Editing Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 6 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 3===
Fianna Forest was located to the northwest of Ansarivan Academy. Students often visited here for combat training or routine school activities, so it was a deeply familiar forest to students.

“Good, we’ll descend here.”

While standing majestically on top of Cú Chulainn's head, she ordered it to descend. Cú Chulainn uttered out a loud roar, and then descended in the southwest corner of the forest. There was a small gap amidst the dense canopy of trees, like a small plaza within the forest. Cú Chulainn's extraordinarily large body was indeed inconvenient for movement inside the forest. Thus it so happened that this clearing was a good resting place for Cú Chulainn. As soon as Cú Chulainn descended, it lied down on the floor to rest. Although it looked like a mighty and sacred dragon that none could oppose, it was obedient like a dog towards Rebecca.

“Be careful, you don’t want to break the magic incense burners.”

After Rebecca reached the ground with light movements, she turned around to look at Ash.

“I’ll be careful, Rebecca-san.”

Ash carefully jumped down from Cú Chulainn's head. In his hand was a bag filled with three large magic incense burners. Although they didn't look too different from an ordinary incense burners on the outside, there were Bright Dragon Crystals inside. Simply setting it within the forest would cause it to activate Dragon Magic, and it would emit a scent that wild animals disliked. But that scent didn't have any effect on dragons, hence it could be considered to be an essential tool when holding a dragon riding competition in the wild.

“Be careful not to get lost, Ash.”

Rebecca cautioned him with a joke, and Ash couldn't help smiling wryly.

“Don’t worry. No matter how vast the sea of trees are, my eyes will be firmly stuck to the <Scarlet Empress> because it’s impossible to lose sight of you.

“R-Really.”

It was rare of Rebecca to stutter when talking. She ‘ahem’ cleared her throat, and then turned her back towards Ash. A fresh aroma could be smelt from her light hair as it drifted in the air.

“I never thought that you were a man who would say such sweet words. Or are those purely words without any intention…”

After Rebecca quietly muttered that, she began to walk along the forest trail.

“…?”

''—Did I say something to offend her…?''

With an uneasy feeling, Ash caught up with Rebecca's footsteps. The smell of the damp earth roused a sense of nostalgia within him. The sound of chirping birds could be heard everywhere. Through the slits between the branches, the autumn sun streamed down from overhead.

''—Fianna Forest huh…''

Ash could not help recalling those memories. The spring of this year that he could not forget. Whilst Ash was participating in the ‘Aries Dragon Riding Festival’, he encountered Milgauss and Anya. In the instant that he was able to successfully repel Anya, he lost his balance and fell into the valley. And then Eco was born—

“What is it Ash? You look restless.”

“—W-Wah!”

Ash was immensely shocked. Rebecca, who had originally walked ahead of him had imperceptibly moved beside him without him noticing, and was peering at his face. Upon seeing that Rebecca's face was so close to his own, Ash couldn't stop his heartbeat from intensifying.

“I’m sorry! I was just a little lost in thought…”

“Ho. You wouldn't be indulging in a strange delusion with me in it, would you?”

“I swear it’s absolutely not! I wouldn't dare to be so disrespectful!”

Rebecca's direct words were too sudden, so Ash could not help blushing. The smile on Rebecca's face seemed to show that she was amused by Ash’s reaction.

“‘Wouldn't dare to be so disrespectful’ huh…having people respect me so much is certainly something to be happy about, but as a woman, it would be a lie to say that I’m not lonely.”

Rebecca suddenly looked at Ash with a pair of sullen eyes, causing his mind to fall into a commotion.

''—As a woman.''

When Rebecca said those words, her slightly moist lips radiated a soft and glossy glow.

“Ash!”

Rebecca suddenly used force to push Ash down.

“Eh…?”

The bag with the incense burners inside them dropped onto the ground with a ‘donk’ sound. Without any resistance, Ash was pushed down into a bush, and his body lay on top of the moist soil. In an instant, Rebecca's body also pressed down on top of his. Their bodies were firmly pressed against each other with one on top and the other below. The warmth of Rebecca's body was transmitted over from the parts that were pressed onto him. It wasn't just that. Even the faint sounds of Rebecca's breathing could be heard.

“…!”

Rebecca's body remained motionless while she remained pressed against Ash’s body.

“…Rebecca-san?”

“Be quiet.”

Rebecca used her index finger to seal Ash’s lips. A rustling sound as if a sandbag was being dragged across the ground was heard, as it cut through the silence of the forest. And then, an enormous figure passed by in the corner of his eye.

''—…Is that a two-headed snake!?''

Ash’s entire body went stiff. He didn't expect to be here at a time when there were reports of increased sightings of strange snake species in the area. He could see the two long necks of the snake heads beyond the bush. Just the thickness of those necks was comparable to the width of a tree trunk, so it was impossible to imagine just how long the full length of the snake’s body was. Perhaps detecting the scent of two people, the two-headed snake suddenly stopped, and seeing this, Ash and Rebecca froze their bodies like rocks until the snake continued moving on. After a while, the strangely shaped snake disappeared deep into the forest.

“Phew…we’re saved.”

Ash couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief, and at that time, Rebecca whispered into his ear

“I didn't know that you were so bold either…”

Rebecca's breath carried a subtle heat. Ash was initially surprised, but he immediately noticed the source of the problem.

“Wah!?”

He was forcefully pushed down by Rebecca earlier, and while they were entangled together, his right hand inadvertently grabbed her left breast. In that instant of surprise, Ash tightened the grip on his right hand, and accidentally squeezed it.

“Mmn…!”

Rebecca suddenly let out a moan. Her cheeks blushed red faintly, as if she was aroused by pleasure. She had never revealed such an expression before. Although there was a layer of clothing in between, he could still clearly feel the softness of her breasts, and it was as if his five fingers were drawn in. She should be wearing underwear right…such thoughts involuntarily surfaced within Ash’s mind. The mesmerising sensation he felt simply by touching it was like the product of a miracle.

“Uhm…I-I absolutely did not mean to do it on purpose!”

Ash frantically tried to defend himself; because his body was pressed down upon by Rebecca, he was unable to adjust the position of his hand.

“Well, I understand that you did not mean it. Rest assured, I won’t blame you.”

After Rebecca replied somewhat coyly, for some reason, she pressed down on Ash’s body even more. Gripped in the centre of Ash’s right hand, her breast expanded and as a result, compressed into a different shape.

“Rebecca-san!?”

“…I have a question that I’d like to ask someone as bold and audacious as you.”

Rebecca used a dreamy tone as she began to speak.

“W-What is it?”

“Well…after listening to my question, I hope you don’t laugh. Everyone praises me for being strong, cool, and capable. Of course, hearing such praise doesn't make me unhappy, but I am still a girl in her youth. S-So I also want…to hear people praise me for being very cute and the like. Is it so strange for me to worry about such problems?”

Although her appearance was like that of a young girl, the expression in her eyes was dead serious. Ash immediately understood that he absolutely could not use a lame excuse to answer to her question.

“Of course it’s not strange.”

While replying in that manner, Ash still felt the sensation of his hand on Rebecca's breast.

“R-Really?”

“Yes. Rebecca-san is very cute right now.”

Ash decisively said. After Rebecca gasped in surprise, her cheeks became dyed red like a rose.

“Please, could you repeat what you just said?”

Although the unexpected request made him puzzled, Ash still did as she wished and said it once again.

“Y-You’re very cute!”

Ash was embarrassed to death, and his entire body heated up as if it had caught fire. Whether it was his own body heating up, or the warmth of Rebecca's body being transmitted to him…Ash was also uncertain. In short, his entire body was incessantly getting hotter.

“…Thank you, Ash. You’re the first person who’s said such a thing to me.”

After Rebecca showed a satisfied smile, she finally lifted her upper body away from Ash. The soft touch of her body and her sweet fragrance also drifted further away. At the same time that Ash dropped his tension, he inevitably felt some regret, but he soon felt a biting cold air.

Thunk, thunk…

The sound of familiar footsteps could be heard from the depths of the forest. The sound of those footsteps were clearer and more distinctive than any of the wild animals living in the forest. It wasn't an Asia<ref>Kanji was ground dragon</ref> either. Guessing from the way that the ground was shaking, it should be a Maestro. And it wasn't just one of them. Deducing it ground the sound of their footsteps, there were two of them.

“—Hey, you’re still not at the set up point? Hurry up and finish this boring work.”

Blaring into Ash’s eardrums was undoubtedly Eco’s voice.

“Hmm, if you can’t even get work of this degree done in such a time frame, you’ll damage the reputation of the Student Council. Continue, Lancelot!”

The next to ring out was Silvia’s voice.

“Umm…this area is the responsibility of group C, so…”

The person who meekly pointed out this problem was Lucca. Based on that, the other Maestro should be Gawain.

“What did you say!?”

“How is that possible!?”

Eco and Silvia both responded at the same time. Evidently, group A’s task was not going well. Logically speaking, while having Lucca, who was more familiar than anyone with the forest in the group, it should've been rather easy; however, Eco and Silvia seemed to be constantly unhelpful. Ash didn't find it difficult to imagine that Lucca was having a hard time because she was being dragged around by those two, and he couldn't help exposing a wry smile. However, his smile was immediately frozen upon hearing the following dialogue.

“Speaking of which — I wonder what Ash’s group is up to right now?”

Eco suddenly spoke with a tone of displeasure.

“His group member is President Rebecca, so we shouldn't need to worry about them.”

Silvia answered calmly.

“Hold on, what does that ‘we’ mean? Why are you also worried?”

“I-I also like Ash! What’s wrong with being worried!?”

Silvia replied as if it were only natural. Perhaps because she thought that Ash wasn't present, she didn't try to hide her feelings. It was previously impossible for Silvia to have such an attitude.

“Eh? Silvia, you…also like Ash?”

Lucca was probably confused by Silvia’s sudden change in attitude. After all, Lucca was kept in the dark about the events which happened over the summer vacation, so it was hard to blame her for being confused.

“Anyway! If he dares to do anything strange with Rebecca, I’ll crush him in one step!”

Eco’s relentless words reverberated throughout the forest. It was almost as if she were giving a loud warning to Ash, who was somewhere within the forest. The three people in group A turned around and headed towards the eastern side.

Thunk, thunk…

The sound of Lancelot’s and Gawain’s footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

“—Fufu. Ash, congratulations on escaping unharmed.”

Rebecca revealed a playful expression as she whispered softly. Seeing her devilish smile, Ash almost felt like his soul was being sucked away. In order to calm himself down again, Ash leaned over to pick up the bag which he had dropped near his feet. He inspected the contents inside, and confirmed that the incense burner was safe. Unintentionally, Ash had discovered something even more significant.

''—Thinking back about it now, if I brought out the magic incense burners to use when the two-headed snake appeared…we wouldn't have had to hide from it in such an embarrassing way, right?''

“What is it, Ash?”

Rebecca, who was about ten steps ahead of him suddenly turned around, causing Ash to panic. The sudden doubts that he had were also tossed to the back of his mind.

“I’ll be right over!”