Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Knight Princess's proposal

Part 1

The next day after the party.

Since the end of semester test would be after next week, once the afternoon classes were finished, many students hastily packed their bags and returned home.

Ash was also scheduled to return home immediately for self-study. Before the exam, because the student council’s activities were temporarily suspended, he didn't have to go to the office after school.

"Why is Eco absent today?" Raymond who had already packed his bag asked Ash.

"Err… The party last night left its mark... The word 'absent' shouldn’t be used to describe this situation… Right? It's Eco who sneaks into the classroom and immediately falls asleep..."

"Haha, so cute. The reason she is willing to attend this totally boring class is just because she doesn't want to leave your side, don’t you think so?"

"...How can that be possible?"

Ash, while smiling, took out several books that he had never used before from his locker, and placed them in his bags. Raymond gave an exaggerated sigh, but Ash didn’t understand his reasons for doing so.

That moment, someone was moving towards Ash.

"... Ash… may I have a word with you?"

After he lifted his head… That person was actually Silvia.

Silvia rarely took the initiative to speak to others in the classroom–– especially if the other party is a boy. But in the past few months they faced several hardships together, and he somehow felt that Silvia was easier to approach compared to the past.

But in the classroom, she was still the majestic and stern 'Ice Blue Princess'.

"If the two of you want to talk alone, then this nuisance will leave quietly."

Raymond left the classroom with a knowing smile.

The others who were packing their bags and were ready to go home also cast at them a curious glance.

"Uh... How can I help you?"

Ash nervously asked.

"That... In fact... Father... Ordered... Wants you to f-f-follow me..."

“Follow you?"

"J-Just take it as I didn’t tell you anything!"

"Princess!"

Totally ignoring Ash, as if she had said too much already, Silvia swiftly distanced herself and, in the blink of an eye, left the classroom.

"... What was that about?"

Ash, 100 percent totally stunned, was still standing in the same place, while he looked bewilderingly in the direction of the door that Silvia just ran out of...

Part 2

After about two hours of studying, in the academy’s library, Ash returned to the boys’ dormitory.

Although he is confident about the practical test, the written test is another story, so it's necessary to carefully review over it again.

By the way, as long as Eco was in the same dormitory room with Ash, with all the normal concerns of a parent, his reading/studying efficiency will clearly drop. This is one of the reasons that, as long as Cosette is with Eco... Ash prefers to use the library.

Dusk.

The scene outside the Apollo house was fully dyed in the red rays of twilight. Just as Ash, after an evenings study, is walking toward the entrance––

- Toooooom!

"Wah!"

A strong gust of wind, together with a sound of an impact, suddenly hit Ash from behind. Ash stumbled and fell face forward, subsequently knocking into the main door.

"What happened...!"

Ash rubbed his forehead while he turned his head around.

"Please excuse me! Are you Ash Blake-san?"

A familiar lady is sitting on a winged Strada. The woman, seemingly in her early twenties, is cheerful. Her shoulder-length hair swayed with the breeze. She is also the one who appeared in the students’ restaurant last night.

"I am first class palace messenger Orletta Blanc! I have a message for you!"

"For me...?" Ash, looking confused, has in no way been involved in any such important matters before.

Orletta jumped down from her riding gear, took out an envelope from her shoulder bag and handed it to Ash.

"May I ask who sent this letter?"

"That’s a secret."

Orletta, while maneuvering her Strada into position, gave out a playful laugh and, before Ash understood what was happening, they took off and flew up into the sky.

Part 3

Once Ash is back into his room, he saw Eco sleeping on the bed with her limbs spread out. The few children’s picture books beside the pillow were given to her by Cosette to keep her from being bored.

Only when she is sleeping, is her face like an angel, innocent and lovely. - Just when Ash thinks so, Eco happens to roll over.

Her skirt is lifted up by this action, thus revealing her pinkish thighs. Her underwear can almost be seen.

"Uwaaa...!"

Ash quickly adjusts her skirt back to its original position.

Although he knows she is a young dragon, but whenever he runs into this type of situation, his heart starts to beat quickly.

"Really, it can be bad for my heart..."

Ash took a deep breath, after he felt calmed down, he sat cross-legged on his personal mat.

Then he tore open the envelope that he had just received.

Only now, Ash realized that this is a very high quality envelope. The quality of the paper sold in the nearby stationary shop cannot be compared with this.

Ash carefully draws the letter out, like he is dealing with a fragile item.

––Tomorrow at lunch break, I will be waiting for you at the fountain in front of the academy.

However, there is only a short sentence in the letter.

There isn't any signature on the letter.

“What exactly is this?”

Ash was surprised and involuntarily muttered.

"Huh... You’re back?"

Eco rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"That letter... what is written there?"

"Ahh, this? The messenger just sent it to me..."

Ash showed the letter to Eco.

Although Eco was just a three month-old young dragon, she can get all kinds of information from the Dragweiss. Of course, reading should not be any trouble for her. Even though only picture books interest her at present, sooner or later she is bound to get interested in literature.

Eco stared at the contents for a few moments, and then her eyebrows suddenly gave a reaction.

"That person really has some guts, how dare he send a challenge letter!" Eco suddenly stood up while announcing her indignation.

"No, how could this be a challenge letter..."

Even though Ash tried to sooth Eco... But, in fact, within his heart, he was also baffled.

Part 4

"......Why did you come here together with me?"

The next day, during lunch break, Ash followed the specified time in the letter and came to the fountain in front of the academy. There are benches everywhere in the campus, many students are here chatting while enjoying lunch.

"Do I even have to give a reason? I'm your master! By sending a letter of challenge to you... It's just the same as sending one to me! I am gonna personally trample on them!" Eco says with an aloof, imperial-like condescending voice.

Eco was in her uniform and crossed her arms while standing beside Ash, waiting for the mysterious sender to arrive.

"Haa. I had already said that it's not a challenge letter.”

Ash can’t recall doing anything outrageous, that would cause someone to challenge him to a duel.

Not long ago, Ash was still the ‘Number One Problem Child in the academy’- and had received disapproving attention in all aspects. Though after Eco’s birth and then both of them joining the student council, he had since been living a relatively low profile life. Rebecca also supported him, which is probably also a very critical factor.

"Anyway, he is very slow... how long does he intended to make us wait?"

Eco can’t be blamed for being angry.

It has already been thirty minutes since the start of lunch break.

"Nn...?"

At this time, Ash sensed someone staring at his back, he then quickly turned around.

A female student is secretly hiding behind the shadows and has been quietly observing them.

Perhaps she thinks that she is safely hidden, but brilliant golden hair can't be hidden so easily.

"Princess?" Ash confronts her.

The moment she's staring face to face with Ash, Silvia’s face stiffened and she swiftly ran away.

"Please wait Princess! You have some business with me right?"

Ash quickly chased from behind.

"Could it be that... the letter was from Silvia?"

Eco, who is also along for the chase, asked.

"Probably. Let’s calm down and think. Her attitude yesterday after school, using the palace messenger and the high quality envelope and paper... this evidence is sufficient enough to prove that the sender is likely to be Princess. Hey, Princess! Why are you running away?!"

"No! Don’t call out to me so loudly! Lancelot.... Through the name of Silvia Lautreamont I summon you!"

Right at that exact moment... There is a flash in front of Silvia, and Maestro Lancelot appeared.

Silvia nimbly jumps onto Lancelot. The moment she lifted her legs to sit on the saddle, the uniform's skirt momentarily fluttered up.

A pure white cloth greeted Ash's eyes. Just when Ash blushes, Lancelot had already skyrocketed up and away.

"Is it magic?"

Ash is stunned. Is Silvia so desperate to escape she needed to summon Lancelot?

Moreover, riding on the dragon without the dragsuit is a violation of the school rules. The law abiding Silvia would actually violate the school’s regulations? This means the situation is no trivial matter. Eco, however, is unphased and in completely normal form...

"Stop, do you know who I am!? If you do not want to be crushed by me... then immediately return!"

Eco is stomping while shouting toward the sky.

"Come on, it's Lancelot that we're talking about...... The one who will be crushed should be you."

Ash shrugged with a smile.

"What did you say!!!"

Eco’s cheeks are now red with anger; she then turns her attention towards Ash.

At this moment...

"Hey, hey, Lancelot! I ordered you to fly! Who allowed you to land!"

Unexpectedly. Lancelot actually returned, did a full emergency landing in front of the fountain, and sat down. Not only that, it also lowered down its neck in front of Eco.

"It can’t be... it really obeyed Eco’s order?"

Ash glanced doubtfully at Eco.

Eco proudly straightened her flat chest and took a step forward.

"Well, now you’ll have nowhere to run. Just tell me why would you send a letter of challenge to Ash!"

"T-That is not a letter of challenge..."

Silvia is sitting astride on the immovable mountain that is Lancelot’s back. Her eyes are in tears. Such situation is extremely humiliating for a Dragner––let alone the highly self-regarded Silvia.

"Princess... If you have any trouble, you can talk about it with me..."

"D-Don’t give me that kind of sympathetic look!"

"I'm sorry..."

"Alright, I understand! I will not run away from the truth! And I am no longer confused! Because I'm the Princess of the Lautreamont Knight Country! Ash, listen carefully!”

Silvia shouted with the top of her voice on Lancelot’s back.

"I hope you join me... Come home with me to meet my father!"

In that one instant, the entire campus, already amused by the events, became frozen in silence all at the same time.

Ash is also stunned, and his brain ceases functioning.

"Woooow! Princess is proposing to someone!" Someone just had to say it!

That person’s shout had become the trigger and caused an uproar in the entire campus.

Unwittingly, the students who are scattered throughout the campus eating their lunch suddenly surrounded them.

There is a reason for the uproar caused by the students.

In general, for a Dragner to properly propose, they normally have to be mounted on their dragon. And Silvia, coincidently riding on Lancelot, is even requesting Ash to meet with her father.

From the others view point, this is a proposing scene.

"I had felt suspicious since last time... To think the two of them had already progressed to this point!"

"Impossible, their status difference is too big!"

The campus is now in quite a storm, and everyone was giving Ash and Silvia various curious looks.

Silvia flushed while making a rebuttal:

"W-What I had said bears no such meaning! It's totally different! Anyway... it's better for a man to propose.... No, it's not like this! Ash, please deal with the things here!"

After Silvia desperately yelled all that, she sat for a moment on Lancelot's back, and then bolted away.

"E-eh! How can you throw me this mess, Princess..."

Ash said with a surprised look.

"Ash! In the end, will you accept it!?"

Large numbers of students continued to approach and surround Ash. Eco is beside him and naturally is also involved. Both of them are squeezed by the others.

"Arghhh! I've had enough! That’s why I say human are stupid and ignorant... I will crush you all!"

Eco’s roar can be heard up into the blue sky.

Part 5

Silvia proposing to Ash–– Having spent a lot of effort to unravel the misunderstanding, and somehow cornering Silvia and asking to explain her intentions, he found out a far more shocking fact than being proposed by Silvia.

He didn’t think that Paladin Oswald would actually summon both Ash and Eco.

He is the country’s king.

Of course... Ash doesn't have the right to reject.

"Dragner's Tradition ~A.S.B.1365.7~" is closed.

References and Translation Notes

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