Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 5 Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Lost memories, Albion Forest

Part 1

At dawn, Silvia who suddenly woke up felt something on her chest.

“Hey, Eco! Where do you think you are sleeping!?”

“Zzzz…”

Like a child sucking on its mother’s breast, Eco buried her face in Silvia’s chest. Apart from that, her right hand was even grabbing onto Silvia’s breast. Silvia’s breast shook from Eco moving her fingers.

“Aah… Nnn… I-If you touch it like that… Aah…!”

Without thinking, Silvia sat up to calm down herself, she pulled Eco’s arm away with some force.

“Tsk… How rude can you be…”

She was embarrassed at herself for making those unladylike sounds. It was sometime past six when she looked at the clock placed by the side of her pillow. Usually, it was around that time Cosette would wake her up.

“How careless of me! How can I…!”

Although it was summer holidays right now, Silvia’s pride still didn't allow negligence. After giving herself a few light slaps on the both cheeks, she stood up from the bed. She usually started her day with some independent training, afterwards she would feed Lancelot herself. This was her usual routine.

“Ermm… My dragsuit… Where is my dragsuit…?”

Being forced to take care of her own clothings, Silvia realised painfully how much she was usually relying on Cosette. Right at that moment…

-Doooooom!

There was a familiar sound outside of the window.

“Is that… The sound of a Strada landing?”

Surprised, Silvia opened the window. Just as expected by Silvia, when she looked down on the garden of Epona House, there was a familiar strada. And a crater was formed around it.

“Tsk… Your riding ability is indeed one of the best but you should change that emergency landing habit of yours. It causes quite some trouble…”

Silvia sighed. The rider was a lady and she was wearing a moss green coloured uniform. Once she noticed Silvia, she immediately leaped off the saddle and greeted:

"I am the first-class palace messenger, Olietta Blanc! I am here to send the letter that was to be received by Princess Silvia, Her Royal Highness from Cosette Shelley-dono!"

“…From Cosette!?”

Unconsciously Silvia gripped the window frame putting all her strength into it.

Part 2

After seeing Olietta off, Silvia walked towards the seventh dragon house. Since it was summer holidays, there were no other dragons except Lancelot inside. Lancelot too had woken up early to match with Silvia. In contrast to Eco, Lancelot was a dragon who followed the rules.

“Sorry for the wait, Lancelot. It is time for breakfast.”

After Silvia placed the defrosted meat in front of Lancelot, Lancelot cried in joy and started enjoying its food. Silvia then took out the letter with her back facing Lancelot. It was the letter that she just received from Olietta.

-I want you to return to the palace and investigate the name list of the children who went to the orphan ceremony at the same day as me.

Cosette who obeyed Silvia’s orders to return to the palace had taken the trouble to contact Silvia through the palace messenger.

“Did she manage to find it? Or did anything unexpected happen…?”

Her heart was thumping like the morning alarm. A little courage was required before she was able to tear open the envelope.

Dear Princess-sama,

How are you? Right now, I am staying at Fontaine Palace.

About the investigation, it seems that five years ago a fire had burnt off a part of the documents related to the Orphan Ceremony.

Among those documents was the name list of the children who succeeded in the Orphan Ceremony in the past ten years.

Even so, the information that I obtained states that these documents were a copy and the original name list was kept at a different place.

I will now continue my search at the location of the name list.

Please be patient while waiting for the news.

Cosette . Shelley.

Silvia was worn out and gave a long sigh after she finished reading. Lancelot gave Silvia a curious peek.

Silvia grumbled while grooming Lancelot’s fur:

“Tsk… Where in the world is that ‘Location’? Even thought she is a person who has a keen eye for details, it is troublesome when she has forgotten to write the most important thing…”

Part 3

After their breakfast, Ash together with Eco and Silvia went to the director’s office. Although it was in the middle of summer holidays, Mirabel was still at the director’s office. She seemed to be reading some difficult books. On top of her table was a mountain load of documents. The working room itself looked more like a private room. Mirabel spoke in a cold voice:

“What’s the matter?”

She asked that while looking at her own documents.

“We have something to ask from Anee-ue. It is about the practical test.”

Ash was glad that Silvia spoke first. Ash was bad while dealing with Princess Mirabel. To him, Veronica seemed a lot more easier to deal with. After hearing that, Mirabel closed her book without changing her expression.

“So you have decided on your destination?”

“Yeah. We would like to head to Albion Forest.”

Mirabel tilted her head a little after Silvia answered directly.

“Your chosen destination is located at quite a remote area. Apart from that, Albion Forest is a sacred place. That place should be tightly guarded by the Albion Forest Military Order.”

“Of course I know that. However, Ash and Eco must head there. And I intend to help them.”

“Could you tell me their reasons for that?”

Ash was shivering from Mirabel’s sharp glance. But now was not the time to stay frightened.

“Ermm… Actually…”

Just when Ash was about to answer…

“Hold on!”

Suddenly, Mirabel stopped him and took out a watch. Ash was shocked seeing the royal’s solemnity.

“It is tea time, Eunice.”

“On my way, Princess-sama.”

Eunice who was like a statue spoke for the first time.

“Hey! How can you drink tea when someone was halfway through his talk!”

Ash grumbled at Mirabel who was doing things at her own pace.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

Her ice magic like glare was putting pressure on Ash.

“No, sorry for bothering you…”

After Ash’s voice turned softer, the room was filled with the smell of bergamot. Taking a look to the side, Eco was sniffing around. It seemed that she took interest in Mirabel’s red tea. It was a different type of interest compared to Ansal. But it was indeed a smell that a dragon would fall in love with. Eunice spoke when she saw Eco’s interest:

“Would the three of you like a cup of tea?”

Part 4

The three of them were sitting together on a sofa. Ash who had no interest in tea could only think of ‘It has a nice aroma’. However, it was different for Eco.

“This is wonderful… This is the first time I drank such a great cup of tea.”

Silvia explained to the amazed Eco:

“Anee-ue is very picky about red teas. By the way, this tea is called Earl Gloriana from Chalone.”

“Earl… Groo…?”

Eco almost bit her tongue.

“This kind of tea leaf is famous in the world. You should enjoy it properly.”

“Is that so? I didn't know…”

Eco was enjoying her tea happily.

“Erm… Princess-sama, shouldn't we start with the main topic?’

Ash noticed that it was bad to keep on talking about teas and so he urged on Silvia.

“Aah. That’s right. Can we start now, Anee-ue?”

“You have my permission.” agreed Mirabel.

Part 5

Mirabel’s expression never changed during Silvia’s entire explanation. It was even the same when Silvia mentioned about Ash and Eco being summoned by Mother Dragon. Mirabel said something after Silvia finished.

“I understand your situation. Good job for getting the idea of finishing two tasks in one trip. However, Ash Blake, there is one problem. How do you intend to head there? It will take you two weeks to reach there by land. Or do you intend to let Eco transform into a dragon?”

Mirabel glance was like a blizzard approaching Ash.

“No, that is impossible. Eco cannot control her transformation consciously.”

“Sorry for being useless…”

Eco puffed up her cheeks. Even so, it was the truth that she couldn't control her own transformation. There was nothing she could do about it. Right after that, Mirabel threw Eco a cold glance.

“Young dragon Eco, there is nothing bad in being useless. It is a matter of life and death for the Knight Country when you transform at a poor time. Because of you crushing the Empire’s airship Beowolf, the Knight Country’s government is having a headache.”

“Urgh…”

Eco turned speechless. Even she felt responsible for it. That’s right. Using the reason of Eco’s dragon form crushing Beowolf, the Empire’s government kept on protesting. According to the latest news, to achieve peace, the Knight Country’s government intended to pay the compensation. Of course at the same time it will cause an impact on the Knight Country’s financial situation.

“But the entire matter is the Empire’s fault to begin with…”

Ash said what he truthfully thought in front of Mirabel.

“Whatever the case may be, it is also the truth that the Empire’s airship was destroyed by a dragon. If the situation was any worse, it could turn into an all out war. Shouldn't we be glad, if we can have this settled by only paying money?”

For the first time, Mirabel kept her eyes away from the documents she was reading and looked at Ash, Silvia and Eco.

“With that, if you can take back an item that can only be found in Albion, I will consider you passing the exam. About that… In this season a flower called Rex Albioni should be blooming. How about it?”

Ash had heard the name of the flower before. It was a flower that could only be found in Albion Forest. Every summer, its white coloured flowers would bloom.

“Understood. We will definitely return with Rex Albioni.”

After she declared this, Silvia turned her sight towards Ash and Eco.

“It had been decided. Please prepare your stuff as soon as possible. We will depart tomorrow morning!”

“Aah… That’s right. But…”

Silvia was confused when she saw that Ash was hesitating.

“What’s wrong? Are you still worrying about anything?”

Ash nodded and looked at Mirabel.

“Ermm… Princess Mirabel?”

“Anything else the matter?”

“You had certainly said that you were here in Ansarivan under Princess Veronica’s orders… But the actual reason is to keep an eye on Eco, am I right?”

“That’s right. That is what the muscle freak’s intention.”

“M-Muscle…!?”

“Ara, do you even have to be surprised? What I am saying is the truth.”

Ash was surprised that Mirabel described the heroine-like character of Veronica with just ‘muscle freak’. It seemed that Mirabel didn't think that it is worth respecting Veronica at all.

“P-Putting that aside… Is it really all right for you to allow us to leave your sight? Doesn't it contradict with Veronica’s intention?”

Mirabel suddenly placed her tea cup on the table.

“Hmm, you are smarter than I thought you were. But, you don’t have to worry about your assumptions. To me, Veronica’s orders are nothing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s assume that Eco once again turned into a dragon, what could we do about it? If there is a person who can stop this disaster, it can only be Ash Blake the owner of Eco. And we are not Ash Blake, are we?”

“That… That may be true but why would you take the trouble to come to Ansarivan?”

“With or without Veronica’s orders, I have my own personal matter to solve in Ansarivan. And that’s the sole reason.”

“What kind of a matter is that? Is it possible for you to tell us about it?”

“The answer is NO. You shall not ask anything beyond this.”

Mirabel refusing to answer Ash’s question was like putting an end to their conversation. She once again had her attention back on her documents.

Part 6

On the next morning, Ash, Eco and Silvia who had done their preparation departed from Ansarivan while they rode on Lancelot together.

“It is all up to you, Lancelot!”

After Silvia shouted, Lancelot gave a cheerful roar. Since part of their journey's reason was for the practical test, Ash and Silvia were wearing their dragsuits. And Eco as Ash’s Pal was wearing her uniform to show that she too was taking the exam. Their sitting sequence was Silvia who held the reins at the front, followed by Eco and Ash. Actually, right before they took flight, Eco said that she would like to take the middle. Thus, Ash was at the end of the line. Ash was holding onto Eco’s slim waist. Although he was embarrassed, he would face falling off Lancelot if he did not grab on it tightly.

“Oooooooo….!”

Even with three people on its back, Lancelot was flying without having to break a sweat. The sky was clear and since it was still early in the day, the weather was cool. However, when noon arrived, the sun would be scorching. Thus it would be better for them to reach at their destination as soon as possible.

“Err, Princess-sama. What do you think Princess Mirabel’s reason was?”

Ash finally asked the question that was on his mind for some time.

At first, I thought Mirabel was here to keep an eye on Eco. But, for Mirabel to have her own reason…

“How am I to know that?” snapped Silvia.

“To begin with, about Princess Mirabel… What kind of a person is she? Like Princess Veronica, it is obvious to everyone that she is a fighter.”

Silvia answered while holding the reins:

“Mirabel Onee-sama is a very respectable scholar. Just a few days ago, she was still doing her research in Espada St Law University.”

“…She must have been famous. Does she have any connections with Holy Espada Agency?”

“Certainly. Espada St Law University is directly under the Holy Agency’s secret service. Regardless of humanities studies or science related fields, all the genius' in their regarding field were doing their best for their research there.”

“That’s absurd…”

Even though he didn't know Mirabel’s age, she only looked older by a year or two than Silvia and was still in her teenage years. Even so, for a girl at her age to reserve a spot in the secret service, she was someone to be feared. Ash finally remembered her nickname- Argento Magus.

“Erm, what is the field Princess Mirabel specialized in?”

“She had already obtained a mechanical engineering degree and an archaeological degree. She seems to have a deep interest in sacred relics that are found in historic ruins.”

“Sacred relic… What are those?”

“You knew nothing of those! In this Ark Strada continent, there are many historic ruins. There are the so called Zono Ton’s Enlightenment’s historic ruins.”

Ash remembered he learned about it in his history lessons.

“It includes the Zono Ton’s Ark which is a huge historical ruin that was found in the Empire. In it, many ancient machines were found. That includes the airships that run on fossil fuel and magicships that run on Millennium. All these ancient machines were called sacred relics.”

“So, Princess Mirabel is a specialist in those things that are called sacred relics?”

“That’s right. She was even deeply involved in the development of the Silvanus Magicship of our country. With the help from exiled scientists from the Empire, they turned the excavated magic engine in the country into a ‘usable’ state. Apart from that, she was even in charge of the ship design.”

“Really!? She is such an incredible person!”

“Just that Silvanus was badly damaged in the previous fight.”

“About that… I deeply apologize.”

Ash sighed.

“Sorry…”

Eco who listened to their conversation silently also apologized.

“No, the two of you don’t have to worry about it. I know that the Empire is the culprit and Silvanus is currently being repaired. Even though I initially thought that it was completely destroyed, it seems that the magic engine remained unscathed, just narrowly. If the engine is all right, the outer shell can be easily replaced.”

This was the first time Ash heard about this. After it crashed and exploded, Ash never even thought that it could be repaired.

“Is that so…? Thank god. God bless us all.”

To give Eco a peace in her mind, Ash kept on emphasizing the word ‘thank god’.

“Just that, why would a genius like her come to Ansarivan? There is nothing related to mechanical engineering here. Judging from her behavior, she should be able to ignore Princess Veronica’s order.”

In Ansarivan where there are many dragons, there were many tool made from bright dragon crystal. The bright dragon crystal powered lamp is one of them. Because of this, most of the things in Ansarivan were not related to mechanical engineering and that made it stand out from the Knight Country.

“I also feel the same way. Mirabel Onee-sama was never afraid of Veronica Onee-sama. Normally, she could use her studies as an excuse to refuse. But why would Mirabel Onee-sama who even refused to attend the continental congress with her studies as a reason come to Ansarivan… I wonder.”

“Could it be that she took interest in Eco? Even Angela-sensei became a teacher in the academy because she was interested in Eco… Although I didn't see any sign of her for the recent few days.”

“That’s impossible. Mirabel Onee-sama is a person who would only be interested in mechanics. I don’t think her target is Eco.”

Ash breathed a sigh of relief after Silvia ensured him. Recently, Eco seemed to be emotionally unstable. Ash hoped that nothing will happen, at best.

Part 7

Thanks to Lancelot’s effort, the group had arrived at Albion Forest at dusk. After traveling under the scorching sun for the entire afternoon, they now experience the cool evening wind. Around the entrance of the forest was a row of old buildings that looked abandoned. Apart from the cathedral, there was also the novitiate and the quarters. Just by looking for the top, you can feel that those are as old as history itself. The land was very wide and there was the livestock hut and the vegetable farm, not to forget about the vineyard. Albion’s grape wine was very famous and they even exported them to the Chevron kingdom. Looking at the scene below him, Ash muttered:

“Is that… Albion’s novitiate?”

That was the base for Albion Forest Military Order. Although Ash had lost almost all his memories regarding his Orphan Ceremony, but he had a feeling that he missed this place.

“Lancelot, land in front of the gate.”

After receiving its orders, Lancelot started to lower their altitude. Finally, they managed to land safely in front of the gate.

“Gurrr…”

After that, Lancelot rolled itself into a ball and slept. It had used up all its magic in that flight. On a first glance, the dragon who flew with its huge wings actually spent a huge amount of magic.

“Thanks for the hard work.”

Silvia released the reins and patted Lancelot.

“Thank you, Lancelot.”

Ash thanked Lancelot after he had alighted from it. Then, he spread his arms while looking at Eco who was still on Lancelot.

“Hey, Eco! Hoop on.”

Of course that height won’t cause any injuries and Ash was just being thoughtful.

“Nn… Okay.”

Eco placed a hand on her skirt to keep her panties from being seen. Then she jumped from the saddle. Eco who once was not at all bothered by her naked body being seen was now embarrassed to even show her panties. Her recent changes can only be described as shocking. Eco landed in between Ash’s arms.

“Thank you…”

Eco thanked Ash while red in the face and landed on the ground.

“Err… Anything wrong, Princess-sama?

Ash suddenly noticed that Silvia was staring at them. She suddenly blushed.

“I-I am not jealous at all! I never thought about it! No matter what you say, I am a Dragner, not a damsel that has to be protected by a knight!”

Silvia never noticed that she was making it worse when she tried to reason. Ash gave a wry smile and spread his arms in from of Silvia.

“You too, Princess-sama.”

“That's why I said you don’t have to…!”

Although she refused, still she ended up jumping.

However, the skirt for the ladies’ dragsuit was short and when she stood up, the white cloth that wrapped around her skin was seen by Ash.

“H-Hey! If you stand like that…!”

Ash’s shout made Silvia notice.

“Eh?... H-Hey! Where are you looking at- Kyaa!”

Silvia hurriedly tried to hide her panty but in the end she lost her balance. She gave a little groan while she fell.

“Watch out!”

Ash immediately head out and caught Silvia. However, due to the weight of the Dragsuit and her falling momentum…

“Uwaa!”

Ash fell with Silvia in his arms. At the same time, he felt something soft on his face. Of course they were Silvia’s breasts.

“Urgh!”

The shape of her breasts changed and his face was covered as Ash kept on struggling. But the sweet moment only lasted for a short time. Ash felt that he was actually suffocating and finally pushed Silvia away with force.

“Princess-sama… Please… I beg you……”

“Sorry!”

Silvia hurriedly stood up.

“Huff… I am glad that Princess-sama is alright-? Eco… What’s wrong?”

“…”

Eco crossed her arms unhappily and turned her face to aside. Even when Ash kept trying to ask her she refused to even look at him.

“…I thought that was only for me.”

Unfortunately, Ash didn't catch what Eco was mumbling about.

“Erm… Dragner-samas, this place is actually a sacred place thus you may not enter…”

And, there was a person mumbling behind them. Ash then turned around to find a girl aged around ten. She looked like she was in the middle of sweeping since she had a broom in her hand. She looked small and plain like a hamster. In contrast to her cute face, her white coloured dressing and her long skirt made her looked sacred.

“No, we are not any weird people…”

Silvia immediately stopped Ash who was trying to explain.

“I am the Fourth Princess of the Knight Country, Silvia Lautreamont and who are you?”

“P-Princess!?”

The girl dropped her broom and kneeled down on the spot as if she was trying to prostrate herself before Silvia’s feet.

“I-I am sorry for not being able to recognize you! I am called Kurae! I am the priestess of this Albion Forest’s novitiate!”

Her bowing her forehead down many times had caused Ash and Silvia to feel uneasy.

“P-Please stand up. Even though I'm a princess, I'm still a student. Furthermore, I came here today for my private matters. So please stand up.”

“Aaa… Thank you very much.”

Kurae respectfully held Silvia’s hands when she stood up from the ground.

“It is great since you are a priestess. Could we borrow a moment of your time?”

Ash picked up the broom that was laying on the floor and passed it back to Kurae. She took it back without a second thought and looked at him suspiciously.

“…You are?”

“I am Ash Blake, a Dragner.”

Ash took out his silver watch. All the children who dreamed of becoming a Dragner had always been dreaming of being in that situation. Ash was somehow feeling proud. The moment she saw the silver watch, Kurae's eyes became like almond and she kept staring at it.

“So, that handsome dragon… Is Ash-sama's Pal?”

“No… Lancelot is Princess-sama's Pal.”

Kurae was confused.

“Then, where is Ash-sama's Pal?”

“Ehh… My Pal is…”

Ash placed an arm on Eco’s shoulders but he didn't notice Eco trembled a little at the moment his arm was placed.

“She is my Pal, Eco.”

“……”

Eco was embarrassed and was fidgeting in front of Kurae like a child. If it was the past Eco, she would definitely reply with a scold when she felt that the situation was against her… Kurae's expression suddenly changed and kept on staring at Eco’s head.

“Although she looked exactly like a human, those are unmistakably horns. So, you really are young dragon Eco!”

“Huh? Do you know Eco?”

Kurae replied Ash who asked in surprise with a smile:

“That’s right. Just days before, I had received an oracle from Mother Dragon. She told me about it in my dream.”

“Really!?”

“In the novitiate’s record, it had been five hundred years since Mother Dragon had given us an oracle.”

Kurae said proudly however it didn't look impressive when she said it with a broom in her hand.

“Five hundred years!... That’s wonderful!”

Ash was awed.

“Even my grandfather had a heart attack after he heard about it.”

“Wha… Is he alright?”

Ash asked timidly but Kurae replied with a bitter smile.

“He is still as lively as ever. By the way, my grandfather is Albion Forest military order’s leader. He is a great man!”

“That make things simpler. Then, we will greet your grandfather later. Erm, may I ask what was mentioned in the oracle?”

“The Mother Dragon told me that ‘in the coming days, Dragner Ash and Eco the direct descendant of Avalon’s holy dragons' emperor family will be visiting Albion.’ Mother Dragon also reminded me that Eco will be in the form of a human."

Kurae stood up straight and smile.

“Welcome to the holy land of Albion. I welcome you with all my heart.”

Part 8

Ash and the rest passed through the gates while being led by Kurae. Along the way, they walked past a few priests and nuns who looked at them in surprise which made them feel uneasy. As far as it went, although they were known as knights, they didn't feel like one. Kurae was heading towards a stone building at a corner.

“My grandfather’s office is right here.”

Since she was used to it, Kurae entered without knocking. She was followed by Silvia and right behind her was Ash.

Part 9

“I am Albion Forest Military Order’s leader, Casvazu. But I am already an old man. You can call me grandpa.”

The leader of the military order who greeted them was not what they imagined. He was a friendly man. Still, it certainly seemed like he was at an age where a heart attack could happen anytime. Regardless of his voice, even his movements were trembling. He must be ninety…. No, he could be more than a hundred. Since he had a long white beard and was wearing a black robe, he looked exactly like a magician from the fairy tales.

“By the way, Princess Silvia… You have grown into a fine woman. I still remember the day you returned from the forest with your orphan, Lancelot.”

“Thank you, grandpa.”

Silvia thanked his politeness respectfully. However, many complicated feelings emerged on her face at the same time. It was probably because she never told him that the Orphan Lancelot was given to her by Ash which made her feel guilty.

“Erm, who’s the young lad beside you?”

Ash straightened his back when they were talking about him.

“I am Ash Blake.”

The moment his name was mentioned, the old man’s eyebrows twitched.

“Hmm… So you are Ash Blake... Where have I heard this name before…”

The old man paused for a moment and then suddenly he shouted:

“T-That’s it…! Ash! On your left arm… Isn't there a weirdly shaped Seikoku!?”

“Do you mean this?”

Ash pulled up his sleeve and removed the bandages. Normally, Ash didn't want anyone to see his Seikoku. But somehow, he didn't mind this old man seeing it at all. The old man’s eyes glittered the moment he saw Ash’s Seikoku.

“That’s right…. That’s right…! Hmm… I think I'm beginning to remember…”

Ash became nervous once he heard the words that had a deep meaning to them.

“Really! Actually I… don’t have any memories regarding my Orphan Ceremony. Could you tell me anything about it, anything would be fine.”

To his disappointment, the old man shook his head.

“Sorry… The only thing that I remember is that Seikoku. Prince Julius’s Seikoku was one that was different from the rest…, Yours too was not normal.”

“Grandpa! You know about Anii-ue's Seikoku!?”

Suddenly, Silvia leaned forward which surprised Ash.

“Princess-sama? Why are you surprise…?”

Silvia immediately came back to her sense and was embarrassed about it.

“That… When I was still a child, I liked to tease Anii-ue. I once said ‘I want to look at your Seikoku’. But, Anii-ue… He remained silent and cut me off. During that time, I was deeply hurt…”

The old man looked at Silvia and said:

“Prince Julius probably had the same feelings as Ash. The prince’s Seikoku totally covered his back… I thought it was a kind of bad omen the first time I saw it. It is not unreasonable for him to dislike anyone seeing it. Who would have thought that my fear really came true…”

As if she was trying to comfort this old man, Silvia told him this:

“Please rests assured. Actually this is a secret, but Anii-ue is actually alive. He was still at Fontaine City just days before, but it is not yet the time to reveal this truth.”

“Huh…? Is that true!? So the prince had overcome his fate!”

Tears were flowing from the old man’s eyes.

“…Emotions can easily overwhelm me at my age…”

The old man took a deep breath and smiled.

“Lucky for you, we won’t be having the Orphan Ceremony tomorrow. You can search for Mother Dragon tomorrow, how about it?”

As for Ash, he wanted to search for Mother Dragon as soon as possible, however it was already dusk. Even though it may be a sacred place, the night forest was still a dangerous place.

“I understand. We will enter Albion Forest tomorrow. Also… Could you tell us of any place near here where we can spend the night?”

“You don’t have to worry about your lodging!”

Ash’s question was immediately answered by Kurae who was standing at the doorway.

“Our novitiate will provide our visitors a place to stay. Though it may be simple and crude, meals are provided.”

“Really!? Thank you. That really helped us, Kurae. Are the two of you alright with this, Princess-sama, Eco?”

Ash turned around and looked at the two.

“I am alright with it.”

“I will be fine if you are okay with it.”

It was a surprise that Eco answered readily regardless of Silvia. The past Eco would definitely say ‘Do we get to have delicious meat?’. The Eco right now looked more mature and cuter. However it is also true that it felt weird.

-Just as I thought, Eco is best when she is full of spirit and eats a lot. What should I do to help her get rid of her problems…?

Just when Ash was deep in thought-

“…Anything wrong, Ash?” asked Silvia.

Ash immediately came back to his senses.

“N-Nothing… I am fine.”

“Are you sure? You looked like something was troubling you.”

Ash didn't know how to react when Silvia hit the bull’s eye. Luckily, Kurae spoke with an innocent smile:

“Everyone, shall we head to the hostel?”

Part 10

Ash was muttering to himself in the dark forest.

“Haa… What am I actually doing?”

His legs were heavy and the air around was humid. The air was filled with the smells of tree sap and the earth. There were insects buzzing around and even caterpillars dropping from the trees. It always frightened him when he heard the cries from weird birds. Spiders the size of a fist could be seen anywhere. When a snake appeared from the ground, everyone would run without embarrassment.

“Tsk… Where had the others gone?”

When he entered Albion Forest, Ash had been walking with a large group of children. But somehow, Ash was walking alone. It was like the huge forest had swallowed hundreds of children and had them separated.

“Haa…”

He had already lost count of how many times he sighed. Ash then raised his head and looked at the view above. The trees covered the sky like a roof. Even the tiny amount of sunlight that pierced the canopy looked like it was disappearing. Ash had traveled far from a village called Alba at the country borders to this forest. He had come to this sacred place the adults call ‘Albion Forest’. Of course, he didn't come here by his own will.

Part 11

Days ago, Ash just had his seventh birthday on a horse carriage. It was about twenty days ago that his mother, his younger sister, the village chief and his friends saw him off. It was snowing on the day he left Alba. In the end, no one was there to celebrate his birthday with him. He remembered his mother’s advice.

-In this Lautreamont Knight Country, every child must head to ‘the forest’ on their seventh birthday. If you are gifted, the dragon in the forest will give you an Orphan. That is a honorable thing to have.

Unfortunately, the young Ash did not feel the need to be honorable.

“Tsk… What an ill looking forest.”

Ash grumbled while he was wandering around. Finally he stopped.

“*Hick*…”

He thought he heard the voice of a girl crying, but it could be his imagination. He stood still and tried to listen closely.

“*Sob*…*Sob*…"

This time, he was sure of it.

“I better go have a look.”

Ash ran. Rather than being worried about the girl, it was more accurate to say that he was looking for a companion. He kept moving towards the source of that voice. Ash gasped after passing through the thick bushes. A girl was sitting under a big tree crying. There were two reasons for Ash’s gasp. One was because of the girl’s blonde hair.

Even though they were in the dark forest, her hair was like sparkling gold even when there was only a tiny amount of light. It was not something that could be found at the border in Alba. The other was because of the girl’s attire. She was wearing a dress with many jewels of different colours sewn into it. It didn't look like a dress that should be worn when entering a forest. Ash cautiously walked towards her and slowly reached out with his hand.

“Are you alright?”

The girl slowly lifted her head. Looking out from behind the tidy fringes were a pair of wet, ice blue eyes-

Part 12

“Princess-sama…!?”

After being surprised by the girl’s beauty, Ash returned from his seven year old self. And because of that, Ash woke up from his sleep. He was confused for a moment after waking up in an unfamiliar room but immediately remembered that he was in the hostel for visitors. It was just a simple room with an old single bed placed by the wall. Eco and Silvia were not with him. Guys and girls had to sleep separately in the strict novitiate. Both Eco and Silvia were sleeping in the woman’s hostel.

“It is already morning…”

Ash mumbled while looking out the window. The morning rays had brightened up the room and the scenery was just a huge swath of forest with the cries of wild birds heard from beyond. Ash took a look at his silver watch that was placed by his pillow side and saw that it was just five o’clock.

“What was that dream about…?”

Ash sat up and pushed his sweaty fringes to the side. Even though the weather was not hot, Ash’s entire body was drenched in sweat. It actually felt like he had been running in the forest. Ash tried to recall his dream. He was sure that it was about what happened when he was seven. He was also sure that it was of the time when he was in Albion Forest. Ash was having his Orphan Ceremony in his dream.

“Is that what actually happened in my past?”

Once he considered this possibility, Ash’s heart was beating rapidly non-stop. Since he became Eco’s host, the past that he could never remember - suddenly appeared in his dream.

What does this mean?

“Could it be that because this is a sacred place…? Did it affect me…?”

Suddenly at that moment, Ash remembered something important.

“That’s right, princess-sama…”

The girl who appeared at the end of the dream-

“Although she was still a child, I am certain that she is princess-sama! Did I… meet princess-sama during my Orphan Ceremony!?”

Ash wanted to rush into the woman’s hostel to question Silvia about it, but he managed to stop himself. That was a place where men were not allowed to take a step, no matter what. Also, this was not the academy but the novitiate. If he ever broke the rules, he won’t be getting away easily. In the end, it was just a dream. It is better not to act rashly before he had any evidence.

“Haa… I will go wash my face first.”

Ash sighed while he was crawling out of his bed. By the way, didn't I keep sighing in my dream… Ash smiled when he thought about this.

Part 13

After taking his breakfast in the hostel, Ash met up with Silvia and Eco at the cathedral. Then, the trio immediately headed towards Albion Forest. Lancelot wouldn't be able to travel with them since the forest was thick and the dragons were too large. Since they never intended to ride on a dragon, they wore their school uniforms instead of the dragsuits. Similar to yesterday, Eco was wearing her uniform. She was carrying the stuffed toy in front of her chest. She seemed to like it very much, given that she took the trouble to bring it with her. The temperature in the forest was cool, which made them doubt that it was in mid-summer. This forest bore a different kind of feeling compared to a normal forest. To put it in words, it actually felt sacred. The reason they called Albion Forest a sacred place may not solely be due to it being the home of Mother Dragon. Or it could be that this place became sacred because it was the home of Mother Dragon. Ash felt nostalgic when he breathed in the surrounding air.

No, it was definitely not weird. Ash definitely had visited this place before. The view in front of him definitely matched the image of the forest in his dream.

“The problem is, where is Mother Dragon? Did Navi tell you anything about it?”

Silvia who was leading the group turned around and looked at Ash.

“No… Navi didn't tell me anything.”

“I see. If that’s the case, we will enter the forest like we did during the Orphan ceremony.”

Silvia declared and continued marching in.

-Kshaaaaaa!

Suddenly there was the cry of a weird bird.

“Eek!”

Silvia covered her head with her arms. Ash was shocked because from behind, she looked exactly like the girl in his dreams.

“Are you alright, Princess-sama? I think you better not wander too far away from us.”

“I am fine! I-I am not scared at all!”

Although Silvia boasted this, in the end, she was walking side by side with Ash. Ash smiled bitterly in his heart to avoid being noticed.

“Hey… Ash.”

Eco, who had remained silent since entering the forest, gave Ash a gentle pull on his sleeve.

“Yes?”

“About Mother Dragon… Is she my ‘mother’?”

Ash was dumbfounded when he heard this. Since he had been focused on searching for Mother Dragon the entire time, he had never thought about it.

“She is indeed called a mother. I am sure that she is definitely a mother to you. What do you think about it, Princess-sama?”

Silvia crossed her arms and said:

“It is probably different compared to us humans. Mother Dragon is like a queen bee. She probably won’t care about every newborn she has…”

Half way through speaking, Silvia noticed a change in expression on Eco’s face and hurriedly corrected herself.

“Of course this is just my assumption. I don’t know the actual truth.”

“So, we will only know the truth after we meet her.”

Ash assured her by petting her head.

“Don’t worry, I will be right here. I will be there for you no matter how Mother Dragon treats you. That is one thing that will never change.”

“Ash…!”

Eco lifted her head after Ash's encouragement. Her long eyelashes, her eyes were wet together with her blushing transparent white skin.

-C-Cute…!

Even though he was just looking at Eco, his heart already started to beat rapidly. The two of them just stared at each other silently…

“Ahem!”

A cough that could shake a earth gave Ash and Eco the fright of their life.

“Hey… Have you both forgotten about me.”

Ash hurriedly turned around and saw Silvia looking at them displeased.

Part 14

The trio were just wandering around the forest aimlessly. Ash suddenly stopped after passing through some bushes. An image of a young girl appeared in front of him. The girl had hair as dazzling as the rays of light that pierced the forest canopy and a pair of clear blue eyes. She was carrying a dragon shaped stuffed toy. She was crying because of her injured leg.

“This is…!”

Ash even forgot to blink when he looked at his surroundings. There was an empty space below the dense canopy, near the roots of a huge tree. It was definitely the same. It was the exact same place as his dream.

“Ash?”

Silvia who was five steps in front of him turned around.

“Is there anything wrong?”

Eco was looking at him worriedly.

“…Nothing. Sorry.”

Ash came back to his senses and continued his journey.

-Has Princess-sama forgotten about this place…?

Ash wondered while he was looking at Silvia from behind. No, it is quite normal not to remember the scene in the forest.

Just that, since the place in the dream actually existed, the dream might be real.

-Is what happened in my dream my past experience?

“Hmm? Huh… Eco? Princess-sama?”

Ash was shocked when he lifted his head again. Eco and Silvia who should have been walking in front of him had disappeared. Everything around him was either bushes or trees.

“Damn! Eco! Princess-sama!”

Ash was shouting their name while he ran around. Suddenly, a white fog appeared from nowhere. Ever since this he couldn't really rely on his vision, Ash was just searching for the two blindly.

“Ecoooooooo! Princess-samaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

However, the further he walked the thicker the fog became. In the end, everything he saw was blank white. He even began to lose consciousness.

“Tsk… What in the world is this fog…”

After he finished this sentence, Ash’s consciousness was completely devoured by the fog.

Part 15

“Huff… We have been walking for some time and Mother Dragon has yet to appear. She should at least tell us where to look for her.”

Silvia grumbled and at the same time, she stopped.

“Urgh!”

Eco immediately knocked into Silvia.

“Why did you suddenly stop!?”

Eco scolded with her swollen nose. Silvia turned around and glared at Eco.

“And why did you walk without looking where you're going!?”

Silvia was trying to provoke her. Eco then also noticed that Silvia was staring at her stuffed toy. Eco just couldn't understand why Silvia was interested in how Ash acquired the stuffed toy. She was pissed about it. No matter what happened, this toy will always be an important thing to Eco. She had thought it looked cute at first sight and she just felt drawn to it. Most important of all, it was given to her by Ash. Eco hugged it tightly.

“Why do you have to enter the forest? Mother Dragon only asked for Ash and me. Why could you not stay in the novitiate’s garden and search for Rex Albioni!?”

“W-What did you say!”

Silvia’s expression changed. This was the first time Eco saw a human’s face turn pale as if drained of blood.

“I came with you because I am worried! Are you saying that… Do you not like that I am being nice to you?”

“Hah! Being nice! Maybe it is because of an uninvited guest that Mother Dragon has not appeared!”

Although this was said at the spur of the moment, it was still a logical reason. That’s right. Mother Dragon hasn't appeared before them because Silvia accompanied them. The one she asked for were Ash and Eco. But, Eco knew that she was being mean to Silvia, who usually took care of her. Her heart was conflicted, wondering whether she had over reacted.

“Eco… Do you really mean it?”

Silvia who was seldom scolded was looking down. However, the more she thought about the connection between the toy and Silvia, the more uneasy she felt.

If this stuffed toy really belongs to Silvia… What does that signify?

“Hey Eco! If you want to apologize, this will be your only chance.”

Silvia was glaring at Eco sharply. She was obviously cross because of Eco’s words.

“Hmph! I will let Ash decide who is at fault!”

“Fine with me! Hey, Ash!”

“Ash! Tell us immediately!”

But Ash never answered.

“…Ash? Huh?”

Eco was looking at her surroundings. Ash who had been walking with them just moments before had disappeared.

“Ash!? Where is he?”

Eco lost her cool. Ash was lost. Ash who was always by her side has gotten lost. Eco had become separated from Ash in the past, which led to a horrible experience with the Empire. Because of that, she felt uneasy whenever Ash was not by her side.

“Hey, Ash!? Where are you!?”

Silvia was looking around searching for him. Unnoticed by them, the white fog had started to appear and it became difficult for them to see things even an inch away.

“Grrrrrrrr…”

At that moment, they certainly heard a beast's growl.

“Please tell me that I am dreaming…!”

Eco who turned around immediately froze.

“Wha…! A Necromancia!? This is ridiculous! This should be a sacred place…!”

Just as Silvia had said, standing right in front of her was a Necromancia. Similar to Willingham Mausoleum, it was a young dragon sized Necromancia. But it was still as intimidating as ever. Though it looked small, its black fur and rotten teeth were still too much to bear.

“Stay behind!”

Silvia, as if trying to protect Eco, took out a huge Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Lancelot! I summon you in my name, Silvia Lautreamont- urgh!"

Many whip like tentacles appeared from the Necromancia's stomach and the spell was interrupted. Silvia’s wrist was grabbed and she dropped the Bright Dragon Crystal. Apart from that, more of the deep red coloured tentacles appeared and grabbed her arms and legs. The next thing she knew, her entire body was surrounded by tentacles and she was hanging in mid air. The more she struggled the tighter the tentacles gripped.

“Urgh… Stooooop!”

Silvia was red with anger and tears flowed from her eyes. Eco was shocked to see that the usually cool and brave Silvia could do nothing against them.

“Grrrrrrrrrrroooooooo!”

The Necromancia roared and it's slimy tentacles wrapped themselves around Silvia’s cleavage and hips. The tentacles left slimy residue wherever they touched.

“Tsk… For me, the fourth princess of the Knights… To be suffering from this… Do you know what will happen to you!?”

Of course her intimidation would never work. In the end, a tentacle found a way into her cloths and tore them. The rags from her clothes dropped like snowflakes. Her feminine shoulders, her breast, and her waist were all exposed.

“Aah! W-Where are you touching…! You better…! Aaa…!”

The tentacles were crawling on her snow white body. The slime that came from the tips had caused her entire body to become slimy.

Even so, Silvia shouted to Eco:

“What are you doing!? Run! Don’t worry about me!”

“I-I… I can’t do that!”

Eco clenched her fist. Just moments ago, Eco had said terrible things to Silvia. But now, Silvia had risked her life to allow Eco to escape. Running away on her own was something her pride would never allow. If Ash were with them, she could have at least given him his Ark to allow him to fight. But in this case, he had disappeared. If that’s the case, Eco would do it on her own way.

-If I turn into a dragon… They are just small fries. But how do I control my transformation?

Eco was trying to figure it out while sweat was running down her forehead. No matter how hard she tried to recall that feeling… she still couldn't get a clear image of it.

“Eco! Watch out! Behind you!” warned Silvia.

“Eh….?”

Eco turned around, and stood frozen. Like a beast who spotted its prey, a second Necromancia had its eyes on Eco.

“Eek…!”

Her face turned pale. Though she wanted to run away, her body wouldn't budge.

“Grrrrrrrrrrroooooooo!”

While it roared, numerous tentacles burst from it. In just a split second, they had captured Eco’s arms and legs. Eco felt herself being lifted from the ground and the next thing she knew, she was hanging upside down. She felt embarrassed the moment she noticed that she was being hung upside down. This was because her skirt was now at her chest and her panties were exposed.

“Nooooooooooo!”

Eco shouted in despair but her vision was now obscured by the deep red coloured tentacles.

Part 16

“Are you… Hurt?”

Just as Ash asked this, the blond girl suddenly stood up.

“W-Who is hu-!?”

However, before she could even finish speaking, the girl showed an expression of pain and fell to the ground again.

“Urgh…”

Judging her reaction, it seemed be her ankle that was injured. Suddenly, something fell.

“Huh…?”

Ash picked it up and noticed that it was a stuffed dragon toy. It didn't look good even judging at the lowest possible standard. In general, it was carelessly done and its body was designed to be round. He even doubted whether this was a dragon.

“Don’t you think that's pitiful to leave it on the ground?”

Ash handed her the stuffed toy and spoke to her in a tone similar to how he usually talked to his sister. It seemed like the toy was indeed important to the girl since she took it back with full force. Ash gave the girl a wry smile, turned around and knelt down.

“W-What are you doing!?”

The girl continued to put on an act, but it was obvious that she was at her limit.

“Isn't it obvious? I am bringing you back to the entrance.”

“What! You mean… We are going back!? Are you going to give up on the Orphan Ceremony?”

Ash nodded and spoke as if it was as clear as the blue sky.

“That should be the most sensible thing to do. You can’t expect to search with that leg of yours right?”

“Don’t joke with me!”

Ash didn't expect to be shouted at.

“I need a Pal! It is impossible for me to turn back now!”

“The Pal that you speak of… What is that?”

Ash asked.

“What! How can you not know that, as a citizen of the Knights Country!” replied the girl in a rage.

“Remember this! It is the bond between a Breeder and a dragon! It is a very sacred word!”

“I see…”

But the girl was not letting him off easily. Leaning forward, she continued on.

“What about you? If you have the time to worry about me, why not search for Mother Dragon? Or do you not want to become a Breeder?”

“W-What?”

Because the distance between their faces was too small, Ash was much too embarrassed and tried not to look straight at the girl.

“So you are pretending to search for Mother Dragon with the intention of returning home empty handed? So the recent talk in town about most children lacking motivation these days is true.”

Ash flustered when the girl pointed out his plan. Truthfully, Ash was never interested in dragons. Maybe those children without motivation the girl speaks of are children like me. Even so, Ash could never admit this while the girl was seriously talking to him.

“If it is possible… I would like to meet with Mother Dragon… I think?”

“Then, lets go! I will teach you about my family’s motto! Listen carefully!”

Shhh… There was a gentle breeze blowing, followed by the cry of birds.

“The knight's pride is his dragon.”

After being motivated by the girl, Ash was going to turn to his right, but…

“Hold on! If I were to leave, what about you? Wouldn't you be lonely?”

“B-But I will never withdraw because of a mere injury! I-I will never give up!”

Ash sighed. He even laughed when he thought about the mess she was in. Once again, he looked straight into the girl’s eyes. What an unpredictable girl. Where had the girl who was crying because of an injured leg gone? When she was talking about dragons, her eyes sparkled. Ash thought that he was meddlesome but still came up with a decision.

“I see. You want to become a Breeder no matter what, am I right?”

“That goes without saying.”

“And you are sure you don’t want to head back?”

“That too goes without saying!”

“That is why there is only one choice left. I will give you a piggyback ride and we shall search for Mother Dragon together. How about that?”

“Eh?”

The girl was surprised. Unfortunately, the girl was not listening to Ash. Her blue eyes were staring at the space behind Ash.

“W-What’s wrong?”

Finally, Ash noticed that something was off and he turned around.

“Guuooooo!”

To his horror, a huge animal was glaring at him from the middle of the bushes.

It's wet body was shiny from the sunlight piercing through the thick canopy.

“A Basilisk…!”

Though it may have been a lowly animal, it was still a kin to the Asias. It lifted its webbed front leg and took a step towards Ash.

“Run!”

Ash forcibly placed the girl onto his back and dashed off.

Part 17

“Haa…Haaa… I thought I was dead meat.”

After running frantically in the forest, Ash finally stopped underneath a tree with his heart almost exploding. Luckily, he no longer had to worry about the Basilisk.

“Huff… Are you alright?”

The girl on his back didn’t reply. She was shivering in fear while tightly holding on to Ash. Only then did Ash realize that their bodies were too close to each other and he blushed in embarrassment. He could feel her body heat through the clothes on his back and smell the perfume that she used. The girls in Ash’s village never had the habit of putting on perfume. And even the ladies only use it on special occasions. Right now, his heart was on the verge of exploding for another reason. To distract himself, he tried provoking the girl.

“Tsk. Who would have expect you to be this timid. Didn't you say ‘The knight's pride is his dragon’? See, even your family motto is crying.”

“Shut up!”

After being provoked, the girl was in a rage and gave Ash a good beating.

“Ouch! I beg you, please stop!”

Ash almost dropped her to the ground.

“It is because you made fun of me!”

“Fine, I am sorry! I am really sorry! Ouch!”

-The knight's pride is his dragon.

Judging from this family motto, the girl should be from a Dragner's family. However, how is she going to ride a dragon while being timid…

Her family probably also thought this and that’s why they had prepared a cute dress for her. Of course, Ash didn't tell her what he was thinking.

“…Erm, what should we do next?”

The girl stopped hitting him after she heard him asking.

The sun was starting to set.

It was almost time for the Orphan Ceremony to end. According to the Albion Forest military order who was in charge of the Orphan Ceremony, Mother Dragon will only appear in front of a gifted child who. Even so, the girl answered firmly.

“I will never give up! I will search for Mother Dragon no matter what!”

Ash laughed after he heard the expected answer. Of course, Ash had no objection. Just moments before, he had promised the girl.

-I will give you a piggyback ride and we shall search for Mother Dragon together.

“Then… Shall we start searching?”

“Lets!”

Ash took a whole new step forward. The wet earth sunk a little because of their combined weight.

Why do I feel like I have become her 'Pal'…

Part 18

Ring…

Ash’s body almost reached its limit when he first heard the beautiful sound.

Ring…

Ash heard it once again.

No, he didn't even know if it was really a sound. It was more like a vibration that he felt on his body rather than a sound that he heard with his ears.

“Did you hear that?”

“Huh?”

Ash was speechless when the reply was a question.

“It is hard to put it in words, but it is like someone is calling out to me.”

“Really!”

The girl suddenly leaned forward which nearly caused Ash to lose his balance.

“Maybe Mother Dragon is calling out to you. Then…”

Suddenly, the girl lost all her motivation and turned silent.

“What’s wrong?”

“I hear nothing at all… Even though you are able to.”

“Well, we can't be certain that it is the voice of Mother Dragon. It could be my imagination-”

Right at that moment, in a split second, his vision was filled with bright light. The dense forest disappeared from view. Right after that, Ash was floating in an empty space.

Part 19

“This is…”

Ash was in an unknown space. At first glance, he thought he was in a dark cave, but the ceiling was too high. There were many balls of light moving around on the ceiling. By taking a closer look, he noticed that they were actually bright dragon crystals. Even the most luxurious chandeliers didn't look as magnificent as this. There was a wide lake at his feet and it was reflecting the lights in the ceiling. The lake water was clear and it only went up to about Ash’s knees. Facing the lake was an old looking building. Ash thought it looked like a shrine that was dug out from the ruins. The ground was made of square rocks and right on them stood many pillars with weird looking carvings. A huge wall painting could be seen inside the shrine through the space in between the pillars though he couldn't understand it. Suddenly, Ash noticed a sweet scent. It smelled a little like lavender and a little like rose. It should be the so called Ansal that dragons like.

“Nnn…”

All of a sudden, there was a sound coming from beside Ash. When he turned around, he saw the girl lying beside him. Ash’s heart skipped a beat when he noticed the heat of her palm. Seeing that the girl was opening her eyes, Ash immediately let go of her hand.

“This is…”

The girl who had just opened her eyes was looking around at this unknown space.

-Ring…

Ash once again felt that weird feeling.

“Did you hear that weird sound?”

The girl shook her head sadly. It seemed that only Ash could feel it. Suddenly, there was a strong gust. Ash was almost blown away while the girl kept holding on to her toy while enduring the wind. At the same time, a loud sound that could shake the earth was echoing within the cave. They were unable to keep their eyes open. Finally, the sound and the wind stopped. Ash was trembling in fear when he opened his eyes slowly. There was something on the opposite side of the lake in the middle of the shrine.

It was a dragon.

There were two ivory colored horns on its head. Its body was covered with white fur and there were many sparkling jewelries on its long neck.

“Is that… Mother Dragon?”

“Eh?”

In contrast to Ash's reaction, the girl was looking around aimlessly. It seemed like only Ash could see the dragon.

“Grrooooo!”

The dragon lifted its neck and roared. The pebbles on the ground were starting to vibrate. The dragon’s height was about a three-story building after it stretched it's neck. Though she couldn't see the dragon, the girl could still hear its roar. Since she was frightened, she was clinging to Ash. However, Ash was surprised that he was not at all afraid. Rather than that, he felt that he could understand the dragon.

-Ash Blake of Alba Village. I shall hand thee my Orphan…

This feeling was right. Mother Dragon was entrusting an Orphan to him.

“Don’t joke with me!”

Ash was in rage. To be frank, Ash never intended to have an Orphan. If it hadn't been of that girl, he would not have been searching for Mother Dragon in the first place. On the other hand, the girl had always wanted an Orphan. Ash never asked her about her reasons but he could feel that it was important. That was why he had made a decision the moment he met her.

“Mother Dragon! You are an idiot! I am not the one who needs an Orphan! It is she who needs it!”

After shouting in a loud voice that even surprised himself, he tightly grabbed both of her shoulders and made her stand in front of him.

“Hey…! What are you doing!?”

“Get a hold of yourself! Didn't you have your own reasons!?”

“B-But… I can’t even see Mother Dragon…”

“That's not a problem! Mother Dragon is right there!”

Ash was pointing towards Mother Dragon.

“Please, Mother Dragon! Entrust her with an Orphan!”

“…”

There was no reply. Instead, Mother Dragon’s fur was glowing with white light. Ash’s body was surrounded by a mysterious light.

“Urgh…!”

Ash noticed that a formless energy was entering his body. His left hand was being lifted against his will. Even though Ash tried to clench his fist, it ended up failing. He felt that his left hand was burning. A symbol like a family crest of a noble was slowly being branded on Ash’s palm.

“Y-You… Fool!”

It was clear that it was the proof of the contract, the Seikoku. Mother Dragon was forcing an Orphan on to Ash without even listening to what he was trying to say. It seemed that regardless of human or dragon, mothers will never listen to reasons.

-Stop! If this continues… I will become a breeder!

Ash grabbed onto the girl and dragged her towards him. He then shouted as loud as a dragon.

“Uooooooooooooooooooooo!”

-Don!

Ash pushed his burning palm towards the middle of the girl’s chest.

She immediately felt an electric shock from the tips of her finger to her head.

“Aah…!”

The girl groaned. Even so, Ash kept on pressing his hand on the girl’s chest. The girl’s dress started to tear and her white skin beneath was exposed. Nevertheless, Ash’s burning hand was not leaving her chest. Ash never thought that his struggle could change anything. However, that never stopped him from trying. He would never allow the girl to lose her only chance of becoming a Breeder. A person could only attend the Orphan Ceremony once in their lifetime. There was never a second chance.

“I will hand this Seikoku over to you! This Orphan… Is now yours!” Ash cried in agony.

-Buumg!

Then, something unbelievable happened in front of Ash.

His left arm exploded. The area below his elbow and his sleeve was blasted into pieces.

“Hic…!”

The girl lost consciousness from the shock of being bathed in blood. She then fell on the spot. Ash too, who had witnessed the unbelievable things happening, was on the verge of losing consciousness and managed to barely hold his ground only after putting all his effort in it. Although it didn't hurt, blood was still flowing from that terrible wound. Ash turned to look at the girl while trying his hardest to stay conscious. In the middle of her white chest was the Seikoku that was once branded on Ash’s palm. Regardless of what happened, the Seikoku had been successfully transferred to the girl.

“Haha… I did it… I really did it…!”

While Ash was laughing joyfully, he fell to the ground dead.

Part 20

“Uwaaaa!”

Ash woke up in shock from his left arm exploding.

“Huh?”

He hurriedly take a look at his left arm. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that it was still wrapped in bandages as usual.

“It seems that you are now awake.”

Suddenly, there was a clear voice coming from above.

“Huh… Uwaa!”

There was a woman he had never seen before looking at him. He immediately leaped away when he noticed that he was lying in her lap. The woman who gave Ash a lap pillow had long green hair that reached her waist and an unworldly beauty. Her eyes were also green which made them look like large jades. There were two horns on her head and they had many tines on them. She was the third woman Ash knew to have horns. She looked to be around twenty five years old. Even though she looked young, she seemed like a lady from a noble's family. Even the dress she wore was of high quality. She was just like a dame that appeared in the opera.

“Excuse me…. You are?”

“I am Mother Dragon.”

“Eeeh!?”

Ash almost had the shock of his life. Looking around, the scene certainly looked like the scene in his dream. It was the spot where the seven year old Ash met Mother Dragon. Ash was now inside the shrine he hadn't entered in his dreams. On the other side of the pillars was the huge lake glittering under the lights. It was presumable that it was a space built by the dragon’s magic. Because it somehow felt like the dragon workshop. There was even the smell of Ansal. Even so, was the lady standing in front of him Mother Dragon?

The Mother Dragon that appeared in his dream was in the form of a sacred dragon, but now she looked like a young woman. Although it was certain this woman was a dragon judging by her horns. Ash suddenly remembered something important.

“Are Eco and Princess-sama alright!? I remember that they were lost in the forest!”

“Both of them are here.”

Mother Dragon answered calmly and pointed at the area behind Ash.

“Who do you think… I am… I am gonna crush… Aaah!”

“Stop… I am the princess of this country…! Who allowed you to touch that spot…!”

Eco and Silvia were both lying on the ground. They seemed to be having a nightmare. Sweat was beading on their foreheads. Even their distress looked alluring and made Ash’s heart skipped a beat.

What in the world are they dreaming about?

“Erm… Are the two of them alright?”

Mother Dragon answered indifferently -

“These are just elementary level illusions. Both of them lack training. But, worry not, it won’t affect their bodies.”

“I see…”

After he breathed a sigh of relief, he remembered something important about Eco and Mother Dragon.

“That right! Eco was wondering about something related to you. She was wondering if you are her ‘mother’. I will wake her up immediately."

“Please do hold on.”

He couldn't believe that the Mother Dragon who was always thought to be kind would snap at him.

“Sorry to say this, but even though I may be the mother of all dragons, I am not Eco’s mother.”

“Eh…?”

“In other words, I am responsible for the reproduction system of the dragons. I am the core of the wise dragon Albion’s magic. Even when she is Avalon’s Imperial Princess, I bear no personal feelings for her.”

Ash felt sad for Eco after hearing what Mother Dragon had said.

“Don’t you think that Eco is pitiful… After what you said? What’s more, it is you who summoned Eco here. Didn't you ask for her because you miss her?”

After Ash said this, Mother dragon closed her eyes and the shadows of her long eyelashes showed on her white skin.

“…That’s right. I was, at the beginning. But I changed my mind in the end. I decided that it is better not to meet with Eco. I shall tell you everything you need to know and please allow Eco to sleep where she is.”

“But!”

“Even if we were to meet, I won’t be able to treat her like a daughter. That’s why, it is better for us that we do not meet. Also, even without a mother, Eco will still have you as her knight and Princess Silvia as a friend who would help her at any cost. And of course, the dragons in the Knight Country are on Eco’s side. She doesn't need anything else as far as I can see.”

“… I understand.”

Though he would still like to reason with her, Mother Dragon seemed to have made up her mind and nothing could change it.

“Then, lets proceed to our main topic.”

Ash became nervous once this was said.

“I know about Eco’s awakening in Fontaine City that happened days ago.”

“I beg your pardon for not being able to protect Eco properly…”

“We can’t do anything about the past, and I am not here to lecture you. However, the power of the Avalon Holy Dragon Emperor is enormous. It could even destroy this planet if misused. The Eco right now isn't mentally mature enough and can't control her powers properly. Just days before, didn't that child try transforming because of some trivial matter?”

“I-I am really sorry about that.”

Ash was surprised. It seemed that Mother Dragon knew everything. But that indeed was some trivial matter. Eco was going to transform into a dragon because of a quarrel with Silvia over a stuffed toy… Although Ash managed to stop Eco from transforming by hugging her, that was just because he was lucky.

“The action that Nehalennia's dark dragons’ king Mordred and the Empire’s army is taking is indeed worrisome. Also, Chevron Kingdom, Holy Espada Agency and Labrock Trade Union are taking notice of the incident of the huge dragon that appeared in Fontaine City.”

After she finished speaking, Mother Dragon took out something. It was a silver bracelet. The exquisite carving on the bracelet was somewhat similar to Ash’s Seikoku.

“This is…”

“This is Avalon’s Bracelet. As long as Eco wears this, she will not transform into a dragon no matter what kind of a situation she is in. Apart from that, she could even learn to control her powers with it. Once she has gotten used to it, she will be able to transform when she takes the bracelet off.”

“Really!?”

Ash leaned forward. At the moment Eco wasn't able to consciously control her transformation. That’s why she almost transformed due to some trivial matter. However, with this Avalon’s Bracelet, she could control her transformation, is what Mother Dragon had said.

“…Because of some selfish people, the mighty being of the descendant of the Avalon’s holy dragons' emperor family was exposed in front of everyone. This is a serious problem for both humans and dragons. From today onward, there will be people appearing before her with the intention of making use of her powers. Please never forget that it is both hers and your responsibility as her knight to make use of the power of Avalon.”

“I will keep that in my heart.”

Ash who was moved by Mother Dragon’s words answered sincerely. He could feel the weight of the bracelet in his palm after receiving it from Mother Dragon.

“Then, I shall end our meeting here. I shall now send you back to the entrance-”

As soon as she had done her job, Mother Dragon once again spoke in an official tone for sending them off. But Ash had become nervous.

“Hold on! Actually… I have something that I need to ask you no matter what.”

“May I know what that is?”

“I… I had lost all my memories about the time of my Orphan Ceremony. But since I had returned to this sacred place, I began to remember parts of them. About how I met Princess-sama in the forest… And later being called out by you. And also the things that I did against your will for Princess-sama's sake.”

Mother Dragon sighed.

“That's right. I was indeed surprised. At the beginning, I intended to entrust Lancelot to you. Although it is not a direct descendant, Lancelot is still a high status dragon whose bloodline is related to the Avalon’s holy dragons' emperor family.”

“Really! Lancelot is Eco’s relative…!? But why did you not entrust an Orphan to Princess-sama?”

“Unfortunately, Silvia Lautreamont doesn't have the quality to become a Dragner.”

Ash was getting angry even though the person speaking was Mother Dragon.

“That can’t be! Princess-sama was always top in her results in the academy!”

“That’s because of her personal efforts.”

“Doesn't that mean she is gifted?”

“Both of them are not related. She was just replacing her lack of talent with her hard work.”

“Isn't that the same?”

“It is not that her hard work was all for naught… If she continues to polish herself, she will definitely become a great Paladin who will be able to lead this Lautreamont Knight Country. However, no matter how much effort she puts forth, it is a cruel truth but she will never be able to surpass Ash Blake.”

Ash was not at all happy after being praised. But, there will be clashes in opinion between Ash who grew up in a human community and Mother Dragon who was responsible for the existence of the dragons. There was no point in continuing to argue, Ash still had something else he wanted to ask.

“I… I want to know what happened during my Orphan Ceremony. I could only recall my memories until the moment I went against your will and lost my left arm… I couldn't remember anything beyond that.”

“Fine. Since you have taken a long journey to Albion Forest, I will show it to you as a gift.”

Mother Dragon stretched out her arms and placed them on Ash’s face. Ash’s heart skipped a beat after noticing the sweet scent.

“Mother…?”

“Please close your eyes. I will send you the necessary information.”

After that, Mother Dragon pressed her forehead on Ash’s. Ash noticed that her forehead was cold. In a split second, a vast amount of information flowed into Ash’s mind and his memories started appearing.

Part 21

“Kyaaaaaaaaa!”

The girl shrieked and then she lost consciousness. Together with her stuffed dragon toy, both of them fell to the ground. Ash’s foolish action had successfully transferred the Seikoku onto the girl’s chest. That Seikoku on her chest was indeed the one that was previously on Ash’s hand.

“Haha… I did it… I really did it…!”

His left arm that was blasted apart was still dripping with blood. He then dropped dead on the ground with a smile on his face.Mother Dragon who was still in the form of a dragon transformed into a woman and landed beside Ash. Seeing Ash’s pale face, Mother Dragon spoke indifferently -

“What a foolish boy… But, Ash Blake, it is a pity if I do not save a rare talent like you. Although this may deviate from the original plan, I will place my bets on you.”

Mother Dragon held her hands in front of her chest. There was a strong light forming in both her palms. The light intensity kept on increasing till the entire shrine was filled with light. But then, his memories immediately moved to a second scene.

Part 22

“Uwaaa!”

Ash woke up in the forest from the shock. At the same time, he remembered the events in the shrine. He hurriedly took a look at his left arm and found that it was still in one piece. Even his sleeve that had been blasted apart together with his arm seemed fine.

“What happened?”

Ash tried clenching his fist and releasing it. There didn't seem to be any problem. It just felt like his arm didn't be belong to him. It felt more like a borrowed arm. But before he even rolled up his sleeve, he remembered the girl.

“That girl…”

He spotted the girl immediately was lying in a place not far from Ash. Though she still hadn't regained consciousness, she was breathing normally while cuddling her toy.

“I’m glad nothing bad happened.”

Ash breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he felt that something was off. He was certain that her cloth was torn while he was transferring his Seikoku to her… But it now looked the same it did the fist time he meet her. Did someone mend her cloth just as they did Ash’s?

“That’s right, I have to make sure…”

Ash gulped when he stretched his hand towards the girl. He must first untie the ribbon at her collar…

“I am not doing anything bad…”

When he was mumbling to himself while untying the ribbon…

“Nnn…”

The girl moaned.

“Uwaa!”

Ash had the shock of his life and retreated from the girl.

“Huh? Why… Why am I in the forest?”

The girl sat up slowly. She was sleepily looking around at her surroundings.

“Right! My body is…”

The girl placed her toy by her knee and started untying her ribbon.

“Hey! What are you doing!?”

The girl ignored Ash while she continued to unbutton herself. In a few moments, she was showing her white chest. Ash tried to avert his eyes but he was stopped by the girl.

“Look properly! I want you to look properly!”

Her serious expression didn't make her look like a seven year old.

“Eh…?”

Ash took a peek at the girl’s chest timidly. Her skin was like snow. There was a symbol carved on her flat chest. Ash couldn't be wrong. It was the Seikoku that was once on his left hand.

“So… It was not a dream.”

Ash mumbled. After allowing Ash to see her Seikoku, she buttoned her dress.

“Basically, I don’t remember any of the details. But what I know is… Originally, this Seikoku belonged to you… It was entrusted to you by Mother Dragon. Am I right?”

“No, that is…”

Ash was at lost for words.

“You don’t have to hide it. Because of you, I am able to become a Breeder. Right now, there is an Orphan inside my body. It is hard for me to explain… But I can feel it.”

“Really. Isn't that great?”

As Ash started smiling, the girl became angry.

“There’s nothing great about it! I… I am in debt to you. It is a debt that… I can never repay! Please tell me what should I do!”

Ash panicked as soon as he saw the girl becoming mad.

“No, aren't you exaggerating?”

“Nothing of the sort! From the beginning, I never had the qualification to become a Breeder. I couldn't even see Mother Dragon…”

At that point, tears started falling from her eyes. Ash gave her a wry smile and placed his hand on her head.

“…Tsk, what a crybaby. How are you to become a great Dragner?”

“Even if you say that…”

“If you really want to repay me, please don’t cry anymore. It is a promise.”

The girl then lifted her head and wiped the tears with her sleeve. A new expression appeared on her face, as if the tears moments ago were lies.

“You… No, I swear to thee. I will never cry again. And I promise that I will become a great Dragner!”

The way she spoke looked magnificent and looked as if she was surrounded by golden winds.

“That’s the spirit.”

Both of them smiled. Unnoticed by them, they were holding each other’s hand.

“Please do become a great Dragner for my sake.”

“I will.”

At that moment, the horn that signified the end of the ceremony was blown.

“So it has ended.”

With this, Ash lost his only chance to become a Breeder. It was fate that he had to return to his village empty handed but he was not going to regret it.

“…Erm, if you don’t mind, would you like to have this child?”

The girl somehow thought of something and handed him her dragon toy. As usual, it still looked clumsily made but right now, he thought that it was cute.

“For me?”

“Thanks to you, I have received an Orphan. I no longer need this child.”

“Thank you very much.”

The girl smiled as Ash took the toy. That was the first time the girl smiled in front of Ash.

Part 23

After that, both of them were separated under the protection of the Albion Forest Military Order. After Ash returned to the novitiate, he had a body checkup and found out that he had an abnormal Seikoku on his left arm. Since he was busy chit chatting with that beautiful girl, he never noticed anything before the checkup. Ash lost consciousness from the shock and was struck with a high fever for seven days. After the fever had passed, Ash forgot everything about his Orphan Ceremony. What was left after Ash had lost his memories was a left hand filled with Seikoku and a stuffed dragon toy.

Part 24

Mother Dragon let go of Ash’s body and said:

“The reason your memories were lost was because of the side effect of receiving the Orphan of the Avalon’s holy dragons' emperor family. It was actually caused by the huge amount of energy that entered your body that caused the confusion."

“I see…”

“When you defied me, there were only two choices that I could make. I could either let you die or entrust you with Avalon’s holy dragons' emperor family’s descendant to allow your arm to grow back.”

“So it won’t happen without Eco?”

“The normal Dragon Orphan doesn't have the rejuvenating ability. Only the Avalon’s holy dragons' emperor family is an exception.”

After hearing what she had said, Ash looked at his left arm once again.

“This left arm is not your previous arm.”

“Eh!? What do you mean?”

“Hmm… The Seikoku replaced the function of your lost arm by changing into the shape of one. Do you now understand?”

“Is that… true?”

Ash was staring at his left arm.

“Your Seikoku is different from all the normal Seikoku. It is a special family crest only for the knight of Avalon’s holy dragons' emperor family.”

Mother Dragon closed her eyes while telling him the shocking truth.

“Actually, I should still be keeping Eco for a few more years.”

Ash took a few moments to digest what she had said and was shocked by it.

“What you mean is… If I did not defy you and accept Lancelot… Eco would have become someone else’s Pal?”

“That’s right. The person had been selected. Like you, that person bears the chalice.”

“Chalice…?”

Ash was surprised but Mother Dragon immediately kept her mouth shut and sighed.

“…I have said too much. You will understand one day.”

Ash could not help but wonder why she wouldn't say anything about it.

“Then, I have one last question. Why is Eco born in the form of a human? Is everyone in Avalon’s holy dragons' emperor family born similar to her?”

Mother Dragon lifted her head slowly. Ash wasn't able to move while holding her gaze.

“No, that’s not it. Eco is actually a special being. In other words, she bears the hope and despair of all dragons.”

“You mean…?”

“In the near future, all dragons will go extinct. I can produce fewer and fewer Orphans. At most, dragons can only live for another century.”

“…!”

“Wise dragon Albion’s magic that ties humans and dragons together is just a method to extend the lifespan of the dragons.”

“Is it because of the lack of Astral?”

“That’s right. Astral is a formless energy that provides life to all living beings on this planet. A living being that can't supply it's own Astral is the same as being given up by the planet. They can only face extinction.”

“…I learned that from school.”

“Whatever the case, this planet considered anyone with a vast amount of magic as a threat and started removing them. Or you could say that the planet is cleaning itself up. On the other hand, humans who possess no magic are full of Astral.”

After speaking for some time, Mother Dragon changed the subject.

“By the way, do you know about the Elves?”

“They are an imaginary race. They have the same pointy ears as the Eckbalds…”

“That’s not true. Elves certainly once roamed the ancient world. They were a race with magic as strong as us dragons. In the end, they perished because of the lack of Astral… Actually, their mighty bloodline is continued by the Eckbalds.”

“You are saying that Eckbalds are the descendants of the Elves!?”

Ash mumbled while trying to recall Lucca's face.

“That’s right. Only the descendants of the Elves could perform the Dragon Riding Dance that the Eckbalds are proud of.”

“Is that so? I knew nothing of it.”

“Now, the dragons have come up with the same conclusion.”

“Could it be that…?!”

Ash felt that a thunder had struck him.

“Exactly, Eco was born as a human with dragon’s blood. After some time, she should be able to mate with a human and give birth.”

“-Really!”

Ash felt that his cheeks were on fire. He remembered the time when Eco was drunk with Ansal and wanted to have Ash’s child.

“That’s the truth. This body of mine is an illusion created by magic… But Eco’s is different. Her body is made to be the same as a human girl.”

“So… Eco will be able to become pregnant with a child…”

Ash kept on mumbling the same phrase. Then, Mother Dragon was again determined to send him off.

“That’s all for now. I shall speak to you no more. It is time for us to part.”

At the same time Mother Dragon sang the spell, his vision was filled with white light.

Part 25

“Urgh…”

Ash was once again in the forest after he woke up. Both Eco and Silvia were lying on the ground. Both of them had yet to wake up but it seemed that they no longer had their nightmare. Both of them were holding each other’s hands like great friends. The stuffed toy was almost squashed between both of them. Ash then stared at the old tree right in front of him.

How long has this tree existed? It looked like a sacred tree on first glance. He then placed his hand on the tree trunk and tried to feel it.

At that moment, Ash heard a soft voice.

-Please take good care of Eco.

“That sound…!”

Ash was surprised but he couldn't be wrong. It was certainly the voice of a kind mother, the voice of Mother Dragon.

“Could it be that… This tree… Is Mother Dragon’s true form!?”

He tried touching the trunk one more time but he could no longer hear the voice. But the tree in front of him gave the same feeling as Mother Dragon.

“That being said…”

Ash had forgotten one question. How does Mother Dragon continue living without a Pal. If this tree is really Mother Dragon… Mother Dragon definitely absorbed the Astral directly from the earth through her roots. Just like how plants absorb Astral. It was probably an idea thought of by the dragons. But, the problem was, a part of the tree was rotting. Mother Dragon was probably dying. That was why the extinction of the dragons was nearing.

Mother Dragon probably knew that her days are limited and didn't want to meet with Eco. Ash secretly thought.

There was a cold wind in the summer forest and it made Ash feel lonely.

“…No, I must not keep on being sad.”

Ash lifted his head. What Mother Dragon hoped to see is not him being sad. Ash collected himself and turned around with his back facing the tree.

“Right! We shall now head back to the novitiate!”

But he should first wake both Eco and Silvia. Ash gave them a wry smile and ran to their side.

"The Forest of Albion~A.S.B.1365.8~" is closed.

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