?"

Why does it make me overly conscious if I point out to Koigasaki that she is in a bad mood? I do not understand Koigasaki.

"...... I mean, what are you doing in that place away from everyone? What were you thinking? Are you unsatisfied with your birthday party...?

"What?! I feel fine, I was not alone, I was with Azu-chan ..."

"So, so what are you talking about a while ago!?"

I stopped the words of Koigasaki by rubbing her shoulders, or she will not stop until she verbally abuse me.

"...... ___ ___ ___ 0 ... ... Do not touch me!

At that moment, Koigasaki shook my hand from her shoulder with strength.

"...... !?"

She was red in the face and she sharply stared at me. To that excessive reaction, I went out the door to distract her. This fellow is obviously acting strange....

"... you ... what the hell are you talking about? What crazy thing are you talking about... What is it?”

"............ If you do not understand, good."

She said in a low voice, muttering.

"... What was ...?"

Koigasaki who turned her face from me was sullen.

I wanted to talk to her because I could not understand why I was abused suddenly like that, but if I talk about it more, she may get serious.
This person, I'm scared of her... Why are you so suddenly acting like this....?
Although I was worried a lot about the reason why she was scared, I could not put Koigasaki in a bad mood and destroy the festive air in this place, I could not help it any more.
I gave up for the time being.

"So, what did you want to say to me?"

"Oh, ah ......"

I was worried for a moment whether to tell her this thing troubling me that I could not understand ... but for the time being, I need to say something I have to say, so I opened my mouth.

"No ... ... Today, I want to thank you ..."

"……Huh?"

In my words, Koigasaki who had a cranky expression just made her eyes round.

"Renting out such a good place to have a birthday party..... I got up to such a big present ..."

Because I thought that I this is a good time to thank her, I took this opportunity.
I owe a great thanks to Koigasaki for this delightful feeling today, so I must thank her properly.
Sometimes, Koigasaki thinks about something for someone. Then, after a breath, she opened her mouth.

"No, I guess you misunderstood, but I just took care of the place, so it's not all from me."

"……eh!?"

I cannot hide embarrassment in Koigasaki which I say with a cold appearance.

"I asked Dad to prepare a place and planned today's party because Azuki-chan asked me to… "

"Well, that's right ......"

Clearly, Koigasaki asked his father to ask the father to rent out the restaurant, so I was convinced that Koigasaki hosted it. Did Sakurai-san do the project? .... I would like to thank Ms. Sakurai a second time... Even though I celebrated my birthday with her, she still put up this party....

"Ah, but thanks a lot for your present..."

Tell the gift of giving back to Koigasaki again.

"... Well, it also serves as a thank you for the last time..."

"Thank you for what time...?"

"When I cooked at Suzuki’s place... You did a lot of things,"

"Oh, that...."

On the way home of from Suzuki's pot party, I was abused and beaten in the ass, and was about so many things... Is she thanking for that day? ......
She is still hard to understand.

"Kyō, because we have an agreement relationship, so we help each other well"
I am embarrassed so I replied with my usual excuse.

"Agreement relationship ............"
Koigasaki mutters in a low voice.

"...... Well, Kashiwada"

I turn my body towards her to see her straight.
Why ... Why, do I have a bad feeling…

"Well, what is it about... ...."

"Our Agreement... will you end it now?"
Koigasaki said with blank expression.

In that word, my thinking stops.

"...End our Agreement relation......?"

I can’t read the meaning of her word, so I parrot the line that Koigasaki said.
What, what are you talking about ... ?
Because today, I can talk as usual for the first time in a while ....
From now on, I think that we can finally get back to the relationship as before....
Even though I was glad ... ....

"Wh ... ... why? ..."
I could finally say a word.

"In the first place ... you're giving up Hasegawa... Because I can no longer help in your love affairs with her.... we no longer have a basis for our Agreement..."

"...!"

Certainly, what Koigasaki said was right.
But, still I....

"Well, that's fine ... That's OK, if you keep doing things like helping me choose my clothing as usual, I will still be thankful... but ... separately ...... Besides, you already have a relationship with Suzuki, still, I do not mind if you ask for my help from time to time...."

I was desperate. I do not want to cancel our agreement relationship. I do not want to let go of my friendship with Koigasaki ....

"... ... that, that isn’t fair ... ...."

Koigasaki sets up her breath and starts talking again.

"... well ... It's okay even if you don’t want to cooperate anymore .... Even if I do not have rely on you .... And then, with my own power.... I manage to do something ..."
Without seeing my eyes, Koigasaki said.

I heard the words of Koigasaki, and her words did not shock me that much.
Is that so.... Oh yeah, that's right...

Because Koigasaki and Suzuki's friendship...has already progressed enough for them to go on dates by themselves.
I was trying not to think about it... the clothes that Koigasaki got for me... maybe she bought with Suzuki during their date in Harajuku....
They are going well so far ...so my cooperation is no longer necessary. The rest ... as she said, it seems that Koigasaki is at the point where she can handle it with her own power.
I was supposed to have known that the time will come for when our cooperation is no longer necessary. But, once again, when I was told that our agreement relationship is no longer necessary again ... honestly, it was a shock to me. I felt sad. I am no longer useful for Koigasaki.
On the other hand... If she stays with me unnecessarily, Suzuki may misunderstand. This also bothers me.

"Well, that's why ..."
Koigasaki kept her back on me, without waiting for my reply, left me in front of me.

I wonder how far I was helped by Koigasaki.
After having broken hearted by Hasegawa ... ... If Koigasaki was not there, it would have been harder for me. Even today, I was able to enjoy because of Koigasaki. I realized how big the existence of Koigasaki is for me recently.
I thought that Koigasaki's avoidance is probably a temporary thing.
There is no basis for this.
I was convinced that we would be able to speak again normally.
But, from now on ......Koigasaki will be out of reach for me.
Surely in the future, Koigasaki will keep avoiding me at school.
If we dissolve the agreement relation ... ... I will lose the reasons to be with her.
Before, there were times I wanted to end our agreement relation ... ... At that time, we always fought each other.However, this time is different. We have not quarreled, and Koigasaki was quite calm. Probably, I think that she made the proposal after thinking carefully.

I feel lonely just imagining that I could not stay with Koigasaki anymore.
I do not want to admit ... ... I was sadder now than when I was dumped by Hasegawa.

"... .... Kun, Kashiwada-kun !?"

"eh!?"

Sakurai spoke from behind me. In a hurry, I returned to myself.

"Wait a minute ... are you OK?"

Sakurai saw me with a sad look and was worried.

"Oh, sorry! It is nothing, I’m OK!"

I made a smile as much as I could so as to not let her worry any more.

Today, everyone has gathered to celebrate my birthday.
For Sakurai who hosted this birthday party, I will not show a sad face. I forced myself to smile and then returned to the party.

Koigasaki returned and also rejoined the circle.
I tried as much as possible to behave normally around like Koigasaki as if nothing had happened. Even Koigasaki did not do anything like avoiding me today, so as not to seem strange to everyone. We acted normally as before.
Oh... acting like this, it would seem that our previous conversation never happened... It would have been nice if there really was nothing. I could not help thinking so.

"Oh, that's it! I completely forgotten my purpose today!"

Nikaido, who was talking with Murasaki and Nagase while eating dessert, walks out suddenly holding a shiny tea that she put down on the table. Before she came ... she was talking to Koigasaki.

"Momosaka Juliet ..."

"...... っ!?"

I almost spurted.

Momosaka Juliet ...... It was a pen name when Koigasaki used as a writer. At first I asked her to stop using a name like "Peach-Princess". Momosaka Juliet was a name that was playful enough, but I thought it would be somewhat better than Peach Princess, and I approved it.
How did Nikaido know the pen name of Koigasaki...? Does she only know Koigasaki by her pen name?

"Oh yes... ...."
Koigasaki is replying, although confused.

"I am planning to make a joint magazine under a creative doujin event called comitia... and I want you to write a manuscript for it"

"…………Huh?"

To Nikendo's remarks, Koigasaki is stunned. I ... well ... I can’t swallow the situation at all.
A joint creative magazine...... Although it is a doujinshi, it will be an all original work, not secondary works.

"The number of pages is limited to five pages to ten pages. If it is not enough, you can increase it.
Of course, I will pay the reward. Although I can’t pay a very big amount .... "
Nikaido sets up Koigasaki as a side stop and speaks unilaterally.

"Oh, of course, there is no age limit designation, but a healthy story-oriented doujinshi! It is about omnibus form of romance, so I'm going to pick the themes...."

".................."

Suddenly, Koigasaki seemed surprised and could not say anything.

"... ... You are silent for a while, but do you have any questions?"

"Well, no ... .... Ah, that ... ... Why are you asking me, a no-name and without a fan base or track record?"

"Why... I read your doujinshi"

By the way, Nikaido bought a doujinshi of Koigasaki from the internet.

"To be honest, I do not know the art, what caught me was the original story of that doujinshi.... I could not enjoy it enough. The composition of the story was also good, and it was also very well developed to expand the minds of the female readers who would probably be the main target. "

Nikaido began praising Koigasaki's doujinshi from the start. Indeed I am surprised to hear that from her.

"The joint magazine we make will have a high quality so I am by calling out to those who I feel would make wonderful work and that’s why I would like you to write a novel by all means"

That means ... Nikaido, you read the doujinshi of Koigasaki and you accepted her skill...? I thought that I also wanted to read that doujinshi and with a manuscript written by her...
Koigasaki, please say okay ...!

"Of course, I don’t expect a reply soon."

Nikaido tells Koigasaki who is still silent. Koigasaki is probably ... perplexed. She did not know well about writing for doujinshi at this time. Even if she were suddenly told by a person who is very friendly, to write a manuscript in a joint magazine ... ....

"Oh, I want to try ......"

"...... !?"

However, Koigasaki promptly decided on the spot. I was surprised because I did not expect to her to undertake it so soon.

"Yes, thanks!"

"But, really ... Is it okay....?"

"Of course, I read that doujinshi and wanted you to write it by all means"

"But ... ... that, that novel ... ... it was something I while looking at people, so ... well ..."
Koigasaki ...... After looking at me for a moment, told Nikaido.
...... Certainly, I gave advice to that novel, so Koigasaki is saying that....

"If it is so, this time also, Kashiwada-san please cooperate as well♪ Please help Momo, how reassuring, is it not!"

"Eh!?"

Murasaki suddenly touches my shoulder and says it.

"Kashiwada-san, of course, would you cooperate with me?"

"... ha…ha ... OK...."

Because I can’t refuse here, I accepted it for the time being.

"Momo, I am glad he accepted! You can write a manuscript with confidence again!"

"Oh, oh, um ... ... ... ... yes ..."
Koigasaki looked at me for just a moment, and immediately she turned her eyes off.

Are you serious…….
It became troublesome ... ....
Even at the moment I was being avoided by Koigasaki. In addition, we just canceled our agreement relationship, our relationship is already ... ... when I agreed to cooperate with Koiagasaki for her novel, our relationship is totally changed....
But ... ... I also realized that I had an excuse to be with Koigasaki .... I also realized myself that I am happy.
Of course, I am the only one who thinks like that, Koisagasaki ... is probably confused. Finally, from now on, she’s about getting along with Suzuki without me with her own power. Now, that I'm involved again
she needs to to get away ... ....
With Koigasaki who is thinking like that, how can I cooperate with writing her manuscript for doujinsh ... ... what can she do?

Eventually it seems that the closing time for the restaurant has come, so we decided to leave.

"About you purple! Well, in the entrance I thought that the picture was bad but it got all better soon.... So you always know pen-pen, well, you were always smiling and trying to calm everyone down, inner conflict fighting against our seniors! What was a real disgusting junior!”

Leaving the restaurant and walking to the station ... ... Nikaido is involved with Murasaki while walking with an inadvertent footstep. Nikaido drank so much that she could defeat Murasaki .... She was also completely drunk as well as Murasaki.

"Oh ~ Anna ahead, that, can you accept it as a compliment?"

"How would you know what I am talking about, how would you say it was a compliment!?"

"Its fun to drink alcohol! If we become adults, I'd like to try drinking with three people!"

Sakurai said such a thing while being drunk. Well, I do not want to get drunk like that ... ... but it certainly looks fun.

"Hey, it is still seven o'clock! Anna senpai, you haven’t been drinking at all!

"It is natural! I am stronger than you!"

Nikaido ... ... It seems that Murasaki sees her as a rival but she does not have to compete in such a place ... ....!

"I have come so far ... Well, I will go one more!"

"Of course you can have a bottle of wine or two yet!"

A little ... ... Are you going to drink this drunkard .... Well, which one is on good terms or bad?

"Huh ... .... Uh, well then.... for the moment, I will accompany you because I am concerned about the drunkards, but time is too late so please let the high school student go home, Okay ... I'm sorry to be a disappointment... "

For some reason Nagase apologized to me. She is a true woman.

"No……"

"Eh - ──────────────────────────!

"Drunkard please do not expose the adult's useless uselessness to a healthy minor any more"

Murasaki who tried to get close to us, Nagase put out her hand and stopped her. As usual, Murasaki is a partner and remarks are unrelenting.
Anyway, Murasaki, Nagase and Nikaido, who seems to want go drinking without the high school student, so we decided to break up here,

"Ah, that ... .... Everyone, today, thank you so much ...!!"
Finally, I thanked everyone on the spot.

In such words, it is not enough. I have to thank you properly in some form....
Especially, to Sakurai who organized today's party and hosted it ... ....

Away from the three adults, we walk the way to Roppongi station.

"Today, it was a lot of fun ~ The food was delicious ... .... I am the first time to come to a fashionable place in Roppongi ~"

"Even I am able to eat out here with my family occasionally"

"Wow, Momochan, do really to eat out in Roppongi?"

While we were talking things that have nothing to do with love, we arrived at the station in no time.
I ... well ... it was a lot of fun today.
I hope everyone will have a good day to have fun today, but I wish I could keep it all the way....
But ... I can not do that.
I and Koigasaki are already ... ....

"Oh, I ... You are supposed to pick me up to the station, Daddy"

"Oh! Is that so!?"

Sakurai and I are surprised at the line of Koigasaki. To be sure, during the day, Koigasaki refused the offer of her father to pick her up .... Did she change her mind?

"Today is already late and it's dangerous ... ... Please escort Azuki-chan home, Kashiwada."

"……eh!?"

Sakurai and I raise a voice at the same time.

"Well, that kind of ... ... That's okay! Even though it's going to be about this time, it's normal ... ...."

"Azuki's home is far away.....the roads are fairly dark road and dangerous ...., Kashiwada"

Koigasaki asked me with her eyes.

Certainly, it is already dark all over, so it may be better ... ... Why does Koigasaki have to ask me for such a thing?

"Oh ... I got it."

Since Koigasaki has seriously asked for it, I agreed.

"Well then, both of you... ... be careful on the way home."

"Yeah, see you again Monday ~!"

"See you……"

We waved goodbye to Koigasaki, we got off the stairs at the station and headed for the subway.

"Er, um ... ... Momo worried about it, but it's okay!"

"No, I will escort you home properly"

I promised, so I have to fulfill my promise.

"But, but ... well, it's quite a distance from the station, will Kashiwada return home late?"

"It's okay that we're going to be late today, you really do not have to worry."

"Sure, is that ...? ... Well then ... thank you."

Finally Sakurai gave up, so I decided to escort Sakurai to her house.
I bought tickets to the nearest station to Sakurai - san 's house. It is the second time that I went to her home, the last time I went on my bicycle ....
As we got on the train, we had a seat to ourselves.

"Well, I was really surprised today .... Koigasaki came to pick me up at the station by her father's car and forcibly got me on the car ... I was wondering what's going on!"

"Er ... Momo, did not say anything about that, didn’t she, Kashiwada !?"

"That's right! I thought that I was being kidnapped!"

"Hahahaha!"

"Even so, Murasaki, I'm pretty drunk, is not it?"

"Really, right! Also, Nikaido-san!"

"Will they be drinking more now?"

"Because Nagase-san is a drunk, it will be serious ... ...."

We talked about having fun today. While talking, the time has passed in quickly and soon we arrive at Sakurai's station.
We both got off the train, left the ticket gate, and walked the way to Sakurai's house.

"Kashiwada-kun is ... really nice,"

"……Huh!?"

Suddenly Sakurai said such a thing on the way walking in the street.

"Oh, no ... you do not have to worry, really ... ...."

Because I was told by Koigasaki, there was no idea of sending me originally, so if you told me like that ... I'm in trouble.

"Oh, no ... ... of course it is also to send it ...."

Sakurai turned her face to me and stopped for a moment.

"The cake I made ... really it was not delicious, is it ...?"

"…………eh!?"

I will never tell Sakurai.

"Well ... why, why ...?"

I thought that if I shut up, it is as good as saying its true....!

"No, no, that's not the case ..."

I tried to withdraw my remarks in a hurry, but I could not withdraw successfully and my words got entangled.

"It's okay ... ... I already know ... ... I'm sorry ... I'm sorry! I will let Kashiwada eat a failed work .... I was able to do it, so I thought it was a success. I'm sorry but ....After all, I should have tasted it ... "
Sakurai apologized to me for feeling sorry.

"No……"

It is useless, I can no longer deny ... as Sakurai herself seems to be aware ...

"That ...how did you notice ...?"

"I saw how Kashiwada was eating, I understood."

Dammit, I thought I acted perfectly, but was seen through...?! I don’t have much talent in acting....

"Yet Kashiwada ... you desperately ate it all, as though it was delicious, and said it was delicious several times…so as not make me sad. And not shame me in front of everyone ..."

"Sakurai-san ... ...."
I thought....

"Kashiwada Kun ... ... Sorry, you are too kind."

Sakurai smiled with a somewhat disconcerting face.
No way, I never thought she would blame herself ... ....

"No ... because I was happy that you made a cake for me ...."
It sounds shallow, but this is my real feeling.

"Not only that ...Sakurai, thank you very much for today."
I thanked Ms. Sakurai a second time again.

"Well, that, ... that ..."
Ms. Sakurai hid her face with her hands.

"I thought the party would not happen without Sakurai. Today's party"
It was Sakurai-san who sponsored the party today and spoke to everyone. I cannot thank her enough.

"What? ... No, no, I have not done anything in particular ... ...."
Sakurai tilts her head curiously and says such a thing.

"Huh?"
I feel a little discomfort in that remark. Oh, maybe, is she being humble?

"Oh, yes, afterwards! I also celebrated my birthday in the evening ... No, I, honestly.... I was struck in various ways but thanks to Ms. Sakurai, I was saved..."

"Well, that kind of ... ... It's exaggerated ... ...."

"It's not exaggeration .... I, how can I thank Sakurai...?"

It is easy to return presents or return things for things. But... Sakurai did something I could not easily repay.

"Well, that ... ...."

"No, my feelings about this will not change!"

"Thank you, ... ...."
Sakurai makes a point of departure.

"Yeah ... ... If there is something you want me to do, whatever ... ...."

"anything……?"

She raised her face and looked at me.

"Well then……"
Look at me with a serious look.

"... ... please remember"

"Huh?"

... .... Memories?
I do not get the meaning of Sakurai and as she speaks, she steps toward me
She approaches me ...

To my cheek ... ... lightly, for a moment ...... Her lips touched.
She kissed me.
She steps back from me.

"With this ... ... It is not possible to forget me"
She has a strange smile. That face was red.

"What .......Eh..........!?"

...... Now, what the heck ... ... what happened...?
I could not understand my situation, I fall into a state of confusion.
We already walked far from the station, so there is almost no traffic. Because there are not many cars, I am alone with Sakurai in the quiet night road. My heartbeats rises steadily.

"... .... Ah, that ... ... "

Sakurai's voice breaks the silence.
She shouted at the bottom of my clothes, with a word.

"...... っ!?"

I am surprised to see her face. Her face is red and she face and is watching me with lavish eyes.

"Well, as I said a bit ago, but ... that I am a no good otaku girl in school .... I am weak around boys like Kashiwada…without asking for anything, Kashiwada helped me and trusted me like the time he asked me to help Momo ..."

Suddenly Sakurai started talking while shaking. So that was the attitude the first time we met after all ...? I asked her for help and trusted her...when I asked Sakurai for help when Koigasaki's cosplay costume was damaged.....? But why is she suddenly repeating that old story ...?

"At first, this person, I thought that he was different from the boys and girls who were rude and insensitive with sex ... ... Somehow I started to worry ... If I do not come and sort of fidgets, I mind myself carelessly ...... Such, for the first time...... "

Huh……? Huh…………?

"Kashiwada-kun is chasing girls, running wild or acting strange…
Even if he says something, he accepts everyone for who they are..."

"Every time he is so gentle to me, I am crushed each time .... He is also kind to Momo-chan, so he is gentle to others as well...."

"When we talk, we have so much fun, we tend to forget the time .... It's my first time talking with a boy so much, so I'm happy.... I heard that you like me, I'm so shocked, as you are also on good terms with other girls. Look at me, my chest hurts ..."

"Sakurai-san...."

"... .... a little hentai, sometimes insensitive, but always working hard, sincere, more gentle than anyone ...... Kashiwada is not an ideal person… but for me, he is the ideal person...... I am saying that Kashiwada-kun........”

Her voice is trembling.

Before I knew it, there was tears in her eyes.
She stared straight into my eyes and inhaled her breath.

"I love you! My favorite person is Kashiwada! This feeling ... absolutely will not lose to anyone!"

"…………Huh……?"

"Thank you for escorting me! Good night!"

As soon as Sakurai finished speaking, she turned her back and ran away.

I still haven’t understood all the events that have happened, my brain is stumped and not working.
Sakurai - san, kissed me... and then....
She..... confessed.....?
Each and every one of her words still resonates in my mind.
Her serious look is burned to my eyes and does not fade away.
I thought whether it was a dream. Everything about today's events.... I find it difficult to believe that everything that happened today is a dream.
Standing alone in the dark street, even after Sakurai's presence has long disappeared, I was still standing in that place forever.

=========Continues to Volume 9===========

| Back to [[Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure!:Volume 8 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
| Return to [[Omae o Otaku ni Shiteyaru kara, Ore o Riajuu ni Shitekure!|Main Page]]
|-
|}
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</noinclude>

Toaru Majutsu no Index:Virtual On Preface

2017-04-05T12:07:38Z

JFerg: /* The Phoenix */

==Preface==

===What is Cyber Troopers Virtual-On?===
[[Image:Index_VO_010-011.jpg|thumb]]

A legendary arcade game released by Sega in 1995. An action game in which the player fought using giant robots known as Virtuaroids that were drawn in 3DCG. The series has 4 games in total (Original, Oratorio Tangram, Force, Marz) and all of the Virtuaroids’ mech designs were done by Katoki Hajime. The games take place in a future world known as the Virtual Century where giant global corporations rule everything from infrastructure to politics. The struggle for power has shifted to the field of cyberspace, but the desire for real war in the physical world has not died out and the giant humanoid weapons known as Virtuaroids were born. Ultimately, an age of Limited War begins where the Virtuaroids are used for proxy wars.
http://virtual-on.sega.jp/

===MBV-707-G Temjin===
A multipurpose Virtuaroid with a focus on overall balance between offense, defense, and mobility. Easy to use for beginners, but can fight on equal or greater footing to any other Virtuaroid when used with the proper skill. Obliterates the opponent’s attacks with a sword or bombs while aiming for damage with a launcher at midrange. Its greatest feature is Sleipnir, a multiuse launcher that transforms to match its current purpose.

===HBV-502-HB Raiden===
Of all the Virtuaroids, this was the very first to be implemented, but it also has top-class offense and defense. All of its weapons are powerful and the lasers fired from its shoulder units are especially destructive. If it can predict its opponent’s path and fire its lasers there, it can maintain an advantage over faster units.

 

===RVR-14 Fei-Yen Kn===
[[Image:Index_VO_012-013.jpg|thumb]]
Covers for its low defense with top-class mobility and speed. If its swift speed and endless attacks can run circles around its opponent, it can maintain an advantage in a shooting battle or a close-range battle. After taking a certain amount of damage, it enters hyper mode and turns gold, increasing its offense and defense.

===RVR-87 Specineff===
A Virtuaroid with a grim reaper-like appearance. In addition to the ability to seal away its opponent’s weapons, its penetrating attacks can do damage even through obstacles. It also has high mobility in close-range battles. However, its high offensive power is combined with extremely low defensive power, so precise dodging technique is needed to win.

===XBV-819-tr4 Bal-Bados===
A special Virtuaroid that can separate its launcher and attack. It can pummel its opponent with highly seeking mines and highly negating ring beams. Its complex attack method requires a lot of skill to use it well, but if it can place its separated launcher in its opponent’s blind spot, it can gain a great advantage in battle.

===SGV-417-L Angelan===
Uses irregular attacks such as summoning an ice dragon or light bullets that freeze its opponent. It can continue moving without a gap after a dash attack. Its high-quality armor can deflect many attacks, but the unit itself is not very sturdy and small mistakes can lead to major damage. A combat style focused on dodging is needed.

 
===RVR-42 Cypher===
[[Image:Index_VO_014-015.jpg|thumb]]
A Virtuaroid that trades defense for top-class midair mobility. It has high offensive ability and can attack twice during a midair dash, so it will not let its opponent approach easily. If its charge attack hits in its fighter plane form, it can do major damage even to a heavyweight opponent.

===SAV-326-D/9 Grys-Vok===
A full-body armory Virtuaroid. The missiles it can fire in great quantity have excellent seeking ability and its power is greater the further from its opponent it is. It reloads its missiles quickly, so it can fire in quick succession. If it can maintain a decent distance from its opponent, it can maintain a one-sided battle.

===RVR-39 Apharmd B===
A Virtuaroid specialized for hand-to-hand combat with beam tonfas equipped on both arms. It has excellent dashing ability and a wide effective range for its close-range attacks, so it can actively aim for direct attacks with its tonfas. If it can use napalm and other weapons to effectively keep its opponent close, it demonstrates overwhelming strength.

===RVR-68 Dordray===
An assault Virtuaroid with high defense and offense. The drill on its left arm can penetrate obstacles, allowing it to attack its opponent even if they are hiding behind an obstacle. If it can separate the claw on its right arm to hold its opponent in place, it can aim for more reliable damage.

 
==Terminology==

===What is the Cyber Troopers Virtual-On as a Next Generation Game?===
A fighting game played using giant Virtuaroids that appear in the actual city streets. Whether a Level 5 or Level 0, anyone can fight equally as long as they have the proper technique, so it has explosively spread throughout the students of Academy City. Even when fighting in the streets, stray shots will not blow away buildings and the giant weapons will not crush passersby. The latest portable devices that have recently taken Academy City by storm are used to represent the battles. There are two ways to defeat an opponent in Next Generation Game Virtual-On. The first is to score more points than your opponent by the end of the game. The second is to destroy every member of the opposing team. Preliminary matches are being held in each of Academy City’s districts and then a tournament will be held between representatives of all 23 districts. Victory there will make one the strongest player in both name and reality.

===Game Rules===
The game ends when one side wins two of three sets. But unlike a normal fighting game, the primary goal is not to wear down a gauge representing stamina or armor. More like judo or wrestling, the points earned from “legal blows” determine the winner (i.e. it is a form of e-sports). Virtual-On is generally won by scoring more points in two of the three sets, but KOs are also possible. And if every Virtuaroid on a team is destroyed, that team is defeated and the game ends.

===Portable Device===
A handheld device used to play Virtual-On. In addition to the game, the device also supports one’s everyday life. Kamijou originally played Virtual-On to refill his electronic credits on the portable device.

===V-Converter===
Virtuaroids do not actually exist there; they fight as materialized data. The V-Converter acts as the core of that system. The V-Disc inside is something like the blueprints for the Virtuaroid, so the V-Disc is read to materialize the Virtuaroid.

===V-Crystal===
A substance that accumulated in great quantities at the lunar ruins known as the Moon Gate in another world. Crushing it and applying it evenly to a giant disc creates a V-Disc, so it is the core ingredient of the V-Converter.

===Cradle Station===
Next Generation Game Virtual-On is generally played on a portable device, but a lot of users play by enclosing themselves in egg-shaped cradle stations installed at the centers located around Academy City. They provide a higher resolution image and slightly less latency (although the portable device is still used as the controller even inside the cradle). The difference is similar to enjoying the same video on a handheld player versus a home theater system.

===Lilina===
The Support AI that automatically activates when a user privately registers their portable device. A single AI is stored on each device. They primarily share information about Virtual-On and provide support during battle. They seem to have a high-level learning function, so their personality is different for every user.

===Material Analyze===
A service that allows a target material’s traits and properties to be incorporated into a Virtuaroid just by holding the device in front of an object. This works with both mechanical and biological objects, so the structures of existing weapons or of insects and other animals can be incorporated. This extremely high level of customization is one aspect of Virtual-On.

===Blue Stalker===
A blue Cypher Virtuaroid. Uses a coloring not found in the defaults and its user name is corrupted. An outlaw player that intrudes on proper battles and destroys everything. Given its nickname, it seems to be pursuing someone…

===Reverse Convert===
A rumored feature(?) of Virtual-On in Academy City. As a Next Generation Game, Virtual-On allows users to adjust their Virtuaroid’s parameters using the Material Analyze feature, but the Reverse Convert can supposedly go the other way and transfer the customized Virtuaroid’s data to the player. However, there are many mysteries concerning how the Material Analyze applies altered effects to the Virtuaroid and some rumors claim these effects can reach the actual human body piloting the Virtuaroid…

===The Phoenix===
An underground online search engine in Academy City. It allows one to search for information not normally available, but this search engine is a crucible of malice and it will destroy the personality of any normal person who stays there for too long.

===The Tangram===
According to information from another dimension, it is a Space-Time Continuum Control Mechanism that can be called “the entity at the center of all things” and that is “a single entity that also simultaneously has alibis in every single parallel world”. Successfully contacting it provides control of time, causality, destiny, and all else that is similarly beyond reach, so it places the world in the palm of your hand.

===L’Ln Plajiner===
The girl who develops and manages all cutting-edge technology. Also the creator of the Tangram

===Code Phoenix===
Unknown.

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Zero no Tsukaima:Volume20 Chapter1

2017-01-31T03:45:13Z

JFerg: /* Chapter 1: Boat for Two */

===Chapter 1: Boat for Two===
After escaping from Adil, the capital of Nephthys, Saito and the others continued on with their journey in a small boat towed by a dolphin.

Saito and Tiffania, who were imprisoned by the elves, were nearly forced to drink a mind impairment medicine. Fortunately, Luctiana saved them in the nick of time. Along the way Luctiana's fiancee, Ari, attacked them but thanks to a revived Derflinger they managed to escape.

In the small boat Saito and Derflinger, whose consciousness had transferred onto one of Saito's favourite katana, began talking about a lot of things.

Ever since they fought the Elemental Siblings, and the night after Derflinger got destroyed.

Surprisingly, Derflinger knew all about this. And whenever this was bought up, he would just reply with 'At that time...'. As long as it was related to the elves, Derflinger would remain slient.

——Sasha, who was his Gandalfr, killed her master Brimir.

After abruptly having said that, no matter how Saito tried, Derflinger refused to elaborate on what happened.

Rather he kept on beating around the bush, as if escaping from some deep sadness.

Evening came and Derflinger stopped making jokes and shut his mouth, keeping silent. Luctiana was already asleep, making deep snoring noises.

The moonlight scattered onto the surface of the sea. The gentle, rippling waves reflected a silver glow.

Tiffania watched the beautiful scene in front of her, and muttered "It looks like a field made from light."

"Yeah."

"What will happen to us after that?" Tiffania, who was wearing loose elven clothing, said in a low voice.

"First, we have to find the Holy Land and completely make sure what is there. Then, we'll bring all that information to Louise" Saito said while looking at Luctiana.

"Even though I feel bad about doing this to her, I feel that this is what we should be doing."

Tiffania stared at Saito for some time, then she hugged her knees with both hands and buried her chin underneath.

"Saito, you're incredible."

"Eh? Why?"

"Because if even you're faced with such a situation, you're still so sure of what you must do. As for me, I can't. I would be so scared that my mind would completely shut down."

After saying that, she lowered her head, closing her eyes. It seems that she had fallen into depression again.

"That's because you're a girl, Tiffa. I'm sure you'd be at a loss when it comes to this."

"But Louise and Queen Henrietta are both girls as well. Why is it that I can't gather up my courage during those crucial moments? Even yesterday, I was so paralyzed with fear that I couldn't do anything to help."

"It's not like you did nothing at all. If it wasn't for you, I..."

During his fight with the water dragon yesterday, after seeing Tiffania's chest which could be considered as evil and revolutionary, he quickly pinched his nose. Honestly, he felt that this wasn't what he should be seeing. It's not just only big... how should it be phrased? Tiffania's breasts also possessed an incredible sense of balance. On her slim waist, if bigger breasts were to be placed, it would become something like from a manga doujinshi. Because it had kept to that delicate standard it was scary; and that's why it was firmly imprinted in his mind, rendering him unable to forget.

"Am I only worth that much?" Tiffania said.

After hearing that, Saito snapped out of his thoughts.

"No... It's not like that!"

"It's okay, I understand."

Tiffania smiled.

"Saito, why are you always that strong? Being able to battle calmly. And how do you also understand what things you should be doing?" Tiffania asked in a serious tone.

Saito held his chin with a hand, and began to think about it in detail.

"I'm actually not calm at all."

"No, I think even you will be scared at times, but you always fight seriously each time. Even though this isn't even your own world..."

Saito raised his head slightly, staring into the distance. The sea lit up by the moonlight had an aura of mystery around it, unlike during the day.

"I think, it's because I have somebody that I like."

"You mean Louise?"

Saito nodded.

"I don't want to see her troubled, and her world can also be considered as my world as well. If it's for the sake of protecting her world, then I'd even give up my life for that. Although I'll be trembling with fear, I'd still go on anyway. Otherwise, I think I would've run away."*

"Oh..." Tiffania, who seemed to have understood, nodded her head. "So am I scared because I don't have anybody that I like?"

"No... I think that everyone doesn't need the same reason to fight. It's just that I'm fighting for that reason."

"If I were to find someone that I like someday, will I be able to be as brave as you?"

"I feel that... You're okay just the way you are right now."*

Saito said that in an attempt to console Tiffania.

"For me, I think that even if I possess a power that nobody else has... even when there are things that only I can do... if I choose to ran away, that would definitely be just cowardly and weak."

Saito kept silent, because that's what he thought as well.

"Tiffa, you didn't run away right?"

"It's the same. I can't do anything, I can only tremble. Yeah... someone I like... how do I know if the other party is the person I like?"

"Err... First, when you're with him, your heartbeat will accelerate."

"Okay, then?"

"And you'd have the urge to hug him."

"Okay, and then?"

"When you hug him, you'd feel like staying like this forever."

Tiffania grabbed both ears, squeezing her eyes shut.

"... Then, isn't that person you?"

"Eh? Eh?! Eh?! Eh?! Eh?! Eh?!"

A flustered Saito looked at her. She looked at Saito with a cute expression that looked like she was about to cry.

"That's because my heartbeat accelerates when I'm beside you."

"Th-That's only because your emotions are unstable."

"And... and... and also..."

Tiffania shook her head. Her face burnt bright red with embarrassment. Because this mixed-blood elf with an extraordinary chest was doing such a thing beside him, Saito felt that he was losing control over himself to his evil thoughts.

"Even if you look at it, I'm not that disgusted."

"You... You said that before, right? Really?"

"Yes... At first, I thought that it was because my brain was in a mess, but after thinking about it calmly, the answer is still the same. Although my heart would thump wildly, I don't feel disgusted.

Because Tiffania said this kind of things right beside Saito, he also felt his mind gradually boiling.

"Then... then that's one step before liking someone, right?"

"What's the difference between really liking someone then?"

"Err... the difference is that... I think there's no difference at all."

After saying that, Saito realized something was wrong. But, he was still unable to lie.

"So there's no difference?"

"It might be so."

"..."

Tiffania put her hand to her chest, and sighed.

"Then it means that I really like you then. Then... then what should I do? The person you like is Louise, right?"

"Err..."

"Then it must be a mistake to like you. I'm really a bad girl. I actually ended up liking a friend's lover. Mother Nature and God will definitely not forgive such a behaviour."

Saito panicked.

"There's no such thing! It's impossible to control your feelings when it comes to this. This is actually the will of Mother Nature and God."

Saito realized that he said the wrong thing. But he couldn't find another way to say it. After all, there's no such rule that it's a mistake to like someone.

"But it's impossible for Louise to accept this, and Saito you also don't like me, right? Then what should I do with my feelings then?

Seeing Tiffania being like that, Saito felt conflicted. It's not that he didn't like Tiffania: there was no other girl in this world as attractive as her, but he still couldn't acknowledge this feeling because he had already promised that he would never do anything that would make Louise sad. Saito thought about that time with Henrietta, and mentally shook his head.

However, it would be a lie to say he didn't like Tiffania. After all, like means like. Tiffania was just that attractive, and there was an irresistible, instinctive feeling within him towards her; something felt wrong about denying that feeling.

If that was the case, there was only one way left. He had to make Tiffania lose all her feelings towards me. He must make her feel that Hiraga Saito actually was an incorrigible bastard.

"I say, Tiffa."

"What is it?"

"I have something to tell you."

"Yes?"

Saito clenched his fist, squeezing his words out seemingly in pain with a low voice.

"I... I'm actually a pervert."

Tiffania stared at Saito for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

"I'm serious! I'm totally an out and out pervert! Anyway, it's more like I have a special obsession with clothes and mood... How should I say it."

"Thanks, you're so nice to me."

"Eh?"

"You were hoping that I'd hate you, so you said that right?"

Looking at Tiffania's gaze, Saito felt ashamed.

"Not really... The second part is true though... But whether or not you consider that as perverted will depend on your personal opinion."

"I'm really okay. I just feel better after letting everything go. I will work hard. Even though I might like you... no, I think I most probably really like you, but this feeling and my mission are still two different things after all."

"Tiffa."

Saito had tears in his eyes, staring at Tiffania. On one hand, he was touched by Tiffania's strong will, so he felt that habouring evil thoughts about Tiffania's chest was shameful; at the same time, he instinctively retorted that her chest was simply too incredible, so it was not his fault. In the end he realized that he was simply too shameful to come up with this warped reasoning.

When he came to his senses, he was already holding Tiffania's hand.

"Woah!"

[[Image:ZnT20 021.jpg|thumb|]]
Just then, the boat shook after passing through a wave. Saito almost fell to the ground completely flat, and naturally pulled Tiffania down as well.

"..."

Tiffania's burning red face was even more alluring under the moonlight.

She stared at Saito. That blue, teary eyes almost made Saito forgot to breathe.

The twin moon hid inside the cloud, and darkness fell upon them. It made one's hearing even sharper. The sound of the boat moving through the waves could be heard clearly.

Saito suddenly felt a warm breath on his face, then he felt a something soft on his lips, and his hair was being gently caressed. This was when Saito realized what he was doing with Tiffania.

During this period, Tiffania said nothing.

When the twin moon reappeared from the clouds, Tiffania pulled herself away. When light returned to the surroundings, she had already recovered into her original position, staring at the ocean.

"Tiffa." Saito said in a low voice.

"It's just your imagination." Tiffania said with a seemingly satisfied look.

"I don't think that's my imagination."

"When the moon isn't looking, you're just dreaming. Even if it was short, I am still okay after this dream is over. Don't worry, I will work hard."

Saito nodded, and looked at the other end of the ocean. The vast ocean in front of him seemed to be silently watching over them. Thus, Saito also thought about working hard as well. For himself, for Louise, for everybody... and for this mixed-blood elf who was looking at the ocean as well.

The blinding sunlight woke Saito up. Seeing Tiffania in a deep sleep beside him with an innocent face, he thought about what happened yesterday. Saito couldn't help but blush. Then again, she had already specially said that he was dreaming, so Saito had to do his best to act like nothing happened.

Soon after, Tiffania awoke as well.

"Good morning" she said in a cheerful voice, as if nothing had happened last night.

"Good morning."

Saito smiled, and Tiffania smiled back as well.

He wanted to say something, but felt that saying nothing would be better. Thus, he turned towards the ocean. A few bumps could be seen, greatly surprising Saito.

"What the hell is that!"

Luctiana said while controlling the dolphin who was towing the boat, "Oh, the both of you are already awake? This is an island known as the Dragon Nest."

"Island? Doesn't look like one to me!"

What was in front was so strange that it could not considered to be an island. It looked more like distorted tentacles made of large boulders appearing through the ocean's surface.

Each tentacle was as long as 10 meters, spreading out in all direction.

"Your friend lives here?" Tiffania asked.

Luctiana nodded, "Yeah."

"Doesn't look like any humans or elves are living here?"

"Of course... even elves couldn't live in such a place."

"Then who's the friend you're talking about?"

Luctiana smiled slyly, "You'll know when we get there."

Saito had a doubtful look in his eyes, "This smile really makes me uncomfortable."

Then, Derflinger who was on Saito's waist cut in.

"It might be a scary monster."

"Eh..."

Fear gripped Tiffania upon hearing that.

"It's extremely huge, and there's four or five blue, sparkling eyes."

"Mr. Sword, please don't say anymore..." she pouted, showing a troubled expression.

"And it has ten times more tentacles than an octopus. It'd reach out and grab you in an instant."

"Ah..."

"Hey! Derfli! Stop that! Can't you see that Tiffa is extremely scared right now!"

"It's okay~ Even if this were to happen, my partner will protect you."

"Yeah, th-that's right."

Tiffania heaved a sigh of relief, and looked at Saito.

"Relax, my partner is very capable. No matter what monster appears, as long as you show him your explosive thing just for a while, then..."

Derflinger didn't manage to finish his sentence as Tiffania's grabbed his hilt, trembling. Her eyes were wide open, and her face glowed red.

"Un! Un! Un! Un!"

"I-It hurts! Stop that!"

Even so, Tiffania didn't relinquish her grip on Derflinger. As said before, Derflinger was on Saito's waist. Since the boat had a narrow space, it resulted in Tiffania pressing her body against Saito. Thus, those two logic defying melons kept on rubbing against Saito's arms and back.

''Is this some kind of a punishment?'' Saito, who was about to cry, thought.

——Someone tell me, what exactly did I do wrong!

——Does God have a grudge against me or something?

It must be like that. Otherwise, why would these indecent, thought-inducing melons come and rub against my arms and my back?! Because... because this isn't something I can touch... it's a unreachable horizon... but now such a thing is now pressing on me, this could only mean...

——That this a divine punishment.

Saito looked up at the sky, muttering to himself.

"Saito, what's wrong with you?"

Because Saito with his face pale was muttering something about this is divine punishment, that he was the fallen angel Lucifer abandoned by God, that his body would be completely burned into ashes by the flames of lust, Tiffania became worried.

"It's your fault, you know?" Derflinger said.

"Eh, me?" Tiffania said.

"Yes. That's because you've let him seen those things."

"Th-That's because it's you, Mr Sword, who asked me to show him those!"

"I never thought that you'd really show him. Anyway it's not about the process, but the result. Also, I have a name, so... Hey! Wait! Wait a moment!"

Tiffania's eyes burned with a rare flash of anger, pulled out Derflinger and sliced the ocean wildly.

"Stop it, I will rust! I will rust!"

Even so, Tiffania still silently allowed Derflinger to enjoy the sensation of being bathed in seawater.

Looking at the situation in front of her, Luctiana said in a disapproving tone "What do you take my friend for? You guys really have no manners."

Saito said, "Then be honest with us! It makes me really bothered! You've already brought us out to such an isolated place, what's there to hide?"

After hearing that, Luctiana shook her head and smiled.

"Just as I thought, it'd be better if I tell you once we reach there."

"What do you mean by that?!"

"Because you guys are interesting. Barbarians are really strange and fun to play with."

"These waters are rather special, that's why I said I'd rust, miss!" Derflinger shouted, like being tortured by something.

Saito said unhappily, "Didn't I say that before... I'm not some barbarian. What about you, you long-eared bastard."

The sea was peaceful, the surface sparkled brilliantly like a mirror reflecting the scorching sunlight.

"There was once a huge volcanic island which went dormant around this area, that means we are now above the vent now."

"Oh, no wonder the ocean is so calm." Saito said.

After hearing that, Luctiana opened her eyes wide.

"You're knowledgeable about the ocean as well?"

"No... actually I'm not so sure, it's just something I've learned in school."

"Yeah, you said that you were from another world.... Oh~ So there are schools over there?"

"Of course."

After weaving through the tentacle-shaped boulders, an extremely large towering boulder appeared in front of them. Luctiana ordered the dolphin to stop.

"We're here."

"Huh? Here? Isn't here still in the middle of the sea?"

Because Luctiana had mentioned a friend, Saito thought that the other party would be living on an island or something.

Derflinger said, "Didn't I mention before, it's a octopus-like monster, right? It'd surely grab this mixed-blood elf, and then rub its tentacle all over her. But at that instant when my partner looks at that terrifying chest, he will be all fired up.... Aha! Haha! Waha!"

Luctiana could not be bothered to clarify. "We can only enter through the ocean."

"Huh? Meaning we have to dive into the ocean? How?"

"Honestly... You guys have so many opinions. You at least know how to swim?"

"Err... yeah."

Saito observed the ocean. Although he knew how to swim, diving was another matter and he also had never tried diving underwater directly. Saito looked at Tiffania, who shook her head.

"I was born in Albion, so I've never touched the ocean before!"

"... It can't be helped then."

Luctiana closed her eyes, used her hand to scoop up seawater, and muttered a spell.

"Water... Water who governs the body."

The water in her hand glowed.

"Drink this."

Saito and Tiffania bent down, and drank the seawater. A strong, salty taste attacked their taste buds.

"Then?"

"Now you can breathe underwater, except that there's a time limit."

Derflinger said, "Hey! Add some magic to me as well! This body rusts easily!"

"Yet another troublesome fellow."

Luctiana muttered a spell, and Derflinger's body glowed red.

"Now even if you touch the water, there should be no problem."

After saying that, Luctiana took off her clothes, leaving behind only her underclothing. Her slender body was exposed under the sunlight, and with a splash, she jumped into the ocean.

"Hurry up, the underwater breathing spell won't last for long."

Tiffania worriedly looked at Saito.

Saito shook his head, and stripped off his clothes, leaving behind his underwear.

Seeing that, Tiffania seemed to have made her decision, and gently stripped off her clothes as well. Left with only a spaghetti-strap top, she was no longer someone who couldn't be described as bewitching.

Saito averted his gaze away. Just thinking about "that" without being covered by anything almost made him go crazy. Thus, he kept thinking about Louise's naked body. However, that also had another deadly charm, so Saito's troubles expanded infinitely. In the end, Luctiana gave him a good, harsh beating.

"Didn't I tell you guys to hurry up!"

Saito hurriedly jumped into the sea. However, Tiffania could not gather up her courage, and she stood at the boat staring at the water, terrified.

He reached a hand out, "Don't be scared. I'm here."

After hearing that, Tiffania nodded and jumped into the water. Saito grabbed her hand, and together they dived below.

Although near the surface it was still bright as the sunlight could still enter through the water, but a deep and vast darkness awaited them at the bottom.

Just how deep? Tiffania seemed to have felt the same fear, and held Saito's hand tightly. Saito used his right hand and grabbed Derflinger's hilt, so his body immediately became lighter, and power was continously pouring into him. However, there seem to be no need to use the power of Gandfalr.

The dolphin that was towing the boat swam beside them. Some time ago, it had already broken free of the ropes binding it to the boat. Saito looked for Luctiana and found her grabbing onto another dolphin's back fin, waving a hand and signalling for Saito and the others to follow her.

Saito and Tiffania grabbed the belt strapped on the dolphin beside them. It began swimming forward at full speed.

Thanks to Luctiana's spell, they could both breath underwater as well. As they breathed in seawater, it'd magicially turn into air once it reached the throat. As compared to Tabitha's air bubble to cover the head, this was more impressive.

At first, there was a strange feeling, but they got used to it after a while.

This underwater trip was shorter than Saito had expected. After swimming for a few minutes, a black pillar stretching up above appeared. Could this be one of that tentacle-looking boulders he had seen during the boat trip?

Luctiana's dolphin charged straight ahead towards the middle of the pillar.

What the hell? Don't tell me it's going to bang into that pillar?! Is that dolphin crazy? Saito rubbed his eyes nervously, and realized that there was a large opening.

It seemed that Luctiana's friend was inside, as the dolphin Luctiana was holding onto entered the opening. Soon after, Saito's and Tiffania's dolphin entered as well.

It was pitch black inside, yet the dolphin unhesitatingly swam in a straight path. Dolphins on Earth could use supersonic waves to capture their prey... are the dolphins here the same?

Just when a confused Saito thought about this, light could be seen further ahead. It was as if the dolphins were mesmerized by the light and they swam towards it...

Pasha!

Their heads surfaced above, making a loud noise.

"This is..."

In front of their eyes was a space as huge as a theater. A rotting seaweed-like smell attacked their nose.

"This is the interior of that pillar just now."

"So it's an empty space inside."

Now, seemingly inside the interior of that huge tentacle-like pillar, the water around Saito and Tiffania was like a large well hole and the land above was flat. Faint light covered the walls, probably from the radiating lichens growing on the walls.

Kachi...

Deep within the space, a sound of a large object moving could be heard.

Tiffania jumped and leaned onto Saito. He also instinctively reached for Derflinger on his back.

"Don't worry."

Luctiana let go of the dolphin and held onto the rocks as she climbed towards land. Just then a deep yet loud sound could be heard from within the darkness.

"Who is it? How dare you disturb my sleep?"

"It's me, Mother Sea."

"Mother Sea?"

"Oh... you long-eared rascal... my little girl... welcome."

A feeling that something huge had awoken permeated the area. Heavy footsteps followed, and within the darkness a sparkling deep blue huge body could be seen.

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Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter10

2017-01-31T02:29:06Z

JFerg:

===Chapter 10 - Escape=== 

The boat tugged by two dolphins was sprinting through the canals.

Splashing the water it easily outran other boats. Their passengers looked at it with surprise but it didn't bother Luctiana at all.

Saito was still overwhelmed by Derfflinger's revival. Even though it had revived some time ago, it didn't have enough mental power to speak until now.

Tiffania was happy to see Saito in such high spirits.

"It talks a lot."

"Indeed, because it couldn't speak for such a long time."

Well... Saito became serious. It wasn't a time to celebrate just yet. The resurrection of Derfflinger didn't change their situation much... they still were in the middle of elvish country and Luctiana wasn't entirely on their side.

"Hey, Luctiana."

"What?"

"Where are you taking us?"

"Didn't I say already? My old friend's place."

"Where is it?"

"You gonna like it," replied Luctiana with a smile.

"What will happen when you're done with your research?"

"Well, we will see."

"What do you mean?"

"That's how I am. If I think something is right I'm doing it, consequences be damned." Luctiana laughed loudly. Saito was amazed.

"Helping us you committed high treason. If they catch you it's a death penalty, isn't it?" said Saito.

Luctiana squinted and smiled.

"Ali will fix it somehow. He really likes me."

Saito though about Ali. He did look like a worldly-wise guy.

He was a serious opponent. Still, there was something sympathetic about him.

"Well, I am not interested in location of the Gate of Shaitan. I can't help you with this. I want to tag along and continue my research."

She looked as Saito with squinted eyes.

"It would be unreasonable to expect more from an elf."

Saito nodded.

"Then we have an agreement."

Luctiana held out her hand. Saito was surprised by the gesture but shook her hand without reservations.

Then Luctiana held out her hand to Tiffania.

"Elves said a lot of hurtful things about you, but I envy you a little. Half elf, half barbarian, awesome, isn't it?"

"Really?"

Tiffania timidly held out her hand.

"Yes. I apologize for their behavior. But don't blame them, they were taught to react like that... they can't help it."

Tiffania nodded.

"But, really, those are awesome! Are they like that because of barbarians' blood?"

Luctiana squinted a little, grabbed Tiffania's breasts, and started to research them enthusiastically.

"Hey! Don't! Stop it!"

Saito imagined Tiffania's breasts he seen recently and blood again went to his head. He involuntarily held his nose. He looked at Tiffania and, no matter how he tried to look away, his eyes went right to the huge mountains covered by the robe.

Then he noticed Tiffania's bright red face and bowed to her.

"Tiffa... About what you did back there, thank you... You saved my life."

"Right... it's fine because you are a friend..." said Tiffania without any conviction. She realized that friendship had nothing to do with it.

"It was good, partner! If only you could look like that at breasts that you actually wanted to see!" said Derfflinger. Tiffania blushed even more and hung her head.

"Hey! Fool! What are you saying! It's not like I didn't want to see those all the while!"

"Mine? Really?" asked Tiffania in a choked voice. "... all the while? Did you want to see them?"

Saito's face contorted. He hated to lie. Lying was wrong. So, he confessed.

"Yes, sorry, I wanted to see! I am sorry I exist! Louise, forgive me! This is so wrong!"

"No distinction, huh? This is low." Luctiana butted in. "No! There is a distinction! Definitely!"

"Oh, Louise. If partner gets in trouble like that again, she will show them to you. I'd say it's the best medicine."

Tiffania began to tremble. Then she asked Saito with a strain in her voice.

"You wanted to see them as a friend?"

"Yes."

"Right, 'as a friend.' He just wants you," said the merciless Luctiana.

Tiffania was close to tears. This conversation had become too exciting for her. She was thoroughly confused. She said, "I might have a problem."

"Tiffa?"

"A few days ago I unintentionally said to Saito that I love him. Mister Derf told me to show my breasts to Saito. Usually I wouldn't do it. I didn't think it would wake him up. Because we are friends there wasn't supposed to be anything exciting about it."

"Nothing exciting about it, really? Damn barbarians!" Luctiana interrupted.

Almost crying, Tiffania continued her monologue.

"But Saito loves Louise. He can't fall in love with me. At least I think so. I don't have much experience in these things. But, anyway, I did it. Mother told me that I shouldn't show it to anyone other than her son-in-law. But Saito can't become her son-in-law. He loves Louise. What should I do..."

"Tiffa."

"Yes."

"Calm down. Please."

Tiffania nodded.

"I don't know, but if you guys are done with Holy War you could stay with me. I take care about my place."

"Don't joke about it, you dumb elf," said a disappointed Saito.

Tiffania fainted and fell back on her cape.

She must be very tired thought Saito, carefully laying her down for a nap.

He put an improvised pillow made from an extra blanket under her head.

Meanwhile the boat left the canals and reached the open sea. Emerald blue sea shone in the sunlight. Clouds over the horizon looked like a mass of cotton.

Under other circumstances, thought Saito, it would be a perfect vacation.

Luctiana looked at Derfflinger with interest and said.

"This is an intelligent sword, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Actually it's an imitation." Luctiana boastfully said to a surprised Saito.

"Imitation?" Saito asked.

"Yes. Making intelligent swords, or rather giving them intent is an elvish hobby, like Ali's swords that you have seen recently. This one most likely was made by elves."

"Huh? What are you saying? This is a Japanese sword... from my home country... a katana, the weapon of a samurai."

Saito remembered this from the movies.

"No, this is just a shell. I am speaking about the content. The name of this intent is Derfflinger, right?"

Derfflinger muttered.

"... right. Certainly elves made me, partner."

"Huh? Really?"

Then Saito remembered a dream he saw in Romalia when Louise gave him a sleeping pill... about events that happened six thousand years ago.

Gandálfr was an elf, Sasha.

"Now that you mentioned it, was Founder's Gandálfr an elf? Did Sasha that I had seen in my dream make you?"

Luctiana's eyes widened. She asked intently: "What? Founder's Gandálfr was an elf?"

"Well, it was just a dream that I saw..."

Luctiana was very excited.

"Well, Anubis, our saint, had a shining left hand. My uncle has this theory that he was a Gandálfr but scholars don't take it seriously. If what you said is true it supports his theory."

"Oh, right. Bidashal mentioned it. Interesting. He was very pompous about it."

"He wasn't pompous. Don't badmouth my uncle."

"But it doesn't sound right. Didn't saint Anubis defeat Founder Brimir... so that he become a saint? Why would Gandálfr defeat Founder Brimir? He was supposed to protect him."

Then Derfflinger which was silent all this time, said.

"It did happen."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Gandálfr killed Founder Brimir."

Everyone froze for a moment.

"Huh? What? Did he? Was it Sasha? Did she kill Founder Brimir? No way!"

"I wish it was a lie, but while you were discussing it I remebered the whole thing. Good grief, I wanted to forget it." Derfflinger replied earnestly.

"I went through this guy's chest."

"Hey Derf! What are you saying?"

However, Derfflinger fell silent.

Saito and Luctiana stared at each other.

"... what the hell happened six thousand years ago?"

"It was so long ago, even I don't know. But it suddenly became very interesting."

Saito was trembling.

Calamity that killed every second elf.

Founder Brimir is called devil here.

Elf Gandálfr, Sasha.

Sasha killed Founder Brimir. With Derfflinger, the sword laying in front of him...

Events that happened six thousand years ago led to the current situation. They affected every single person in this world, including the elves.

Saito felt it with his skin.

Premonition that something horrible is coming. He needed something to calm him down.

Teased by the sea breeze, he thought about Louise. His beautiful master with pink hair. His adorable sweetheart...

He couldn't imagine himself plunging a sword through her chest.

''Why the hell did you do it?''

Derfflinger, a sword with intent, was resting in the sea breeze. All these memories made it sad.

''Can something like that happen again? No way!'' Even though it thought so, the sword knew that it was only a tool.

It looked at the bright blue skies.

They hadn't change in six thousand years.

They were looking at the world below everywhere.

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Zero no Tsukaima:Volume20 Chapter3

2017-01-29T04:29:55Z

JFerg:

===Chapter 3: The Last Spear===
Saito decided to explore the submarine with Tiffania and Luctiana. According to the growth of the barnacles and the seaweed on the submarine, Luctiana deduced that this submarine should be here for around 10 years already.

In total, its length was at around 120 meters, shaped like a cigar, and at the top, a rectangular bridge resembling something like an old tin can, but with much flatter, was built on it.

Saito wanted to say that this was something from his world, but he couldn't speak underwater. Relying on his hands has its limits after all. Then, Luctiana muttered a spell with an annoyed face.

"This is an underwater communication spell. Now we can talk underwater."

Although the sound quality was lousy, like being transmitted from a damaged speaker, it was better than relying on body language.

"You should've used it from the start if you had such a spell." Saito said.

"Huh? You never asked anyway."

Wanting to enter the submarine, Saito began peeling off the shells attached on the bridge.

"Is this something from your world?" Tiffania asked.

"Yeah."

"That's amazing. Is that a boat?"

"I guess so... It's a boat made to travel underwater."

"This boat must be made from iron, right? A boat made of iron can actually float... Is this something that only Saito's world can do?"

Luctiana smirked, "Hmph~ Even if this thing is made from iron, so long as the inside is empty, it can float. How ignorant. This is nothing! Using this to deal with us elves? Don't make me laugh."

Saito retorted. "This boat can not only float, but it also can travel underwater."

Luctiana's eyes went wide with surprise.

"Eh?"

"I say~ Even though you keep mocking us humans as some barbarians, but can you make such a huge submarine?"

Luctiana said, not wanting to admit defeat. "There's no need to dive underwater!"

"Why do you need to dive underwater then?", Tiffania asked.

Saito racked his brain for the answer.

"To keep ourselves hidden from enemies."

"Enemies?"

"This is a boat used in war, that's why my rune marking is glowing."

"And to think that fighting a war requires diving underwater..."

"That's the kind of world I live in."

Just then, Saito noticed something strange. It was impossible for this broken and rusty submarine to be functional. Basically, it was a weapon that could no longer function as one. So why were his rune markings glowing?

"Why are my rune markings still glowing?"

Derflinger said, "You'll know once you enter. It seems that the submarine itself is beyond repair, but the things inside should be functional."

"What's inside then?" Tiffania asked.

"No idea. But what I know is that there's something inside so incredible that even I'm trembling."

Although most of the shells had peeled off because the cover was rusty, it was still stuck firmly on the bridge. Luctiana used magic, and the rust started falling off.

"The minute vibration of the water thanks to my magic will knock off the rust."

Soon, with a 'pong' sound, the cover popped open, and sank to the bottom.

The hole in front of them was like a gateway to hell. A creepy atmosphere emanated from the inside.

"Do we really have to enter?" Tiffania said, her face worried.

Saito nodded.

Relying on the light created by Luctiana's magic, they entered the submarine. Due to seawater leaking into the interior, everywhere was as rusty as a waste land.

Tiffania, who was observing the apparatuses; the operating lever, the water check valve and the wires among other things, suddenly asked a question.

"Saito, don't you have a plane? Does this boat operate on the same theory as your plane?"

"About that..."

Saito searched his unknowledgable brain for an answer.

Just what does it use to operate?

"No, this thing isn't relying on anything like oil to operate." Derflinger said, answering the question for Saito.

"Oh, as expected as a legendary sword. I remember that you'll have the general picture of the situation so long as you're beside him."

"That thing relies on... the energy generated by particles banging into another particles."

After hearing that, a certain word came to mind. Saito remembered occasionally seeing this word on television, the newspaper and the internet.

Nuclear submarine.

The core of the submarine is...

"Nuclear!"

"Eh? What's that?"

Uh, a nuclear submarine probably relies on a nuclear reactor to be operational. But since the reactor was as rusty as this place, then it should mean...

The word 'Radiation Leakage' flashed in Saito's mind. Radiation pollution, the Chernobyl incident. Those scary terms appeared all at once.

Saito shouted, "Tiffa! Luctiana! Get out of here now! We can't stay here!"

"Eh? What? What happened?"

"Uh! Basically, the area around here is poisonous."

Tiffania and Luctiana were taken aback by Saito's outburst. He grabbed their hands, wanting to escape this place, but he ended up knocking into an apparatus.

"It hurts! But it's better than being exposed by the radiation!"

"There's no problem, partner." Derflinger said, attempting to calm Saito down.

"What do you mean by no problem?! You have no idea how scary radiation can be!"

"I really have no idea what you mean by radiation, but I'm certain that we'll be fine. Although this boat relies on that power to be operational, but it seems that there's no fuel stick on the boat."

Saito remembered a news show he watched in Japan about nuclear power. A fuel stick made from uranium is needed for the reactor to work.

"So you mean we won't be exposed to any radiation?"

"Probably."

"But even you can't help but tremble at the things found inside here, right?"

"Yeah."

The interior of the submarine was separated by various walls. They headed further inside, and they passed through the walls. On the way, Saito spotted a gold plate written in Russian.

"This submarine should be from Russia..."

Saito felt more and more uneasy. Once he touched the walls, the rune markings in Saito's left hand glowed even brighter.
Unexpectedly, there was still air at the most bottom end. It seemed that the submarine was submerged horizontally downwards, so all the air was collected at the end.

Relying on Luctiana's magic, they managed to open the door with the rust on it falling to the ground like rain in front of them.

Inside was a room that seemed to be a control area of the submarine. Various dash boards, buttons and levers could be seen. In front of the control deck, there were four small, round chairs that looked like the chairs from a coffee shop lined up neatly side by side.

Even though the submarine had lost its power because it was sleeping in the ocean for so long, the cold air was sealed inside this room, maintaining some kind of a tranquil atmosphere.

Saito's rune markings glowed even brighter than before, and started flashing, seemingly in annoyance. The size of the thing that was placed here made him tremble uncontrollably.

Don't tell me...

Saito touched the control deck filled with rust and water droplets. He immediately understood what was contained by the boxes behind the room, how it was used and its power.

Fighter planes and tanks were nothing compared to this. The power that the circular 'guns' stored behind was beyond any power ever seen.

It made one feel that the magic in Halkeginia was only a toy.

Seeing Saito standing there shocked. Tiffania and Luctiana worriedly asked. "Saito, what's wrong? Are you still okay?"

"What's going on?"

What do you call this weapon attached to this submarine? Saito remembered from the news he watched before.

It was an artifact left behind by the Cold War.

The strongest "gun" that humans had created.

Once it exploded, it had enough power to wipe a city clean.

Brimir-san... just what do you want me to do with such a thing?

"It's a nuclear weapon."

Back in the cave after the search mission ended, Saito hid in a corner, bringing both knees to his arms.

This was because of the enormous potential within that thing he found.

...Could I use it as a bargaining chip?

Such thinking almost made his brain explode.
The stubborn attitude of the elves, and the firestone which wiped out a dual purpose naval fleet... if I'm unable to take out something as powerful as that, I don't think it's possible that I can negotiate with them.

On the other hand, Saito felt that he should not be using such a thing as a bargaining chip to negotiate with them. After all, nothing would be left if he were to use it.

But, but...

The situation on his side wasn't optimistic. No matter what, they're going lose their home. For the bigger picture, he should actively use it as a bargaining tool.

But, but, but...

What if the elves reject him, what should he do?

When that time comes, must he really fire that thing?

Saito kept repeating the information received inside his mind, the system to detonate the nuclear missiles. Although it was impossible to fire the missiles from the submarine, after removing a few safety measures put in place, it would be able to explode directly like a bomb.

The rune markings on his left hand told him this method.

He was certain, it was possible to transport the missiles inside the firing barrel, and then directly detonate it.
When he thought about that, Saito shook his head, and stared at his hands.

My god, what am I thinking? If I was to do that, I'm the same as that Joseph.

Then what should I do?

Saito sighed.

Luctiana, who was also sitting while hugging both knees, leaning her head on her hands, said.

"Is that strange wasteland that incredible?"

"It's not just incredible. Uh. No..."

"Huh? Then what is it?"

Saito wondered if he should tell Luctiana the truth. After all, it was an incredible bargaining chip, if it were to be taken away by the elves...

Thinking about this, he felt ashamed. Luctiana may be an elf, but she was willing to save him. Although their goals may be different, but she wasn't someone Saito should lie to.

"Very incredible."

"How incredible?"

"It can destroy an entire town... No, not just a town, even the capital would be finished."

"Elf magic can do the same as well~ It's just that we don't see the need to use it."

"Don't you understand? It means that even we have such an option now. If we were to use it, all of us would perish together."

"You plan to use such a scary thing?" Luctiana said, looking straight into Saito's eyes.

"Yeah."

The both stared at each other for a long time. Saito relented.

"I'm just kidding. How can I use such a thing? I think we should just seal it."

Saito crossed both his hands, placing them on his head, before lying down. Although that was what he said on the surface... wasn't there any other way to make the elves surrender the Holy Land?

As expected, do I have to threaten them?

But even so, Saito didn't want to use such a scary thing.

"Honestly..." Saito muttered.

"For me to make such a decision, the responsibility is simply too much for me."

If it was Louise, what would she do?

I think, she should be as hesitant as me. Saito thought.

But to not use the power given to him, and escape reality was weak. Louise probably thought the same as well.

That 'gun'... Is this something that will be forgiven if I were to use it?

Within his heart, a voice said 'Of course not'. Then another voice said 'Now is an emergency, don't hesitate!'

No matter, he still had the responsibility to make a decision. After all, he was the only one who could use that 'gun'.

This reality had changed into an especially heavy burden. Saito couldn't help but mutter one thing.

"Why me?"

On the other hand, Tiffania was worried about a troubled Saito. What he had found on the submarine seemed to be equipped with something very powerful, so powerful that it could fight against the elves magic. But he felt troubled because of this power.

Tiffania wanted to make Saito feel better, but she didn't know what she should do. Thus, she could only pace back and forth.

Tiffania pulled down her loose elven clothing, looking at the pair of melons in front of her chest.

Ah, if he saw these...

The thought of it made Tiffania blush.

"Of course not! What was I thinking..."

Although just now was an emergency, and she had showed him them when he became flustered. However, after thinking about it rationally, she shouldn't be doing such a thing.

However, Tiffania wanted to make him feel better no matter what. Because each time when she was in trouble, Saito would always reach a hand out.

Then what should I do? When it comes to this, I think only his lover can comfort and encourage him? If only Louise was here, then...

If it was Louise, she would surely make him feel better.

"If only I was Saito's lover...", Tiffania muttered.

That night, when the moon hid inside the clouds, she gently kissed Saito in the darkness. After that, she should have thought that this should be enough, but somehow...

Somehow, she felt that she wasn't like herself anymore.

Tiffania pressed her hands against her chest. Although in the beginning, she had an ambiguous liking towards Saito, but...

Humans are really a species that easily fall in love with another of its kind.
That's right, because...

---I feel that, I'm always thinking about Saito.

After that night when they kissed, it had always been like that. Recently, Tiffania felt happy just swimming alongside with Saito.

Once she felt happiness, she wanted things to stay like this forever.

And to think that she wanted things to stay like this forever.

"Despite the situation being so urgent..."

Tiffania hated herself for being so weak. "Now is not the time for me to immerse myself in happiness.", she thought.

She thought of something she could do, and an idea flashed into her mind.

Right!

A familiar!

I haven't summoned a familiar. Maybe if I were to summon a familiar... would I become more useful?

Although Tiffania thought that she would bringing her familiar trouble summoning it in such a place, she still thought that this was something she had to do eventually: perhaps her familiar might be the key in solving their current situation.

She had no idea what might appear, but it was better than doing nothing.

Tiffania walked to a corner, and tried to recall the summoning spell she learned in school. This was a spell not commonly used.

Because the incarnation was colloquial in nature, the words of the spell could be freely changed. The teacher mentioned that what was important wasn't the words being said, but the strong desire within one's heart.

The power of magic comes from willpower.

And words were only used to give meaning to that willpower.

There was also another reason in summoning a familiar.

A familiar was brought to a master through the magical strings of fate. This was why Saito and Louise had such a strong bond. Although their personalities were worlds apart, both were aware that they could not live without each other.

If only I had such a person beside me...

Then would the feelings for Saito disappear?

Would it become an invisible bubble, and be absorbed by the vast ocean.

Tiffania took a deep breath, and raised her wand.

"My name is Tiffania Westwood, by the powers governing the five elements..."

She changed her mind, and put down her wand.

Summoning a familiar in such a situation would be too pathetic. Tiffania felt that she wouldn't be able to create a good bond between it and her as well. If that was the case, then there would be no point.

Tiffania was at a loss as she hugged her knees and sat down. Even so, it changed nothing.

After recovering from her daze, she realized that she had been staring at the ring on her right hand. It was a ring from her mother. There was a shining spirit gem on the ring, but only the silver ring setting remained, as she had used the gem to cure Saito's injuries.

Because it was something that her dead mother had left for her, even if only the setting remained, she still wore it. The design of the setting was unique, a net-like pattern that overlapped, layer by layer. Probably an elven style of design.

Every time Tiffania saw this ring, she would always think of her mother. When she was young, her mother was killed by a knight using magic when she jumped to protect Tiffania.

Being a mixed-blood elf, she had no companions, and she was also banned from leaving home, so she only had her mother for company. Her mother often talked about the incidents regarding the desert. There was an oasis, and a huge town... though Tiffania never thought that she would come to this place in such a manner.

Tiffania realized that not all elves were as kind as her mother. She felt heartbroken upon thinking that. Even in the world of the elves, there was nowhere she belonged to.

Would there be a place for her in the human world then? She had a human companion, but, but...

He already had someone in mind, because there was already a girl who had a strong bond with him.

Even if she were to live in the human world, she would still be in pain.

"Somewhere I belong..." Tiffania muttered.

Would those of the same elven kind as her mother... perhaps be someone gentle?

Would there be a place where she truly belonged?

"I really want to meet the elves who are the same kind as my mother...", Tiffania thought.

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| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume20_Chapter2|Back to Chapter 2]]
| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima|Return to Main Page]]
| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume20_Chapter4|Forward to Chapter 4]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume20 Chapter2

2017-01-29T03:45:12Z

JFerg: /* Chapter 2: Mother Sea */

===Chapter 2: Mother Sea===
In front of Saito and the others, a huge water dragon appeared. Its size was far larger than what Ari sent out to fight, standing at about 15 meters tall.

At first, what was thought to be deep blue scales was actually dark silver upon closer inspection. The smooth silver scales changed into different colours depending on how strong or weak the light was.

There were two horns that looked like corals growing on its head. A few huge barnacles surrounded the base of the horns, and between its fingers and toes were thick webbing.

"What is it?"

It could speak clear, and comprehensible human language. Saito thought about another dragon that was capable of the same thing.

"Rhyme Dragons!"

Tabitha's familiar, Sylphid, was a Rhyme Dragon known to be able to use magic and understand human language.

"Ara, I didn't expect you to know that." Luctiana said, impressed by Saito's deduction.

"That's because my friend's familiar is a rhyme dragon."

After saying that, the water rhyme dragon known as Mother Sea laughed.

"Being able to make my descendant become a familiar, that's amazing."

Mother Sea observed them with her white eyes.

Tiffania stared at the dragon with awe, "Is that your friend?"

Mother Sea narrowed her eyes with a smile, and said: "What a beautiful young lady, it seems that you have human and elven blood within you."

"You can tell?" Tiffania said, shocked.

Mother Sea nodded, "After living for so long, I can basically figure out most things in the world. But not even I can understand what you're up to. That's because you're too casual."

"Then I'll be direct. I hope that you can let us temporarily hide here."

"Ara ara<ref>あらあら, ara ara. This expresses something like "Oh my!</ref> You rascal! What trouble have you gotten yourself into again? Did you take your elder's book or objects without permission?"

"Of course not. I'm not a kid anymore."

Mother Sea turned to Luctiana, "But you must have taken something away, am I right?"

"Yes, it's them."

Luctiana pointed at Saito and Tiffania. Thus, Mother Sea reared her head to take a closer look at them, scaring Tiffania as she jumped behind Saito.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to eat you."

After a while, Mother Sea said.

"It seems that the both of you are not ordinary humans."

Luctiana said smugly, "They are the Devil's offspring!"

Mother Sea remained silent as she kept her gaze on them.

Saito became nervous. Would this dragon say something like 'This horrible devil!' before eating him.

However, Mother Sea only said one thing. "Welcome."

"You don't hate us?" Tiffania said.

Mother Sea nodded, "I know what your ancestors did to this land, and I probably also know what you're up to."

"Even though you live in this cave filled with the smell of seawater, why do you know so much?" Luctiana said.

After hearing that, Mother Sea took a deep breath. It seems that she was laughing.

"Because I've heard about the Devil from my Grandmother, and even if I'm living in such a cave, after experiencing so much, I naturally can understand a lot of things."

"Your grandmother told you about the things that happened 6000 years ago?"

"Yes, at that time, my grandmother herself was just a little girl."

My god... those dragons have such long lives. Saito looked at the water rhyme dragon in front of him, his heart sighing with emotion. If that idiotic Sylphid was to live for another thousand years, would she be able to give off such an aura...?

"But I don't hate you, you offspring of the Devil."

After saying that, she stuck her nose closer to Tiffania. Tiffania slowly reached out a hand, and touched the tip of her nose.

Mother Sea seemed to be narrowing her eyes with a comfortable look.

"As expected of a Rhyme Dragon, the level of your understanding far surpasses those elders at the committee."

Mother Sea nodded in response to Luctiana.

"I'm different from you elves. We're a race heading towards extinction, and we've already determined that whatever happens in this world is God's will. Whether we're heading towards extinction, or welcoming new guests... even if it's that great disaster, there's no difference."

"Huh! It just seems like you've given up on everything." Luctiana said.

"Haha, long-eared miss, my little girl, do you wish for me to hate the Devil? Or do you want me to stand on their side?

"Neither side is in the right. Anyway, I just need a place to hide, this is my first objective, and there's another one..." Luctiana said the crucial phrase without beating about the bush.

"We want to take a look at the Devil's Door."

"Shouldn't you elves know more about this than me?"

"Only a small amount of elves know about the details. But you should know where it is, right? After all, you're the living dictionary around here."

"Yes, I'm knowledgeable, but my knowledge is not impeccable."

Saito and Tiffania were disappointed.

"Hey Luctiana, this is different from what you've said."

"What? It's not like I said that this is a 100% thing. Anyway, Mother Sea, do you know who else other than the elves knows about the location of the Devil's Door?"

"No idea. I don't interact much nowadays."

"What a useless ancient species!"

"What useless? Haven't you forgotten about my kindness towards you?"

Mother Sea stood up.

"You can stay here for now, as long as you want, but the air here might be too much for you to bear."

After saying that, loud footsteps sounded as Mother Sea went back to the depths of the cave.

Saito and the rest collected the dry seaweed that was scattered around the area, and used it for fire to keep warm. They roasted fish, shellfish and other types of seafood that the dolphins had caught for food. Although the strong sea smell inside the cave was rather troubling, they got used to it after a while. This was what Saito always believed: that "humans could get used to anything" for a long time.

After resting for some time like that, Luctiana suddenly said.

"Okay..."

"What good ideas do you have now?" Saito said while chewing on a shellfish.

"Just go to sleep!"

"Hey! Long ear! What do we do next?"

"You ask me, but what can we do anyway? After all, Mother Sea said she doesn't know~"

"... Honestly, we clearly don't have time to relax like this."

After hearing that, Luctiana narrowed her eyes with a smile towards Saito.

"If you're too bored, why don't you continue what happened yesterday?"

Tiffania spat her fish out, "Wh-Wh-What!"

Saito's face went red, not knowing what to do.

"All you have to do is to continue kissing like yesterday, no?"

"You saw it?"

[[Image:ZnT20 041.jpg|thumb|]]
"You two are so daring, despite me sleeping beside you two, and that the boat is mine. As expected, barbarians have no idea of shame." Luctiana said bluntly as she stretched her hands.

"Stop being a peeping tom, okay!"

"Huh? What are you talking about? The boat is so small you can't consider that as peeping?"

"I saw it too."

Tiffania fainted when she heard Derflinger saying that as well.

"Aiya aiya <ref>あいやあいや, aiya aiya. Something like a mixture of tut-tut and 'scuse me.</ref>... And I thought I was sure what kind of a person my partner was, but this time you really went too far. If that pink-haired girl were to know about this, even if you have nine lives, I doubt that would be enough."

"Id-Idiot! That's just an expression of our friendship or something... how should I say it..."

"Oh~ So barbarians do such a thing to friends? Oh~"

Just then, Tiffania sat up, and shook her head wildly.

"It's... It's all my fault! Not Saito."

"Then may I ask why did you do that?"

For some reason Derflinger purposely asked in a special manner, like interviewing someone.

"Because once I looked at Saito's face, I don't know why, but a strange feeling poured out from my heart! That's why I'm unable to control myself!"

"It means that you've fallen for him. My partner is a man who has greatly sinned."

"I really don't understand why myself!"

Tiffania covered her face in shame, but Derflinger continued.

"I say, what do you plan on accomplishing by being such a womanizer?"

Saito said, "I'm not a womanizer! Then again, this is not the time to say such crap! Honestly, just where the hell is that Holy Land..."

"It's the Devil's Door: it's not some Holy Land, or some divine place."

"Whatever, it's the same anyway... Ah!"

Saito pulled out the sword on his waist.

"Hey! Derfli! Didn't you say that you've remembered everything already, right? Then you should know where the location of the Holy Land is."

"You mean that? The place where Brimir was headed for using the Teleportation Gate right? I think I remember."

"Oi, oi, oi, oi, oi! Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

"But, there's a problem."

"What problem? Okay, everybody get ready! We're ready to move on!"

"It should be somewhere around a desert? Or the sea? Anyway, compared to last time, the geology has changed a lot, so even I can't be sure of the exact location."

"What the hell..."

Saito knelt on both knees, disappointed.

"Then what does the place look like?" Tiffania asked.

"Err... well, it's a desert, and there's a large pile of boulders around the area as well."

"We can find a place resembling that description anywhere." Luctiana said, troubled.

"You've lived 6000 years for nothing. Don't make us all excited for nothing!"

"But Luctiana, you said that the place is protected by the elves right? Is there a rocky place that fits this condition?"

Luctiana stretched her hands outwards, "They can't openly send people to guard the area. That is the committee's responsibility after all. I dare say that even though there may be nothing to that place, it might actually be extremely well-guarded."

Luctiana laid on the dried seaweed she had spread out on the ground.

"What are you doing?"

"Since I'm full, I'm going to sleep."

"Don't fool around, what do we do next?"

"How would I know? Anyway, maybe we might think of something good after we wake up."
Luctiana went into her dreamland after saying that, leaving only Saito and Tiffania who could only look at each other.

They had no choice but to follow Luctiana and sleep.

Just like that, they spent three days doing nothing. Since they didn't know anything about the exact location of the Holy Land, there was nothing they could do about it. Although Saito suggested that they head out to the outside world to collect information, Luctiana rejected the idea, saying that they would only end up being captured immediately.

Then again, most elves didn't have the information that they wanted. Being an enemy, it was futile even if they tried.

Returning to Halkeginia wasn't possible either. After all, this place was so isolated that Luctiana would not offer them a boat just to let them return. Even if they succeeded, to bring Tiffania across the desert from there was impossible.
Also, Saito had already promised Luctiana that he wouldn't run away. He couldn't possibly abandon her after what she had done for them.

Even so, staying in such a cave doing nothing for the whole day made Saito restless. After all, with the situation being so urgent, the agitation from being able to do nothing made him unable to sit still.

The dolphins would help gather food for them while drinking rainwater for survival. Thanks to Luctiana's magic, the rainwater didn't taste so bad.

Saito said to Luctiana, "Even if we stay here, we'll be found out eventually, right?"

"The tidal currents of the ocean around here are very complicated, so even the elves wouldn't dare to approach it so easily. No, because there are occasional storms as well, the correct way of saying would be that it's impossible to approach. It's the same for us as well. If it wasn't for the dolphins, we could not have made it this far."

Luctiana kept emphasizing that there's no problem because this is a special place.

"Of course, I'm also thinking about our next move," Luctiana said, "But I still can't think of anything. I think the best thing we can do now is to lie low. Maybe a good idea might just appear after some time."

Because there was nothing to do, Saito often went swimming. He felt that if he didn't move his body, he would feel strangely depressed.

The current season should be near the end of summer, but the water here was warm like the waters in tropical areas. Luctiana said that this was thanks to the power of the spirits, and she also mentioned that the power around this area was rather strong, and so this was why the ancient dragon Mother Sea decided to make this her home.

Or maybe it was like this? The ocean here was like a treasure vault for the living organisms here. All kinds of corals were attached to the rock pillars that stretched upwards. Many different fishes in various colours were swimming leisurely around it. In the midst, large stingrays could also be seen as well. Those fishes seem to have never seen humans before. Even if Saito approached them, they didn't run away.

Because Tiffania could not swim, Saito offered to teach her how to swim. In the beginning, she was swimming together with Saito. Although it was partly due to Luctiana's underwater breathing spell, Tiffania was also a fast learner, and soon she was able to freely swim about alone. It seems that she had some affinity with water.

Swimming about the ocean that was illuminated blue by the sunlight, Tiffania seemed like an incarnation of a mermaid. Her swimming style was free and casual as she shuttled through the ocean.

The sleeveless tank top on Tiffania, that was bobbing according to the currents, made it impossible to not help but fantasize. Saito couldn't help but think that although she looked like a mermaid, it wasn't possible to find a mermaid with a chest as large as hers.

That day, Tiffania and Saito were freely swimming about when she leaned towards him, and smiled, pointing at the bottom of the ocean.

(Do you want to take a look?)

Saito nodded. The depth of the water was around 20 meters, under the sunlight, even the bottom could be seen clearly.

Tiffania grabbed Saito's hand, and pushed herself forward. Luctiana's dolphin followed behind the two, as if it was protecting them.

At the bottom of the ocean, they descended into a garden full of corals. A large amount of corals were spreading out in all directions, fighting for more space. It was an impressive scene.

In between the corals, colourful fishes could be seen swimming through the corals like butterflies. Upon looking at such a scene, one couldn't help but think that the Holy War or Halkeginia's crisis simply were dreams.

Just then, Tiffania seemed to have found something in between the corals. It was a large, colourful prawn.
She reached out a hand and grabbed it.

(This is today's lunch!) Tiffania moved her lips, conveying a wordless message.

Saito, who didn't want to lose to her, started searching for food as well in between the corals. Not long after, he found a blue conch, and grabbed it immediately.

Tiffania smiled as she watched Saito.

She felt that the times they spent together swimming about in the ocean peacefully were something worth cherishing.

-Wouldn't it be good if we could stay like this forever?

If only she could make Saito forget all about the Holy War and Halkeginia's crisis, and live with him here peacefully.
Tiffania felt ashamed at having such thoughts. After all, everyone was surely worried about them.

Just then, Saito began struggling after he put his hand inside the corals. She quickly swam over.

(Saito, are you still okay?)

When Tiffania put her hand onto Saito's shoulder, he suddenly fell backwards, causing Tiffania to spin around. Looking closer, it was actually a crab that had clamped onto Saito's fingers.

Tiffania could not help but laugh. Saito laughed as well. At the same time, they realized that their faces were very close to each other.

Her face slowly grew red. She lowered her head. Although Tiffania did such a daring thing last night, but at such a bright place, she didn't know what to do.

Saito seemed to be the same as her. His face was red as he rubbed his nose embarrassingly. Upon seeing Saito being like that, Tiffania felt a feeling expanding outwards at a fast rate within her heart.

-What is it about things being okay once I get courage, it's actually just an excuse.

Tiffania realized that what she wanted wasn't courage, but for Saito to hug her tightly, whisper sweet-nothings beside her ears, and kiss her passionately.

This instinctive feeling within her heart made Tiffania almost want to cry.

Seeing how sad Tiffania became, Saito was momentarily taken aback.

Is this... all my fault?

Ever since that night when the both kissed, Saito has been trying to maintain their relationship as friends. He thought that Tiffania probably was confused at the moment, and that was why she thought that a person like him wasn't so bad.

Anyway, he had sworn that he'd never do anything that would make Louise sad. No matter how attractive Tiffania was, he couldn't waver.

Saito wanted to say something to change the subject, but it was hard to speak underwater. Even if they relied on sign language to communicate, there was a limit to it. In the end, the both could only stare at each other.

Tiffania could be said to be a perfect girl. Just by looking at her blue eyes with the corners slightly bent downwards, one can't help but have a strong urge to protect her. Also, with a seemingly sad feeling evoked by her eyes, the thought to protect her grew even stronger.

Saito caressed her hair, as if to cool himself down from feeling like that. In the end, Tiffania closed her eyes determinedly, lifted her head and puckered her lips.

Saito felt a magnet attracting him to her lips, but he persevered. So Tiffania opened her eyes, and she blushed even redder, realizing what she did just now. It seems that it was something she did instinctively. Saito felt that Tiffania looked even more sympathetic and cute, and his heart felt even more touched. Saito felt that this was simply a form of torture.

Just then, Derflinger's voice sounded within Saito's mind, and this finally ended the tension between the two.
"Partner. There's something approaching us."

Saito turned and observed his surroundings, shocked to see shadows of a group of huge fishes gradually approaching.

Tiffania was shocked as well, and she turned to look at Saito. However, those shadows were already above Saito's and Tiffania's head.

He felt a chill running up his spine.

(Sharks!)

The size and shape of the fishes above looked rather similar to the sharks found on Earth. The difference was that there was a bulge on their head. There were at least 10 of them.

Tiffania pointed at them, as if asking what they were. It seemed like she had no idea what sharks were. After all, she grew up in Albion where sea was a foreign concept to her.

Since there was no time to explain, Saito pushed down Tiffania's head, wanting to lower her body. This was when she realized the sharp teeth on the sharks, and tightly held onto Saito in fear.

The ambiguous atmosphere from before had already disappeared.

The sharks began circling above their heads. If so many sharks were to treat them as food, then even if he used Gandalfr's power, Saito might not be able to defeat them underwater.

(Is that fish scary?)

Tiffania asked, using her hands to express her question.

Saito nodded.

(Very scary)

Not long after, one of the sharks noticed Saito and Tiffania who were hiding at the bottom of the ocean. It seems that they used their bulges to emit supersonic waves or something like that to communicate. Soon, all the sharks turned in their direction.

Saito stood in front of Tiffania, and pulled out Derflinger from his back. Although he wasn't confident with fighting that many sharks, he could only try.

Just when Saito wanted to attack the sharks first, the two dolphins shot out from the sides, and slammed into one of the sharks.

With an impact as powerful as a thunderstorm, it knocked the shark out cold in one blow. It sank to the bottom, spinning out of control.

One by one, the dolphins knocked the sharks in a similar manner.

(The dolphins... are incredible!)

Seeing how the dolphins who looked so gentle on the surface could actually be that strong surprised Saito. The rest of the sharks started to run away.

(Amazing!)

Derflinger added, "In the first place, dolphins are stronger than sharks. That's because their bodies are very soft."
(No wonder!) Saito swam forward, wanting to give the dolphins a hug.

However, there was no touching scene that occurred.

The two dolphins seemed to have noticed something approaching, turned their heads in the direction of where the sharks were, and swam away in a flash.

(What's going on?)

Saito turned towards the direction where the dolphins were looking at before running away, and jumped in fear. A gigantic creature that looked like a snake were heading in this direction.

"The sharks probably ran away because of this." Derflinger said.

(What's that?)

"A water dragon."

(The same kind as Mother Sea?)

"No, that creature is fierce and easily angered, and it's also quite dumb. However, it should be the strongest living creature near this area."

This water dragon was 10 meters long, it had body similar to a crocodile, and limbs similar to an eel. Rows of sharp teeth could be seen inside its slim mouth.

It stared at them with a fierce look.

(We're not food! Really, we're not food!)

Though Saito tried convincing the dragon, it was futile. As the dragon approached, Tiffania threw herself in front of Saito.

(Tiffa! What are you doing!)

Saito grabbed her shoulders, but Tiffania responded.

(I'll be bait, you quickly run while you can!)

(Don't be stupid! Hide behind me!)

Tiffania put her hand onto her sleeveless tank top, face red.

(It's okay!)

The both were desperately communicating with their hands. It appeared to be something from a comedy or a talk show. But it had nothing to do with that. First, it was because the reason they were being trapped in such a place, was because they were swimming together to waste time. Now there was a high chance they were about to be eaten alive.

Is there a situation as idiotic as that?

Saito held onto Derflinger, and began fighting with the water dragon. Ari's water dragon had a much more similar appearance to a dragon, as compared to this water dragon who had evolved to adapt to the sea. Its limbs had completely turned into eel-like ones, and its body was streamlined. Although there was no way it could climb to land, it still looked more like a proper water dragon seeing how it had adapted.

Thus, the greatest weapon of being a Gandalfr, mobility, was greatly limited underwater, but this was not the case for the dragon.

Without bothering to make any intimidating action, it directly opened its mouth and charged towards them.
Saito pushed Tiffania down while bending its body, avoiding the attack.

The dragon turned around, and charged forth again.

"Since you can't slash underwater, you can only stab." Derflinger said.

(I know!)

Saito jumped, turned his body horizontally downwards, and stabbed Derflinger at the middle of the dragon's eyes.
Due to his awkward posture, water resistance was like a chain limiting his movements, and so there was no impact in that strike. His blade slipped off the tough scales of the dragon.

The water dragon slammed its tail onto Saito.

"Ugh!"

It started circling Saito.

"If this goes on, I have a bad feeling about this..." Derflinger said.

(If we were on land, this bastard would be a piece of cake...)

"Unfortunately, we're underwater!"

Just then, Saito felt his leg being pulled. He lowered his head to see Tiffania with a super serious expression.

(Tiffa?)

[[Image:ZnT20 057.jpg|thumb|]]
Tiffania reached inside her tank top, and pulled it outwards. From Saito's angle looking downwards, he could see this two dangerous melon in full view.

Saito felt a rusty metal smell spreading from his nose. Although Tiffania's face was completely red, it still remained serious, and said to Saito.

(My everything, for you.)

Those words expressed through body language and mouth movements, burned inside Saito's mind.

Something was boiling within Saito's heart.

She said... for me?

Can I?

Of course not.

But being alive is great. Saito thought.

Just like a demon...

The very definition of beautiful.

A chest larger than anyone, and because of her slim figure, it was impossible to hide that fact. Even with such a figure, her character was kind and gentle, like a fantasy come true.

Even if you were to consider all the girls from Earth and Halkeginia, Tiffania is probably the perfect girl alive.

This girl said she liked me.

And she wanted to give everything to me.

Of course I can't accept that. Be-Because I already have Louise. Because of Louise, I don't have a choice! But... but...

Anyway, I'm the luckiest man in the universe.

Now is not the time to be controlled by that sea bug.

(How can I die!)

Saito muttered to himself.

The sea dragon opened it's mouth, and charged forth. With an excited yet calm emotion, Saito carefully observed its movements.

Just when he was about to be swallowed, he pushed his body downwards together with Derflinger, the blade stabbing into the dragon's lower jaw in that downward motion. The impact of the stab was greatly enhanced thanks to the force created by the dragon charging forth.

(I did it!)

However, happiness only lasted for a short while.

(I can't pull it out!)

Because it was so deep inside, Saito could not pull Derflinger out. The sea dragon trashed about in pain, swinging Saito who was holding onto Derflinger left and right.

It began to swam away.

(Hey! Where's this guy going?)

"Partner, I have a request."

(What?)

"Don't ever let go. It would be pathetic if I have to live the rest of my life stuck to that creature."

As the ocean was extremely large, if Saito were to let go, it would be impossible to see Derflinger again .

(I know that!)

The sea dragon swam towards the direction it originally appeared from while struggling. Saito strengthened his grip on Derflinger. If he didn't grip it properly, he would be easily shook away.

Saito and Derflinger moved together with the dragon for about 10 minutes. During this time, Saito kept trying to pull Derflinger out, but the tough scales clamped onto the blade made it futile. No matter how much strength he poured into pulling the blade, because the dragon was still swimming, creating a forward resistance, Saito could not use his full strength.

"That's troublesome. Just where the hell is that guy swimming to."

(How would I know?! I just can't seem to pull you out!)

"That's because you've stabbed too deep inside."

(You should try to control yourself!)

"You should know I can't move at all."

The corals grew lesser, and sand began appearing at the bottom of the ocean. Under the sunlight, the sand reflected a pale blue glow. Not long after, Saito saw a rock mountain on the other end of the sand.

"It seems that it's heading for that mountain."

(Is that the guy's nest?)

Barnacles, sponges and other unknown sea organisms grew on that rocky mountain. Around it, big and small colourful fishes were swimming about. Within this underwater desert, it seems that this was a condominium for them.

Since the swimming speed of the sea dragon reduced, Saito pushed his foot against the dragon and managed to pull Derflinger out.

After pulling it out, the sea dragon turned back and looked at Saito.

What, do you want to fight again?

Although Saito thought that, but the sea dragon turned his vision away, and swam to the other end of the rocky mountain.

Saito heaved a sigh of relief, and put Derflinger back to its sheath.

He soon realized that he was brought to a rather far place. Upon thinking about swimming his way back to Tiffania, he felt exhausted.

Saito sat at the rocky mountain, wanting to rest for a while.

At that instant, the rune markings in his hand glowed.

(Eh? Why is it glowing?)

"I'm inside the sheath."

(I know that. But it glows once I put my hand onto this rocky mountain."

Just then Saito realized that this thing he thought that was a rocky mountain had a rather strange shape.

Its circular shape was too perfectly rounded that it didn't seem like anything natural. And at the center, there was a pyramid-like object growing on it.

(This... this is man-made.)

Because of the various sea organisms growing on it, Saito had not realized it, but natural rock mountains did not possess such a shape.

Saito's heart began beating rapidly, and since the rune markings on his left hand glowed when it touched it... this must be a weapon. According to the size and structure, it wasn't something from Halkeginia.

This... this is...

Saito's eyes widen, observing intently what was the object under his butt.

It's length was around a 100 meters, and it's shape was something like a cigar, and it's face was bulging.

Boat?

No... That's not it...

(This is a submarine...)

A weapon in Saito's world. A present from Brimir, Gandalfr's gun.

(Brimir-san, this is probably too big for a gun...)

Just then, Saito felt something pecking his back. Turning behind, he saw a dolphin, its round eyes seemingly apologetic. On top of the dolphin was Tiffania.

She jumped off the dolphin, and said with an expression almost in tears.

(Are you still okay?)

Saito nodded in response, then looked at the submarine. He didn't know what country the submarine was from, or what era it was from. This submarine, sitting quietly at the bottom of the ocean, was like a huge watch dog waiting for its owner to come.

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</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter10

2017-01-19T04:53:27Z

JFerg:

===Chapter 10 - Escape=== 

The boat tugged by two dolphins was sprinting through the canals.

Splashing the water it easily outrAn other boats. Their passengers looked at it with surprise but it didn't bother Luctiana at all.

Saito was still overwhelmed by Derfflinger's revival. Even though it had revived some time ago, it didn't have enough mental power to speak until now.

Tiffania was happy to see Saito in such high spirits.

"It talks a lot."

"Indeed, because it couldn't speak for such a long time."

Well... Saito became serious. It wasn't a time to celebrate just yet. The resurrection of Derfflinger didn't change their situation much... they still were in the middle of elvish country and Luctiana wasn't entirely on their side.

"Hey, Luctiana."

"What?"

"Where are you taking us?"

"Didn't I say already? My old friend's place."

"Where is it?"

"You gonna like it." replied Luctiana with a smile.

"What will happen when you're done with your research?"

"Well, we will see."

"What do you mean?"

"That's how I am. If I think something is right I'm doing it, consequences be damned" Luctiana laughed loudly. Saito was amazed.

"Helping us you committed high treason. If they catch you it's a death penalty, isn't it?" said Saito.

Luctiana squinted and smiled.

"Ali will fix it somehow. He really likes me."

Saito though about Ali. He did look like a worldly-wise guy.

He was a serious opponent. Still, there was something sympathetic about him.

"Well, I am not interested in location of the Gate of Shaitan. I can't help you with this. I want to tag along and continue my research."

She looked as Saito with squinted eyes.

"It would be unreasonable to expect more from an elf."

Saito nodded.

"Then we have an agreement."

Luctiana held out her hand. Saito was surprised by the gesture but shook her hand without reservations.

Then Luctiana held out her hand to Tiffania.

"Elves said a lot of hurtful things about you, but I envy you a little. Half elf, half barbarian, awesome, isn't it?"

"Really?"

Tiffania timidly held out her hand.

"Yes. I apologize for their behavior. But don't blame them, they were taught to react like that... they can't help it."

Tiffania nodded.

"But, really, those are awesome! Are they like that because of barbarians' blood?"

Luctiana squinted a little, grabbed Tiffania's breasts, and started to research them enthusiastically.

"Hey! Don't! Stop it!"

Saito imagined Tiffania's breasts he seen recently and blood again went to his head. He involuntarily held his nose. He looked at Tiffania and, no matter how he tried to look away, his eyes went right to the huge mountains covered by the robe.

Then he noticed Tiffania's bright red face and bowed to her.

"Tiffa... About what you did back there, thank you... You saved my life."

"Right... it's fine because you are a friend..." said Tiffania without any conviction. She realized that friendship had nothing to do with it.

"It was good, partner! If only you could look like that at breasts that you actually wanted to see!" said Derfflinger. Tiffania blushed even more and hung her head.

"Hey! Fool! What are you saying! It's not like I didn't want to see those all the while!"

"Mine? Really?" asked Tiffania in a choked voice." ... all the while? Did you want to see them?"

Saito's face contorted. He hated to lie. Lying was wrong. So, he confessed.

"Yes, sorry, I wanted to see! I am sorry I exist! Louise, forgive me! This is so wrong!"

"No distinction, huh? This is low."

Luctiana butted in.

"No! There is a distinction! Definitely!"

"Oh, Louise. If partner gets in trouble like that again, she will show them to you. I'd say it's the best medicine."

Tiffania began to tremble. Then she asked Saito with a strain in her voice.

"You wanted to see them as a friend?"

"Yes."

"Right, 'as a friend'. He just wants you" said a merciless Luctiana.

Tiffania was close to tears. This conversation had become too exciting for her. She was thoroughly confused. She said "I might have a problem."

"Tiffa?"

"A few days ago I unintentionally said to Saito that I love him. Mister Derf told me to show my breasts to Saito. Usually I wouldn't do it. I didn't think it would wake him up. Because we are friends there wasn't supposed to be anything exciting about it."

"Nothing exciting about it, really? Damn barbarians!" Luctiana interrupted.

Almost crying, Tiffania continued her monologue.

"But Saito loves Louise. He can't fall in love with me. At least I think so. I don't have much experience in these things. But, anyway, I did it. Mother told me that I shouldn't show it to anyone other than her son-in-law. But Saito can't her become son-in-law. He loves Louise. What should I do..."

"Tiffa."

"Yes."

"Calm down. Please."

Tiffania nodded.

"I don't know, if you guys are done with Holy War you could stay with me. I take care about my place."

"Don't joke about it, you dumb elf." said a disappointed Saito.

Tiffania fainted and fell back on her cape.

She must be very tired thought Saito, carefully laying her down for a nap.

He put an improvised pillow made from an extra blanket under her head.

Meanwhile the boat left the canals and reached the open sea. Emerald blue sea shone in the sunlight. Clouds over the horizon looked like a mass of cotton.

Under other circumstances, thought Saito, it would be a perfect vacation.

Luctiana looked at Derfflinger with interest and said.

"This is an intelligent sword, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Actually it's an imitation."

"Imitation?" Luctiana boastfully said to surprised Saito.

"Yes. Making intelligent swords, or rather giving them intent is an elvish hobby, like Ali's swords that you have seen recently. This one most likely was made by elves."

"Huh? What are you saying? This is Japanese sword... from my home country... a katana, the weapon of a samurai."

Saito remembered this from the movies.

"No, this is just a shell. I am speaking about the content. The name of this intent is Derfflinger, right?"

Derfflinger muttered.

"... right. Certainly elves made me, partner."

"Huh? Really?"

Then Saito remembered a dream he saw in Romalia when Louise gave him a sleeping pill... about events that happened six thousand years ago.

Gandálfr was an elf, Sasha.

"Now that you mentioned it, was Founder's Gandálfr an elf? Did Sasha that I had seen in my dream make you?"

Luctiana's eyes widened. She asked intently "What? Founder's Gandálfr was an elf?"

"Well, it was just a dream that I saw..."

Luctiana was very excited.

"Well, Anubis, our saint, had a shining left hand. My uncle has this theory that he was a Gandálfr but scholars don't take it seriously. If what you said is true it supports his theory."

"Oh, right. Bidashal mentioned it. Interesting. He was very pompous about it."

"He wasn't pompous. Don't badmouth my uncle."

"But it doesn't sound right. Didn't saint Anubis defeat Founder Brimir... so that he become a saint? Why would Gandálfr defeat Founder Brimir? He was supposed to protect him."

Then Derfflinger which was silent all this time, said.

"It did happen."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Gandálfr killed Founder Brimir."

Everyone froze for a moment.

"Huh? What? Did he? Was it Sasha? Did she kill Founder Brimir? No way!"

"I wish it was a lie. While you were discussing it I remebered the whole thing. Good grief, I wanted to forget it."

Derfflinger replied earnestly.

"I went through this guy's chest."

"Hey Derf! What are you saying?"

However, Derfflinger fell silent.

Saito and Luctiana stared at each other.

"...what the hell happened six thousand years ago?"

"It was so long ago, even I don't know. But it suddenly became very interesting."

Saito was trembling.

Calamity that killed every second elf.

Founder Brimir is called devil here.

Elf Gandálfr, Sasha.

Sasha killed Founder Brimir. With Derfflinger, the sword laying in front of him...

Events that happened six thousand years ago led to the current situation. They affected every single person in this world, including the elves.

Saito felt it with his skin.

Premonition that something horrible is coming. He needed something to calm him down.

Teased by the sea breeze, he thought about Louise. His beautiful master with pink hair. His adorable sweetheart...

He couldn't imagine himself plunging a sword through her chest.

''Why the hell did you do it?''

Derfflinger, a sword with intent, was resting in the sea breeze. All these memories made it sad.

''Can something like that happen again? No way!'' Even though it thought so, the sword knew that it was only a tool.

It looked at the bright blue skies.

They hadn't change in six thousand years.

They were looking at the world below everywhere.

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Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter9

2017-01-18T20:24:40Z

JFerg:

===Chapter 9 - Confrontation with Ali=== 

Morning, six days later...

They were awakened by the sound of the opening door. Three elf warriors entered and suggested "Get up. It's time."

Saito and Tiffania got up from the beds and looked at each other. Saito looked at the elves, but none of them had any weapon.

Saito jumped at one of the warriors. He knew it was pointless and had given up already, but he had no intention to be obedient.

They reacted immediately and tried to hold him down. Magic fists flew into Saito's abdomen, making him faint from pain.

Saito was tied by air ropes and lay on the floor.

"Saito!"

Tiffania ran to him but was also stopped immediately by an Ancient Magic rope.

A cup with strong citrus smell was put to his mouth. Apparently he was supposed to just drink it... they didn't bother to mix it into the food... they probably just wanted to be certain...

He desperately tried to keep his mouth shut but had to open it when they covered his nose. Tiffania felt ashamed to be an elf.

The warriors turned to Tiffania.

One of them said to her.

"You are the disgrace of the elves."

"You are the disgrace of all living creatures."

The man's face become crimson. He poured the liquid into Tiffania's mouth. She almost choked but swallowed it involuntarily.

Saito tried to throw up but the moment liquid was in his mouth he was hit into abdomen and swallowed.

He lay on the floor and waited for the potion to work...

In about a minute he didn't feel any changes. A surprised Tiffania looked at him.

"What? It didn't work yet?"

One of the warriors cried in surprise when a magic lantern giving light to the room went out. At the same time something flew over Saito and two elves fell on the floor.

Saito was stunned... then he heard young woman's voice.

"...please be quiet. I will release you."

It was Luctiana's voice.

Saito heard a short spell and felt that he could move again.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Saito.

Luctiana replied from the darkness "Because this is right. Quickly, put on their clothes."

Saito took a robe off one of the elves lying on the floor and put it on. Tiffania didn't know what was going on. He took off another robe and told her to wear it.

"Ok. Thank you."

Then Luctiana returned them the sword and the wand.

"Why are you helping us?"

"You said you came from the other world."

"Yes."

"I am very interested in it. And I don't like the way Council handled it."

"I owe you big time. Thank you."

"You have to promise me something."

"Ask whatever you want. We don't have many options."

"I am helping you out of academic curiosity. You must promise to not participate in revival of the devil. Swear to your god to stay with me and to never run away."

She said it very seriously. Saito though about it a bit, then nodded.

"Ok. I promise."

"I returned you the weapon but you can never kill an elf. You have to promise me."

"I promise."

"Then we should hurry."

Tiffania and Saito raised the hoods of the robes and followed Luctiana. Outside was a corridor with plastered walls that looked like concrete. There were plenty of doors similar to one they came from.

"Here."

Luctiana went forward walking with dignity.

They turned at the corner and saw five elves in official looking clothes. Few guards accompanied them. Tiffania and Saito tensed but Luctiana stopped and said to them in a low voice.

"Grandfathers of the Council. Don't talk. Lower heads when I do."

Luctiana stood by the wall, Saito and Tiffania followed her lead. The leading old elf asked.

"Is it done?"

"Yes."

Luctiana bowed with dignity. Saito and Tiffania did the same.

"I see."

And they went away toward the room where the prisoners were held. Luctiana waited for them to pass and told the two people.

"Run."

Luctiana bolted, Saito and Tiffania followed. There was a magic elevator at the end of the corridor. When everyone was there, Luctiana said "first floor".

A disc Saito was standing on started to raise. Somehow the feeling was completely different from one in an Earth elevator.

The elevator suddenly reached the first floor. It was a vast area, like the lobby of a large hotel. They came off the disk and few elf warriors got on it. Then a low siren resounded through the lobby.

"They know." said Luctiana.

Here and there elves were asking "What is it? What happened?"

Most of them didn't seem to be informed about the situation. Reaction was slow. A few warriors ran somewhere, but most just stood there looking confused.

Luctiana went directly to the exit among the elves moving around. When they reached a large stone door, someone behind them yelled.

"Close the front door!"

Two or three soldiers were running to the door.

"What? What is going on?"

A clerk at front door reception lifted his glasses.

"Close the door! Council's order!"

"May I see this order?"

"Stop wasting time! Hurry!"

Meanwhile people were coming in and out of the building. Luctiana and the prisoners joined the flow and went outside.

Saito gasped looking at the magnificent view. The council building was a huge cylindrical structure. Stone steps surrounded it and led to a beautiful park full of flowers. Elves were walking in the park. About a hundred mails from the stone steps was a city border. Rows of stores and houses, streets and canals were surrounding the central tower like a baumkuchen.

"Amazing..."

The city looked impressive from the sky, but from this point its beauty was breathtaking.

There was nothing like that even on Earth. The buildings were different from those in Halkeginia and on Earth. They had white walls, light blue window frames and orange roofs. The buildings were different but there was some reasonable uniformity that made the city an eye candy. Saito was impressed by the commitment to keep the buildings about tree stories high.

Plenty of boats were coming and going in the canals. Imitating natural objects like birds, fish or lightning made it look like a theme park.

"We must go! Fast!"

Rushed by Luctiana, Saito and Tiffania started to walk.

"Don't attract attention. Don't run. However, don't waste time" said Luctiana tensely.

Streets came in eight directions from the center, and Luctiana entered one of them.

The street had sidewalks and roadways. In the roadways dragons pulled cars along the street.

Glass-walled stores distracted Saito. It was a strange fusion of a modern world and Earth's Middle Ages.

"The city of the elves..."

Nobody paid any attention to Saito and Tiffania in elvish robes with their heads fully covered by hoods.

"Where are you taking us?"

"My old friend's place."

Luctiana went to stairs which lead to a canal on one side of the street. There was a strong smell of the seashore.

"It's slippery, be careful."

Seaweed grew along the way to the canal so Tiffania grasped Saito's hand. She slipped a few times, but Saito didn't let her fall. Her impressive breasts brushed his hand occasionally but he had no problem with that.

Unlike the vivid activity on the street, it was quiet here.

Luctiana restlessly looked around.

"What happened?"

"There was a small boat here that I prepared."

"It disappeared?"

"Yes. Probably stolen."

From about fifteen mails across the canal someone said "the boat was confiscated."

"Ali!" Luctiana exclaimed.

"What did you do? What is wrong with you, woman?"

Ali's handsome face was distorted. Luctiana spread her hands and replied.

"I made a promise. I will take care of them."

"It was the Council decision, you can't just change it!"

"I know. But I disagree with this decision" Luctiana declared with dignity.

"Please return the boat."

It was a familiar attitude, "I know better". Louise had acted like that in the past. Ali's impatience grew.

"Well, Luctiana. Do you know what you are doing? You are betraying your race. Give them up quietly and I will leave you out of it. Now only a few people know about this matter."

"Unacceptable."

"Why are you doing this?"

Saito sympathized with Ali even though he was an enemy. To be abused like that by a selfish Luctiana... She was exactly like Louise.

"In that case they will be taken by force."

"Then our engagement will be canceled. A man who takes away a valuable research subject of his lover is not a lover."

Ali was stunned but didn't give up.

"I am a knight with a title, personal matters and duties can't be mixed."

"Wonderful. Are your duties more important than me?"

"There is no point to argue about it."

Ali pulled his sword from the waist. It shone like a mirror in morning light.

"Barbarian, your turn."

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

"As we agreed, you can't kill. Despite appearances, I somewhat like my fiance."

Anyway, it seemed that they couldn't escape without dealing with this guy somehow. Saito pulled out the sword and it glinted ominously in sunlight.

When Ali started to cast a spell, he jumped over the canal. Then he quickly lowered his sword. Without crossing the swords he jumped back and dodged.

"Hey, wouldn't it be a problem if you killed me?"

Ali replied coldly.

"It would. The force would survive and the devil still could be reincarnated."

Saito held the sword. He remembered his previous fight with an elf, Bidashal. The reflection spell was a problem. If Ali used it, without Louise here, Saito would have no chance.

''I have to use the katana before it happens.''

Before his opponent could cast another spell Saito interrupted him. He reached Ali in one leap and hit him.

Ali was a good swordsman, but the elf warrior was overwhelmed by the speed of Gandálfr. Forced into defense, he suddenly lost his sword. With a clank the sword fell behind him. Saito shoved his katana toward Ali.

"Game over. Will you return the boat?"

Ali grinned. Luctiana noticed it and yelled.

"Be careful!"

"Ga!"

Saito groaned. The curved sword ran deep into his right shoulder... then it flew to the hand of Ali.

"Barbarian, hand to hand combat is your strong point. It seems you'd better meet 'their' will."

Then four, five song swords raised up behind Ali and danced around him like butterflies.

"Spirits, may your hunt be easy."

The song swords flew toward Saito.

If Saito held the katana in his left hand he could brush them off, but they flew to his blind spot.

Saito's swordplay was incredibly fast, but it still wasn't fast enough. Far from being able to attack Ali, he was locked in defense.

"Damn!"

If the swords attacked from one direction, like an arrow, it wouldn't be a big problem. But these swords, as if having a will of their own, used a wide range of attacks. It was almost like fighting five experienced warriors. On top of that, they had no bodies.

In other words, the opponent seemed to be invincible.

Looking at the struggling Saito, a worried Luctiana said "Oh... It looks like Ali's 'spirit swords' are too much for him."

"Don't make carefree observations, help Saito!"

Luctiana shook her head.

"I can't. Power of spirits in this area is controlled by Ali now. He is good at this. There is no way I could intervene."

Saito was desperately fighting using one hand. Tiffania started to cry. Was there something she could do?

Hmm... The magic she could use was 'forget'. It's a close range spell. But... could she approach?

It was difficult to jump into the middle of this sword fight, Tiffania hesitated.

"Oh, this is bad" said worried Luctiana.

"Huh?"

"It looks like Ali is using 'sleep' spell."

Ali was casting a spell. After a small finishing gesture he pointed his hand at Saito, and Saito's eyes become muddled.

Tiffania remembered the strong drowsiness she felt during their kidnapping and trembled. Saito's position was desperate already and Ali continued to chant, reinforcing the spell.

At this rate, Saito would fall asleep.

Tiffania gathered all her courage and ran forward. She took out her wand and prepared to cast the Void spell.

"Stop."

She heard a voice.

"Huh?"

Tiffania looked around restlessly. But there seemed to be nobody who could have said this.

She heard the voice again. It sounded directly in her mind.

"'Sleep' is a spirit spell and 'forget' can't cancel it. I know it. If you do it, the song swords will impale you."

"What? What? What?"

The voice continued.

"We need to keep him awake somehow."

"How?"

Tiffania asked desperately. It wasn't a good time to investigate the source of the voice.

"Hmm. Is he sleeping already? It doesn't seem to be going well for him."

"Quick! Tell me how I can help him!"

"Ah, got it! Bingo!"

The voice gave Tiffania short instruction.

"Huh? Really? This?"

"Well, I think it should work."

Saito continued the fight, desperately trying to suppress the drowsiness. If he relaxed even a little bit, he would lose consciousness. Naturally it slowed him down.

Finally he couldn't block one of the swords and felt sharp pain in the right leg.

"Damn!"

The pain didn't drive away the drowsiness though. In fact... the pain seemed to increase it. Too bad...

"Sa, Sa, Saito!"

He heard Tiffania's voice. What is it, is she in trouble? He looked at her...

"...what?"

He suddenly saw two fruits... huge, shining, white and magnificent.

Wow, Tiffania rolled up her robe and underwear and revealed her huge breasts to the bright sunlight.

Moreover, trembling from embarrassment, Tiffania turned her face to the side and bit her lip. Saito involuntarily commented.

"Perfect."

His drowsiness disappeared completely.

"Sightseeing!"

Said Ali and the song swords attacked simultaneously from five directions. But Saito's will to live was boosted by this single glance. And he didn't want to lose heart either. Forgetting this image would be a blasphemy to life itself.

Anyway, the rune on his left hand shined. Louise probably would cry if she knew, but it did.

The katana in Saito's left hand attacked the song swords.

They were cut in halves. Saito, with a bleeding nose, muttered.

"Thank you Tiffa. It's good to be alive. Sorry Louise."

Expressing gratitude, observation and apology, Saito tried to press Ali who suddenly lost his song swords. Blood dripped from his shoulder, he was dragging his right leg. Just a little more... he thought, covered with cold sweat.

But at this moment something surfaced in the canal like a submarine.

"Huh? What?"

It was a huge dragon with silver scales, loudly exhaling. It glittering form was larger than wind or fire dragons.

Suddenly the creature spit out a thin stream of water in Saito's direction. Saito was slammed into the canal's wall.

"You can't defeat Shallar. Give up and surrender."

"Huh? That dragon! What is it?" Tiffania shouted.

Luctiana, seemingly distracted, replied "What, you don't know about water dragons? They are the dragons that live in the sea. They are the largest of all dragons and the strongest, but they can't fly. This is the one Ali keeps, Shallar. Wow, you have big ones, don't you?"

Tiffania quickly lowered her robe.

"Well, I lived in the sky mostly..."

"Right. I heard that they are not known very well among barbarians. It's because barbarians don't use the sea much. But they are popular creatures here. Are they really that large?"

"How we can fight it?"

"We are at a disadvantage here. Adult water dragon and an elf are hard to beat. They are fake, aren't they?" said Luctiana. She was preoccupied with Tiffania's breasts and looked alternately at Tiffania and herself.

"Forget about the breasts! Anyway, what should we do?"

"We can't escape without dealing with this water dragon first. I give up."

"We are not defeated yet, are we?"

"By the way, is showing breasts a barbarian's way of cheering?"

"The strangest thing happened! I heard a voice..."

"A voice?"

"Yes, it was the best partner ever..."

Partner?

Tiffania suddenly realized.

There was a certain item that Saito had called a partner...

Saito fell on the stone pavement breathing heavily. In front of him the huge water dragon was taking aim again.

The water stream hit him like a dump truck. Pain paralyzed his body.

The noise of the fight attracted the attention of elves in the street and a few of them were looking down into the canal.

"What is going on?"

Ali waved his hand to them.

"Nothing. My water dragon is acting out. He is in a bad mood."

Even if Ali won, if the commotion was big enough someone could call the guards. It would be bad; he wouldn't be able to protect Luctiana.

Still, it didn't change Saito's desperate situation.

Ali triumphantly said to Saito.

"You fought well, barbarian. But it's over. Throw away your sword."

But Saito declared decisively "No way!"

"Then I have to defeat you. Don't blame me."

The water dragon opened his mouth. The moment the water stream flew out...

Saito's body rolled to the side, moving freely. The water stream hit the stone and water fell around like rain.

What is it? What happened?

Then the sword said.

"Great, right?"

"Huh?"

"Even though we are in trouble the beautiful half-elf girl showed her unbelievable treasures."

The moment Saito heard the familiar high-pitched voice, tears filled his eyes.

The voice that he had missed. The voice that always was with him in battle. The voice that had helped him in so many predicaments...

A real comrade in arms...

"Deeeeerffliiiiingeeeeer!"

Cried Saito. The sword seemed to be embarrassed by his yell.

"I missed you too partner. I possessed this katana quickly but it took time to complete the process. All these layers of folded iron were difficult to handle."

"Derf! Derf! You are alive! How?" yelled excited Saito. His shock was larger than Tiffania's breasts.

"I will tell you later. Anyway, we have to do something about this water dragon."

Tiny drops of splattered sea water were hanging in the air like fog. Saito gathered all the remaining energy and stood up. Derf's revival galvanized him.

"Tell me about his weak points, Derf!"

"Let's see. This animal is protected by tough scales."

The fog cleared up and the water dragon noticed Saito and tried to hit him with his tail.

Saito dodged. The thunderous strike broke the stone pavement and debris flew in the air.

The water dragon immediately swung the tail.

Saito tried to jump over it even though wound in his right leg shackled him.

"Wow!"

He floated into the air.

"This is bad. I will help as much as I can but there is a limit."

"Dodged!"

Yelled Saito, but he still had no idea what to do. The strength of Gandálfr relies on his weapons. To deal with such a monster he would need something like a tank.

Saito was locked in defense again. Now there just was no point to attack. The way it was going defeat was only a matter of time.

Saito desperately dodged the attacks of the water dragon. Water charge, tail slam, tail swing, talons... It was like fighting a heavy tank.

"Saito! The elf is casting again!"

He heard Tiffania's warning. Indeed Ali was casting another spell.

"Damn! Derf!"

Ali seemed to finish chanting and pointed his hand at Saito. His hand was shining intensely.

It was an Ancient Magic "lightning" spell which had knocked out Louise.

Ali bet everything on this shot. He used every last drop of willpower to stun Saito with "lightning".

Saito braced himself preparing to dodge the spell somehow, but Derfflinger intervened.

"Don't dodge! Catch it with me!"

It looked like it had an idea. A discharge flowed from Ali's hand toward Saito. It reached him instantly.

The discharge hit Derfflinger like lightning hits a lightning rod. Derfflinger was electrified, the surface of the sword was emitting a bright blue shining.
[[Image:ZnT19-213.jpg|thumb|]]
"Now! Stab the dragon in the head!"

The water dragon was preparing to hit Saito with another stream of water. The moment his head approached Saito flew into the air.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Screaming he hit the dragon's head with the sword. The thick scales were impenetrable for such an attack, but the moment Derfflinger touched the dragon's head it released the charge.

An intense electric current flowed into the water dragon's body. The dragon was frozen in place... the whole body of the beast was emitting a shining light.

The water dragon fainted. It slowly collapsed into the channel.

"Saito!"

"Impossible! Barbarian!"

Tiffania and Luctiana ran to him.

Saito jumped to the stone pavement and pointed his sword toward Ali who was stunned by surprise.

"You lost. Return the boat."

Ali shook his head in disbelief.

"Impossible... How could a barbarian defeat Shallar..."

"Do it Ali. If you don't return the boat immediately, the engagement is off."

Shocked Ali blew the whistle. A boat tugged by dolphins appeared on the other side of the canal.

Two dolphins noticed Luctiana and bleated happily.

"Come on, get in!" Luctiana suggested. Saito boarded the boat, but suddenly gripped by pain, he laid down. Tiffania hurried to help him.

When Luctiana boarded the boat Ali said.

"You are really selfish. I don't know you anymore."

"Huh? What are you talking about? When this matter blows off we will get married! Love you!"

Luctiana looked askance at the stunned Ali and took the reins that led to the dolphin's snouts.

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| Back to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter8|Chapter 8]]
| Return to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume19_Chapter10|Chapter 10]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter9

2017-01-18T06:43:14Z

JFerg:

===Chapter 9 - Confrontation with Ali=== 

Morning, six days later...

They were awakened by the sound of the opening door. Three elf warriors entered and suggested "Get up. It's time."

Saito and Tiffania got up from the beds and looked at each other. Saito looked at the elves, but none of them had any weapon.

Saito jumped at one of the warriors. He knew it was pointless and had given up already, but he had no intention to be obedient.

They reacted immediately and tried to hold him down. Magic fists flew into Saito's abdomen, making him faint from pain.

Saito was tied by air ropes and lay on the floor.

"Saito!"

Tiffania ran to him but was also stopped immediately by an Ancient Magic rope.

A cup with strong citrus smell was put to his mouth. Apparently he was supposed to just drink it... they didn't bother to mix it into the food... they probably just wanted to be certain...

He desperately tried to keep his mouth shut but had to open it when they covered his nose. Tiffania felt ashamed to be an elf.

The warriors turned to Tiffania.

One of them said to her.

"You are the disgrace of the elves."

"You are the disgrace of all living creatures."

The man's face become crimson. He poured the liquid into Tiffania's mouth. She almost choked but swallowed it involuntarily.

Saito tried to throw up but the moment liquid was in his mouth he was hit into abdomen and swallowed.

He lay on the floor and waited for the potion to work...

In about a minute he didn't feel any changes. A surprised Tiffania looked at him.

"What? It didn't work yet?"

One of the warriors cried in surprise when a magic lantern giving light to the room went out. At the same time something flew over Saito and two elves fell on the floor.

Saito was stunned... then he heard young woman's voice.

"...please be quiet. I will release you."

It was Luctiana's voice.

Saito heard a short spell and felt that he could move again.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Saito.

Luctiana replied from the darkness "Because this is right. Quickly, put on their clothes."

Saito took a robe off one of the elves lying on the floor and put it on. Tiffania didn't know what was going on. He took off another robe and told her to wear it.

"Ok. Thank you."

Then Luctiana returned them the sword and the wand.

"Why are you helping us?"

"You said you came from the other world."

"Yes."

"I am very interested in it. And I don't like the way Council handled it."

"I owe you big time. Thank you."

"You have to promise me something."

"Ask whatever you want. We don't have many options."

"I am helping you out of academic curiosity. You must promise to not participate in revival of the devil. Swear to your god to stay with me and to never run away."

She said it very seriously. Saito though about it a bit, then nodded.

"Ok. I promise."

"I returned you the weapon but you can never kill an elf. You have to promise me."

"I promise."

"Then we should hurry."

Tiffania and Saito raised the hoods of the robes and followed Luctiana. Outside was a corridor with plastered walls that looked like concrete. There were plenty of doors similar to one they came from.

"Here."

Luctiana went forward walking with dignity.

They turned at the corner and saw five elves in official looking clothes. Few guards accompanied them. Tiffania and Saito tensed but Luctiana stopped and said to them in a low voice.

"Grandfathers of the Council. Don't talk. Lower heads when I do."

Luctiana stood by the wall, Saito and Tiffania followed her lead. The leading old elf asked.

"Is it done?"

"Yes."

Luctiana bowed with dignity. Saito and Tiffania did the same.

"I see."

And they went away toward the room where the prisoners were held. Luctiana waited for them to pass and told the two people.

"Run."

Luctiana bolted, Saito and Tiffania followed. There was a magic elevator at the end of the corridor. When everyone was there, Luctiana said "first floor".

A disc Saito was standing on started to raise. Somehow the feeling was completely different from one in an Earth elevator.

The elevator suddenly reached the first floor. It was a vast area, like the lobby of a large hotel. They came off the disk and few elf warriors got on it. Then a low siren resounded through the lobby.

"They know." said Luctiana.

Here and there elves were asking "What is it? What happened?"

Most of them didn't seem to be informed about the situation. Reaction was slow. A few warriors ran somewhere, but most just stood there looking confused.

Luctiana went directly to the exit among the elves moving around. When they reached a large stone door, someone behind them yelled.

"Close the front door!"

Two or three soldiers were running to the door.

"What? What is going on?"

A clerk at front door reception lifted his glasses.

"Close the door! Council's order!"

"May I see this order?"

"Stop wasting time! Hurry!"

Meanwhile people were coming in and out of the building. Luctiana and the prisoners joined the flow and went outside.

Saito gasped looking at the magnificent view. The council building was a huge cylindrical structure. Stone steps surrounded it and led to a beautiful park full of flowers. Elves were walking in the park. About a hundred mails from the stone steps was a city border. Rows of stores and houses, streets and canals were surrounding the central tower like a baumkuchen.

"Amazing..."

The city looked impressive from the sky, but from this point its beauty was breathtaking.

There was nothing like that even on Earth. The buildings were different from those in Halkeginia and on Earth. They had white walls, light blue window frames and orange roofs. The buildings were different but there was some reasonable uniformity that made the city an eye candy. Saito was impressed by the commitment to keep the buildings about tree stories high.

Plenty of boats were coming and going in the canals. Imitating natural objects like birds, fish or lightning made it look like a theme park.

"We must go! Fast!"

Rushed by Luctiana, Saito and Tiffania started to walk.

"Don't attract attention. Don't run. However, don't waste time" said Luctiana tensely.

Streets came in eight directions from the center, and Luctiana entered one of them.

Street had sidewalks and roadways. In the roadways dragons pulled cars along the street.

Glass-walled stores distracted Saito. It was a strange fusion of a modern world and Middle Ages.

"The city of elves..."

Nobody paid any attention to Saito and Tiffania in elvish robes with heads fully covered by hoods.

"Where are you taking us?"

"My old friend's place."

Luctiana went to stairs which lead to a canal on a side of the street. There was a strong smell of a seashore.

"It's slippery, be careful."

Seaweed grew on the way to the canal. Tiffania grasped Saito's hand. She slipped a few times, but Saito didn't let her fall. Her impressive breasts brushed his hand occasionally but he had no problem with that.

Unlike the vivid activity on the street, it was quiet here.

Luctiana restlessly looked around.

"What happened?"

"Here was a small boat that I prepared."

"It disappeared?"

"Yes. Probably stolen."

From about fifteen mails across the canal someone said "the boat was confiscated."

"Ali!" Luctiana exclaimed.

"What did you do? What is wrong with you, woman?"

Ali's handsome face was distorted. Luctiana spread her hands and replied.

"I made a promise. I will take care of them."

"It was the Council decision, you can't just change it!"

"I know. But I disagree with this decision" Luctiana declared with dignity.

"Please return the boat."

It was a familiar attitude, "I know better". Louise acted like that in the past. Ali's impatience grew.

"Well, Luctiana. Do you know what you are doing? You are betraying your race. Give them up quietly and I will leave you out of it. Now only a few people know about this matter."

"Unacceptable."

"Why are you doing this?"

Saito sympathized with Ali even though he was an enemy. To be abused like that by a selfish Luctiana... She was exactly like Louise.

"In that case they will be taken by force."

"Then our engagement will be canceled. A man who takes away a valuable research subject of his lover is not a lover."

Ali was stunned but didn't give up.

"I am a knight with a title, personal matters and duties can't be mixed."

"Wonderful. Are your duties more important than me?"

"There is no point to argue about it."

Ali pulled his sword from the waist. It shone like a mirror in morning light.

"Barbarian, your turn."

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

"As we agreed, you can't kill. Despite appearances, I somewhat like my fiance."

Anyway, it seemed that they couldn't escape without dealing with this guy somehow. Saito pulled out the sword and it glinted ominously in sunlight.

When Ali started to cast a spell, he jumped over the canal. Then he quickly lowered his sword. Without crossing the swords he jumped back and dodged.

"Hey, wouldn't it be a problem if you killed me?"

Ali replied coldly.

"It would. The force would survive and the devil still could be reincarnated."

Saito held the sword. He remembered his previous fight with an elf, Bidashal. Reflection spell was a problem. If Ali used it, without Louise here, Saito would have no chance.

''I have to use thekatana before it happens.''

Before his opponent could cast another spell Saito interrupted him. He reached Ali in one leap and hit him.

Ali was a good swordsman, but the elf warrior was overwhelmed by the speed of Gandálfr. Forced into defense, he suddenly lost his sword. With a clank the sword fell behind him. Saito shoved his katana toward Ali.

"Game over. Will you return the boat?"

Ali grinned. Luctiana noticed it and yelled.

"Be careful!"

"Ga!"

Saito groaned. Thecurved sword ran deep into his right shoulder... then it flew to the hand of Ali.

"Barbarian, hand to hand combat is your strong point. It seems you'd better meet 'their' will."

Then four, five song swords raised behind Ali. They danced around him like butterflies.

"Spirits, may your hunt be easy."

Song swords flew to Saito.

If Saito held katana in left hand, he could brush them off. But they flew to his blind spot.

Saito's swordplay was incredibly fast, it still wasn't fast enough. Far from being able to attack Ali, he was locked in defense.

"Damn!"

If the swords attacked from one direction, like an arrow, it wouldn't be a big problem. But these swords, as if having will of their own, used wide range of attacks. It was almost like fighting five experienced warriors. On top of that, they had no bodies.

In other words, the opponent seemed to be invincible.

Looking at struggling Saito, worried Luctiana said.

"Oh... It looks like Ali's 'spirit swords' are too much for him."

"Don't make carefree observations, help Saito!"

Luctiana shook her head.

"I can't. Power of spirits in this area is controlled by Ali now. He is good at this. There is no way I could intervene."

Saito was desperately fighting using one hand. Tiffania started to cry. Was there something she could do?

Hmm... The magic she could use was 'forget'. It's a close range spell. But... could she approach?

It was difficult to jump into the middle of this sword fight, Tiffania hesitated.

"Oh, this is bad."

Said worried Luctiana.

"Huh?"

"It looks like Ali is using 'sleep' spell."

Ali was casting a spell. After small finishing gesture he pointed his hand at Saito. Saito's eyes become muddled.

Tiffania remembered strong drowsiness she felt during kidnapping and trembled. Saito's position was desperate already. Ali continued to chant reinforcing the spell.

At this rate, Saito will fall asleep.

Tiffania gathered all her courage and run forward. She took out her wand and prepared to cast the Void spell.

"Stop."

She heard a voice.

"Huh?"

Tiffania looked around restlessly. But there seemed to be nobody who could have said this.

She heard the voice again. It sounded directly in her mind.

"'Sleep' is a spirit spell and 'forget' can't cancel it. I know it. If you do it, song swords will impale you."

"What? What? What?"

The voice continued.

"We need to keep him awake somehow."

"How?"

Tiffania asked desperately. It wasn't a good time to investigate the source of the voice.

"Hmm. Is he sleeping already? It doesn't seem to go well for him."

"Quick! Tell me how I can help him!"

"Ah, got it! Bingo!"

The voice gave Tiffania short instruction.

"Huh? Really? This?"

"Well, I think it should work."

Saito continued the fight, desperately trying to suppress the drowsiness. If he relaxed even a little bit, he would lose consciousness. Naturally it slowed him down.

Finally he couldn't block one of the swords and felt sharp pain in the right leg.

"Damn!"

Pain didn't drive away drowsiness though. In fact... pain seemed to increase it. Too bad...

"Sa, Sa, Saito!"

He heard Tiffania's voice. What is it, is she in trouble? He looked at her...

"...what?"

He suddenly saw two fruits... huge, shining, white and magnificent.

Wow, Tiffania rolled up her robe and underwear and revealed her huge breasts to the bright sunlight.

Moreover, trembling from embarrassment, Tiffania turned her face to the side and bit her lip. Saito involuntarily commented.

"Perfect."

His drowsiness disappeared completely.

"Sightseeing!"

Said Ali and the song swords attacked simultaneously from five directions. But Saito's will to live was boosted by this single glance. And he didn't want to lose heart either. Forgetting this image would be a blasphemy to life itself.

Anyway, the rune on his left hand shined. Louise probably would cry if she knew, but it did.

Katana in Saito's left hand attacked the song swords.

They were cut in halves. Saito, with bleeding nose, muttered.

"Thank you Tiffa. It's good to be alive. Sorry Louise."

Expressing gratitude, observation and apology, Saito tried to press Ali who suddenly lost his song swords. Blood dripped from his shoulder, he was dragging his right leg. Just a little more... he though, covered with cold sweat.

But at this moment something surfaced in the canal like a submarine.

"Huh? What?"

It was a huge dragon with silver scales, loudly exhaling. It glittering form was larger than wind or fire dragon.

Suddenly creature spit out thin stream of water in Saito's direction. Saito slammed into the canal's wall.

"You can't defeat Shallar. Give up and surrender."

"Huh? Dragon! What is it?"

Tiffania shouted. Luctiana, seemingly distracted, replied.

"What, you don't know about water dragons? They are the dragons that live in the sea. They are the largest of all dragons. And strongest. But they can't fly. This is the one Ali keeps, Shallar. Wow, you have big ones, don't you?"

Tiffania quickly lowered her robe.

"Well, I lived in the sky mostly..."

"Right. I heard that they are not known very well among barbarians. It's because barbarians don't use the sea much. But they are popular creatures here. Are they really that large?"

"How we can fight it?"

"We are at disadvantage here, adult water dragon and an elf are hard to beat. They are fake, aren't they?"

Said Luctiana. She was preoccupied with Tiffania's breasts and looked alternately at Tiffania and herself.

"Forget about the breasts! Anyway, what should we do?"

"We can't escape without dealing with this water dragon first. I give up."

"We are not defeated yet, are we?"

"By the way, is showing breasts a barbarian's way of cheering?"

"The strangest thing happened! I heard a voice..."

"A voice?"

"Yes, it was the best partner ever..."

Partner?

Tiffania suddenly realized.

There was a certain item that Saito had called a partner...

Saito fell on the stone pavement heavily breathing. In front of him huge water dragon was taking aim again.

Water stream hit him like a dump truck. Pain paralyzed his body.

Noise of the fight attracted attention of elves in the street, few of them were looking down into the canal.

"What is going on?"

Ali waved his hand to them.

"Nothing. My water dragon is acting out. He is in a bad mood."

Even if Ali won, if the commotion was big enough someone could call guards. It would be bad, he wouldn't be able to protect Luctiana.

Still, it didn't change Saito's desperate situation.

Ali triumphantly said to Saito.

"You fought well, barbarian. But it's over. Throw away your sword."

But Saito declared decisively.

"No way!"

"Then I have to defeat you. Don't blame me."

Water dragon opened his mouth. The moment water stream flew out...

Saito's body rolled to the side, moving freely. Water stream hit the stone, water fell around like rain.

What is it? What happened?

Then the sword said.

"Great, right?"

"Huh?"

"Even though we are in trouble beautiful half-elf girl showed her unbelievable treasures."

The moment Saito heard familiar high-pitched voice, tears filled his eyes.

Voice that he missed.

Voice that always was with him in battle. Voice that helped him in so many predicaments...

Real comrade in arms...

"Deeeeerffliiiiingeeeeer!"

Cried Saito. The sword seemed to be embarrassed by his yell.

"I missed you too partner. I possessed this katana quickly but it took time to complete the process. All these layers of folded iron were difficult to handle."

"Derf! Derf! You are alive! How?"

Yelled excited Saito. His shock was larger than Tiffania's breasts.

"I will tell you later. Anyway, we have to do something about this water dragon."

Tiny drops of splattered sea water were hanging in the air like fog. Saito gathered all the remaining energy and stood up. Derf's revival galvanized him.

"Tell me about his weak points, Derf!"

"Let's see. This animal is protected by tough scales."

The fog cleared up. Water dragon noticed Saito and tried to hit him with his tail.

Saito dodged. The thunderous strike broke the stone pavement, debris flew in the air.

Water dragon immediately swung the tail.

Saito tried to jump over it even though wound in his right leg shackled him.

"Wow!"

He floated into the air.

"This is bad. I will help as much as I can but there is a limit."

"Dodged!"

Yelled Saito, but he still had no idea what to do. Strength of Gandálfr relies on his weapon. To deal with such a monster he would need something like a tank.

Saito was locked in defense again. Now there just was no point to attack. The way it was going defeat was only a matter of time.

Saito desperately dodged attacks of the water dragon. Water charge, tail slam, tail swing, talons... It was like fighting a heavy tank.

"Saito! The elf is casting again!"

He heard Tiffania's warning. Indeed Ali was casting another spell.

"Damn! Derf!"

Ali seemed to finish chanting and pointed his hand at Saito. His hand was shining intensely.

It was an Ancient Magic "lightning" spell which had knocked out Louise.

Ali bet everything on this shot. He used every last drop of willpower to stun Saito with "lightning".

Saito braced himself preparing to dodge the spell somehow. But Derfflinger intervened.

"Don't dodge! Catch it with me!"

It looked like it had an idea. Discharge flowed from Ali's hand to Saito.

It reached him instantly.

Discharge hit Derfflinger like a lightning hits a lightning rod. Derfflinger was electrified, the surface of the sword was emitting a bright blue shining.
[[Image:ZnT19-213.jpg|thumb|]]
"Now! Stab the dragon in the head!"

Water dragon was preparing to hit Saito with another stream of water. The moment his head approached Saito flew in the air.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Screaming he hit dragon's head with the sword. Thick scales were impenetrable for such attack. But the moment Derfflinger touched dragon's head it released the charge.

An intense electric current flowed into the water dragon's body. Dragon frozen in place, the whole body of the beast was emitting light shining.

Water dragon fainted. It slowly collapsed into the channel.

"Saito!"

"Impossible! Barbarian!"

Tiffania and Luctiana run to him.

Saito jumped to stone pavement and pointed his sword to Ali who was stunned by surprise.

"You lost. Return the boat."

Ali shook his head in disbelief.

"Impossible... How could barbarian defeat Shallar..."

"Do it Ali. If you don't return the boat immediately, the engagement is off."

Shocked Ali blew the whistle. A boat tugged by dolphins appeared on the other side of the canal.

Two dolphins noticed Luctiana and bleated happily.

"Come on, get in!"

Luctiana suggested. Saito boarded the boat. Suddenly gripped by pain, he laid down. Tiffania hurried to help him.

When Luctiana boarded the boat Ali said.

"You are really selfish. I don't know you anymore."

"Huh? What are you talking about? When this matter blows off we will get married! Love you!"

Luctiana looked askance at stunned Ali and took the reins that led to dolphin's snouts.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter8|Chapter 8]]
| Return to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume19_Chapter10|Chapter 10]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter8

2017-01-18T05:43:05Z

JFerg:

===Chapter 8 - Two Prisoners=== 

"Damn..., nothing" said Saito hitting the door. They had spent two days here, and except for meal delivery they were left completely alone.

He remembered exactly the conversation with Bidashal under the influence of the "truth serum". The potion's effect had long since dissipated, but damage was already done. The elves took the katana and the wand so Saito and Tiffania couldn't use their abilities.

The room wasn't bad. There were two beds, a chair, a desk and a neat rest room.

Still, it was a prison cell.

It seemed to be located underground. It was very different from Halkeginia's cells... the walls were thick and well plastered and a strong iron plate buried in the wall served as a door.

Saito's eyes were bloodshot from searching for any way to open it, but he didn't find anything.

"Saito, you'd better stop it. You're tired" said a worried Tiffania sitting on a bed. She was right, and Saito sat next to her.

"Do you think they really will use this potion..." said Tiffania with fear.

"That's what they say. They will do it."

Saito was frustrated. To spend the rest of his life in this place, mentally incapable... it was hard to imagine something worse.

It would also prevent Void resurrection... what would happen with Halkeginia?

Saito though about it all the time. They had to escape somehow. Twice a day a meal was delivered, but it was given through a small window in the bottom of the door. There was no way to use it.

There was one option, but Saito shook his head...

No, he can't do this... Tiffania needs him.

But he didn't see any other way.

"We elves are quite a merciless creatures."

Saito was confused by these words at first, then he shook his head.

"No, Tiffa, you are different!"

"That's good. I am glad. Just because my mother was an elf I thought that they all were like her... friendly people." Tiffania looked pensive.

"I was thinking. Before we lose hearts..."

"Forget about it, it's a bad idea."

"But... Isn't losing heart the same as being dead?"

Saito had nothing to respond to this.

"If we have to die anyway, wouldn't it be better to help everyone? I'm afraid to die. I want to live, but if it would help everyone... shouldn't we consider it?"

It was difficult to argue with Tiffania. There was no way for them to escape. Even if they could, they wouldn't be able to cross the desert.

Elvish magic is powerful. Even with a weapon, Saito's chances would be poor.

"If we die, humans will get the new Void bearers. But if we stay here, out of our minds, everyone in Halkeginia will suffer."

"Tiffa..."

"It's not that I want to do something great, you know? I mean, I don't want to be a saint. What was the word? Martyr, right? No, I don't want it. It's just a simple calculation. Happiness of tens of millions of people versus one life. Rather simple, right?"

Saito didn't respond and Tiffania continued.

"This power... 'Void'. It was such a burden. Me saving the world, I never thought I could do it. And I still don't. But, thanks to it, I met you and the others and could see the outside world. I am grateful for it. I didn't do anything... I was just observing the others fighting. So, I want to help however I can in the end."

"You are helping."

"No. I am an alien for humans. If war with elves started I would have to hide. And I am an alien for the elves, too. I wish there was a place where I belong."

For Saito Tiffania didn't look pathetic. She was very flustered but the way she thought about everything... even though she was getting along with everyone, there always was a line separating her from the others.

Involuntarily he blurted.

"There is such place."

"Where?"

"I will always be there for you."

Tiffania looked surprised.

"You are in love with Louise."

Saito said quickly.

"Hmm, ... not like that. As a friend. Friends can support you, right?"

Tiffania laughed.

"Thank you. But a lover is better than a friend."

Tiffania said it without any hesitation, Saito was confused. Tiffania quickly waved her hands.

"That's not what I meant. I am not coming on to you... There should be someone for me too. Someone else..."

"Ah, I see," said Saito to defuse the strange mood.

"Of course I didn't mean it! I know you don't like me like that!"

"Thank you, but I know better whom and how I like."

Tiffania laughed and said with a hint of anger in her voice.

"You know, it's pointless, Saito."

"What is?"

"This... me talking about friendship."

"What do you mean?"

"Because I want to rely on..."

She said shyly picking up the hem of her robe.

"To rely on you!"

Saito involuntarily grasped Tiffania's shoulders. Then he noticed it.

"Sorry about that."

He tried to take his hands off her but Tiffania held them.

"Wait! This is wrong! Tiffa! Tiffa?"

He noticed that Tiffania was crying.

"I'm afraid... to lose my mind. And to die too. To sit here and do nothing... Why? Saito, why?"

Her cry was the last drop that broke the dam. Looking at Tiffania, Saito was overwhelmed with a feeling that they absolutely must escape.

Saito pushed Tiffania away. She was staring at him stunned.

"Saito?"

"Ouch! Damn!" Saito crouched holding his belly.

"What happened? Saito! Are you ok?"

"It's bad... stomachache... must be that dish we ate earlier... elvish food doesn't fit me..." said Saito sweating.

Tiffania yelled "Someone! Help Saito!"

The guard on the other side of the door asked "What happened?"

"He is in pain and..."

The guard told them to wait a moment and started to fiddle with some device near the door. Saito was thrilled.

''Is he opening the door? Good... I will take his weapon and take him as a hostage. And... then we escape... What happens then we will think through later.''

But the door didn't open. The guard laughed behind it.

"Hey, barbarian, don't be stupid. Your condition is being monitored with water magic. They don't want you to die. And, by the way, I don't have any weapon. We know about your abilities."

Saito quietly cursed and stood up.

"Saito?" said Tiffania, who had apparently taken seriously Saito's feigned illness. The guard continued.

"You should be grateful. We could use the potion immediately. You have six more days. It's not much but you shouldn't waste them."

"Well, thank you so very much kind sir." replied Saito sarcastically. Then he lay on the bed.

"I though about it and decided. We can't do anything."

"What did you decide?" asked a worried Tiffania.

Saito declared "I give up!"

"Oh?"

"Loss of heart is reversible. Tabitha's mother recovered. Tiffa and me dying for the future of Halkeginia... it would be an epic story. But I don't like it at all. I have too much to lose. I am not joking."

"But..."

Saito stared at the ceiling and said frankly, "I am going to believe... In everyone. They will help us."

He had nothing to support his words, but for some reason they calmed down Tiffania for the first time in a long while.

"Never say you have nowhere to turn. You have them. And they all love Tiffa very much."

"You are right."
[[Image:ZnT19-184.jpg|thumb|]]
Tiffania wiped her tears and clung to Saito.

"Wow!"

"You know, Saito?"

"What?"

"I love you. Thank you."

Tiffania suddenly kissed his cheek. Saito panicked.

"Whaaat?"

Tiffania noticed his reaction, realized what she just said and blushed.

"No, not like that! I always blurt out whatever I think. Not in this sense..."

Tiffania groaned.

"If you say what you think then... you do love me... For me there is only Louise."

Tiffania's long ears drooped. She seemed to be worried.

"Ah, well, damn hesitation. We are where we are, we have what we have. It's good that we are together."

Serious Tiffania was nodding to Saito's words. She was still clinging to him, so the miraculous objects with softness of marshmallow and size of a melon were pressed to him.

This closeness of Tiffania gave Saito confidence.

It's strange.

No matter how desperate the situation is, a beautiful girl by his side can make everything better.

''We gave up. What else could we do? Nothing.'' thought Saito lying next to Tiffania.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter7|Chapter 7]]
| Return to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume19_Chapter9|Chapter 9]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter7

2017-01-09T04:48:20Z

JFerg:

===Chapter 7 - Louise's Decision and Romalia's Choice=== 

It happened five days before Saito met Bidashal in Kasbah.

"There is no rescue party? How is this possible?"

Louise desperately pressed Henrietta. They were in Tristain Palace. Three days had passed since Saito's kidnapping.

Louise's numbness had finally passed and she could try to rescue Saito. She went to the palace first...

"An emissary from Romalia brought this letter."

Louise took the letter. It had the Pope's seal on it and just said "Please leave this matter to us."

"Then, please let me help them!" said Louise, but Henrietta shook her head.

"They want you to stay here."

"And Your Majesty accepted it?"

Henrietta nodded painfully.

"We are organizing an expedition army; our hands are tied... we can't send people to escort you."

Louise saw that Henrietta's decision was final.

"They likely kidnapped Tiffania too. Frankly, we know very little about elves. Romalia is much better prepared for it. They were observing elves for quite some time."

After these words Louise was just about to say something really harsh, like where would the Princess be without Saito?

But she didn't. She had learned to control herself recently, and she understood Henrietta's position.

The Queen has to make sacrifices sometimes... no matter how painful they are.

"I understand. It must be difficult for you to say this, right?"

"Louise..."

"I apologize for my unreasonable expectations. I will take my leave then."

Louise bowed stiffly. Seeing this attitude Henrietta realized Louise's intentions. Once her childhood friend made her decision no one could ever talk her out of it.

So, Henrietta didn't say anything as usual.

"Be careful, Louise."

Louise left the palace sitting astride a horse. Newly organized regiments were marching on the street. They probably were going to Chan De Mars training camp. Recruitment posters were plastered everywhere on the walls. Regiments frantically tried to replenish in preparation for the Crusade.

The city folk didn't seem to be concerned much, and city life went as usual. Probably people didn't understand what "continent rise" actually meant? Maybe they thought it was a problem somewhere far away, like Albion or the Fire Dragon Mountains. Or they just expected nobles to deal with it somehow...

The road led her out of the city. It was getting dark, and Louise lighted a magic lantern hanging from the neck of her horse. Hazy light illuminated the road.

She looked at the moons shining between the clouds and began to cry.

''Is Saito safe?''

''What horrible things have the elves done to him?''

This is what she didn't say to Henrietta.

Elves wouldn't kill Saito. They really fear the resurrection of the Void... But they could use this horrible potion that they almost made Tabitha drink a while ago...

Then Saito would forget about her.

Even worse then that...

He wouldn't be himself anymore.

This would be unbearable. The only thing she cared about in this world would disappear. This thought scared her, and Louise cried.

Crying didn't help at all but she just couldn't stop.

When she arrived at Des Ornieres everyone surrounded her looking worried.

"How did it go, Louise?" Asked Guiche.

She shook her head.

"Tristain will not try to rescue them."

"Unbelievable! The guy is a national hero!" Malicorne lamented.

"Romalia will handle it."

"To rely on Romalia like that! They basically abandoned him!" Guiche exclaimed.

Eleonore folded her hands and declared. "Well, if amateurs rushed blindly into the elves' country they would never return."

"What are you saying?" Yelled Guiche.

But Eleonore remained calm. "Any objections? This place was full of mages yet the kidnapping went smoothly. If a rescue group was sent without a plan it just would be obliterated."

Louise responded soberly.

Everyone tensed expecting a furious fight between the sisters. Eleonore had said the truth, but it wasn't the right moment to say it in front of Louise.

But Louise replied frankly "You are right. It's just as Eleonore said. There is no point. Leave it to Romalia."

Then she left and everyone, including Eleonore, stared at each other in disappointment.

Louise came to her room and wiped away the tears. She looked down for about ten seconds. Then she raised her chin and she didn't cry anymore. Determination sparkled in her eyes, lips turned into a straight line.

She started to pack a bag. A purse and underwear change, there wasn't much to pack. She would buy food on the way.

She would need to cross the borders somehow.

From Tristain to Gallia. And from Gallia to Sahara.

However, it wasn't an immediate problem. She took a document from her pocket.

It was a transit pass with Henrietta's seal.

The seal was real but the pass itself was forged. During her visit to the palace she had teleported into Henrietta's office and stamped the document.

Louise didn't count on help from Henrietta from the start because she realized that the Queen is not free in her actions.

Not so long ago she would just ask Henrietta for this permit but now she felt that it wouldn't work...

Louise didn't want to involve the others in the mansion because this was a personal matter...

Considering the current situation in Halkeginia her actions were unacceptable. As a Void mage she should have been following the instructions from Romalia.

But she was anxious.

It was like a premonition.

''The elves will force Saito to drink this potion...''

''Romalia doesn't care about Saito. But I do.''

They may even be right. Choosing between the fate of Saito and the future of Halkeginia shouldn't be difficult for them.

Even if Saito did lose heart, it still could be reverted. Tabitha's mother recovered. Romalia may consider it to be a mere "inconvenience". It may make their choice to avoid immediate actions even easier.

Considering the recent actions of Romalia it seemed to be very plausible...

That was the main reason Louise refused to rely on Romalia.

''Absolutely unacceptable.''

When her backpack was ready, she opened a window and cast a teleportation spell.

Louise jumped across the street to the stables. Trying to keep the Horse calm and silent she put a saddle on it.

When she was about to depart, there was a rustle in the bushes. Louise immediately raised her wand. Elves again?

A maid with luggage emerged from the bushes.

"Siesta?" Louise exclaimed

"Yes, it's me."

"What are you doing here?"

"The same thing as you. Please take me with you."

Apparently Siesta had guessed Louise's intentions and was waiting for her.

Louise sighed and said "Impossible. Forget it."

Louise tried to leave but Siesta blocked her way.

"I can't. I will go too."

"Listen, this time I can't. It's not like that time in Albion."

"I know it. You are going to the elves, right?"

"Yes. The scary elves, you know?"

"I know. I still want to go."

Apparently Siesta decided to go no matter what.

"I am not joking! You are not even a mage. It's dangerous for a commoner. Do you understand?"

"I understand. But..."

Siesta started to cry.

"I can't just stay here and wait. If something happens... to mister Saito... and miss Valliere... life wouldn't be worth living. So I beg you, please take me with you."

Louise was deeply touched by Siesta's words.

"But this is impossible."

"Then I will yell! Everyone will know that miss Valliere is leaving!"

"Well."

Siesta opened her mouth and breathed in deeply. Louise jumped to her and covered her mouth.

"Ok! All right! I am taking you with me, so please be quiet!"

Triumphant Siesta quickly tied her luggage to the saddle and climbed on the horse.

"Forward."

Well, Louise gave up. But at the same time she was somehow glad. Whoever your companion is, not being alone is reassuring.

They started to move and went out of the gate but were stopped by a blue-haired girl with a cane.

"Tabitha? What are you..."

Louise started to ask but, surprisingly, Tabitha interrupted her.

"I will go too. I can't let you go like that. Elves are dangerous. I fought one once. With Sylphid we can fly there."

Louise was speechless. Then Sylphid descended suddenly and sat in front of her.

"Right. Get off this slow creature. Climb on Sylphy."

Louise and Siesta were stunned. Sylphid grabbed Louise and put her on her back.

"Me too! Me too!" Cried Siesta and Sylphid loaded her too.

Then Tabitha joined them.

Louise stared at Tabitha, stunned. She wanted to say something but couldn't find the words...

Then she did. "Thank you."

Louise nearly cried. Naturally. Everyone was worried about Saito, not just her.
[[Image:ZnT19-006.jpg|thumb|]]
They flew on Sylphid's back in the night sky for a while... Then from behind came a strange sound.

Louise looked back. A huge winged shadow was gaining on them.

"Hey! Miss Valliere! No matter how light you gals are, Sylphid will get tired carrying you to Sahara!"

It was the magically enhanced voice of Colbert.

Sylphid happily yelled kyui kyui and flew toward Orient.

Everyone from the mansion was on the deck of Orient; Kirche, Malicorne, Colbert, Guiche and even, surprisingly, Eleonore.

When Sylphid landed, Eleonore approached, folded her arms and yelled at Louise.

"Again, doing whatever you want! Why don't you ever consult with me!"

Louise trembled.

"Sorry! But if I told you about it you would never agree..."

"Are you saying that I am unable to understand you?"

"No!"

"Then talk to me. It's not like I reject everything, I am not a demon."

Malicorne shook his head. "You are scarier then a demon. You are the elder sister."

Eleonore kicked Malicorne.

"You can't call me elder sister!"

Malicorne hit the wall spectacularly.

Louise looked around with tears in her eyes and quickly bowed.

"Thank you, guys."

Kirche put her hands on Louise's shoulders and narrowed her eyes.

"Why did you try to do it alone?"

"Because... I just... I didn't want to bother..."

Amazed, Kirche replied.

"Bother? idiot. One that can't be bothered to help a friend is not much of a friend."
[[Image:ZnT19-165.jpg|thumb|]]
Some time later everyone was fast asleep in the cabin...

Louise was alone on the deck looking at the night sky. Blue and red moons shone in a gap in the clouds.

"Hey, Saito" she said toward the moons.

"Do you also see the moons in the desert?"

It would be nice, thought Louise. She wanted to feel a connection.

"Saito, they are beautiful."

"Lets look at them together in Des Ornieres again."

Her wish flew into the night sky with the sound of the steam engines of Orient.

Next morning...

A single-horse carriage stopped in front of the "religious agency" in the center of the Holy Romalian Empire. A tall noble came out out of it, his blue eyes shining under long gray hair. A beautiful woman with sharp eyes followed him.

It was Wardes and Fouquet.

A girl, about fifteen yeas old, greeted them with a curtsy.

"My master is waiting" she said simply.

"Mikaela, why did the Pope summon us?"

This religious agency... Last month Mikaela, a maiden in the Pope's service, led Wardes and Fouquet here to introduce them to the Pope.

They were nervous and curious about this meeting but the Pope, Vittorio Cervale, didn't say anything interesting. It was just a meaningless small talk.

So, forced to work for the Pope, they hadn't the faintest idea what would he want from them.

"There is no reason for me to know it."

Replied Mikaela worriedly.

"I know. I just wanted to hear you say it."

Wardes smiled. Fouquet poked him.

"Don't tease the shrine maiden."

They were immediately invited into the Pope's office. Vittorio had just finished morning prayers and was sitting in a chair drinking tea.

When they came in, Vittorio stood up and invited them to sit.

"Please. Would you like some tea?"

Without waiting for their answer, Mikaela went to an anteroom and brought tea.

"Please."

The Pope sipped his tea.

"Ok, what do you want from us?" Wardes asked bluntly.

"Did you hear what happened at the Fire Dragons Mountains?" Asked Vittorio.

Wardes nodded. "Yes."

"This is what your mother was afraid of."

Wardes' eyes glinted. "You know it, huh?"

"We keep an eye on Halkeginia. It appears that your mother had a foresight."

Wardes silently waited. Fouquet was looking at Wardes and the Pope. She couldn't grasp the intentions of this young man. The most powerful man in Halkeginia invited them, two criminals, into his office without any concern.

She couldn't feel even a trace of greed in him. Indeed, his modesty was in stark contrast with the previous Popes.

She now understood the reason behind the jokes about humility of the new Pope.

Yet Fouquet couldn't help but feel something ominous behind this mask of innocence. If she told Wardes about it, he would brush it away like woman's silly premonition...

"It made her loose her mind. She wasn't a very strong person and just couldn't handle it."

"Simply put, I want you to help to resolve this problem."

"Me? What can I do about it?"

"Powerful magic equipment is hidden in the Holy Land. It belonged to the Founder Brimir. To get it back we need to gather four of four, the bearers of the Void."

"Bearers of the Void?"

"People to whom Founder Brimir passed his power."

Wardes remembered the faces of Louise and Saito.

"I am not one of them."

"Indeed. Two of them were kidnapped by elves. I want you to rescue them."

"Oh. Who are they?"

"Gandálfr and miss Tiffania, descendant of the Albion Royal Family."

Wardes smiled.

"I know Gandálfr."

"I am aware of the animosity between you two."

"In other words, you are sending us to the country of elves?"

"Basically, yes."

"What if the rescue is problematic?"

"In that case I want you to eliminate them."

Wardes smiled.

"You found the right man for this job."

"In that case the force will be passed to someone else. Rescue them if you can. Otherwise greater good requires the sacrifice. Do you understand?"

"I see. When do we depart?"

"Immediately. We have several ways into the elvish country. You will pretend to be a peddler."

When Wardes and Fouquet left, a handsome teenager shifted a curtain and entered the room. His eyes were different colors. It was Julio.

"Indeed, elves are resourceful. It will be difficult to gather four of four."

"What do you think about them?"

"It went well. Together they are among the best hitmen. Viscount Wardes is unlikely to fail. It will be a hassle to raise the new Gandálfr" said Julio. Vittorio nodded.

"It will take time... Frankly, it is unfortunate that fate made 'brothers' disposable."

Julio sadly smiled.

"I prefer the word 'martyr'."

"I agree. And I am getting tired of this 'there is a magic device yadda-yadda' story."

Julio didn't respond. He also knew the truth.

That device protected by the elves never existed...

Mikaela was in the room all this time. Vittorio ordered her "Please bring it."

Mikaela nodded and brought an ancient-looking mirror from Vittorio's study.

It seemed to be a usual round mirror. However faded words written on the frame suggested that it was a very old item.

"The round mirror of the Founder... How much history was reflected in this mirror?"

This pocket mirror once belonged to the Founder.

"It reflected everything. Regrettable and cruel events. Along with the life of Founder Brimir."

Vittorio mentioned the "life" of Brimir.

"You shouldn't say it. It's a blasphemy."

"He was a person. With his own worries, suffering and free will."

An outline appeared in the mirror, "life" written in ancient runes.

It was a spell of Void that Vittorio learned recently.

It was a terrifying spell. Four mages could use it to put four treasures into resonance for the first time...

Four familiars had to be there too.

Gandálfr, protecting the chanters.

Myoznitnirn who makes the four treasures resonate.

Vindálfr, the "vessel" of the spell that turns into "eye of the four".

The fourth familiar's name also was written there indifferently.

"Lifsrasil," the heart of God.

"You said that you don't want to remember this name in the song, right?" Vittorio asked the small mirror.

"Was it because of the guilt? Did you feel remorse because you were killing people of the same race as this familiar?"

There was no answer. The man who could answer these questions had died six thousand years ago.

But he left them the "mission"...

Staring at the rune of spell "life", Vittorio shook his head.

''Did my mother refuse to give this mission to me? Was it the reason she ran away with the ring?''

Vittorio wiped his eyes. Julio gently put a hand on his shoulder. Mikaela also put her hand on her masters shoulder.

The round mirror of the Founder glimmered faintly.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter6|Chapter 6]]
| Return to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume19_Chapter8|Chapter 8]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter6

2017-01-08T01:21:53Z

JFerg:

===Chapter 6 - Second meeting with Bidashal=== 

After about a half an hour flight over the desert they saw a sea. Adyl, capital of elf's country Neftes, projected from the coast into the sea. It stretched as far as Saito could see.

Countless ships were cruising between multiple concentric landfills. Saito was astonished by the scale of this city.

Next to him, Tiffania was staring at the city with wide opened eyes.

It seemed that the city was far more advanced than Halkeginia's towns which wouldn't look out of place in Earth's Middle Ages.

This view reminded Saito of pictures of an artificial city in the Middle East.

A city built in the sea... Which country was it...

It felt good to comb through memories about distant Earth.

Ali occupied a saddle near the wind dragon's neck. Saito threw him a hateful look.

Well, considering the technological backwardness of Halkeginia's humans, the elf's disdain for them might not be completely unreasonable.

But Earth's technology is even more advanced.

''The tallest buildings in this city are only tall for those who didn't see Tokyo and New York. He would weep if he had seen them, this long-eared bastard.'' Thought Saito.

Tiffania sitting next to him noticed his stare and took his hand.

"Don't start anything. If you were hurt, Louise would be sad."

Still, suppressing the anger was hard.

Then he though about Louise and Tabitha. They were hurt, are they ok? He wanted to see Louise right now. But, being kidnapped, there was nothing he could do about it.

''Maybe I will never see her again.''

This thought suddenly crossed his mind. Saito shook his head to get rid of it.

''Don't even think about it. We will definitely meet again. I have to believe it...''

Tiffania noticed it and squeezed his hand to reassure him.

"It's ok, Saito. We will see them again. Definitely. I am sure."

It was pretty much what he just told himself. Saito looked at Tiffania and squeezed her hand too.

"Certainly."

Luctiana sitting behind them noticed Saito's reaction and said.

"Amazing, right? Not many barbarians have seen Adyl from above."

Saito, irritated by the elf's condescension, replied.

"There are higher buildings in my home town. Don't be so arrogant."

Ali's face expressed his skepticism but Luctiana become curious.

"Interesting. What do you mean?"

"There are buildings three times taller then this central tower."

"Really? Where are you from?"

"Earth, the country is Japan."

Saito grinned. Luctiana looked confused.

"Where is it? I never heard about it. Is it one of the city-states near Romalia? I don't remember..."

"No, it's on another world."

Tiffania pulled his sleeve.

"Saito."

"Huh? Well, I don't think hiding it makes much sense anymore."

"Another world, What do you mean?"

Luctiana, seeming to be very interested, leaned forward.

"Hey, Luctiana. Don't believe everything the barbarian says" Ali said turning around.

He seemed to be annoyed. Luctiana stuck her tongue at him, then said to Saito in a low voice.

"I would like to hear more about it later."

"Sure, if you can believe it."

The wind dragon under Ali's control began to descend. They approached Kasbah in the center of Adyl, residence of the Council ruling Neftes.

The dragon landed on the roof and was surrounded by elf warriors looking at Saito and Tiffania with curiosity, some of them smiled.

Someone pointed to Tiffania, and the elves gasped in surprise. Apparently half-elf Tiffania was much more amusing then "the descendant of the devil" Saito. Tiffania shyly covered her ears.

An elf approached and said something to Tiffania in Elvish. She didn't understand him and looked confused. The elf tried to grab her hand.

"Hey, stop it."

Saito tried to intervene, a few elves immediately grabbed him and started to yell something. Saito heard word "shaitan" and decided that they were cursing.

One of the elves reached for a dagger on his waist.

Luctiana yelled something angrily in Elvish. After some altercation Ali separated the prisoners from the elves.

The Warriors left looking disappointed.

Scared Tiffania hid behind Saito.

"What did they want?" Saito asked Luctiana.

"To kill you for meddling," she answered cheerfully. Saito paled.

"Wouldn't it be a problem for you?"

"It would. But you are a 'devil' here, don't forget about it."

In the eyes of the elves looking at Saito and Tiffania was intense hostility. When Saito arrived in Halkeginia he was despised but never hated like that.

For the first time he felt so vividly that they were in the enemy territory.

''What did Bidashal want from them? What was there to discuss?'' Saito thought with raising anxiety.

When they all reached Bidashal's office, the guards left.

Kasbah's building walls were beautifully plastered. Light colored tiles created a geometric pattern that livened up a dull room. It seemed to be extremely clean, a quality unusual for Halkeginia.

It felt somewhat uncomfortable for Saito... too refined and lifeless. Maybe he had just gotten used to the messy Halkeginia...

A bit later a door opened and Bidashal entered. The last time Saito had seen him was during their confrontation in Alhambra.

Saito felt a spike of anxiety. Back then the elf attacked him and Louise using powerful Ancient Magic.

He also created the "jewel of fire" that burned that fleet in Gallia...

However, the calm elf in front of him didn't look like a monster. In stark contrast with the young elves Saito just met, there was no open hostility.

As if their battle had never happened, Bidashal said "Long time no see, barbarian warrior."

Saito didn't quite believe what he heard.

Bidashal sat in a chair and invited them to sit. Then he started the inquiry.

"Well, I have questions. First of all, what do you call it... "Void"? Tell me the names of all the mages and describe their abilities. We know about a few of them but not everyone, I want to be certain."

Amazed, Saito answered.

"There is no way I am telling you that."

"There are many ways to get this information from you. Don't waste my time."

Saito didn't respond and Bidashal called someone. A young elf woman in a white robe came. She held something.

It seemed to be a vial of muddy liquid. A drug of some sort... Saito impulsively tried to grab Tiffania's hand and run. Immediately a myriad of tentacles grew from the floor and walls, fixing him in place.

Tentacles pried open Saito's mouth and the woman in the white robe poured in the liquid. Damn... there was nothing he could do. As if in a fever, his head became hazy.

When Bidashal repeated the question, Saito couldn't resist. The names just came out of his mouth.

Pope Vittorio, Louise, Joseph the king of Gallia, and the last one...

"What? Is she too?!" Cried Ali when Tiffania's name came out.

Bidashal was obviously amazed. Luctiana gasped. Tiffania rushed to Saito, shaking him uncontrollably.

"Saito! Are you all right? Saito!"

But Saito didn't respond. He just stared into nothing in front of him.

"Devil's power given to someone of elvish blood..."

Bidashal said with a sigh. Tiffania looked hatefully at him.

"I always thought elves were kind people, like my mother!"

"There are different kinds of kindness. I'm just doing what's necessary for all the elves."

"The humans are in grave danger! Barbarians you call them... Certainly, their culture and technology might be inferior to yours but even they have the right to live, don't they?" Tiffania desperately appealed but Bidashal answered adamantly.

"'Shaitan Gate' will remain closed. We can't allow the calamity to happen again. As long as we live we will protect it."

"Nobody knows what would happen! It's just an ancient obsolete tradition!"

"We can't gamble with the fate of our race like that. We will always protect it. This is not a tradition, this is our duty."

"Why do you refuse to even consider this? WHY?"

Tiffania fetched a wand from her cleavage. If she could make them forget...
[[Image:ZnT19-147.jpg|thumb|]]
But her attempt was immediately interrupted. Tentacles instantly grew from the wall and entangled Tiffania.

"I will keep this. It can be dangerous in the hands of the devil's descendant."

Bidashal took the wand from Tiffania's hand.

Saito realized what was happening in front of him but the magic somehow disconnected it from reality. It felt like he was watching a movie.

Tiffania was crying next to him held by tentacles extending from the wall. There were a few elves in the room. The tall one, Bidashal, sat in front of him and started to talk.

"barbarian warrior, after I fought with you I got interested in the connection between our saint Anubis and Gandálfr. I read everything I could find about it."

"Ok."

Saito replied indifferently. He understood what was said but magic suppressed any interest he could have.

"Saint Anubis defeated the 'devil' who brought the calamity, that's why he became our saint. According to records, his left hand was shining. There is a connection between Anubis and Gandálfr; it appears it was the same person. Very interesting."

At this moment the door opened and a secretary entered.

"Lord Bidashal, the Council has made a decision."

"What did they decide?"

Bidashal looked at the paper the secretary passed to him and slightly frowned.

"I see."

"What is it uncle?" Asked Luctiana worriedly.

"The Council determined that they will take the 'heart loss' medicine."

Luctiana paled.

"Impossible! I was supposed to look after them, wasn't it settled already?"

The secretary apologetically said to Luctiana, "This was the decision of the Council, miss Luctiana. They said that they wanted to exclude any danger."

"From an academic point of view this makes no sense at all."

"Anyway, the decision is made. It will happen in a week. Until then they will be held here."

Hearing the conversation, Tiffania started to tremble.

''Am I going to lose my heart? Me and Saito?''

Then she remembered the face of her mother.

''Country where gentle elves just like my mother live... I am a half-breed, of course they may not like me. That must be the reason...''

But she didn't expect anything like that. For the first time in her life Tiffania cursed the elvish blood flowing in her veins.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
| Return to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume19_Chapter7|Chapter 7]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter6

2017-01-08T01:08:41Z

JFerg:

===Chapter 6 - Second meeting with Bidashal=== 

After about a half an hour flight over the desert they saw a sea. Adyl, capital of elf's country Neftes, projected from the coast into the sea. It stretched as far as Saito could see.

Countless ships were cruising between multiple concentric landfills. Saito was astonished by the scale of this city.

Next to him, Tiffania was staring at the city with wide opened eyes.

It seemed that the city was far more advanced than Halkeginia's towns which wouldn't look out of place in Earth's Middle Ages.

This view reminded Saito of pictures of an artificial city in the Middle East.

A city built in the sea... Which country was it...

It felt good to comb through memories about distant Earth.

Ali occupied a saddle near the wind dragon's neck. Saito threw him a hateful look.

Well, considering the technological backwardness of Halkeginia's humans, the elf's disdain for them might not be completely unreasonable.

But Earth's technology is even more advanced.

''The tallest buildings in this city are only tall for those who didn't see Tokyo and New York. He would weep if he had seen them, this long-eared bastard.'' Thought Saito.

Tiffania sitting next to him noticed his stare and took his hand.

"Don't start anything. If you were hurt, Louise would be sad."

Still, suppressing the anger was hard.

Then he though about Louise and Tabitha. They were hurt, are they ok? He wanted to see Louise right now. But, being kidnapped, there was nothing he could do about it.

''Maybe I will never see her again.''

This thought suddenly crossed his mind. Saito shook his head to get rid of it.

''Don't even think about it. We will definitely meet again. I have to believe it...''

Tiffania noticed it and squeezed his hand to reassure him.

"It's ok, Saito. We will see them again. Definitely. I am sure."

It was pretty much what he just told himself. Saito looked at Tiffania and squeezed her hand too.

"Certainly."

Luctiana sitting behind them noticed Saito's reaction and said.

"Amazing, right? Not many barbarians have seen Adyl from above."

Saito, irritated by the elf's condescension, replied.

"There are higher buildings in my home town. Don't be so arrogant."

Ali's face expressed his skepticism but Luctiana become curious.

"Interesting. What do you mean?"

"There are buildings three times taller then this central tower."

"Really? Where are you from?"

"Earth, the country is Japan."

Saito grinned. Luctiana looked confused.

"Where is it? I never heard about it. Is it one of the city-states near Romalia? I don't remember..."

"No, it's on another world."

Tiffania pulled his sleeve.

"Saito."

"Huh? Well, I don't think hiding it makes much sense anymore."

"Another world, What do you mean?"

Luctiana, seeming to be very interested, leaned forward.

"Hey, Luctiana. Don't believe everything the barbarian says" Ali said turning around.

He seemed to be annoyed. Luctiana stuck her tongue at him, then said to Saito in a low voice.

"I would like to hear more about it later."

"Sure, if you can believe it."

The wind dragon under Ali's control began to descend. They approached Kasbah in the center of Adyl, residence of the Council ruling Neftes.

The dragon landed on the roof and was surrounded by elf warriors looking at Saito and Tiffania with curiosity, some of them smiled.

Someone pointed to Tiffania, and the elves gasped in surprise. Apparently half-elf Tiffania was much more amusing then "the descendant of the devil" Saito. Tiffania shyly covered her ears.

An elf approached and said something to Tiffania in Elvish. She didn't understand him and looked confused. The elf tried to grab her hand.

"Hey, stop it."

Saito tried to intervene, a few elves immediately grabbed him and started to yell something. Saito heard word "shaitan" and decided that they were cursing.

One of the elves reached for a dagger on his waist.

Luctiana yelled something angrily in Elvish. After some altercation Ali separated the prisoners from the elves.

The Warriors left looking disappointed.

Scared Tiffania hid behind Saito.

"What did they want?" Saito asked Luctiana.

"To kill you for meddling," she answered cheerfully. Saito paled.

"Wouldn't it be a problem for you?"

"It would. But you are a 'devil' here, don't forget about it."

In the eyes of the elves looking at Saito and Tiffania was intense hostility. When Saito arrived in Halkeginia he was despised but never hated like that.

For the first time he felt so vividly that they were in the enemy territory.

''What did Bidashal want from them? What was there to discuss?'' Saito thought with raising anxiety.

When they all reached Bidashal's office, the guards left.

Kasbah's building walls were beautifully plastered. Light colored tiles created a geometric pattern that livened up a dull room. It seemed to be extremely clean, a quality unusual for Halkeginia.

It felt somewhat uncomfortable for Saito... too refined and lifeless. Maybe he just gotten used to the messy Halkeginia...

A bit later a door opened and Bidashal entered. The last time Saito seen him was during their confrontation in Alhambra.

Saito felt a spike of anxiety. Back then the elf attacked him and Louise using powerful Ancient Magic.

He also created the "jewel of fire" that burned that fleet in Gallia...

However, the calm elf in front of him didn't look like a monster. In stark contrast with the young elves Saito just met, there was no open hostility.

As if their battle never happened, Bidashal said:

"Long time no see, barbarian warrior."

Saito didn't quite believe what he heard.

Bidashal sat in a chair and invited them to sit. Then he started the inquiry.

"Well, I have questions. First of all, what do you call it... "Void"? Tell me the names of all the mages and describe their abilities. We know about a few of them but not everyone, I want to be certain."

Amazed, Saito answered.

"There is no way I am telling you this."

"There are many ways to get this information from you. Don't waste my time."

Saito didn't respond and Bidashal called someone. A young elf woman in white robe came. She held something.

It seemed to be a vial of muddy liquid. A drug of some sort, Saito impulsively tried to grab Tiffania's hand and run. Immediately myriad of tentacles grew from the floor and walls, fixing him in place.

Tentacles pried open Saito's mouth and the woman in the white robe poured in the liquid. Damn... there was nothing he could do. As in a fever, his head became hazy.

When Bidashal repeated the question, Saito couldn't resist. The names just came out of his mouth.

Pope Vittorio, Louise, Joseph the king of Gallia, and the last one...

"What? Is she too?!" Cried Ali when Tiffania's name came out.

Bidashal was obviously amazed. Luctiana gasped. Tiffania rushed to Saito, shaking him uncontrollably.

"Saito! Are you all right? Saito!"

But Saito didn't respond. He just stared into nothing in front of him.

"Devil's power given to someone of elvish blood..."

Bidashal said with a sigh. Tiffania looked hatefully at him.

"I always thought elves were kind people, like my mother!"

"There are different kinds of kindness. I'm just doing what's necessary for all the elves."

"Humans are in grave danger! Barbarians you call them... Certainly, their culture and technology might be inferior to yours. But even they have the right to live, don't they?" Tiffania desperately appealed but Bidashal answered adamantly.

"'Shaitan Gate' will remain closed. We can't allow the calamity to happen again. As long as we live we will protect it."

"Nobody knows what would happen! It's just an ancient obsolete tradition!"

"We can't gamble with the fate of our race like that. We will always protect it. This is not a tradition, this is our duty."

"Why do you refuse to even consider this? WHY?"

Tiffania fetched a wand from her cleavage. If she could make them forget...
[[Image:ZnT19-147.jpg|thumb|]]
But her attempt was immediately interrupted. Tentacles instantly grew from the wall and entangled Tiffania.

"I will keep this. It can be dangerous in the hands of the devil's descendant."

Bidashal took the wand from Tiffania's hand.

Saito realized what was happening in front of him but the magic somehow disconnected it from reality. It felt like he was watching a movie.

Tiffania was crying next to him held by tentacles extending from the wall. There were a few elves in the room. The tall one, Bidashal, sat in front of him and started to talk.

"barbarian warrior, after I fought with you I got interested in the connection between our saint Anubis and Gandálfr. I read everything I could find about it."

"Ok."

Saito replied indifferently. He understood what was said but magic suppressed any interest he could have.

"Saint Anubis defeated the 'devil' who brought the calamity, that's why he became our saint. According to records, his left hand was shining. There is a connection between Anubis and Gandálfr, it appears it was the same person. Very interesting."

At this moment the door opened and a secretary entered.

"Lord Bidashal, the Council has made a decision."

"What did they decide?"

Bidashal looked at the paper the secretary passed to him and slightly frowned.

"I see."

"What is it uncle?" Asked Luctiana worriedly.

"The Council determined that they will take the 'heart loss' medicine."

Luctiana paled.

"Impossible! I was supposed to look after them, wasn't it settled already?"

The secretary apologetically said to Luctiana, "This was the decision of the Council, miss Luctiana. They said that they wanted to exclude any danger."

"From an academic point of view this makes no sense at all."

"Anyway, the decision is made. It will happen in a week. Until then they will be held here."

Hearing the conversation, Tiffania started to tremble.

''Am I going to lose my heart? Me and Saito?''

Then she remembered the face of her mother.

''Country where gentle elves just like my mother live... I am a half-breed, of course they may not like me. That must be the reason...''

But she didn't expect anything like that. For the first time in her life Tiffania cursed the elvish blood flowing in her veins.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
| Return to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume19_Chapter7|Chapter 7]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume19 Chapter6

2017-01-08T01:06:25Z

JFerg:

===Chapter 6 - Second meeting with Bidashal=== 

After about a half an hour flight over the desert they saw a sea. Adyl, capital of elf's country Neftes, projected from the coast into the sea. It stretched as far as Saito could see.

Countless ships were cruising between multiple concentric landfills. Saito was astonished by the scale of this city.

Next to him, Tiffania was staring at the city with wide opened eyes.

It seemed that the city was far more advanced than Halkeginia's towns which wouldn't look out of place in Earth's Middle Ages.

This view reminded Saito of pictures of an artificial city in the Middle East.

A city built in the sea... Which country was it...

It felt good to comb through memories about distant Earth.

Ali occupied a saddle near the wind dragon's neck. Saito threw him a hateful look.

Well, considering the technological backwardness of Halkeginia's humans, the elf's disdain for them might not be completely unreasonable.

But Earth's technology is even more advanced.

''The tallest buildings in this city are only tall for those who didn't see Tokyo and New York. He would weep if he seen them, this long-eared bastard.'' Thought Saito.

Tiffania sitting next to him noticed his stare and took his hand.

"Don't start anything. If you were hurt, Louise would be sad."

Still, suppressing the anger was hard.

Then he though about Louise and Tabitha. They were hurt, are they ok? He wanted to see Louise right now. But, being kidnapped, there was nothing he could do about it.

''Maybe I will never see her again.''

This thought suddenly crossed his mind. Saito shook his head to get rid of it.

''Don't even think about it. We will definitely meet again. I have to believe it...''

Tiffania noticed it and squeezed his hand to reassure him.

"It's ok, Saito. We will see them again. Definitely. I am sure."

It was pretty much what he just told himself. Saito looked at Tiffania and squeezed her hand too.

"Certainly."

Luctiana sitting behind them noticed Saito's reaction and said.

"Amazing, right? Not many barbarians have seen Adyl from above."

Saito, irritated by the elf's condescension, replied.

"There are higher buildings in my home town. Don't be so arrogant."

Ali's face expressed his skepticism but Luctiana become curious.

"Interesting. What do you mean?"

"There are buildings three times taller then this central tower."

"Really? Where are you from?"

"Earth, the country is Japan."

Saito grinned. Luctiana looked confused.

"Where is it? I never heard about it. Is it one of the city-states near Romalia? I don't remember..."

"No, it's on another world."

Tiffania pulled his sleeve.

"Saito."

"Huh? Well, I don't think hiding it makes much sense anymore."

"Another world, What do you mean?"

Luctiana, seeming to be very interested, leaned forward.

"Hey, Luctiana. Don't believe everything the barbarian says" Ali said turning around.

He seemed to be annoyed. Luctiana stuck her tongue at him, then said to Saito in a low voice.

"I would like to hear more about it later."

"Sure, if you can believe it."

The wind dragon under Ali's control began to descend. They approached Kasbah in the center of Adyl, residence of the Council ruling Neftes.

The dragon landed on the roof and was surrounded by elf warriors looking at Saito and Tiffania with curiosity, some of them smiled.

Someone pointed to Tiffania, and the elves gasped in surprise. Apparently half-elf Tiffania was much more amusing then "the descendant of the devil" Saito. Tiffania shyly covered her ears.

An elf approached and said something to Tiffania in Elvish. She didn't understand him and looked confused. The elf tried to grab her hand.

"Hey, stop it."

Saito tried to intervene, a few elves immediately grabbed him and started to yell something. Saito heard word "shaitan" and decided that they were cursing.

One of the elves reached for a dagger on his waist.

Luctiana yelled something angrily in Elvish. After some altercation Ali separated the prisoners from the elves.

The Warriors left looking disappointed.

Scared Tiffania hid behind Saito.

"What did they want?" Saito asked Luctiana.

"To kill you for meddling," she answered cheerfully. Saito paled.

"Wouldn't it be a problem for you?"

"It would. But you are a 'devil' here, don't forget about it."

In the eyes of the elves looking at Saito and Tiffania was intense hostility. When Saito arrived in Halkeginia he was despised but never hated like that.

For the first time he felt so vividly that they were in the enemy territory.

''What did Bidashal want from them? What was there to discuss?'' Saito thought with raising anxiety.

When they all reached Bidashal's office, the guards left.

Kasbah's building walls were beautifully plastered. Light colored tiles created a geometric pattern that livened up a dull room. It seemed to be extremely clean, a quality unusual for Halkeginia.

It felt somewhat uncomfortable for Saito... too refined and lifeless. Maybe he just gotten used to the messy Halkeginia...

A bit later a door opened and Bidashal entered. The last time Saito seen him was during their confrontation in Alhambra.

Saito felt a spike of anxiety. Back then the elf attacked him and Louise using powerful Ancient Magic.

He also created the "jewel of fire" that burned that fleet in Gallia...

However, the calm elf in front of him didn't look like a monster. In stark contrast with the young elves Saito just met, there was no open hostility.

As if their battle never happened, Bidashal said:

"Long time no see, barbarian warrior."

Saito didn't quite believe what he heard.

Bidashal sat in a chair and invited them to sit. Then he started the inquiry.

"Well, I have questions. First of all, what do you call it... "Void"? Tell me the names of all the mages and describe their abilities. We know about a few of them but not everyone, I want to be certain."

Amazed, Saito answered.

"There is no way I am telling you this."

"There are many ways to get this information from you. Don't waste my time."

Saito didn't respond and Bidashal called someone. A young elf woman in white robe came. She held something.

It seemed to be a vial of muddy liquid. A drug of some sort, Saito impulsively tried to grab Tiffania's hand and run. Immediately myriad of tentacles grew from the floor and walls, fixing him in place.

Tentacles pried open Saito's mouth and the woman in the white robe poured in the liquid. Damn... there was nothing he could do. As in a fever, his head became hazy.

When Bidashal repeated the question, Saito couldn't resist. The names just came out of his mouth.

Pope Vittorio, Louise, Joseph the king of Gallia, and the last one...

"What? Is she too?!" Cried Ali when Tiffania's name came out.

Bidashal was obviously amazed. Luctiana gasped. Tiffania rushed to Saito, shaking him uncontrollably.

"Saito! Are you all right? Saito!"

But Saito didn't respond. He just stared into nothing in front of him.

"Devil's power given to someone of elvish blood..."

Bidashal said with a sigh. Tiffania looked hatefully at him.

"I always thought elves were kind people, like my mother!"

"There are different kinds of kindness. I'm just doing what's necessary for all the elves."

"Humans are in grave danger! Barbarians you call them... Certainly, their culture and technology might be inferior to yours. But even they have the right to live, don't they?" Tiffania desperately appealed but Bidashal answered adamantly.

"'Shaitan Gate' will remain closed. We can't allow the calamity to happen again. As long as we live we will protect it."

"Nobody knows what would happen! It's just an ancient obsolete tradition!"

"We can't gamble with the fate of our race like that. We will always protect it. This is not a tradition, this is our duty."

"Why do you refuse to even consider this? WHY?"

Tiffania fetched a wand from her cleavage. If she could make them forget...
[[Image:ZnT19-147.jpg|thumb|]]
But her attempt was immediately interrupted. Tentacles instantly grew from the wall and entangled Tiffania.

"I will keep this. It can be dangerous in the hands of the devil's descendant."

Bidashal took the wand from Tiffania's hand.

Saito realized what was happening in front of him but the magic somehow disconnected it from reality. It felt like he was watching a movie.

Tiffania was crying next to him held by tentacles extending from the wall. There were a few elves in the room. The tall one, Bidashal, sat in front of him and started to talk.

"barbarian warrior, after I fought with you I got interested in the connection between our saint Anubis and Gandálfr. I read everything I could find about it."

"Ok."

Saito replied indifferently. He understood what was said but magic suppressed any interest he could have.

"Saint Anubis defeated the 'devil' who brought the calamity, that's why he became our saint. According to records, his left hand was shining. There is a connection between Anubis and Gandálfr, it appears it was the same person. Very interesting."

At this moment the door opened and a secretary entered.

"Lord Bidashal, the Council has made a decision."

"What did they decide?"

Bidashal looked at the paper the secretary passed to him and slightly frowned.

"I see."

"What is it uncle?" Asked Luctiana worriedly.

"The Council determined that they will take the 'heart loss' medicine."

Luctiana paled.

"Impossible! I was supposed to look after them, wasn't it settled already?"

The secretary apologetically said to Luctiana, "This was the decision of the Council, miss Luctiana. They said that they wanted to exclude any danger."

"From an academic point of view this makes no sense at all."

"Anyway, the decision is made. It will happen in a week. Until then they will be held here."

Hearing the conversation, Tiffania started to tremble.

''Am I going to lose my heart? Me and Saito?''

Then she remembered the face of her mother.

''Country where gentle elves just like my mother live... I am a half-breed, of course they may not like me. That must be the reason...''

But she didn't expect anything like that. For the first time in her life Tiffania cursed the elvish blood flowing in her veins.

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This title is too long!:Volume3 Chapter1 2

2016-12-17T18:42:39Z

JFerg: /* Chapter 1-2 - May 22, I slept on him */

==Chapter 1-2 - May 22, I slept on him==

I'm a high school girl and a rookie voice actress, currently strangling my classmate who is my upperclassman and a Bestselling Light Novel author.

This is my predicament at the moment.

Right now, I'm right on him, and he's lying face up on the bed.

My hands are on the sides of his neck, pressing down on the carotid artery.

Is he usually this hot?

Or am I usually this cold?

Or is it because I'm so tense, the color of blood is drained off from my hands?

Or maybe it's a combination of them?

Or was it all of it?

I could feel the heat coming from the skin on his skin, so hot that my hands were almost scalded.

How did it end up like this...?

I didn't want to do this.

I didn't want to do this again...

I had no intention of doing this again!

 

How did things end up like this...?

I start to recollect everything that happened till this point/

 

May 22nd.

It was a few minutes before the Limited Express reached the terminal, when I finally woke up.

Miss Akane is pinching hard at my right cheek, and pulls my away from my dream. She's always waking me up this way. No matter the occasion, she knows this is the best way to wake me up.

Whenever I wake up, I'll forget the dreams I'll see, but I'm sure that they aren't any good dreams.

After I woke up, I find myself in the racing train, my body tilted heavily towards the left. My left shoulder and head are resting on something back.

I straighten my body, and turn my head left, realizing what it is.

"..."

Sitting over there with his head slumped there is the boy who is my senior and classmate.

 

I was touched by the novel this person wrote.

I felt that I was saved.

And so, I wrote in a fan letter.

Without any shame, I revealed my weaknesses and tragedies, conveying my thoughts.

And so, I received a rely from his, words of encouragement.

Words cannot describe how delighted I was back then.

 

I always imagined how this person was like.

When I heard that an anime of the work was in the works, without any shame, I did whatever I could do to obtain the acting role of the character I admired.

And I defeated many people to obtain that role.

When I heard that I was able to meet him live during the first After Record, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep.

And then, I got additionally nervous during my first After Record, so much that this would be the one day in my life that I had most difficulty in maintaining my composure. I was really shocked to learn that he's only a year older than me. Till this point, the sensei I had always imagined was that he was probably male, around 27-28, graduated from college, with work experience, and became a professional author.

And that day finally came to an end--

During the next twelve After Records, I guessed that there might be a chance or two to talk alone. Until then, I wanted to introduce myself. Of course, I couldn't talk about everything. I just wanted him to know of the existence of this voice actress called 'Eri Nitadori'.

Having such thoughts, when I was done with my self-introductions during the new school term of my Sophomore year in high school, sensei, who was seated right before me, had turned his head around to look at me--I guess I got lucky that I didn't pass out at that moment.

And when I saw him at the platform that Thursday, I was really taken aback.

Before this, I had hopes that 'since we're headed to the same place, I might be able to meet him', but I never expected both of us to meet.

And thus, Time to Play.

I decided to act.

That's because I felt that I wouldn't be able to talk to him normally no matter what.

I would probably be so tense that my face would freeze, I would use overtly formal language that would have stunned anyone, and shocked sensei as a result.

But I couldn't let myself miss out on this opportunity.

Thus, Time to Play.

I decided to play as a female classmate who was being affectionate (to put it bluntly, being bold and acting too mature.

At the same time, I had a promise with him that we wouldn't talk to each other in school. That's because, if I wasn't careful, I might end up divulging my secret.

I felt that my identity would ultimately be made known, so I was fine with it. However, if I was to reveal sensei's secret, there would be no point of return.

So I obtained the opportunity to play the 'role' of 'the one to sit side by side, the classmate who had a similar secret, and a colleague at work'.

I know it might be rude of me to say this, but I got the feeling that sensei isn't good at talking. If I want to keep talking with him, what shall I do?

I tried my best to think, and I got the answer.

"I just need to ask questions easy for sensei to answer."

But what kind of questions are they?

"What sensei knows really well. In other words, the profession of being an author."

So I decided to play the role of 'someone who wants to know what an author does', and talk with him every week.

I wasn't so curious that I wanted to ask about everything, but it wasn't that I was completely disinterested in the profession of authorship.

To create a scenario 'easy' for sensei to answer, every week, I would prepare presents.

The one thing that isn't 'expensive' and yet can make people happy is food.

Speaking of the 'snacks', it might sound nice at first, but it can be called 'bait'. To be honest, I didn't know how else to call it.

There are hundreds of options for food alone, and olive was bothered about what to choose, before I finally decided on the safest bet that was potato chips.

Thinking back, in the afterword sensei wrote at the end of the 'Dengeki Bunko Magazine', sensei once mentioned that ''"For potato chips, I find that sea salt flavor tastes best, and I only eat that"''.

I never bought potato chips of that flavor. Speaking of which, I never bought that particular flavor, even when overseas.

So I went around the convenience stores, looking for it for a long time. The first store didn't sell that, so I went to a few more.

I finally managed to buy one, but I didn't know if sensei really liked it, and I was really worried.

After seeing sensei happily accept it and enjoy himself, I was really happy.

And sensei actually answered my questions.

 

Just like this, I manage to sit beside him for five straight weeks--

But last week, I tried to kill sensei.

 

I had a peek at the draft of 'Vice Versa'.

After sensei went to the toilet, a thought suddenly struck me.

When sensei placed his bag containing the draft at the front of his seat, wasn't he basically saying that I could have a look?

Since I'm playing as Meek, shouldn't i be knowing everything about her? If I can know the plot beforehand, I should be able to add depth to my acting, right?

 

In hindsight, I should have known that it was the wrong idea.

But back then, that was what I actually assumed.

And so I read the draft.

And so I strangled sensei.

 

My memories were vague.

But there was one thing I was really clear about. Back then, I had a thought that 'I have to save Meek no matter what'.

I heard a scream, was knocked down, and after that, I couldn't remember anything.

When i woke up, I found myself in the infirmary of the station.

As for what happened next, I remembered really well.

 

This week, during the time I excused myself from school, Miss Akane told me,

"It's fine now. That peon came up with one huge lie to save you, Milady Stella. He definitely doesn't hate you."

It was unbelievable.

He nearly got killed by me, and yet he doesn't hate me. How is it possible that such a person exists?

If it had been me, I would never forgive anyone who did that.

I won't forgive those who bullied me violently or verbally. If it's legal, even at this point, I still want to kill them all.

The act sensei did in the infirmary is probably because he just didn't want to involve himself in a troublesome case, and not because he has forgiven me.

No, it's the opposite.

Later on, in the classroom or the studio--

He'll continue to torment me mentally, and that's why he didn't lodge a police report.

But even so, I can't do anything about it.

That's the right way to hit back, and I can't do anything about it.

Just thinking of that causes my gut to sink like lead, but I can't do anything about it.

"If that's what you want it think, Milady, all I can say is that you can 'do whatever you please'--however, I do feel that you don't have to feel that way."

In the middle of the night, Miss Akane told me this as I remained pale, unable to sleep.

"You can't keep taking breaks from school forever. No, school doesn't matter here. You do need to head to Tokyo for work on Friday however. I do strongly suggest that you go to school on Thursday."

But what will the people at school say about me?

If my identity is revealed, and I become the laughing stock of the class, what should I do?

If I, as I experienced before, should be called out as a fake Japanese with a wig, colored contact lenses and a fake name, what do I do?

"As they say, 'just adapt accordingly', if anyone in class is so petty that he can't accept you, you can simply skip high school. Given your academic ability, Milady, you should be able to study in a university. However--"

However?

"As I had said so many times already, I don't think sensei is the type of person to do such a thing. If he had intended to do so--he would have told everyone else about this, right? Has any friend of yours called to inform you or written in letters to scold you? Furthermore, I don't think sensei is waiting for you in school just to reveal your secret in front of you."

I didn't know if that was the case.

But on Miss Akane's insistence, I finally went to school--

And unexpectedly, I learned that Meek would be revived.

 

I couldn't understand.

Why didn't sensei hate me?

He was nearly killed, so why didn't he hate me?

Why wasn't he angry with me?

He was nearly killed, so why wasn't by he angry with me?

And he even edited the draft such that Meek got revived, like he's saying that 'you're right'.

I don't understand at all.

 

What exactly is sensei thinking?

 

I want to know about this.

And thus, I can only apologize about what I've done properly, and then ask him about what it is.

He nearly got killed for some strange reason, so why's he willing to forgive?

 

To obtain this answer, I could only ride on the train again.

This is because I can only talk with sensei on that train.

"In that case, I won't be driving. Honestly, I really don't like to drive for too long, and not in Tokyo too. I'm pretty bad at driving."

Miss Akane said with a smile.

She's lying.

She likes to drive, and is reliable in that. As my chauffeur and bodyguard, she won't be able to get this job if she's not competent.

She continued,

"I might suggest that you don't force yourself to know everything, and hope that you'll aim to talk normally with him. Please continue to talk with him without using any formal language or courtesy like before. It's pointless to keep apologizing, Milady, and speaking of which, I do feel that sensei doesn't hope for you to continue doing that. Please continue with that usual attitude of yours."

Can I really do such a thing? I asked, and Miss Akane winked with a smile, giving me an unexpected answer.

"Oh? Haven't you been doing that all this while?"

Doing what?

"Acting. Time to Play."

 

I glance aside at sensei's sleeping face, and for a moment, I recalled the past like the lights passing me by.

"Then, shall we get off first this week?"

Miss Akane whispers to me, continuing,

"Let's take this train again next week."

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</noinclude>

HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 7

2016-11-12T02:00:22Z

JFerg: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 7==

===Part 1===

The information is protected by high-level military compliance protocols, so we can only obtain fragments of it. Even so, piecing that together should reveal something.

Now, let us review what we know about Skuld Silent-Third.

'''Overview of the Norn Program

This project was established in order to fill the hole in the current system that requires everything to rely on a single Object and Pilot Elite. For information on the Object side of the project, see the other paper. Here, I would like to refer more to the concept of a general-use Pilot Elite.

Using the same development program on multiple genetically-similar people will implant identical traits in multiple Elites. By remaking the one-to-one relationship between person and weapon, multiple people can share the work and personnel can be swapped out if the unforeseen occurs. That will be Step 1.

If it succeeds, we can avoid being stuck with an entirely useless Object if the Pilot Elite is assassinated.

And the success of this project could also create a starting point for mass-producing Pilot Elites through cloning technology or the like. (n.b.: Whether or not Central will provide religious ethics approval is always a question.)

'''Journalist’s Voice Recording not Used in an Article

Verdandi: “Yeah, let’s not be all formal. We’re sick and tired of that shallow and flowery way they talk about us.”

Urd: “Yes. They call us the goddesses or saints of the Norn Program, but we’re really no more than spares. The government propaganda makes it look like all three of us are working together to fight, but Verdandi and I really only just barely make the grade as Elites.”

Verdandi: “We use our ingenuity to make up for what we lack, so you should really praise us for that.”

Urd: “So the Norn’s only real Elite is that girl…Skuld.”

Verdandi: “Yeah, she’s a genius in the truest sense of the word.”

Urd: “But there is a major problem with her personality. We hold her reins and prevent her from going on a true rampage.”

Verdandi: “What’s gotten you so quiet? I thought you asked people questions for a living. You can’t exactly do your job if you’re dumbfounded, can you?”

Urd: “Cut him some slack, Verdandi. Who knows how his life would be destroyed if he put this in an article. Hee hee.”

'''Confiscated Journal

I don’t understand what life is.

It isn’t something you can see or hear.

Everyone says to treat life with care.

But I don’t understand what it is. No one does.

It must be something like water or air.

You can’t understand how much you need it while you’re breathing it and taking it for granted. But once you don’t have enough, you realize just how important it is.

So to learn about life, you must approach that final limit.

'''Confession Recorded by a Counselor

Yes, yes. Please forgive me. Yes, please find it in yourself to forgive me. I understood Saint Skuld’s sickness. It is true she has been at the mercy of her inborn nature, but it is my responsibility for not treating it and even allowing it to exacerbate in how I interacted with her. An agent explained to me that this would protect the world and that it was necessary for the Norn Program and the Berserker Program that branched off of that, but that is not enough to wholly eliminate my guilt. Yes, this was all due to my immoral-…? What? A blackout? What is-…kssssssshhhhhhhh!!

…You should have just done as you were told.

'''Voicemail Seeking a Personal Appointment

Message left at 1:40 AM on August 19.

“Hey, Tony! Is it sunny enough for some bikini babes where you’re at? I’m on the other side of the world suffering through the damp rainy season. But anyway, I’ve got some good news for you. No, no. I’m not asking to borrow any money. …It wasn’t what I was after, but I happened to get a hell of a video out here in this battlefield country. It was dark and I only had my handheld equipment, so you can only see the shadows, but it’s gotta be you-know-who enjoying her ‘hobby’. You know what I mean, right? It’s what you wanted more than anything back there behind your desk! You probably think it’s a fake and that I’d post it online to become a hero if I really had the video of the century, but if I uploaded something this dangerous as an individual, it’d only look like some cruel snuff film. I need the reputation of the press! I really wish I could send you the video right away, but since this is a battlefield country, it seems like everything but the landline phone’s been cut off. Anyway, I want an appointment for the very second I’m back in the country. Listen, this is the crucial moment. Don’t forget I went to you first since we’ve been friends for so long!”

…

Would you like to delete the message?

'''A Freelance Writer’s Notebook

New soldiers occasionally vanish from Saint Skuld’s unit. There are a number of rumors: they get fed up with the battlefield after learning how tough life is there, they tried to earn some money on the side through smuggling and were dishonorably discharged, they foolishly tried to make a pass at Saint Skuld and were eliminated by the Valkyries, etc. But my intuition tells me the truth lies elsewhere. All of those explanations are almost eerily satisfying. Almost like someone planted the evidence after the fact.

And then there was the incident from a few days back. It only received a quick article on an online news site, but that’s when it hit me.

A soldier vanished in a safe country instead of a battlefield country. He was apparently close to Saint Skuld and acting as her bodyguard while she was on leave. If he was fed up with his job, it would be much more logical to vanish in a safe country than a battlefield country, but I bet…no, I know that isn’t the truth.

I know about her “hobby”. Or I think I do.

It always happened in battlefield countries where proper criminal investigations don’t take place. But this was different. It happened in a safe country, a territory controlled by the rules of us pacifists. I doubt they’ll have made a mistake, but it couldn’t have been easy covering this one up. Searching for any slight opening here might be a good way of reaching the truth.

(The next page is covered in dried blood and cannot be opened.)

'''Deletion Request

All,

To protect Saint Skuld Silent-Third’s life and lifestyle from saboteurs and anti-establishment groups, the following personal information must be deleted. Most of the information is managed by the military, but a few pieces still exist in a variety of media from before she joined. They all exist on the server such that they can only be accessed with a special tool, but please delete them ASAP.

1. Suspicion of Animal Abuse in the Rabbit Cage of Midgard Elementary School.

(Including the ghost stories on the school’s unofficial site)

2. Suspicion of Assault and Battery at the Same School (2 Incidents)

(Including the posts on message boards and SNS)

3. Suspicion of Serial Arson Targeting the Homes of Students and Teachers at the Same School (4 Incidents)

(Including an online request to a private investigator and a dismissed bill of indictment)

In addition to the above documents, please search for and delete any similar documents. If anyone requests the release of this information or works to block the deletion thereof, please report it to your contact.

'''Accountant’s Memo

About Norn.

Authorization from Central → A clue → What would be best?

Important! When laying the groundwork, make sure this is not confused with the group working on the practical use of cloning.

From 4 to 5. Maybe one more to help things run more smoothly.

(Adjustments for the hidden jobs like assassination and cover-ups takes money, so one more.)

Is the military funding from the Venerable Elder not enough? Hmm…

Reduce the number of personnel? ✖The number can go up, but it can’t go down.

Ask for more? No good: Any more and the bank account management system might discover the Venerable Elder’s expenses.

Use a “woman”? → Too reckless with the religious ethics judgments. It might rub them the wrong way.

(But it could work as a threat against any helpers who refuse to agree. If I list up each of their family issues such as an overbearing wife or a deteriorating relationship with an adopted son or biological son, I can mark the ones for which that “bomb” might work.)

Other sources of funds… Hmm.

Berserker.

Draupnir. ✔This one.

Submitting a report on the uses of those edible insects, doubling or tripling the supply research budget, and then cutting away the fat might be a good compromise. (←Write up a clean copy before reporting to the Venerable Elder.)

'''Lead Article in an Agency PR Magazine

Monthly Asgard April Issue!

This month I’m putting the spotlight on Saints Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, the three sisters who control the Second Generation Norn. These sisters have both power and beauty and I would like to introduce you to their noble minds and the spotless radiance of their lives. Let’s start with Saint Skuld. At the age of 14, she looks like she would still be entirely dependent of her family’s love, but she has fully parted with that indulgence of her peers. She has a fully-formed benevolent personality and genius piloting skills and she is the solid wall protecting our lives, lifestyles, and dignity. She is the ultimate…

===Part 2===

It was pouring rain.

Thick and dark rain clouds covered the entire sky.

It was supposed to be the dry season in the Antsiranana District, but that did not matter. According to the satellite, the rivers were more than full and the land was flooded as far as the eye could see. The maintenance base zone’s location had been chosen based on geographic factors, so it had escaped the flooding, but waist-high muddy water could be found not far outside the base. And it continued all the way to the horizon.

“This is what they call heat pollution, isn’t it?”

Silver-haired and busty Frolaytia toyed with her bangs in annoyance while holding her long, narrow kiseru in her mouth.

“The industrialization of the mainland across the ocean has raised the upper atmospheric temperature by two or three degrees. As their operations pick up, the atmosphere grows unstable.”

“What’s the situation?” asked Quenser.

Frolaytia breathed out some sweet smoke and looked the other way.

She looked to the Baby Magnum having its armor and weapons swapped out in the center of the maintenance bay.

“The Faith Organization is sure to have noticed the approaching transportation fleet of submarines and hovercraft. But they’ve chosen to tolerate its presence. They must be waiting for us to finish our maintenance.”

The base’s vehicles were mostly just a pile of rubble, so new ones had been sent in for an almost wholesale replacement of the base.

“They must be monitoring us. They’re only overlooking this because the materials are flowing in and not out. If we tried to evacuate the officers or the classified servers, they would attack and give the fleet a watery grave.”

“Could we not evacuate in time with some emergency submarines?”

“That might work for a VIP or two, but there are too many of us. Besides, the Trinity Style is made of countless Dvergr work robots, so it can change shape whenever it wants. The area is flooded so badly we can’t see the ground, so it will almost certainly be using an air cushion. That means it can head out to sea, so attempting a game of tag would be too reckless.”

“But then why are they doing this?”

“Why are they prepared to respond at a moment’s notice and yet giving us this chance? Have you forgotten, Quenser? The Trinity Style…no, Skuld’s rampage began when she pretended to be defeated in order to defeat our Princess more easily.” Frolaytia smiled darkly. “If their military is willing to protect her despite all the problems she causes, she must earn them a ton of money. But I bet opinions are growing much more split within the Faith Organization. So they want a way to test Skuld’s loyalty. Or perhaps she needs a purification ceremony to clear her name.”

“She’s making up for all this by crushing the Baby Magnum? She wants to shift all the blame to the Princess?” Quenser sounded disgusted. “And just like they wanted, we chose to stay on Experimental Battlefield Madagascar.”

“Well, the higher ups wanted an early withdrawal to bring back Skuld and all of her classified information. Now that we can’t do that, we’re back to the original plan: kill the enemy. When you think about it, it’s a simple order.”

“But…”

Quenser started to speak but trailed off.

Frolaytia nodded and continued for him.

“I understand. It all looks like we’re under Skuld’s control. Two world powers are working together to supply a hunting ground for a young girl’s hobby. It’s pathetic. In that way, maybe she is a genius. A serial killer who just kills people will be caught before long, but the truly dangerous ones understand society well enough to blend in despite their abnormality. She has the right instincts to mess with things beyond her reach and bring the current trends and public opinion to her side.”

“…”

Quenser heard her out, but he actually disagreed.

He doubted Skuld Silent-Third had thought any of this through.

Too much of this had been unpredictable: the battle with the Baby Magnum, the insect swarm, the Legitimacy Kingdom’s defeat in the second battle, the rescue operation, and her capture by Verdandi after trying to kill Quenser during that rescue operation. It had all been adlibbed and none of it could have been planned out.

She was simply snatching up the delicious-looking dessert she saw, as if she had happened across a food stand. She was not even worried about how much was left in her wallet.

And yet she had made it this far.

It was all so solid that it seemed to follow a single line throughout.

It was a blindfolded tightrope walk that could have met disaster at any moment. She was insane enough to continue laughing throughout. She had had no plan for success and she would have been thrown to the ground if she made even a slight misstep. That was all Skuld was doing.

If she was a genius, that was the important point.

She planned nothing, she only adlibbed, and she always made the choice that would lead to the most deaths in the moment.

That was all she had done, and yet she had thoroughly manipulated two world powers at once.

It was almost like some kind of goddess was embracing Skuld Silent-Third from behind.

But was that a goddess of fate, a goddess of victory, or a mysterious goddess of death?

===Part 3===

It was time for the mission.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me. We’re fighting one of the Objects that ended the nuclear age, not going fishing. Why do we have to rely on rubber boats now?”

They were riding a small rubber boat barely large enough for 10 people that had an engine-powered propeller on the back. Several dozen of them were lined up side by side as they travelled down along the flooded muddy river.

They could hardly believe this had been a dry and cracked wasteland just the other day.

They could no longer tell where the large river dividing the two armies’ territory had been.

It was only water, water, and more water as far as the eye could see. And it was far too muddy to tell how deep it was. Quenser felt his skin crawl at how this seemed more like the middle of a lake than a river, but Heivia was in a much worse state as he controlled the boat. Unlike a lake, there was a powerful current and they would be swept downstream in no time if he grew careless.

“Come to think of it, what’s the Princess doing this time? Her static electricity system needs naval floats to cross rivers and oceans, but what about in this pouring rain?”

“She can force herself across some gathered water with insoluble repellant, but this environment is pretty bad. Well, the old lady and the others were doing something with welding equipment, so I bet she’s had the floats installed. I mean, it’s completely flooded out here.”

“But the floats have a shark anchor weight that extends straight down. Won’t that hit the ground?”

“That’s why the old lady and the others were working so hard. They were cutting that away.”

The naval equipment would let the Baby Magnum float, but it would have trouble balancing. Having a handicap in battle was no laughing matter at this point.

Only two or three people were on each 10-man boat and the two idiots were the only ones on their boat. The rest of the space was filled with spear-like equipment thicker than metal rods and a giant attached crossbow that fired them.

The weapon looked a lot like the ballistae used centuries ago to bring down stone castles.

“Do you know what we need to do?”

“Yeah, this plan is a lot like a research project. We fire arrowheads full of aluminum and iron oxide at the Trinity Style so those giant-ass arrows will fuse onto it, then balloons filled with carbon dioxide gas to increase the air resistance and slow down its movements. If that lets the Princess shoot the thing, we win... like hell that’ll work! That thing’s moving around at Mach 5 or 10 and it can shoot down every tactical missile you could shoot at it!!”

“But the chemical fusion has already been proven to work... of course, that was just the old lady and the others attaching them while it was feigning defeat.”

“They just fired the arrows at the Object while it was sitting there... and when it was pretending to be stopped to trick us. That’s nothing like a real battle!!”

“The Trinity Style will have to keep a constant eye on us while it fights. That’s enough of a plan right there; we can’t think about actually defeating it, we just have to take some of the pressure off of the Princess so she can win.”

“But if we stand out, it’ll fire its plasma and lasers. Our skin isn’t made of orichalcum. If it even grazes us, we’ll be vaporized!!”

Complaining would not change anything about their situation.

They could see some silhouettes floating on the muddy river that spread to the horizon.

They were boxy silhouettes, and Faith Organization soldiers were likely riding them.

“What the hell are those!? Are they floating around in armored trucks with propellers attached!? They’re making me feel like a neighborhood kid begging for a toy!!”

“Check out what’s beyond them.”

Quenser was referring to something beyond the floating armored trucks. A giant form could be seen rising above the horizon.

Even at this distance, tingling fear spread across Quenser’s entire body.

It was the Faith Organization Second Generation Trinity Style.

No…

“Skuld Silent-Third!!”

===Part 4===

First, the Legitimacy Kingdom rubber boats clashed with the Faith Organization armored light trucks.

Powerful gunshots rang out as the heavy machineguns attached to the truck roofs roared to life. Each and every shot was an extraordinary bullet as thick as someone’s thumb. Every minute, two thousand bullets larger than the average anti-materiel rifle round were fired. A single hit would tear someone to pieces.

The Legitimacy Kingdom responded with assault rifles and light machineguns. They were quieter than the heavy machineguns that weighed several dozen kilograms, but the armored light trucks had sacrificed defense for the ability to float. These bullets were meant for heavy equipment and they could pierce through to the inside.

Both sides were risking their lives.

Sparks flew and pillars of water continually rose from the muddy river.

But even that exchange of lives was no more than a farce.

The true clash began soon thereafter.

The Baby Magnum and the Trinity Style both fired their main cannons.

The blinding light and deafening noise was enough for Quenser to nearly forget the reality of his situation.

Giant ripples expanded from the Objects and they threatened to capsize the rubber boats.

Meanwhile, the two mechanical monsters made quick and precise movements while firing main cannons powerful enough to instantly dig up and vaporize a nuclear shelter.

At some point, the firefight with the Faith Organization armored light trucks had ended.

Their heads were too rattled to aim properly and they even had difficulty tracking the passage of time. The one Object had a belt connecting the main cannon and giant magazine attached on opposite sides.

“The container cannon that uses the elevator? Are they starting with Urd!?”

“Enough with your technical obsession! We just have to do what we can. Load one of the ballista arrows. If you don’t have anything else to do, get to work!!”

The side effects of the Object battle were enough to tear their ranks apart. A rubber boat up ahead of Quenser and Heivia’s had already prepared their several-meter-long crossbow. Once they were in range, they pulled the trigger to fire an arrow thicker than an iron rod.

The sound it made was far too heavy to think of as a bow firing.

Even without the aluminum or iron oxide in the arrowhead, a hit from that would tear a human to pieces.

But…

“Gwah!!”

“You idiot! Look away, Quenser! Don’t watch it!!”

A light as bright as welding soon followed. It had been easily intercepted by one of the Trinity Style’s lasers before it hit.

It had been as casual as shooing away a fly in front of your face.

But a second laser took revenge by vaporizing the leading rubber boat and the soldiers aboard it.

“Dammit! Jump in!!”

Heivia switched off their boat’s engine, grabbed Quenser by the collar, and dove into the muddy river. A downpour of light continued even as the enemy Object fought the Princess. Several boats were blown away.

Quenser and Heivia’s boat was one of them.

The water was only about waist deep, but the current was too swift to stand properly. It felt like someone was grabbing and pulling at their legs, so the two boys’ arms flailed in search of something to help them float.

They grabbed onto a rubber boat by pure coincidence.

It was not the one they had been on and they had no idea what had become of the soldiers who had been using it.

They climbed onboard and caught their breath.

“I knew this wouldn’t work!! We’re just a nice target!!”

“That thing’s an acoustic scan specialist, right? It might be safer to put on a snorkel and dive below the muddy river.”

“And what kind of landmark would we swim toward when it’s that muddy? There’s a hell of a current and we’d end up kilometers downstream before we knew it!!”

And without their support, the Princess was on her own.

They may not have been any help in the first place, but that would still put her at a disadvantage.

Urd’s container shells continued to hit the water below the Princess. They likely contained liquid nitrogen or something similar. The Princess had to take further evasive action so she was not caught in the resultant blocks of ice, but then the Trinity Style ignored its previous “habits” and rushed right in toward her.

The main cannon changed form.

“Dammit, is it Verdandi now!?”

It started with a powerful laser beam.

When the Princess quickly dodged, the Trinity Style moved as if inviting her to dance. Their actions seemed synchronized except with the Trinity Style circling to the Baby Magnum’s side.

The upcoming second shot had caused great damage to the Princess last time.

But things were different this time.

The main cannon changed again. It changed to someone else’s.

===Part 5===

“Everything is set up for you.”

Verdandi spoke frankly in one of the Norn’s three cockpits.

“This one is yours. Do it, Skuld.”

===Part 6===

Verdandi’s special attack started by throwing her opponent off balance and taking up a checkmate position that allowed her to kill them with her next attack, but there were some ways to fight it if you knew it was coming. The Princess swiftly slid the Baby Magnum to the side to escape outside the movable range of her enemy’s main cannon.

She might have perfectly avoided Verdandi’s laser beam like that.

In that case, what happened next?

Not even Quenser understood what had happened as he watched it all from the side.

A terrifying flash of light burned into the entire world.

The Trinity Style had changed form. It only had the one main cannon on the side, but it hung down like an Island Nation katana sheath and the entire main cannon seemed to swing around using a booster.

It was not a laser beam or a rapid-fire beam cannon. Nor was it a railgun or coilgun. If anything, it reminded him of a low-stability plasma cannon, but that probably was not it either.

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

Quenser covered his face with his hands and screamed. He writhed in pain in the boat.

His eyes hurt so bad he feared he would never open them again.

Even so, he repeatedly replayed the scene burned into his brain.

Something like a saber or blade of light had burst from the Trinity Style’s main cannon. It had looked like a blowtorch’s bluish-white flame stretched to several kilometers long.

It had swung around as if hopping up diagonally.

More than just the main cannon, the entire Object had rotated.

The Princess had quickly dodged. She had even forced down the repulsion of the static electricity to sink her Object down. That slight distance had saved her. A few of her main cannons had been mowed down like weeds, but she had avoided a fatal blow.

(What…in the hell…was that!?)

At the most basic level, the Trinity Style’s main cannon was a laser space elevator tilted on its side. Urd fired metal container shells from there while Verdandi directly fired the powerful laser beam at the enemy.

Then what about Skuld?

How did she use the elevator to produce mass destruction?

(Oh, I get it…)

Quenser reached a conclusion in his lightless imagination while his eyeballs stills suffered from stabbing pain.

(The elevator is made to fire a powerful laser on the bottom of the container to expand the air and propel it forward. I’ve heard the heat can destroy the bottom of the container and turn it to plasma if the power is too high. Is she vaporizing the entire container to create a powerful plasma current that fires out like a blowtorch or flamethrower!?)

“…enser…Quenser!! Skinny boy! Get up already!!”

The boy finally focused on the outside world when he heard someone shouting in his ear.

He shook his head and got up as rain poured down on the boat.

“Dammit… I’ve figured out the Trinity Style’s main cannon. It’s creating plasma without a low-stability plasma cannon’s special gas…”

“Did you receive a message from heaven during your near-death experience? If the angel was a hot blonde, you’d better introduce me.”

Meanwhile, Skuld’s plasma blade fired again and again. The din was loud enough to nearly burst their eardrums, but it did not blind them like the first shot had.

There was a simple reason for that.

“What? Fog?”

“That’s probably water vapor. Its main cannon is too hot, so it’s boiling the muddy water around it without even grazing it. This might even trigger a water vapor explosion.”

“…”

They could see a giant mass glowing orange beyond the sauna-like haze.

But it was not the Baby Magnum. The Trinity Style’s own armor was faintly glowing due to the residual heat of its own plasma blades.

If that was happening to the Trinity Style, how badly damaged would the Princess be as she constantly fled from it?

“That’s way too hot… How can it be melting nuke-resistant armor without even grazing it? That’s more like a shotgun or flamethrower. You can’t just dodge a single point. It covers an entire surface to keep its opponent from getting away.”

“Then what do we do!? How do we support the Princess!? If there’s nothing we can do, maybe we should flip over the boat, cling to it under the water, and pretend we were hit. Yeah, if we’re lucky the war treaties might protect us!”

“That’s not gonna work with that serial killer. She’ll slaughter us with a grin on her face.”

Quenser felt sick to his stomach just saying it.

The 5km blade was perfect for mid-range. And if she had free use of that, she should have been able to slice the Princess apart right off the bat. Even if Urd and Verdandi were not experts at using it, they could have borrowed the method to confuse the Princess. However, they had not done so. The reason why was simple: the weapon was so powerful that it even swung around the Trinity Style itself. Without the constant slight adjustments by a genius like Skuld Silent-Third, the 200,000 ton mass could easily have flipped right over.

She was not swinging the blade however she liked. She was making it look that way by skillfully redirecting that power which was great enough to swing around the entire Object.

It was just like that serial killer’s lifestyle.

She planned nothing, she adlibbed everything, and she killed as many people as she could at the moment. …In her pursuit of that, she set aside the concept of risk and produced enough results that it all “looked like” military actions.

But…

“She’s using an air cushion this time.”

“?”

“We have a ballista that was meant to add air resistance to interfere with her movements. The arrowheads were filled with aluminum and iron oxide powder for the chemical fusion needed to attach them.”

“What about it?”

“This isn’t a lake. It’s a giant river full of muddy water. That means it has a definite current. And the Trinity Style specializes in acoustic scanning. It probably can’t tell what’s flowing through the water. Or it has difficulty doing so.”

“Yeah, and what about it!?”

“There might still be something we can do…” said Quenser on the boat. “Let’s take a look at the things floating in the river. It can be drums or plastic tanks, but we need empty containers above a certain size!!”

===Part 7===

Eric Kingsvalley climbed onto the roof of an armored truck rocking in the current and continued with his mission. He threw coiled barbed wire into the river from upstream of the Baby Magnum. The plan was simple: wait for the barbed wire to catch on the Object’s naval float.

They were not actively attacking and they were not sure how effective this would even be, but the possibility of a trap in the river would restrict the enemy Pilot Elite’s movements. It was like asking someone to cheerfully walk across a minefield.

They of course made sure to mark the barbed wire’s location with an ultrasonic emitter. That allowed their side to remain cheerful. Even if the enemy picked up on the signal, they would still restrict themselves. Were there marked traps and unmarked traps? Were they playing into the enemy’s hand by relying on those markers? Even if they focused on those uncertain markers, it would still have an effect.

The Faith Organization’s plan was going well.

In fact, it looked like Saint Skuld was hunting down the Legitimacy Kingdom First Generation with or without their help.

That should have been a joyous scene.

They should have been watching the defeat of their hated enemy.

But a cloud hung over Eric’s face.

(What are we doing?)

Wars were given a justification, but good was not rewarded and evil was not punished. He had learned that all too well while taking part in this clean war. If he peeled away the thin layer of flowery words about their heroic actions, he was sure to find the sordid profit and scheming behind the scenes. He understood that and he knew that was none of his concern. Just as the military had its battlefields, the politicians had their own battlefields.

But something seemed wrong with what Saint Skuld was doing here. Eric did not care if someone was popping open some champagne in a secret villa to celebrate a successful conspiracy. If that ultimately benefited the people of the safe countries, then it was for the best. Eric was not a fish who swam through pure white bleach. If it would bring everyone happiness, he was fine with mixing in some “lubricant”. As long as it was a small “thank you” that did not put any pressure on the national treasury.

But who would see happiness from Saint Skuld’s actions here?

Who other than Skuld herself would be saved by this?

This entire battle was the same. They were killing the Legitimacy Kingdom’s First Generation in order to continue using the Saint Skuld in battle. That would prove that Skuld could be controlled by the Faith Organization while also having her destroy the original cause of this entire mess.

This battle had begun with Skuld’s selfishness and was meant to rid her of a personal crime.

This would only benefit a single individual.

That was nothing but a nuisance to the Legitimacy Kingdom and the taxpayers funding all of this. Not to mention the soldiers who had fallen victim to Skuld’s brutal “hobby”.

Was this really the right thing to do?

Wasn’t there something else he should be doing?

“…”

Eric clenched his teeth.

He felt ashamed that his hands kept working even as those thoughts filled his mind. Was he trying to escape those unpleasant thoughts by losing himself in his work, or had he just been that thoroughly trained by the Faith Organization and the Saints? Not even he knew.

At any rate, he finished throwing a set of barbed wire coils into the river and then used the headset in his ear to contact the fellow soldier in the armored truck.

“This is Eric. I’ve finished dumping them. Begin the ultrasonic signal test. We’d look like idiots if the barbed wire we dumped got caught on our own propeller.”

He had assumed he would receive the standard sort of response with a crude joke mixed in, but he did not.

“Wait, what the hell!? Hey, what’s going on!? Hey!!”

“What is it, Neil? If you think something’s malfunctioned, tell me. I’m on the roof, so I can pop open the engine grille and check the-…”

“We’re getting a distress signal from Saints Urd and Verdandi! But why!? Why would the ejection process be running when they’re winning!?”

An unpleasant sensation stroked along Eric’s back.

The situation was unnatural enough on its own, but one fact was more concerning than the rest: Urd and Verdandi. But what about the third sister?

If those two really were being ejected by some sort of malfunction, who would have absolute control of the powerful Norn?

“It can’t be…”

For whom was this battle being fought?

That question rose to the surface once more, and in the worst possible way.

“It can’t be!!”

===Part 8===

Urd slammed her hands against the cramped cockpit’s console, but that was not going to trigger a malfunction in the 50m machine. They had left the primary control with Skuld, but that did not explain this.

The controls were not responding at all.

No one had pressed the button and the Object should have been in perfect working order, but the emergency ejection countdown was the only thing on the screen. She tried a variety of methods and processes for stopping it, but none of it worked.

“Verdandi, how are things on your end?”

“Since you’re asking that, I take it you’re faced with an inexplicable ejection too!!”

There was bitterness in her voice.

There was only one possibility Urd could think of.

The Legitimacy Kingdom had infiltrated their maintenance base to rescue the student named Quenser Barbotage.

To temporarily stop the Norn, they had installed virus in a Dvergr work robot they had previously captured and then slipped that into the Norn to infect the entire system.

The Faith Organization had thought they had fully eliminated that virus.

But it was possible a second virus had entered the Norn along with the first one.

And just as she considered that…

“Hee…hee.”

Her thoughts were cut off by laughter so full of young brutality that it rubbed her nerves the wrong way.

“Hee hee hee hee hee hee!! Ha ha, ah ha ha ha ha!! Hee hee. Ee hee ha ha ha ha!! Ah hah hah hah hah hah hah!!”

That reminded Urd that Skuld Silent-Third had temporarily been in Legitimacy Kingdom custody. She had leaked information on the Faith Organization base zone and joined in the operation to rescue Quenser (so that she could finish him off herself).

Who had slipped the Dvergr work robot into the Norn?

What if…?

“Sku…ld?”

“Were you planning this from the beginning!?” asked Verdandi.

“Planning? Planning what? Do you really think this was a single straight path!? All I do is kill as many people as I can in the moment. I look at the situation in front of me and make the choice that will cause the most death. But I certainly never expected to have a chance to take the whole Norn for myself!”

It was all adlibbed.

There was no plan.

When an opportunity rolled out in front of her, she kept it rolling in the worst possible way. Since that alone had led to stealing an Object, she may have been a true genius.

“How insane are you!?”

“Let’s just say ‘completely’. Now, now. No one can stop me and no one can stop the Norn!! Ah ha ha! Death seen through a screen is flavorless because it feels like a video game, but it might not be bad to go all out here and escape with this. With this thing’s air cushion, I can cross both sea and land, so I have any number of escape routes. It won’t be long before I find my way to a safe country!!”

''Oh, no,'' thought Urd as her throat grew dry.

Skuld could not be left to her own devices. If that lunatic blended into a safe country, the damage would spread without end. That was why the three of them shared control. (In practice, the two older sisters restrained Skuld.) If that system crumbled away and Skuld alone held the Norn, it would lead to a true catastrophe. The button to begin Ragnarok would be in the bloody hands of a serial killer.

“Skul-…!!”

“Farewell, my sisters. I will always remember what a perfect ''mis''understanding you had of me. But don’t worry about what happens after you eject. My anti-air lasers can shoot you a hundred times over while you float down with your parachutes.”

Urd knew that, but there was nothing more she could do.

The countdown reached zero. All of the barriers opened and the chairs holding the two sisters raced up the rails and were ejected from the Norn.

===Part 9===

Two hidden hatches opened on the top of the Trinity Style.

Something shot out of them.

They were Pilot Elite girls in green special suits. They were thrown out into the pouring rain of the sky during the intense battle and their parachutes automatically opened. The parachutes caught the air and pinned the girls in place.

The surrounding air had essentially been fried by the extraordinarily powerful blade made from plasma that ruled over everything within 5 km.

[[Image:HO_EX_07_024.jpg|thumb]]

As if that were not enough, a single secondary cannon moved slightly on both the top and bottom of the spherical main body. Those anti-air lasers could shoot down supersonic missiles without breaking a sweat and now they targeted Urd and Verdandi.
Crazed laughter sounded from the warning speakers.

“Ah ha ha ha ha!! Ee hee ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Welcome to freedom, welcome to equality, and welcome to a world where you can feel a life in your hands!! Nothing needs to be planned and it can all be adlibbed, but I will always make the choice that leads to the most death!! Now, show me how brightly you shine!!”

Heivia felt a chill run down his back as he rode the rubber boat through the river.

“What do we do? Really, what the hell do we do!? This isn’t even a war anymore; it’s some utter moron putting on a murder show with a strategic weapon. The White Flag is meaningless and the war treaties aren’t going to help!! When did the world go completely insane, goddammit!?”

“We’re working to do something about that, aren’t we!?” shouted back Quenser.

They had a few wet drums and plastic tanks on the boat. They had gathered what looked usable from the trash flowing down the river.

“I’m not letting Skuld get away with this. If she can enjoy her blindfolded tightrope walk and laugh at the fact that she could fall at any moment, then I’ll shove her off. Her adlibbed life ends here!!”

“But how exactly are you going to do that!? The Princess is barely hanging on, her Object is melting, and the Trinity Style’s conscience was ejected and is about to get lasered!!”

“That’s why ''we'' have to do it!! There are literally millions of lives on the line here, so prepare yourself, Heivia!!”

As he yelled at his friend, Quenser pressed the sole of his boot against the drum he had carried over to the edge of the boat. He then kicked it out into the river.

Someone had said this was not a war anymore.

Then what was it?

Someone thought it would be best not to name it.

This cruel concept needed to be sent back to the darkness from whence it came before it spread to the world at large.

<noinclude>{{HEAVYOBJECT Nav|prev=HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 6|next=HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 8}}</noinclude>

HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 5

2016-11-12T00:20:01Z

JFerg: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 5==

===Part 1===

It was evening as the Faith Organization military truck carrying Quenser drove across Experimental Battlefield Madagascar’s wasteland. They crossed a large river on a giant hovercraft and continued driving. At first, Quenser tried to remember how far they had gone, but his sense of distance faded as time passed.

Giant baobab trees stood up from the flat wasteland.

As they continued on, he started seeing abandoned giant seesaw-like machines measuring over 10 meters tall. He guessed they were left over from oil mining.

The Faith Organization maintenance base zone was on the wasteland, not in the jungle.

It looked like ancient ruins buried in sand.

The buildings of white stone did not look at all like a military facility. And surprisingly, they were a lot like the ones from Quenser’s homeland. They had grand stained glass windows and giant crosses on the roof. Some of them had a tall bell tower.

This was likely a remnant of the old Age of Exploration.

They were cathedrals and monasteries. And that small village of buildings had several giant circus-like tents set up between them. Those structures of thick blast-resistant sheets were the maintenance base zone made from Faith Organization technology.

At first, Quenser thought that religious organization had simply wanted a location that provided moral support.

But he was wrong.

Norn, Dvergr, Berserkers, and Draupnir were all aspects of Norse Mythology. This was not an organization that decorated things in giant crosses. And the Faith Organization would be more sensitive to such differences than anyone else.

Which meant…

(The shape of the crosses is a little different. Oh, weren’t there some that used existing tree and sun symbols to help spread the Bible? I think in Norse regions, they even interpreted Thor’s hammer as a cross.)

That may have been the Faith Organization style, but there was no guarantee that the area would be safe from damage in a battle. From an outsider’s perspective, it was hard to tell whether they were treating it carefully or carelessly.

The military truck finally stopped in a parking space.

Someone spoke with a rifle in hand.

“Get out.”

“…”

Quenser obediently placed his hands behind his head and did as he was told. He was so badly outnumbered that they had not even bothered handcuffing or otherwise restraining him. Or – since they were only taking him prisoner at the request of a Pilot Elite – perhaps they were actually giving him a chance to resist so they would have an excuse to shoot him.

The area was inundated with voices speaking a Faith Organization language.

Quenser’s heart was assaulted by the hopelessness of being left behind in a strange land.

After hearing that the POW had arrived, the Pilot Elite approached with several bodyguards around her. The 18-year-old girl wore a green special suit that freely showed off her sexy bodylines. Quenser did not know if this was Urd or Verdandi.

“The first 24 hours will soon be up, but we have yet to find Skuld. He will be our crucial insurance. Handle him with care and make sure you do not go too far and kill him.”

The Elite smiled thinly and seemed to be warning the soldiers.

But an unpleasant sweat covered Quenser’s face when he heard it.

By saying “make sure you do not go too far”, she was saying that level of cruelty was standard. Plus, she had made sure to speak in a language Quenser understood. She was letting him understand her in order to shake him.

War treaties and the rules on POW treatment were meaningless if no one ensured they were upheld.

A new battle was already beginning. And it was a horribly unfair battle that would unilaterally wear down his soul.

The sexy Elite moved her face in close and spoke with the confidence of a predator.

“We wish to know where Skuld is no matter what. We wish to know where she is likely to hide. We will likely get to know each other much better before long, but keep that in mind. We are not sadists; we have a goal. As long as we achieve that, we have no reason to harm you.”

“…”

“We can discuss the details in the interrogation room, but do you have any questions?”

That was likely meant as a light jab.

By initially working up his fear and then hinting at a chance for negotiation, she left him unsure whether to go in for an attack or to fortify his defenses. It left him unsure which direction to raise his shield in.

That was why Quenser played dumb.

“I’ve got one: When will I get a change of clothes?”

He was raising his hands in just his underwear.

As soon as the sexy Elite looked down at his body, he gave an honest thrust of his hips.

The Pilot Elite’s face grew red and she screamed. To punish him for slighting their saint, the surrounding soldiers subjected him to concentrated fire from their military boots.

===Part 2===

After receiving a thorough beating, Quenser was taken to a stone building that had once been used as a monastery and he was thrown into a room.

There was no real furniture and all four walls were made of cold stone. It had likely been lit by a lamp or candle originally, but a fluorescent light and power cable had been crudely added in much more recently. The lighting was reminiscent of a construction site or a tunnel. In what may have been part of the original design, the window had a heavy metal shutter over it and the thick door could not be opened from within. He did not want to imagine what kind of life the person in here had lived.

There was not even a blanket. He hoped not, but the small bucket in the corner may have been his toilet.

As he gloomily looked around the room, he finally started feeling along the walls and floor. He doubted he could easily escape a maintenance base zone with around a thousand soldiers, but he at least wanted a weapon. The building was solidly built without any crack between stones, but he still hoped he could pull one of those stones out.

Then something unexpected happened.

As he grabbed at one of the wall’s stones and managed to move it, the center of the floor split open. There seemed to be a trapdoor there. Through the one meter opening, he found a rusty ladder.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait! Why!? Why is this happening the instant I get here!?”

He shouted to himself, but when he thought about it rationally, he recalled this was an old monastery and not part of the Faith Organization maintenance base.

In which case…

(Do they not know all the details of the old building they’re borrowing?)

But his quizzical look was interrupted by footsteps from beyond the thick door. He could not let them discover the secret trapdoor. It was an incredible discovery, but he could not just vanish through it when he did not know where it led.

He was not going to waste this valuable opportunity.

He moved the stone on the wall again and managed to close the trapdoor.

(I’m not going to eventually trigger a giant metal ball rolling down a slope at me, am I?)

The footsteps stopped in front of the door.

He heard a key being inserted and then the heavy door opened.

He recognized the Faith Organization soldier.

“Eric, you made it back here?”

“That doesn’t matter. Just put on some clothes. Saint Urd is entirely useless because she won’t stop blushing and covering her holy face with her hands. Honestly, she’s too busy shrieking and wiggling around to focus on her mission.”

Eric Kingsvalley had brought him a brightly colored prisoner’s uniform. As he put it on, Quenser realized their positions had been entirely reversed.

(So that was Urd. I guess that means I still have to meet Verdandi.)

“Is my interrogation about to start?”

“Yeah. Although the higher ups really aren’t sure what to do now that they know you’re a student and not a soldier. Still, I’m not sure the war treaties are going to protect you. You should be prepared to see what look like dental or sculpting tools. I can’t stop them.”

“Are you serious…? You really can’t save me?”

“Sorry.”

Once Quenser finished dressing, he was taken out of the room. They did not restrict his information with a blindfold or anything else. Two soldiers with rifles escorted him down the stone hallway.

Eric looked like he wanted to say something the entire time, so Quenser finally asked about it.

“What’s the matter? You aren’t glad to be home?”

Quenser could hear the raucous voices of people celebrating their victory. Norse Mythology apparently had no taboos about food, so they were likely going to town with fish and booze. Eric’s gloomy atmosphere had to stand out in the unit.

“I don’t know what’s right,” replied Eric.

“…”

“You let Saint Skuld escape. I heard that was why you were captured. What was I supposed to do? What would really have been best for Saint Skuld?”

Quenser did not have an answer for him.

The monastery’s front entrance was made of thick bronze. It was only locked by a bar across the inside, but that had been replaced with an alloy bar and a hydraulic cylinder arm. It was simple, but that meant it was difficult to open from the outside and had no lock to be picked.

They left the old monastery building and he was taken to a circus tent.

Surprisingly, it was Urd Silent-Third he found in the small interrogation room.

The soldiers got to work as she used a hand to toy with her long golden braid.

“Handcuff the interrogation subject and attach the chain to the table.”

“Oh, dear,” said Urd. “Is there any need to go that far?”

“We can never know what he will do out of desperation. Also, we will be taking this.”

The soldiers took something from the table.

It was a bowl full of colorful fruits.

“Ahn! Those are my snacks!”

“You are about to speak with an enemy POW. Please refrain from using a knife and fork.”

“Even a plastic fork?”

“Even a plastic fork.”

“Boo. That means I can only eat the banana. Surely you aren’t going to take that away from me because I might step on the peel and hit my head on the corner of the table.”

“Saint Urd, please keep in mind that your presence can influence the fate of our entire unit…no, of the Faith Organization as a whole.”

“Even when I’m a replaceable spare Elite?”

The saint smiled a little as she toyed with the banana in her hand.

The soldiers pretended not to hear her sarcastic comment as they handcuffed Quenser to the table, had him sit down, and backed away. They waited by the wall instead of leaving the room altogether.

Urd took the opposite seat.

She looked at Quenser’s face, swallowed the line she had been planning to start with, and…

“…Kyah☆”

She remembered something, blushed, and covered her face with her hands.

She seemed to be the oldest of the sisters, but she might have had a dirty imagination.

Also, something she had said had caught Quenser’s attention.

“A replaceable spare Elite…? What does that mean? I mean, aren’t you so desperate to hunt down Skuld because-…!!”

He was cut off.

Someone had walked in from the door behind him, grabbed his hair, and slammed his face against the table.

There was a loud bang and the boy was left dazed, but the person then brought their lips to his ear and whispered to him.

“We are the ones asking the questions here. Don’t get full of yourself just because you have information on Skuld, you student. All we have to do is wring that information out of you.”

“Who…are…?”

Just as he groaned that question, they grabbed his hair again and shoved his face into the table. With another loud sound, he sensed a rusty flavor flow into his mouth from his nose.

“Verdandi, I know how you feel, but we won’t get anywhere like that.” Urd sounded exasperated. “Now forgive him already.”

“And you! Don’t just use my name like that! Why are you giving the POW our information!?”

“Oh, dear. But aren’t you the one that confirmed that’s your name by responding to me?”

“~ ~ ~!!”

The twintail girl named Verdandi let go of Quenser’s hair in frustration, walked around the table, and stood next to Urd. She crossed her arms and sat directly on a corner of the table.

Urd smiled and asked a question.

“Now for your questioning. Do you know anything about Skuld’s whereabouts?”

“Good cop, bad cop, huh? Going old-fashioned, I see.”

“If you would prefer, we can always use a cutting-edge truth serum.”

“Verdandi.”

Urd lightly shook her peeled banana to lightly scold her sister and then peered at Quenser’s face. But she seemed to give up before he could react. She blushed and looked away.

“What’s the big deal with seeing some guy half-naked?” asked Verdandi with an exasperated sigh.

“Y-you can only say that because you didn’t see it yourself! He…he went…! Ahh, the image is burned into my eyes! What am I supposed to do!? K-kyah☆”

“This just means you have a dirtier mind than you thought. You hidden pervert.”

After spitting out that comment, Verdandi turned the conversation back toward Quenser.

“You seem to be mistaken about something. We are not trying to capture Skuld because we want to hold a public execution or anything like that.”

“…”

“You don’t believe me, do you? What lies has Skuld been telling you?”

“You have no reason.”

“Do you think the Faith Organization is an irrational murder cult just because we’re an enemy nation?”

“As Urd said, you’re spare Elites. I don’t know what kind of tech you use. I hate to admit it since I’m a future engineer, but I really don’t. But if the Trinity Style is an Object with multiple Elites, then you have no reason to be so fixated on Skuld. Either of you can pilot it instead. You might even be able to recruit people to find yourself a second or third Skuld. But you set that possibility aside and you’re working hard to hunt down Skuld. Why? I can’t imagine there’s a logical reason. And I can’t imagine it’s some tear-jerking reason just cause you’re sisters. You’re letting your emotions drive you as you punish her for your own dark pleasure, aren’t you!?”

“Well, would you look at that?”

“Yes, more of our information has gotten out than I thought.”

So would they silence him?

That was Quenser’s first thought, but their response was a surprising one.

“Munch, munch. Well, it isn’t entirely wrong to say we’re driven by emotion.”

“Just so you know, we’re trying to catch Skuld because we want to help out your Legitimacy Kingdom.”

“…What?”

Quenser could not help but voice his confusion.

They were enemies and he was being interrogated. Some high-level information warfare was underway, so he could not trust everything he was told. Nevertheless, he was taken aback.

“What do you mean it’s to help us out?”

“Skuld will defect to your Legitimacy Kingdom if we don’t do anything, won’t she? If that happens, she’ll first provide research assistance in a military facility. And once she earns their trust, she’ll be given a free pass to a safe country.”

“Yeah, I don’t even want to imagine that future.”

Quenser could not understand what the two Elites were saying.

“Wait a second. What are you talking about? All of that is perfectly normal.”

“Oh? Even if it throws a Legitimacy Kingdom safe country into enough chaos to makes Jack the Ripper look small time?”

A strange feeling was growing in his fingertips.

Unpleasant sweat poured down his forehead, but he could not wipe it away while handcuffed to the table.

“Jack the Ripper…?”

“What does Skuld look like to you? A poor little birdie? A girl whose life is about to be snuffed out?” Verdandi spoke with a mocking tone. “You’re wrong if so. She’s an Elite. She pilots an Object all on her own and blows away, fries, or vaporizes 1000 or even 10,000 people if need be. She can do all that without batting an eye. She casually bears all the responsibility of the war. That’s the kind of monster all three of us are.”

“But Skuld is somewhat out of tune. She’s difficult to manage,” added Urd with a smile. But a worrying shadow hung over the smile. “She is highly aggressive and not even we can always control her. She will sometimes blow away the enemy soldiers even after they have raised the White Flag. In fact, she does not always stick to the enemies. She will mercilessly pull the trigger on her allies, on journalists, on smugglers, and on medical groups. And all while laughing.”

“She is a deviant. She could never preserve her reputation if the military were not protecting her. In this world, only soldiers, police officers, and executioners are allowed to kill. She just so happened to choose the military.”

“You’re lying…”

Quenser shook his head, but it changed nothing.

“And on top of the direct damage Skuld will cause, she kills in a very contagious way. Let her out and who can say how many copycats you’ll have on your hands. It will become an epidemic, a major boom. That is another reason why the military needs to manage and conceal the information.”

“You’re lying!!”

Urd and Verdandi did not even flinch. He turned his head with his hands bound, but the soldiers by the wall had not reacted either. Only Eric looked back at Quenser as if he did not understand what was going on.

“This is not public knowledge. The Faith Organization has a reputation to uphold after all,” readily admitted Urd. “But every time we station our troops, a new soldier or two will go missing in that battlefield country. The official story is that they grew sick of war and deserted, but is it really just Skuld doing a good job of cleaning up after herself? That isn’t entirely known.”

“I hate to admit it, but we do have deserters. And once they lose the protection of the military, it isn’t too surprising for their corpse to turn up later on. And when a corpse is found on the front line, no one is going to investigate it too carefully. The corpse and the scene of a possible crime cannot be preserved. Or rather, it can be set up that way. When Skuld is given control of the Object, she will sometimes fire a shot entirely unrelated to the battle. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out there had been a corpse there she needed to hide.”

“Then why do you let someone so dangerous go free? No, why did you make her a Pilot Elite!? That makes no sense! You would normally keep her away!”

“That’s just how skilled she is. She truly is a natural killer. I’ve never known anyone who comes so very alive when it comes to killing. Urd said it’s because she’s ‘out of tune’, but I don’t believe it. She was holding this bomb from the moment she was born.”

Quenser strained his neck to look back.

Eric was sweating profusely too, but he had to accept it.

“Saint Skuld had a bad habit. Despite the great difference in rank, she would eat with everyone and spend her free time with us. But some soldiers would mistake her intentions and try to get more intimate with her. …When they went missing, the rumor was that the Valkyries in charge of religious morals had purged the guys who tried to lay a hand on her.”

“We aren’t that cruel a place. We are free to love whoever we like.”

“Really, though. If they banned us from love, it would actually build up our frustrations and we might stop listening to our orders. …Although that explains why everyone has kept their distance from us.”

“In your case, it’s just a lack of feminine charm. You put too much focus on pure love and things like that.”

That was the worst possibility.

Just thinking about it made Quenser’s head spin and his mind melt like butter.

He managed to force out a question.

“Then what is Skuld trying to do…?”

“That’s what we want to know,” readily admitted Urd. “In order to get an easy win, we went along with her idea and gave her control of the Norn so she could feign defeat. …But after taking a single hit from your Object, she purposefully let you find and capture her. You can’t count on a lunatic’s ideas to make sense, but it looks like she was fed up with our ‘birdcage’ and wanted to fly free.”

“The Legitimacy Kingdom thought you had had found the Norn’s hatch on your own, didn’t you?” interrupted Verdandi with crossed arms and a derisive laugh. “But the Norn’s hatches are not normally exposed. The surrounding Dvergr should have completely covered it up. She intentionally showed off the hatch to expose herself to the enemy. She abandoned that nuke-resistant weapon to enjoy herself on a field where a single bullet can kill her. That isn’t normal.”

“Skuld has been taught killing techniques by the military. There was plenty of suspicious behavior, but since she was never court martialed, the higher ups must have turned a blind eye. But not even that was enough to satisfy her. She wanted to see enough blood to bathe in. So she decided to leave the Faith Organization to use the ignorant Legitimacy Kingdom. …That way she can eventually blend into a defenseless safe country and kill to her heart’s content.”

“…That’s ridiculous.”

Quenser had almost stopped thinking altogether.

Then he started shouting like a spoiled child.

“That can’t be true! Skuld really was trembling as she asked for help!! She felt cornered because of you! She’s a murderer? A war criminal? How can I believe any of that when I only have your word to go on in this interrogation room!? You might have gotten your story straight in advance so you could trick me!!”

“True. We could have.” Urd did not deny it. “This brings shame on us, but we aren’t actually obligated to do anything. It would pain me for a safe country to fill with blood, but they wouldn’t be Faith Organization people. If you absolutely refuse to cooperate, the bomb named Skuld will simply be passed to you. And that bomb is guaranteed to detonate eventually, killing a hundred thousand if not a million people when it does.”

“And we aren’t joking about that. Skuld’s thirst for blood is so great that war wasn’t enough to quench it. She must be planning something even greater in a safe country. Normal firepower will never be enough to stop her. In fact, you won’t even be able to find her once she thoroughly blends in. The housewives who have never known anything but peace will lose their lives in the blink of an eye. And if she triggers a surge of copycats, it could cause a country or two to fall.”

“Yes, her killings have a way of bringing in a great number of ‘fans’.”

The Trinity Style had been a giant birdcage for Skuld.

These two sisters had done everything they could to create a place for their thoroughly broken younger sister.

But Skuld had betrayed them.

She had smashed that birdcage, flown out, and feigned innocence to pave the way to her new feeding ground.

Yes.

She would enjoy herself with a deluge of death in the safe countries that knew nothing of bombs or shells…in the very safe countries where Quenser’s friends and family lived.

“That is why we are asking you this,” said Urd. “Where will Skuld escape to? If she slips past the initial search and this becomes a long-term affair, where will she hide? Tell us that and we can nip this problem in the bud.”

“…There’s no way I can tell you that,” answered Quenser despite all his sweat.

And not just because he could not entirely trust the Faith Organization.

“I don’t know the answer!! All I did was give her the uniform as a last ditch effort to help her escape!!”

===Part 3===

The damaged Baby Magnum slowly returned to the Legitimacy Kingdom maintenance base zone.

However, they could not even replace its armor at the moment.

The Princess did not even leave the Object.

No one knew what feelings were spiraling through her chest.

It was a maintenance base in name only. It was closer to being a pile of rubble burying what equipment was still usable.

The soldiers were focused on a map of the Faith Organization base they had drawn up with Skuld’s help. In the twilight, several flashlights illuminated the map as they came up with several routes of entry. It was not that they could not agree; they were coming up with several options for a number of different situations.

Frolaytia spoke up to motivate them.

“I want to attack while the Faith Organization is still celebrating. That means tonight. We can’t hope for perfect preparation at the moment. I know that doesn’t make you happy, but the transport fleet needed to withdraw won’t arrive for a while yet. We’re cornered anyway, so we have to do what we can.”

Heivia and the others had searched through the rubble that had been the base zone to find a few vehicles that would at least still run.

After memorizing the plan, the soldiers headed toward those trucks.

Skuld was supposed to join them as a guide, but she was all alone a short distance away. She sat directly on the ground. She seemed to have trouble joining in when there were no other Faith Organization soldiers with her. Plus, she had to feel indebted to them after Quenser got captured to save her life.

As Frolaytia considered all that, a surviving member of the intelligence division spoke to her.

In fact, they more or less whispered.

“Excuse me, major. I would like to keep this private because it has yet to be confirmed.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Frolaytia expected this to be trouble. This was information that the intelligence division had decided might throw the unit into chaos if it got out. It had to be important and dark, so she had to prepare herself for that.

“We received quit a few casualties from that swarm of bugs. But…”

“Yes?”

“It’s strange. A few of them died from a snapped neck. Bug bites wouldn’t do that.”

“What…does that mean?”

“I’m not sure. I initially thought they had fallen from the stairs in their haste to escape all the bugs, but it seems that wasn’t what happened. And if the swarm hadn’t ended like it did, even the bones would have been eaten away and no trace would have remained.”

“…Are you saying another human might have been using the confusion to kill people?”

“But that brings us to some fundamental questions: Who? And why?”

Frolaytia fell silent.

The intelligence division worked to understand the discord and friction within the unit, but it was hard to say they had a perfect grasp of every last bit of it. It was possible someone might have developed a desire to kill unrelated to war. A military unit was also a place where people lived together. There was no guarantee that no crimes would occur.

A short distance away, Skuld slowly stood up in her Faith Organization uniform. She used her small hands to brush the dust off of her butt.

“And one other thing,” continued the intelligence division member. “It’s about the delayed transmission of your White Flag.”

“Yeah, I regret that more than anything. Even if the control tower had collapsed, we had an emergency communications network using a different system. That said, it was only a makeshift system from what equipment we could scrounge up. The slightest burden was enough to knock it out. And that really delayed us…and got more people killed.”

“What would you say if I told you there were traces inside the equipment of dried sand being poured inside to intentionally create a short?”

“……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………”

Everyone could see the look of displeasure on Frolaytia’s face.

The Faith Organization had been celebrating their victory, so they would not have bothered with that kind of sabotage. Plus, the timing did not work. Frolaytia had taken action immediately after the Baby Magnum’s defeat, which had been well before the Trinity Style arrived at the base. The White Flag had already been knocked out at that point.

In that case, it had to have been someone inside the Legitimacy Kingdom base.

But who would have benefited from that kind of suicidal action? More than 100 soldiers had been needlessly slaughtered due to that, but it had been entirely at random. If they went through the exact same thing again, an entirely different group of soldiers would be killed on a whim. In other words, that had forced the entire unit into a game of Russian Roulette with terrible odds.

(Wait.)

As Frolaytia considered it, she was taken in by a wicked thought.

It was a negative inspiration, much like unwarranted suspicion.

(Without the White Flag, everyone in the base would be killed. But is that really true? It was definitely dangerous for us in the Legitimacy Kingdom, but what about the Faith Organization POWs who were set to be rescued?)

To prepare for their mission, Heivia called over from a military truck.

Skuld responded by walking over.

She moved naturally.

Entirely naturally.

She walked right past Frolaytia Capistrano.

(During the bug swarm, we left the detention barracks just before they collapsed and we all made it safely to the storage building. Who was it that arrived last? Yes, who was at the tail end and was thus walking entirely unsupervised through the swarm?)

Something unpleasant pricked at a corner of her mind.

The busty silver-haired commander’s eyes followed the twintail girl heading to the truck.

(And during the Trinity Style battle afterwards, we were still working to put the maintenance base back together. Since the detention barracks were unusable, we split the soldiers’ barracks in two and used half for the POWs. That means the security was laxer than normal and we might not have known every little thing the Faith Organization was doing. It’s entirely possible one of them sabotaged our makeshift communications equipment.)

“Hey!! We’ll be moving along according to schedule, Frolaytia. You dig up a coffee maker from the rubble of the officer barracks. C’mon, let’s get going, Skuld. We only get one chance to make up for our loss!!”

Those words redirected Frolaytia’s thoughts outward.

In the blood red of twilight, Skuld had already climbed aboard the truck.

With her onboard, the trucks began leaving the maintenance base zone one at a time.

Perhaps she should have stopped them.

Perhaps she should have asked Skuld about all this.

But…

(I have no proof…)

It was true that it was possible Skuld could have done it.

But Frolaytia could not imagine what the girl would gain by doing so. For one thing, the arrival of all the bell crickets and the Baby Magnum’s defeat at the hands of the Trinity Style had been mere coincidence. Skuld could not have planned for them.

And if any little thing had been different, Skuld would have died. She was from the Faith Organization and not the Legitimacy Kingdom, so there was no guarantee they would always take her side. And even if she had been planning to betray them, she would have done so only after ensuring her own safety. Doing something here would have been no different than throwing away her own life. She could not have planned for these unexpected events and she had no reason to do this even if she had somehow planned for it. Looking at it that way, Frolaytia felt it was best to assume she was reading too much into this.

And even if they had a map, it would be difficult to sneak into the Faith Organization maintenance base without Skuld who could walk around the place with her eyes closed. Delaying things here might give the Faith Organization a chance to sober up from their victory and then they would lose their one and only chance to rescue Quenser.

So Frolaytia weighed her options on the scales.

She knew something was bothering her, but she drove it to a corner of her mind.

Success and failure were the only two options here.

And yet if one little thing went wrong, the entire unit would be in danger.

===Part 4===

The military trucks drove in a line.

A few dozen soldiers were crammed into the back of each one.

Among them, Skuld was curled up with her hands around her knees because she was having trouble blending in.

[[Image:HO_EX_05_026.jpg|thumb]]

Next to her, Heivia smiled while armed with an assault rifle and grenades that he had likely dug up when searching for any usable equipment.

“Don’t worry. If they were gonna kill him, they would’ve done it there. I don’t think they’ve got the brand-name needed to pull off a public execution of a commoner like Quenser. That means there’s something the Faith Organization wants to ask him. It won’t be fun for him, but his life is ensured until he talks. As long as we show up before then, it’ll all work out.”

“…”

Skuld kept her head lowered as she glanced over at Heivia’s face.

She did not actually respond, but he seemed satisfied that she was at least listening.

Skuld pressed her face against her knees again and muttered something under her breath.

“Quenser…”

And she hid her expression with her knees to make sure no one noticed.

The corners of Skuld Silent-Third’s lips twisted up into a secret smile.

It was night.

The red sky looked like a sea of blood, but the sticky darkness was creeping in.

Unbeknownst to the soldiers, they were carrying a giant bomb as their rescue operation began.

<noinclude>{{HEAVYOBJECT Nav|prev=HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 4|next=HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 6}}</noinclude>

HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 4

2016-11-11T19:05:45Z

JFerg: /* Part 10 */

==Chapter 4==

===Part 1===

The Battlefield Country of the Antsiranana District was also known as Experimental Battlefield Madagascar.

Baobab trees known to live for more than 5000 years rose from the vast land that was dyed orange in the evening sunlight. The ground was crawling with insects found nowhere else in the world, but few of the soldiers realized their value.

They were inside the Faith Organization’s maintenance base zone.

Several large military vehicles were surrounded by barbed wire barricades. Most of their base was covered by giant thick tents that would have looked more at home at a circus. Some of them were even larger than a school building.

But their maintenance base was made from more than just cutting-edge scientific rapid-response materials.

“Getting irritable is not going to improve the situation.”

That gentle comment came from a girl of about 18 who wore a skintight green special suit with a loose cloth wrapped around it like a swimsuit to avoid exposing the most important parts. Her long golden hair was bound in a single braid which increased her overall gentle atmosphere.

She was one of the three sisters who piloted the Faith Organization’s Second Generation Norn.

Her name was Urd Silent-Third.

She had set up a folding chair, table, parasol, and spot cooler on the orange wasteland and a variety of fruits were lined up on the table. The coconuts, mangoes, bananas, and sugarcane were normal enough, but the fon’omby<ref>Malgache (a native language from Madagascar) name of the introduced tropical fruit [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annona_reticulata custard apple], also known as bullock's heart.</ref> and tamarind were more unusual.

[[Image:HO_EX_04_005.jpg|thumb]]

They seemed to be local produce, but they would not have simply been bought at the market. Pilot Elites single-handedly influenced the outcomes of modern wars, so they were too valuable for that. To ensure a foreign spy had not mixed in some poison, the lowly soldiers would have gone to a lot of effort to procure them.

Another girl sighed. She had a harsh look to her eyes and her similarly blonde hair was crudely tied back into twintails. Instead of taking the seat her older sister had prepared for her, she crossed her arms and leaned against the thick stone wall.

Her name was Verdandi Silent-Third.

That girl of about 16 was also one of the Norn’s Elites.

If all three sisters had been together, it would have been clear that they all used the exact same hair bands.

“Is life as a vegetarian really that much fun?”

“A glance inside the bug cage should tell you what the base’s burgers and fries are made from.”

But despite that gentle comment, Verdandi took a bite of the burger she held in its wrapper.

Her food was also a special provision for the Pilot Elite, so it was a 100% pure beef patty, unlike the normal ones on base. However, the normal soldiers were unaware of the “bug cage”, so there was no jealousy there.

The second sister was not leaning up against one of the school-sized tents the Faith Organization had prepared. Instead, it was the kind of cathedral that one could find anywhere in a European safe country, but its majesty was not lost in Africa. And that was not the only building; there were enough of them to qualify as a small village. Or perhaps it would be better to say they had chosen to build their maintenance base alongside the remains of a village.

The term “Africa” probably brings a great variety of things to mind, but these European-style buildings were surprisingly common. There were historical reasons for that, but the familiar environment was probably a comfort for the people deployed here from afar. There was no fear of morale dropping for a reason as silly as homesickness.

Verdandi looked at the burger she had bitten into.

“Skuld had no trouble eating those things.”

“I think it had more to do with how she enjoyed eating alongside the normal soldiers. That little sister of ours has always prioritized what satisfies her heart over her body.”

“…”

The two sisters fell silent as they thought about the missing third sister.

And then they both resumed speaking.

“…We can’t just leave her out there.”

“No. And the higher ups will know how dangerous that would be. That is why I am not letting my irritation keep me from eating. Stress can influence our condition and that could influence this clean war.”

“So do you think we can make it in time?”

“Of course.”

Urd smiled.

With a sticky sound, she stabbed her fork into a ripe slice of fruit.

“If the alternative is allowing Skuld to escape to a foreign safe country, we must kill her here. No matter what. On that we agree.”

===Part 2===

The twilight burned red.

The Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers had gathered outside and they were chatting curiously.

“Why is the major sitting on top of Quenser and beating him?”

“Because she found out he was making honeycomb toffee in secret.”

“Sugar is one thing, but where did he get the baking soda? Is there a hot spring around here?”

“He apparently took apart a fire extinguisher to get at the foaming agent.”

“If you make candy, she’ll climb on top of you with that tight skirt? C’mon, hit me too!!”

Meanwhile, busty silver-haired Frolaytia must have wanted to take a break because she tossed Quenser over toward the other soldiers.

“Sorry about that distraction. Everyone line back up.”

The pre-mission briefing was beginning.

“Our satellite has detected the Trinity Style starting to move.”

The soldiers were gathered outside rather than in the usual briefing room. That meant there had not been enough available indoor space for the briefing. They had yet to recover from the damage done by the genetically modified insects.

The enemy was approaching while their equipment was malfunctioning and that was likely intentional on the enemy’s part.

“It will attack soon, but we are not yet ready to withdraw. At this rate, we would be hit as we tried to leave. Sending out the Baby Magnum and coming up with a countermeasure against the Trinity Style is looking like the more realistic option.”

As the rows of soldiers listened, Heivia muttered a complaint next to Quenser.

“And what are puny soldiers like us supposed to do? Go jack off in our bunks until the Princess wins?”

“I heard that, Heivia. And I have the perfect job for a volunteer hero who wants to stand out.”

“Why’d you have to say something!? Now we’re all being sent to the front line!!”

Frolaytia ignored the soldiers ganging up on Heivia and continued with the briefing.

“Currently, the Trinity Style’s combat ability is an unknown. The Princess had trouble last time, but that was partially due to it making a surprise attack after pretending to be defeated. However, we can’t be too optimistic. We have no idea what will happen in a fair one-on-one battle. It might be an easy victory and it might be a harsh battle. If we knew how we would fare, we could decide how much distance to keep between us, but we don’t know anything. We simply have too little information, so we have to assume this is the most dangerous situation. It’s 50/50…either side could win.”

The busy commander inhaled some smoke from her kiseru.

“Furthermore, the Trinity Style is a Second Generation made from small work robots that allow it to use entirely different shapes, main cannons, propulsion devices, and strategies. The thickness of its armor and most damage can be changed or repaired by shifting the position of those robots. …They’re sure to create a situation we can’t read and then move in to wear us down. The Faith Organization was able to put together a strategy in advance while we have to adlib, so they have a major advantage. Do you understand now that we can’t rest easy and leave this to the Princess?”

But Quenser hesitantly raised his hand because he did not want to set foot on the battlefield.

“But what can flesh-and-blood soldiers do? And I’m pretty sure the Trinity Style’s acoustic scans will locate anyone who’s hiding.”

“Does that mean we have to change back into those athlete’s foot suits!? What a pain the ass!!”

“Anyone without a death wish, listen up.” Frolaytia sounded indifferent. “I’ll start with your objective. The biggest problem in the Trinity Style battle is the changes to its armor and armaments. We are constantly monitoring it by satellite, but we need as many information sources as possible. You will infiltrate the battlefield and use various cameras and sensors to constantly scan the Trinity Style in real time to gather data on its shape, abilities, and armor. That data will be sent to the Princess so she can fire her main cannons at the thinnest point.”

She used her kiseru to point at the map on the whiteboard.

“This time, the Objects will be firing at each other from across a giant river. Large bodies of water are the enemy of static electricity systems, so that will function as a barricade. But that’s only true if it is using static electricity. If the Dvergr secretly rearrange to an air cushion system, it might suddenly cross the river. That is another reason to continue scanning and sending out the data. Static electricity and air cushions both have their unique traits and weaknesses. If we know its movable range, it shouldn’t be difficult for the Princess to predict its next move and fire her main cannon where it will be next.”

“Wow, setting up hidden cameras gets us praised as heroes now? Everything I thought I knew is crumbling away. War sure is scary. …But I think we’ll get more than a slap if their goddess notices.”

Frolaytia responded to Heivia while placing her kiseru back in her mouth.

“You don’t need to worry about the anti-personnel acoustic sensors this time. This will be an all-out battle between the Princess and the Trinity Style, so the entire area will be a vortex of explosive blasts. It’s going to be worse than a fireworks show, so the precision of those acoustic sensors is sure to drop and you can also set up plenty of those disturbance speakers that worked so well last time.”

“And the real reason for that?”

“I said this would be an all-out battle, right? A small infiltration team was one thing, but we don’t have enough soundproofed suits for all of our infantry. Unfortunately, the budgets for these clean wars are heavily biased toward the Objects.”

In other words, this had less to do with a safer situation and more to do with a cobbled-together way of making up for insufficient equipment. Quenser and the others only grew more disheartened.

“By the way, do we have a guess as to which form the Trinity Style will use?”

“That is what we need to interrogate Skuld Silent-Third about. Quenser, you come with me. You seem to have earned the POWs’ trust since the bug panic, so they might have a looser tongue around you than a strict intelligence officer.”

===Part 3===

“I don’t know.”

Quenser pressed his forehead against the table when that was the very first thing she said.

The student and Skuld were not speaking in specialized detention barracks meant to hold war criminals and POWs. That facility had collapsed during the attack by the genetically modified Draupnir insects, so the infantry barracks had been divided in two with the Faith Organization occupying one half. They had of course added locks to the doors and welded scrap materials to the windows to prevent the POWs from escaping.

As Quenser slumped down, the twintail girl was lying directly on the table.

Not only that, but she wore no clothes and only had a white sheet covering her.

“How am I supposed to know what exactly the Norn will try to do? I mean, there are two other Elites besides me and-…what is it?”

“…”

Quenser kept his head pressed against the edge of the table and glanced to the side. The green special suit, boots, and gloves were all draped over the back of a nearby chair.

After a moment, she finally caught on.

“Is this any time to be getting distracted?”

“It’s kind of hard not to.”

“It is my right as a POW to receive the treatment necessary to for my vital fine-tuning as an Elite.”

“Well, yeah. But still…”

“And in my case, that means this.”

As the twintail girl lay face down below the sheet, she tapped at the corner of the table.

A few aroma candle containers sat there.

The music player situated on a small stand was playing highly soothing environmental music at a moderate volume.

Perhaps to reap the benefit of negative ions, there were even pots with mossy plants growing inside.

Her pillow was small but made from an expensive-looking low-resilience material.

And this riddle led Quenser to a certain answer.

“Come to think of it, the Trinity Style’s cockpit was full of sleep products too, wasn’t it?”

“Honestly, I was pretty sure you wouldn’t have any of it, so I wrote down everything I could think of. But look at all this. You had pretty much all of it. I’m not sure if that means you’re well-prepared or overrun by personal items.”

''Curse that busty commander. What kind of a luxurious life are you living?'' wondered Quenser as a grinding sound came from his mouth.

“It’s not so much about sleeping though. It’s really about using the hallucinations seen on the verge of falling asleep.”

“Oh, you mean that thing where you can easily have a mystical experience by playing the right kinds of low frequency noise?”

He thought that sounded exactly like something the Faith Organization would do. Then again…

“But why are you naked?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t make that tightrope walk without the optimum performance. I can’t be awake and I can’t fall asleep either.”

But Quenser had to question whether he was really close enough to Skuld for her to let him approach while she was so defenseless. He had protected her from the Trinity Style before and maybe the bug panic had been the final push.

The battlefield student coolly analyzed the situation.

(Hm. Whatever the case, a naked girl is a wonderful thing. Hmm!! It feels something like waiting to remove the ribbon from a present, but I am 100% okay with that!)

“?”

“Now, don’t worry about me. Don’t worry about me at all and continue! If it’s a humanitarian thing, I guess it can’t be helped! Yes, if you don’t do this, you’d probably get a migraine, lose your appetite, or feel sick!! So we have no choice in the matter!!”

Quenser stared at the smooth curves visible through the sheet and did his best to activate any latent clairvoyant powers he might have, but Skuld got back on topic with a blank sleepy look in her eyes.

“So, um, where was I? …Mumble, mumble… Oh, right, right. The Norn has two Elites besides me. Urd and Verdandi. The distance they fight from and the way they attack are completely different.”

“…The way they attack?”

“Urd fires a thorough barrage to cut off her enemy’s escape in something like a chess problem. Verdandi goes for a one-hit kill and never wastes a shot. Completely different, right?”

“Wow…”

“Urd prefers long-range attacks because she focuses on taking no damage while Verdandi prefers close-range attacks because she tries to finish off her target as quickly as possible to reduce the overall damage. But even that is only the standard. It’s possible they will move in close while pretending to be Verdandi only to attack with Urd’s tactics.”

That difficulty to predict worked to the Trinity Style’s advantage. A battle began before the actual fighting did, but this Object destroyed any pre-battle preparation and forced its enemies to adlib. Just as Frolaytia had said.

(But this time the battle is divided by a large river. If the Princess can use that to keep her distance and continue fighting, she can seal off the close-range attacks. That might just draw out Urd who prefers the long-range.)

“Skuld. Tell me how exactly Urd fights. Long-range battles can take a lot of different forms, right?”

“Chemical warfare.”

Quenser initially had trouble comprehending what the twintail girl said.

But as he repeated it under his breath, he grew pale.

“Chemical…warfare?”

The term was enough to distract him from the sheet-covered feast before his eyes.

It seemed to linger on his tongue.

Skuld must have felt she misspoke because she clarified.

“Oh, I’m not talking about poison gas or anything like that. Although it is possible it might produce some gas as a side effect.”

Skuld rolled over under the sheet.

She was now facing up and the curves around her chest were especially emphasized.

Plus, the sheet nearly pulled back from certain areas as she turned, so Quenser’s focus grew to more than 400% of normal. He felt like he was going to blast off into space at this rate.

“The Trinity Style’s main cannon is basically a laser space elevator tilted on its side. Urd’s container-style shells tend to contain various chemicals.”

Quenser replied coolly.

“When you say chemicals…you don’t mean an anti-personnel gas weapon, do you?”

“No matter how large the scale is, Object armor is still essentially special steel. And there are a variety of chemicals that can dissolve or damage steel, right? Sulfuric acid, aqua regia, liquid nitrogen, aluminum and iron oxide, etc.”

“…”

This was different from railguns or coilguns that punched through with overwhelming mass or kinetic energy.

Nor did it burn through with tremendous heat like laser beams or low-stability plasma cannons.

It used a chemical reaction.

It cut through the Object armor using a chemical approach.

“My sister Urd is an expert at that. She doesn’t just fire a chemical-filled container; she sometimes fires several containers to mix them directly on the battlefield. The Capitalist Corporations fearfully named it the murder cocktail strategy. Yawwwwn…”

She must have been growing drowsy because Skuld yawned and twisted her body. This stuck a full bare leg out in front of Quenser’s eyes. The student debated whether to lightly nibble at the thigh or to see how far up to the base of the leg he could see, but he made the mistake of hesitating too long and failing to do either before the bare leg was pulled back inside the sheet.

With a smile on his face and tears in his heart, Quenser replied with a cool voice.

“That doesn’t sound good… Even if it isn’t meant for flesh-and-blood soldiers, she’ll be firing a bunch of sulfuric acid around and the dissolving metal will produce chemical smoke.”

“Even if Urd isn’t after them, you should probably have your infantry prepare some chemical warfare defenses.”

But could they do that?

They already knew they lacked enough soundproofed suits for everyone. A small team would be one thing, but did they really have enough special equipment for a group of hundreds?

(The gas mask filters use activated charcoal, right? Maybe we should take apart some deodorant and try to figure something out.)

He made a mental note of that and Skuld made a comment.

“You seem confident.”

“Does this tearful face really look confident?”

“It does.”

The twintail girl answered his joke while squirming below the white sheet.

“I honestly thought you would line up the Faith Organization POWs on the front line, aim machineguns at us from behind, and order us to charge. No, it isn’t just that. When the detention barracks were destroyed, you didn’t build some fences outside and keep us there like farm animals. Giving up your own living space isn’t normal.”

“There are two major reasons for that. Do you know what they are, Skuld?”

“?”

“First, soldiers who are being forced to fight are useless. And if we carelessly sent the Faith Organization soldiers in front of the Trinity Style, it would probably blow up only our armored trucks to bring you all back to your unit. Plus, an infantry charge isn’t going to change anything here. We have to infiltrate the front line, so a machinegun induced charge would be meaningless.”

“What’s the second reason?”

Quenser grinned at that.

“It’s about our barracks. We’re actually quite thankful for that one. After all, we’re all crammed in together due to the reduced space. The guys and girls are normally separated, but now we’re all living together! But we have no real choice!! I mean, it’s only humane to give the POWs a roof over their heads! Ah hah hah hah hah!!”

An officer like Frolaytia and a Pilot Elite like the Princess had their own private quarters and their defenses was still as strict as ever, but that was a different matter.

And the twintail girl naturally looked at him like he was a dung beetle.

She still looked sleepy, but she grabbed the edges of the sheet and curled up like a human spring roll to protect herself.

“…You’re utter trash, aren’t you?”

“Bloodline is everything in the Legitimacy Kingdom, so our culture can’t exactly reject the act of baby-making. But I guess that might look strange to the Faith Organization and all its strict ideals that ignore our biology. Wait, but isn’t Norse Mythology pretty lax about that stuff?”

Quenser did not seem to mind at all.

“Personally, I find it stranger that you’re so willing to give us information on the Trinity Style.”

“Does it seem so easy that you’re starting to suspect a trap?” Skuld sighed with just her head poking out of the sheet. “Didn’t I tell you my sisters are going to kill me? If the entire Faith Organization sees it that way, I can’t return to the Norn. I don’t gain a thing by holding onto its secrets.”

“Then are you trying to defect to the Legitimacy Kingdom?”

“It’s hard to say.”

Skuld seemed to be enjoying the situation rather than keeping her cards close to her chest.

But if she really did try to join the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Faith Organization would never allow it. Having information on the Trinity Style leaked to another world power would be especially bad for Urd and Verdandi who had to continue piloting that Object and could not switch to another variety.

So they would kill her, no matter what it took.

It did not matter if she was their blood-related sister.

“I’m expecting a lot from you.”

That was all she said.

One of the world powers that colored the map was after her life and had sent in one of the Objects that had ended the nuclear age. A student like Quenser could not imagine what kinds of feelings were whirling through the girl’s chest.

===Part 4===

The mission began.

Before the Baby Magnum was sent out, Quenser, Heivia, and the rest of the infantry set out into the orange-dyed wasteland aboard multiple military vehicles.

However, these were not normal armored trucks. There was no thick hose, obvious siren, or crane-like ladder attached to the rectangular body and the color was different, but they had a familiar silhouette. These were the maintenance base zone’s damage control firetrucks.

The soldiers clung to the flat roof and even the sides. It looked like the images of trains packed absolutely full.

Quenser was on the roof, but Heivia had failed to secure a spot there and was on the wall.

“This is ridiculous. We’re sending out chemical firetrucks now? We’re here to fight a war, not provide disaster relief.”

“The Trinity Style’s elevator main cannon might fire a ton of container shells. Those things are worse than giant Molotov cocktails. And even in this wasteland, chemical incendiary rounds will spread a fire like crazy. We want every chance we can of avoiding being baked to death.”

“Either way, these obvious targets will get hit as soon as the battle begins! They’ll be blown away by the Object’s shells before anything else, and it’ll be just like a well-shaken beer!!”

Just as Heivia got heated up, the firetruck drove over a large stone. The vehicle shook violently and the idiot noble shut up. He must have almost fallen off.

And he nervously looked down below.

“And what is this? We’re supposed to be using the colossal nuke-resistant weapon as a shield, so why are we out front? If the Trinity Style fires a shell, we’ll be blown to pieces.”

“We just have to try to stay positive. If we do die, we won’t suffer. Think of it as saving us the cost of anesthetic and you can laugh it off.”

As they joked back and forth, Frolaytia contacted them via radio.

“The battle is moving at the Faith Organization’s pace this time. We’re fortunate to have the giant river between us, but we’re still at a disadvantage when it comes to placing our pieces on the board. Simply put, our maintenance base zone is close to the front line. Their top priority will be assassinating Skuld. That goes for the Trinity Style too of course, but make sure they don’t use that giant thing’s rampage to distract us while they send infantry across the river. If that happens, you all need to fight. Shoot them or hit them with a shovel; I don’t care which. Just don’t let them get close.”

“How has the Trinity Style been crossing the rivers so far?”

“We don’t know. Maybe they temporarily dammed the rivers or built makeshift bridges.”

Quenser and the others’ job was to hide within the battlefield and scan the changeable Trinity Style in real time. By sending that data to the Princess, she could locate and fire on the weakest point.

That meant the infantry could not gather in one place. They had to spread out as much as possible, so the chemical firetrucks would stop here and there while the soldiers set out into the wasteland on foot.

Quenser and the others arrived at a river that looked 100 meters wide.

As far as they could tell with the flame-like evening sun reflecting off the water, it did not seem to be all that deep. That said, it was still enough to stop the Princess’s static electricity propulsion device.

When the firetruck stopped alongside the river, Quenser and some others climbed down. Nearby, a giant vehicle was folded up like an accordion, but then it extended forward with a crane-like sound.

It slowly but surely formed a bridge long enough for a truck to cross the river.

“Since she sent that bridge truck with us, it looks like that busty commander was prepared to send us on quite the exciting field trip.”

“But we only have the one, so they’ll have to swim back if it’s destroyed.”

The two idiots watched the chemical firetrucks cross the river and disappear. Since the battle would take place with the river in between the Objects, they needed more soldiers on the other side if they were to scan the Trinity Style.

And that was of course Faith Organization territory.

“Did you see the rifles the POWs had? They had a long staff-like magazine attached along the side. With that, they can fire 200 times without swapping out for a new one. I don’t want to even think about running across some of them.”

“Yeah, their infantry are called berserkers, right? But didn’t the old lady say the grouping was pretty bad and they’re essentially useless beyond 300 meters?”

“So you think we can push them back with a sniper rifle? Their fear has been deleted, so they’ll just gather together and climb over their comrades’ corpses. And the second we’re within range, all hell will break loose against us. They’ll take us all out with reinforced rifle rounds that can punch through bulletproof armor.”

They could use the river as a natural barrier to keep the Trinity Style back, but if the bridge truck was destroyed, the retreating soldiers would have nowhere to run. The thought of being ordered to infiltrate enemy territory with no guarantee of a way back sent a shudder down their spines.

“I’m glad luck was on our side this time,” commented Quenser.

“Ksshh. Are you sure about that, Quenser?” said Frolaytia over the radio. “The Trinity Style will be stuck at the river, so near the river where you are is sure to have the strongest stench of death.”

“And that’s why it’s the best place to observe the Trinity Style!! Oh, to hell with it! I’ll just have to steal a ton of lucrative tech from that pile of treasure!! Yes, I really was lucky! The goddess of luck is on my side!!”

“Hey, you positive SOB,” interrupted Heivia. “If you really want to survive, you need to do more than pray to some goddess. I’ll give you some of the disturbance speakers, so help us set them up all around here.”

Heivia handed him a bag and all of the soldiers scattered. Once the battle began, they did not want to be anywhere near that noticeable military truck. Even the bridge truck’s driver and crew had likely left and gone to hide somewhere.

And their lives were reliant on the disturbance speakers. A small speaker slightly larger than a baseball was supported by a small tripod and it came with a remote device that sent commands wirelessly.

They spread out the tripods and set up the speakers at 50-100 meter intervals but with some level of randomness.

“Honestly, can’t they scatter these from the air like with landmines?”

“Do that and they’ll figure out what we’re up to right away.”

There was no clock tower on the orange-colored wasteland, so something else had to signal the beginning.

“Here they come,” said Heivia once they had set up all of the disturbance speakers.

One was the Baby Magnum which approached from behind them.

The other was across the river.

Now that they could see it, their lives were reliant on the disturbance speakers. The speakers produced the chirping of insects to mask the sounds of breathing, cartilage, and joints from the soldiers.

From what?

The answer was simple.

Like a trendy lamp, the giant form’s propulsion device was shaped like an Island Nation ''mitsudomoe'' and the main cannon and giant magazine on the left and right were connected by a belt.

Quenser stared at its magnificent form without bothering to use binoculars.

“So we meet again, Trinity Style!!”

===Part 5===

It was a hellish exchange from the very first shot.

“…!!!???”

Quenser and Heivia dropped everything and dove down onto the orange-dyed wasteland. The Baby Magnum and Trinity Style fired shell after shell from several kilometers apart.

From a distance, it might have looked like a light show.

They used low-stability plasma cannons, laser beams, railguns, coilguns, and rapid-fire beam cannons.

But for the people there, they were like the fingers of death itself.

If one merely stroked their back, they truly would lose their life. Merely being exposed to the tingling shockwaves felt like having years worn off their life.

As soon as a soldier frantically jumped out of a chemical firetruck’s driver’s seat, a laser beam pierced it.

The long bridge truck that crossed the 100 meter river was more melted than broken when a shot hit it.

“What are we supposed to do with all this going on, dammit!?”

“At least we’re not the Faith Organization soldiers on the other side of the river. Looks like they were trying to cross the river too, but the Princess’s Killer Squall made short work of them.”

The Killer Squall was a laser beam weapon shaped like a planetarium lens and it was the kind of anti-personnel weapon not seen on more recent Objects. It fired more than 100 lasers at once and they scattered like an actual squall to vaporize the waves of approaching people. The First Generation Objects had been built on the multi-role concept, so they were built for anti-Object, anti-encampment, anti-vehicle, anti-ship, anti-air, and anti-personnel purposes.

The single-focused Second Generations were certainly terrifying, but it was the older First Generations that made the puny soldiers’ throats dry up.

“Hey, what’s going on? The Princess is falling back as she fires. Is she leaving us behind!?”

“Have you already forgotten our strategy, Heivia? Urd prefers long-range and Verdandi prefers short-range, but with the river blocking their way, they’ll be forced to use Urd if the Princess falls back. We’re limiting their choices before blowing them away.”

And the Trinity Style’s main purpose here was to prevent the Legitimacy Kingdom from withdrawing. If the Trinity Style did not take the bait and they simply glared at each other from a distance, the Princess would be outside of her attack range, but that was fine.

If they could buy some time, they could finish their withdrawal preparations.

And that made it more likely that Skuld would escape.

So the Trinity Seven would rush things.

It would approach as close to the river as it could.

That clearly worked against it in the short run, but that left a possibility of destroying the Princess. Urd would be forced to fight in that mindset.

Or so they thought.

They could not have been more wrong.

A moment later, something unbelievable happened.

The 200,000 ton mass leaped as if jumping over the river.

Quenser gasped on the ground and it took him some time to grasp what had happened.

First, the Trinity Seven’s horizontal laser space elevator of a main cannon aimed downwards. And with a deafening roar, it had fired something toward the ground.

But it had not used that blast to make the jump.

Instead of a heatwave or shockwave, a strange sticky liquid spread out from the blast. It hardened in just a few seconds, creating a giant upwards slope made of plastic.

The Trinity Style raced up that at full speed.

It had used a ramp.

And that provided a powerful enough jump to cross the river.

“Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wahhh!?”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!!”

The two idiots shot to their feet and ran as far away from its expected landing point as they could get.

The Trinity Style would have landed at least 100 meters away, but with a crackling and air-splitting explosion, bluish-white sparks scattered in every direction. The two idiots fell to the ground more due to the fear than actually being hit by something. The massive amount of static electricity keeping the 200,000 ton mass afloat had reacted with the repellent scattered across the ground. It turned the air into ozone, scorched the ground, and nearly blew Quenser and Heivia away.

The Trinity Style did not care about them at all.

It accelerated straight toward the Baby Magnum.

And the Princess was caught off guard by the unexpected development.

“You can’t fall back any further, Princess!!” warned Frolaytia. “The maintenance base zone is far closer to the front line than usual. Any further and the base will be in range!!”

“Kh…understood!!”

The Princess had been gradually falling back, but a definite change came over her actions. She moved forward to meet the Trinity Style.

Heivia gave a shout while trembling on the ground and uncomfortably sweaty.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen!! This puts the Princess at a geographic disadvantage! Now they can switch back and forth between Urd and Verdandi! This thing was enough of a black box already, but our odds of victory are slipping further and further away!!”

“But it’s not like we can just tell them to stop. Heivia, keep the observation equipment focused on the Trinity Style. We need to figure out whether that’s Urd or Verdandi, how the Object is structured, and where the armor is thinnest. We need to get all that data to the Princess in real time! Hurry!!”

“What? Hey, wait! Where do you think you’re going!?”

Quenser did not answer as he approached a chemical firetruck that had rolled onto its side nearby. One of the packed-together military vehicles had been hit by a small laser beam, but the rest were fine. He traced a finger along the side and recalled its structure before pulling out some Hand Axe plastic explosive from his backpack. He stuck a fuse in the clay-like explosive, pasted it to the rolled-over firetruck, and detonated it.

Meanwhile, the two giants continued their shootout a short distance away.

The Baby Magnum and Trinity Style were only a kilometer away from each other now. In an Object battle, that was like infighting with their foreheads pressed together. The Trinity Style was moving quickly in every direction to confuse the Princess. While making quick steps forward and back or left and right, it would occasionally fire a container shell full of sulfuric acid or liquid nitrogen. Even without a direct hit, they created toxic swamps that restricted the Princess’s movement and sometimes damaged her armor or sensors with their vaporized gases. It also used its ramps made of a special plastic. Those gave the Trinity Style a new axis of movement in addition to the existing 360 degrees of horizontal motion.

“What do we do? What the hell do we do!? It’s all over if the Princess loses, but I can’t think of any way to help! And Quenser, what the hell are you pulling out!?”

“Baking soda.”

The student pulled a few tanks out of the chemical firetruck. They were about the size of industrial beer containers.

“It’s a foaming agent used in chemical fire extinguishers. Mix it with sugar and place it over a fire and you can make honeycomb toffee.”

“And what good is that? That thing is 200,000 tons of steel and not even a nuke can stop it. That isn’t going to help!”

“Just watch. More importantly, Heivia, check your handheld device’s map. Pay special attention to the ramps the Trinity Style is making.”

“?”

It was a foolish action when up against an Object’s sensors, but Quenser ducked low as he ran along the orange-burning wasteland. He was fortunate that the Second Generation was not built specifically for anti-personnel attacks and that its acoustic sensors were less accurate with all the explosions. He felt a squeezing in his chest when tingling shockwaves reached his skin and a strange chemical smell burned his nose, but he still tried to approach the region of intense fighting.

“Heivia, you’re supposed to be a radar analyst, right? Try to predict where the Trinity Style will place its ramps based on where they are on the map. We’ll get there ahead of it.”

“Sure, but then what!? This isn’t an opponent we can trip up!”

“Don’t be so sure.”

Quenser grinned and pasted some Hand Axe to the bottle of baking soda he had brought with him.

“Those ramps are probably made from cyanoacrylate. You might know it as instant glue. On its own, it’s used to stick things together, but mix in some baking soda and it will expand and harden into a plastic. It’s used with figurines and dioramas and I knew someone who was into that kind of thing back at my safe country school.”

“Baking soda? Wait, you mean…?”

“It’s probably releasing a calculated amount of cyanoacrylate and baking soda from those containers. It’s just like making a perfect circle with a firework. But what if we throw some of our own baking soda into the mix after it’s fired into the ground but before it fully hardens? Their calculated design will fall apart and they’ll have a twisted failure to deal with. If it tries to use it, it’ll trip up and this will all be over!!”

Heivia compared the empty spots on the map to the Princess’s distance and position and managed to predict where the Trinity Style was likely to place a ramp.

Quenser threw over the bottle of baking soda.

Then they waited while he held his finger over his radio’s detonation button.

And…

And…

And…

===Part 6===

Like a quick record scratch, a brief disturbance came over the Trinity Style’s actions.

===Part 7===

Had the Trinity Style noticed Quenser and Heivia’s plotting or not?

Either way, something happened a moment later.

“Wha-…?”

Quenser was dumbfounded.

The Objects were already infighting at around a kilometer apart, but the Trinity Style moved even further in. Without firing another wasted shot, it accurately dodged the Princess’s seven main cannons and forced its way forward.

It moved close.

So very close.

They were only around a dozen meters apart. No, it was closer to being only a few meters.

“…!?”

The Baby Magnum tried to force herself away.

Meanwhile, the Trinity Style’s main cannon transformed. It was just like baseball fans using multiple signs to form a single message and flipping them over to form a different message.

The main cannon moved from the side to the front. The magazine split in two and attached to the upper left and right of the spherical main body as balancers.

A blinding flash scorched the eyes of everyone watching.

“What!?”

“A laser beam!!”

It was not the laser’s own light. It was the light created as the laser burned the dust and other impurities floating in the air. Instead of firing the laser at the bottom of the container shell to expand the air and fire it, the Object had simply fired the ultra-high power optical weapon. Quenser felt an unpleasant tingle in his spine when he saw that.

“Does that mean…they switched?”

No.

That tingle was the finger of death.

“They switched from long-range Urd to short-range Verdandi!?”

It did not even last an instant, but far too much happened.

The first laser beam scorched the edge of the Princess’s armor as she just barely dodged it. But that was only the setup leading to ruin. After being forced into that sudden evasion, the Baby Magnum was swung around by its own inertia and had a split-second restriction to its actions. The Trinity Style used that moment to further adjust itself and circle to the Baby Magnum’s side.

In that position, its main cannon could hit the Princess, but hers could not hit it.

A surefire attack did not always refer to exceptional firepower or a strange new method.

Sometimes it meant taking up the position that would ensure the next attack would hit.

It was the declaration of checkmate.

It set up the ideal situation.

And that surefire attack took the form of a second laser beam that thrust the Legitimacy Kingdom into absolute despair.

The world was filled with light.

The sound had surpassed the limits of their senses.

The intense heat burning through the Baby Magnum was scattered in every direction. The air expanded explosively and that invisible wall struck Quenser and the others. He could no longer see Heivia who had been right next to him. He only felt a strange sense of floating, but he did not know if he was flying up or falling down. He had lost his sense of direction and even his sense of gravity.

It seemed to last an instant, but it also seemed to last for half a minute.

Even his sense of time was lost and he may have even seen his life flashing before his eyes.

At any rate, he found himself lying pathetically on his back once his thoughts recovered.

“Zh…gwah…!!”

The entire area reeked of chemicals. His throat stung. A sharp pain continued to stab him deep in his eyeballs.

But none of that mattered to him.

As he shook his blank head and got up, he thought his breathing would stop.

He saw the Baby Magnum.

That 200,000 ton mass of steel was more than 50 meters tall.

That First Generation’s overwhelming firepower and armor had ended the nuclear age.

It was the symbol of war and the parameter both enemy and ally used to determine who would win.

But now it seemed to have blossomed like a giant flower.

The right half had been blown away, melted, and torn up.

===Part 8===

The Legitimacy Kingdom called it the Trinity Style.

The Faith Organization called it the Norn.

Inside that Second Generation’s cockpit, the 16-year-old girl named Verdandi Silent-Third slowly exhaled.

She used the internal line to communicate with the other cockpit separated by a thick wall.

“Target destruction confirmed.”

“Verdandi, it’s still moving. Wouldn’t it be safer to finish it off here?”

“With no room left for negotiation, the defeated soldiers will do everything they can to oppose us. Our goal is confirming whether Skuld is alive or dead. We can settle this after that.”

“Yes, there are times when a cornered opponent strikes back… Understood. You were the MVP this time, so I’ll leave it up to you.”

Nuke-resistant Objects could only be opposed with the firepower of another Object.

A few of the enemy’s main cannons were still functioning and that was all it would take. But it would be unable to move properly with its own armor torn up like a giant flower. Not to mention that Verdandi had approached to point-blank range while avoiding all of its main cannons when it had been at 100%, so no desperate last ditch effort would be able to hit.

They did not want to waste any more time.

When things went south during a battle, the standard response was to send the officers and computers full of classified information out the back entrance first. If Skuld was placed in that same category, this would all be for nothing. They had to secure her before she could vanish. If that was not possible, they would kill her. That was Urd and Verdandi’s shared understanding.

Verdandi let go of the control stick to trace her fingers across the thick cable connected to her navel.

She narrowed her eyes in thought.

Then she grabbed the colossal weapon’s control stick once more.

“Okay, let’s go finish this already.”

===Part 9===

“Heivia…”

Quenser grabbed the shoulders of his awful friend who was lying on the ground surprisingly close by.

He violently shook the boy.

“Heivia! Get up!! This is no time to be avoiding reality!!”

“”No…I’ve had enough…”

Heivia was not just passed out. He held his head in his hands and he grimaced like the stress was twisting his stomach into an S-shape.

“The battle is over. We lost. So just leave me alone. What else can we do against that monster!?”

“We can’t just sit here.” Quenser pulled out his radio. “The White Flag signal hasn’t been sent out. I don’t know if something happened back at the base or if all those bugs destroyed the equipment, but the battle hasn’t ended yet. I’m worried about the Princess too, but we can’t open her hatch with the tools we have on hand. We need to hurry back to the maintenance base zone. If we don’t go rouse Frolaytia and get her to raise the White Flag, we’ll all be slaughtered!! The Trinity Style will stop by the base first and then take us out on the way back like a souvenir or something!!”

“Please no!! I’m a noble!! Winchell family blood isn’t supposed to be lost in a place like this!!”

“Fine, then stay here and get blown to pieces!! How about I stick a bomb on your back!?”

He forcibly motivated the boy.

He pulled Heivia to his feet like he was a child throwing a tantrum in a department store toy aisle.

They were less than ten kilometers away from the maintenance base zone. Quenser looked around in search of a firetruck that had escaped destruction, but then Heivia started moving.

The Faith Organization soldiers had started crossing the river now that they knew there would be no more resistance. Heivia set his sights on one of the large motorcycles they were using and he swung his rifle to knock the driver off with a lariat.

He then beat down the soldier on the back seat before he could recover.

Gasping for breath and wiping an unpleasant sweat from his brow, Heivia spoke with bloodshot eyes.

“Pant, pant! D-dammit, if we’re gonna do this, then we’ve gotta go all out. Let’s change into their uniforms to blend in, Quenser.”

“I knew you could do it if you tried. I just wish you’d recovered a little sooner.”

The size of the uniforms was a little off and one of the motorcycle’s side mirrors had broken when it fell over, but it was far better than driving across the wasteland in Legitimacy Kingdom uniforms. Heivia took the driver’s seat and Quenser sat in the back seat as the two idiots made their way back to the maintenance base zone among the Faith Organization soldiers.

The sky was changing from the blazing orange to the dark curtain of night.

It was twilight, the color of parting.

They were returning to the familiar base they had woken up in that morning, but it was already filled with the tingling stench of death.

First, the mountain-like Object yelled a message down through its speakers.

“Attention Legitimacy Kingdom!! We have no intention of slaughtering you! Immediately disarm yourselves, move where we can see you, and put your hands in the air!! Hiding will be seen as intent to resist and we will attack!!”

Despite the announcement, the countless cannons covering the Object’s spherical main body were intermittently firing. Whenever it spotted someone moving or trying to hide behind cover, it mercilessly vaporized them.

On the ground, the Faith Organization soldiers were shining their flashlights around.

Those flashlights were attached to the end of their assault rifles. That would normally reveal their position, but boldly walking around with such obvious light sources was another symbol of their absolute victory.

They seemed to be searching inside the buildings, below the large vehicles, and in other possible hiding places to drive out all of the soldiers. Quenser and Heivia saw several of their comrades being kicked in the back or butt to toss them out into the open.

“This is awful…”

In his stolen Faith Organization uniform, Heivia sounded like he was having a nightmare as he slowed down the motorcycle so as not to stand out.

“I supposed it’s better than lining them up and shooting them or stripping only the female soldiers naked, but we can’t function as an army at all now. There’s no chance of turning this around…”

“Since they’re using the infantry for the search, the Trinity Style’s acoustic sensors really must not be working right. And it isn’t just the disturbance speakers. Did the Princess manage to destroy the actual sensors in that extreme situation?”

Whatever the case, Quenser and the others were faced with the exact opposite of the situation a few days before. Quenser could now imagine just how difficult it had to have been for Skuld to wait in that tiny cockpit for the hatch to be pried open.

“Captured Faith Organization soldiers, you also come out with your hands up! We do not wish to accidentally take your precious lives!! Please assist us so we can avoid any misunderstandings!!”

With vulgar laughter and relaxed behavior, the Faith Organization soldiers kicked the kneeling Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers to the ground mostly just for fun. At this rate, they might start pretending to surf on their backs.

“Where’d our busty commander get off to? She hasn’t been captured, has she?”

“That’s one question, but why wasn’t the White Flag sent out? I know the control tower collapsed, so was there a problem with the communication equipment?”

The two idiots discussed the situation while blending in with the Faith Organization soldiers on the stolen motorcycle, but as Quenser looked around, his face tensed up.

“You’re kidding…”

“What, did you find our busty commander?”

“No, but it still isn’t good. Heivia! You keep looking for Frolaytia and dealing with the White Flag. I’ve got another job to take care of!!”

“What is it!?”

“I found Skuld. If I don’t do something, she’ll be captured and killed!!”

===Part 10===

She would be killed.

She would definitely be killed this time.

Skuld pressed her back against the collapsed control tower’s wall and did her best to hold her breath. Faith Organization soldiers were swinging around the flashlights on their assault rifles and the Norn was loudly demanding everyone surrender. But Skuld did not have that right. When she was found, her fate was sealed. The war treaties did not matter.

She knew that, but she could not escape.

She knew the Norn’s specs better than anyone. She knew exactly what would happen to her if she tried making a mad dash out into the wasteland.

She heard footsteps on the dry ground on the other side of her cover.

Fear and panic grasped her heart.

Whoever it was sounded like a complete amateur in how little they were worried about being heard. These were the arrogant footsteps of someone who could hunt down the enemy without worrying about any resistance whatsoever. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes when she heard them. Her mind seemed to shake.

“Attention Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers! Answer honestly when you are asked a question!! What we want most of all is Skuld and only Skuld!! If you do not unnecessarily shelter her, no unnecessary blood will be spilled!! Comply immediately to all commands!!”

It was hopeless.

If she did not escape from here, she would be found, but if she moved even a step, she would be found. How was she supposed to turn this around?

The footsteps continued.

They circled around toward her!!

“Skuld!! I finally found you. Are you okay?”

Then she saw a Legitimacy Kingdom face instead of a familiar Faith Organization one.

She was so surprised that her legs gave out beneath her.

She sat limply down on the ground.

“U-uuh…”

Unable to stand back up, the twintail girl wrapped her arms around Quenser’s waist and buried her face in his body to suppress her sobs the best she could.

“Uuuuuuh!!”

Quenser said nothing for a while.

He placed his hand on her head, slowly rubbed it, and then crouched down to her eye level.

“Skuld, now is your only chance to escape.”

“How? How!? There are Faith Organization soldiers everywhere. And Urd and Verdandi are covering everything with the Norn. If they use their acoustic sensors, they’ll find me right away no matter how far away I am! They’ll catch up and kill me!!”

“Don’t worry.”

Quenser gently spoke to her to help her escape her panic.

“The Princess did it. She destroyed the Trinity Style’s acoustic sensors. So if you can slip past the soldiers’ eyes, you can escape. You can do it now.”

“But even then…how!? More than 100 soldiers are trying to find me!!”

“I’ll give you my uniform.”

Skuld’s tear-damp eyes widened at that.

Quenser patted at the side of his waist in the Faith Organization uniform he had stolen.

“I don’t know if it’s because Urd specializes in chemical warfare, but this thing has a mask. That means you can hide your face. Skuld, change your hairstyle, put on the mask, and change into the same uniform as them. Then you can hide in their midst. Follow them until you can find an opportunity to feign engine trouble with your motorcycle to stray from the trip back to base. No one will suspect it now, but you only have one chance at this. Got that?”

“B-but…” Skuld looked like she could not believe her eyes. “Then what about you?”

“I’m a civilian student. If I raise my hands with the other soldiers and show no sign of resisting, they won’t kill me. But you’re different, Skuld. You have to escape this. You understand, right? We only have one uniform and you’re the one that needs that safe zone.”

He did not let her say anything more as he quickly stripped down to his underwear. He did not have to wait for Skuld to change. He held out his hands to stop Skuld from saying whatever it was she wanted to say and then he staggered out into the open so the Faith Organization soldiers would find him.

“Why? Why would you go this far for me?”

“Don’t ask me. Does this look like a situation where I’ve had to time to put all my feelings in order?”

===Part 11===

“Freeze!!”

“Put your hands up!!”

Quenser felt his lifespan shrinking as several flashlights shined on him. He knew each of those lights was a gun barrel aimed his way.

But he played dumb in only his underwear.

“Wow, wow, wow!! I was napping off duty and I’m still half asleep, so can you explain this nice and simple so even an idiot could understand? What’s going on? Was my unit with the Faith Organization???”

He received a blow in lieu of an answer.

An assault rifle stock struck him in the bridge of the nose and he collapsed to the dry dirt.

Then some relative of a large radio was passed over his entire body.

A high-pitched beep sounded.

One Faith Organization soldier contacted someone by radio.

“I picked up the ‘scent’ of the Pilot Elite rescue locator on him. Saint Skuld should be nearby.”

“Then search the area,” replied the radio.

“Wait a second. Dammit!”

A soldier who had circled behind the collapsed control tower clicked his tongue and returned.

He held a special suit in his hand.

“It’s only the Elite’s special suit! Some of the scent will remain on Saint Skuld herself, but it won’t be enough to track her if she changed clothes. We might not be able to track her down even if we release the dogs!!”

“Well, then. I wonder what Skuld might look like after her makeover. Legitimacy Kingdom? Faith Organization? Or perhaps a civilian medical volunteer? She would have had a number of options.”

Everyone turned toward Quenser who was holding his nose.

As soon as he shook his head, a storm of kicks rained down on him.

Once he was covered in bruises and coughing up blood, the voice on the radio stopped them.

“Wait.”

“But, Saint Urd!”

“You found Skuld’s scent on a boy in only his underwear, right? He might be someone Skuld befriended after betraying us. If he assisted her escape, he might know where she is hiding, how she intends to escape Experimental Battlefield Madagascar, or what route she will use.”

“Then…?”

“Bring him to our temple. We can have a professional interrogator handle the rest. At the very least, that should provide more information than beating him to death here.”

“But Saint Skuld might be escaping as we speak…”

“I know that. This is second best. Capturing Skuld here and now would of course be best. Search the entire base zone and then widen the search area. Assume the next 24 hours will decide everything.”

The transmission ended there.

The Faith Organization soldiers looked down at Quenser who was covered in sand and blood and could not move properly.

After one more kick to the boy’s side to vent his frustration over the extra work, one of the soldiers spoke.

“Stand up.”

“…”

“We will guide you to our temple. Some enjoyable recreation awaits you.”

===Part 12===

A girl heard that voice.

She was wearing the Faith Organization uniform that was her one and only hope of escape.

She joined the many other soldiers mocking and beating her savior.

Her face was covered by a gas mask and her hairstyle was changed.

She hid her expression from everyone.

And Skuld Silent-Third clenched her teeth and did her very best to suppress the tears and sobs.

===Part 13===

The hellish night passed and the morning sun rose into the sky.

The Legitimacy Kingdom finally sent out the White Flag signal, but the Norn had no reason to care. They had already done a complete search of the maintenance base zone and the White Flag would not stop them from searching the surrounding area.

The Faith Organization were the absolute winners, so they were relaxed. Even though they were continuing to search for a full 24 hours, not all of the soldiers were active the entire time. They were divided into three shifts, so they did not have to work more than eight hours and a lot of them found chances to take a break during that time as well.

They all knew the truth.

There was nothing a single individual could do if they were thrown out into that vast wasteland. Escaping the island was only a dream. With no support, a human without claws and fur would dry up in only a few days. And even if she did not, she would be caught by the Faith Organization search program. Either way, this was the end for Skuld.

“…”

More time passed.

Evening fell.

The girl in a Faith Organization uniform stared at the distant line of military trucks as they left.

She threw aside her chemical warfare mask and fell to her knees in exhaustion.

She had escaped their search.

But in exchange, the boy who had abandoned his own safe zone had been captured by them and was being taken back for interrogation.

“Heh heh…”

It was all too much, so a weak laugh escaped her lips.

She had no idea why she was laughing, so she punched her own face as hard as she could.

And then…

“So you were safe…”

Major Frolaytia Capistrano arrived with a few bodyguards. Skuld slowly looked back while still kneeling on the ground and she asked a question while ignoring affiliation and rank.

“What are we going to do now?”

“We have two main options. The first is to use the transportation unit to withdraw by sea. The second is to pretend to do that but actually bring in plenty of supplies, repair the Baby Magnum as quickly as possible, and send it back out there. The top brass chose the withdrawal 8 to 2. We’ve already destroyed the ‘flower garden’ infected by foreign pollen which was the entire reason we came here, so they see no reason to lose any more lives.”

“…”

“Although their real reason is because they want to bring back as many prizes as they can. Skuld, you are a Faith Organization Pilot Elite, so your body is filled with classified information. It would be very valuable indeed if we could bring you back along with the Dvergr work robots that form the Trinity Style.”

The Legitimacy Kingdom was going to withdraw.

They had never even considered a rescue of the POW taken back to the Faith Organization base zone.

For one thing, there would be no POW mentioned in the official announcement. After all, Quenser was a student and not a soldier. In war, unofficial cooperators were not counted among the dead. In other words, no one would be blamed if they gave up on rescuing him.

But Frolaytia had more to say.

“…I think this is an excellent opportunity.”

“?”

“The Baby Magnum was badly damaged. It will take a week for the transportation fleet to arrive and repairs to be made. Even if we withdraw, it will take time. That means The Faith Organization will have nothing to fear and will grow lax. …We might just be able to sneak some people into their maintenance base.”

Skuld did not understand what she was being told.

She first looked to Frolaytia and then to the bodyguards.

Not one of them was smiling.

“Hey, Skuld. I don’t know how the Faith Organization does things, but in the Legitimacy Kingdom military, there’s one thing they make sure to beat into our heads during training. Yes, I’d always thought it was a nice thing to say but ultimately meaningless, but I have it to thank for my decision to head back at the very last moment during that Alaskan hell. Do you know what it is?”

Frolaytia looked Skuld right in the eye.

And she took a breath.

“No matter what, the Legitimacy Kingdom never abandons a comrade in arms!!”

Her voice felt like a slap to the face.

Or perhaps it hit Skuld in what could be called her soul.

Meanwhile, Frolaytia continued speaking.

“Whether we withdraw or continue on, we ''will'' rescue Quenser. And we will use whatever we can to do so. I’ve already heard Heivia’s report. Since you were hiding from them with a Faith Organization uniform, I assume that boy was the one who gave you that safe zone.”

“…”

“Even if you were from enemy nations, this means a professional soldier survived in exchange for a civilian’s life. To be blunt, you are worth less than a dung beetle now. You are the ball of dung it rolls around. But we are kind and we will give you the chance to regain the value of a dung beetle. …Help us, Skuld. You must know the layout of their base zone better than anyone.”

Frolaytia did not ask for a handshake.

She did not even wait for agreement.

She simply clicked her tongue in annoyance and turned her back with her bodyguards. They all left.

Just one soldier remained to the end.

It was Heivia Winchell who had changed back into Legitimacy Kingdom equipment.

“Don’t blame yourself so much, little lady.”

The frivolous boy spoke while pointing his thumb at his own chest.

“There’s nothing to worry about. You’ve got the cavalry with you this time.”

<noinclude>{{HEAVYOBJECT Nav|prev=HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 3|next=HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 5}}</noinclude>

HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 4

2016-11-11T19:01:13Z

JFerg: /* Part 9 */

==Chapter 4==

===Part 1===

The Battlefield Country of the Antsiranana District was also known as Experimental Battlefield Madagascar.

Baobab trees known to live for more than 5000 years rose from the vast land that was dyed orange in the evening sunlight. The ground was crawling with insects found nowhere else in the world, but few of the soldiers realized their value.

They were inside the Faith Organization’s maintenance base zone.

Several large military vehicles were surrounded by barbed wire barricades. Most of their base was covered by giant thick tents that would have looked more at home at a circus. Some of them were even larger than a school building.

But their maintenance base was made from more than just cutting-edge scientific rapid-response materials.

“Getting irritable is not going to improve the situation.”

That gentle comment came from a girl of about 18 who wore a skintight green special suit with a loose cloth wrapped around it like a swimsuit to avoid exposing the most important parts. Her long golden hair was bound in a single braid which increased her overall gentle atmosphere.

She was one of the three sisters who piloted the Faith Organization’s Second Generation Norn.

Her name was Urd Silent-Third.

She had set up a folding chair, table, parasol, and spot cooler on the orange wasteland and a variety of fruits were lined up on the table. The coconuts, mangoes, bananas, and sugarcane were normal enough, but the fon’omby<ref>Malgache (a native language from Madagascar) name of the introduced tropical fruit [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annona_reticulata custard apple], also known as bullock's heart.</ref> and tamarind were more unusual.

[[Image:HO_EX_04_005.jpg|thumb]]

They seemed to be local produce, but they would not have simply been bought at the market. Pilot Elites single-handedly influenced the outcomes of modern wars, so they were too valuable for that. To ensure a foreign spy had not mixed in some poison, the lowly soldiers would have gone to a lot of effort to procure them.

Another girl sighed. She had a harsh look to her eyes and her similarly blonde hair was crudely tied back into twintails. Instead of taking the seat her older sister had prepared for her, she crossed her arms and leaned against the thick stone wall.

Her name was Verdandi Silent-Third.

That girl of about 16 was also one of the Norn’s Elites.

If all three sisters had been together, it would have been clear that they all used the exact same hair bands.

“Is life as a vegetarian really that much fun?”

“A glance inside the bug cage should tell you what the base’s burgers and fries are made from.”

But despite that gentle comment, Verdandi took a bite of the burger she held in its wrapper.

Her food was also a special provision for the Pilot Elite, so it was a 100% pure beef patty, unlike the normal ones on base. However, the normal soldiers were unaware of the “bug cage”, so there was no jealousy there.

The second sister was not leaning up against one of the school-sized tents the Faith Organization had prepared. Instead, it was the kind of cathedral that one could find anywhere in a European safe country, but its majesty was not lost in Africa. And that was not the only building; there were enough of them to qualify as a small village. Or perhaps it would be better to say they had chosen to build their maintenance base alongside the remains of a village.

The term “Africa” probably brings a great variety of things to mind, but these European-style buildings were surprisingly common. There were historical reasons for that, but the familiar environment was probably a comfort for the people deployed here from afar. There was no fear of morale dropping for a reason as silly as homesickness.

Verdandi looked at the burger she had bitten into.

“Skuld had no trouble eating those things.”

“I think it had more to do with how she enjoyed eating alongside the normal soldiers. That little sister of ours has always prioritized what satisfies her heart over her body.”

“…”

The two sisters fell silent as they thought about the missing third sister.

And then they both resumed speaking.

“…We can’t just leave her out there.”

“No. And the higher ups will know how dangerous that would be. That is why I am not letting my irritation keep me from eating. Stress can influence our condition and that could influence this clean war.”

“So do you think we can make it in time?”

“Of course.”

Urd smiled.

With a sticky sound, she stabbed her fork into a ripe slice of fruit.

“If the alternative is allowing Skuld to escape to a foreign safe country, we must kill her here. No matter what. On that we agree.”

===Part 2===

The twilight burned red.

The Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers had gathered outside and they were chatting curiously.

“Why is the major sitting on top of Quenser and beating him?”

“Because she found out he was making honeycomb toffee in secret.”

“Sugar is one thing, but where did he get the baking soda? Is there a hot spring around here?”

“He apparently took apart a fire extinguisher to get at the foaming agent.”

“If you make candy, she’ll climb on top of you with that tight skirt? C’mon, hit me too!!”

Meanwhile, busty silver-haired Frolaytia must have wanted to take a break because she tossed Quenser over toward the other soldiers.

“Sorry about that distraction. Everyone line back up.”

The pre-mission briefing was beginning.

“Our satellite has detected the Trinity Style starting to move.”

The soldiers were gathered outside rather than in the usual briefing room. That meant there had not been enough available indoor space for the briefing. They had yet to recover from the damage done by the genetically modified insects.

The enemy was approaching while their equipment was malfunctioning and that was likely intentional on the enemy’s part.

“It will attack soon, but we are not yet ready to withdraw. At this rate, we would be hit as we tried to leave. Sending out the Baby Magnum and coming up with a countermeasure against the Trinity Style is looking like the more realistic option.”

As the rows of soldiers listened, Heivia muttered a complaint next to Quenser.

“And what are puny soldiers like us supposed to do? Go jack off in our bunks until the Princess wins?”

“I heard that, Heivia. And I have the perfect job for a volunteer hero who wants to stand out.”

“Why’d you have to say something!? Now we’re all being sent to the front line!!”

Frolaytia ignored the soldiers ganging up on Heivia and continued with the briefing.

“Currently, the Trinity Style’s combat ability is an unknown. The Princess had trouble last time, but that was partially due to it making a surprise attack after pretending to be defeated. However, we can’t be too optimistic. We have no idea what will happen in a fair one-on-one battle. It might be an easy victory and it might be a harsh battle. If we knew how we would fare, we could decide how much distance to keep between us, but we don’t know anything. We simply have too little information, so we have to assume this is the most dangerous situation. It’s 50/50…either side could win.”

The busy commander inhaled some smoke from her kiseru.

“Furthermore, the Trinity Style is a Second Generation made from small work robots that allow it to use entirely different shapes, main cannons, propulsion devices, and strategies. The thickness of its armor and most damage can be changed or repaired by shifting the position of those robots. …They’re sure to create a situation we can’t read and then move in to wear us down. The Faith Organization was able to put together a strategy in advance while we have to adlib, so they have a major advantage. Do you understand now that we can’t rest easy and leave this to the Princess?”

But Quenser hesitantly raised his hand because he did not want to set foot on the battlefield.

“But what can flesh-and-blood soldiers do? And I’m pretty sure the Trinity Style’s acoustic scans will locate anyone who’s hiding.”

“Does that mean we have to change back into those athlete’s foot suits!? What a pain the ass!!”

“Anyone without a death wish, listen up.” Frolaytia sounded indifferent. “I’ll start with your objective. The biggest problem in the Trinity Style battle is the changes to its armor and armaments. We are constantly monitoring it by satellite, but we need as many information sources as possible. You will infiltrate the battlefield and use various cameras and sensors to constantly scan the Trinity Style in real time to gather data on its shape, abilities, and armor. That data will be sent to the Princess so she can fire her main cannons at the thinnest point.”

She used her kiseru to point at the map on the whiteboard.

“This time, the Objects will be firing at each other from across a giant river. Large bodies of water are the enemy of static electricity systems, so that will function as a barricade. But that’s only true if it is using static electricity. If the Dvergr secretly rearrange to an air cushion system, it might suddenly cross the river. That is another reason to continue scanning and sending out the data. Static electricity and air cushions both have their unique traits and weaknesses. If we know its movable range, it shouldn’t be difficult for the Princess to predict its next move and fire her main cannon where it will be next.”

“Wow, setting up hidden cameras gets us praised as heroes now? Everything I thought I knew is crumbling away. War sure is scary. …But I think we’ll get more than a slap if their goddess notices.”

Frolaytia responded to Heivia while placing her kiseru back in her mouth.

“You don’t need to worry about the anti-personnel acoustic sensors this time. This will be an all-out battle between the Princess and the Trinity Style, so the entire area will be a vortex of explosive blasts. It’s going to be worse than a fireworks show, so the precision of those acoustic sensors is sure to drop and you can also set up plenty of those disturbance speakers that worked so well last time.”

“And the real reason for that?”

“I said this would be an all-out battle, right? A small infiltration team was one thing, but we don’t have enough soundproofed suits for all of our infantry. Unfortunately, the budgets for these clean wars are heavily biased toward the Objects.”

In other words, this had less to do with a safer situation and more to do with a cobbled-together way of making up for insufficient equipment. Quenser and the others only grew more disheartened.

“By the way, do we have a guess as to which form the Trinity Style will use?”

“That is what we need to interrogate Skuld Silent-Third about. Quenser, you come with me. You seem to have earned the POWs’ trust since the bug panic, so they might have a looser tongue around you than a strict intelligence officer.”

===Part 3===

“I don’t know.”

Quenser pressed his forehead against the table when that was the very first thing she said.

The student and Skuld were not speaking in specialized detention barracks meant to hold war criminals and POWs. That facility had collapsed during the attack by the genetically modified Draupnir insects, so the infantry barracks had been divided in two with the Faith Organization occupying one half. They had of course added locks to the doors and welded scrap materials to the windows to prevent the POWs from escaping.

As Quenser slumped down, the twintail girl was lying directly on the table.

Not only that, but she wore no clothes and only had a white sheet covering her.

“How am I supposed to know what exactly the Norn will try to do? I mean, there are two other Elites besides me and-…what is it?”

“…”

Quenser kept his head pressed against the edge of the table and glanced to the side. The green special suit, boots, and gloves were all draped over the back of a nearby chair.

After a moment, she finally caught on.

“Is this any time to be getting distracted?”

“It’s kind of hard not to.”

“It is my right as a POW to receive the treatment necessary to for my vital fine-tuning as an Elite.”

“Well, yeah. But still…”

“And in my case, that means this.”

As the twintail girl lay face down below the sheet, she tapped at the corner of the table.

A few aroma candle containers sat there.

The music player situated on a small stand was playing highly soothing environmental music at a moderate volume.

Perhaps to reap the benefit of negative ions, there were even pots with mossy plants growing inside.

Her pillow was small but made from an expensive-looking low-resilience material.

And this riddle led Quenser to a certain answer.

“Come to think of it, the Trinity Style’s cockpit was full of sleep products too, wasn’t it?”

“Honestly, I was pretty sure you wouldn’t have any of it, so I wrote down everything I could think of. But look at all this. You had pretty much all of it. I’m not sure if that means you’re well-prepared or overrun by personal items.”

''Curse that busty commander. What kind of a luxurious life are you living?'' wondered Quenser as a grinding sound came from his mouth.

“It’s not so much about sleeping though. It’s really about using the hallucinations seen on the verge of falling asleep.”

“Oh, you mean that thing where you can easily have a mystical experience by playing the right kinds of low frequency noise?”

He thought that sounded exactly like something the Faith Organization would do. Then again…

“But why are you naked?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t make that tightrope walk without the optimum performance. I can’t be awake and I can’t fall asleep either.”

But Quenser had to question whether he was really close enough to Skuld for her to let him approach while she was so defenseless. He had protected her from the Trinity Style before and maybe the bug panic had been the final push.

The battlefield student coolly analyzed the situation.

(Hm. Whatever the case, a naked girl is a wonderful thing. Hmm!! It feels something like waiting to remove the ribbon from a present, but I am 100% okay with that!)

“?”

“Now, don’t worry about me. Don’t worry about me at all and continue! If it’s a humanitarian thing, I guess it can’t be helped! Yes, if you don’t do this, you’d probably get a migraine, lose your appetite, or feel sick!! So we have no choice in the matter!!”

Quenser stared at the smooth curves visible through the sheet and did his best to activate any latent clairvoyant powers he might have, but Skuld got back on topic with a blank sleepy look in her eyes.

“So, um, where was I? …Mumble, mumble… Oh, right, right. The Norn has two Elites besides me. Urd and Verdandi. The distance they fight from and the way they attack are completely different.”

“…The way they attack?”

“Urd fires a thorough barrage to cut off her enemy’s escape in something like a chess problem. Verdandi goes for a one-hit kill and never wastes a shot. Completely different, right?”

“Wow…”

“Urd prefers long-range attacks because she focuses on taking no damage while Verdandi prefers close-range attacks because she tries to finish off her target as quickly as possible to reduce the overall damage. But even that is only the standard. It’s possible they will move in close while pretending to be Verdandi only to attack with Urd’s tactics.”

That difficulty to predict worked to the Trinity Style’s advantage. A battle began before the actual fighting did, but this Object destroyed any pre-battle preparation and forced its enemies to adlib. Just as Frolaytia had said.

(But this time the battle is divided by a large river. If the Princess can use that to keep her distance and continue fighting, she can seal off the close-range attacks. That might just draw out Urd who prefers the long-range.)

“Skuld. Tell me how exactly Urd fights. Long-range battles can take a lot of different forms, right?”

“Chemical warfare.”

Quenser initially had trouble comprehending what the twintail girl said.

But as he repeated it under his breath, he grew pale.

“Chemical…warfare?”

The term was enough to distract him from the sheet-covered feast before his eyes.

It seemed to linger on his tongue.

Skuld must have felt she misspoke because she clarified.

“Oh, I’m not talking about poison gas or anything like that. Although it is possible it might produce some gas as a side effect.”

Skuld rolled over under the sheet.

She was now facing up and the curves around her chest were especially emphasized.

Plus, the sheet nearly pulled back from certain areas as she turned, so Quenser’s focus grew to more than 400% of normal. He felt like he was going to blast off into space at this rate.

“The Trinity Style’s main cannon is basically a laser space elevator tilted on its side. Urd’s container-style shells tend to contain various chemicals.”

Quenser replied coolly.

“When you say chemicals…you don’t mean an anti-personnel gas weapon, do you?”

“No matter how large the scale is, Object armor is still essentially special steel. And there are a variety of chemicals that can dissolve or damage steel, right? Sulfuric acid, aqua regia, liquid nitrogen, aluminum and iron oxide, etc.”

“…”

This was different from railguns or coilguns that punched through with overwhelming mass or kinetic energy.

Nor did it burn through with tremendous heat like laser beams or low-stability plasma cannons.

It used a chemical reaction.

It cut through the Object armor using a chemical approach.

“My sister Urd is an expert at that. She doesn’t just fire a chemical-filled container; she sometimes fires several containers to mix them directly on the battlefield. The Capitalist Corporations fearfully named it the murder cocktail strategy. Yawwwwn…”

She must have been growing drowsy because Skuld yawned and twisted her body. This stuck a full bare leg out in front of Quenser’s eyes. The student debated whether to lightly nibble at the thigh or to see how far up to the base of the leg he could see, but he made the mistake of hesitating too long and failing to do either before the bare leg was pulled back inside the sheet.

With a smile on his face and tears in his heart, Quenser replied with a cool voice.

“That doesn’t sound good… Even if it isn’t meant for flesh-and-blood soldiers, she’ll be firing a bunch of sulfuric acid around and the dissolving metal will produce chemical smoke.”

“Even if Urd isn’t after them, you should probably have your infantry prepare some chemical warfare defenses.”

But could they do that?

They already knew they lacked enough soundproofed suits for everyone. A small team would be one thing, but did they really have enough special equipment for a group of hundreds?

(The gas mask filters use activated charcoal, right? Maybe we should take apart some deodorant and try to figure something out.)

He made a mental note of that and Skuld made a comment.

“You seem confident.”

“Does this tearful face really look confident?”

“It does.”

The twintail girl answered his joke while squirming below the white sheet.

“I honestly thought you would line up the Faith Organization POWs on the front line, aim machineguns at us from behind, and order us to charge. No, it isn’t just that. When the detention barracks were destroyed, you didn’t build some fences outside and keep us there like farm animals. Giving up your own living space isn’t normal.”

“There are two major reasons for that. Do you know what they are, Skuld?”

“?”

“First, soldiers who are being forced to fight are useless. And if we carelessly sent the Faith Organization soldiers in front of the Trinity Style, it would probably blow up only our armored trucks to bring you all back to your unit. Plus, an infantry charge isn’t going to change anything here. We have to infiltrate the front line, so a machinegun induced charge would be meaningless.”

“What’s the second reason?”

Quenser grinned at that.

“It’s about our barracks. We’re actually quite thankful for that one. After all, we’re all crammed in together due to the reduced space. The guys and girls are normally separated, but now we’re all living together! But we have no real choice!! I mean, it’s only humane to give the POWs a roof over their heads! Ah hah hah hah hah!!”

An officer like Frolaytia and a Pilot Elite like the Princess had their own private quarters and their defenses was still as strict as ever, but that was a different matter.

And the twintail girl naturally looked at him like he was a dung beetle.

She still looked sleepy, but she grabbed the edges of the sheet and curled up like a human spring roll to protect herself.

“…You’re utter trash, aren’t you?”

“Bloodline is everything in the Legitimacy Kingdom, so our culture can’t exactly reject the act of baby-making. But I guess that might look strange to the Faith Organization and all its strict ideals that ignore our biology. Wait, but isn’t Norse Mythology pretty lax about that stuff?”

Quenser did not seem to mind at all.

“Personally, I find it stranger that you’re so willing to give us information on the Trinity Style.”

“Does it seem so easy that you’re starting to suspect a trap?” Skuld sighed with just her head poking out of the sheet. “Didn’t I tell you my sisters are going to kill me? If the entire Faith Organization sees it that way, I can’t return to the Norn. I don’t gain a thing by holding onto its secrets.”

“Then are you trying to defect to the Legitimacy Kingdom?”

“It’s hard to say.”

Skuld seemed to be enjoying the situation rather than keeping her cards close to her chest.

But if she really did try to join the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Faith Organization would never allow it. Having information on the Trinity Style leaked to another world power would be especially bad for Urd and Verdandi who had to continue piloting that Object and could not switch to another variety.

So they would kill her, no matter what it took.

It did not matter if she was their blood-related sister.

“I’m expecting a lot from you.”

That was all she said.

One of the world powers that colored the map was after her life and had sent in one of the Objects that had ended the nuclear age. A student like Quenser could not imagine what kinds of feelings were whirling through the girl’s chest.

===Part 4===

The mission began.

Before the Baby Magnum was sent out, Quenser, Heivia, and the rest of the infantry set out into the orange-dyed wasteland aboard multiple military vehicles.

However, these were not normal armored trucks. There was no thick hose, obvious siren, or crane-like ladder attached to the rectangular body and the color was different, but they had a familiar silhouette. These were the maintenance base zone’s damage control firetrucks.

The soldiers clung to the flat roof and even the sides. It looked like the images of trains packed absolutely full.

Quenser was on the roof, but Heivia had failed to secure a spot there and was on the wall.

“This is ridiculous. We’re sending out chemical firetrucks now? We’re here to fight a war, not provide disaster relief.”

“The Trinity Style’s elevator main cannon might fire a ton of container shells. Those things are worse than giant Molotov cocktails. And even in this wasteland, chemical incendiary rounds will spread a fire like crazy. We want every chance we can of avoiding being baked to death.”

“Either way, these obvious targets will get hit as soon as the battle begins! They’ll be blown away by the Object’s shells before anything else, and it’ll be just like a well-shaken beer!!”

Just as Heivia got heated up, the firetruck drove over a large stone. The vehicle shook violently and the idiot noble shut up. He must have almost fallen off.

And he nervously looked down below.

“And what is this? We’re supposed to be using the colossal nuke-resistant weapon as a shield, so why are we out front? If the Trinity Style fires a shell, we’ll be blown to pieces.”

“We just have to try to stay positive. If we do die, we won’t suffer. Think of it as saving us the cost of anesthetic and you can laugh it off.”

As they joked back and forth, Frolaytia contacted them via radio.

“The battle is moving at the Faith Organization’s pace this time. We’re fortunate to have the giant river between us, but we’re still at a disadvantage when it comes to placing our pieces on the board. Simply put, our maintenance base zone is close to the front line. Their top priority will be assassinating Skuld. That goes for the Trinity Style too of course, but make sure they don’t use that giant thing’s rampage to distract us while they send infantry across the river. If that happens, you all need to fight. Shoot them or hit them with a shovel; I don’t care which. Just don’t let them get close.”

“How has the Trinity Style been crossing the rivers so far?”

“We don’t know. Maybe they temporarily dammed the rivers or built makeshift bridges.”

Quenser and the others’ job was to hide within the battlefield and scan the changeable Trinity Style in real time. By sending that data to the Princess, she could locate and fire on the weakest point.

That meant the infantry could not gather in one place. They had to spread out as much as possible, so the chemical firetrucks would stop here and there while the soldiers set out into the wasteland on foot.

Quenser and the others arrived at a river that looked 100 meters wide.

As far as they could tell with the flame-like evening sun reflecting off the water, it did not seem to be all that deep. That said, it was still enough to stop the Princess’s static electricity propulsion device.

When the firetruck stopped alongside the river, Quenser and some others climbed down. Nearby, a giant vehicle was folded up like an accordion, but then it extended forward with a crane-like sound.

It slowly but surely formed a bridge long enough for a truck to cross the river.

“Since she sent that bridge truck with us, it looks like that busty commander was prepared to send us on quite the exciting field trip.”

“But we only have the one, so they’ll have to swim back if it’s destroyed.”

The two idiots watched the chemical firetrucks cross the river and disappear. Since the battle would take place with the river in between the Objects, they needed more soldiers on the other side if they were to scan the Trinity Style.

And that was of course Faith Organization territory.

“Did you see the rifles the POWs had? They had a long staff-like magazine attached along the side. With that, they can fire 200 times without swapping out for a new one. I don’t want to even think about running across some of them.”

“Yeah, their infantry are called berserkers, right? But didn’t the old lady say the grouping was pretty bad and they’re essentially useless beyond 300 meters?”

“So you think we can push them back with a sniper rifle? Their fear has been deleted, so they’ll just gather together and climb over their comrades’ corpses. And the second we’re within range, all hell will break loose against us. They’ll take us all out with reinforced rifle rounds that can punch through bulletproof armor.”

They could use the river as a natural barrier to keep the Trinity Style back, but if the bridge truck was destroyed, the retreating soldiers would have nowhere to run. The thought of being ordered to infiltrate enemy territory with no guarantee of a way back sent a shudder down their spines.

“I’m glad luck was on our side this time,” commented Quenser.

“Ksshh. Are you sure about that, Quenser?” said Frolaytia over the radio. “The Trinity Style will be stuck at the river, so near the river where you are is sure to have the strongest stench of death.”

“And that’s why it’s the best place to observe the Trinity Style!! Oh, to hell with it! I’ll just have to steal a ton of lucrative tech from that pile of treasure!! Yes, I really was lucky! The goddess of luck is on my side!!”

“Hey, you positive SOB,” interrupted Heivia. “If you really want to survive, you need to do more than pray to some goddess. I’ll give you some of the disturbance speakers, so help us set them up all around here.”

Heivia handed him a bag and all of the soldiers scattered. Once the battle began, they did not want to be anywhere near that noticeable military truck. Even the bridge truck’s driver and crew had likely left and gone to hide somewhere.

And their lives were reliant on the disturbance speakers. A small speaker slightly larger than a baseball was supported by a small tripod and it came with a remote device that sent commands wirelessly.

They spread out the tripods and set up the speakers at 50-100 meter intervals but with some level of randomness.

“Honestly, can’t they scatter these from the air like with landmines?”

“Do that and they’ll figure out what we’re up to right away.”

There was no clock tower on the orange-colored wasteland, so something else had to signal the beginning.

“Here they come,” said Heivia once they had set up all of the disturbance speakers.

One was the Baby Magnum which approached from behind them.

The other was across the river.

Now that they could see it, their lives were reliant on the disturbance speakers. The speakers produced the chirping of insects to mask the sounds of breathing, cartilage, and joints from the soldiers.

From what?

The answer was simple.

Like a trendy lamp, the giant form’s propulsion device was shaped like an Island Nation ''mitsudomoe'' and the main cannon and giant magazine on the left and right were connected by a belt.

Quenser stared at its magnificent form without bothering to use binoculars.

“So we meet again, Trinity Style!!”

===Part 5===

It was a hellish exchange from the very first shot.

“…!!!???”

Quenser and Heivia dropped everything and dove down onto the orange-dyed wasteland. The Baby Magnum and Trinity Style fired shell after shell from several kilometers apart.

From a distance, it might have looked like a light show.

They used low-stability plasma cannons, laser beams, railguns, coilguns, and rapid-fire beam cannons.

But for the people there, they were like the fingers of death itself.

If one merely stroked their back, they truly would lose their life. Merely being exposed to the tingling shockwaves felt like having years worn off their life.

As soon as a soldier frantically jumped out of a chemical firetruck’s driver’s seat, a laser beam pierced it.

The long bridge truck that crossed the 100 meter river was more melted than broken when a shot hit it.

“What are we supposed to do with all this going on, dammit!?”

“At least we’re not the Faith Organization soldiers on the other side of the river. Looks like they were trying to cross the river too, but the Princess’s Killer Squall made short work of them.”

The Killer Squall was a laser beam weapon shaped like a planetarium lens and it was the kind of anti-personnel weapon not seen on more recent Objects. It fired more than 100 lasers at once and they scattered like an actual squall to vaporize the waves of approaching people. The First Generation Objects had been built on the multi-role concept, so they were built for anti-Object, anti-encampment, anti-vehicle, anti-ship, anti-air, and anti-personnel purposes.

The single-focused Second Generations were certainly terrifying, but it was the older First Generations that made the puny soldiers’ throats dry up.

“Hey, what’s going on? The Princess is falling back as she fires. Is she leaving us behind!?”

“Have you already forgotten our strategy, Heivia? Urd prefers long-range and Verdandi prefers short-range, but with the river blocking their way, they’ll be forced to use Urd if the Princess falls back. We’re limiting their choices before blowing them away.”

And the Trinity Style’s main purpose here was to prevent the Legitimacy Kingdom from withdrawing. If the Trinity Style did not take the bait and they simply glared at each other from a distance, the Princess would be outside of her attack range, but that was fine.

If they could buy some time, they could finish their withdrawal preparations.

And that made it more likely that Skuld would escape.

So the Trinity Seven would rush things.

It would approach as close to the river as it could.

That clearly worked against it in the short run, but that left a possibility of destroying the Princess. Urd would be forced to fight in that mindset.

Or so they thought.

They could not have been more wrong.

A moment later, something unbelievable happened.

The 200,000 ton mass leaped as if jumping over the river.

Quenser gasped on the ground and it took him some time to grasp what had happened.

First, the Trinity Seven’s horizontal laser space elevator of a main cannon aimed downwards. And with a deafening roar, it had fired something toward the ground.

But it had not used that blast to make the jump.

Instead of a heatwave or shockwave, a strange sticky liquid spread out from the blast. It hardened in just a few seconds, creating a giant upwards slope made of plastic.

The Trinity Style raced up that at full speed.

It had used a ramp.

And that provided a powerful enough jump to cross the river.

“Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wahhh!?”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!!”

The two idiots shot to their feet and ran as far away from its expected landing point as they could get.

The Trinity Style would have landed at least 100 meters away, but with a crackling and air-splitting explosion, bluish-white sparks scattered in every direction. The two idiots fell to the ground more due to the fear than actually being hit by something. The massive amount of static electricity keeping the 200,000 ton mass afloat had reacted with the repellent scattered across the ground. It turned the air into ozone, scorched the ground, and nearly blew Quenser and Heivia away.

The Trinity Style did not care about them at all.

It accelerated straight toward the Baby Magnum.

And the Princess was caught off guard by the unexpected development.

“You can’t fall back any further, Princess!!” warned Frolaytia. “The maintenance base zone is far closer to the front line than usual. Any further and the base will be in range!!”

“Kh…understood!!”

The Princess had been gradually falling back, but a definite change came over her actions. She moved forward to meet the Trinity Style.

Heivia gave a shout while trembling on the ground and uncomfortably sweaty.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen!! This puts the Princess at a geographic disadvantage! Now they can switch back and forth between Urd and Verdandi! This thing was enough of a black box already, but our odds of victory are slipping further and further away!!”

“But it’s not like we can just tell them to stop. Heivia, keep the observation equipment focused on the Trinity Style. We need to figure out whether that’s Urd or Verdandi, how the Object is structured, and where the armor is thinnest. We need to get all that data to the Princess in real time! Hurry!!”

“What? Hey, wait! Where do you think you’re going!?”

Quenser did not answer as he approached a chemical firetruck that had rolled onto its side nearby. One of the packed-together military vehicles had been hit by a small laser beam, but the rest were fine. He traced a finger along the side and recalled its structure before pulling out some Hand Axe plastic explosive from his backpack. He stuck a fuse in the clay-like explosive, pasted it to the rolled-over firetruck, and detonated it.

Meanwhile, the two giants continued their shootout a short distance away.

The Baby Magnum and Trinity Style were only a kilometer away from each other now. In an Object battle, that was like infighting with their foreheads pressed together. The Trinity Style was moving quickly in every direction to confuse the Princess. While making quick steps forward and back or left and right, it would occasionally fire a container shell full of sulfuric acid or liquid nitrogen. Even without a direct hit, they created toxic swamps that restricted the Princess’s movement and sometimes damaged her armor or sensors with their vaporized gases. It also used its ramps made of a special plastic. Those gave the Trinity Style a new axis of movement in addition to the existing 360 degrees of horizontal motion.

“What do we do? What the hell do we do!? It’s all over if the Princess loses, but I can’t think of any way to help! And Quenser, what the hell are you pulling out!?”

“Baking soda.”

The student pulled a few tanks out of the chemical firetruck. They were about the size of industrial beer containers.

“It’s a foaming agent used in chemical fire extinguishers. Mix it with sugar and place it over a fire and you can make honeycomb toffee.”

“And what good is that? That thing is 200,000 tons of steel and not even a nuke can stop it. That isn’t going to help!”

“Just watch. More importantly, Heivia, check your handheld device’s map. Pay special attention to the ramps the Trinity Style is making.”

“?”

It was a foolish action when up against an Object’s sensors, but Quenser ducked low as he ran along the orange-burning wasteland. He was fortunate that the Second Generation was not built specifically for anti-personnel attacks and that its acoustic sensors were less accurate with all the explosions. He felt a squeezing in his chest when tingling shockwaves reached his skin and a strange chemical smell burned his nose, but he still tried to approach the region of intense fighting.

“Heivia, you’re supposed to be a radar analyst, right? Try to predict where the Trinity Style will place its ramps based on where they are on the map. We’ll get there ahead of it.”

“Sure, but then what!? This isn’t an opponent we can trip up!”

“Don’t be so sure.”

Quenser grinned and pasted some Hand Axe to the bottle of baking soda he had brought with him.

“Those ramps are probably made from cyanoacrylate. You might know it as instant glue. On its own, it’s used to stick things together, but mix in some baking soda and it will expand and harden into a plastic. It’s used with figurines and dioramas and I knew someone who was into that kind of thing back at my safe country school.”

“Baking soda? Wait, you mean…?”

“It’s probably releasing a calculated amount of cyanoacrylate and baking soda from those containers. It’s just like making a perfect circle with a firework. But what if we throw some of our own baking soda into the mix after it’s fired into the ground but before it fully hardens? Their calculated design will fall apart and they’ll have a twisted failure to deal with. If it tries to use it, it’ll trip up and this will all be over!!”

Heivia compared the empty spots on the map to the Princess’s distance and position and managed to predict where the Trinity Style was likely to place a ramp.

Quenser threw over the bottle of baking soda.

Then they waited while he held his finger over his radio’s detonation button.

And…

And…

And…

===Part 6===

Like a quick record scratch, a brief disturbance came over the Trinity Style’s actions.

===Part 7===

Had the Trinity Style noticed Quenser and Heivia’s plotting or not?

Either way, something happened a moment later.

“Wha-…?”

Quenser was dumbfounded.

The Objects were already infighting at around a kilometer apart, but the Trinity Style moved even further in. Without firing another wasted shot, it accurately dodged the Princess’s seven main cannons and forced its way forward.

It moved close.

So very close.

They were only around a dozen meters apart. No, it was closer to being only a few meters.

“…!?”

The Baby Magnum tried to force herself away.

Meanwhile, the Trinity Style’s main cannon transformed. It was just like baseball fans using multiple signs to form a single message and flipping them over to form a different message.

The main cannon moved from the side to the front. The magazine split in two and attached to the upper left and right of the spherical main body as balancers.

A blinding flash scorched the eyes of everyone watching.

“What!?”

“A laser beam!!”

It was not the laser’s own light. It was the light created as the laser burned the dust and other impurities floating in the air. Instead of firing the laser at the bottom of the container shell to expand the air and fire it, the Object had simply fired the ultra-high power optical weapon. Quenser felt an unpleasant tingle in his spine when he saw that.

“Does that mean…they switched?”

No.

That tingle was the finger of death.

“They switched from long-range Urd to short-range Verdandi!?”

It did not even last an instant, but far too much happened.

The first laser beam scorched the edge of the Princess’s armor as she just barely dodged it. But that was only the setup leading to ruin. After being forced into that sudden evasion, the Baby Magnum was swung around by its own inertia and had a split-second restriction to its actions. The Trinity Style used that moment to further adjust itself and circle to the Baby Magnum’s side.

In that position, its main cannon could hit the Princess, but hers could not hit it.

A surefire attack did not always refer to exceptional firepower or a strange new method.

Sometimes it meant taking up the position that would ensure the next attack would hit.

It was the declaration of checkmate.

It set up the ideal situation.

And that surefire attack took the form of a second laser beam that thrust the Legitimacy Kingdom into absolute despair.

The world was filled with light.

The sound had surpassed the limits of their senses.

The intense heat burning through the Baby Magnum was scattered in every direction. The air expanded explosively and that invisible wall struck Quenser and the others. He could no longer see Heivia who had been right next to him. He only felt a strange sense of floating, but he did not know if he was flying up or falling down. He had lost his sense of direction and even his sense of gravity.

It seemed to last an instant, but it also seemed to last for half a minute.

Even his sense of time was lost and he may have even seen his life flashing before his eyes.

At any rate, he found himself lying pathetically on his back once his thoughts recovered.

“Zh…gwah…!!”

The entire area reeked of chemicals. His throat stung. A sharp pain continued to stab him deep in his eyeballs.

But none of that mattered to him.

As he shook his blank head and got up, he thought his breathing would stop.

He saw the Baby Magnum.

That 200,000 ton mass of steel was more than 50 meters tall.

That First Generation’s overwhelming firepower and armor had ended the nuclear age.

It was the symbol of war and the parameter both enemy and ally used to determine who would win.

But now it seemed to have blossomed like a giant flower.

The right half had been blown away, melted, and torn up.

===Part 8===

The Legitimacy Kingdom called it the Trinity Style.

The Faith Organization called it the Norn.

Inside that Second Generation’s cockpit, the 16-year-old girl named Verdandi Silent-Third slowly exhaled.

She used the internal line to communicate with the other cockpit separated by a thick wall.

“Target destruction confirmed.”

“Verdandi, it’s still moving. Wouldn’t it be safer to finish it off here?”

“With no room left for negotiation, the defeated soldiers will do everything they can to oppose us. Our goal is confirming whether Skuld is alive or dead. We can settle this after that.”

“Yes, there are times when a cornered opponent strikes back… Understood. You were the MVP this time, so I’ll leave it up to you.”

Nuke-resistant Objects could only be opposed with the firepower of another Object.

A few of the enemy’s main cannons were still functioning and that was all it would take. But it would be unable to move properly with its own armor torn up like a giant flower. Not to mention that Verdandi had approached to point-blank range while avoiding all of its main cannons when it had been at 100%, so no desperate last ditch effort would be able to hit.

They did not want to waste any more time.

When things went south during a battle, the standard response was to send the officers and computers full of classified information out the back entrance first. If Skuld was placed in that same category, this would all be for nothing. They had to secure her before she could vanish. If that was not possible, they would kill her. That was Urd and Verdandi’s shared understanding.

Verdandi let go of the control stick to trace her fingers across the thick cable connected to her navel.

She narrowed her eyes in thought.

Then she grabbed the colossal weapon’s control stick once more.

“Okay, let’s go finish this already.”

===Part 9===

“Heivia…”

Quenser grabbed the shoulders of his awful friend who was lying on the ground surprisingly close by.

He violently shook the boy.

“Heivia! Get up!! This is no time to be avoiding reality!!”

“”No…I’ve had enough…”

Heivia was not just passed out. He held his head in his hands and he grimaced like the stress was twisting his stomach into an S-shape.

“The battle is over. We lost. So just leave me alone. What else can we do against that monster!?”

“We can’t just sit here.” Quenser pulled out his radio. “The White Flag signal hasn’t been sent out. I don’t know if something happened back at the base or if all those bugs destroyed the equipment, but the battle hasn’t ended yet. I’m worried about the Princess too, but we can’t open her hatch with the tools we have on hand. We need to hurry back to the maintenance base zone. If we don’t go rouse Frolaytia and get her to raise the White Flag, we’ll all be slaughtered!! The Trinity Style will stop by the base first and then take us out on the way back like a souvenir or something!!”

“Please no!! I’m a noble!! Winchell family blood isn’t supposed to be lost in a place like this!!”

“Fine, then stay here and get blown to pieces!! How about I stick a bomb on your back!?”

He forcibly motivated the boy.

He pulled Heivia to his feet like he was a child throwing a tantrum in a department store toy aisle.

They were less than ten kilometers away from the maintenance base zone. Quenser looked around in search of a firetruck that had escaped destruction, but then Heivia started moving.

The Faith Organization soldiers had started crossing the river now that they knew there would be no more resistance. Heivia set his sights on one of the large motorcycles they were using and he swung his rifle to knock the driver off with a lariat.

He then beat down the soldier on the back seat before he could recover.

Gasping for breath and wiping an unpleasant sweat from his brow, Heivia spoke with bloodshot eyes.

“Pant, pant! D-dammit, if we’re gonna do this, then we’ve gotta go all out. Let’s change into their uniforms to blend in, Quenser.”

“I knew you could do it if you tried. I just wish you’d recovered a little sooner.”

The size of the uniforms was a little off and one of the motorcycle’s side mirrors had broken when it fell over, but it was far better than driving across the wasteland in Legitimacy Kingdom uniforms. Heivia took the driver’s seat and Quenser sat in the back seat as the two idiots made their way back to the maintenance base zone among the Faith Organization soldiers.

The sky was changing from the blazing orange to the dark curtain of night.

It was twilight, the color of parting.

They were returning to the familiar base they had woken up in that morning, but it was already filled with the tingling stench of death.

First, the mountain-like Object yelled a message down through its speakers.

“Attention Legitimacy Kingdom!! We have no intention of slaughtering you! Immediately disarm yourselves, move where we can see you, and put your hands in the air!! Hiding will be seen as intent to resist and we will attack!!”

Despite the announcement, the countless cannons covering the Object’s spherical main body were intermittently firing. Whenever it spotted someone moving or trying to hide behind cover, it mercilessly vaporized them.

On the ground, the Faith Organization soldiers were shining their flashlights around.

Those flashlights were attached to the end of their assault rifles. That would normally reveal their position, but boldly walking around with such obvious light sources was another symbol of their absolute victory.

They seemed to be searching inside the buildings, below the large vehicles, and in other possible hiding places to drive out all of the soldiers. Quenser and Heivia saw several of their comrades being kicked in the back or butt to toss them out into the open.

“This is awful…”

In his stolen Faith Organization uniform, Heivia sounded like he was having a nightmare as he slowed down the motorcycle so as not to stand out.

“I supposed it’s better than lining them up and shooting them or stripping only the female soldiers naked, but we can’t function as an army at all now. There’s no chance of turning this around…”

“Since they’re using the infantry for the search, the Trinity Style’s acoustic sensors really must not be working right. And it isn’t just the disturbance speakers. Did the Princess manage to destroy the actual sensors in that extreme situation?”

Whatever the case, Quenser and the others were faced with the exact opposite of the situation a few days before. Quenser could now imagine just how difficult it had to have been for Skuld to wait in that tiny cockpit for the hatch to be pried open.

“Captured Faith Organization soldiers, you also come out with your hands up! We do not wish to accidentally take your precious lives!! Please assist us so we can avoid any misunderstandings!!”

With vulgar laughter and relaxed behavior, the Faith Organization soldiers kicked the kneeling Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers to the ground mostly just for fun. At this rate, they might start pretending to surf on their backs.

“Where’d our busty commander get off to? She hasn’t been captured, has she?”

“That’s one question, but why wasn’t the White Flag sent out? I know the control tower collapsed, so was there a problem with the communication equipment?”

The two idiots discussed the situation while blending in with the Faith Organization soldiers on the stolen motorcycle, but as Quenser looked around, his face tensed up.

“You’re kidding…”

“What, did you find our busty commander?”

“No, but it still isn’t good. Heivia! You keep looking for Frolaytia and dealing with the White Flag. I’ve got another job to take care of!!”

“What is it!?”

“I found Skuld. If I don’t do something, she’ll be captured and killed!!”

===Part 10===

She would be killed.

She would definitely be killed this time.

Skuld pressed her back against the collapsed control tower’s wall and did her best to hold her breath. Faith Organization soldiers were swinging around the flashlights on their assault rifles and the Norn was loudly demanding everyone surrender. But Skuld did not have that right. When she was found, her fate was sealed. The war treaties did not matter.

She knew that, but she could not escape.

She knew the Norn’s specs better than anyone. She knew exactly what would happen to her if she tried making a mad dash out into the wasteland.

She heard footsteps on the dry ground on the other side of her cover.

Fear and panic grasped her heart.

Whoever it was sounded like a complete amateur in how little they were worried about being heard. These were the arrogant footsteps of someone who could hunt down the enemy without worrying about any resistance whatsoever. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes when she heard them. Her mind seemed to shake.

“Attention Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers! Answer honestly when you are asked a question!! What we want most of all is Skuld and only Skuld!! If you do not unnecessarily shelter her, no unnecessary blood will be spilled!! Comply immediately to all commands!!”

It was hopeless.

If she did not escape from here, she would be found, but if she moved even a step, she would be found. How was she supposed to turn this around?

The footsteps continued.

They circled around toward her!!

“Skuld!! I finally found you. Are you okay?”

Then she saw a Legitimacy Kingdom face instead of a familiar Faith Organization one.

She was so surprised that her legs gave out beneath her.

She sat limply down on the ground.

“U-uuh…”

Unable to stand back up, the twintail girl wrapped her arms around Quenser’s waist and buried her face in his body to suppress her sobs the best she could.

“Uuuuuuh!!”

Quenser said nothing for a while.

He placed his hand on her head, slowly rubbed it, and then crouched down to her eye level.

“Skuld, now is your only chance to escape.”

“How? How!? There are Faith Organization soldiers everywhere. And Urd and Verdandi are covering everything with the Norn. If they use their acoustic sensors, they’ll find me right away no matter how far away I am! They’ll catch up and kill me!!”

“Don’t worry.”

Quenser gently spoke to her to help her escape her panic.

“The Princess did it. She destroyed the Trinity Style’s acoustic sensors. So if you can slip past the soldiers’ eyes, you can escape. You can do it now.”

“But even then…how!? More than 100 soldiers are trying to find me!!”

“I’ll give you my uniform.”

Skuld’s tear-damp eyes widened at that.

Quenser patted at the side of his waist in the Faith Organization uniform he had stolen.

“I don’t know if it’s because Urd specializes in chemical warfare, but this thing has a mask. That means you can hide your face. Skuld, change your hairstyle, put on the mask, and change into the same uniform as them. Then you can hide in their midst. Follow them until you can find an opportunity to feign engine trouble with your motorcycle to stray from the trip back to base. No one will suspect it now, but you only have once chance at this. Got that?”

“B-but…” Skuld looked like she could not believe her eyes. “Then what about you?”

“I’m a civilian student. If I raise my hands with the other soldiers and show no sign of resisting, they won’t kill me. But you’re different, Skuld. You have to escape this. You understand, right? We only have one uniform and you’re the one that needs that safe zone.”

He did not let her say anything more as he quickly stripped down to his underwear. He did not have to wait for Skuld to change. He held out his hands to stop Skuld from saying whatever it was she wanted to say and then he staggered out into the open so the Faith Organization soldiers would find him.

“Why? Why would you go this far for me?”

“Don’t ask me. Does this look like a situation where I’ve had to time to put all my feelings in order?”

===Part 11===

“Freeze!!”

“Put your hands up!!”

Quenser felt his lifespan shrinking as several flashlights shined on him. He knew each of those lights was a gun barrel aimed his way.

But he played dumb in only his underwear.

“Wow, wow, wow!! I was napping off duty and I’m still half asleep, so can you explain this nice and simple so even an idiot could understand? What’s going on? Was my unit with the Faith Organization???”

He received a blow in lieu of an answer.

An assault rifle stock struck him in the bridge of the nose and he collapsed to the dry dirt.

Then some relative of a large radio was passed over his entire body.

A high-pitched beep sounded.

One Faith Organization soldier contacted someone by radio.

“I picked up the ‘scent’ of the Pilot Elite rescue locator on him. Saint Skuld should be nearby.”

“Then search the area,” replied the radio.

“Wait a second. Dammit!”

A soldier who had circled behind the collapsed control tower clicked his tongue and returned.

He held a special suit in his hand.

“It’s only the Elite’s special suit! Some of the scent will remain on Saint Skuld herself, but it won’t be enough to track her if she changed clothes. We might not be able to track her down even if we release the dogs!!”

“Well, then. I wonder what Skuld might look like after her makeover. Legitimacy Kingdom? Faith Organization? Or perhaps a civilian medical volunteer? She would have had a number of options.”

Everyone turned toward Quenser who was holding his nose.

As soon as he shook his head, a storm of kicks rained down on him.

Once he was covered in bruises and coughing up blood, the voice on the radio stopped them.

“Wait.”

“But, Saint Urd!”

“You found Skuld’s scent on a boy in only his underwear, right? He might be someone Skuld befriended after betraying us. If he assisted her escape, he might know where she is hiding, how she intends to escape Experimental Battlefield Madagascar, or what route she will use.”

“Then…?”

“Bring him to our temple. We can have a professional interrogator handle the rest. At the very least, that should provide more information than beating him to death here.”

“But Saint Skuld might be escaping as we speak…”

“I know that. This is second best. Capturing Skuld here and now would of course be best. Search the entire base zone and then widen the search area. Assume the next 24 hours will decide everything.”

The transmission ended there.

The Faith Organization soldiers looked down at Quenser who was covered in sand and blood and could not move properly.

After one more kick to the boy’s side to vent his frustration over the extra work, one of the soldiers spoke.

“Stand up.”

“…”

“We will guide you to our temple. Some enjoyable recreation awaits you.”

===Part 12===

A girl heard that voice.

She was wearing the Faith Organization uniform that was her one and only hope of escape.

She joined the many other soldiers mocking and beating her savior.

Her face was covered by a gas mask and her hairstyle was changed.

She hid her expression from everyone.

And Skuld Silent-Third clenched her teeth and did her very best to suppress the tears and sobs.

===Part 13===

The hellish night passed and the morning sun rose into the sky.

The Legitimacy Kingdom finally sent out the White Flag signal, but the Norn had no reason to care. They had already done a complete search of the maintenance base zone and the White Flag would not stop them from searching the surrounding area.

The Faith Organization were the absolute winners, so they were relaxed. Even though they were continuing to search for a full 24 hours, not all of the soldiers were active the entire time. They were divided into three shifts, so they did not have to work more than eight hours and a lot of them found chances to take a break during that time as well.

They all knew the truth.

There was nothing a single individual could do if they were thrown out into that vast wasteland. Escaping the island was only a dream. With no support, a human without claws and fur would dry up in only a few days. And even if she did not, she would be caught by the Faith Organization search program. Either way, this was the end for Skuld.

“…”

More time passed.

Evening fell.

The girl in a Faith Organization uniform stared at the distant line of military trucks as they left.

She threw aside her chemical warfare mask and fell to her knees in exhaustion.

She had escaped their search.

But in exchange, the boy who had abandoned his own safe zone had been captured by them and was being taken back for interrogation.

“Heh heh…”

It was all too much, so a weak laugh escaped her lips.

She had no idea why she was laughing, so she punched her own face as hard as she could.

And then…

“So you were safe…”

Major Frolaytia Capistrano arrived with a few bodyguards. Skuld slowly looked back while still kneeling on the ground and she asked a question while ignoring affiliation and rank.

“What are we going to do now?”

“We have two main options. The first is to use the transportation unit to withdraw by sea. The second is to pretend to do that but actually bring in plenty of supplies, repair the Baby Magnum as quickly as possible, and send it back out there. The top brass chose the withdrawal 8 to 2. We’ve already destroyed the ‘flower garden’ infected by foreign pollen which was the entire reason we came here, so they see no reason to lose any more lives.”

“…”

“Although their real reason is because they want to bring back as many prizes as they can. Skuld, you are a Faith Organization Pilot Elite, so your body is filled with classified information. It would be very valuable indeed if we could bring you back along with the Dvergr work robots that form the Trinity Style.”

The Legitimacy Kingdom was going to withdraw.

They had never even considered a rescue of the POW taken back to the Faith Organization base zone.

For one thing, there would be no POW mentioned in the official announcement. After all, Quenser was a student and not a soldier. In war, unofficial cooperators were not counted among the dead. In other words, no one would be blamed if they gave up on rescuing him.

But Frolaytia had more to say.

“…I think this is an excellent opportunity.”

“?”

“The Baby Magnum was badly damaged. It will take a week for the transportation fleet to arrive and repairs to be made. Even if we withdraw, it will take time. That means The Faith Organization will have nothing to fear and will grow lax. …We might just be able to sneak some people into their maintenance base.”

Skuld did not understand what she was being told.

She first looked to Frolaytia and then to the bodyguards.

Not one of them was smiling.

“Hey, Skuld. I don’t know how the Faith Organization does things, but in the Legitimacy Kingdom military, there’s one thing they make sure to beat into our heads during training. Yes, I’d always thought it was a nice thing to say but ultimately meaningless, but I have it to thank for my decision to head back at the very last moment during that Alaskan hell. Do you know what it is?”

Frolaytia looked Skuld right in the eye.

And she took a breath.

“No matter what, the Legitimacy Kingdom never abandons a comrade in arms!!”

Her voice felt like a slap to the face.

Or perhaps it hit Skuld in what could be called her soul.

Meanwhile, Frolaytia continued speaking.

“Whether we withdraw or continue on, we ''will'' rescue Quenser. And we will use whatever we can to do so. I’ve already heard Heivia’s report. Since you were hiding from them with a Faith Organization uniform, I assume that boy was the one who gave you that safe zone.”

“…”

“Even if you were from enemy nations, this means a professional soldier survived in exchange for a civilian’s life. To be blunt, you are worth less than a dung beetle now. You are the ball of dung it rolls around. But we are kind and we will give you the chance to regain the value of a dung beetle. …Help us, Skuld. You must know the layout of their base zone better than anyone.”

Frolaytia did not ask for a handshake.

She did not even wait for agreement.

She simply clicked her tongue in annoyance and turned her back with her bodyguards. They all left.

Just one soldier remained to the end.

It was Heivia Winchell who had changed back into Legitimacy Kingdom equipment.

“Don’t blame yourself so much, little lady.”

The frivolous boy spoke while pointing his thumb at his own chest.

“There’s nothing to worry about. You’ve got the cavalry with you this time.”

<noinclude>{{HEAVYOBJECT Nav|prev=HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 3|next=HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 5}}</noinclude>

HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 4

2016-11-11T18:12:02Z

JFerg: /* Part 1 */

==Chapter 4==

===Part 1===

The Battlefield Country of the Antsiranana District was also known as Experimental Battlefield Madagascar.

Baobab trees known to live for more than 5000 years rose from the vast land that was dyed orange in the evening sunlight. The ground was crawling with insects found nowhere else in the world, but few of the soldiers realized their value.

They were inside the Faith Organization’s maintenance base zone.

Several large military vehicles were surrounded by barbed wire barricades. Most of their base was covered by giant thick tents that would have looked more at home at a circus. Some of them were even larger than a school building.

But their maintenance base was made from more than just cutting-edge scientific rapid-response materials.

“Getting irritable is not going to improve the situation.”

That gentle comment came from a girl of about 18 who wore a skintight green special suit with a loose cloth wrapped around it like a swimsuit to avoid exposing the most important parts. Her long golden hair was bound in a single braid which increased her overall gentle atmosphere.

She was one of the three sisters who piloted the Faith Organization’s Second Generation Norn.

Her name was Urd Silent-Third.

She had set up a folding chair, table, parasol, and spot cooler on the orange wasteland and a variety of fruits were lined up on the table. The coconuts, mangoes, bananas, and sugarcane were normal enough, but the fon’omby<ref>Malgache (a native language from Madagascar) name of the introduced tropical fruit [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annona_reticulata custard apple], also known as bullock's heart.</ref> and tamarind were more unusual.

[[Image:HO_EX_04_005.jpg|thumb]]

They seemed to be local produce, but they would not have simply been bought at the market. Pilot Elites single-handedly influenced the outcomes of modern wars, so they were too valuable for that. To ensure a foreign spy had not mixed in some poison, the lowly soldiers would have gone to a lot of effort to procure them.

Another girl sighed. She had a harsh look to her eyes and her similarly blonde hair was crudely tied back into twintails. Instead of taking the seat her older sister had prepared for her, she crossed her arms and leaned against the thick stone wall.

Her name was Verdandi Silent-Third.

That girl of about 16 was also one of the Norn’s Elites.

If all three sisters had been together, it would have been clear that they all used the exact same hair bands.

“Is life as a vegetarian really that much fun?”

“A glance inside the bug cage should tell you what the base’s burgers and fries are made from.”

But despite that gentle comment, Verdandi took a bite of the burger she held in its wrapper.

Her food was also a special provision for the Pilot Elite, so it was a 100% pure beef patty, unlike the normal ones on base. However, the normal soldiers were unaware of the “bug cage”, so there was no jealousy there.

The second sister was not leaning up against one of the school-sized tents the Faith Organization had prepared. Instead, it was the kind of cathedral that one could find anywhere in a European safe country, but its majesty was not lost in Africa. And that was not the only building; there were enough of them to qualify as a small village. Or perhaps it would be better to say they had chosen to build their maintenance base alongside the remains of a village.

The term “Africa” probably brings a great variety of things to mind, but these European-style buildings were surprisingly common. There were historical reasons for that, but the familiar environment was probably a comfort for the people deployed here from afar. There was no fear of morale dropping for a reason as silly as homesickness.

Verdandi looked at the burger she had bitten into.

“Skuld had no trouble eating those things.”

“I think it had more to do with how she enjoyed eating alongside the normal soldiers. That little sister of ours has always prioritized what satisfies her heart over her body.”

“…”

The two sisters fell silent as they thought about the missing third sister.

And then they both resumed speaking.

“…We can’t just leave her out there.”

“No. And the higher ups will know how dangerous that would be. That is why I am not letting my irritation keep me from eating. Stress can influence our condition and that could influence this clean war.”

“So do you think we can make it in time?”

“Of course.”

Urd smiled.

With a sticky sound, she stabbed her fork into a ripe slice of fruit.

“If the alternative is allowing Skuld to escape to a foreign safe country, we must kill her here. No matter what. On that we agree.”

===Part 2===

The twilight burned red.

The Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers had gathered outside and they were chatting curiously.

“Why is the major sitting on top of Quenser and beating him?”

“Because she found out he was making honeycomb toffee in secret.”

“Sugar is one thing, but where did he get the baking soda? Is there a hot spring around here?”

“He apparently took apart a fire extinguisher to get at the foaming agent.”

“If you make candy, she’ll climb on top of you with that tight skirt? C’mon, hit me too!!”

Meanwhile, busty silver-haired Frolaytia must have wanted to take a break because she tossed Quenser over toward the other soldiers.

“Sorry about that distraction. Everyone line back up.”

The pre-mission briefing was beginning.

“Our satellite has detected the Trinity Style starting to move.”

The soldiers were gathered outside rather than in the usual briefing room. That meant there had not been enough available indoor space for the briefing. They had yet to recover from the damage done by the genetically modified insects.

The enemy was approaching while their equipment was malfunctioning and that was likely intentional on the enemy’s part.

“It will attack soon, but we are not yet ready to withdraw. At this rate, we would be hit as we tried to leave. Sending out the Baby Magnum and coming up with a countermeasure against the Trinity Style is looking like the more realistic option.”

As the rows of soldiers listened, Heivia muttered a complaint next to Quenser.

“And what are puny soldiers like us supposed to do? Go jack off in our bunks until the Princess wins?”

“I heard that, Heivia. And I have the perfect job for a volunteer hero who wants to stand out.”

“Why’d you have to say something!? Now we’re all being sent to the front line!!”

Frolaytia ignored the soldiers ganging up on Heivia and continued with the briefing.

“Currently, the Trinity Style’s combat ability is an unknown. The Princess had trouble last time, but that was partially due to it making a surprise attack after pretending to be defeated. However, we can’t be too optimistic. We have no idea what will happen in a fair one-on-one battle. It might be an easy victory and it might be a harsh battle. If we knew how we would fare, we could decide how much distance to keep between us, but we don’t know anything. We simply have too little information, so we have to assume this is the most dangerous situation. It’s 50/50…either side could win.”

The busy commander inhaled some smoke from her kiseru.

“Furthermore, the Trinity Style is a Second Generation made from small work robots that allow it to use entirely different shapes, main cannons, propulsion devices, and strategies. The thickness of its armor and most damage can be changed or repaired by shifting the position of those robots. …They’re sure to create a situation we can’t read and then move in to wear us down. The Faith Organization was able to put together a strategy in advance while we have to adlib, so they have a major advantage. Do you understand now that we can’t rest easy and leave this to the Princess?”

But Quenser hesitantly raised his hand because he did not want to set foot on the battlefield.

“But what can flesh-and-blood soldiers do? And I’m pretty sure the Trinity Style’s acoustic scans will locate anyone who’s hiding.”

“Does that mean we have to change back into those athlete’s foot suits!? What a pain the ass!!”

“Anyone without a death wish, listen up.” Frolaytia sounded indifferent. “I’ll start with your objective. The biggest problem in the Trinity Style battle is the changes to its armor and armaments. We are constantly monitoring it by satellite, but we need as many information sources as possible. You will infiltrate the battlefield and use various cameras and sensors to constantly scan the Trinity Style in real time to gather data on its shape, abilities, and armor. That data will be sent to the Princess so she can fire her main cannons at the thinnest point.”

She used her kiseru to point at the map on the whiteboard.

“This time, the Objects will be firing at each other from across a giant river. Large bodies of water are the enemy of static electricity systems, so that will function as a barricade. But that’s only true if it is using static electricity. If the Dvergr secretly rearrange to an air cushion system, it might suddenly cross the river. That is another reason to continue scanning and sending out the data. Static electricity and air cushions both have their unique traits and weaknesses. If we know its movable range, it shouldn’t be difficult for the Princess to predict its next move and fire her main cannon where it will be next.”

“Wow, setting up hidden cameras gets us praised as heroes now? Everything I thought I knew is crumbling away. War sure is scary. …But I think we’ll get more than a slap if their goddess notices.”

Frolaytia responded to Heivia while placing her kiseru back in her mouth.

“You don’t need to worry about the anti-personnel acoustic sensors this time. This will be an all-out battle between the Princess and the Trinity Style, so the entire area will be a vortex of explosive blasts. It’s going to be worse than a fireworks show, so the precision of those acoustic sensors is sure to drop and you can also set up plenty of those disturbance speakers that worked so well last time.”

“And the real reason for that?”

“I said this would be an all-out battle, right? A small infiltration team was one thing, but we don’t have enough soundproofed suits for all of our infantry. Unfortunately, the budgets for these clean wars are heavily biased toward the Objects.”

In other words, this had less to do with a safer situation and more to do with a cobbled-together way of making up for insufficient equipment. Quenser and the others only grew more disheartened.

“By the way, do we have a guess as to which form the Trinity Style will use?”

“That is what we need to interrogate Skuld Silent-Third about. Quenser, you come with me. You seem to have earned the POWs’ trust since the bug panic, so they might have a looser tongue around you than a strict intelligence officer.”

===Part 3===

“I don’t know.”

Quenser pressed his forehead against the table when that was the very first thing she said.

The student and Skuld were not speaking in specialized detention barracks meant to hold war criminals and POWs. That facility had collapsed during the attack by the genetically modified Draupnir insects, so the infantry barracks had been divided in two with the Faith Organization occupying one half. They had of course added locks to the doors and welded scrap materials to the windows to prevent the POWs from escaping.

As Quenser slumped down, the twintail girl was lying directly on the table.

Not only that, but she wore no clothes and only had a white sheet covering her.

“How am I supposed to know what exactly the Norn will try to do? I mean, there are two other Elites besides me and-…what is it?”

“…”

Quenser kept his head pressed against the edge of the table and glanced to the side. The green special suit, boots, and gloves were all draped over the back of a nearby chair.

After a moment, she finally caught on.

“Is this any time to be getting distracted?”

“It’s kind of hard not to.”

“It is my right as a POW to receive the treatment necessary to for my vital fine-tuning as an Elite.”

“Well, yeah. But still…”

“And in my case, that means this.”

As the twintail girl lay face down below the sheet, she tapped at the corner of the table.

A few aroma candle containers sat there.

The music player situated on a small stand was playing highly soothing environmental music at a moderate volume.

Perhaps to reap the benefit of negative ions, there were even pots with mossy plants growing inside.

Her pillow was small but made from an expensive-looking low-resilience material.

And this riddle led Quenser to a certain answer.

“Come to think of it, the Trinity Style’s cockpit was full of sleep products too, wasn’t it?”

“Honestly, I was pretty sure you wouldn’t have any of it, so I wrote down everything I could think of. But look at all this. You had pretty much all of it. I’m not sure if that means you’re well-prepared or overrun by personal items.”

''Curse that busty commander. What kind of a luxurious life are you living?'' wondered Quenser as a grinding sound came from his mouth.

“It’s not so much about sleeping though. It’s really about using the hallucinations seen on the verge of falling asleep.”

“Oh, you mean that thing where you can easily have a mystical experience by playing the right kinds of low frequency noise?”

He thought that sounded exactly like something the Faith Organization would do. Then again…

“But why are you naked?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t make that tightrope walk without the optimum performance. I can’t be awake and I can’t fall asleep either.”

But Quenser had to question whether he was really close enough to Skuld for her to let him approach while she was so defenseless. He had protected her from the Trinity Style before and maybe the bug panic had been the final push.

The battlefield student coolly analyzed the situation.

(Hm. Whatever the case, a naked girl is a wonderful thing. Hmm!! It feels something like waiting to remove the ribbon from a present, but I am 100% okay with that!)

“?”

“Now, don’t worry about me. Don’t worry about me at all and continue! If it’s a humanitarian thing, I guess it can’t be helped! Yes, if you don’t do this, you’d probably get a migraine, lose your appetite, or feel sick!! So we have no choice in the matter!!”

Quenser stared at the smooth curves visible through the sheet and did his best to activate any latent clairvoyant powers he might have, but Skuld got back on topic with a blank sleepy look in her eyes.

“So, um, where was I? …Mumble, mumble… Oh, right, right. The Norn has two Elites besides me. Urd and Verdandi. The distance they fight from and the way they attack are completely different.”

“…The way they attack?”

“Urd fires a thorough barrage to cut off her enemy’s escape in something like a chess problem. Verdandi goes for a one-hit kill and never wastes a shot. Completely different, right?”

“Wow…”

“Urd prefers long-range attacks because she focuses on taking no damage while Verdandi prefers close-range attacks because she tries to finish off her target as quickly as possible to reduce the overall damage. But even that is only the standard. It’s possible they will move in close while pretending to be Verdandi only to attack with Urd’s tactics.”

That difficulty to predict worked to the Trinity Style’s advantage. A battle began before the actual fighting did, but this Object destroyed any pre-battle preparation and forced its enemies to adlib. Just as Frolaytia had said.

(But this time the battle is divided by a large river. If the Princess can use that to keep her distance and continue fighting, she can seal off the close-range attacks. That might just draw out Urd who prefers the long-range.)

“Skuld. Tell me how exactly Urd fights. Long-range battles can take a lot of different forms, right?”

“Chemical warfare.”

Quenser initially had trouble comprehending what the twintail girl said.

But as he repeated it under his breath, he grew pale.

“Chemical…warfare?”

The term was enough to distract him from the sheet-covered feast before his eyes.

It seemed to linger on his tongue.

Skuld must have felt she misspoke because she clarified.

“Oh, I’m not talking about poison gas or anything like that. Although it is possible it might produce some gas as a side effect.”

Skuld rolled over under the sheet.

She was now facing up and the curves around her chest were especially emphasized.

Plus, the sheet nearly pulled back from certain areas as she turned, so Quenser’s focus grew to more than 400% of normal. He felt like he was going to blast off into space at this rate.

“The Trinity Style’s main cannon is basically a laser space elevator tilted on its side. Urd’s container-style shells tend to contain various chemicals.”

Quenser replied coolly.

“When you say chemicals…you don’t mean an anti-personnel gas weapon, do you?”

“No matter how large the scale is, Object armor is still essentially special steel. And there are a variety of chemicals that can dissolve or damage steel, right? Sulfuric acid, aqua regia, liquid nitrogen, aluminum and iron oxide, etc.”

“…”

This was different from railguns or coilguns that punched through with overwhelming mass or kinetic energy.

Nor did it burn through with tremendous heat like laser beams or low-stability plasma cannons.

It used a chemical reaction.

It cut through the Object armor using a chemical approach.

“My sister Urd is an expert at that. She doesn’t just fire a chemical-filled container; she sometimes fires several containers to mix them directly on the battlefield. The Capitalist Corporations fearfully named it the murder cocktail strategy. Yawwwwn…”

She must have been growing drowsy because Skuld yawned and twisted her body. This stuck a full bare leg out in front of Quenser’s eyes. The student debated whether to lightly nibble at the thigh or to see how far up to the base of the leg he could see, but he made the mistake of hesitating too long and failing to do either before the bare leg was pulled back inside the sheet.

With a smile on his face and tears in his heart, Quenser replied with a cool voice.

“That doesn’t sound good… Even if it isn’t meant for flesh-and-blood soldiers, she’ll be firing a bunch of sulfuric acid around and the dissolving metal will produce chemical smoke.”

“Even if Urd isn’t after them, you should probably have your infantry prepare some chemical warfare defenses.”

But could they do that?

They already knew they lacked enough soundproofed suits for everyone. A small team would be one thing, but did they really have enough special equipment for a group of hundreds?

(The gas mask filters use activated charcoal, right? Maybe we should take apart some deodorant and try to figure something out.)

He made a mental note of that and Skuld made a comment.

“You seem confident.”

“Does this tearful face really look confident?”

“It does.”

The twintail girl answered his joke while squirming below the white sheet.

“I honestly thought you would line up the Faith Organization POWs on the front line, aim machineguns at us from behind, and order us to charge. No, it isn’t just that. When the detention barracks were destroyed, you didn’t build some fences outside and keep us there like farm animals. Giving up your own living space isn’t normal.”

“There are two major reasons for that. Do you know what they are, Skuld?”

“?”

“First, soldiers who are being forced to fight are useless. And if we carelessly sent the Faith Organization soldiers in front of the Trinity Style, it would probably blow up only our armored trucks to bring you all back to your unit. Plus, an infantry charge isn’t going to change anything here. We have to infiltrate the front line, so a machinegun induced charge would be meaningless.”

“What’s the second reason?”

Quenser grinned at that.

“It’s about our barracks. We’re actually quite thankful for that one. After all, we’re all crammed in together due to the reduced space. The guys and girls are normally separated, but now we’re all living together! But we have no real choice!! I mean, it’s only humane to give the POWs a roof over their heads! Ah hah hah hah hah!!”

An officer like Frolaytia and a Pilot Elite like the Princess had their own private quarters and their defenses was still as strict as ever, but that was a different matter.

And the twintail girl naturally looked at him like he was a dung beetle.

She still looked sleepy, but she grabbed the edges of the sheet and curled up like a human spring roll to protect herself.

“…You’re utter trash, aren’t you?”

“Bloodline is everything in the Legitimacy Kingdom, so our culture can’t exactly reject the act of baby-making. But I guess that might look strange to the Faith Organization and all its strict ideals that ignore our biology. Wait, but isn’t Norse Mythology pretty lax about that stuff?”

Quenser did not seem to mind at all.

“Personally, I find it stranger that you’re so willing to give us information on the Trinity Style.”

“Does it seem so easy that you’re starting to suspect a trap?” Skuld sighed with just her head poking out of the sheet. “Didn’t I tell you my sisters are going to kill me? If the entire Faith Organization sees it that way, I can’t return to the Norn. I don’t gain a thing by holding onto its secrets.”

“Then are you trying to defect to the Legitimacy Kingdom?”

“It’s hard to say.”

Skuld seemed to be enjoying the situation rather than keeping her cards close to her chest.

But if she really did try to join the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Faith Organization would never allow it. Having information on the Trinity Style leaked to another world power would be especially bad for Urd and Verdandi who had to continue piloting that Object and could not switch to another variety.

So they would kill her, no matter what it took.

It did not matter if she was their blood-related sister.

“I’m expecting a lot from you.”

That was all she said.

One of the world powers that colored the map was after her life and had sent in one of the Objects that had ended the nuclear age. A student like Quenser could not imagine what kinds of feelings were whirling through the girl’s chest.

===Part 4===

The mission began.

Before the Baby Magnum was sent out, Quenser, Heivia, and the rest of the infantry set out into the orange-dyed wasteland aboard multiple military vehicles.

However, these were not normal armored trucks. There was no thick hose, obvious siren, or crane-like ladder attached to the rectangular body and the color was different, but they had a familiar silhouette. These were the maintenance base zone’s damage control firetrucks.

The soldiers clung to the flat roof and even the sides. It looked like the images of trains packed absolutely full.

Quenser was on the roof, but Heivia had failed to secure a spot there and was on the wall.

“This is ridiculous. We’re sending out chemical firetrucks now? We’re here to fight a war, not provide disaster relief.”

“The Trinity Style’s elevator main cannon might fire a ton of container shells. Those things are worse than giant Molotov cocktails. And even in this wasteland, chemical incendiary rounds will spread a fire like crazy. We want every chance we can of avoiding being baked to death.”

“Either way, these obvious targets will get hit as soon as the battle begins! They’ll be blown away by the Object’s shells before anything else, and it’ll be just like a well-shaken beer!!”

Just as Heivia got heated up, the firetruck drove over a large stone. The vehicle shook violently and the idiot noble shut up. He must have almost fallen off.

And he nervously looked down below.

“And what is this? We’re supposed to be using the colossal nuke-resistant weapon as a shield, so why are we out front? If the Trinity Style fires a shell, we’ll be blown to pieces.”

“We just have to try to stay positive. If we do die, we won’t suffer. Think of it as saving us the cost of anesthetic and you can laugh it off.”

As they joked back and forth, Frolaytia contacted them via radio.

“The battle is moving at the Faith Organization’s pace this time. We’re fortunate to have the giant river between us, but we’re still at a disadvantage when it comes to placing our pieces on the board. Simply put, our maintenance base zone is close to the front line. Their top priority will be assassinating Skuld. That goes for the Trinity Style too of course, but make sure they don’t use that giant thing’s rampage to distract us while they send infantry across the river. If that happens, you all need to fight. Shoot them or hit them with a shovel; I don’t care which. Just don’t let them get close.”

“How has the Trinity Style been crossing the rivers so far?”

“We don’t know. Maybe they temporarily dammed the rivers or built makeshift bridges.”

Quenser and the others’ job was to hide within the battlefield and scan the changeable Trinity Style in real time. By sending that data to the Princess, she could locate and fire on the weakest point.

That meant the infantry could not gather in one place. They had to spread out as much as possible, so the chemical firetrucks would stop here and there while the soldiers set out into the wasteland on foot.

Quenser and the others arrived at a river that looked 100 meters wide.

As far as they could tell with the flame-like evening sun reflecting off the water, it did not seem to be all that deep. That said, it was still enough to stop the Princess’s static electricity propulsion device.

When the firetruck stopped alongside the river, Quenser and some others climbed down. Nearby, a giant vehicle was folded up like an accordion, but then it extended forward with a crane-like sound.

It slowly but surely formed a bridge long enough for a truck to cross the river.

“Since she sent that bridge truck with us, it looks like that busty commander was prepared to send us on quite the exciting field trip.”

“But we only have the one, so they’ll have to swim back if it’s destroyed.”

The two idiots watched the chemical firetrucks cross the river and disappear. Since the battle would take place with the river in between the Objects, they needed more soldiers on the other side if they were to scan the Trinity Style.

And that was of course Faith Organization territory.

“Did you see the rifles the POWs had? They had a long staff-like magazine attached along the side. With that, they can fire 200 times without swapping out for a new one. I don’t want to even think about running across some of them.”

“Yeah, their infantry are called berserkers, right? But didn’t the old lady say the grouping was pretty bad and they’re essentially useless beyond 300 meters?”

“So you think we can push them back with a sniper rifle? Their fear has been deleted, so they’ll just gather together and climb over their comrades’ corpses. And the second we’re within range, all hell will break loose against us. They’ll take us all out with reinforced rifle rounds that can punch through bulletproof armor.”

They could use the river as a natural barrier to keep the Trinity Style back, but if the bridge truck was destroyed, the retreating soldiers would have nowhere to run. The thought of being ordered to infiltrate enemy territory with no guarantee of a way back sent a shudder down their spines.

“I’m glad luck was on our side this time,” commented Quenser.

“Ksshh. Are you sure about that, Quenser?” said Frolaytia over the radio. “The Trinity Style will be stuck at the river, so near the river where you are is sure to have the strongest stench of death.”

“And that’s why it’s the best place to observe the Trinity Style!! Oh, to hell with it! I’ll just have to steal a ton of lucrative tech from that pile of treasure!! Yes, I really was lucky! The goddess of luck is on my side!!”

“Hey, you positive SOB,” interrupted Heivia. “If you really want to survive, you need to do more than pray to some goddess. I’ll give you some of the disturbance speakers, so help us set them up all around here.”

Heivia handed him a bag and all of the soldiers scattered. Once the battle began, they did not want to be anywhere near that noticeable military truck. Even the bridge truck’s driver and crew had likely left and gone to hide somewhere.

And their lives were reliant on the disturbance speakers. A small speaker slightly larger than a baseball was supported by a small tripod and it came with a remote device that sent commands wirelessly.

They spread out the tripods and set up the speakers at 50-100 meter intervals but with some level of randomness.

“Honestly, can’t they scatter these from the air like with landmines?”

“Do that and they’ll figure out what we’re up to right away.”

There was no clock tower on the orange-colored wasteland, so something else had to signal the beginning.

“Here they come,” said Heivia once they had set up all of the disturbance speakers.

One was the Baby Magnum which approached from behind them.

The other was across the river.

Now that they could see it, their lives were reliant on the disturbance speakers. The speakers produced the chirping of insects to mask the sounds of breathing, cartilage, and joints from the soldiers.

From what?

The answer was simple.

Like a trendy lamp, the giant form’s propulsion device was shaped like an Island Nation ''mitsudomoe'' and the main cannon and giant magazine on the left and right were connected by a belt.

Quenser stared at its magnificent form without bothering to use binoculars.

“So we meet again, Trinity Style!!”

===Part 5===

It was a hellish exchange from the very first shot.

“…!!!???”

Quenser and Heivia dropped everything and dove down onto the orange-dyed wasteland. The Baby Magnum and Trinity Style fired shell after shell from several kilometers apart.

From a distance, it might have looked like a light show.

They used low-stability plasma cannons, laser beams, railguns, coilguns, and rapid-fire beam cannons.

But for the people there, they were like the fingers of death itself.

If one merely stroked their back, they truly would lose their life. Merely being exposed to the tingling shockwaves felt like having years worn off their life.

As soon as a soldier frantically jumped out of a chemical firetruck’s driver’s seat, a laser beam pierced it.

The long bridge truck that crossed the 100 meter river was more melted than broken when a shot hit it.

“What are we supposed to do with all this going on, dammit!?”

“At least we’re not the Faith Organization soldiers on the other side of the river. Looks like they were trying to cross the river too, but the Princess’s Killer Squall made short work of them.”

The Killer Squall was a laser beam weapon shaped like a planetarium lens and it was the kind of anti-personnel weapon not seen on more recent Objects. It fired more than 100 lasers at once and they scattered like an actual squall to vaporize the waves of approaching people. The First Generation Objects had been built on the multi-role concept, so they were built for anti-Object, anti-encampment, anti-vehicle, anti-ship, anti-air, and anti-personnel purposes.

The single-focused Second Generations were certainly terrifying, but it was the older First Generations that made the puny soldiers’ throats dry up.

“Hey, what’s going on? The Princess is falling back as she fires. Is she leaving us behind!?”

“Have you already forgotten our strategy, Heivia? Urd prefers long-range and Verdandi prefers short-range, but with the river blocking their way, they’ll be forced to use Urd if the Princess falls back. We’re limiting their choices before blowing them away.”

And the Trinity Style’s main purpose here was to prevent the Legitimacy Kingdom from withdrawing. If the Trinity Style did not take the bait and they simply glared at each other from a distance, the Princess would be outside of her attack range, but that was fine.

If they could buy some time, they could finish their withdrawal preparations.

And that made it more likely that Skuld would escape.

So the Trinity Seven would rush things.

It would approach as close to the river as it could.

That clearly worked against it in the short run, but that left a possibility of destroying the Princess. Urd would be forced to fight in that mindset.

Or so they thought.

They could not have been more wrong.

A moment later, something unbelievable happened.

The 200,000 ton mass leaped as if jumping over the river.

Quenser gasped on the ground and it took him some time to grasp what had happened.

First, the Trinity Seven’s horizontal laser space elevator of a main cannon aimed downwards. And with a deafening roar, it had fired something toward the ground.

But it had not used that blast to make the jump.

Instead of a heatwave or shockwave, a strange sticky liquid spread out from the blast. It hardened in just a few seconds, creating a giant upwards slope made of plastic.

The Trinity Style raced up that at full speed.

It had used a ramp.

And that provided a powerful enough jump to cross the river.

“Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wahhh!?”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!!”

The two idiots shot to their feet and ran as far away from its expected landing point as they could get.

The Trinity Style would have landed at least 100 meters away, but with a crackling and air-splitting explosion, bluish-white sparks scattered in every direction. The two idiots fell to the ground more due to the fear than actually being hit by something. The massive amount of static electricity keeping the 200,000 ton mass afloat had reacted with the repellent scattered across the ground. It turned the air into ozone, scorched the ground, and nearly blew Quenser and Heivia away.

The Trinity Style did not care about them at all.

It accelerated straight toward the Baby Magnum.

And the Princess was caught off guard by the unexpected development.

“You can’t fall back any further, Princess!!” warned Frolaytia. “The maintenance base zone is far closer to the front line than usual. Any further and the base will be in range!!”

“Kh…understood!!”

The Princess had been gradually falling back, but a definite change came over her actions. She moved forward to meet the Trinity Style.

Heivia gave a shout while trembling on the ground and uncomfortably sweaty.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen!! This puts the Princess at a geographic disadvantage! Now they can switch back and forth between Urd and Verdandi! This thing was enough of a black box already, but our odds of victory are slipping further and further away!!”

“But it’s not like we can just tell them to stop. Heivia, keep the observation equipment focused on the Trinity Style. We need to figure out whether that’s Urd or Verdandi, how the Object is structured, and where the armor is thinnest. We need to get all that data to the Princess in real time! Hurry!!”

“What? Hey, wait! Where do you think you’re going!?”

Quenser did not answer as he approached a chemical firetruck that had rolled onto its side nearby. One of the packed-together military vehicles had been hit by a small laser beam, but the rest were fine. He traced a finger along the side and recalled its structure before pulling out some Hand Axe plastic explosive from his backpack. He stuck a fuse in the clay-like explosive, pasted it to the rolled-over firetruck, and detonated it.

Meanwhile, the two giants continued their shootout a short distance away.

The Baby Magnum and Trinity Style were only a kilometer away from each other now. In an Object battle, that was like infighting with their foreheads pressed together. The Trinity Style was moving quickly in every direction to confuse the Princess. While making quick steps forward and back or left and right, it would occasionally fire a container shell full of sulfuric acid or liquid nitrogen. Even without a direct hit, they created toxic swamps that restricted the Princess’s movement and sometimes damaged her armor or sensors with their vaporized gases. It also used its ramps made of a special plastic. Those gave the Trinity Style a new axis of movement in addition to the existing 360 degrees of horizontal motion.

“What do we do? What the hell do we do!? It’s all over if the Princess loses, but I can’t think of any way to help! And Quenser, what the hell are you pulling out!?”

“Baking soda.”

The student pulled a few tanks out of the chemical firetruck. They were about the size of industrial beer containers.

“It’s a foaming agent used in chemical fire extinguishers. Mix it with sugar and place it over a fire and you can make honeycomb toffee.”

“And what good is that? That thing is 200,000 tons of steel and not even a nuke can stop it. That isn’t going to help!”

“Just watch. More importantly, Heivia, check your handheld device’s map. Pay special attention to the ramps the Trinity Style is making.”

“?”

It was a foolish action when up against an Object’s sensors, but Quenser ducked low as he ran along the orange-burning wasteland. He was fortunate that the Second Generation was not built specifically for anti-personnel attacks and that its acoustic sensors were less accurate with all the explosions. He felt a squeezing in his chest when tingling shockwaves reached his skin and a strange chemical smell burned his nose, but he still tried to approach the region of intense fighting.

“Heivia, you’re supposed to be a radar analyst, right? Try to predict where the Trinity Style will place its ramps based on where they are on the map. We’ll get there ahead of it.”

“Sure, but then what!? This isn’t an opponent we can trip up!”

“Don’t be so sure.”

Quenser grinned and pasted some Hand Axe to the bottle of baking soda he had brought with him.

“Those ramps are probably made from cyanoacrylate. You might know it as instant glue. On its own, it’s used to stick things together, but mix in some baking soda and it will expand and harden into a plastic. It’s used with figurines and dioramas and I knew someone who was into that kind of thing back at my safe country school.”

“Baking soda? Wait, you mean…?”

“It’s probably releasing a calculated amount of cyanoacrylate and baking soda from those containers. It’s just like making a perfect circle with a firework. But what if we throw some of our own baking soda into the mix after it’s fired into the ground but before it fully hardens? Their calculated design will fall apart and they’ll have a twisted failure to deal with. If it tries to use it, it’ll trip up and this will all be over!!”

Heivia compared the empty spots on the map to the Princess’s distance and position and managed to predict where the Trinity Style was likely to place a ramp.

Quenser threw over the bottle of baking soda.

Then they waited while he held his finger over his radio’s detonation button.

And…

And…

And…

===Part 6===

Like a quick record scratch, a brief disturbance came over the Trinity Style’s actions.

===Part 7===

Had the Trinity Style noticed Quenser and Heivia’s plotting or not?

Either way, something happened a moment later.

“Wha-…?”

Quenser was dumbfounded.

The Objects were already infighting at around a kilometer apart, but the Trinity Style moved even further in. Without firing another wasted shot, it accurately dodged the Princess’s seven main cannons and forced its way forward.

It moved close.

So very close.

They were only around a dozen meters apart. No, it was closer to being only a few meters.

“…!?”

The Baby Magnum tried to force herself away.

Meanwhile, the Trinity Style’s main cannon transformed. It was just like baseball fans using multiple signs to form a single message and flipping them over to form a different message.

The main cannon moved from the side to the front. The magazine split in two and attached to the upper left and right of the spherical main body as balancers.

A blinding flash scorched the eyes of everyone watching.

“What!?”

“A laser beam!!”

It was not the laser’s own light. It was the light created as the laser burned the dust and other impurities floating in the air. Instead of firing the laser at the bottom of the container shell to expand the air and fire it, the Object had simply fired the ultra-high power optical weapon. Quenser felt an unpleasant tingle in his spine when he saw that.

“Does that mean…they switched?”

No.

That tingle was the finger of death.

“They switched from long-range Urd to short-range Verdandi!?”

It did not even last an instant, but far too much happened.

The first laser beam scorched the edge of the Princess’s armor as she just barely dodged it. But that was only the setup leading to ruin. After being forced into that sudden evasion, the Baby Magnum was swung around by its own inertia and had a split-second restriction to its actions. The Trinity Style used that moment to further adjust itself and circle to the Baby Magnum’s side.

In that position, its main cannon could hit the Princess, but hers could not hit it.

A surefire attack did not always refer to exceptional firepower or a strange new method.

Sometimes it meant taking up the position that would ensure the next attack would hit.

It was the declaration of checkmate.

It set up the ideal situation.

And that surefire attack took the form of a second laser beam that thrust the Legitimacy Kingdom into absolute despair.

The world was filled with light.

The sound had surpassed the limits of their senses.

The intense heat burning through the Baby Magnum was scattered in every direction. The air expanded explosively and that invisible wall struck Quenser and the others. He could no longer see Heivia who had been right next to him. He only felt a strange sense of floating, but he did not know if he was flying up or falling down. He had lost his sense of direction and even his sense of gravity.

It seemed to last an instant, but it also seemed to last for half a minute.

Even his sense of time was lost and he may have even seen his life flashing before his eyes.

At any rate, he found himself lying pathetically on his back once his thoughts recovered.

“Zh…gwah…!!”

The entire area reeked of chemicals. His throat stung. A sharp pain continued to stab him deep in his eyeballs.

But none of that mattered to him.

As he shook his blank head and got up, he thought his breathing would stop.

He saw the Baby Magnum.

That 200,000 ton mass of steel was more than 50 meters tall.

That First Generation’s overwhelming firepower and armor had ended the nuclear age.

It was the symbol of war and the parameter both enemy and ally used to determine who would win.

But now it seemed to have blossomed like a giant flower.

The right half had been blown away, melted, and torn up.

===Part 8===

The Legitimacy Kingdom called it the Trinity Style.

The Faith Organization called it the Norn.

Inside that Second Generation’s cockpit, the 16-year-old girl named Verdandi Silent-Third slowly exhaled.

She used the internal line to communicate with the other cockpit separated by a thick wall.

“Target destruction confirmed.”

“Verdandi, it’s still moving. Wouldn’t it be safer to finish it off here?”

“With no room left for negotiation, the defeated soldiers will do everything they can to oppose us. Our goal is confirming whether Skuld is alive or dead. We can settle this after that.”

“Yes, there are times when a cornered opponent strikes back… Understood. You were the MVP this time, so I’ll leave it up to you.”

Nuke-resistant Objects could only be opposed with the firepower of another Object.

A few of the enemy’s main cannons were still functioning and that was all it would take. But it would be unable to move properly with its own armor torn up like a giant flower. Not to mention that Verdandi had approached to point-blank range while avoiding all of its main cannons when it had been at 100%, so no desperate last ditch effort would be able to hit.

They did not want to waste any more time.

When things went south during a battle, the standard response was to send the officers and computers full of classified information out the back entrance first. If Skuld was placed in that same category, this would all be for nothing. They had to secure her before she could vanish. If that was not possible, they would kill her. That was Urd and Verdandi’s shared understanding.

Verdandi let go of the control stick to trace her fingers across the thick cable connected to her navel.

She narrowed her eyes in thought.

Then she grabbed the colossal weapon’s control stick once more.

“Okay, let’s go finish this already.”

===Part 9===

“Heivia…”

Quenser grabbed the shoulders of his awful friend who was lying on the ground surprisingly close by.

He violently shook the boy.

“Heivia! Get up!! This is no time to be avoiding reality!!”

“”No…I’ve had enough…”

Heivia was not just passed out. He held his head in his hands and he grimaced like the stress was twisting his stomach into an S-shape.

“The battle is over. We lost. So just leave me alone. What else can we do against that monster!?”

“We can’t just sit here.” Quenser pulled out his radio. “The White Flag signal hasn’t been sent out. I don’t know if something happened back at the base or if all those bugs destroyed the equipment, but the battle hasn’t ended yet. I’m worried about the Princess too, but we can’t open her hatch with the tools we have on hand. We need to hurry back to the maintenance base zone. If we don’t go rouse Frolaytia and get her to raise the White Flag, we’ll all be slaughtered!! The Trinity Style will stop by the base first and then take us out on the way back like a souvenir or something!!”

“Please no!! I’m a noble!! Winchell family blood isn’t supposed to be lost in a place like this!!”

“Fine, then stay here and get blown to pieces!! How about I stick a bomb on your back!?”

He forcibly motivated the boy.

He pulled Heivia to his feet like he was a child throwing a tantrum in a department store toy aisle.

They were less than ten kilometers away from the maintenance base zone. Quenser looked around in search of a firetruck that had escaped destruction, but then Heivia started moving.

The Faith Organization soldiers had started crossing the river now that they knew there would be no more resistance. Heivia set his sights on one of the large motorcycles they were using and he swung his rifle to knock the driver off with a lariat.

He then beat down the soldier on the back seat before he could recover.

Gasping for breath and wiping an unpleasant sweat from his brow, Heivia spoke with bloodshot eyes.

“Pant, pant! D-dammit, if we’re gonna do this, then we’ve gotta go all out. Let’s change into their uniforms to blend in, Quenser.”

“I knew you could do it if you tried. I just wish you’d recovered a little sooner.”

The size of the uniforms was a little off and one of the motorcycle’s side mirrors had broken when it fell over, but it was far better than driving across the wasteland in Legitimacy Kingdom uniforms. Heivia took the driver’s seat and Quenser sat in the back seat as the two idiots made their way back to the maintenance base zone among the Faith Organization soldiers.

The sky was changing from the blazing orange to the dark curtain of night.

It was twilight, the color of parting.

They were returning to the familiar base they had woken up in that morning, but it was already filled with the tingling stench of death.

First, the mountain-like Object yelled a message down through its speakers.

“Attention Legitimacy Kingdom!! We have no intention of slaughtering you! Immediately disarm yourselves, move where we can see you, and put your hands in the air!! Hiding will be seen as intent to resist and we will attack!!”

Despite the announcement, the countless cannons covering the Object’s spherical main body were intermittently firing. Whenever it spotted someone moving or trying to hide behind cover, it mercilessly vaporized them.

On the ground, the Faith Organization soldiers were shining their flashlights around.

Those flashlights were attached to the end of their assault rifles. That would normally reveal their position, but boldly walking around with such obvious light sources was another symbol of their absolute victory.

They seemed to be searching inside the buildings, below the large vehicles, and in other possible hiding places to drive out all of the soldiers. Quenser and Heivia saw several of their comrades being kicked in the back or butt to toss them out into the open.

“This is awful…”

In his stolen Faith Organization uniform, Heivia sounded like he was having a nightmare as he slowed down the motorcycle so as not to stand out.

“I supposed it’s better than lining them up and shooting them or stripping only the female soldiers naked, but we can’t function as an army at all now. There’s no chance of turning this around…”

“Since they’re using the infantry for the search, the Trinity Style’s acoustic sensors really must not be working right. And it isn’t just the disturbance speakers. Did the Princess manage to destroy the actual sensors in that extreme situation?”

Whatever the case, Quenser and the others were faced the exact opposite of the situation a few days before. Quenser could now imagine just how difficult it had to have been for Skuld to wait in that tiny cockpit for the hatch to be pried open.

“Captured Faith Organization soldiers, you also come out with your hands up! We do not wish to accidentally take your precious lives!! Please assist us so we can avoid any misunderstandings!!”

With vulgar laughter and relaxed behavior, the Faith Organization soldiers kicked the kneeling Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers to the ground mostly just for fun. At this rate, they might start pretending to surf on their backs.

“Where’d our busty commander get off to? She hasn’t been captured, has she?”

“That’s one question, but why wasn’t the White Flag sent out? I know the control tower collapsed, so was there a problem with the communication equipment?”

The two idiots discussed the situation while blending in with the Faith Organization soldiers on the stolen motorcycle, but as Quenser looked around, his face tensed up.

“You’re kidding…”

“What, did you find our busty commander?”

“No, but it still isn’t good. Heivia! You keep looking for Frolaytia and dealing with the White Flag. I’ve got another job to take care of!!”

“What is it!?”

“I found Skuld. If I don’t do something, she’ll be captured and killed!!”

===Part 10===

She would be killed.

She would definitely be killed this time.

Skuld pressed her back against the collapsed control tower’s wall and did her best to hold her breath. Faith Organization soldiers were swinging around the flashlights on their assault rifles and the Norn was loudly demanding everyone surrender. But Skuld did not have that right. When she was found, her fate was sealed. The war treaties did not matter.

She knew that, but she could not escape.

She knew the Norn’s specs better than anyone. She knew exactly what would happen to her if she tried making a mad dash out into the wasteland.

She heard footsteps on the dry ground on the other side of her cover.

Fear and panic grasped her heart.

Whoever it was sounded like a complete amateur in how little they were worried about being heard. These were the arrogant footsteps of someone who could hunt down the enemy without worrying about any resistance whatsoever. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes when she heard them. Her mind seemed to shake.

“Attention Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers! Answer honestly when you are asked a question!! What we want most of all is Skuld and only Skuld!! If you do not unnecessarily shelter her, no unnecessary blood will be spilled!! Comply immediately to all commands!!”

It was hopeless.

If she did not escape from here, she would be found, but if she moved even a step, she would be found. How was she supposed to turn this around?

The footsteps continued.

They circled around toward her!!

“Skuld!! I finally found you. Are you okay?”

Then she saw a Legitimacy Kingdom face instead of a familiar Faith Organization one.

She was so surprised that her legs gave out beneath her.

She sat limply down on the ground.

“U-uuh…”

Unable to stand back up, the twintail girl wrapped her arms around Quenser’s waist and buried her face in his body to suppress her sobs the best she could.

“Uuuuuuh!!”

Quenser said nothing for a while.

He placed his hand on her head, slowly rubbed it, and then crouched down to her eye level.

“Skuld, now is your only chance to escape.”

“How? How!? There are Faith Organization soldiers everywhere. And Urd and Verdandi are covering everything with the Norn. If they use their acoustic sensors, they’ll find me right away no matter how far away I am! They’ll catch up and kill me!!”

“Don’t worry.”

Quenser gently spoke to her to help her escape her panic.

“The Princess did it. She destroyed the Trinity Style’s acoustic sensors. So if you can slip past the soldiers’ eyes, you can escape. You can do it now.”

“But even then…how!? More than 100 soldiers are trying to find me!!”

“I’ll give you my uniform.”

Skuld’s tear-damp eyes widened at that.

Quenser patted at the side of his waist in the Faith Organization uniform he had stolen.

“I don’t know if it’s because Urd specializes in chemical warfare, but this thing has a mask. That means you can hide your face. Skuld, change your hairstyle, put on the mask, and change into the same uniform as them. Then you can hide in their midst. Follow them until you can find an opportunity to feign engine trouble with your motorcycle to stray from the trip back to base. No one will suspect it now, but you only have once chance at this. Got that?”

“B-but…” Skuld looked like she could not believe her eyes. “Then what about you?”

“I’m a civilian student. If I raise my hands with the other soldiers and show no sign of resisting, they won’t kill me. But you’re different, Skuld. You have to escape this. You understand, right? We only have one uniform and you’re the one that needs that safe zone.”

He did not let her say anything more as he quickly stripped down to his underwear. He did not have to wait for Skuld to change. He held out his hands to stop Skuld from saying whatever it was she wanted to say and then he staggered out into the open so the Faith Organization soldiers would find him.

“Why? Why would you go this far for me?”

“Don’t ask me. Does this look like a situation where I’ve had to time to put all my feelings in order?”

===Part 11===

“Freeze!!”

“Put your hands up!!”

Quenser felt his lifespan shrinking as several flashlights shined on him. He knew each of those lights was a gun barrel aimed his way.

But he played dumb in only his underwear.

“Wow, wow, wow!! I was napping off duty and I’m still half asleep, so can you explain this nice and simple so even an idiot could understand? What’s going on? Was my unit with the Faith Organization???”

He received a blow in lieu of an answer.

An assault rifle stock struck him in the bridge of the nose and he collapsed to the dry dirt.

Then some relative of a large radio was passed over his entire body.

A high-pitched beep sounded.

One Faith Organization soldier contacted someone by radio.

“I picked up the ‘scent’ of the Pilot Elite rescue locator on him. Saint Skuld should be nearby.”

“Then search the area,” replied the radio.

“Wait a second. Dammit!”

A soldier who had circled behind the collapsed control tower clicked his tongue and returned.

He held a special suit in his hand.

“It’s only the Elite’s special suit! Some of the scent will remain on Saint Skuld herself, but it won’t be enough to track her if she changed clothes. We might not be able to track her down even if we release the dogs!!”

“Well, then. I wonder what Skuld might look like after her makeover. Legitimacy Kingdom? Faith Organization? Or perhaps a civilian medical volunteer? She would have had a number of options.”

Everyone turned toward Quenser who was holding his nose.

As soon as he shook his head, a storm of kicks rained down on him.

Once he was covered in bruises and coughing up blood, the voice on the radio stopped them.

“Wait.”

“But, Saint Urd!”

“You found Skuld’s scent on a boy in only his underwear, right? He might be someone Skuld befriended after betraying us. If he assisted her escape, he might know where she is hiding, how she intends to escape Experimental Battlefield Madagascar, or what route she will use.”

“Then…?”

“Bring him to our temple. We can have a professional interrogator handle the rest. At the very least, that should provide more information than beating him to death here.”

“But Saint Skuld might be escaping as we speak…”

“I know that. This is second best. Capturing Skuld here and now would of course be best. Search the entire base zone and then widen the search area. Assume the next 24 hours will decide everything.”

The transmission ended there.

The Faith Organization soldiers looked down at Quenser who was covered in sand and blood and could not move properly.

After one more kick to the boy’s side to vent his frustration over the extra work, one of the soldiers spoke.

“Stand up.”

“…”

“We will guide you to our temple. Some enjoyable recreation awaits you.”

===Part 12===

A girl heard that voice.

She was wearing the Faith Organization uniform that was her one and only hope of escape.

She joined the many other soldiers mocking and beating her savior.

Her face was covered by a gas mask and her hairstyle was changed.

She hid her expression from everyone.

And Skuld Silent-Third clenched her teeth and did her very best to suppress the tears and sobs.

===Part 13===

The hellish night passed and the morning sun rose into the sky.

The Legitimacy Kingdom finally sent out the White Flag signal, but the Norn had no reason to care. They had already done a complete search of the maintenance base zone and the White Flag would not stop them from searching the surrounding area.

The Faith Organization were the absolute winners, so they were relaxed. Even though they were continuing to search for a full 24 hours, not all of the soldiers were active the entire time. They were divided into three shifts, so they did not have to work more than eight hours and a lot of them found chances to take a break during that time as well.

They all knew the truth.

There was nothing a single individual could do if they were thrown out into that vast wasteland. Escaping the island was only a dream. With no support, a human without claws and fur would dry up in only a few days. And even if she did not, she would be caught by the Faith Organization search program. Either way, this was the end for Skuld.

“…”

More time passed.

Evening fell.

The girl in a Faith Organization uniform stared at the distant line of military trucks as they left.

She threw aside her chemical warfare mask and fell to her knees in exhaustion.

She had escaped their search.

But in exchange, the boy who had abandoned his own safe zone had been captured by them and was being taken back for interrogation.

“Heh heh…”

It was all too much, so a weak laugh escaped her lips.

She had no idea why she was laughing, so she punched her own face as hard as she could.

And then…

“So you were safe…”

Major Frolaytia Capistrano arrived with a few bodyguards. Skuld slowly looked back while still kneeling on the ground and she asked a question while ignoring affiliation and rank.

“What are we going to do now?”

“We have two main options. The first is to use the transportation unit to withdraw by sea. The second is to pretend to do that but actually bring in plenty of supplies, repair the Baby Magnum as quickly as possible, and send it back out there. The top brass chose the withdrawal 8 to 2. We’ve already destroyed the ‘flower garden’ infected by foreign pollen which was the entire reason we came here, so they see no reason to lose any more lives.”

“…”

“Although their real reason is because they want to bring back as many prizes as they can. Skuld, you are a Faith Organization Pilot Elite, so your body is filled with classified information. It would be very valuable indeed if we could bring you back along with the Dvergr work robots that form the Trinity Style.”

The Legitimacy Kingdom was going to withdraw.

They had never even considered a rescue of the POW taken back to the Faith Organization base zone.

For one thing, there would be no POW mentioned in the official announcement. After all, Quenser was a student and not a soldier. In war, unofficial cooperators were not counted among the dead. In other words, no one would be blamed if they gave up on rescuing him.

But Frolaytia had more to say.

“…I think this is an excellent opportunity.”

“?”

“The Baby Magnum was badly damaged. It will take a week for the transportation fleet to arrive and repairs to be made. Even if we withdraw, it will take time. That means The Faith Organization will have nothing to fear and will grow lax. …We might just be able to sneak some people into their maintenance base.”

Skuld did not understand what she was being told.

She first looked to Frolaytia and then to the bodyguards.

Not one of them was smiling.

“Hey, Skuld. I don’t know how the Faith Organization does things, but in the Legitimacy Kingdom military, there’s one thing they make sure to beat into our heads during training. Yes, I’d always thought it was a nice thing to say but ultimately meaningless, but I have it to thank for my decision to head back at the very last moment during that Alaskan hell. Do you know what it is?”

Frolaytia looked Skuld right in the eye.

And she took a breath.

“No matter what, the Legitimacy Kingdom never abandons a comrade in arms!!”

Her voice felt like a slap to the face.

Or perhaps it hit Skuld in what could be called her soul.

Meanwhile, Frolaytia continued speaking.

“Whether we withdraw or continue on, we ''will'' rescue Quenser. And we will use whatever we can to do so. I’ve already heard Heivia’s report. Since you were hiding from them with a Faith Organization uniform, I assume that boy was the one who gave you that safe zone.”

“…”

“Even if you were from enemy nations, this means a professional soldier survived in exchange for a civilian’s life. To be blunt, you are worth less than a dung beetle now. You are the ball of dung it rolls around. But we are kind and we will give you the chance to regain the value of a dung beetle. …Help us, Skuld. You must know the layout of their base zone better than anyone.”

Frolaytia did not ask for a handshake.

She did not even wait for agreement.

She simply clicked her tongue in annoyance and turned her back with her bodyguards. They all left.

Just one soldier remained to the end.

It was Heivia Winchell who had changed back into Legitimacy Kingdom equipment.

“Don’t blame yourself so much, little lady.”

The frivolous boy spoke while pointing his thumb at his own chest.

“There’s nothing to worry about. You’ve got the cavalry with you this time.”

<noinclude>{{HEAVYOBJECT Nav|prev=HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 3|next=HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 5}}</noinclude>

HEAVY OBJECT:EX Chapter 3

2016-11-11T17:41:33Z

JFerg: /* Part 6 */

==Chapter 3==

===Part 1===

The hellish night had come to an end.

Morning came early for the soldiers…but that did not mean they had an easy time waking up. After being woken by an explosive blast from a cheerful idiot with a trumpet, Quenser rubbed his eyes in the top bunk of a triple bunk bed crammed into the barracks and he said good morning to the large nude poster within arm’s reach on the ceiling.

Unlike an officer like Frolaytia or a Pilot Elite like the Princess, the lowly soldiers and the student (who was nearly a freeloader) were crammed in together at night. The boys and girls were split up and then they had to climb into the beds stacked up almost to the ceiling. The comfort level was greater than a hammock but less than a capsule hotel.

He did not have time for a leisurely morning shower. He finished the bare minimum of preparation to make himself presentable and grabbed the day’s rations from one of the boxes piled up in the mess hall. That careless setup would allow a glutton to sneak off with more than their share, but since they were flavorless and odorless lumps reminiscent of soap or an eraser, no such trouble had been reported.

This was a maintenance base zone located near the coast.

Over one hundred large military vehicles had been gathered together. Even their barracks were built on top of a giant flat vehicle with at least thirty or forty wheels.

“…”

Quenser sat on the stairs up into the vehicle and nibbled on a corner of the rations while looking like he was facing the end of the world. He then noticed Myonri, a colleague of his, sneaking around out front.

“Hey, Myonri. What are you doing out so early? …Are those blueberries?”

“Eek!?”

The girl’s shoulders jumped and she looked back while holding a basket in both arms. The basket was filled with small fruits that must have been picked just that morning because they still had thin vines and leaves attached.

“N-nothing? There certainly isn’t an alliance trying to create pastries because we’re fed up with the flavorless rations. And I’m definitely not on my way to boil these to make jam!”

“Wait! You were sneaking around selecting ingredients while some of us were running around a hellish battlefield in the middle of the night!? Inexcusable! Share some of those with me. Simply inexcusable!!”

“Wahhhh!! My share always shrinks and shrinks like this!!”

According to teary-eyed Myonri (most likely to divert the predator’s attention), there was a rather large group that took issue with the tasteless rations and a number of communities had formed there. Some would try to get salt by boiling down seawater and some would try to make margarine using the oils from plant seeds.

Not only were the completed products tasty, but they could be used to trade for other seasonings.

“Rumor has it there are hidden groups making mayonnaise or crushing grapes to make wine.”

“The depths of the Legitimacy Kingdom’s darkness know no bounds! Absolutely inexcusable!!”

“Wahh! Quit trying to distract me!!”

Quenser was not going to wait until the jam was made, so he grabbed a few of the blueberries as-is and used their perfect acidity as an accent between the flavorless bites that seemed to sap his will to live.

“There’s so much variation in individual preferences that they can’t satisfy everyone. Since they don’t want the food to affect people’s combat-readiness, they go for something everyone finds tasteless, but there’s got to be something wrong with that reasoning.”

“Ah ha ha. But taste aside, those rations are supposed to be quite useful. They’re nutritious, they preserve well, they’re portable, and so on.”

“Really? I’ve seen rumors online that they dry restaurants’ leftover rice into a powder and cook it in the used frying oil.”

“C’mon, c’mon. That can’t possibly be…wait…”

Myonri rejected the idea with a smile, but then she realized she had no basis at all for doing so. She must have sensed that staying out in the open too long would let other soldiers notice her blueberry basket and thus take everything she had collected, so she said a quick goodbye and left.

“Ahh…”

Quenser used his dull mind to think about how peaceful things were here in the middle of the battlefield, but…

“Surely that’s just a preposterous rumor like the worm burgers, right?”

He had himself worried now.

===Part 2===

In truth, the Legitimacy Kingdom’s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion was in a state of limbo.

“Eh? We’re not waiting for a one-on-one fight with the Trinity Style?”

Quenser frantically spoke up inside the Object maintenance facility. The old maintenance lady sighed, but she was not working on the Baby Magnum. She was photographing the various remains of the small robots known as Dvergr and the armor panels that had come from the Trinity Style the night before.

“It’s true the Faith Organization probably wants to take a bite at us, but they’re taking their time after raising the White Flag themselves. They’ll want to get back at us since we injured them and they’ll also want to silence that Pilot Elite. …Skuld Silent-Third was it?”

She sounded disinterested.

“But that’s only what they want, so we have no reason to go along with it. We completed our original plan by attacking that flower garden with its intentionally contaminated pollen in order to end the production of the new drug they use to make Elites. There’s no reason to stick around now. A unit costs tax money every day it’s deployed like this.”

“Then why don’t we withdraw already?”

“By carelessly damaging the Trinity Style and forcing it to withdraw, you seem to have nearly changed the minds of the bored higher ups in the safe countries. They aren’t sure if we should withdraw immediately or keep going and maybe destroy a 5 billion dollar Second Generation and take its tech for ourselves.”

“There’s also something else preventing us from moving on.”

The Pilot Elite Princess must not have had anything better to do because she walked over to join them. Her unreadable eyes observed the wreckage lined up like a scene from an airplane crash investigation.

“Even under normal circumstances, we have to worry about being attacked while withdrawing, but now we have so many more people,” said the Princess. “A withdrawal is going to take time, so waiting around is dangerous.”

“Yeah, the Trinity Style ran off, but the Faith Organization soldiers were left on the battlefield,” added Quenser. “We took them all prisoner, didn’t we?”

“Frolaytia wasn’t happy about that,” said the old maintenance lady. “Even POWs need clothes, food, and shelter and that costs money. She was complaining about how you don’t even need to develop a new weapon to end the war. She said you just need to have a billion of your people surrender to the enemy in order to apply financial pressure.”

“Hold on. That doesn’t mean our rations will get even worse, does it? I’m not sure I want to see how that’s even possible.”

The Princess looked up at Quenser while she crouched down and poked at the wreckage.

“But those are good,” she said innocently. “They’re like a special treat.”

“What the hell!? Are you one of those people who thinks hospital food is something special!? You have a fridge and microwave in your cockpit, so you know nothing of our suffering!!”

“I’m so sick of pizza and burgers. There’s no surprise in the flavor…”

“Kiiii!!”

“Stop that, boy. Overwhelming anger is no reason to strip.”

At any rate, the entire battalion had nothing to do until their next orders came in. And even if they were to withdraw, it might not happen very quickly due to the Faith Organization POWs inflating their numbers.

(Well, I don’t really care as long as I can study Object design here.)

Then a transmission from Frolaytia reached the old lady’s tablet.

“Any luck analyzing that Dvergr?”

“The individual tech isn’t anything special. It looks more suited to a space station or a remote controlled Mars rover than military use, though.”

The old lady glanced over at the crushed robots.

“Then there’s the tech used to link them together into a solid fifty meter, two hundred thousand ton mass. I haven’t a clue what kind of pattern they use. These crushed ones aren’t enough. I’d need quite a few ‘living’ samples to even know where to start.”

“So it’s like the difference between pencil lead and carbon nanotubes even though they’re both carbon?”

“I’m glad you understand. The electronic simulation division was all excited about digitally reproducing it, but we’ll see if that gets anywhere.”

“That means Quenser is just wasting time over there, doesn’t it? Could you send him over here? I think I have a more important lesson for him.”

(What’s this, what’s this? Is busty silver-haired Frolaytia going to be loosening her collar to give me some ‘adult’ lessons!? O-oh, no! I have to make sure she wears glasses when in teacher mode!!)

Quenser started straining his ears to listen in, but Frolaytia’s explanation led elsewhere.

“Now that she’s had a night to recover her energy, I think it’s time to begin the interrogation of Skuld, the Faith Organization Pilot Elite. If you’re interested in enemy technology, then come watch, Quenser.”

===Part 3===

Quenser left the Object maintenance facility and started toward a different building, but he ran across a vehicle having engine trouble on the way.

“What’s this about, Heivia? Did the thing stall out inside the base?”

“Oh, shut up. …Goddammit, I can’t believe this!? Again!? I already opened up the hood and dealt with this!!”

“That’s unusual. Did someone get lax with the maintenance?”

He glanced inside the hood and saw something like white steam rising from within.

“No, it’s bugs.” Heivia sounded utterly disgusted. “I don’t know how they’re getting in, but they must think the dark and cramped engine grill is the perfect bed. You know how you’ll find a ton of them when you turn over a heavy rock? Well, they’re messing with the engine and burning onto the thing.”

“Ugh.”

“And that means I’ve got to use a brush to scrape off the bugs that are burned onto the pipes and stuff. Experimental Battlefield Madagascar can go straight to hell. These strange bugs are everywhere.”

“Well, Heivia, Frolaytia called me in to help with Skuld’s interrogation, so I’ll catch you later!”

“You coldhearted bastard!! And what’s this about interrogating a girl!? Is it gonna be sexy? And how far are you going? Is it gonna be one-on-one between that busty commander in black leather bondage gear and Skuld with a ball gag!? As your mother, I cannot allow that kind of closed-door investigation!!”

Since his awful friend would not stop complaining, Quenser raised his middle finger and continued on to the facility where Frolaytia and Skuld awaited.

The detention barracks were normally used to hold soldiers who had screwed up and it normally ate up maintenance costs without getting much use, but the problem was how indispensable it was at times. That may have been why Frolaytia seemed to be in a bad mood as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“Well, I’m just watching, so I’m ready when you are. This place really is packed full of Faith Organization people, isn’t it?”

“There are 203 including the Elite, so it’s like a small school. The lower level has the group cells and the upper level has the individual cells.”

Still leaning against the wall, Frolaytia used her chin to gesture down a corridor blocked by metal bars and doors at a few points. One wall contained a row of doors with peepholes and the other wall contained a row of windows covered with a thick wire mesh. The signs painted on the walls and floor indicated there was a stairway at the end.

The cells behind the bars had originally been individual cells, but they had been left with no choice but to throw up to about ten people into each one. While they had air conditioning, they had to share the blanket and toilet, so it was not exactly a comfortable living space.

“Skuld has her own cell, but the others are all in there together. Of course, asking for funding to expand the detention barracks would be an embarrassment to our unit.”

Frolaytia opened a nearby door.

Instead of Skuld’s interrogation room, it was the neighboring room. One wall was a one-way mirror and the rest of the room was filled with flat screen monitors and analysis equipment. Two indoorsy-looking soldiers were already in there. They may have been specialists in determining the veracity of a statement based on the speaker’s expression and eye movements.

The room beyond the special mirror had a table and two chairs just like a scene from a police drama. However, the furniture was bolted to the floor and the girl in one chair had her arms handcuffed to the top of the table.

It was Skuld.

She was the Trinity Style’s Pilot Elite. Or rather, she was ''one of'' its Elites.

On the other hand, the interrogator sitting across from her looked to be from the intelligence division.

The woman wore her uniform perfectly by the book in a different way than Frolaytia did. She had long black hair, thin-framed glasses, and giant breasts.

“Damn, I need to be careful. If I’m not, I might accidentally call her ‘Class Rep’.”

“Quenser, the intercom is active.”

He quickly began to cough, but the blushing glasses woman beyond the one-way mirror could not stop her shoulders from trembling.

Frolaytia casually spoke into the microphone sitting on top of the equipment.

“Sorry about killing your enthusiasm like that, Second Lieutenant Elfily, but duty is duty. Please get this started.”

“Understood. …Now, let’s try this again. Nice to meet you. My name is Elfily Classic. I belong to the 37th’s intelligence division and my rank is second lieutenant. I have been placed in charge of your interrogation.”

“…”

“Now for some jabs. How about we start with what is protected by international law? What is your name and affiliation? …Telling me that should not qualify as treason.”

After her name, the discussion continued to age, blood type, birthplace, height, and weight. It was all personal information, but it was made to gradually dig into one’s privacy and complexes. The questions were sometimes gentle and sometimes rude. It was all so varied that Quenser could not tell what the point of the questions was.

“She called these jabs, remember?” commented Frolaytia. “We’re observing the girl’s reactions.”

“?”

“This room is filled with two million euros’ worth of equipment and it isn’t just for decoration. We’re monitoring body temperature, perspiration, eye movements, facial muscle tension, changes in breath volume, and really just any kind of reaction people make when they lie. That said, an expert can fool all of that, so we like to fine-tune the equipment as much as possible before getting to the questions that truly matter.”

As the boring(?) questioning continued, Quenser finally heard a topic he cared about.

“I would like to ask about the Trinity Style.”

“Are you going to inject me with something if I don’t talk? Oh, but I hear using the mucous membrane of the nose is the latest trend. It leaves less of a mark after all.”

“The Object in question uses three Pilot Elites at once. I have a report saying you yourself admitted to that, so will holding your tongue do you any good here?”

“Curse him and his loose lips…”

Even through the one-way mirror, her low voice made Quenser’s heart skip a beat. It was impossible, but he still felt like she was looking right at him.

Meanwhile, the Class Re-…no, the second lieutenant in glasses continued speaking.

“This concerns your own safety in addition to our technological investigation and understanding of our enemy’s capabilities. How valuable you are to the Faith Organization will tell us how likely they are to target you while you are restrained here. If we do not understand that, we cannot continue to the next stage. That remains true whether you wish to return to the Faith Organization or to defect to the Legitimacy Kingdom.”

“…”

Skuld fell silent for a while, but she finally rattled the handcuffs holding her arms to the table. She clasped her fingers together and slowly provided the desired information.

“Our Norn always uses three pilots. The Elites are Skuld – that’s me – as well as Verdandi and Urd. You know where those names come from, don’t you?”

“Three goddesses from Norse mythology. They were the goddesses of fate or of time.”

“Not only do we work together, but we really are blood-related sisters. And that’s why I doubt they’ll show any mercy.”

“Meaning?”

“Did you think we got along just because we’re sisters? Once the disappointment starts to spread, the familial hatred will settle in. Their heads will boil with anger as they go on about me being a blot on the family name.”

“You mean they will not consider you expendable and leave you here because they have multiple Pilot Elites?”

“They’ll come after me for revenge. I 100% guarantee it.”

Skuld gave an exasperated shake of the head.

“As you know, the Norn’s design and specs can change. That changes who the Object’s main pilot is. …That previous one was Urd’s, but if Verdandi takes over, the Object’s traits will change entirely. What you did last time won’t work again.”

Frolaytia spoke without using the microphone.

“That also means Verdandi is the only card still up their sleeve. We don’t know what Skuld’s mode is, but they can’t use it with her here. Maybe it would be safer to make an attack and reveal that card.”

“No, not necessarily,” reflexively replied Quenser. “We can’t completely trust what Skuld says. That might have been Skuld’s mode last time, leaving them both Urd and Verdandi’s modes in reserve. It’s also possible all three sisters can use all three modes and they’re just better with their own than the others. If so, that’s three Objects times three people for nine patterns overall. With one person out of the equation, they still have six battle patterns left.”

“Perhaps. On top of that, we have no guarantee each sister only has the one mode. If each one has three or four, the combination of cards grows indefinitely.”

“My sisters will kill me,” said Skuld in the interrogation room.

The scratchy, resigned voice sounded out-of-place coming from such a young girl.

“They will come to kill me no matter what. Fate is absolute to the Norn, so they honestly believe that throwing off our plans for victory is a violation of our proper behavior. That is why they will kill me.”

“We have heard that the Faith Organization has developed a unique process for converting belief into a fighting spirit. Is that what this is?”

“Have you heard the term ‘berserker’?”

“Doesn’t that primarily refer to a method of numbing foot soldiers’ fear before making a charge?”

“It’s based in mass hysteria. Just like a rock star’s enthusiasm spreads to the audience during a concert. We act as an amplifier to boost the berserker effect. The greater our enthusiasm, the greater the frenzy among the berserkers. That atmosphere is then sent back to use, creating an even greater explosion of emotion. Then the process repeats.”

“In that case…”

“Our base zone is probably filled with war cries right about now. They’ll be yelling for the traitor’s head. What my sisters hate most of all is letting the heat die down. They will be keeping the engine running no matter what it takes.”

“…”

It was not a pleasant conversation.

Quenser decided to ask Frolaytia a question.

“What’s going to happen to Skuld now?”

“That depends on what she wants and what the higher ups are willing to allow. It’s possible she will defect to our side or she might be thrown back to the Faith Organization. She also might be treated as a hostage and used in a prisoner exchange to settle some troublesome diplomatic issue or another.”

What she was saying sounded simple, but there was no emotion in Frolaytia’s voice.

She then changed the subject.

“Anyway, that’s about as much as we can ask about her personally. Quenser, if you have any questions about the Trinity Style, tell Elfily through her intercom. If she’s in a good mood, she’ll ask about it.”

“U-um, then…”

Quenser thought for a moment before doing so.

“Miss Elfily, if you have the chance, can you ask about something? The Trinity Style is composed of a bunch of small robots, so why are they fixated on making a giant Object? If they have spare robots, they should be able to make a second identical one. If it’s about the reactor, they could always put in a prototype one. Just thin out the armor a little and they might have been able to use two at once.”

Beyond the mirror, the glasses woman casually changed the flow of conversation.

“Miss Skuld, I have a question somewhat concerning your relationship with your sisters. The Trinity Style is composed of small robots…”

“Oh? I thought she might still be mad about what you said at the beginning, but it looks like she actually likes you, Quenser. Maybe that Class Rep has a thing for baby faces.”

“Frolaytia, the intercom is still on.”

Frolaytia started coughing, but it was too late. It was becoming unclear whether they were watching Skuld’s interrogation or enjoying how embarrassed the busty glasses Class Rep had grown.

Regardless, Skuld answered the question presented to her.

“The Object only has meaning by being an Object.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You don’t get it? It’s true we could make all sorts of things with the Dvergr. We could make a great number of them if they were on the level of tanks or armored trucks, but that would be meaningless. No one would fear that. The battle begins before a weapon is used. Only a second-rate weapon does not strike fear in the heart of the enemy before it is ever used. That is why we have no interest in anything but the most powerful Object. If we lowered the specs to split it into two or three, the enemy would just pick them off one by one.”

That was indeed one aspect of the clean wars touted by the world powers.

It was not enough to say you could never know until you tried.

When facing normal weapons like tanks or fighters, it was best to make sure the enemy never even thought about trying to use them against you. When facing another Object, you had to make sure the enemy knew their specs were hopelessly inferior before the battle began. That prevented wars from dragging on, that kept them clean, and that preserved world peace.

That was the modern trend.

And that was exactly why Skuld had reached her conclusion.

“My sisters will kill me.”

She had returned to her initial claim.

The danger she sensed was finally coming into view.

“The Norn must be the most powerful. All else must be sacrificed if it means maintaining its special position at the top. The Elite being captured alive will mar the ‘legend’. That is why Urd and Verdandi will do whatever it takes to resurrect that legend. The first thing they need to do is make a bloodbath out of the one who harmed the Norn’s status as the strongest.”

===Part 4===

They left Skuld in the interrogation room and took a coffee break.

A time of elegant ladies and gentlemen began while watching the prisoner through the one-way mirror.

“Hey, no fair! The intelligence division gets coffee!? All we get is soap-like rations and lukewarm water!”

“This is a strategy to let the scent reach the restrained Elite and shake her heart by reminding her of the finer things in life. More importantly, you two!! Why do you keep calling me a class rep while I’m trying to work!?”

Quenser and Frolaytia both began coughing.

At any rate, Quenser used the confusion to grab some iced coffee for himself and began the discussion as if simply chatting.

“Man, that was some surprisingly heavy stuff back there.”

Quenser was a little disheartened, but Frolaytia and Elfily must have been used to it. The Class Re-…no, Elfily smiled his way.

“With Elites, it isn’t uncommon to find they were taken into the military for ‘protection’ due to a complicated upbringing or family environment. If the military feels like the most comfortable place for them, they won’t get any unwelcome ideas. That kind of restraint is quite effective given the modern system of clean wars settled by one-on-one battles.”

“(Hm, she really does look happy. Maybe she’s less a class rep than she is a gentle liberal arts teacher.)”

“Major, do not forget that I belong to the intelligence division which excels at gathering information!”

When Frolaytia started to cough on reflex, some ashes burst from the end of her kiseru like a tiny eruption.

Quenser was sitting across from her, so he was hit full in the face.

“Hot!? Wait! Low temperature candles are one thing, but I think pipe ashes are a little too advanced for me!!”

“Ah! What are you two doing!? C-come here. Start by cooling your forehead with this glass of iced coffee. …Um, is there anything in this survival kit I can use?”

“(She really does like to take care of people. Could it be…?)”

That was when Quenser and the two women heard an odd sound. It sounded like a great number of small things hitting the wall. Quenser initially thought of rain blowing in the wind, but it had been sunny outside. More importantly, the monitoring room next to the interrogation room had no windows. The walls were too thick to hear the rain so clearly even during a cyclone.

“Hm? What is that?”

Asking was not going to help, so Quenser walked to the door with the glass of iced coffee still pressed against his forehead. He could see what was going on through the corridor windows which were covered with wire mesh to prevent anyone from escaping.

At first, he had no idea what was going on.

It was completely dark. Unlike the windowless interrogation room and monitoring room, the corridor’s fluorescent lights were kept off during the day. Even so, it should not have been as dark as a school or hospital at night. It was almost like the sunlight from the windows was being completely blocked off.

“The…windows?”

The mystery sound had grown much louder.

When the boy looked over, the situation finally dawned on him.

It took a moment longer before the intense revulsion and terror assaulted him.

Black bugs were covering every inch of the windows.

The outside world had become a storm of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of winged insects.

===Part 5===

“A-ahh…”

He did not know what to do.

He could not even tell if he had decided to step back. Whatever the case, he fell back onto his butt and screamed the only syllable that came to his blank mind.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!???”

His scream brought Frolaytia and Elfily from the monitoring room. They too were shocked when they saw it.

And by this point, Quenser had realized how strange this was.

“Wh-where are the guards?”

They were in the detention barracks, the prison that one’s own war criminals or captured enemy soldiers were thrown into. Unlike the other facilities, it had strict security, but no one showed up when Quenser screamed and no one had reported on the bugs. They had not even received a radio transmission.

What was going on outside?

Were those bugs really so violent that they could bring down soldiers equipped heavily enough to deal with escapees or rioters?

“Wh-what is this…?”

Elfily was dumbfounded by this threat that went beyond mere bullets or knives. Her mind’s ability to face a threat may have short-circuited. Quenser understood all too well what that was like.

The only one with any real guts was Frolaytia.

She narrowed her eyes and observed the black bugs covering the entire surface of the windows.

“They look like a type of bell cricket. I don’t know the exact name, though.”

“Bell?”

“Because their chirping sounds like a bell. These look a lot like the ones I saw in a pet shop that specialized in the Island Nation.”

Frolaytia blew smoke from her seductive lips, but it did not reach the insects on the other side of the window.

“But this might be bad.”

“Why? When raising crickets, you feed them sliced cucumber or eggplant, right? Then this isn’t as bad as wasps or scorpions.”

“Bell crickets are omnivorous. They will even start eating each other if they aren’t given some occasional animal protein like dried sardines or ham. So with this many… Take a look at that, Quenser.”

“I-I’d rather not look at that disgusting mess!!”

“Just do it. Besides, bell crickets are nocturnal, so it isn’t normal for so many to be out during the day. They also generally can’t fly despite having wings, so it isn’t normal for so many of them to be covering the window. Most of all, most of these have faded to a slight brown instead of being pure black. Do you know what that means?”

“You don’t mean…”

It was busty Elfily who answered, not Quenser.

“Their instinctual behavior and color are meant to keep their natural predators from attacking them, right? So if they’ve abandoned that effort…”

“This might be what you call ‘brazen bugs’. When a swarm of locusts grows too large, they abandon their camouflaging coloration and begin attacking other animals and plants. This must be a similar phenomenon with the bell crickets.”

Frolaytia brushed up her bangs with a hand.

“And bell crickets are omnivorous. They normally only eat small bug carcasses and they wouldn’t think about actively preying on other creatures like this, but as you can see, things change when there are tens or even hundreds of thousands of them. Even we could be bitten to pieces if they swarmed us.”

“…”

“…”

It was not a nice death to think about.

Their focus naturally turned toward the window. Even the group that had been carefully observing Skuld through the one-way mirror was looking out into the corridor.

Some of the crickets were chewing on the wire mesh installed on the outside of the window and some kind of strange liquid was flowing out. Was that because they were squishing each other under their combined weight? Or had they started feasting on each other?

This was different from a bullet or knife. It was also different from being attacked by a lion or tiger. The thought of being brazenly eaten by creatures lower on the food chain brought feelings of humiliation and disgust. The worst part of all was the cruelty of how they could not be communicated with, how they could not be killed easily, and how they were entirely indiscriminate.

They knew all that, but what were they supposed to do now?

“I can’t believe this. It doesn’t matter how many bullets or explosives we have, there’s nothing we can do. We’ll use up all our ammo in no time and then they’ll swarm us,” said Quenser. “But if we ask the Princess to deal with them using the Baby Magnum, she would just blow away the maintenance base zone with us inside. …Hm? Come to think of it, what happened to the Princess!?”

He quickly pulled out his radio, but no amount of pressing buttons got any response.

He only heard even static.

“You’re kidding, right? Don’t tell me a bunch of bugs took out a colossal weapon that can survive a nuke!”

“No, they wouldn’t be able to do that much. Quenser, as a future engineer, you should know a lot of random trivia. Have you ever heard of insects being used to predict unexpected tornados?”

“When the radar picks up the bugs that are caught in the supercell, they know a tornado is probably coming. …Hold on.”

“Yes. Insects reflect electromagnetic waves. It normally isn’t a big deal, but when his many of them form a wall, they can probably cut off a weaker signal.”

That meant all the bugs swarming the maintenance base were separating the soldiers of the 37th from each other. It was like a blinding sandstorm outside and their allies had to be right there, but they could not reach each other.

“It might be best to stay put,” said Elfily while uneasily looking back and forth between the black window and the tablet that was of no use with communications cut off. “At the very least, there was no warning about this kind of natural disaster in the environmental report before this mission. That means this has not been seen in the last few decades. Plus, this is not something we can deal with using bullets or knives. We might take less damage if we wait for the storm to pass instead of trying to exterminate them with what we have on hand. Don’t these abnormal swarms of bugs tend to end fairly quickly?”

“Yes. It’s the sad story of the food chain. The more of them there are, the greater the threat, but they also end up eating each other. And as I said, bell crickets are perfectly willing to eat each other if there isn’t enough food. The problem should solve itself in two or three days.”

Quenser felt himself relax when he heard that passive solution.

He had truly been worried he would be ordered to build a handmade flamethrower and then run out to face the storm of bugs.

“Still…this is insane. Who would think these tiny bugs could paralyze a base for the weapon that ended the nuclear age and rules the current battlefield?”

“Insects and small animals were a constant nuisance in older wars too. You might cover the ultimate tank in dried grass for camouflage, but mice would use it as a bed and then chew through the wiring, turning it into a metal coffin.”

That reminded Quenser of running across Heivia having trouble with a malfunctioning vehicle. It had been something about a bunch of bugs getting into the engine. That may have been a sign of things to come.

However, this was a military facility and one made sturdy enough to prevent war criminals and POWs from escaping. Even if all hell had broken loose outside, the crickets could not get in so easily.

Or so he thought.

That idea proved naïve.

“Wait a second… What is this noise?”

He heard a bell-like chirping.

Frolaytia and Elfily looked up at the corridor ceiling in shock. It was the same reaction people gave during an earthquake or lightning strike.

“Are you sure it isn’t from outside the window?”

“No, it’s too clear for that. There aren’t many, but it seems some have gotten in somehow.” Frolaytia calmly shot down the Class Rep’s wishful thinking. “Quenser! We need to split up and check all the corridor’s windows and doors. Take some duct tape with you and apply it like weather stripping!!”

“Why just the corridor!? The cells also have windows!”

“Wait!!”

This time Elfily cut in with a powerful voice.

Quenser looked puzzled, so the busty glasses Class Rep continued.

Her face had grown pale.

“We cannot open the cell doors. The Faith Organization prisoners would rush out if we did!!”

“This is no time to be worried about that!”

They only had to press a button in the guard room.

No keys were needed. This kind of prison used strict security to keep people from getting in or out, but to ensure the bare minimum of human rights, there was always an emergency evacuation system that opened all of the cell exits and corridor doors.

But despite that…no, because of that, Elfily quickly stopped him.

Because it was easy, she could let him do it so easily.

“There are more than two hundred of them!! And there are only five of us including the analysts in the monitoring room. This might be a Legitimacy Kingdom base zone, but we can’t expect any reinforcements. If we open those doors, the detention barracks will become an isolated piece of Faith Organization territory!!”

“I can’t believe this,” spat out Quenser.

Painstakingly opening and closing each door to check on the windows would take too long. The crickets were getting in and they would quickly fill the entire building. Yet if they opened all the doors to ask for help, the Faith Organization prisoners could easily gang up on them. And fear of that had to be double for women like Frolaytia and Elfily.

The risk was too great either way.

Quenser understood that, but after thinking on it, he made his decision.

“Opening the cell doors is the only option.”

“Are you serious!?”

“The Faith Organization are human too, so we can explain the situation to them. The bugs on the other hand aren’t going to wait around! If they pour in here, we’ll definitely be eaten. There’s no persuading or threatening them! So we need to go with the option that has some slight chance of working!!”

Quenser and Elfily turned toward Frolaytia. After taking a puff on her kiseru, their commander exhaled the smoke.

“Let’s go with Quenser’s idea. If we don’t apply the weather stripping as soon as possible, we can’t survive.”

“~ ~ ~!!!???”

Elfily was about ready to stomp her feet in frustration, but Quenser ignored her and ran to the fire alarm on the wall. Once he smashed the glass and pressed the button, a shrill bell rang, red lights flashed, and all of the doors along the corridor slid open with an unsettling noise.

Men in neon prisoner uniforms rushed out, so Quenser raised his hands and shouted to them.

“If you want to head outside, be my guest!! But only if you have the guts to make an escape right now!!”

The cells had windows, so the prisoners would know the situation outside. A few of them still stepped forward with bloodshot eyes and it likely had to do with more than just being frustrated.

“What is-...? …!?”

A door slowly opened next to Quenser’s group and Skuld stepped out looking puzzled. That Pilot Elite was almost a target of reverence for the Faith Organization. The interrogation room had no windows, so she was clearly shocked by the truth she found before her eyes.

Frolaytia pulled a handgun from her waist.

However, she did not aim toward the prisoners. She aimed at the window right next to her.

That window was still absolutely covered with black insects.

“If I find I cannot expect all of you to act logically, I will immediately break this window. Then we will all be bug-food together. It would be a tragedy either way, but I’ll take that over being made into your plaything. Now, which will it be?”

“…”

“Help us. We need to apply weather stripping to the cell windows!”

Before they could waste any more time glaring at each other, Quenser tossed a few handcuff keys and rolls of duct tape to Skuld. When she saw the boy get to work on the corridor window, the twintail girl sighed and nodded. That seemed to settle it for the Faith Organization. Skuld followed Quenser and the soldiers given some duct tape returned to their cells.

“(Watch them carefully. They might be searching for something they can use as a weapon.)”

Elfily moved in close and whispered in Quenser’s ear while helping with the work.

She discreetly warned him without letting Skuld notice.

“(Wearing a plastic toothbrush down to a point is enough to kill and you gave them duct tape. Combine that with something else and they can make any kind of ‘science project’ they want. That is how things work here.)”

“I know that.”

“(I am not saying your decision was wrong, but you still need to be careful. And since you have explosives with you, you are the last one we can have falling into their hands.)”

“We’re done over here!”

A man in a prisoner uniform rushed out of a nearby cell.

Elfily ended her conversation, grabbed the duct tape from Quenser’s hand, and casually moved to another window.

The Faith Organization soldier continued speaking without noticing.

“Saint Skuld, allow me to do that so you need not dirty your hands …What is even going on here? What are those? Bell crickets!?”

“What’s your name?”

“Eric. Eric Kingsvalley. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Quenser Barbotage. Just come with me! Oh, right…”

Quenser removed his backpack and handed it to Eric.

Elfily stared at him in shock from a short distance away, but he did not care.

“This is my Hand Axe plastic explosive. You take it. Carrying a weapon around like that is stifling me.”

“But…”

“You can’t set them off without a fuse. Not even throwing them into a fire would work. I’ll keep those fuses, so now neither of us can detonate them.”

“…”

After some thought, Eric put the backpack on.

Then he and Quenser shook hands.

The hot-blooded exchange between guys must not have gotten through to her because Skuld tilted her head and cut in.

“What do we do now?”

“I don’t know! Just double check all the windows and doors! We can hear the crickets chirping from somewhere, so we need to seal up wherever it is as soon as we can!!”

“No, wait.”

Just as he started to do that, Eric came to a stop.

He and the other Faith Organization soldiers looked up to the ceiling.

“What is it?”

“It might not just be the windows and doors. I don’t know the exact layout of this place, but how do the ventilation ducts work?”

“Goddammit, are you serious!?”

They all looked up. It was a tall ceiling and the ventilation duct covers were out of reach. Then Skuld beckoned Quenser over with her index finger.

“You said your name is Quenser, right? Give me the tools and bend over. I’ll ride on your shoulders.”

“Saint Skuld! Allow one of us to take your place!!”

“Shut up. We don’t have time and we need someone light on top, don’t we?”

No one argued.

A lot went through Quenser’s mind as he did as he was told.

(Instead of using two Faith Organization people, she’s making sure Eric can still move freely. She hasn’t forgotten the most basic etiquette.)

“But who cares about the details when I get to have a cute girl’s legs and crotch wrapped around my head!?”

[[Image:HO_EX_03_019.jpg|thumb]]

“Eh? What?”

Skuld looked confused as she climbed onto his shoulders from behind with surprisingly shameless motions.

As soon as Quenser gathered strength in his back and straightened up, he nearly lost sight of reality thanks to the sensation on the back of his neck and his cheeks.

“Ahahh…”

“There, right there. Stop, stop! Why do you keep moving back and forth like that!?”

That was of course because he wanted to delay her work and enjoy her warmth for as long as possible, gravity of the situation be damned, but then something went wrong.

Once Skuld removed the ventilation duct cover and stuck her head inside, she completely lost her balance.

“Hyah!?”

“Saint Skuld!!”

Quenser nearly performed an accidental suplex on her, but since diligent Eric faithfully held his hands out from behind, they only fell to the ground. Eric and Quenser screamed when they looked to Skuld who had cutely fallen onto her butt.

A single black bell cricket sat on top of her head.

“Gyah!?”

“Gyah!?”

Quenser quickly brushed it off and Eric crushed it underfoot.

“?”

Only Skuld looked confused.

She had likely lost her balance after looking it in the eye at point-blank range, but she must not have known it had gotten in her hair. If she had, she would have been far more panicked.

“Crap! Crap, crap, crap!!”

Frolaytia ran over when she heard the commotion.

“What is it, Quenser? Give me an intelligible report!”

“There’s…some of…a few of them in here! A few crickets!!”

“Did they eat through the gas filter?”

Frolaytia sounded annoyed and she tore her medals and battalion patch from her coat. Then she stripped off the coat.

“We need to buy some time. Stuff a few balled-up coats into the ventilation ducts to block them off. They aren’t big enough for someone to crawl through, so it should be easy to block them off.”

“B-but! There isn’t just the one duct. We would have to figure out which filter was eaten through and-…!!”

Elfily trailed off because the entire corridor shook and tilted unnaturally. No, the entire building did. The solid detention barracks creaked like a rickety suspension bridge.

Quenser grew pale.

“What is it now?”

“This is bad,” replied Elfily.

She gave a blatantly cautious look to Skuld and Eric who had the Hand Axe.

“They must have eaten through the tires. The entire maintenance base zone is made from a convoy of more than one hundred vehicles, so all of the buildings are actually a number of panels put together on top of those flat vehicles!”

The weight was distributed between thirty or forty tires as tall as Quenser was, but if one of them blew, that equation would no longer work. With the extra weight, the odds were good the rest would blow too.

And if the overall balance had shifted…

“The entire detention barracks will collapse onto its side?”

If that happened, the windows and doors would be the least of their worries. The panels of the exterior walls would bend, break, and create large gaps. Once the omnivorous crickets poured in by the hundreds of thousands, the soldiers equipped with puny guns and explosives would be bug-food.

“Does that mean we can’t hope to hole up here?”

Eric asked that while protecting Skuld and looking like even the saliva he needed to gulp had dried up.

“Then what do we do!? Are we just going to wait here for the bugs outside to eat us!?”

The rain-like sound of the bugs on the windows applied pressure to all of the human hearts inside.

Quenser thought and then looked to Frolaytia.

“Frolaytia, tell me more about the gas filter they ate through.”

“Hm? Okay. I think it was a filtration membrane type rather than an activated charcoal type. I believe several thin stocking-like membranes were placed over it.”

“Next question: Does this maintenance base have any buildings built solidly on the ground instead of on a vehicle?”

“A few impromptu storage buildings next to the Object maintenance facility. The wreckage of the Trinity Style took up some of the space for the other equipment, so I believe they threw the less-used equipment in there.”

“Then that’s our only path to survival. If we escaped to anywhere else, the tires could blow just like here.”

“Escaped?”

Elfily sounded like she was questioning his sanity.

That was hardly surprising. Anyone would think that with those brazen bugs covering the windows so thickly they blocked out the sun.

“You’re saying we should leave here and run to those other buildings!? That’s suicidal!!”

“So is staying here. And once the building does topple over, we’ll lose all chance at survival. We won’t know which direction to run. With the windows like that, it must be worse than a sandstorm out there. You won’t even be able to see a few dozen centimeters away. If we’re thrown out there while panicked, there’s no way we can survive.”

“Are you saying we can reach the sturdy storage building if we remain calm?”

Eric spoke up as the representative of the prisoners.

He continued to stand protectively in front Pilot Elite Skuld and he seemed to be choosing his words carefully in her place. He and the rest of the Faith Organization may have been judging Quenser here.

“If you have a compass and focus only on the direction, you can reach your destination without being able to see. And were you listening, Eric? The filter is only as thick as a stocking, yet it was only just now eaten through. There are still only a few crickets in here, so their jaws aren’t that strong.”

“Are you forgetting they can eat through military tires meant to bear several thousand tons!?”

“Yes, but those are on the outside, so the crickets would have been targeting them from the very beginning. That means it takes them a long time to blow a tire. Again, they aren’t that powerful. Our uniforms, Skuld’s special suit, and your prison uniforms are all sturdy. Wrap duct tape around the collar and sleeves and I think we can walk outside for a short time.”

Then he looked around and spoke to the other Faith Organization soldiers.

“Also, we can protect our faces and heads with duct tape too. We would suffocate if we covered our mouth and nose, so we’ll have to stick with towels there. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about our eyes. We don’t have enough goggles for everyone, so we’ll just have to use our own hands to protect them the best we can. Is that good enough!?”

“I see. So only the great Legitimacy Kingdom gets to safely use goggles, hm?” asked Eric. “And are you going to send us out first to see if we get eaten?”

“That would be best,” admitted Quenser. “But unfortunately, I’m only a student. I can’t make use of that kind of privilege.”

“Wait. You mean…?”

“I’m going without goggles too. We’re all in this together, so is anyone coming with me!? Or will you stay here and wait for the building to fall over!? The choice is yours, but we don’t have much time!!”

The entire corridor gave another disconcerting creak.

The building was already twisting and it could rupture at any time. If a gap opened and the bugs got in, all of this discussion would be meaningless.

It was only a matter of time.

“Get a clue already. If we wanted to kill you, we wouldn’t have taken you prisoner. Food costs money no matter who eats it. Why would we bother spending money on you just to trick you later? It would’ve been faster to just shoot you on the battlefield. Right?”

“…”

Eric began to open his mouth, but he must not have had an argument because he glanced over to his comrades for help. None of them complained, so he finally turned back to Skuld who nodded.

“Let’s go with that. The Faith Organization and Legitimacy Kingdom doesn’t have to start getting along, but I’m only here because that Quenser took me with him when he didn’t have to.”

“If you say so, Saint Skuld.”

That settled it for them.

“Let’s get started.”

Once Quenser said that, they got down to business. They sealed off the important parts of their clothes with duct tape and covered their mouths and noses with towels.

Frolaytia whispered to Quenser from nearby.

“(You need to give Second Lieutenant Elfily a thank-you gift later on, Quenser.)”

“?”

“(It might have sounded like she was snapping at you before, but that cut off any complaints the Faith Organization might have made. If they had started a flood of complaints, you wouldn’t have been able to deal with them all. I guess she really is part of the intelligence division.)”

Quenser glanced over at Elfily who was wrapping duct tape around herself not far away, but she looked away when she noticed him.

Meanwhile, they completed their preparations.

They were of course all worried. Training books for new soldiers said nothing about situations like this, but waiting around would mean waiting for the bugs to eat them.

“Once you’re outside, only focus on the compass in your hand. The safe storage building is eight hundred meters southeast. Got that? Eight hundred meters! The compass will tell you the direction, so calculate the distance using your steps. There will be almost zero visibility, so you won’t be able to see even a meter away. Looking up will probably kill your senses of distance and direction! So focus on the compass in your hand!! Only on the compass!! Got that!?”

Quenser shouted at them to motivate them.

“As I said, each individual cricket isn’t that strong. They won’t break through your uniform right away! So as long as you don’t get lost, you can reach the storage building safely. Don’t think about rushing forward. No matter how many bugs get on you, keep moving in the same direction at the same pace. This is the safest way. So let’s do this. It’s time to open the door!! Are you ready!?”

“Ohh!!”

Quenser and Frolaytia tore off the duct tape covering the door. They were discarding their own temporary peace of mind, but they had to say goodbye to that. That “temporary” peace of mind was a bottomless swamp. Once they sank into it, they would be stuck and could only wait for death.

That action changed everything.

Elfily and Skuld both gulped and looked to the door.

This would normally be unthinkable, but the detention barracks were of no more use. This felt like a symbol of that.

“We just have to do it.”

Quenser unlocked the door and grabbed the doorknob.

As he pressed his shoulder against the heavy metal door, he gave one last yell.

Instead of encouraging the others, it may have been to make sure he himself did not come to a stop.

“Begin! Let’s go!!”

He made up his mind and opened the door.

A moment later, he saw something truly unexpected.

An intense wave of heat struck his entire body.

Instead of a black storm, he saw an all-encompassing sea of flames.

===Part 6===

A little earlier, Heivia had also been facing the black hell.

Since he had been fighting the stalled vehicle outdoors, he would have noticed the strange situation earlier than Quenser and the others.

“Dammit. What the hell is that!?”

At first, it looked like a black tsunami approaching from beyond the horizon.

Once the guard in the watchtower realized it was a swarm of bugs, a biological sense of fear and disgust must have come over them. Heivia could hear them firing their semi-auto sniper rifle wildly.

But even if each bullet took out a few bugs, it did not even make a dent in a swarm of tens or even hundreds of thousands.

Heivia threw his tools aside as soon as he saw the watchtower entirely swallowed up by the black mass.

His face stiffened with fear as he turned tail and fled.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!!”

He used his radio to inform the others of the oddity and ran into a nearby building. It was the Baby Magnum’s maintenance facility.

The maintenance soldiers working inside those thick walls may not have understood the gravity of the situation.

But once they saw the storm of bugs covering the windows and sounding like heavy raindrops, the fear finally caught up to them.

They quickly sealed all the entrances, but a few had gotten inside. They quickly crushed those and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The old maintenance lady clicked her tongue.

“The radios are cut off. Now we can’t contact the Princess while she tests the Baby Magnum out there.”

“You mean I just missed her!? Why now of all times!?”

The large space meant for the Baby Magnum was oddly empty.

Heivia cursed, but that would not solve anything.

The old lady gathered the maintenance soldiers and started gathering some equipment.

They were probably making some kind of weapon to fight back.

But what would be any use against such a large swarm of bugs? Heivia looked out one of the relatively unaffected windows and saw a pillar of fire. Someone had probably made an impromptu flamethrower out of a fuel vehicle, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. They would be roasting quite a few of them, but dozens as many flew in to swallow up those people. Some of them flew to the humans while still burning, as if to take the soldiers out with them.

“What do we do? What are we supposed to do about this?”

“We just have to figure something out on our own. C’mon, if you’re gonna be useless, at least get out of the way of our work.”

Heivia looked dubiously back at the old lady. The threat of the bugs was one thing, but that old lady was oddly calm after seeing such a hopeless scene.

The old lady appeared to be gathering nonlethal gas grenades used for riot suppression.

“Listen, our opponent is outdoors! We won’t be able to kill them without one hell of a powerful smokescreen! These are made to be safe, but a few small adjustments and we can turn them into a powerful insecticide. Our resources are limited, so I can only show you how once. Anyone who screws it up and wastes one will be tied up outside as bug-food!!”

Insecticide was the best way of killing insects.

The answer was so obvious that Heivia actually laughed.

He had been too overwhelmed to even reach that most obvious answer.

And when they were only up against small bugs.

“Will that really work?”

“That depends on the wind. If we’re lucky, it’ll cover almost the entire maintenance base in a smokescreen.”

The old lady covered her nose and mouth with a scarf and quickly manipulated the strong-smelling chemical.

“You get ready for dealing with things afterwards. We have to do something about the bugs to rescue the soldiers collapsing out there, but we’re using a smokescreen of insecticide. That’s harmful to humans too, so we need to drag the victims out of there and perform first aid as soon as the bugs are dead. You remember your rescue training, right? Let’s get started!!”

They did nothing wrong.

The insecticide using nonlethal gas grenades was a more effective weapon than bullets or knives and they showed commendable courage for opening the doors protecting them to aim the gas grenade launchers outside to rescue the soldiers still out there.

But there was one ominous factor out there: the impromptu flamethrower using a fuel vehicle.

Gas grenades and hairspray were made pretty much the same. They used pressurized gas to spray out the liquid inside as an aerosol. A number of gases could be used, but due to environmental concerns, propane gas had become more common than Freon or carbon dioxide.

And thus, the gas grenades would burn.

As soon as it made contact with the flamethrower’s flames, the smokescreen meant to rescue them all detonated and created a sea of flames.

===Part 7===

“Gyah!!”

Quenser flinched back from the intense wave of heat and tried to flee back inside.

But the sole of Frolaytia’s boot kicked him in the back and pushed him back outside.

“We can’t turn back now! If the leader slows down, the odds of survival for everyone following you drops!! You started this, so get going, Quenser!!”

“Dammit! What the hell is going on!?”

Half in desperation, Quenser ran out into the outside world that reeked of gasoline.

There was nothing but fire as far as the eye could see. The heat was like a solid wall and he thought it would burn his hair away. Black smoke caught in his throat. On top of that, the swarm of crickets had not been wiped out. They broke through the screen of flames and smoke to rush toward this new “food”.

Sharp pain reached him through his uniform and the duct tape, but not because he was being bitten. It was the pain of them flying into him. He knew that, but a strange sweat still covered him and he felt like they were eating him to the bone. The source of the pain also seemed to be gradually shifting.

A dull vibration reached him from behind. He could not look back because it would throw off his sense of direction, but the detention barracks had probably toppled over. There was no going back. There were no safe walls or doors. He could only continue forward.

(My compass! The compass in my hand! I need to calculate the distance using my steps…)

He looked down at his hand to shake off the nightmare around him.

Someone was lying on the ground nearby and he tripped over them.

“Wah, wah! Waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”

He lost his compass as he tripped and he had no way to search for it with the low visibility. And who had that been? Had the explosion taken them out or had they been eaten by the bugs? Just what was going on here?

His mind started going blank with panic, but then someone grabbed his arm and tugged him forward.

It was Eric from the Faith Organization.

“It’s okay. We’ll be okay!! If we make it eight hundred meters southeast we can get through this, right!? I have a compass! We can survive together!!”

“W-wahh, wahhhh!”

“It’s too late for that guy back there. He isn’t moving. But we’re alive, so we have to survive this!!”

Only after Eric grabbed his shoulders and yelled into his face did Quenser regain his focus on reality.

He shook his head and spoke while covered in bugs.

“Sorry. Let’s go. Let’s survive this.”

“That’s more like it!!”

Eric slapped him on the back to urge him onward. The Legitimacy Kingdom and Faith Organization shared a compass to slowly advance.

“What happened to Skuld? Why are you alone!?”

“Don’t look back! We got separated almost immediately. I’m worried about her too, but we can’t afford to lose our sense of direction. We can only pray that the others are heading this way too!!”

It was like a journey through hell.

There was nothing but black bugs and red flames as far as the eye could see. Eight hundred meters to the southeast was the shortest distance, but it was all over if they found a wall of flames in their way. They could not let themselves be enveloped in flames, but they also could not hope to bypass the flames with so little visibility. If they tried, they would lose their sense of direction and lose track of where their destination was.

They were nearly praying as they walked.

The pain of the crickets striking their bodies forced them to continue focusing on reality.

They could not keep up even the mental capacity necessary to think about time, distance, direction, or even the distinction between enemy and ally. Their minds went so maddeningly blank that they nearly forgot their own names. They became machines that simply moved their legs in silence.

Even so, they made it.

Without running into any walls of flames, their hands reached the distant storage building’s wall.

“We did it…”

Even in the middle of hell, Quenser smiled.

“We did it, goddammit!! We’ve finally arrived!!”

They had apparently been near the head of the group, so they grabbed the doorknob for the human entrance with bugs still covering their bodies. Fortunately, they did not find that someone else had already taken refuge there and locked the door. It opened like normal and they poured inside.

Frolaytia and Elfily arrived together.

There was still no sign of Skuld, the Pilot Elite who had been with them when they had left.

“Hurry,” said Elfily. “Hurry up and shut the door. This is all meaningless if the crickets get inside!!”’

Quenser turned around in shock, but the eyes behind her glasses were serious.

“We can’t! We can’t do that, Miss Elfily! There are still Faith Organization prisoners out there. They risked their lives to reach this building! If we shut them out, they’ll all die!! We’d be betraying them after convincing them to do this!”

“The same fate awaits them if the building fills with crickets. They can’t escape hell whether they arrive or not, so shutting the door is the only option!!”

“We can’t…”

“They would have shut us out if the roles were reversed. We just happened to get here first. That’s all this is. Or am I wrong!? Do you have some proof that they would have let us in!?”

“I don’t care if they would or not!!”

“Shut the door, Quenser Barbotage.”

The student heard a quiet metallic sound as Elfily pulled a handgun from her waist and aimed it at his face.

Still, he shook his head.

“Shut the door, Quenser!!”

She shouted at him, but he pressed his back against the open door. Even if she shot him, he would collapse against the door and continue to hold it open.

Just as she clearly clicked her tongue, the second group arrived.

Then the third and the fourth.

As the number of Faith Organization soldiers grew, Elfily lost her influence. She would be unable to deal with all of them even if she fired every bullet she had on hand.

And of course, plenty of bugs flew in with the people.

There were more than two hundred people in all.

After grabbing Skuld’s arm and pulling her in last, Eric shouted from within the bugs.

“Is that everyone? Okay! Close it, Quenser!!”

“Is everyone accounted for!?”

“Yes! It really is okay! I’m not lying!! So close it!!”

He shut the door with his entire body.

A deluge of bell-like chirping filled the building. More than just a few hundred had gotten inside. The number covering the floor and walls clearly reached quadruple digits. Normally, this would mean the building was contaminated and far from safe.

But that was not the case.

“Huh? They aren’t attacking us?”

Elfily looked confused as she kept her gun in her hand and breathed heavily.

Frolaytia explained as she observed the situation.

“These are ‘brazen bugs’. They ignore the normal pyramid structure to attack even large beasts when there are hundreds of thousands of them. …But if there aren’t that many, they lose their advantage and return to being obedient bugs.”

This was just like the cricket Quenser had seen in the duct.

It had been so close by, but it had only sat there chirping. Without a giant swarm, they would not try to bite people.

Meaning…

“Split them up and they’re just bugs.”

Quenser slowly stood up.

“They don’t stand a chance against us now.”

===Part 8===

The insect extermination began.

It was officially to ensure the safety of the storage building, but was that really why? As they crushed the nearly defenseless bugs with their boots or with mops, they may really have been releasing their built up frustrations.

They did not feel sorry for the bugs or find the action unpleasant.

Their hearts had entirely numbed over.

“Goddammit! Goddammit goddammit goddammit!!”

As he crushed them underfoot, Quenser’s chest filled with a hopeless lethargy and emptiness.

With an opponent that fought back and would try to eat him if he let his guard down, he would have been able to slaughter them without issue. But these crickets were different. They just stood on the floor, stared up at him with emotionless eyes, and vibrated their wings to create the clear bell-like chirping. It felt like they were placing all the blame on the rampaging humans.

He started feeling silly going along with it, so he moved away from the commotion and leaned against a wall without any bugs on it.

He removed the towel from his mouth and nose.

“What the hell is this…?”

He slid down to a seated position.

Even with the sea of flames outside, the swarm showed no sign of being wiped out. And yet having the Baby Magnum work toward exterminating them would only blow the maintenance base to smithereens. Could they open the door and lure small groups of them in at a time to squish them like they were now? How many days would that take to finish? The Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers still outside would be eaten to the bone by then and Quenser’s group had no food or water. They could not live in this storage building forever.

So what could they do?

How were they supposed to survive this?

“Quenser.”

That was when Eric of the Faith Organization spoke to him. Quenser slowly looked up and then looked puzzled. Eric was not alone. He was gently guiding Pilot Elite Skuld by the hand like an escort at a dinner party.

“Saint Skuld wishes to discuss something with you,” said Eric. “She said she could trust you.”

“Skuld did? What do you want?”

He honestly did not think they had much of a connection. They had spoken a bit in the detention barracks, but they had been enemies during the battle the night before and she would not know he had been listening to her interrogation through the one-way mirror.

But she seemed to see things differently.

“You hold a special position among the Legitimacy Kingdom,” explained Eric. “Being a student instead of a soldier definitely helps. To be honest, I’d prefer to use you as a point of contact than those young women.”

“I see. So what is this about?”

“This.”

Skuld casually held her hand.

One of the bell crickets was clinging to the gentle curve of her palm.

“Wah!!”

“It’s okay. This one won’t bite anymore.”

Skuld remained calm and gave the chirping insect an emotionless look.

“There’s something that bothers me about these bell crickets.”

“Something that bothers you?”

“I’ve seen them before.”

At first, Quenser did not know what she meant. Insects were not exactly rare. The issue here was the ridiculous number of them.

But Skuld had more to say.

“These are not naturally occurring bugs.”

“What?”

“The Faith Organization has a project known as Draupnir. Do you know what that is?”

“?”

Quenser tilted his head, so Eric answered for him with a bitter smile.

“It’s a story from Norse mythology. It’s a gold bracelet owned by the god Odin and it increases in number after a set number of days. Just like the biscuits in that Island Nation nursery rhyme. So no matter how much money Odin spends, he will always have more. It’s a symbol of wealth.”

“Our Draupnir project was meant to secure a large amount of food,” explained Skuld. “The Objects stand out the most, but food is a necessary part of war, right? If we could develop a food source that would never run out, don’t you think we could wage war much more easily?”

“Hold on…”

At first, the bell crickets did not seem to have anything to do with a project to develop a food source, but if he removed all of his presuppositions…

“Hold on!! Are you saying these crickets are your food source!?”

“Apparently so,” said Eric. “I’ve only heard rumors, but bugs are near the bottom of the food chain and they can multiply endlessly in the right environment. Apparently some old guys in a lab were all excited about it being a more efficient source of protein than raising cattle or pigs.”

He made it sound like some theoretical issue, but then Skuld cut in.

“Oh? Aren’t the fries the most popular dish among the infantry berserkers? What do you think they squish up to shape into those?”

“G-gweeehhh!!!???”

Eric faced the other way and spewed some noises that will be omitted here.

Skuld remained calm.

“Draupnir is a genetically modified food insect and I believe that is what these are. For one thing, there are no bell crickets in the Antsiranana District’s Experimental Battlefield Madagascar. They should only be found in the Island Nation and Asia.”

“Frolaytia did say she’s seen them in a pet shop that specialized in the Island Nation.”

It was possible there were nocturnal chirping bugs on this island and an amateur might not be able to tell them apart, but that changed when they were clearly bell crickets.

Unnatural insects had been brought to an unnatural place.

Had it all been intentional?

“So they’ve been genetically modified to breed like crazy and never run out no matter how many you eat?” groaned Quenser. “I did hear crickets chirping all over the place last night. Had they already started multiplying then?”

“Let me make one thing clear. The Faith Organization only sees Draupnir as a project to provide the soldiers with food. I swear to you that they were not developed for use as a biological weapon.”

“I understand that. These are far too difficult to control to use them like that. We just have to pray your higher ups don’t see what happened here as a success.” Quenser wiped the sweat from his brow. “But this has given me some hope.”

“?”

“Skuld, you said these bell crickets have had their genes messed with, right? That’s fine, but do you know how that was done?”

“Only in general. I think a few of their chromosomes were intentionally damaged with chemicals and then they were crossbred for generation after generation. In a way, they had their genes damaged.”

“In other words, the abnormal level of breeding and growth came from damage to their chromosomes?”

“What about it?”

“It’s simple. The simpler a creature’s structure, the more easily their genes change due to outside stimuli. It’s enough for the flu to be different every year. And between humans and bugs, the bugs are much more easily affected.”

Quenser paused for a beat.

“These Draupnir are easily-altered bugs to begin with and their genes will be even more unstable after the intentional damage done to them. That means we just need one last push. If we damage the chromosomes of these killer crickets, we might be able to wipe them all out as their cells break down.”

“But how?”

“There are a few ways to alter genes. As you said, the easiest and most effective method is getting some help from chemicals, but you can also use UV, IR, coal tar, or asbestos. I think the solvent used for printing would work too. Really, just anything that’s been labelled carcinogenic should work.”

“Printing solvent? So what about Object paint?”

“They wouldn’t let our Elite Princess anywhere near something dangerous like that. Plus there’s something else that’s even more common.”

“Like what?”

“Extremely high-power microwaves. If we send out radar waves at max levels, we can exterminate all of the crickets swarming the maintenance base.”

===Part 9===

After they suggested their plan, Frolaytia created a map of the maintenance base zone using the tools and cans in the storage building. Normally that would not be something to show the Faith Organization POWs, but the base zone was made of vehicles and could thus be freely rearranged. If they did things right, this would not reveal any critical information.

“It’s nearby. The control tower and radar facility are only fifty meters west of here. Head there and we can send out high power radar waves just as Quenser suggested.”

They knew what they had to do.

Then something strange happened.

No one had been moving in the slightest, but as soon as Quenser raised his hand, Skuld did as well. And she was not the only one. Eric and Elfily did too.

“If Saint Skuld is heading out there, of course I am too.”

“The people suffering out there are Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers. We have to do something.”

Finally, more and more hands were raised by Faith Organization soldiers who Quenser did not know or recognize. He realized this was never going to end if he did not put a stop to it himself.

“Okay, okay!! We’ll be going, so the rest of you wait here. We wouldn’t get the work done any faster even if we all went!”

They once more covered their mouth and nose with towels and used duct tape to close up any part of their clothing the bugs could get in through. That did not take much for Skuld whose skintight special suit already covered her entire body.

“Then let’s go. Close the door behind us as soon as we’re out.”

Their march through hell began anew.

Everywhere they looked, they only saw bugs, bugs, bugs!! The sea of flames was still burning just as strong, so the bell crickets were flying around like sparks as they themselves burned. They nearly lost track of distance and direction when faced with the overwhelming sight, but they desperately put up with the pain and supported each other’s bodies as they relied on their compasses to take one step at a time.

A mere fifty meters felt like it took years off their lives.

Quenser was gasping for breath by the time he placed his hands on the control tower’s wall. Technically, it was the giant tire of the vehicle at its base. He felt along to circle around it in search of the stairs up into the control tower.

And then…

“?”

Suddenly, the reliable feeling of the tire vanished.

The visibility was almost down to zero, but when he strained his eyes, he saw the tire floating upwards, despite being taller than he was.

No, it was not floating.

“Waaah!? I-it’s falling! It’s falling over!!”

“Move away, Quenser!!”

An arm that likely belonged to Eric pulled him back just as the air was stirred up. A gust of wind caused by great pressure briefly blew away the black smoke and crickets. The screen blocking their view was split apart as if by a giant’s sword.

What had caused this was obvious.

It was the same as the detention barracks they had come from. A few of the tires had been eaten through and the weight distribution had collapsed, causing a chain reaction of bursting tires. Then the building had been unable to maintain its balance. And since this was a control tower rising toward the sky, its center of gravity was higher up, making it easier to lose balance.
It fell over all at once.

A deafening roar and tons of dust scattered out, blowing away the flying insects.

“Ahh.” Elfily cried out in despair. “The control tower! The radar! Now we can’t give it our commands. They machinery inside must have been smashed to pieces!!”

The swarm of crickets filled the empty space and the world became hopelessly closed off once more.

“…!!”

Even so, Quenser clenched his teeth and walked over to the collapsed control tower. He felt the sharp pain of the insects tackling him and they covered his body, but he could not give up now. He had no idea how many soldiers were collapsed across the base. He could not calculate how many lives were depending on his decision here. He could not just give up and head back.

“Dammit…”

A cricket flew into one of his eyes, narrowing his vision. A dull pain stabbed deep into his brain.

“Goddammiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!”

He managed to climb inside through a broken window. There were already tons of bugs inside. The bloody soldiers groaning in pain had likely been the ones working inside when the tower collapsed. There were countless bugs covering their bodies, but pulling them off one at a time would be meaningless now.

Quenser looked around the smashed-up room and approached what looked like a radar screen.

“Ahh…”

He reached for it, but Skuld, who had to know more about radars than him, shook her head.

“The display isn’t right. In fact, it’s completely dead. I don’t know if it was the impact of the fall or the crickets chewing through the wiring, but this radar is useless.”

That was the last thing he had wanted to hear.

As the world grew dark before his eyes, he grabbed a nearby microphone. He was almost drowning in a sea of bugs, but he managed to force out a voice.

“Control to Baby Magnum, control to Baby Magnum …Can you hear me, Princess? If you can, then help us!!”

“What will this accomplish?” groaned Eric who was similarly buried in bugs. “No one can help us even if we do get an SOS out. Firing an Object’s cannons will just turn us to mincemeat.”

But Quenser viewed things differently.

This was not just a desperate shot in the dark.

He gave his answer as Skuld looked puzzled next to him.

“It never had to be ''this'' radar that we used. As long as I had communications equipment powerful enough to break through this swarm, I could ask the Princess for help. Isn’t that right?”

He looked to Skuld as if he were confirming a perfectly normal fact.

“Objects are covered in weapons, so their radars have to be even more powerful than the base’s!!”

===Part 10===

There was no light and there was no sound.

The Baby Magnum simply scattered powerful radar waves in every direction. Soon thereafter, the tens or even hundreds of thousands of bell crickets fell to the ground like their power switch had been flipped.

===Part 11===

Quenser gasped for breath while tearing the duct tape from his body.

Exterminating all those bugs was not the end of this. First they had to rescue the injured. Then they had to report on the damage caused by collapsed buildings and chewed-through wiring. They also had to extinguish the sea of flames. And if they did not dispose of the bug corpses littering the base, they could easily become a hotbed of disease.

A few of the prisoners did not show up when they were counted.

They had probably used the commotion to escape and were currently running through the humid jungle. If the Faith Organization learned about the damage here, they could make another attack with the Trinity Style piloted by Urd or Verdandi.

“Now I’m nervous,” he said without thinking.

“Yes,” replied the person next to him.

It was not the Princess or Heivia.

Faith Organization Pilot Elite Skuld sat on the ground there.

“But this was always going to happen. Urd and Verdandi will never forgive me. Even if I tried to escape this island, they would attack at some point along the way.”

“…”

“What is it?”

“Nothing really.” Quenser shook his head. “I just realized you didn’t run off is all. It does seem some of the prisoners fled into the jungle.”

“We have no idea if those were the only Draupnir around here. Besides, they have a base to return to while I’m being hunted by my own people. Frankly, I’m amazed that the people like Eric decided to stay.”

“I see.”

Quenser took another breath.

It had been a horrible day since morning, but this seemed to signal the end of that.

“Then we’re in this together. Once again, it’s nice to meet you.”

“…”

Skuld stared at the proffered hand in shock, but then she hesitantly reached out her own hand and grabbed it.

===Part 12===

Panting breaths filled the jungle.

They were carelessly rustling through the underbrush, but they did not notice they were leaving plenty of hints for any pursuers. They just wanted to get away from the Legitimacy Kingdom maintenance base as quickly as possible and then return to the Faith Organization base. That was the only thing on their minds.

They were optimistic.

They had only been captured because the Norn had retreated without fighting in the very, very end. They had been left behind. The military would feel indebted to them for that and they could provide useful information on the damage to the Legitimacy Kingdom. They were confident they would be warmly welcomed back instead of judged as fools who could not even make a suicide attack.

If a surprise attack was made on the maintenance base zone, the prisoners like Skuld and Eric might be killed too, but these soldiers cared about their own wellbeing first and foremost.

Yes, they were optimistic.

“…!? Hey, what are you doing? Don’t stop! You’re in the lead, aren’t you!? What’s the holdup!?”

“No, wait. Be quiet…”

They came to a stop and strained their ears.

Even their own breathing seemed in the way.

And soon, they knew they were not just hearing things.

They heard clear chirping.

It was the very last sound they had wanted to hear.

Unpleasant sweat poured from their bodies and they just about started hyperventilating, but they still slowly, slowly turned around as if an invisible hand held their heads.

And there they saw…

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